Graham,

Just a few points.

I concede that Christopher Monckton, as a viscount, is entitled to be addressed as "Lord" (even by Santa). I failed to express myself well in attempting to highlight his past intimations that he was "a member of the House of Lords."

I'm somewhat confused, however, that you wasted no time in admonishing me for "playing the man", while allowing numerous instances of the same treatment to go through to the keeper.

On this thread, Pericles, while arguing against playing the man, referred to the article's author as a"loony-tunes idiot" and a "self-deluding, arrogant Pommie nutter..."
Hasbeen posted this is response to Chris Wright's article:
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12994#224165

I reiterate my point that an author's reputation and credibilty precedes them in public life. My links were pertinent to Lord Monckton's credibility and his reputation as a commentator on climate science.

And if you provide a mechanism for people to post under a pseudonym, then perhaps it's a tad disingenuous to dismiss comments relating to authorial credibility because the poster chooses to avail themselves of the anonymous posture.

NASA is at the forefront of climate science, if they are wrong everybody is wrong. They have all the hardware and everybody else has pencils.
They blame carbon and c02 for changing weather patterns, but can not predict the future. They know that c02 in the atmosphere is at its highest levels for 160 thousand years. Carbon particles in the upper atmosphere are creating a green house effect. My idea is if we get rid of carbon caused by fossil fuel burning, maybe c02 levels will come down also.

579..[numbers]..quote..''My idea is if we get rid of carbon
caused by fossil fuel burning, maybe c02 levels will come down also.""

isnt that neat..keep it simple[kiss?]
so what about all them others warming gasses
like methane from home composting..and farts

or laughing gas..[nitouse oxide..
from putting phosphates onto our food crops]

one quater of which becomes nitrouse oxide..
far worse than carbon..these are just fine?
we wont trade in their damage to whatever c02 is supposed to be dam,aging?

how about cfc's..that put a huige hole up there
we were told that hole would let the heat in
too late to tax cfc's?

or sue the chemical agencies that put it there?

but kiss..right
blame one c02 source

all them pictures of that white stuff
[you know the guilt imagry]..
comming from smokestacks..]

THATS STEAM...!

next we tax steam?

or tax the rich
its time poluters pay

the more you use..the more you MUST pay

Can't tax too much all at once, save something for next year. One thing may be causing the build up of the other. Get rid of carbon, and that will get rid of the green house roof so the c02 can disperse. maybe.
Stick to ya solar and you won't have to worry about the tax, or buy green power ,no tax.

Not the most convincing effort at self-exculpation, Poirot.

>>I'm somewhat confused, however, that you wasted no time in admonishing me for "playing the man", while allowing numerous instances of the same treatment to go through to the keeper. On this thread, Pericles, while arguing against playing the man, referred to the article's author as a"loony-tunes idiot" and a "self-deluding, arrogant Pommie nutter..."<<

That is, indeed, my opinion of the individual concerned.

However, I did not rely upon this opinion in order to contradict the points he made, which is "playing the man". I specifically set aside my opinion of his talents, in order to look at the arguments he put forward. Which is "playing the ball".

Someone's reputation is on many occasions a pointer towards the quality of their arguments. However, it is not valid to use this reputation as the sole determinant of the validity of the points they make.

"Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise." (Cato the Elder)

Excellent, Pericles.....I like a man with a healthy sense of his own self-righteousness.

You play the ball, and not the man....

I'm sure Fiona Heinrichs would agree wholeheatedly.
http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=12210&page=0#210610

I take it then that your many posts on that thread are an example of you "playing the ball".

"You're as full of it as the next chap" - (my Aunt Edna - the Elder)