If Tim Ball, "Mr. Cool," in the words of the Globe and Mail, was convinced of his comment in today's Victoria Times Colonist that all publicity is good publicity, you have to think he would have spent less time recently running away from the media. For example, CBC's Fifth Estate crew had to chase Ball all the way to Dawson Creek for a show that they're doing on climate change next Wednesday at 9 p.m.

No, publicity that destroys your credibility is always bad, and Tim Ball's credibility is on life support. Perhaps appropriately, the death blow will come in a libel suit that he initiated himself. If you doubt that, read paragraph 9 in the statement of claim that he filed with the court. It proves that he lied about the details of his own academic career. Many more lies are revealed in the statement of defence and we're confident there will be more to come once the case gets to court.

Tim Ball says that people "want to hear all the facts and draw their own conclusions, beyond the spinning of public relations people."

We recommend, then, that he start dealing in facts, beginning by admitting that his current profession is public relations and not science.