Random Thoughts (Twelve)

I just came across the news that fellow history teacher, Civil War tour guide and author,Dave Hinze had passed away this past August in Missouri. My fiend John and I had the pleasure of taking several tours with him and Mike Priest, another history teacher and Civil War tour guide/author from Maryland, over the years. He was a nice guy and a very knowledgeable historian. My favorite trips to Civil War sites were lead by Dave and Mike. I'll never forget the South Mountain, Antietam, Shiloh and Wilderness trips. They were great times. Sad to hear of his passing. Dave will be missed.

I was just thinking. Every time I have a discussion with colleagues and friends who believe in man-made global warming or climate change, they always use the argument that weather and climate are two different things. I agree. They'll say it's cold and snowy because it's winter, or it's hot because it's summer. They are right, which is my point precisely. If there was climate change or global warming, the winters would not be as cold and snowy and the summers would be even hotter. But they are not. The climate is the same here in New England as it always has been as long as I can remember. I live near Long Island Sound and walk along the beach almost every day. I have friends who have homes on the water. The high tide mark is no different today than it was twenty or thirty years ago. There is no coastal flooding except when we get hit by a "nor'easter" as they call them around here. Hurricanes were supposed to become more intense and more frequent. They haven't. They have actually declined in number the past five years. Snow was supposed to be something our children would only read about in history books. Yeah, sure. Just look out the window.

There is much out there in the way of scholarly articles and other well researched publications both online and in print,as well as video programs, that have exposed rampant manipulation of temperature statistics by those relying on government grants to support their climate change research. I have read and viewed many of them. Most of my colleagues who challenge the claim that global warming is a myth, refuse to. If they did, they would learn that the amount of man-made CO2 is minuscule compared to the natural factors that create it. The sun's activity is another factor that affects our climate, probably more than any other factor. We are in a cycle currently of historic sun inactivity. When the sun becomes more active when this cycle ends, the earth will warm due to increased solar activity. But of course the warm-mongers will blame it on CO2 emissions.

Look folks, it doesn't get colder because it is getting warmer just like it doesn't get warmer because it is getting colder. It is total nonsense. The ice caps are retreating in some places and growing in others. Weather is weather. Climate is climate. It's just not changing.

With all the time I've been trapped in my home with the blizzards and snow storms we've been hit with here in Connecticut, I've read a few books and watched more than my usual number of movies to pass the time. So here is a partial list of my favorites so far in no particular order. Remember, it is only the first week of February, so there will be more books and videos yet to come...

Books:
The Creature from Jekyll Island: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve by G. Edward Griffin

Starting Over: The Making of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy by Ken Sharp

Life by Keith Richards and James Fox

The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War by James Bradley

LBJ: The Mastermind of JFK's Assassination by Phillip F Nelson

Movies:

Inception

The Town

The Social Network

Salt

Dinner for Schmucks

The Other Guys

Grownups

Nowhere Boy

Wall Street

RED

Spring training is less than two weeks away. Nothing like watching live reports from Red Sox camp in Florida on NESN in the middle of a snow storm.

We had over 10,000 visits here in January. Thanks for taking a look. Until I have another original thought, Peace and stay warm.