End the War on Freedom

Russmo.com - Hot Air - cartoon commentary on the two major destroyers of U.S. forests. Hehe.

Stephen McIntyre and Ross McKitrick at Energy & Environment - Corrections to the Mann et. al. (1998) Proxy Data Base and Northern Hemispheric Average Temperature Series - Index to a PDF paper showing that a major study used to support the global warming theory used badly flawed data. A new analysis of correct data shows what many of us have known all along. There is no global warming. None, nada, zip. It is a lie. [smith2004]

ABSTRACT

The data set of proxies of past climate used in Mann, Bradley and Hughes (1998, "MBH98" hereafter) for the estimation of temperatures from 1400 to 1980 contains collation errors, unjustifiable truncation or extrapolation of source data, obsolete data, geographical location errors, incorrect calculation of principal components and other quality control defects. We detail these errors and defects. We then apply MBH98 methodology to the construction of a Northern Hemisphere average temperature index for the 1400-1980 period, using corrected and updated source data. The major finding is that the values in the early 15th century exceed any values in the 20th century. The particular "hockey stick" shape derived in the MBH98 proxy construction -- a temperature index that decreases slightly between the early 15th century and early 20th century and then increases dramatically up to 1980 -- is primarily an artefact of poor data handling, obsolete data and incorrect calculation of principal components.

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4. CONCLUSIONS

The MBH98 hockey stick-shaped NH temperature index discussed here has been extremely influential in discussions of 20th century global warming. Together with a pre-1400 extension derived in Mann et. al. (1999) and a spliced instrumental temperature series, this index figured prominently in the IPCC Third Assessment Report (IPCC 2001) and numerous other publications. However, the dataset used to make this construction contained collation errors, unjustified truncation or extrapolation of source data, obsolete data, incorrect principal component calculations, geographical mislocations and other serious defects. These errors and defects substantially affect the temperature index.

Although not all of the dataset could be audited, it was possible to prepare a data base with substantially improved quality control, by using the most recent data and collating it correctly, by avoiding arbitrary filling in or truncation of data and by computing principal components using standard algorithms. Without endorsing the MBH98 methodology or choice of source data, we were able to apply the MBH98 methodology to a database with improved quality control and found that their own method, carefully applied to their own intended source data, yielded a Northern Hemisphere temperature index in which the late 20th century is unexceptional compared to the preceding centuries, displaying neither unusually high mean values nor variability. More generally, the extent of errors and defects in the MBH98 data means that the indexes computed from it are unreliable and cannot be used for comparisons between the current climate and that of past centuries, including claims like "temperatures in the latter half of the 20th century were unprecedented," and "even the warmer intervals in the reconstruction pale in comparison with mid-to-late 20th-century temperatures" (see press release accompanying Mann et al 1999) or that the 1990s was "likely the warmest decade" and 1998 the "warmest year" of the millennium (IPCC 2001).

Andrew Somers at CivilLiberty.About.Com - A Citizen's Guide To Interacting With The Police - Always Be Calm And Polite, Never Admit To Anything, Insist On Seeing A Lawyer, Always protest A Search, Never Invite The Police Into Your Home, Office or Car, The Police Can and Do Lie, Be Aware Of Your Body Language and Eye Movements. [claire]

You have no obligation to answer any question. If you are in your car, you must provide license, registration, and insurance. Anywhere else, you have no requirement to provide any information, and you cannot be arrested for not talking to the police. However, never badmouth or obstruct the police. If you are being arrested or detained, you have a right to know why. If not, ask if you are free to go and if so leave immediately. Everything you say to the police is important, and may be recorded without your knowledge. Never offer any extra information. lf you do answer questions, keep them very short and to the point, and most important, Never confess - it does not help you.

Claire Wolfe at Backwoods Home Magazine - The Law in Hardyville - another classic Hardyville piece. The new articles start on 11/15. [claire]

Dear Newcomers to Hardyville:

Welcome. We know you'll find our town a pleasant place to live and raise your family. We are very easygoing around here. You'll quickly discover that we don't ask you to live by many of our own rules; we just expect you live by your own. That's why one of our few laws says, "Do unto yourself as you would do unto others." You might wonder what this means in your own life. Well, that's up to you, but here's a sample:

Kim du Toit - The Pussification Of The Western Male - why America needs real men. Well said. [kimdutoit]

Jeff Quinn at Gunblast - Mt. Baldy Bullet Company - Mr. Quinn highly recommends the cast bullets made by Frank Ehrenford's Cody, Wyoming company, www.mtbaldybullets.com. [gunblast]

Cryptome - FBI Visits Cryptome - FBI Special Agents Todd Renner and Christopher Kelly from the FBI Counterterrorism Office in New York visited Cryptome on Tuesday. They wanted to be informed of information which could be a threat to the nation. [grabbe]

Catherine Donaldson-Evans at Fox News - American Muslims Told to Leave Major U.S. Cities - if this is not a hoax, expect a major terrorist attack in the near future. [sierra]

Titled "A Warning to Muslims in America," the directive was issued by the previously unknown "Islamic Bayan Movement" and first ran on the Global Islamic Media Web site on Monday, according to MEMRI, which translated the communiqué.

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"Our Muslim brothers in America, we ask you to immediately leave the following cities: Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles," reads the communiqué, which frequently quotes the Quran.

"We are serious in our warning," the message states. "The next few days will prove to you the truth of this warning ... To the oppressive rulers of America we say: Expect our terms following the first strike of Allah's believing soldiers [Quran, Chapter 59, Verse 2-3]."

Rex Curry at Liberty for All - Jury nullification is now before the US Supreme Court - along with an argument that vice laws are unconstitutional. I won't hold my breath, but I salute Mr. Curry for doing this. Don't miss his web site (link below) for an image of his "socialist slave #". [sierra]

Jury nullification is now before the U.S. Supreme Court. The argument that jurors should be able to reject vice laws and acquit is in a new Petition for Writ of Certiorari. The Petition also argues various reasons why vice laws are unconstitutional. The nullification arguments and the entire brief can be viewed at http://rexcurry.net.

As an attorney and a libertarian I am urging the nation's highest court to recognize jury nullification, also known as jury pardon and jury veto.

During my legal career, I have often been asked if jurors can overturn bad laws. The askers fear compulsory jury duty to convict defendants accused of vices (gambling, prostitution, drugs) or other non-violent charges (tax non-payment, gun possession).

The fear has risen because many non-violent consensual acts now carry mandatory sentences of 10 years and even life in prison. Jurors are not told that their verdict will result in a non-violent defendant with no prior record going to prison for a decade or more. The jurors won't know what they have done and if they find out, then they might become ill.

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Most case law rejects the right to present a jury pardon/nullification defense. However, U.S. v. Datcher, 830 F. Supp. 411 (M.D. Tenn. 1993), cites the political history of jury nullification, and Datcher held that the defendant was entitled to argue the issue of punishment to the jury, which the defendant argued was draconian, hoping the jury would deem the penalty too great and thus acquit pursuant to power of jury nullification. The court based its ruling on the importance of allowing the jury "to decide whether a sentencing law should be nullified." Id. at 412.

Will Kilburn and Jack Vaughan at ADTmag.com - Novell buys SUSE - and makes a deal with IBM for continued support of SUSE on IBM's eServer and middleware products.

Network operating system mainstay Novell Inc. today agreed to acquire Nuremburg, Germany-based SUSE Linux, a longtime leader in Linux operating system and administration tools. Novell will pay $210 million in cash to complete the acquisition.

The move follows Novell's August purchase of Boston-based Ximian, a Linux desktop player. The SUSE deal is Novell's biggest move yet as it tries to become a Linux leader.