It's true that ancient bristlecones don't lie,or as the essay's title put's it "can't lie", but the facts of the matter can be used in misinterpreting reality,and that's often the case when a particular perspective is being pushed, which in the case of climate change seems to me to be the case. I am quite familiar with bristlecones, having seen the original stump of the famous Great Basin "prometheus" on numerous occasions and know the details of its unfortunate but informative demise. I have personally seen bristlecones within the Great Basin at elevations lower than 5,000 feet and at elevations higher than 10,000 feet and know better than applying generalities to specifics.

As for the human ability to anticipate future events, that too is true,but that doesn't mean we do that very well, either. For instance when science came to realize that human qualities were inherited, we came to worry about future generations if the bad genes were reproduced and spread, and so the eugenics movement was started, based on science, and propelled by all the good intentions in the world. So, you see simply wanting to do the right thing needs more than just an objective look at the data, it needs to fully realize what the implications are. Should we divert tens of trillions of our world's economic power to a scheme designed by the same 'smartest guys in the room' that brought us to economic collapse and then 'fixed it' by helping the home owner 'one mansion at a time?' who now think that by buying one's carbon guilt (required by law, no less!) we can somehow continue to do what we've been doing, only slightly less of it? Or should we use a small portion of that and offer really worthwhile prizes to the scientists and engineers who come up with cutting edge technologies and techniques to bring about the truly game changing technologies in fission, fusion, space based solar, engineered geothermal and who knows what other potentially untapped and perhaps even unrecognized sources of energy and advancement there may be out there? I think it's clear. Whenever financial schemes amounting to trillions are launched, the corruption quickly follows and the then dominates and perpetuates the scheme regardless of its effectiveness...or have the international moneychangers agreed to a specific goal that when reached they will end the 'cap and trade'..or is it 'bait and switch'? Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. I for one prefer to have Nobel Laureat and head of the DOE, Steven Chu decide how we should direct our efforts, rather than the likes of Peter Galbraith and Koffee Anan's son and their legions of beaurocratic rent-seekers.

..is another persons family jewels. As trashy as it might seem on occasion, trying to draw the line between porn and erotica, or for that matter tittilation or reproductive health, is the kind of goofy game that leads us into a situation where some of the most lively aspects of human behavior are not talked about at all. Furthermore to constrain it only induces it to breakout in other ways that are worse; usually involving censorship and condemnation of other people's sexual expression, and promoting a dour joyless kind of existence. We are seeing that kind of narrowness already when we see people who violate some local statute on public exposure endup on some sex-offender list,further diluting the respect we have for laws that are intended to prevent harm to others but wind up making equating some drunk urinating publically with sexual assault. Relax. The pendulous swings both ways.

Are your so anti-science that you think that just because some scientists dont know how to make it handle heat, no scientist will figure out how to do that? Hell, they'll make it sequester carbon and thrive in no-till agriculture if we put our money there instead of these goofy "carbon trade" or "carbon hedge funds" or whatever crazy scheme so many people who are so worried about warming will believe in. Good grief. How much eye-bulging, arm flapping lunacy can you handle before you wake up to the reality of what are the genuine threats, and I'd begin with the kind of greedy corruption that a trillion dollar scheme in carbon trading will no doubt precipitate doing only a few very wealthy investors enormous benefit while the poor pay for higher energy costs. We need to get beyond it, not sit on the curb crying about our snarled shoelaces while wondering if science can do what to a few narrow minded paranoids think could happen in a worst case scenario.

Love Camille's criticisms of the liberal sacred cows. It's not always about agreeing with her but if nobody does how do we even know if they're alive until they react to the barb?

The confusing mess that's being called "health care" is like so many of the other confusing messes that our legislators seem to construct (and yet not live under themselves) whether it's the space program, environmental legislation, or economic austerity...especially economic asuterity programs. Greed trumps everything. I was particularly appreciative of her noticing Obama's trip to Scandinavia...another botched opp, and even if he'd been successful it would have only made him look even smaller. How sad.

Oh ,and about Gaga...the glitz of fame had blinded my sight until I saw a pic of her looking like my first Italian GF and I immediately fell in love all over again. The disco-diva scene is electrifying but her acoustic interpretations are textured, dimensional and, for me, preferrable. I'd love to take both Camille and Gaga out to dinner...at the Y....MCA. eh?