1. "Trick" is frequently used in scientific context to mean "clever method" or "correction".

"Trick" is used to mean "clever method" in many contexts because that's one of the common definitions of the word!

I mean, do all these people who are hanging on this word as proof that AGW is all a deliberate lie also think that the Late Show with David Lettermen used to feature a segment involving dumb pets engaging in acts of deceit?! "Boopsi isn't really doing backflips! It's a sham; they tell you right in the name!" Sadly this kind of argumentation, where you take a word with several meanings and then pretend it has only one possible meaning, is quite common around here.

I think another post said it well: In ten years of emails, I'd expect a lot more incriminating evidence than a few trite phrases if this was all a global conspiracy. Hell, I do not think AGW is some kind of lie or conspiracy, yet I was still expecting to see more juicy and scandalous bits. After all, Stephen J Gould found substantial evidence of errors in studies consistently favoring the biases of the researchers even in cases where he had no doubt that the research was conducted with all earnestness and sincerity -- even in his own research! Add in the fact of human nature that not all scientists are sincere, and I was honestly quite credulous when people were initially saying there were "bombshells" in the leaked emails.

Instead, this "ooh he said 'tricked' and 'hid'! I knew it!" nonsense is just pathetic. Seriously, I expected more.

On the flip side, when your friend goes to the store and has to put up with someones kids who are running around yelling, screaming, and crying, he should remember that the world isn't censored.

Thanks for the apology, it is appreciated. I don't have a problem with the word "impaired", in fact it seems apt. On the other hand, I find the word "retarded" to be hateful and pejorative. That's all I'm saying.

Words have specific meanings. When you call an entire class of people a word that has become a slur, you should expect that you're hurting someone's feelings. I don't think I'm asking too much here to keep that in mind. And I also think that we're having a relatively civilized discussion, how do you think I attacked you?

Plants are the most efficient at collecting solar energy.

The organisms in question are cyanobacteria which are about as closely related to plants as your or I am :)

Plants are the most efficient at storing energy as some form of hydrocarbon. We already have a huge infrastructure to distribute hydrocarbons.

I'm not aware of any plant which uses hydrocarbons for energy storage (or anything else). Plants typically use polysaccharides for this purpose.

This hydrogen nonsense was a huge waste of money,

Not only does hydrogen require new distribution and storage systems these are likely to be more expensive because of its physical properties. Specially has a very low boiling point and small molecules.

Second Life manages perfectly well to keep child safe areas alongside the most disturbing furry wtfery without mixing the two.

That's just a matter of perspective and your choice of adjectives. I live in New York state and the response I saw here in the US was much more like your description of 7/7 than 9/11. It was hardly the undirected anger you imply. Not to mention, you really can't compare the two incidents so easily; the scale of the attacks was too different.

Note: The above is not meant to be personal or have anything to do with Britain/US stereotypes. I just think your comparison is flawed.

Now, as for your actual point... I do think I'd have to disagree about the response, at least on an individual level. Admittedly, I don't have a huge sample of people to pull from, but I've known a number of folks from across the pond and I've found them to be generally more expressive (not necessarily more emotional) than my American friends. Between the small sample size and obvious filtering of people based on my preferences for friends, this may not mean anything, but I just wanted to throw what I've observed.

Again, I'm not saying you're wrong about the meaning of the phrase or about the emotion stereotypes.

I've got both hands in the air.