I have a question. My FIL mentioned something about how a scientist that Al Gore quotes or uses or something, now is predicting a cooling cycle. I couldn't say anything about this since I didn't know anything about it.

Hmm - this is a variation on the standard "Global Cooling" line. So offhand I don't know which of the many versions your FIL is referring to.

The blog "A few things ill considered" on Science Blogs includes a good general refutation of one common version of this general point

[link]

If your FIL wants to give the name of the scientist or more specifics I will be glad to point you towards a more specific refutation. (I make a point of not reinventing the wheel on this. Denier talking points are so tired and endlessly recycled at this point that there is already a refutation of just about all of them already out there. So I just point appropriate places. As I say, send me some specifics, name of "one of Al Gore's favorite scientists" that sort of thing, and I'll link to an appropriate refutation. Note, I did not say if one exists. I'm absolutely confident that one does. )

Gotcha, I misunderstood what you meant. I only know one or two people who would fall into that category (not remotely Gar, for the record) so my mind didn't go there.

Yeah. I don't know *that* many, but OMG, are they ever loud about it. And, you know, sometimes the complaints are legit, but the signal to noise ratio on them is SO, so off.

I have some seriously Obama-hating leftist friends. They are often just as irrational and tinhatty about it as the right wing ones.

Often more.

And the thing with the Obama-hating lefties I know is that I honestly don't think that any Democrat -- even their sainted Kucinich (honestly, I think if he got in office, they'd be pissed about some damn thing and start badmouthing him, like, he didn't order public executions for investment bankers, and I'm not even kidding) -- would make them happy.

OTOH, it seems to me that the Obama-hating rightwingers *would* be happy with just about any Republican in office. Weird.

In theory the US is a democracy.

In theory, it's a republic.

t the pedant tag never closes

One advantage of the flu mist is that it's thimerosal free, as are single-dose units, but not multi-dose versions. I don't see any credible evidence against thimerosal, but for the people who do, there are options. I know this because I had to counter a wacky e-mail my sister got, which was making her think she wouldn't get the H1N1 shot, when my family is the poster family for high risk. The crazies are making much of "it's untested" and "it's been rushed through," when it's being made by the same companies on roughly the same timeline as the seasonal flu virus. This e-mail included the classic "I have a friend whose sister works in a hospital and her son took it and got Guillan-Barre syndrome." To be true, that would have required time travel, since the e-mail predated the testing of the vaccine.

I have always gotten a flu shot, because I was not a winner in the lungs lottery.

I think Jessica may have been right and it is linked to a decrease in solar activity or something.

It's not an argument I want to continue, it just isn't good family politics. OTOH, I don't want to dismiss arguments out of hand when I don't have all the information. This makes me horrible in political arguments, because I don't want to make or dismiss an argument unless I'm sure of my facts.

I know is that I honestly don't think that any Democrat... would make them happy.

Some people just like to bitch, is my theory.

One advantage of the flu mist is that it's thimerosal free, as are single-dose units, but not multi-dose versions.

Okay, I think that the NPR piece I mentioned earlier, that I *thought* mentioned egg-free vaccine, actually mentioned thimerosal-free injectable vaccine, *not* egg-free.

I'm pretty sure this time.

t /crackpot

I know is that I honestly don't think that any Democrat... would make them happy.

Some people just like to bitch, is my theory.

Yup. And, whatever. If they want to, then they're going to. Although I always want to ask them, "Do you like ANYTHING??? AT ALL???" But it's not worth engaging them.

OTOH, it seems to me that the Obama-hating rightwingers *would* be happy with just about any Republican in office. Weird.

I think anyone looks good when a guy you don't like is in charge. Heck, there were a lot of Republicans I'd be happy to have replaced GWB with.

I knew the world was a weird place when I looked back on George Herbert Walker Bush and thought, "I miss him."

He at least understood why foreign policy was important.