[palmer]

Well 98 is either a record (which you now say it is) and we have gone down since then, or it is a record El Nino, should be disregarded, and the trend is still up. If you don’t want 98 used as a starting point, then I would only point out it should’t be used at all, being representative of ENSO, not “global warming”.

[cogitator]

Well 98 is either a record (which you now say it is) and we have gone down since then,

That statement itself illustrates the conceptual problem. I know you're smart enough to figure out why!

If you don’t want 98 used as a starting point, then I would only point out it should’t be used at all, being representative of ENSO, not “global warming”.

The unusual nature of global temperatures for 1998 should be stated correctly: they were approximately 0.2 C above the trendline due to the big El Nino.