Just a point about the US temperature record adjustment, It was for the lower 48 US states only - not the planet (the lower 48 makes up about 2% of the planet's surface). I know many Americians think that world is the US but the global temeprature record is not affected by this adjustment.

Even just looking at the US alone the adjustment results in the order changing from 1st 1998 and 2nd 1934 to 1st 1934 2nd 1998, but in both cases the difference is statistically insignificant. It is within the margin of error of the temperature measurement. More importantly the US temperature trend remains unaltered with warming in the US over the last 30 years still present

For more information I recommend

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/08/1934-and-all-that

or for a more statisical analysis

http://tamino.wordpress.com/2007/08/12/before-and-after/

Cheers Doug