Open Forum: There's a hot spot under the Arctic

The article published in the Brainerd Dispatch, Jan. 10, 2008, titled "Global warming: is it real" written be Rolf E. Westgard says that glaciers are shrinking everywhere. He also mentioned the massive Greenland ice shield shrinking as reasons to back up his argument for global warming.

I am surprised that when people try to educate us they do not mention anything that would contradict their findings. On Dec. 13, 2007, I read an article on the Internet by Live Science writer Andrea Thompson. The article states that global warming may not be the only thing melting Greenland. Scientists have found at least at least one natural hot spot under the arctic island that could be pitching in. The newly discovered hot spot, an area where Earth's crust is thinner, allowing hot magma from the earth's mantle to come closer to the surface , is just below the ice sheets and could have caused it to form.

"The behavior of the great ice sheets is an important barometer of global climate change" said lead scientist Ralph Von Frese of Ohio State University. "however, to effectively separate and quantify human impacts on climate change , we must understand the natural impact too. The article was taken from the website: livescience.com.

Charles Barbeau

Brainerd

Fourteen things he wouldn't miss

A few things I would thoroughly love to see disappear in 2008.

1. Oprah, Martha Stewart and Dr. Phil.

2. Britney Spears, Paris Hilton and O. J.

3. AFDC, WIC, free medical, fuel assistance, food stamps etc; aka welfare.

4. Cell phones, I-phones, X-boxes, I-pods, E-pods, and all those other pods.

5. Sports jocks and their endorsements.

6. Politicians and televangelists.

7. Rap music (an oxymoron).

8. The Forestview Taj Mahal

9. Self-appointed do-gooders and religious hypocrites.

10. Vox Pop.

11. Reality shows, (they're not real).

12. Commercials for Cialis, Viagra, Condoms and hard liquor.

11. E-mails that should be forwarded to 10 people in the next five minutes.

13. Non-taxpayers and illegal aliens.

14. Ambulance-chasing attorneys.

There are a lot more, but I don't want to bore you. I know, I'll just turn off the TV for awhile.

So at the risk of being politically incorrect, I want to wish all my fans, (both of them), out there in newspaper land: Happy New Year!

Jim Falconer Sr.

Brainerd

Maybe they'll stay on medication

Our friend from Merrifield has illuminated the issue quite clearly for us. It turns out that conservatism is now a mental illness. He somehow comes to this conclusion by noting the fact that only liberal world leaders are assassinated...huh?

But conservatives can now breath a collective sigh of relief for psychology has shown us that this is not their fault. What should give them the greatest hope though is that if a Democrat is elected, their meds will be all paid for.

Randy Mertes

Brainerd