Despite Gore's Nobel Climate Not Top Issue

Former VP In An Effective Advocate, But The American Public Focuses On More Iraq, Health Care

(WASHINGTONPOST.COM)  By Juliet Eilperin
Former vice president Al Gore's Nobel Peace Prize meant the same thing yesterday to both his supporters and detractors: He ranks as the world's most effective advocate for curbing global warming.

While an array of activists, politicians and business leaders have all called in recent years for more stringent limits on greenhouse gases linked to climate change, no one more than Gore has reshaped public perception of what was once a wonkish scientific debate. But for all that, the issue remains far down the priority list for Americans.

Through his tireless travel and slide-show presentations, captured on screen in the 2006 film "An Inconvenient Truth," Gore has inserted himself into the policy debate at home and in other countries across the globe.

"It's difficult for Americans to comprehend how Gore is one of the most influential global leaders of our time," said Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, who met Gore more than two decades ago. "He is influential not only for his views, but for how he is mobilizing action and awareness in all countries, on all continents."

Polls show that Gore's efforts have helped raise the profile of global warming among Americans -- an April Washington Post-ABC News survey found that the percentage of respondents identifying climate change as their top environmental concern had doubled from a year earlier, to 33 percent -- but in the public's mind, it still lags far behind such issues as the war in Iraq and health care in importance.

In a September Washington Post-ABC News poll, less than 1 percent identified global warming as their top issue for the 2008 presidential campaign, and a January poll by the Pew Research Center ranked it fourth-lowest out of 23 policy priorities that Americans want the president and Congress to address.
Susan Solomon, a senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who co-chaired the international scientific study this year that called the evidence of global warming "unequivocal," said she was not surprised that the U.S. public does not rank global warming as a higher priority.

"The world has many problems, and just like every person, we tend to put on the back burner the ones we don't think will erupt tomorrow morning," Solomon said in an interview. "The key thing is that people understand the problem, and I have a lot of faith in humanity's ability to solve the problem it understands."

Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), who had dinner with Gore and a few friends in Seattle two weeks ago, said he jokingly chided Gore for not being "sufficiently alarmist" about the possible consequences of climate change in his movie and public appearances.

"I said, 'You really dropped the ball. You really undersold this global warming thing,' " Inslee said, adding that new scientific results consistently show that the climate is changing more rapidly than researchers had anticipated. "He said, 'I agree. Virtually everything you see is going faster, and in a more negative direction, than I described.'"

Regardless of its immediate policy impact, the Norwegian Nobel Committee's decision to honor Gore -- along with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- speaks to the emerging political and scientific consensus on the need to make more dramatic cuts in the carbon dioxide emissions generated by human activity.

John P. Holdren, a Harvard University scientist who chairs the board of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, said the award establishes that "climate change is the most challenging of all environmental problems that threaten peace and prosperity. It's a recognition that he has done more as an individual, and the IPCC has done more than any organization, to bring the reality and the urgency of that danger to the rest of the world."

Hollywood producer and environmentalist Laurie David recalled that, when she first proposed making the documentary in 2004, Gore was skeptical that people would watch it.

"That was the hardest part, to convince him to make the movie," David said. She added that though she initially had to beg friends in Los Angeles and New York to attend Gore's climate lecture, she remained confident that his message would resonate with the public.

Some skeptics, such as Myron Ebell, who directs energy and global warming policy at the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute, said they now fear that Gore's heightened fame would lead to a carbon cap that they and many Bush administration officials oppose. "Clearly, the momentum in this country is for mandatory energy rationing policies," Ebell said.

Polling director Jon Cohen contributed to this report.

[DrColes]

August 2007 Update: Man-made Catastrophic Global Warming Not True. In order to be an intelligent reader you must have a basic knowledge. Please do your own homework, a starting point http://www.InteliOrg.com/ and Flawed NASA Global Warming data paid for by George Soros. UK court says Gore is a fraud.

[glaswolf]

While I question the science fixated on carbon issues, dealing with climate change rationally is clearly necessary. Gore is a bright spot of concern and his activities have legitimized many other insightful micro organizations. Those that are well reasoned ought to be advanced to the fore, we just have to monitor networks of control which vector towards resources and decision making. I would like Gore to be President with the indian Richardson as vice president, as both are trusted in the world ... and both are competent. The world needs a breather from frantic revivalism. A couple of calm good guys at the US helm would reduce the unnecessary distrust of America which the neocons seemed addicted to creating throughout the world. Congradulations Al, you earned it.

[wonder25]

From the song ''Hot Air'' by (Police Captain ret.) Lance Morrison on his music CD Blaming America First:

" Get your sun screen-grab those shades,
Cats on tin roofs must evade,
The heat that in my estimation''s new,
and Al Gore''s blamin'' me and you.
Broken clock right twice a day,
Hot or cold we''re gonna pay.
''Cause if its hot then I''m a sage,
and if its cold its ''climate change...''

hear it @

www.conservativemusiconline.com

[cbs_oliver]

Those who have read and understood at least some of the technical papers on global warming - the peer reviewed technical papers - recognize it is for real nad is man made.

There are vile "solutions" which some may anticipate will allow them to continue their own behaviors at the expense of others.

Those people are depraved.

[sparks224]

I think the Earth is flat.
There is no real proof that it''s round.
I think schools should be Fair and Balanced and teach both sides of the Earth shape controversy.
I''m so tired of all this round Earth propaganda from the Liberal Media!

[likeitis5050]

Polls show that Gore''s efforts have helped raise the profile of global warming among Americans...

but India and China won''t budge! D..arn it! They''re finally on the map when it comes to making progress in their own economies and here comes Gore trying to sell them on government regulation and caps that slow production but make the environment so much happier. When it comes out, due to actual scientific data, that Gore is full of s*it...whose going to make him give back his Nobel Peace Prize?

People have been talking about conservation for decades, to save money, to increase physical activity, to beautify the environment, and to preserve natural resouces. Gore is a cash cow who has found a way to create an entire movement based on fear that the earth is going to implode if things aren''t done his way...today!! Have people forgotten he is a politician? Politicians do what politicians do...find ways to create issues they can dominate and win votes. He has latched on to a basic idea people have been tending to for decades...conservation and cleaner air...and turned it into a critical ''doomsday forcast'' just to keep him tuned up for another campaign. He''s a phony. I''m waiting to hear he''s heading to China to convince them they will cause a total earth meltdown if they don''t compl, which would make Hillary''s day....but I''m not holding my breath.

[darjon38]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

Global warming refers to the increase in the average temperature of the Earth''s near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation.

The global average air temperature near the Earth''s surface rose 0.74 1 0.18 0C (1.33 1 0.32 0F) during the last 100 years.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes, "most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations"[1] via the greenhouse effect. Natural phenomena such as solar variation combined with volcanoes probably had a small warming effect from pre-industrial times to 1950 and a small cooling effect from 1950 onward.[2][3] These basic conclusions have been endorsed by at least 30 scientific societies and academies of science, including all of the national academies of science of the major industrialized countries.

Less than 3/4 degree increase in 100 years, that''s really heating up.

Gore has partnership in a company that will sell you someone else''s "carbon credits" that will make your pollution contribution go away, just be non-existent.

Perhaps he will also start a company that sells murder credits, for a fee he will make the murder you committed just go away.

[blueamerican]

"It''s difficult for Americans to comprehend how Gore is one of the most influential global leaders of our time," said Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson.

He''s so right, Americans are at an all time high of stupidity and ignorance. And they prove it by thinking personal attacks make them right.

[ifere]

Global warming = junk science.
"An Inconvenient Truth" = Algore''s junk.
2007 Nobel peace prize = junk.

[narfull]

To see Al Gore re-create his life after the 2000 debacle is an inspiration to all, Conservative or Liberal. Al Gore became a successful businessman working with Google and championed a cause that had few adherents when he started, tirelessly conveying his message around the world.

It matters little whether or not he runs for President. He has already established himself as a great man.

[likeitis5050]

These are the same brand of religious hypocrites and loonies that put Jesus to the cross.


Posted by hopetrumps

Good to see self-righteousness isn''t limited to the Christian population. Personally, I don''t see participating in conservation and being personally accountable for being responsible with regards to our natural resources a religious/non-religious issue. I think of it as a human responsibility. But that''s just me. I''m sure you have your reasons for laying it all at the feet of religion..and I really don''t need to know what they are, thank you.

[algore63]

I am not a fraud even though there are 13 documented lies in my movie. I am not a fraud even though the temperatures in the first century were 3 degrees warmer than last century. I am not a fraud even though I refuse to debate the scientists who challenge my claim that Global Warming is caused by humans. I thought the Nobel prize was for peacful efforts not political BS.

[hypnotoad72]

narfull - you hit it right on the head. He is a very successful businessman.

http://www.badapple.biz
(his input and effect on Apple''s not-so-green policies, since 2003...)

From a year ago: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-08-09-gore-green_x.htm
(he''s since then made some improvements, but probably because he was called on his hypocrisy.)

What was he going to say in China? "Buy Apple"? Or "Don''t pollute"? Why did he decide to put aside something critical to humanity''s success to pick up an award? Or is the Nobel the only award where you HAVE to be there in person, and not get somebody to accept the award by proxy?

There are other incidents, but it''s not about politics. It''s about veracity. There is an old Chinese proverb, or at least an old Chinese fortune cookie: "A person of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds."

The world need some maintenence ,no doubt about it.
better we start it now.The work has definetly brought the right attention and awareness in people.It''s good start.Somebody making money it alright if atleast something good happens

[elgraz]

Gore is giving us global ***********************. Another phoney from the South like Bill ******* Clinton.

[elgraz]

Blueamerican,
You are the ignorant one amigo. Don''t blame others for your stupidity.

[drummer94]

Nathan Gillett of the University of East Anglia did a study on specific humidity for the period 1973 to 2002. He found that the humidity rose by 2.2% and contributed it to gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels.-AP Run Al run.

[one_american]

Buy your "Carbon Credits" (AKA idiot tax) now from the Tennessee swindler Al Gore - and make the Eco-Furher''s head swell even bigger than it is now...

[one_american]

Buy your "Carbon Credits" (AKA idiot tax) now from the Tennessee swindler Al Gore - and make the Eco-Fuhrer''s head swell even bigger than it is now...

[zenhaiku17]

Global warming is *not* pseudoscience. Humans are warming the planet by burning oil/coal, but here is an inconvenient fact about global warming... Every gram of carbon that we put into the atmosphere using coal and oil originally came from the atmosphere! So anyone that says that we will destroy the planet by burning that last bit of oil is on something. The Earth has been warm (less hospitable) before, and we are making it less hosbitable again.

Will we destroy species by putting all that carbon into the air? We probably already have, but then that is what evolution is all about. Change the environment and some species will die and others will evolve to exploit the new ecological nitches.

Ultimately, we might be able to burry our heads in the desert sand and ignore the moral issues. We cannot ignore the current business ones though. Gore''s movie really hits home when it shows how global warming can cause a massive loss of property. Will we be one of the species that does not survive the environment that we are producing? Situations like darfur make me wonder about this. Global warming hurts people''s property and they have a right to demand restitution. Global warming can cause wars that make darfur look like heaven on Earth. Gore deserves his part of the peace prize for bringing this to people''s attention.

[condumism]

Yessiree! ConDumbs don''t care about things that they can''t see, or touch, ie: Global Warming, the War in Iraq, $9 TRILLION National Debt. Thus when their drinking buddies are voted into office, including the presidency, they rely on dissinformation coming from their own kind. GW Bush denied global warming until someone told him the polar bears were losing their habitat because of melting ice sheets. Can you imagine being labeled a Conservative? It is no wonder they never put bumber stickers on their cars (too embarrassed!)

[hypnotoad72]

zenhaiku17 - could be fearmongering too. Instilling fear in people is the basis of winning a peace award? Maybe I had misread you, and perhaps I did...

Maybe the sea levels will rise... But stick an ice cube in a glass of water and note the water level. As the ice melts, keep track of how much higher the water level becomes. Will the melted water go over the top of the glass and wet the counter it''s sitting on? (Of course, that''s not the only concern climate change could bring; possible (or not) big flooding. And I say "could".)

[karly68]

I am a Canadian and live across the border from Buffalo and I find it appaling that so many people, both Canadians and Americans seem to think AL GORE is some kind of idiotic alarmist who is trying to make a name for himself by scaring the world with baseless conclusions about the imminent future of our PLANET and everyone living on it! Too bad GEORGE BUSH JR. and your SUPREME COURT stole the presidency from AL GORE. WE do not have a perfect system here in CANADA but I can not imagine a similar outcome for such a travesty not to mention the thousands of dead and injured as a result of the "BUSH WAR" in IRAQ - Mr GORE created a tutorial "MASTERPIECE" butI think a lot of people fell asleep during "AN INCONVIENT TRUTH". I believe the world owes a debt of gratitude to AL GORE and his team who produced this "CALL TO ACTION" film - AL GORE I COMMEND YOU AND GOD BLESS! KARL STEADMAN

[one_american]

Al Gore is the present-day Pied Piper of Hamelin - leading the [Democ]rats into the river to drown.

You called the tune, liberals, now you can pay the piper.

[speakinup]

frankly - I''m not sure it would be a bad thing if the oceans rose 200 feet... Mass-of-two-schists would be underwater, and Mr Chappaquidic would be out of a job.

[starleo146]

I am a Canadian and live across the border from Buffalo and I find it appaling that so many people, both Canadians and Americans seem to think AL GORE is some kind of idiotic alarmist who is trying to make a name for himself by scaring the world with baseless conclusions about the imminent future of our PLANET and everyone living on it! Too bad GEORGE BUSH JR. and your SUPREME COURT stole the presidency from AL GORE. WE do not have a perfect system here in CANADA but I can not imagine a similar outcome for such a travesty not to mention the thousands of dead and injured as a result of the "BUSH WAR" in IRAQ - Mr GORE created a tutorial "MASTERPIECE" butI think a lot of people fell asleep during "AN INCONVIENT TRUTH". I believe the world owes a debt of gratitude to AL GORE and his team who produced this "CALL TO ACTION" film - AL GORE I COMMEND YOU AND GOD BLESS! KARL STEADMAN

Posted by karly68 at 06:29 PM : Oct 13, 2007

Thank you Karly68, we, who still have some sense left in America feel as you ,and we love Canada. I know Bush has hurt our reputation deeply, along with these neocons, but the real and true America will be back, It may be awhile before all this mess is cleaned up, but we will get it done some way, THANKS AGAIN.

[starleo146]

If Gore is so bad, how come in the year 2000 Gore predicted if we go into Iraq it will be a catastrophe and he would put a lock box on social security, and the Supreme court would be ruined if Bush got elected. DUH!!! All his predictions were right on. Here he is the second prominent democrat to win Nobel Peace Award. God Bless him I say.I hear there is going to be a write in campaign for him in the primary. He doesn''t have to campaign at all. It should be a landslide and finally he will get what he deserved 8 years ago.

[starleo146]

Buy your "Carbon Credits" (AKA idiot tax) now from the Tennessee swindler Al Gore - and make the Eco-Furher''''s head swell even bigger than it is now...

Posted by One_American at 05:23 PM : Oct 13, 2007
+ report abuse

Just what would you call that other lobbyist from Tennessee Fred Thompson Gomer Pyle

[mcvett]

In the 1970''s, it was scientific consensus that the
earth was going to have "global cooling"

So tell me, who won the Nobel "Peace" Prize in the 1970''s for
their work on "global cooling"?????

Seig Heil, Hillary.!!! ROTFLMAO

[starleo146]

They tell me Hair spray affects the ozone. What do you think these space rockets going into space and orbit does to that ozone hole ? How does all that help global warming, and think of the money we could use right here to fight global warming with.

[goldesprit]

Perhaps we should wait until every last person on earth thinks the earth is "popular", before we realize we have been asking eachother for millenia if we are having enough fun yet, and the answer is usually no --so we trash our home planet.
Its time to change massively, now, and see massive change not simply "STARTING TO HAPPEN" within 10 YEARS-- but it must be quite far along in that span to save the planet.

This is the message Al Gore is transmitting, and an "ABC POLL" does not change the message, this time it is not about the messages popularity.

Only animals like lemmings kill themselves because its popular in the moment.

Want self respect? Stop being ignorant enough to think ABC, or C B S, or C I A, or D A D or M O M, will do it for you.

What about Mother Earth???

[thgdriver]

Al Gores 10 top reasons to run.

1- Nailed a big tipper.
2- Nailed the same award as J. Carter.(snicker)
3- Make all fat folks feel good again.
4- Proved the bigger the lie the more believe it.
5- Invented the internet(snicker).
6- Friends in Hollywood. (snicker)
7- Controls climate warming by Casting a large fat shadow.
8- Promoted the "Do as I say, not as I do" agenda for all.
9- President of hypocrites anonymous club.
10- Has all Demon. candidates scared to death he may run on Green Party ticket.

[goldesprit]

Making this into a joke fest is not just isotic, its malicous and decidedly assinine.

Perhaps we should wait until every last person on earth thinks the earth is "popular", before we realize we have been asking eachother for millenia if we are having enough fun yet, and the answer is usually no --so we trash our home planet.
Its time to change massively, now, and see massive change not simply "STARTING TO HAPPEN" within 10 YEARS-- but it must be quite far along in that span to save the planet.

This is the message Al Gore is transmitting, and an "ABC POLL" does not change the message, this time it is not about the messages popularity.

Only animals like lemmings kill themselves because its popular in the moment.

Want self respect? Stop being ignorant enough to think ABC, or C B S, or C I A, or D A D or M O M, will do it for you.

What about Mother Earth???

[jcr103]

The fact that Al Gore and the IPCC received a Nobel prize should signal a wake up call for all of you global warming deniers. It''s way past time to pull your heads out.

[speakinup]

The reason Gore looks this way in the picture is - he just inhaled a cow far t, and he''s trying to save the planet.

[cbs_oliver]

The "solution" to a global warming catastrophe which some international business interests may intend is simply a willful furtherance of large scale extermination of the population that does not have the means to buy the means of survival.

And this solves the energy problem for them too!

Many of the sneering posters here would no doubt fall into the disposable catagory in such a rectification of the problem.

[thgdriver]

OK, so answer me this, what caused the past two ice ages? What caused them to melt?

Yuh, I know, the cave man driving to the rock quarry in his SUV and heating his over sized cave with electric heat.

[Karpindur]

It only stands to reason that Al Gore would acquire a Nobel prize, as he a is a good bookend to Jimmy Carter. Carter presided over a horrible economy, with horrific tax rates. He allowed the armed forces to wither on the vine to a dangerous degree, yet nearly nuked the Russians for invading Afghanistan. He enabled the Gas crisis and suggested we wear two sweaters at home in the winter and drive 55 MPH to solve it. He was, and is a complete and utter embarrasment in foriegn relations. The only thing he did right was to cure myself and millions of others (the dreaded "Neocons") of alliance with the Democratzi party forever.
Al Gore, bless his unbalanced mind and power grubbing heart, has yet to achieve this stature. But Big Al has one up on Jimmy,in that he is a con of the first order. Now in the midst of an international hustle using his Global Warming fraud, he will certainly eclipse Grin''n Jimmy and become King Idiot of the Idiots.

[goldesprit]

Top ten reasons a fool would give for showing a greater need to joke about Al Gore, rather than thinking seriously about the climate, and maybe making an honest comment that isn%u2019t just retarded :

10%u2014Planet schmanet, who needs one?
9%u2014Can%u2019t stop thinking about Al Gore
8%u2014Can%u2019t possibly stay on topic.
7%u2014Got a prescription from Rush Limbaugh%u2019s doctor.
6-- Passed-up for an opening as janitor at FOX NEWS.
5-- Needs to get a check up from the neck up.
4%u2014 Wanted to take his guns to school, but mom made him stay home today because he looked kind of like the really crazy guy she bumped into when she got pregnant.
3-- Wants to get into politics someday, if only he can get Al Gore out of his way.
2%u2014 Suddenly realized President Bush won%u2019t be winning any Oscars or Nobel prizes.
1%u2014Promised Satan he would do his bidding for a stick of Juicy Fruit.

[Karpindur]

Hey! Did I hear someone say there were Two Ice Ages? How could that possibly be? Isn''t Man and his evil corporation driven technology supposed to be the only way to heat the planet? But then, I''m confused about Mars, as "they" say it is heating up also. Does that mean that Mankind is already on Mars? Did some evil Oil Corporation sneak up there to grab Marian oil?
We must find out before we are enslaved by Exxon, but we will have to sacrifice to do so. People of the world, put down your cans of hairspray to save the ozone from one more spaceship launch. Lets send a rocketship up there right away and nab those sinister corporate baddies before they use up all of the Martian oil and destroy Mars!
It will be hard I know, I have bad hair days and require lots of hairspray. Superglue should work until we have those people in jail, and Im ready to save Mother Earth and Sister(Cousin, Aunt, Grandma?) Mars.

[jcr103]

Come on you guys! Time to pull your heads out! Enough with the nonsensical anecdotes and ignorant counter-arguments. The vast majority of scientists around the world recognize global warming is occurring and they attribute this to the burning of fossil fuels. They know this warming is caused by human activity because of the rapidity of warming compared to the warming trends that have occurred in the ancient past. Al Gore didn''t invent the scientific issue of global warming, the first scientific paper came out in the 1890s. You can dismiss global warming all you want by bashing Gore but it misses the real underlying point. That is, the majority of climatologists have considerable data already on global climate change & the implications are now readily apparent.

[nh4ronpaul]

Wow now they are giving the Nobel to dingbats like this? Even the Nobel means nothing anymore and is prone to the UN agenda. What next?

[notso9]

Can someone tell m ehow accurate the instruments were 100 years ago that were being use to measure the temperature? And we are worried about a difference of 3/4 of a degree? Sheesh!

[blueamerican]

Elgraz,

As usual, people like you prove my point. Name calling and confusion are the tools of the ignorant. I am far from stupid because I pity you.

[goldesprit]

This...created "story" has an erroneous title.

"...Climate Not Top Issue."

It is by deffinition THE Top Issue, because with the planet becoming inhospitable to human life, there will be far less other "important" issues to speak of, if any at all.

If it isn''t the most "popular" issue, so what?

If we had only understood this sort of logic, we could have made Elvis Pressley President while he was alive.

On second thought, BUSH IS MUCH WORSE, and you know what?

There''s somthin'' wrong with his lip!

[jcr103]

Hey McVett,


It was 500 years ago people thought the Earth revolved around the sun and there were few scientists at the time and none that specialize in particular disciplines as today...the Enlightenment was only just beginning (it doesn''t seem to have gotten to you yet)and "truth" was dicatated by religious authority. Today scientific consensus is the best guide to what is considered "truth" at any particular moment, albeit certainly not infallible. Face it homes, you haven''t got a clue about global climate change...do you really think that somehow, someway you know global climate change isn''t driven by the burning of fossil fuels but the most eminent scientists in their field don''t? I want some of what you''re smoking dude!

[jcr103]

Hey McVett,


It was 500 years ago people thought the sun revolved around the earth and there were few scientists at the time and none that specialize in particular disciplines as today...the Enlightenment was only just beginning (it doesn''''t seem to have gotten to you yet)and "truth" was dicatated by religious authority. Today scientific consensus is the best guide to what is considered "truth" at any particular moment, albeit certainly not infallible. Face it homes, you haven''''t got a clue about global climate change...do you really think that somehow, someway you know global climate change isn''''t driven by the burning of fossil fuels but the most eminent scientists in their field don''''t? I want some of what you''''re smoking dude!

[rednet20]

the earth goes through cycles warm and cold right now we are going through a warm one now the impact from vehicles here is about 3% Mr Gore should learn to listen to the real scientific community instead of false profets the same goes to the media that focus only on false news .....

[jcr103]

The issue is not "cycles" of warming and cooling, it''s obvious the Earth goes through such cycles. The issue is the speed or rapidity of warming since the last half of the 20th century and the increasing carbon in the atmosphere that is unprecedented when we look back of the Earth''s history (and we''ve gone back millions of years).

[cbs_oliver]

Why is it that so many people who sneer at global warming would be hard pressed to solve an algebraic equation let alone understand statistical analysis of climate data?

You would think that ignorance and lack of competency would make people humble rather than arrogant.

Go figure.