[climate sceptics] step this way

There's virtually no doubt that climate change is occurring.

Too many phenomena are going on which palpably have not happened before, especially in this neck of the woods. I would love to have had my sceptic friends here during the wild storm a couple of weeks back.

It's easily checked against the records which don't go back twelve years - they go back over a hundred. More tenuous records exist before that in the literature of the nation.

Blame whom you like - blame the huge increase in population, blame logging, blame natural causes, blame the cabals [close to the truth here and here], blame anyone you like but it is happening, folks.

I characterize sceptics as in the photo below right and address them as in this post but Oddiya goes much further, quoting this source as one sceptics should read first before coming to a debate and that's provocative stuff:

While deniers arguments gain coverage in the mainstream thanks to so called "balanced reporting", bloggers are to blame for freely publishing deniers comments regardless of how demonstrably false they are - a practice that gives the false impression of a debate about the facts of climate change when in reality there isn't one.

Thunderdragon answered with:

I do not "deny" that there is something going on, but I think it is extremely arrogant to say that it is humans who are the primary or only cause of it. We have been industrialised for little more than two centuries.

I just find it incredible that we could have been the only cause of it - we have undoubtedly affected it is some way and sped up the process, but I doubt that we alone could have possibly "caused" it.

The simple question in reply, TD, is that if "we" didn't, then who did? Now I'm going to work my way through the "grist" articles and see what they have to say.

Please don't ignore the evidence, people, especially this and then start saying "climate change, my ass" or swiftly trot out the facile "climate porn" whenever you're challenged. That's as much debate as my cartoon to the right.

[crochet] it's a boy's thing

Kyle says: "Yo, crochet is go!"

I was looking for the word croquet, found crochet instead and thought what the heck - let's go with it. I used to crochet at school when I was eleven and I once won the best … no, hold on … that was embroidery.

Anyway, crocheting is for boys. That's the thing I was trying to say. Check out the neat little tent Jeffrey made [centre right]. You see, rather than chasing women and playing ball, this is what you could be doing, guys. And women will admire you for it and look - you have the tent at the ready.

As Gwen says:

Crochet is a metaphor for many pleasing things in their lives and they find the process to be as important as the product and use it to express emotions and ideas.

Now, that crochet pattern I promised you boyz is here [see photo below of the finished skorts for your girlfriend]. But be careful - there had to be some changes. As Sue says:

I have changed where it says "*1sc, 1dc* to end of row" and replaced it with "Seed st (1sc, 1dc) to end of row", as everyone will know from the instructions that Seed St means to make a sc in the dc of the previous row and a dc in the sc on the previous row.

Hope that's clear.

[housekeeping] navbar updates and skorts

Please check my lower Navbar for changes today. Unfortunately, the Islamic post must wait until tomorrow morning and in its place, above, the gentle art of skorts.

[strafing again] kamikaze operations

I wouldn't want you to think I have a fixation about crashing aircraft and bombs [kerboom, kerboom] but a divine wind forces me to run this Wiki excerpt:

... Purpose-built kamikaze planes, as opposed to converted fighters and dive-bombers, were also being constructed. Ensign Mitsuo Ohta had suggested that piloted glider bombs, carried within range of targets by a mother plane, should be developed.

The First Naval Air Technical Bureau (Kugisho), in Yokosuka, refined Ohta's idea. Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka rocket planes, launched from bombers, were first deployed in kamikaze attacks from March 1945. U.S. personnel gave them the derisive nickname "Baka Bombs" (baka is Japanese for "idiot" or "stupid").

Allied naval crews had begun to develop techniques to negate kamikaze attacks, such as firing their high-caliber guns into the sea in front of attacking planes flying near sea level, in order to create walls of water which would swamp the attacking planes.

Although such tactics could not be used against Okhas and other fast, high angle attacks, these were in turn more vulnerable to anti-aircraft fire ...

My new title: Daimyo Higham-Baka-Ohta of Straf Okinawa, birthday September 13th, 1944.

[british airways] classic rant source

One of the best rants of all time? Don't give a thought to the layout and occasional typos, as Guthrum was clearly angry:

And a big thank you to British Airways

Do not, repeat, do not patronise me with your 'safety' demonstrations. Let me tell you my friends, that the survival rate will be low in the case of an emergency, because you have crammed people in so tight, that even a little lad like me has difficulty getting IN to my seat, let alone getting out in a fire,forced landing, ditching situation.. The evacuation will be in order of the survival of the fittest as you bloody well know.

Oh I can personally feel every part of this as he writes. He continues:

I would also like to extend my thanks to the ignorant Afrikaaner in front of me who at every opportunity put his seat back during the laughingly [named] 'meal times' when his maw consumed the meagre fare in two seconds, despite my very English protests of I say, do you mind' (in reality it was for fcuk sake will you pack it in) he finally got the message, but I have found it does take time for new ideas with his kind of volk.

I would also like to thank Mr & Mrs English Bucket and spade for their incessant whinging (loud sotto voce of course) Stay at home dears and go to Margate, you know it makes sense!

Finally to the git opposite me with a cold, but at forty eight has not learned the rudiments of put you hand over your mouth when you have a bad cold and sneezing over a radius of five rows and me is not socially or medically acceptable. You selfish bastard !

Here's something a bit nicer about BA. Poor Tim Lancaster.

[next pm] have we found him?

While the U.S. does what it can to keep the Lizard Queen out of power, Iain Dale rates the qualifications of the next British PM:

[David] Davis is scarcely a woolly liberal, a Soho brand manager or a tree hugger. His voice reaches parts of the party Cameron cannot reach. Well-read and supremely intelligent, Davis is in a different league to John Prescott: Davis would make a fine party leader, which is something that could never have been said of Prescott.

So let's look at his bio:

Conservative Party

Wikipedia

So what do you think? Cameron clearly won't wash so is David Davis the man?