Michael Winston

Whoops! :lol: Missed that! Thanks, Tamara. Sorry Steve. Here's to the next 4000! Kind regards, Mike.

That's very good news. Thanks Steve, Kind regards, Mike.

Hear, hear! However, I'd substitute 'always' for 'often' in that sentence, PP. :lol: Kind regards, Mike. My thoughts exactly, Darkman. Kind regards, Mike. P.S. Here's an interesting story......... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6286484.stm

Here's something to ponder - hope it's in the right place! Kind regards, Mike. http://liveearth.uk.msn.com/green/articles...px?imageindex=1

Hi, Captain. I'll have a go! A rough (and accurate?) translation: ''There's no new evidence to say that carbon emissions definitely don't cause global warming. Plenty of jobs riding on the outcome of this one. If the scientific community dithers, politicians will lose interest.'' I think that's what it says, but I can barely speak English meself! Kind regards, Mike.

Some promise for us Midlanders, then, Brick? Kind regards, Mike. P.S. That second chart looks like the Olympics logo!

Wasn't the Easter of '75 very warm too? I remember lying on the beach at Exmouth in very hot weather (instead of revising for my exams!) but I can't remember whether it was '75 or '76. Does anyone know? Many thanks, Mike.

It would seem not: from Wikipedia; ''In 2001, a BBC Radio 4 documentary featured suggestions that the events of 1952 were connected to government cloud seeding experiments being conducted in southern England at the time. There does not presently seem to be any direct evidence to support such allegations, but conspiracy theories have been fuelled by rumours of missing or destroyed government documents relating to the experiments. By extreme coincidence exactly 52 years later, on the 16th of August 2004 an almost similar phenomenon happened in a village very near Lynmouth. A flash flood occurred in Boscastle (Cornwall, UK), fortunately without any human victims but causing extensive damage to the village. The hydrological setting of these two villages is very much the same.'' It would appear to be a terrible and tragic natural disaster. Regards, Mike.

Well said, Eddie. I have often thought that if a rational Fascist dictatorship were to exist, then it would choose an American / U.K. system of government. If we choose, we can live in a world of comforting illusion; like yourself, however, I'd prefer not to, no matter how difficult the discomfort of reality might be. Kind regards, Mike.

I couldn't agree more with everything said here, (well said, Gray Wolf, post no. 10) particularly with reference to the punishment tax on carers. I've had bitter experience of this and can vouch for Gray Wolf and Soggy Wales' predicament, forced on them by an uncaring Government that seems hell bent on squeezing the last drop out of the poorest and most vulnerable. Take a look at this rather depressing article from the BBC today*. I wonder if a Cabinet minister might care to explain to this man the benefits of toll roads and how they will improve his lot? However, there is no reason to believe that we have to be constrained by mysterious and unjust laws. These are simply decisions made within Government that are subject to our judgement and they must face the test of legitimacy. And if these decisons are unjust, then the people that make them can be replaced by other leaders who are more just, as has happened often in the past. We can make a difference. We don't have to take this. Remember, the State is not a moral agent; people are, and we can impose moral standards on powerful institutions through the vote. It is within our power, no matter how naive that might sound. Optimistically yours, Mike. *Here's the address if the link doesn't work - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6681421.stm

My first instinct would be to check out / change the batteries, O_F. My limited experience of remote transmitters makes me think it might be that - batteries tend not to last long outside, no matter what the conditions; even ni-cads/nhi-ms(?) tend to run down quickly. Hope you get it sorted soon, Kind regards, Mike.

Any thoughts, anyone, on the impact of volcanic activity?

Sorry, Magpie, I can't debunk anything - I'm not knowledgeable enough and I don't have a fixed opinion on the issue, other than to say I have a very open mind. However, I find it interesting that some of the contributors from the New Scientist don't appear to have referred to each other's work; either that, or a it's a case of editorial overload. If I may, I'd like to draw peoples' attention to the following quotes from four of the articles and their apparent contradictory nature*: The Cooling After 1940..''In addition, the large eruption of Mount Agung in 1963 produced aerosols which cooled the lower atmosphere by about 0.5°C'' Human C02 Emissions Are Too Tiny To Matter ..''Finally, claims that volcanoes emit more CO2 than human activities are simply not true.'' Its Been Far Warmer In The Past...''The warming, which lasted 200,000 years, was caused by the release of massive amounts of methane or CO2. It was thought to have come from the thawing of methane clathrates in deep ocean sediments, but the latest theory is that it was caused by a massive volcanic eruption that heated up coal deposits''. Mars and Pluto Are Warming Too...''Their climates (Mars and Pluto) will be affected by local factors such as orbital variations, changes in reflectance (albedo) and even volcanic eruptions.'' Granted, the first quote refers to aerosols but if I appear confused by the wealth of information I hope you'll understand why. Discrepancies like this, no matter how small or misunderstood (particularly by me!), will, I fear, be jumped upon by both camps and used as a stick to beat each other with. A pity, as there appears to be a great deal to be concerned about. A fascinating set of articles, Magpie, and much to read and think about over the weekend. Many thanks, Kind regards, Mike. ( A jibe-free NW member!) * There's no need to post any criticisms of this post, particularly about my 'bad science', lack of knowledge and analytical shortcomings - I'm my own sternest critic!

Morning all. Muggy here in Brum. It doesn't get much worse than that - count your blessings!!! 1006Mb. 19C. Wind W/NW' erly 15 m.p.h. Have a good day, Regards, Mike.

No evidence, just a sheer guess - the seasonal 'flattening out' continues soooooo............... ......slightly above average summer warmth, but quite wet, followed by a slightly warmer winter with below average precipitation: not as warm as last year's but not Arctic either. Like I say, just an intuitive guess, so don't come round to my house and put the windows through!!! Regards, 'Mystic' Mike.

Quite right, PP. For example, it has been reported that the Chinese will run out of water (by the BBC amongst others) long before they can reach the peak of their industrial potential. Regards, Mike.

Just my tu'ppence worth: The horse chestnut trees have been in blossom for the last two weeks across Warwickshire (and very nice they are too!). The bluebells have been out now for a fortnight too across the same area. Very nice but such early flowering leaves me with a deep sense of unease. Regards, Mike. P.S. Lovely flowers Jethro. I wish I had your green fingers!

The bluebells have been out in abundance in Warwickshire for the past fortnight. They're lovely to see but them being out so early worries me. Regards, Mike.

I forgot to add........ In 1981 I got a shot of an IRA bomb destroying a fast food restaurant in Oxford Street. I rushed my shots to the Evening Standard, only to find it had been 'put to bed'. However, the picture editor saw my shot and bought it to use in the next day's edition of the Daily Express. Delighted, I consented (I was in a terrible state of shock). To my eternal dismay, it was also used in the next day's editon of the Daily Star! To add to the humiliation, I was described as a 'Daily Star reader'!!! I'm many things, but I am definitely NOT a Daily Star reader. <_< My mates have never let me forget this - to this day, whenever we meet up for a curry or a drink or three, they all say, ''Here he comes. Its the Daily Star reader!'' Let this be a cautionary tale for you all!!! Kind regards, Mike.

What's truly disturbing is that if The Daily Star can get away with stuff like this, what other half-baked truths and fabrications are they peddling? It strikes me that part of their raison d'etre is to create moral or social panic to distract their 'readership' (if that's the right term!) from the truly important issues that face us. Regards, Mike.

Yep! And, he wrote that hideous pop song 'Dick-A-Dum-Dum' which will make the more 'mature' members of NW will shudder when they recall it! The same sort of shudder we get reading the weather reports from the Daily Excess! Regards, Mike.

I remember that well! And then we fried from Whitsuntide onwards! (I was at college then and remember tribes of young people, myself included, who thought that liberal intakes of lager and Guinness were the cure for sunburn, heatstroke, overdrafts etc. We still managed to pass our finals, too! God help us!). I'll have to agree with you experienced folks here - I think we may have a classic (for me that is!) Spring season with a cold incursion, lots of lovely clean North air, vigorous wintry showers and beautiful post - storm skies. Well, I can dream can't I? Kind regards everyone, Have a nice weekend, Mike.

1-2 cms here in Selly Park last night. All gone now, though, despite a heavy shower at 6 a.m. My son's really disappointed - he's got to go to school! Regards, Mike.

An excellent point, P. Well said. Regards, Mike.

I'm more cynical, I'm afraid. I have said before that I firmly believe that human survival is not particularly significant in comparison with short-term power and wealth to those nabobs that control the New World Order. That's the scary aspect about AGW as far as I'm concerned. And Trident too, for that matter. Regards, Mike.