I generally steer clear of US politics, the dynamics of which I understand very little.

Sigh - only 2 days for our first visit to the liberal pilgrimage site that is New York. And for us liberals outside the Western penumbra, who wish their own patch to resemble this multicultural polyglot haven, a visit to New York is a passport to nirvana. It is not just the well-organised subway (more efficient, btw, than those in London, Paris, Vienna or Rome - and much more true to life than the robotic Singapore), or the politeness, courtesy and general help from the average New Yorker. The style and panache of the urban cityscape overwhelm the senses.

Time for the next instalment of Impressions.

Returning after 2 years, the first impression was of an enormously improved immigration system, right from consular level in foreign countries.  Much better IT applications, online forms and so on.  I suppose this was getting over teething troubles, but since even we have improved, it should be put down to overall improvements in onlineology, rather than being country specific.

So its happening at last...yet another Forvmite meetup!

I'm in NYC on the 24th and 25th, with wife, staying with a friend in Manhattan. So what's and when's a good place to meet for beer and comestibles? Jordan, I owe you something if you remember!

Also, and separately, what can one possibly do for a 1st visit to NY in 2 days? Americana, preferably, - into touristy, kitsch, bad taste etc - wife more sensible, as is to be expected.

 of Dr Curry (and Lord Monckton). And this diary is strictly for fans of blog theatre!

For a few weeks now, there have been a series of fairly trenchant critiques of climate change sceptics on Real Climate. Most notably in recent weeks was a pretty pointed takedown of the critique of the "hockey stick" - with the usual suspects for and against in the comments threads.

BP and I were discussing this issue in another thread, which put me in mind to explain the complexity of issues surrounding corruption and bribery here. And perhaps this concept is necessary to understand, given the recent protest over the disclosure of poor aid utilisation.

Well, the big news out of the floods here is that a large dam is in trouble.

Oh, the irony of it all.

I've spent a long time trying, as a layperson, to get to the bottom of the so-called "hockey-stick controversy". Essentially the controversy itself died a fairly natural death in the literature after most of the premises about the controversy were shown not to have been germane to the issue.

Dr Mann was cleared by a Penn State investigation.

He now faces, not exoneration, but a renewal in the fury of attacks on his reputation. 

Lubos Motl's blog puts him in a prisoner's uniform, and compares him to Osama.