Global Warming - May 2012 Second Warmest On Record; Funny Numbers

May 2012 Global Temperatures Second Warmest On Record
www.sciencedaily.com...

ScienceDaily (June 18, 2012) — The globally-averaged temperature for May 2012 marked the second warmest May since record keeping began in 1880. May 2012 also marks the 36th consecutive May and 327th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20th century average.

It's interesting to note, that these measurements are being compared to the 20th century average... but then you start to deconstruct the information, and it gets a little confusing...

The article makes claim that this May was the 327th consecutive month with a global temperature about 20th century average... Well, being that it is 2012, and 327 months comes out to 27.25 years... they are 'double dipping' data to make a point... they are including 15.25 years or 183 months of the 20th century in this claim.

Which is MORE than half of the data! I would obviously have to know more, as to how they derived their numbers, what they included and did not... but it seems fairly clear that this data has been misrepresented.

Interesting parts of the article:

Global temperature highlights: May

The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for May was second warmest on record for May, behind 2010, at 59.79°F (15.46°C) or 1.19°F (0.66°C) above the 20th century average

....

Global temperature highlights: March-May

The combined average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces for the March-May months was 1.06°F (0.59°C) above the 20th century average of 56.7°F (13.7°C), making it seventh warmest March-May period on record. The margin of error associated with this temperature is ±0.14°F (0.08°C).

....

Polar sea ice and precipitation highlights: May

The average Arctic sea ice extent during May was 3.5 percent below average, resulting in the 12th smallest May sea ice extent on record since satellite records began in 1979.
On the opposite pole, Antarctic sea ice during May 2012 was 2.4 percent above average and ranked as 15th largest May extent in the 34-year period of record.

From all that I've read(mind you, I am a skeptic of all reports)... I've concluded that 'Global Warming' is very real, yet I'm not convinced that it is all of "man's fault"... although that is not to say that we are not helping further the problem.

Is there anybody that might be willing to bring clarity, as to the representation of the numbers that I referenced previously?