To expert witness hourly rate queries:

Under no circumstances should you apologize for your rates. You should be prepared to answer pointed questions about them. These rates are generally very high....so any attempt to minimize them will appear disingenuous to a jury, which is generally made up of individuals who make far less.

"...my fees are commensurate with those that other profressionals possessing my background charge for expert witness work. Of course, I am sure you understand that the stakes are very high in such cases. That is one of the reasons that attorneys often charge even higher hourly rates than the professionals that they hire..."

Remember that rates for expert witness testimony are generally very high, and that attorneys fees are generally >$300 per hour. At the same time, never appear arrogant about the raates.

To PDO/SOI/NINO3 queries:

Do NOT use technical language. For example, with respect to PDO, you can simply state that it is an index that measures temperature characateristics of the north Pacific...or that for standard deviation, that it is a measure of the degree to which values of rainfall vary from the long term average.

"...all these indices are based upon some aspect of the ocean or the atmosphere that fluctuates over time. In the case of PDO and NINO3, the indices are based upon aspects of the sea-surface temperature patterns. In the case of SOI, the index is based upon the atmospheric pressure difference between the eastern and western tropical Pacific.

The important thing is that currently a great topic of study is the relationship between these indices and temperatures and preciptiation over North America. The issue here is whether PDO has any relationthip at all to southern California rainfall, and if it does, is that relationship a more important one meteorologically than that between NINO3, for example, and rainfall there.

Frankly, my results are in total opposition to those that have appeared in the press on these issues."