I wrote this song/poem a while back. I'd forgotten about it until I was exploring a folder on my hard drive and found it. Enjoy.
Help me, Lord, I’m fading
My love for You away
Listen, Lord, and help me
Restore my joy in You
Lead me to the rock higher than I
Lead me to the rock higher than I
Lead me to the rock higher than I
Lead me to the rock
At times I feel so empty,
My soul’s brook run dry
All my hope seems futile
And I don’t even care
Lead me to the rock higher than I
Lead me to the rock higher than I
Lead me to the rock higher than I
Lead me to the rock
My thirsty heart screams
For more of You than me
So take this broken vessel
And build it up again
Lead me to the rock higher than I
Lead me to the rock higher than I
Lead me to the rock higher than I
Lead me to the rock
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
A Solution to High Gas Prices?
This article discusses some interesting testimony before Congress by some energy analysts about the effect of speculators on the current price of oil. Speculators, the analysts claim, have been driving oil prices far above their appropriate values. So, the analysts say that if Congress enacts legislation to limit speculation in the oil futures market, the price of oil could return to a level that would allow $2 a gallon gasoline. (Oh, those were the days, huh? :-) ) Of course, we all know how accurate analysts are. Anyone remember that record-setting hurricane season analysts predicted for last year? :-)
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Ah, Summer!
Today was a great summer day. It was quiet, with little wind, and it was cool enough by 6:30 that I was able to ride my bike to small group. Then, because it's summer, it stayed light late enough for me to ride back safely. And being a Sunday, traffic was light. It was just a nice, relaxing day.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Out of Control "Green"
Apparently, the latest fad in society is being "green." If see another commercial where a company blathers on about how "green" (meaning not contributing to the greenhouse effect), I may well break my television. Our society seems to have developed "carbon-phobia," as if CO2 is the most evil gas in the world. What's sad about all of this fear is that the link between human-produced CO2 and global warming is not as strong as the media would have us believe. We are worrying ourselves to death over something that is not as significant as we think. And in the fear of emitting CO2, we're adopting all sorts of measures that could have negative repercussions, economically and environmentally.
Economically, we're slowly wreaking our economy because we're afraid of building new power plants. The result will be an increase in demand and a huge upswing in the price of electricity. Nuclear power may well be the best political option, but the costs of building new nuclear reactors are also prohibitive.
Environmentally, the craze for compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) will create a toxic waste hazard because every CFL contains mercury. Most consumers are not going to dispose of their expired CFLs appropriately, and the end result will be an increase of the mercury levels in our landfills. Likewise, hydrogen power is not as "green" as people would have us believe. Hydrogen power emits water vapor as its by product, and water vapor not only is a "greenhouse gas" but also a major source of energy for thunderstorms. Here's what I mean: imagine a city the size of Kansas City with all of the cars powered by hydrogen. The emissions from these cars will increase the humidity in the Kansas City area significantly. This additional humidity will make summers more uncomfortable and also provide extra moisture for storms, meaning more heavy rain events (flooding) and more severe storms (hail, high winds, tornadoes). In other words, as we rush to hydrogen as if it's a savior, we need to remember that hydrogen power has its own significant side effects that we need to be prepared for.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for being wise in how we treat the environment. If we can switch from highly-polluting oil to lower-pollution hydrogen, I'm all for it, even if the result is a more humid environment. But we need to be circumspect. The current "I'm more green than you" mentality preys on unfounded fear of a catastrophic greenhouse effect that's our fault. And that fear, if it drives our decision-making in politics and in life, could result in decisions that do more harm to our society and the environment than anything that global warming could ever cause.
Economically, we're slowly wreaking our economy because we're afraid of building new power plants. The result will be an increase in demand and a huge upswing in the price of electricity. Nuclear power may well be the best political option, but the costs of building new nuclear reactors are also prohibitive.
Environmentally, the craze for compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) will create a toxic waste hazard because every CFL contains mercury. Most consumers are not going to dispose of their expired CFLs appropriately, and the end result will be an increase of the mercury levels in our landfills. Likewise, hydrogen power is not as "green" as people would have us believe. Hydrogen power emits water vapor as its by product, and water vapor not only is a "greenhouse gas" but also a major source of energy for thunderstorms. Here's what I mean: imagine a city the size of Kansas City with all of the cars powered by hydrogen. The emissions from these cars will increase the humidity in the Kansas City area significantly. This additional humidity will make summers more uncomfortable and also provide extra moisture for storms, meaning more heavy rain events (flooding) and more severe storms (hail, high winds, tornadoes). In other words, as we rush to hydrogen as if it's a savior, we need to remember that hydrogen power has its own significant side effects that we need to be prepared for.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm all for being wise in how we treat the environment. If we can switch from highly-polluting oil to lower-pollution hydrogen, I'm all for it, even if the result is a more humid environment. But we need to be circumspect. The current "I'm more green than you" mentality preys on unfounded fear of a catastrophic greenhouse effect that's our fault. And that fear, if it drives our decision-making in politics and in life, could result in decisions that do more harm to our society and the environment than anything that global warming could ever cause.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Unbelievable Finish
While I was waiting for the US-Barbados World Cup Qualifying match, I watched pieces of the replay of the Euro 2008 game between Turkey and the Czech Republic. With as little as 20 minutes left, the Czech Republic was up 2-0. At any level, especially the International level, that kind of lead is usually insurmountable. In this case, however, Turkey managed to get 3 goals, including 2 in 2 minutes. I'm not a huge fan of Turkey, but it was an impressive effort. And it just goes to show that you never know what's going to happen.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
What's Wrong with the Royals?
I have been a fan of Kansas City Royals baseball as long as I can remember. I grew up listening to the games as a child and can (barely) remember them winning the World Series in 1985.
In the 23 years since reaching the pinnacle of baseball success, the Royals have slowly become one of the worst teams in baseball on a consistent basis. Every year, I hear the same thing in Spring Training. "We've got the team that will win more games this year." "We're not going to lose 100 games this year, and a year (or two) from now, we'll be playing meaningful games in September." About mid-May, I hear the same thing every year. "I don't understand why we're losing games, we have the talent." And by July, I start hearing, "Well, next year, when _________ is healthy." "Next year, when _______________ makes it to the Majors." It's a sure sign that the Royals are losing so frequently that they practically have last place in their division all locked up.
I light of this consistency poor play, which has included blowing innumerable four-plus-run leads in the late innings in the last two weeks, I have to ask myself, what's wrong with the Royals? Well, I don't claim to be a guru, and I certainly would not want to be a manager or a GM. What I'm writing here are possible problems with possible solutions.
What's wrong with the Royals?
1. The lack of offensive punch. Jose Guillen has been a great addition; he gives Kansas City someone who actually can hit something besides the occasional double. The rest of the team, however, is ineffective offensively. The player with the best average on the team (excluding pitchers) is DeJesus, who is hitting .296. Compare that to the Texas Rangers, who have 5 players hitting over .300. Now, Texas is one of the best offenses in the league, so I don't expect the Royals to have as many guys over .300, but to have none is sure sign that the offense is not as it should be.
Solution? I'm at a loss here. Dayton Moore, the GM, has done everything he can to find a power hitter or two to put into the middle of the offense. There aren't that many out there that the Royals can afford. Perhaps, one of the younger players will develop into a power threat. That idea, however, leads me to another problem.
2. The inability to retain players. A perennial problem is the inability to keep solid players once they've reached their prime. Look around the league at some of the better players in the league: Damon and Beltran, for example. They came up with the Royals, but Kansas City was forced to get rid of them because their salary demands were too high. In all likelihood, the same thing will happen to all the young players who are being hailed as the "future" of the team. They'll be gone right as they're hitting their peak and could be part of a winning team. Which leads me to my last point.
Solution? Being a small-market team, Kansas City only has so much money to compete with the seemingly endless pockets of New York, Boston, LA, and San Francisco. The best solution in my mind is a salary cap. That, of course, would be blocked by the Players' Union, which has far too much power. Their reasons for opposing it are almost ludicrous. You're telling me that making $3.5 million a year isn't enough? That the market alone should be able to set value? The end result is a lack of competitive balance and the eventual collapse of the league. A salary cap needs to be implemented for the good of the game. Most of these major leaguers are making enough that if they manage their money well, they'll be fine once they leave the game.
3. The culture of losing. Their seems to be something that surrounds this club, an air of almost-mythical proportions. We've seen it in all of the late-inning collapses of recent weeks. We've seen it in when former Cy Young winners become complete duds. It must be something in the water in KC, because I can't explain it. Or, perhaps, there just simply isn't the talent there.
Solution? I don't know. Perhaps it's time for organization-wide psychological help. Something has to change if this team is ever going to get out of the cellar and become competitive again. Right now, based off of what I've seen, they're not.
In the 23 years since reaching the pinnacle of baseball success, the Royals have slowly become one of the worst teams in baseball on a consistent basis. Every year, I hear the same thing in Spring Training. "We've got the team that will win more games this year." "We're not going to lose 100 games this year, and a year (or two) from now, we'll be playing meaningful games in September." About mid-May, I hear the same thing every year. "I don't understand why we're losing games, we have the talent." And by July, I start hearing, "Well, next year, when _________ is healthy." "Next year, when _______________ makes it to the Majors." It's a sure sign that the Royals are losing so frequently that they practically have last place in their division all locked up.
I light of this consistency poor play, which has included blowing innumerable four-plus-run leads in the late innings in the last two weeks, I have to ask myself, what's wrong with the Royals? Well, I don't claim to be a guru, and I certainly would not want to be a manager or a GM. What I'm writing here are possible problems with possible solutions.
What's wrong with the Royals?
1. The lack of offensive punch. Jose Guillen has been a great addition; he gives Kansas City someone who actually can hit something besides the occasional double. The rest of the team, however, is ineffective offensively. The player with the best average on the team (excluding pitchers) is DeJesus, who is hitting .296. Compare that to the Texas Rangers, who have 5 players hitting over .300. Now, Texas is one of the best offenses in the league, so I don't expect the Royals to have as many guys over .300, but to have none is sure sign that the offense is not as it should be.
Solution? I'm at a loss here. Dayton Moore, the GM, has done everything he can to find a power hitter or two to put into the middle of the offense. There aren't that many out there that the Royals can afford. Perhaps, one of the younger players will develop into a power threat. That idea, however, leads me to another problem.
2. The inability to retain players. A perennial problem is the inability to keep solid players once they've reached their prime. Look around the league at some of the better players in the league: Damon and Beltran, for example. They came up with the Royals, but Kansas City was forced to get rid of them because their salary demands were too high. In all likelihood, the same thing will happen to all the young players who are being hailed as the "future" of the team. They'll be gone right as they're hitting their peak and could be part of a winning team. Which leads me to my last point.
Solution? Being a small-market team, Kansas City only has so much money to compete with the seemingly endless pockets of New York, Boston, LA, and San Francisco. The best solution in my mind is a salary cap. That, of course, would be blocked by the Players' Union, which has far too much power. Their reasons for opposing it are almost ludicrous. You're telling me that making $3.5 million a year isn't enough? That the market alone should be able to set value? The end result is a lack of competitive balance and the eventual collapse of the league. A salary cap needs to be implemented for the good of the game. Most of these major leaguers are making enough that if they manage their money well, they'll be fine once they leave the game.
3. The culture of losing. Their seems to be something that surrounds this club, an air of almost-mythical proportions. We've seen it in all of the late-inning collapses of recent weeks. We've seen it in when former Cy Young winners become complete duds. It must be something in the water in KC, because I can't explain it. Or, perhaps, there just simply isn't the talent there.
Solution? I don't know. Perhaps it's time for organization-wide psychological help. Something has to change if this team is ever going to get out of the cellar and become competitive again. Right now, based off of what I've seen, they're not.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
More Storms
The weather continues to be May-like here in June. A strong squall line is headed for Topeka; I can hear the thunder rumbling in the distance. It has been quite an interesting weather week, with the outbreak on Thursday and a line of strong storms moving through the area. Hopefully, this line will amount to nothing more than some heavy rain.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Severe Weather Outbreak -- 10:15 pm
Thanks be to God, the worst that happened here in Topeka was an hour-long power outage in the central part of the city. I was among those without power, but the Westar crews did an admirable (and somewhat foolhardy, given the amount of lightning present in these storms) job in getting power back on. Otherwise, the majority of the severe weather occurred west of the city. With the severe weather threat moving east, it's time for me to call it a night. Hopefully, this outbreak is the last one of the season. I'm ready for some calmer weather.
Severe Weather Outbreak -- 8:15 pm
Finally, it's Topeka's turn. A severe thunderstorm is moving its way up the turnpike. I expect to have to seek shelter here in the few minutes from the large hail and damaging winds. I'll post another report after the storm passes through.
Severe Weather Outbreak -- 6:30 pm
I underestimated the available energy in the atmosphere in central Kansas. The severe weather is starting to break out with increasing rapidity. We're seeing quite the outbreak of tornadoes across the region, not just central Kansas. Three tornadoes were reported out by Clay Center, another tornado is on the ground right now between Manhattan and Ogden, and a third tornado warning is out for Wichita.
The SPC expects the lines of storms that are producing these storms to turn into long-lived squall lines (called derechos) with tornado-proudcing supercells embedded on the north and south edges of any line.
Topeka is not yet experiencing anything severe, but the winds are still gusting strongly from the south. There is plenty of energy available to any storms that move into the region. I'll have to be ready to take cover once any storms move this direction. I'll try to keep blogging if something happens, unless the power goes out.
The SPC expects the lines of storms that are producing these storms to turn into long-lived squall lines (called derechos) with tornado-proudcing supercells embedded on the north and south edges of any line.
Topeka is not yet experiencing anything severe, but the winds are still gusting strongly from the south. There is plenty of energy available to any storms that move into the region. I'll have to be ready to take cover once any storms move this direction. I'll try to keep blogging if something happens, unless the power goes out.
Severe Weather Outbreak -- 5:00 pm
So far, this "outbreak" has not been as significant as I had expected, although there have been several fast-moving supercells in central Kansas. These low-topped (mini) supercells generally do not produce strong, long-lived tornadoes, though. That's fine with me, as I'm sure it is with those who are in the path of the storms.
Still, the threat exists for severe weather throughout the region, and NE Kansas is about to come under the gun. The SPC is planning on issuing a Tornado Watch for E Kansas and NW Missouri soon. The main threat, according to SPC forecasters, is for large hail and damaging winds, although embedded tornadoes are possible.
The sun has tried to peak out from behind the clouds a few times in the past 2 hours, but the skies remain primarily overcast, and the temperature is at 84. If the sun had been out for the past two hours and the temperature had jumped, conditions would have been much worse.
Still, the threat exists for severe weather throughout the region, and NE Kansas is about to come under the gun. The SPC is planning on issuing a Tornado Watch for E Kansas and NW Missouri soon. The main threat, according to SPC forecasters, is for large hail and damaging winds, although embedded tornadoes are possible.
The sun has tried to peak out from behind the clouds a few times in the past 2 hours, but the skies remain primarily overcast, and the temperature is at 84. If the sun had been out for the past two hours and the temperature had jumped, conditions would have been much worse.
Severe Weather Outbreak -- 3:30 pm
3:30 pm The SPC's next Convective Outlook just came out. It appears that they still expect a significant weather event to occur across the Central Plains. They did not shift the greatest threat area to the west and north as I had expected. Instead, they kept it pretty much in the same region as before, with the exception of expanding the probability of significant hail southward towards NE Kansas. It appears that they expect the threat for destructive, long-lived tornadoes to still exist. Given that they have a ton of data at their fingertips and at least Master's Degrees in Meteorology, I'm not going to argue. It should be an active afternoon/evening.
Severe Weather Outbreak -- 3:00 pm
3:00 pm -- Severe thunderstorms are in progress in Western and Central Kansas. Some of the storms are rotating, meaning that they are capable of producing tornadoes. No reports of tornadoes in Central Kansas, yet, although there probably still will be some. The SPC has tornado watches running from Northern Texas all the way to NW Iowa. The western 2/3 of Kansas and most of Nebraska are under watches of some sort. It could still be an interesting afternoon.
The latest convective outlook from the SPC has not yet arrived on their website. Whether that is a delay due to how their computers process the data, or whether the situation is complex enough that they want to get the changes right, I expect the next risk assessment put Topeka in a lower risk area than before. We'll see if I'm right in a few minutes.
Here in Topeka, skies are still overcast, and temperatures are still on the cool side for this time of year: 82 at Billard. Without extra heating, I'll be surprised if we have sufficient instability for significant severe weather. Why is extra heating needed? The warmer air is, the less dense it is, and the less dense it is, the more it will want to rise once it is forced upward from the surface. At 1 pm, there was still a strong inversion over Topeka, meaning that any air that is forced to rise would be cooler than the air in the region it was lifted into. As a result, thunderstorms will have a hard time developing. If this inversion (often called a cap) erodes, the energy is there for strong thunderstorms, although the tornado threat for the area around Topeka does not look significant at this time: the winds are not favorable for rotating storms.
The latest convective outlook from the SPC has not yet arrived on their website. Whether that is a delay due to how their computers process the data, or whether the situation is complex enough that they want to get the changes right, I expect the next risk assessment put Topeka in a lower risk area than before. We'll see if I'm right in a few minutes.
Here in Topeka, skies are still overcast, and temperatures are still on the cool side for this time of year: 82 at Billard. Without extra heating, I'll be surprised if we have sufficient instability for significant severe weather. Why is extra heating needed? The warmer air is, the less dense it is, and the less dense it is, the more it will want to rise once it is forced upward from the surface. At 1 pm, there was still a strong inversion over Topeka, meaning that any air that is forced to rise would be cooler than the air in the region it was lifted into. As a result, thunderstorms will have a hard time developing. If this inversion (often called a cap) erodes, the energy is there for strong thunderstorms, although the tornado threat for the area around Topeka does not look significant at this time: the winds are not favorable for rotating storms.
Severe Weather Outbreak -- Noon
Noon -- The SPC has issued 2 PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) Tornado Watches from the central parts of Kansas and Nebraska. You can find current watch information at the SPC Current Watch Page. At this point, not much is happening in the watch area. There appears to be a line of strong storms forming SE of Dodge City, but they are small in nature and not moving very much. Based on radar imagery, there also appears to be some sort of boundary about halfway between Topeka and Manhattan. It is probably an outflow boundary from earlier convection. At this point, Topeka still has overcast skies with a temperature of 81. With a dewpoint of 68, though, that is enough energy for storms to feed on. The question is whether the air in place right now is unstable enough for an outbreak to occur. Whether (and when) the clouds clear out will be an important factor in what this evening's weather will be in NE Kansas.
The latest SPC Convective Outlook has just come out. It looks very much like the previous one. The High Risk area has shrunk some and now is mostly in Central Kansas up through Eastern Nebraska and NW Iowa. Topeka appears to be right on the edge of the High area. The discussion from the team of forecasters that looked at this event still indicates that they expect significant severe weather, including the potential for strong, long-track tornadoes.
The threat is still several hours away for this part of the state, but it will be wise to stay tuned to local media outlets this afternoon and evening.
The latest SPC Convective Outlook has just come out. It looks very much like the previous one. The High Risk area has shrunk some and now is mostly in Central Kansas up through Eastern Nebraska and NW Iowa. Topeka appears to be right on the edge of the High area. The discussion from the team of forecasters that looked at this event still indicates that they expect significant severe weather, including the potential for strong, long-track tornadoes.
The threat is still several hours away for this part of the state, but it will be wise to stay tuned to local media outlets this afternoon and evening.
Severe Weather Outbreak -- 8:15 am
8:15 am -- As I expected, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has put the center of the country--including the Eastern part of Kansas in a "High" risk area. For a details of the risk area, click here. For those of you not familiar with SPC procedure, the "High" category is used only a few times each year. The SPC only uses it when they expect a significant, severe outbreak of severe weather. While I have seen a situation in which an area marked "High" had no severe weather at all, those circumstances are rare. There is the possibility that the conditions will not play out exactly as forecasted, but it's better to be prepared than caught off guard.
I'll be following the weather as much as I can all day, and I'll add updates to later parts of this post as conditions warrant.
If you live in the high risk area, you will want to keep one eye on your local media outlets, starting this afternoon. You can also use the NWS Forecast Office in Topeka's website as a source for information. Stay safe today!
I'll be following the weather as much as I can all day, and I'll add updates to later parts of this post as conditions warrant.
If you live in the high risk area, you will want to keep one eye on your local media outlets, starting this afternoon. You can also use the NWS Forecast Office in Topeka's website as a source for information. Stay safe today!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Another Round of Severe Weather Possible
Tomorrow could be an active day for severe weather across the NE Kansas area. Depending on the timing of the next system, a significant severe weather outbreak could occur tomorrow afternoon/evening in this area. Of course, given how far out, it is still possible that the conditions will not be completely correct and that nothing will happen. If the forecast verifies, though, we may be in for a round of rough weather, the likes of which we haven't seen in June for several years. I know that I'll be watching the development of this system with interest. Lord willing, nothing significant will come of it.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Pirates of Penzance
As a part of my dad's birthday present, we went to a performance in Wichita of the Pirates of Penzance, a classic Gilbert and Sullivan opera. As with most performances of Pirates, there is quite a bit of silliness hidden in the lyrics that the actors bring out well. In particular, these actors played the silliness factor well--none of the characters is terribly bright.
I already knew this opera somewhat well, so it was nice to see some of my favorite moments come to life. There's something that strikes a chord with me during Frederic's plea for one of the Major General's daughters to marry him in spite of his low position as a former pirate. "Is there not one maiden [here]/Which does not feel the moral beauty/Of making worldly interest/Subordinate to sense of duty?/Who would not give up willingly/All matrimonial ambition,/To rescue such a one as I/From his unfortunate position?" Something about that resonates with me. Not sure why. ;-)
And of course, my favorite song of the entire has to be the Major General's introductory "patter song," especially once the mathematical terms start flowing. "I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,/About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news/With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse..." Ah, yes, good stuff. Definitely worth seeing again, if another company puts it on somewhere nearby in the near future.
I already knew this opera somewhat well, so it was nice to see some of my favorite moments come to life. There's something that strikes a chord with me during Frederic's plea for one of the Major General's daughters to marry him in spite of his low position as a former pirate. "Is there not one maiden [here]/Which does not feel the moral beauty/Of making worldly interest/Subordinate to sense of duty?/Who would not give up willingly/All matrimonial ambition,/To rescue such a one as I/From his unfortunate position?" Something about that resonates with me. Not sure why. ;-)
And of course, my favorite song of the entire has to be the Major General's introductory "patter song," especially once the mathematical terms start flowing. "I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,/About binomial theorem I'm teeming with a lot o' news/With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse..." Ah, yes, good stuff. Definitely worth seeing again, if another company puts it on somewhere nearby in the near future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)