I’ll believe there’s a crisis when the people telling us there’s a crisis start acting like there’s a crisis”.

I think this goes to the heart of why nothing will come out of Copenhagen, and is why I gave this post its title. If you’re still considering a private jet and a limo service absolute necessities, I’m not particularly interested in hearing how you need me to bung you wads of cash to reduce carbon emissions (through some obscure, magical process).

The science is another matter. It seems obvious enough that carbon emissions are going to cause us trouble, I just suspect a lot of what we're hearing right now is rank alarmism based on computer models that aren’t worth sh_t. Propose some useful mechanisms to reduce pollution and encourage moves to renewable resources and I’ll be all for it – but propose jacking up prices so money can be traded by financial scammers and handed over to corrupt Third World officials to no useful environmental effect, and strangely enough I’m not going to be enthusiastic.

via Blogger: No Minister – Post a Comment.

Just talked to Sara. She says no snow yet in Manitoba.

But… we have icebergs coming…

Yay. Not.

Tesco Plc has announced an innovative proposal, now in its “pre-planning” stage, in which the supermarket chain will expand into the University Humanities Sector.

TescoUniversity will open for enrolment in the 2012/13 academic year, with an initial branch planned in Sheffield and further branches planned in London and Cambridge.

Vice-President Kath Embers stressed the synergies which would result from the initiative. “While universities have attempted to become more market-oriented in their approach, only in the private sector do we find the supporting corporate structure and skill-set available to positively transform tertiary education into a fully fledged market-driven product.”

“Sheffield TescoUniversity promises to provide high-end user-driven results in this space, going forward together.”

tescobiblicalstudies

The announcement has met with a mixed response from academics. While existing university faculty members in the Sheffield area have expressed their “dismay” at the development, there was nothing but praise from recent recipients of honorary doctorates from TescoUniversity.

“It’s about time these ivory tower types earned an honest living by teaching something that everybody understands, rather than some high-faluting theory about feminizing or some sort,” commented the new Dean of Humanities, Dr Barry McFettrick, former Assistant Manager of Tesco Furniture and Kitchen.

The Humanities has been targeted by the company as the academic area which has “thus far responded least to the reality of the market in the modern world” and so “offers the greatest potential for positive growth and development.”

Ms Embers outlined some details of the proposal at a press conference held yesterday, in which the Humanities would be organised into a series of “aisles,” ranging from the more “meaty” disciplines such as Economics and Tourism Studies, to the less substantial “confectionary aisle” which would include “sundry items” such as Philosophy and Biblical Studies.

“But even in disciplines which have traditionally offered little of end-user value, such as Biblical Studies, we intend to offer a range of courses which reflect our market-driven approach. In fact, we are in the process of negotiating an exciting joint-venture which we hope should eventuate in the establishment of the L. Ron Hubbard Centre of Religion,” announced Ms Embers.

“For example, in Biblical Studies, we are developing a strategic staircase to reorient the field towards a profit-focus while retaining all the advantages of the traditional discipline. It is not our intention to make significant changes to what has for many centuries been a successful product venture, so in most cases the changes will be undetectable. For instance, the Introduction to the Gospels will still be taught, but will be rebranded as an Introduction to the Prosperity Gospel.

“Students are always asking us what good will these courses do them in the real world. But at Sheffield TescoUniversity, we hope to produce graduates who can ask precisely the opposite question: ‘What good will we possibly find in the real world following an education at Sheffield TescoUniversity?’

My Political Views
I am a right moderate social libertarian
Right: 5.78, Libertarian: 2.64

Political Spectrum Quiz

MacDoctor | Political Spectrum Quiz – Your Political Label.

and on foreign policy I’m with George HW Bush.

My Foreign Policy Views
Score: 4.1

Political Spectrum Quiz

So… I’m further from the centre than the Mac Doc, but given that the US centre is at the right for NZ… a quick comparison confirms I’m WAY to the right compared with the average kiwi, and a tad more libertarian.

And ii is cold. Full winter cold. Too early.

Philip Duncan, of Weatherwatch, said the wild weather was caused by the return of the low front that brought cold temperatures last week.

“Cold snaps are not unusual but for it to stick with us so long is strange,” he said. “We had such a warm April but we’ve been robbed of autumn. We’re having July weather in the middle of May, when the coldest time of this year is still to come.”

MetService figures show temperatures are only slightly cooler than last year. In Auckland, the mean temperature for May so far is 11.9 degrees, compared to last year’s average of 13.6.

Comparisons for the other main centres showed similar decreases.

“These temperatures are typical of late May to early June so they’ve occurred two weeks earlier than normal,” said MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt.

“We’ll probably have the temperatures we’ve got right through into June.”

via Snow, rain and gales bring winter chill – National – NZ Herald News.

I’m not a believer in CO2 as a major factor: I think water and sunspot / solar cycles have more to do with this. If Gore is right, can everyone fire up their V*s and open a few more coal fired stations, because we are two degrees down, and that matters.

Of course the Goreists would argue two degrees up proved their point. If that is the case, does this disprove it?

Take The Ultra Ultimate Personality Test at HelloQuizzy

“>

Amazing. You are part of the 4.3% of the population that landed in this category.^* You know the game and its history well, and you did amazingly well when it came to playing Calvinball strategically.

This suggests that you probably have a natural talent in Calvinball. You have learned that the trick to doing well in Calvinball is not brute strength, but quick wit. With your natural ability you could go far.

You are definitely already talented enough to beat Calvin. A match versus the quick-witted tiger would be close. I’m going to give you the edge, but his superior knowledge of the game might propel him to victory.

* This is a made up number.

Take How good of a Calvinball player are you? at HelloQuizzy

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