Comments for Digital Chum

Comment on I made my d20 saving throw by Dan

Dan — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 19:07:47 +0000

It seems to be innate, though I’m completely in the dark on her class… though she could have taken the feat in secret in preparation for surprise attacks like this one.

Comment on I made my d20 saving throw by Jay

Jay — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:04:24 +0000

dual wielding books? is that an innate class ability, or did she have to take a feat for that?

Comment on Best Shaving Cream EVER! by Dan

Dan — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:28:07 +0000

I’ve been mixing it 50/50 with “On the Go” shave gel that I found at Dollar Tree… which is the slickest shave gel I’ve EVER used (even beyond the Gillete Multi-glide) and it makes for an even better shave. It gives the moisturizing of the lotion plus the super-slickness of the gel.

Comment on Satire is a beautiful thing by Dan

Dan — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:40:33 +0000

Well, based on the definition of the word “overwhelming,” I’d think it would be understandable that I don’t include all the data in my blog posts. Since the data is available from a number of online sources along with accompanying analysis by relevant scientists, it’s a relatively simple task to find the desired information, anyway.

However, the point of this particular post was to criticize deniers for their seeming lack of intellectual curiosity to do a little research from reputable sources in order to get at least a minimum of understanding about the issue. The point wasn’t to load the reader up with evidential talking points, raw data, and technical analysis of climate science. There are entire organizations devoted to that. I’m not going to do it on my little blog for an opinion piece.

As for the data you’ve cited in the past, I’ve read almost every one of the links you’ve posted and almost without exception (I say “almost” because I can’t remember every single one), they misquoted, misrepresented, or misunderstood the data and/or situation they were criticizing. In each case, it wasn’t difficult to find the actual information. In many cases, the links you posted actually supported AGW… a bit of irony which I found somewhat amusing.

You mention tree ring data, Antarctic sea ice, and global weather stations. I’ve read a bit about each of those items, but I’m not sure of your point. Surely you can’t be presenting any of them as evidence against global warming. You’ve said before that your anti-global-warming motivations are political, but I’m sure that doesn’t preclude doing some valid research instead of following along with some anti-science, right-wing talking points.

Assuming you’ve done the research, you probably already know about how tree ring data is and was used ( http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/cru/people/briffa/yamal2009/ ), how warming temperatures are expected to affect Antarctic sea ice ( http://ams.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1175%2FJCLI4136.1 ), and how global weather stations are used ( http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2010/02/the-guardian-disappoints/ and http://www.skepticalscience.com/On-the-reliability-of-the-US-Surface-Temperature-Record.html ).

Now, I suspect you will claim that my sources are suspect or lack credibility or are somehow involved in perpetrating a hoax, but these are just a few of the articles that turn up. The CRU, the IPCC, the IASC, the USGCRP, the RMetS, and a host of others all have information… actual scientific information… supporting the idea that AGW is happening.

Settled science? No. Science doesn’t settle. The only people who use the phrase “settled science” on a regular basis seem to be the deniers. You know full well that hypotheses change to fit the data… but the data has to be real. There are plenty of genuine scientific debates going on, but they’re based on the actual facts, not on political spin. The political debates are just a bunch of ideological mud-slinging.

So am I ideological about this issue? No… unless you want to define ideology as a strong acceptance of reality.

Comment on Best Shaving Cream EVER! by Hunter

Hunter — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:52:54 +0000

I just tried it. Takes a little getting used to but way better then spending a fortune!

Comment on Satire is a beautiful thing by Tom

Tom — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:21:39 +0000

Dan,
Interesting. I’ve read a lot of your pieces now, or in the few times you’ve enjoined a debate with me or Nathan on FB before you disconnected. Every time you cite “overwhelming evidence”, but I’ve never actually read any details from you to back that up that assertion, whereas I have on at least one occasion cited numerous specific sources of scientific data that refute man-made global warming. Even this subject piece is riddled with vague generalities. Nothing specific. And irony of all ironies, you call folks me ideological… Shall I cite all that data over again? And I’m not talking about my numerous sardonic posts about early snow storms or the IPCC implosion. I’m talking about things like the Yamal Tree Ring Data, how Antarctic sea ice is at an historical maximum, or how global temperature stations have been taken off-line. Ahh… who needs that inconvenient fact-based stuff anyway?
-Tom Shafer

Comment on Oh, for the love of bacon! by Drew

Drew — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:44:29 +0000

The secret? I’ve been feeding the turkeys in the back field pieces of ground, dried pork. Now how you think THAT turkey bacon will taste come this fall? Huh, smart guy?

Comment on Foxes playing on a trampoline by Drew

Drew — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:42:10 +0000

To paraphrase Milhouse, “Foxes are outstanding!” ^__^

Comment on Zero miles remaining by Dan

Dan — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:56:27 +0000

LOL! Negative 20!!!

I did “reboot” my car, but only about 3 minutes after starting it the first time. It’s possible that if I had done it later, I might have been successful in resetting it. If it happens again, I’ll try that.

Comment on Zero miles remaining by Jay

Jay — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:06:09 +0000

My Prius has a dud 12-volt battery that I need to replace. it works most of the time, but occasionally the computer reboots right while the car is starting because there is not enough juice (once the car is on, 12 volt power is converted down from the 500v battery) so it hasn’t been a big deal, but recently it told me the exterior temp was negative 20 degrees F. It was like 45 degrees outside. I don’t worry about it, but then as I was driving I realized that the AC was using that mis calibrated sensor to determine how much it should warm up the exterior air before blowing it into the cabin. which meant it thought keeping a cabin temp of 70 degrees required a lot of heating up that it really didn’t need. I drove with the windows down for a bit until I got a chance to stop and restart the car, resetting the temp sensor calibration.

Cars are getting more and more like computers. “try closing all the windows and restarting it”