The man who doubted Al Gore - Peter Foster, Financial Post 

If one were to think of current candidates for the most disastrous of faux pas, surely none could be greater than "The Man Who Expressed Skepticism About Catastrophic Man-made Global Warming." Not merely do mouths gape, but eyes roll at any dimwit's failure to grasp that there is "consensus" on the issue. Indeed, to dissent is seen not merely as evidence of mental deficiency but moral turpitude.

That matches my experiences about two years ago, but not now. I've had lots of people volunteer their skeptical views recently, and true believers seem to be the exception.

The Buzz: Buyers Seek Beans Ahead of Frost Threat - Farm Futures

Soybean importers, especially China, are wasting no time booking supplies. In addition to normal demand, some of the buying appears "front loaded" due to concerns about the potential for frost to damage yields, says Farm Futures Market Analyst Arlan Suderman on this week's The Buzz video program.

American Pulse™ Townhall poll of over 4,000 people 18+ (conducted 8/14-8/17/09)

* 59.7% say protests at townhall meetings on proposed healthcare reform are citizens making concerns known, 20.8% say its manufactured protests.
* 60.7% say “Cash for Clunkers” won’t help the economy recover, 39.3% say it will.
* 28.8% think Cap-and-Trade won’t help the economy grow, 15.2% disagree.
* 43.8% say Cap-and-Trade won’t impact jobs, 30.8% say it will eliminate jobs and 25.4% say it will create new jobs.

S. Fred Singer - Sun spot frequency has an unexpectedly strong influence on cloud formation and precipitation

Climate modelers seem puzzled that small fluctuations in total solar irradiance (TSI) appear to have large influence on the climate. They feel it necessary to take recourse to complicated mechanisms.