2009 one of the coldest years on record?

You'd believe it wouldn't you, we've had some rotten weather this year, after being promised a BBQ summer.

I've heard people say "global warming must be wrong, this year has been one of the coldest on record"

And because the summer was a wash out, people tend to think this is true, rain makes you feel cold and miserable.

2009 was one of the top 5 warmest years!

Since records began about 150 years ago this year will rank in the top 5 at least, possibly even higher if the weather doesn't get colder soon.

Here's the BBC report.

BBC News - This year 'in top five warmest'

"This year will be one of the top five warmest years globally since records began 150 years ago, according to figures compiled by the Met Office."

So why was this year a washout? well warmer weather leads to more evaporation, leading to more clouds. If the wind patterns are right, this drops more rain on the UK. This year we lucked out, wind patterns dumped all that rain on us.

So don't believe the global warming hoax people, believe the science. This is why "global warming" was changed to "global climate change", not because it was wrong to call it warming, but because summers like this one would make people believe "warming" was wrong even when it was warmer than ever.

*update*

I should point out comment No. 3 by 順利 was removed as it linked to a malware site, not because I can't take criticism.

bit.ly, url shortener Opera Button

Due to request, I have done a bit.ly shortener as well.

Click on the link below, it will add it to your opera custom buttons, then drag the button from that custom button panel to the menu bar you want it on.

bit.ly

URL Shorteners - Opera Buttons

A lot of people use URL shorteners, but they are still a bit clunky to use. Quite a few twitterers and bloggers use.

is.gd URL Shortener

Firefox users gets all sorts of useful add-ons but Opera, although it has the ability, somehow doesn't get the press about extensions.

is.gd has a firefox add-on, so I thought I'd knock up an opera button for the site.

If you are using opera just click the link below to add the button to your set of customised buttons, then drag it to the tool bar you want it to be on, I have stuck it just next to the address bar.

is.gd Opera button

Hope you few, you merry few, you Opera users appreciate this button.

Happy Birthday Doctor

46 today, and you don't look a day over 900

Kite Surfers jump over Worthing Pier

And here was me thinking nothing exciting happens in Worthing

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8362671.stm

Time sheets

It's the most hated part of many peoples jobs, filling in that dreaded "crime sheet" every month, but what value do they actually have to a company.

Personally I have never worked for a company which demanded timesheets where the upper management didn't admit (under pressure) that usually they were simply filed and never looked at.

So why are they required? the only reason I can think is mistrust, the company likes to have records as they don't trust their workers. A timesheet can be used against someone simply by piking holes in it and claiming an employee falsified it. Lets face it, when it comes to the end of the month, that's what most people seem to do, make up figures based on half remembered jobs and dates.

I can see limited justification for them if the company services several clients, and bills by the hour, but surely it's down to mangers to keep track of this sort of stuff, let the expensive techie folk do their job rather than bugging them to keep track of what they did for whom and when.