Hmmm…
Just when all the evidence pointing to Global Warming has been all but debunked and hardly anyone other than the True Believers thinks it will happen, the sun goes and pulls a fast one on us all.
By a fast one, I mean that it looks like the sun may be slamming the door – hard – on any hint of a global warming trend for the near (and maybe even medium-term) future.
Some unusual solar readings, including fading sunspots and weakening magnetic activity near the poles, could be indications that our sun is preparing to be less active in the coming years.
The results of three separate studies seem to show that even as the current sunspot cycle swells toward the solar maximum, the sun could be heading into a more-dormant period, with activity during the next 11-year sunspot cycle greatly reduced or even eliminated. [emphasis mine]
A quiet sun is a sun that emits less radiation. Less radiation means less energy. Less energy means less energy heating the Earth. Less heating of the Earth means cooler temperatures.
“This is highly unusual and unexpected,” Hill said. “But the fact that three completely different views of the sun point in the same direction is a powerful indicator that the sunspot cycle may be going into hibernation.” [emphasis mine]
In short, that wacky sun is not going along with the NOAA consensus forecast.
How much of a difference can/will it make? Short answer – who knows for sure, but we do have a previous example.
Currently, the sun is in the midst of the period designated as Cycle 24 and is ramping up toward the cycle’s period of maximum activity. However, the recent findings indicate that the activity in the next 11-year solar cycle, Cycle 25, could be greatly reduced. In fact, some scientists are questioning whether this drop in activity could lead to a second Maunder Minimum, which was a 70-year period from 1645 to 1715 when the sun showed virtually no sunspots.
Our friends at Wikipedia have some info about the Maunder Minimum:
The Maunder Minimum coincided with the middle — and coldest part — of the Little Ice Age, during which Europe and North America were subjected to bitterly cold winters. Whether there is a causal connection between low sunspot activity and cold winters has not been proven; however, lower earth temperatures have been observed during low sunspot activity. The winter of 1708–9 was extremely cold.
Brrrrrr.
253 mharper, Try Audiobooks on a computer/iPod/MP3 player. They can be downloaded for free (my favorite word) from the Harris County Public Library. You would be amazed at the selections that are available and that includes non-fiction titles for you political 24/7 junkies (you know who you are). They even have the latest Ann Coulter book read by her androgenous… Read more »
239 Sarge, Ms Simple and I bought an iPad last month. Now before you go thinking that Ms Simple and I have joined the sweater-sleve-tied-around-neck yuppie crowd at Starbucks; I have got to set you straight. We actually purchased it for our Grand daughter because of her Asberger’s and other learning problems. It is an aid to the Mr and… Read more »
#253 Mharper
You got that right, sister. The menfolk just don’t understand, do they?
For a conservative Texan seeking national office, it could hardly get better than this: In a recent 48-hour span, Ted Cruz, a candidate for next year’s Republican Senate nomination for the seat being vacated by Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison, was endorsed by the Club for Growth PAC, FreedomWorks PAC, talk-radio host Mark Levin and Erick Erickson of RedState.com. And Cruz’s… Read more »
GJT #244;
Couldn’t you pick someone who supports the Republican Party? 😉
TT, Doooood, Thanks, I never heard of this Pandora, and I may look into it now that I know what it is. But I am not able to listen to music while I work, blows my concentration. So I’m trying to figure out when internet radio would fit into my lifestyle. Forget the feed to a cell phone. I don’t… Read more »
Sarge
I like my Kendle. Do spend the extra bucks for the 3G version.
It does have some experimental browsing capabilities.
#245 Mharper It wasn’t a “station” per se. Pandora radio (www.pandora.com) is an interesting music site that allows you to create a “station” based upon your music preferences. You can set up different “stations”. I happen to like Gordon Lightfoot, so I requested that artist first. Then the software picks similar music based upon elements of the song you requested.… Read more »
250!! Full Moon I tell Ya!
Man youse guys are rabid! OK, Grilled cheese,…..two slices of wheat bread buttered with Sharp chedder cheese in between, grilled/browned in the #10 Griswold cast Iron skillet. Simple as that. BUTT my Bride’s favorite is P-Nut Butter and Bananas on wheat, buttered and grilled in the skillet. 😉
Did someone mention a “Full Moon?” Humm, Interesting~
#245 mh42,
Go here and create an account. There is also an app for Droid or, if you must, for iPhone. I need to go wash my hands now after having to type that dreaded “i” thing. Have a good night all.
#244
Darren in disguise.
I am going to spend some more quality time with my spousal unit, Mrs Bonecrusher. G,nite yall
TT, what about that Gordon Lightfoot music station you mentioned? Got its call letters so I can look it up & get the frequency?
GJT;
I’m in disguise. Shannon’s wife might be looking for me. If she finds me, she’ll hurt me.
From what I understand the Nook’s LCD display is its bigest weakness due to glare and wash out in the sun or harsh light, but it is back lit so it can be read in the dark. Kindle uses E-ink that an be read in any light conditions, but not in the dark. There’s also about $100 difference in price,… Read more »
My daughter has a Nook Color I got her. She seems to like it, but I haven’t used it much myself. My dad has the Kindle and absolutely loves it. If you read a lot I think it’s a great investment. I’ll probably get one eventually, but I still have hard copy books I’ve started and not finished.
#239 Sarge
Lovely has a Nook Color and loves it. I believe the last go-round they added some computational ability, not just read-only activities. If you can reach the cloud and use software there, I think you can actually get some work done on it. Not a whole lot, maybe, but some. Email, Google docs, that kind of thing.
Microwaved grilled cheese sammiches are the work of de debbil, man! I agree – butter one side, place on a hot skillet, carefully place the cheese on the topside of the grillin’ bread, place bread slice on top, butter the top. When bottom is crispy scrumptious, flip until the second side matches the first. Nearly the same method for PB&J,… Read more »
Anybody here got a Kindle? I’m lookin at gettin one or sumpin like it.
‘Taint hard, ‘Long as you got a microwave and a toaster handy.
#235 Tim
I once heard Julia Child say it takes 45 minutes to make a proper grilled cheese sammich.
#231 TT
What’s the frequency, Kenneth?
And speaking of… work, I’ve wondered a few times how your assistant is doing — is she still with you?
Geesh. Skillet on medium heat, when it’s good and hot, butter one side of the cheese sammich, throw it on there, butter the other side while that side is browning, flip it when browned. Perfect. Everytime.
/walks away shaking head
#226 Doooooood
Relax, what happens on the Couch stays on the Couch. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. (Rule 34.)
#218 Sarge I’ll try your faux grilled cheese technique, sounds interesting. I make a melted cheese sammich in the microwave, with 2 slices of cheese and some thin sliced onion between them, low power 30 secs on each side, made on a microwavable plate since a little melted cheese always oozes out somewhere. I usually eat this melted sammich with… Read more »
Dang, that Darren feller sure is sounding a lot like Limbaugh/Hannity he used to rave about…….Republican, Republican, Republican…. First off, there’s a difference in a single issue voter and having an issue with having an issue with every single candidate. Secondly, can we hold off on the best of the worst evils arguement until after the primaries? Why not hold… Read more »
Okay, I don’t unnerstan’ why makin’ a grilled cheese sammich is so hard for you guys.
Now, a grilled PB&J – that’s a little tricky, but deee-lish!
I forgot how much I enjoyed Pandora radio…I’ve set up a Gordon Lightfoot-like station. It helps me work. Speaking of…
#217 –
Um………………….how much you offering for me NOT to call her before she cooks????
huh?
HUH???
Hmmmmm. What goes round comes around.
Remembah that, Grasshoppah (Darren)
#194 –
Dooooodski! You musta missed a memo! Good ole Tim Leary had Sha-Na-Na’s mind ‘right’ decades ago!!!
BwaaahahahahahahahahHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA
Aha! He’s laid out his Achilles heel like a table full of grilled cheeses and beer!!!!
I’m just glad she doesn’t read this blog. She’s one of you “lesser of two evils” voters and I really have no desire to have this debate at home in person, live, in glorious technicolor surround sound splendor. And then there’s the Shannon’s granddaughter thing. Oh no. Don’t go there.
🙂
Another shiny example of how hateful rhetoric “always comes from the right”.
NJ Union Leader: ‘It’s Going to Take World War III to Get Rid of Adolph Christie’
And I’m sure MSNBC was all to delighted to report this.
Google image search can’t tell Obama from Bush
‘Bout time she learned the truth. 😉
Sarge; One of the few yet to be reformed diet routines (though I now do this far less frequently) I have is to butter the iron skillet, then the bread, both inside and out, place one piece of bread with the cheese on one end of the skillet, crack one or two eggs on the other end and before they… Read more »
Mrs. Dude saw me doing that one time. I like it just fine, but from her reaction youda thunk I was some kinda Godless heathen or somethin’.
Can she have a few beers with you before telling her?
It was Bonecrusher yesterday who compared the gun running opperation into Mexico with the Iran-Contra affair. Well, here’s for being observant. On December 14, 2010, a special unit of the U.S. Border Patrol came across a group of heavily armed suspects near Rio Rico, Arizona. The Border Patrol team identified themselves as law enforcement officers, at which point the armed… Read more »
I’ve updated the traditional method of making grilled cheese sammiches. I can never get the correct consistency of melted cheese or toasting of the bread that dear old mom used to make using a frying pan or grill. So I make two slices of toast, then I butter them up real good, put the cheese in between and nuke it… Read more »
Mrs Shannon somehow produces an unparalleled grilled cheese. I’ll ask her for three, here in minute….and a beer. THEN I’ll tell her what you said about her. 🙂
This is Open Comments, right?
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…. OK, yes, it is. <>
Sarge #212;
That’s a matter between Shannon and Mrs. Shannon. Come on now, let’s play outside.
De nada.
Well that explains a helluva lot.
Clearly a case of premature numeration
Simple #209;
Overall Hatch has a good record, it’s just some key issues that bug me about him. Hatch is the epitomy of why Dude and Lawrence won’t vote Republican.
With all this talk of grilled cheese, I want a grilled cheese sandwich but there’s no bread in the house. 🙁
168 Darren, I can remember when Orrin Hatch and Alan Simpson were the leaders of the Conservative Wing of the Republican Party. I still respect and like both men. I cannot vote for Senator Hatch and his election is a matter for the Utah voters. I can understand political differences, but IMHO the man deserves a lot more respect than… Read more »