James' Empty Blog

Shhh...don't tell jules :-) Actually, surprisi...

2012-05-27T14:44:45.667+09:00

Shhh...don't tell jules :-) Actually, surprising as it may seem, we have a Leonidas right in the middle of our little home town of Kamakura. But there's nowhere here to get great big blocks of mature Gouda. So the cheese shops were one of our main targets.

[wonders idly how many other PMIP attendees selected their travel plans based on the airport shops encountered en route...]

The only good thing inside Schiphol is the Leonedi...

2012-05-27T05:59:41.005+09:00

The only good thing inside Schiphol is the Leonedis chocolates stand however a kilo or so of that makes up for much.

:-)

2012-05-26T09:53:37.803+09:00

:-)

Barely enough time to enjoy the inside of Schiphol...

2012-05-26T07:33:27.174+09:00

Barely enough time to enjoy the inside of Schiphol airport - the tulips had been bought on a previous transit, but were actually growing in the UK :-)

Did you make it to Keukenhof?? Best place for tuli...

2012-05-26T05:25:19.294+09:00

Did you make it to Keukenhof?? Best place for tulips.

If only I'd remembered to pack my helicopter w...

2012-05-24T13:57:32.132+09:00

If only I'd remembered to pack my helicopter we might have popped down :-)

Was on a symposium where Schwartz was one of the p...

2012-05-24T04:57:18.576+09:00

Was on a symposium where Schwartz was one of the presenters. Have to say that he came across really well not saying silly things... defending the IPCC etc... Sounded like his publications comes from a genuine belief that overconfidence in today's models... the press release might as much have been done by university pr folks... who knows...

you guys should have headed down to Oxford to meet...

2012-05-24T02:06:56.787+09:00

you guys should have headed down to Oxford to meet will.i.am ! :-)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2148557/The-Voice-judge-Will-goes-Oxford-University-climate-change-debate-gas-guzzling-helicopter.html

Well that shop is certainly new, but OTOH it may b...

2012-05-23T11:53:28.803+09:00

Well that shop is certainly new, but OTOH it may be an awareness bias on our part - our eyes were also caught by a 180y-old pawnbroker in Glasgow, when on the way to visit a 145y-old music shop with a related name...I wonder if the latter was originally set up to sell off spare stock of the former?

Also see: http://dialog.newsedge.com/portal.asp?si...

2012-05-23T07:44:10.310+09:00

Also see: http://dialog.newsedge.com/portal.asp?site=2007100814443105593225&searchfolderid=pg2007100814522209759333&block=default&portlet=ep&nzesm=on&syntax=advanced&display=881026145&action=sitetopics&mode=realtime&nzenb=left&criteria=%5Bcompany%3D881026145%5D&searchID=730444&datetime=%5Bt-minus%3D7%5D&hdlaction=story&storyid=%5Bstoryid=Dpnltpph1EZelOqwS8Ft30ruthM0pr3GHQyEcCgzgfeRKxhv5_bYdctPr6FH0CoB%5D&rtcrdata=on&epname=FINSVC&

http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2011JC...

2012-05-23T07:17:31.152+09:00

http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/2011JCLI4038.1?journalCode=clim

http://www.springerlink.com/content/xqpqx813v7101268/

and

http://www.ecd.bnl.gov/steve/pubs/ReplyKnuttiJClim12Why.pdf

makes for a good and sad start :(

Well, release of the report was promised. And it&#...

2012-05-23T01:12:36.029+09:00

Well, release of the report was promised. And it's "external". let's see.

"He has been on leave from the institute pending an external investigation into the unauthorised release of the documents, although it is not entirely clear what the investigation entailed. That investigation is now complete, and the conclusions will be made public."

As I said, hmmm.

Hmmm indeed. They will need to come up with more t...

2012-05-22T21:57:19.532+09:00

Hmmm indeed. They will need to come up with more than a vague leaked whitewash to convince me. If he was really sent the forgery as he claims, the least he can do is actually produce it.

In a word....no. Which is probably no bad thing :-...

2012-05-22T17:31:24.228+09:00

In a word....no. Which is probably no bad thing :-) I hadn't seen that paper but based on the abstract it doesn't say anything interesting. The original was a rather pointless straw man.

Hmmm... http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/201...

2012-05-22T02:15:48.220+09:00

Hmmm...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/21/peter-gleick-cleared-heartland?INTCMP=SRCH

Any news on this or Schwartz? http://www.ecd.bnl.g...

2012-05-22T01:06:35.650+09:00

Any news on this or Schwartz?
http://www.ecd.bnl.gov/steve/abstracts/ResponseKnuttiPlattner.html

pignerare hmmm?

2012-05-16T07:41:26.951+09:00

pignerare hmmm?

It's an imaginatively-named little owl.

Species name? Looks about the size of a Saw Whet....

2012-05-16T04:50:34.391+09:00

Species name? Looks about the size of a Saw Whet. They're so tame that you can almost pick them off their tree-branch, though I've never tried. (Seen them pretty close though)

You can tell you havn't been in the UK much in...

2012-05-14T04:48:32.897+09:00

You can tell you havn't been in the UK much in the last decade. Pawn shops have made a comeback, although with snazzier branding as you have seen. I recall seeing a 'cash converters' opening at the bottom of Chambers street what, maybe 7 or 8 years ago?

These were just for show, though the owner said th...

2012-05-13T18:04:55.758+09:00

These were just for show, though the owner said they sometimes use them for pest control all over the place.

I think most owls are bigger than this one :-)

We haqve owls around here. Usually bigger ones.

2012-05-12T11:50:06.207+09:00

We haqve owls around here. Usually bigger ones.

To be fair, it's the ones with the scrolls you...

2012-05-12T05:25:16.035+09:00

To be fair, it's the ones with the scrolls you really need to watch out for.

Out of curiosity, what's being hunted there? Shrews? Voles? Or real big game like field mice? :)

If you want Ashai just wander into a Sushi place. ...

2012-05-11T03:57:39.484+09:00

If you want Ashai just wander into a Sushi place. OTOH, if you want beer go to a good pub with a bunch of beer pulls.

Silly Chris, you do know that the whole point of t...

2012-05-09T17:24:37.936+09:00

Silly Chris, you do know that the whole point of the Olympics is to advertise big brands?

I thought that there were plenty of beers on the continent as well, or is it that they are not usually available in bottles?