Weather!

Off topic discourse and banter encouraged.
User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: Weather!

Post by neufer » Sun Oct 24, 2010 10:24 pm

owlice wrote:
I heard a white-throated sparrow's "O sweet Canada Canada Canada" today,
Are you sure that wasn't Rob shooting at squirrels :?:
http://dvice.com/archives/2006/11/top-10-wildest-wackiest-gadget.php wrote:
[c]The New Zero Toroidal Vortex Blaster
(from Scientific American)[/c][/color]


<<Twenty years ago, advertisements for a plastic gun that shoots fog rings would be found in the back of Amazing Spider-Man. Now that Spider-Man titles outnumber Tobey Maguire's entourage size, the plastic toys have graduated with their customers to highbrow science journals. The reality, though, is that there's little science — or even fun — involved in the New Zero Blaster. Yes, the fog rings get as big as four inches in diameter, and yes, they can sail as much as 12 feet. But unless you're aiming to drive away your friends and family with a noxious-smelling vapor or keep the tank empty of fluid and rely on the ray-gun sound effects to entertain, you're just blowing smoke. Price: $19.95>>
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
owlice
Guardian of the Codes
Posts: 8407
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:18 pm
Location: Washington, DC

Re: Weather!

Post by owlice » Mon Oct 25, 2010 2:03 am

neufer, I'm pretty sure! The white-throated sparrows in Canada sing "Old Sam Peabody, Peabody, Peabody." :ssmile:

Other toroidal vortices:

Image

http://asterisk.apod.com/vie ... 23&t=20276
A closed mouth gathers no foot.

User avatar
rstevenson
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
Posts: 2705
Joined: Fri Mar 28, 2008 1:24 pm
Location: Halifax, NS, Canada

Re: Weather!

Post by rstevenson » Mon Oct 25, 2010 3:31 am

Feeling pixieish, I decided to offer up a view of the huge sugar maple in our backyard, rendered using APOD images to build the mosaic.
maple_mosaic.jpg
Rob
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

User avatar
Ann
4725 Å
Posts: 13867
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 am

Re: Weather!

Post by Ann » Mon Oct 25, 2010 4:11 am

rstevenson wrote:Feeling pixieish, I decided to offer up a view of the huge sugar maple in our backyard, rendered using APOD images to build the mosaic.
maple_mosaic.jpg
Rob
:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Image

Extra Puyk!

Ann
Color Commentator

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: Weather!

Post by orin stepanek » Thu Oct 28, 2010 11:47 am

Darn chilly this morning; 29 degrees! I had to turn the furnace on. :(
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
owlice
Guardian of the Codes
Posts: 8407
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:18 pm
Location: Washington, DC

Re: Weather!

Post by owlice » Thu Oct 28, 2010 12:06 pm

We had lashing winds-and-rain here yesterday; it was very dark until mid-afternoon, when that weather system moved out. Today is partly cloudy, but oh, so much brighter than yesterday!

The woods are really lovely now; so colorful and inviting! Such a pretty season! I love the way autumn smells and sounds, too. The pin oak leaves make a tinkling noise as they are blown through the streets. Can't whistle caps from those acorns; they are way too small!
A closed mouth gathers no foot.

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: Weather!

Post by orin stepanek » Thu Oct 28, 2010 1:07 pm

owlice wrote:We had lashing winds-and-rain here yesterday; it was very dark until mid-afternoon, when that weather system moved out. Today is partly cloudy, but oh, so much brighter than yesterday!

The woods are really lovely now; so colorful and inviting! Such a pretty season! I love the way autumn smells and sounds, too. The pin oak leaves make a tinkling noise as they are blown through the streets. Can't whistle caps from those acorns; they are way too small!
The wind was strong here also for the last two days. The forcast is for a calmer day today; and the temperature is supposed to get up to 70 Saturday. A zippity doo dah day! 8-)
Click to play embedded YouTube video.
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
emc
Equine Locutionist
Posts: 1307
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:15 pm
AKA: Bear
Location: Ed’s World

Re: Weather!

Post by emc » Fri Nov 05, 2010 3:17 pm

Hi Orin,

Zippity Do Dah is my favorite catch phrase... my family hears it frequently from me... when I'm feeling good I add Zippity Aye, even if the weather is stormy. :mrgreen:
Ed
Casting Art to the Net
Sometimes the best path is a new one.

User avatar
emc
Equine Locutionist
Posts: 1307
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:15 pm
AKA: Bear
Location: Ed’s World

Re: Weather!

Post by emc » Sat Nov 06, 2010 9:17 pm

owlice wrote:We had lashing winds-and-rain here yesterday; it was very dark until mid-afternoon, when that weather system moved out. Today is partly cloudy, but oh, so much brighter than yesterday!

Hi Owlice,

The woods are really lovely now; so colorful and inviting! Such a pretty season! I love the way autumn smells and sounds, too. The pin oak leaves make a tinkling noise as they are blown through the streets. Can't whistle caps from those acorns; they are way too small!
I too enjoy the smell and sounds in the woods... I enjoy hiking alone and with my family. There are some nice trails not too far from my home. Kennesaw Mountain offers several trails up/down and/or around the big and little mountains there. We sometimes see deer and there are hawks and other birds too. I've not seen owls there but I expect they are around. We have owls near our house. We can hear them at night sometimes hooting.

Image
Today was sunny to partly cloudy, temp stayed in the 40's. It is a bit cool but not bad in the sun. Thankfully the acorns have almost stopped raining down so it’s safe to go outside now. :)
Ed
Casting Art to the Net
Sometimes the best path is a new one.

User avatar
owlice
Guardian of the Codes
Posts: 8407
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:18 pm
Location: Washington, DC

Re: Weather!

Post by owlice » Sat Nov 06, 2010 10:20 pm

Orin, I hope you are having a zippity-do-dah day today, too!

What a beautiful place, emc! How wonderful to have such beauty near you, and to be able to walk through it! And I'm glad you are now safe from the acorns!!

I took a short ride today and saw a Great Blue Heron in the swamp, a buck (BIG, with BIG antlers) on the trail (!), geese in the pond, and vultures and juncos on the wing. I love juncos and am always glad for their arrival, though it means such short days.

Oh, the woods are so pretty now! The trail was covered with leaves; the sky was overcast and looked threatening, though no rain was in the forecast. It was 54° when I got home, but felt quite chilly out. I was cold when I started riding, and wished I'd worn a windbreaker, as the cold went right through my clothes. I was okay once I'd ridden a couple of miles, warmed up enough that I didn't mind the wind so much.

The sky was very impressive when I was driving home from the trail, with banks of crepuscular rays streaming from the sky straight down, and the dark clouds outlined by sunlight. It was such a big sky, too! I wished I'd had a camera with me, though doubt the glory of the magnificent sky could have been contained in whatever little picture my camera would make.
A closed mouth gathers no foot.

User avatar
emc
Equine Locutionist
Posts: 1307
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:15 pm
AKA: Bear
Location: Ed’s World

Re: Weather!

Post by emc » Tue Nov 09, 2010 3:43 pm

Hi Owlice,

I had to look up “crepuscular” 8-) … and your writing is like reading a book. You paint detailed pictures with your words.

It’s so nice here today… I may have to take an extended lunch. :D
Ed
Casting Art to the Net
Sometimes the best path is a new one.

User avatar
owlice
Guardian of the Codes
Posts: 8407
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:18 pm
Location: Washington, DC

Re: Weather!

Post by owlice » Wed Nov 10, 2010 1:43 pm

emc wrote:I had to look up “crepuscular”
One of the many words I've learned from years of reading APOD! You might like this site (another something I learned about through APOD): http://www.atoptics.co.uk/atoptics/ray1.htm

Thanks for your kind words; I wish I could paint detailed pictures with paint, or even just draw them with a pencil! I took a drawing class a few years ago and really enjoyed it, and someday I hope to have more time to spend with pencil and paper (and not just to figure out a budget or my taxes! :shock: ). Oh, there are so many things to do in life! I don't understand how anyone could ever be bored!

It's a lovely clear day here. I live almost at the top of a hill, and the view this morning looking down at the spread of houses on quarter-acre lots with all the different trees, all different colors, was quite pretty, so long as one overlooks the phone and power lines criss-crossing through the scene. There aren't many maple trees in my neighborhood, but the ones that are in it are blazing right now. Some of the streets are lined with Bradford pear trees, and they have turned completely to a deep red, as has my huge white oak tree. Yellow and dark red are the dominate fall colors here; orange maples are standouts.

How's your weather?
A closed mouth gathers no foot.

User avatar
emc
Equine Locutionist
Posts: 1307
Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 12:15 pm
AKA: Bear
Location: Ed’s World

Re: Weather!

Post by emc » Wed Nov 10, 2010 2:44 pm

I am enjoying mostly clear skies with moderate temperatures. Excellent hiking and/or biking weather!

Thanks for the link! The Internet is fast becoming quite the repository… so much to see! I am glad I found APOD/SA*!

Below is an acrylic watercolor painting I did around 1980 of a church in Smyrna, GA. It is a capture of the late November early December season there. I hope to get back to drawing and painting myself… it has been a number of years since I painted outside the computer, too much life going on. I hope you pursue your drawing… one key is to start with simpler shapes… like take one leaf and sketch/erase/sketch until you are satisfied… and be patient with yourself. And there are some famous artists that don’t draw leaves.

Image
Ed
Casting Art to the Net
Sometimes the best path is a new one.

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: Weather!

Post by orin stepanek » Tue Nov 16, 2010 8:29 pm

So far today is pretty nice. A little brisk; but relatively calm. :) It is supposed to rain turning into snow tonight though. :( I have to get the leaves mulched up before that snow comes in. Hopefully it won't amount to much. :wink:
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: Weather!

Post by orin stepanek » Fri Nov 19, 2010 8:03 pm

Probably don't count as weather; but there was an earthquake near Schuyler Nebraska. :shock:
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/ ... ler_Quake/
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
owlice
Guardian of the Codes
Posts: 8407
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:18 pm
Location: Washington, DC

Re: Weather!

Post by owlice » Sat Nov 20, 2010 2:49 am

Whoa, Orin, :shock: is right! Did you feel/hear it?
A closed mouth gathers no foot.

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: Weather!

Post by orin stepanek » Sat Nov 20, 2010 5:02 am

owlice wrote:Whoa, Orin, :shock: is right! Did you feel/hear it?
Nah! my wife acused me of a rumbling stomach. :mrgreen: Actually it was a pretty mild quake; and not much damage reported. I'm happy about that. :)
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
Ann
4725 Å
Posts: 13867
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 am

Re: Weather!

Post by Ann » Tue Nov 23, 2010 4:59 pm

It's going to snow where I live. I hate it. And it's going to stay cold and frozen for at least two weeks. :( :( :( :(

I'm going to cheer myself up with a snowball cat:

Image

Of course, when they untangle themselves - the snowball cats, I mean - they become eminently cudde-able. And warm!

Image

And just to complete this cat orgy, to combat weather depression, here are some lovely playful kittens who are in fact copies of a copy cat (they are offspring of a cloned cat, or so I think):

Image

They are cute as buttons anyway!!! :D :D :D :D

Ann
Color Commentator

User avatar
owlice
Guardian of the Codes
Posts: 8407
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 4:18 pm
Location: Washington, DC

Re: Weather!

Post by owlice » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:55 am

After a day of wind, the weather has turned cold, with lows in the 20s. Guess it's time to pull out a winter coat; now if only I could remember where I'd put mine!
A closed mouth gathers no foot.

User avatar
orin stepanek
Plutopian
Posts: 8200
Joined: Wed Jul 27, 2005 3:41 pm
Location: Nebraska

Re: Weather!

Post by orin stepanek » Thu Dec 02, 2010 1:50 pm

owlice wrote:After a day of wind, the weather has turned cold, with lows in the 20s. Guess it's time to pull out a winter coat; now if only I could remember where I'd put mine!
Got in the teens out here the other day. We're supposed to get some days in the 40s. That wouldn't be too bad. We do have a little snow on the ground.
Orin

Smile today; tomorrow's another day!

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: Weather!

Post by neufer » Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:55 pm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/dec/02/snow-freezing-weather-europe wrote: <<Millions of Europeans have been caught up in chaos caused by heavy snow, freezing temperatures and high winds following the coldest start to December since records began. Harsh conditions ground much of the continent's transport network to a halt and caused several deaths.

In Poland temperatures fell to -26C, leading to eight deaths from exposure, on top of several other cold-related deaths in recent days.

Almost the whole of Germany woke up to heavy snow this morning, which caused gridlock on roads and railway lines throughout the country. Hundreds of commuters were stranded at railway stations as conditions were deemed too severe for German trains to run.

At Leipzig and Frankfurt scores of passengers had to sleep in railway carriages as hotels ran out of room after train journeys were cancelled because of snow drifts.

Three people died in accidents on icy roads in Germany, while an undisclosed number were said to have died in other parts of central Europe because of exposure or traffic accidents.

Prague airport closed overnight following the heavy snow that gripped the whole of the Czech Republic.

More than 400 miles of traffic jams were reported in Belgium, with Flanders badly hit. Thousands of motorists were trapped in their cars in Brittany and Normandy, and 10,000 lorries were brought to a standstill as parts of France also faced harsh conditions. Hundreds of homes in central France were left without electricity after power cuts.

Elsewhere police were warning members of the public to inform them of the whereabouts of homeless people after two homeless men died in Lithuania.

Across the continent travellers were being advised to rethink travel plans or allow extra time for their journeys. Geneva airport, where 200 passengers were given emergency accommodation and a further 100 slept at the airport, was advising passengers to arrive two hours before the departure time of their flights and to leave motor vehicles at home where possible.

Meteorologists forecast that the snowy and freezing conditions would continue for several days due to the slow eastwardly movement of a low-pressure front over western Europe.

On northern Germany's Brocken mountain, at 1,142 metres one of the country's highest peaks, temperatures fell to -18C while winds of up to 62mph led to an apparent air temperature of -50C. Up to a metre of snow fell on Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze, with more snow expected overnight.>>
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
BMAONE23
Commentator Model 1.23
Posts: 4076
Joined: Wed Feb 23, 2005 6:55 pm
Location: California

Re: Weather!

Post by BMAONE23 » Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:14 pm

Saw this from a link from an unpopular AGW skeptic site
http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/10/05/col ... t-so-much/
Sounds like Europe is beginning to feel something and it isn't very warm
http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2010/10/06/e ... 000-years/

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: Weather!

Post by neufer » Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:27 pm

BMAONE23 wrote:
Sounds like Europe is beginning to feel something and it isn't very warm
http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2010/10/06/europe-to-experience-coldest-winter-in-1000-years/ wrote:
After the record heat wave this summer, Russia’s weather seems to have acquired a taste for the extreme.
Forecasters say this winter could be the coldest Europe has seen in the last 1,000 years.

The change is reportedly connected with the speed of the Gulf Stream, which has shrunk in half in just the last couple of years. Polish scientists say that it means the stream will not be able to compensate for the cold from the Arctic winds. According to them, when the stream is completely stopped, a new Ice Age will begin in Europe.
Well, I would have to agree with P. Gosselin at NoTricksZone that this is a “nutty claim.”
Could it happen? Possibly. Will it happen? Probably not.
Will it be a colder winter? Most Realists say “yes.”

Did you catch the part where the reporter asked “is it climate change?” The response was “They don’t really know. They’re looking at global warming.” Got that? Now global warming, which is about greenhouse gases put out by man supposedly causing the Earth to warm up, is going to cause the “coldest winter in 1,000 years.” These people really are out of their minds. This is not science. This isn’t even as silly as Scientology or snake charming churches. This is Jim Jones stupid. Heaven’s Gate stupid. The Church Of All World’s stupid. The Church of Euthanasia stupid.
  • Global warming of the Arctic reduces the jetstream which both:

    [list]1) decreases the warm Gulf Stream and
    2) allows Arctic air to dip deep into mid latitudes.
[/list]
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
Céline Richard
Science Officer
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:10 am
Location: France

Re: Weather!

Post by Céline Richard » Fri Dec 03, 2010 4:38 pm

Hello :)

Do you want to see the weather in France, at one hour and half from Paris? I take the picture below last Monday (29th November).

Today, it is -2 degrees Celsius in my city, so... I have seen on Wikipedia : Farenheit = [(5/9)*Celsius] + 32
So i try : [(5/9)*(-2)] +32 = 33,11 Farenheit degrees?
This is surprisingly cold at this period of the year.

Actually, it is always about 3-4 degrees Celsius warmer in Paris, than in its surroundings. Maybe it is due to all he activities of the city : traffic jam, industries, etc.

Have a very nice day!

Céline :saturn:
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
"The cure for all the sickness and mistakes, for all the concerns and the sorrow and the crimes of the humanity, lies in the word "Love". It is the divine vitality which from everywhere makes and restores the life". Lydia Maria Child

User avatar
Céline Richard
Science Officer
Posts: 204
Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 11:10 am
Location: France

Re: Weather!

Post by Céline Richard » Fri Dec 03, 2010 5:09 pm

I just put another two pictures :)
(not in the same message, because i am afraid that it might be too much heavy to post)

A pussy rose under a snowy cap, in France. I don't understand why roses can be born in winter, like that... About climate change, Neufer speaks about jetstream, i am sorry but what is it?

And i post a snowy seat: would you like to sit down?

Have a very nice day!

Céline :saturn:
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
"The cure for all the sickness and mistakes, for all the concerns and the sorrow and the crimes of the humanity, lies in the word "Love". It is the divine vitality which from everywhere makes and restores the life". Lydia Maria Child