Low-Level Clouds, pt. II

As we continue our discussion of low-level clouds, we turn our attention to the second general classification of clouds: stratus. Stratus clouds can be identified by their almost uniform appearance. They look like a sheet of gray that covers all or part of the sky. As a result of their uniformity, they are among the most boring clouds to photograph. The two pictures above show examples of stratus clouds. (In the first picture, incidentally taken in Turkey, the stratus clouds are in the background, not the foreground, which is a cumulus fragmatus or scud.) In each case, although there may appear to be some variation within the cloud structure, the clouds do not form the "cotton-ball" texture of cumulus clouds.
Stratus clouds may simply cover the sky without producing rain, as in the case of the first picture, or they may be a variation called nimbostratus. "Nimbo," as it does in the word cumulonimbus, signifies rain. Thus, nimbostratus clouds, such as those in the second picture, are rain-producing stratus clouds.
The final type of stratus cloud that I should mention is one that we are all familiar with, even though few of us have ever taken a picture of it or enjoyed it: fog. Fog is in reality a cloud that has formed at or near ground level. While there are several possible mechanisms for the fog forming, the end result is usually some type of stratus cloud. So, if you've ever wondered what it would be like to be inside a cloud, remember what it was like the last time you walked or drove through fog. You'll have your answer.

Low-Level Clouds, pt. I

In this post, we'll look at three examples of one of the two types of low-level clouds: cumulus clouds. Low-level clouds, incidentally, are those clouds that have bases that start at no more than 6500 feet.
Cumulus clouds are the type of cloud that most people think of when they think of clouds. These clouds can be recognized by the "clumped" shape. (Stratus clouds, on the other hand, are smooth, as we'll see in the next post.)
The first picture is of a cumulus humilus (fair-weather cumulus). Clouds like this show limited vertical development and indicate that the atmosphere is stable, at least at the moment. These clouds are among the most beautiful.
The second picture is a distant picture of a distant cumulonimbus. Cumulonimbus clouds (also know as thunderheads, et al.) technically cannot be assigned to any given level, since they often reach up many thousands of feet. However, I've included them here since they often start at the low levels of the atmosphere. These clouds form during the summer months and are responsible for most strong and severe storms. They start life as a simple cumulus humilus, but if the atmospheric conditions are right, they will grow into the intimidating towers like the one seen in picture number two.
The final picture is of the sky on a particularly turbulent day. No rain or other significant weather occurred with them, but they are fascinating to look at. The cloud base is not smooth at all. Although I'm not 100% sure of its cause, I would guess that what happened was that right above the clouds is a layer of stability, while the air below was highly unstable. The result is that a wave-type motion developed, creating the bizarre patterns that we see.

Rambling: Merry Christmas

More about clouds in subsequent posts. For now, have a merry and blessed Christmas!

Rambling: Clouds

Stop sometime and just look at the clouds. They are fascinating in and of themselves. All they are is innumerable water droplets suspended in the air thousands of feet above the ground. Yet within them can be seen patterns and shapes on an otherwise calm day. At sunset and sunrise, they catch the long wavelengths of the sun's rays and reflect the myriad of colors to our eager eyes. What an amazingly simply and beautiful creation clouds are! What a God to think of something like that!

Clouds have always fascinated me. As a kid, I used to love to look up into a deep azure sky on a calm summer afternoon and pretend that I was floating along in the clouds. What I never noticed as a kid, though, is that there are numerous different cloud types. Clouds are classified first by their altitude then by their appearance and composition. The three levels are low level clouds, which have no prefix, mid-level clouds, which have the prefix "alto-" and high-level clouds, which have the prefix "cirro-." The appearance of a cloud determines the second half of the name: cumulus, stratus, and other words describe the different structures.
If I remember, over the next several posts, I'll go through the different types of clouds and describe a little bit about them, complete with as many pictures as I have.

Rambling: Next Time, Try Swiss Cheese

So, I'm sitting around thinking about something to write, and I attempt to post a picture. However, since I've migrated to a newer version of Blogger, the program I use won't let me post it. That's too bad, too, because it is an unusual picture.
Instead of the picture, then, I've decided to write whatever comes to my mind. .....................
Well, it appears I have writer's block, which is sort of like being blocked in football, only it's more like being stuck under a block of wood, because it's sort of an oppressive feeling that lingers on the edge of your mind, mocking you, "Ha ha! You think you're so smart but you can't think of anything to write! Next time, start with Swiss Cheese as a prompt and see where that leads you."

Well, here goes. Swiss cheese. Swiss Miss. Cocoa. Glad, liederhosen-clad Swiss yodelers. Riccola!!!!!!!!!!!

Rant: Analogies on Standardized Tests

<rant>I spent some time tonight preparing for the GRE, which I have to take in order to start my graduate coursework. (Don't worry, I'm still going to be teaching. The classes are only in the summer.) I did a little bit of practice on the verbal sections, and, as usual, when I came to the analogies section, I struggled a little. Why? Because the analogies that they sometimes draw are so abstruse that someone with a Ph.D. in English couldn't figure out the correct answer!

Consider this made-up example that mimics what I see far too often on GRE-type tests:
HAPPY : JOYFUL ::
A. LUCKY : MYTHOLOGICAL
B. SAD : MELANCHOLY
C. ANGRY : PERTURBED
D. HOPEFUL : FORWARD-LOOKING
E. CLEVELAND : OHIO

So, what's the answer? Well, if you look carefully at the options, there are at least two answers that would work, perhaps 3. (E is not correct, however...sorry.) The problem is that the relationship between happy and joyful is more complex than a simple analogy can cover. The result? Wrong answers because I don't think like the test takers!
Here's an analogy that I think should be on every GRE and SAT:
ANALOGIES : VERBAL ABILITY
A. HAPPINESS : SADNESS
B. GOOD : BAD
C. INTELLIGENT : STUPID
D. POSITIVE : NEGATIVE
E. DAY : NIGHT
</rant>

Commentary: Absurd Iran

Iran is at it, again. This time, they are preparing to host a conference on whether or not the Holocaust took place. The conference, which will take place tomorrow and Monday, is somewhat akin to Satan holding a conference on the existence of God. Do all of these highly-educated political experts really believe the drivel that they are spouting? I don't think so. If there were a Nobel Prize for Most Disingenuous Conference, this one would win it hands down. The Holocaust is one of the most well-documented events in modern history, and the attendees at this conference know it. They are choosing instead to pretend that they don't know for the sake of justifying their own political agenda.

Basically, I think that Iran is looking to gather a group of yes men who will provide it with "legitimacy" in attacking Israel (especially once Iran gets nuclear weapons) and attempting to wipe it off the map to reclaim "Muslim" lands. Of course, this ignores that the fact that Israel occupied those lands long before Islam existed and that the Muslims swept in nearly 1000 years after the Jews had been driven from the region by Rome.
So, as the absurdity continues in the Middle East occurs, I pray that our political leaders in this country take notice of the irrational behavior they're witnessing and develop appropriate policies for handling the situation. These countries will not behave in the same ways that the Soviet Union did. Our policies need to change to reflect this.

Rambling: Movie Quotation IV

This line randomly popped into my head today as I was thinking about how different things have been this week for me. The word "different" triggered this little exchange from a movie. See if you can guess the movie.
Young man: Well, I already told you...I want to do something different.
Father: So put some Jell-o down your pants!

Muppets Take Manhattan

Commentary: "Huricane" Season

It's official. The 2006 hurricane season is now officially over. Yesterday was the final day, and the NOAA forecast that this season would be significantly above average in terms of activity and severity has been a bigger bust than Ryan Leaf was for the San Diego Chargers.

Why the error? One simple reason: we are not God. We don't control the weather. We don't even fully understand it, which makes it hard for us to forecast conditions even 24 hours in advance. So, as the media attempts to bring us more doom and gloom forecasts about out of control global warming, we need to keep in mind that these forecasts could be just as easily in error as the hurricane forecast was this year.

Rambling: Sudden Change in Weather

The last two days have been the epitome of Kansas weather. Yesterday, Topeka set a record high of 73 degrees. It was a beautiful day, more like Spring than Fall. Today, on the other hand, saw an arctic cold front blast into the region, bringing with it freezing rain, sleet, and a chance for snow. The high for today of 43 occurred at a little after midnight. That seems downright balmy compared to the current conditions: 25 degrees with a wind chill of 15. Nearly a fifty degree swing in 24 hours! Amazing! What a fascinating and varied world it is that God has made.

"Discovery, go to throttle up."

Rambling: It's Too Early

It's already started. Thanksgiving is over. And with Thanksgiving over, almost everyone has their eyes set on one thing: Christmas. (This excludes retailers who've been putting Christmas decorations since October.) Already radio stations are rolling out the Christmas music. For me, though, it's too early. Advent, the season on the Liturgical calendar that precedes Christmas, doesn't begin until next Sunday, December 3rd. And like the calendar, I'm just not ready for Christmas to start, yet.

I'll never understand what it is that so many people find so attractive about Christmas that they feel it necessary to start celebrating the holiday months and months in advance. Don't get me wrong. I rejoice in the Incarnation, that God so loved the world that He chose to come as a child, grow up, and die on the cross for our sins. But for me, it's possible to overload on all the "joy." "Hark the Herald Angles Sing" is nice to hear for a while before it (and every other Christmas carol, secular or sacred) becomes trite.
Now, once Advent hits, you can be sure that the tree will come out and that the Christmas songs are going to be on my iTunes playlist. But until then, I'm going to be jumping stations on my radio every time Christmas songs come on. Anything more would only result in "Christmas overload."

Rambling: Ones and Zeroes

10010010 11001011 10011111

Forbes Tower, Cessna November 734837 is 9 miles Northeast with November, requesting vectors to the active, to land.

Rambling: Bad Analogies

From deep within the archives, here's a little English lesson on analogies for your reading pleasure.

He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

She caught your eye like one of those pointy hook latches that used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you banged the door open again.

The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an
eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and "Jeopardy" comes on at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30.

Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center.

Bob was as perplexed as a hacker who means to access T:flw.quid55328.com\aaakk/ch@ung but gets T:\flw.quidaaakk/ch@ung by mistake.

Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree.

Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m.traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.


The thunder was ominous-sounding, much like the sound of a thin sheet of metal being shaken backstage during the storm scene in a play.

The red brick wall was the color of a brick-red Crayola crayon.

Commentary: Uh, What?

Read this bizarre story, courtesy of ABC News. The basic gist is that Iran's ambassador to the UN has complained about Israel threatening to bomb Iran. He has demanded that the Security Council order Israel to quit threatening Iran.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.
Okay, I'm back. Sorry about that; I couldn't help it. That is probably one of the most absurd statements I have ever read. Here is Iran, whose President consistently has called for Israel to be wiped off the map and whose country is attempting to develop nuclear weapons, protesting that Israel is considering acting to prevent such an attack. It must have been "Pull a Prank on the UN Day" or something, because I can't imagine anyone in his right mind actually sending such a letter to the UN and meaning it. Just more unusual behavior from the world's most unpredictable political regime.

It's sort of like Iran saying, "Mommy, brother's threatening to hit me back!"

Rambling: Bad Connection

I just got a sales call from my phone company. I've been trying to avoid them for several days because I really am satisfied with my service as it is and don't want to make any changes. However, tonight I finally answered the phone. However, the connection was quite bizarre. The conversation went something like this.

Me: Hello?
Heard on the phone in my voice (Phone): Hello?
Some guy from India (SGFI): Hello?
Me: Hello?
Phone: Hello?
SGFI: (Something indistinct)
Me: Hello?
Phone: Hello?
SGFI: May I speak with _________, please?
Me: This is he
Phone: This is he
SGFI: Mr. ___________ I am calling on behalf of _____, your current phone company. I want you to know that this phone call may be recorded for quality assurance purposes. How are you today, sir?
Me: Okay
Phone: Okay
SGFI: That's good sir. The reason I am calling, sir, is that we have some wonderful new packages that could save you a lot of money on your telephone bill. How much are you currently paying for your phone service, $50, $60?
Me: Hang on
Phone: Hang on
SGFI: Okay, sir
[Random noise as I grab my headset and try to use it instead of just my cell phone)
Me: Okay
Phone: Okay
SGFI: Okay
Me: I'm afraid we've...
Phone: I'm afraid we've...
Me: ...got a terrible connection
Phone: ...got a terrible connection
SGFI (probably not believing me): Oh, I see
Me: I can hear...
Phone: I can hear...
Me: ...myself twice, better than you
Phone: ...myself twice, better than you
SGFI (still confused and not sure what to do): So, we have some great packages available
Me: I'm quite happy...
Phone: I'm quite happy...
Me: ...with my current service
Phone: ....with my current service
SGFI: I see, sir. Thank you for your time. You may call us at _____________. Have a nice day.
Me: Thank you
Phone: Thank you

I don't know what system they were using to transmit the phone call between the cell system and India, but it was not working at all. It was very disconcerting to hear yourself twice (hear yourself twice). That leaves me with only one question to ponder: does this mean that I am beside myself?

Rant: Election Results

<rant>I'm frustrated and saddened by the current election results. People are out voting against President Bush by voting out quality, Republican candidates and by voting in candidates from the Democrat party who, I fear, are going to do serious damage to this country. Meanwhile, the media is busy gloating as much as possible. They're all smiles and laughing because they have to know that they are the ones who are responsible for the public disliking Bush. They have successfully manipulated the foolish American public by all the negative reporting on Iraq. (A question just asked on the tv, "What could the Republicans have done differently to win?" My answer: have allies in the news media the way the Democrat party does.) Congratulations to the news media! They're the real winners of this election.</rant>

The only question I still have: When will my taxes go up by $2500 a year? I need to know when I'm not going to be able to afford to live in safe, acceptable housing.

Commentary: Election Tomorrow

The election is tomorrow. Go out and vote! If you're not sure which candidates to vote for, check out your local paper, which should have published a voter guide yesterday. There's probably version of it also at your local paper's website.
With the election tomorrow, I realized that it was time for me to betray my obvious political bias (just like a certain local Topeka paper that will remain nameless) and comment on each of the state-wide races, including my endorsement for each position.

Governor
Incumbent: Kathleen Sebelius (D). Challenger: Jim Barnett (R).
Analysis: Sebelius, with a campaign bank account that could go a ways to alleviating the national debt, has outspent Barnett about 10 to 1. In her previous four years in office, in my opinion, Sebelius has done very little except appoint liberal, activist judges and show up at photo opportunities. Notably, she sat by while the state's Supreme Court violated the state Constitution and ordered the Legislature to come up with a half billion dollar education funding increase that the state couldn't afford. After the Legislature (at metaphorical gunpoint from the court), passed a spending package sure to bankrupt the state, Sebelius, who had nothing to do with it, promptly stepped in to take credit for it.
Endorsement: Jim Barnett. His proposals, while modest, at least show some awareness of the situation and a willingness to fix the financial crisis in which Kansas will find itself in the next two or three years. Barnett is an intelligent man, more mainstream than the left-leaning Sebelius, and a better candidate for governor than we've had in years.
Prediction: Sadly, money is what wins elections, and Sebelius and her bloated war chest will probably carry the day, unless large numbers of conservative and moderate get out to vote her out of office.

Attorney General
Incumbent: Phill Kline (R). Challenger: Paul Morrison (D)
Analysis: You knew this campaign would be ugly when Morrison switched parties just so he could run for attorney general. Morrison's campaign has showed no integrity, assailing Kline's character at every turn, misrepresenting Kline's views on every issue, and overall just flat out lying about everything. (Unfortunately, Kline has fired back with just as much negativity and dirt. I'm disappointed in that. Still, I'm more disappointed that Morrison's not been taken to task for his own negativity.)
Endorsement: Kline. Between Morrison's switch of parties and his taking of significant amounts of money from abortionist George Tiller (despite Morrison claiming to be anti-abortion), Morrison has not shown the character necessary for attorney general. While Kline has not run a good campaign, he is by far the better choice because of his strong stand against abortion and his effective work in the past four years.
Prediction: Kline by 1%. Morrison gained initial momentum while Kline's campaign was sitting around on its thumbs. By the time Kline made an attempted comeback, he was forced to go negative, which I fear may turn off a lot of uninformed voters. However, I think the conservative vote and a lot of grassroots efforts will just be enough to allow Kline to squeak by.

U.S. House, District 2
Incumbent: Jim Ryun (R). Challenger: Nancy Boyda (D)
Analysis: Two years ago, Boyda's campaign slogan could have been "I'm just like Jim Ryun." That was all she ever said. She had no good ideas--indeed, no ideas at all--and she still managed to challenge Ryun somehow. This time around, her campaign slogan could easily be "I'm not Jim Ryun," and she still has no ideas. She has no specifics about any plan at all, and seems to be campaigning for change, although she won't say what kind of change she would bring.
Endorsement: Ryun. He's a strong, solid leader who listens to Kansans and votes for their views, even standing up to President Bush when necessary. Ryun has been an effective representative for years, and it would be a shame to lose him just because of frustration with Bush's handling of Iraq.
Prediction: Once again, the Democrat candidate is out-spending the Republican (where is all this money coming from, anyway?). This time, however, I think that Ryun will win. It will be closer than last time because of public irritation with Iraq, but enough of the 2nd district realizes that Boyda is bad for Kansas that she will not win.

Rambling: Nothing to Say

It's been a bad day, and since I don't trust myself to say anything good or interesting right now, I won't post much more.

15 yard penalty....

Rambling: Amusing Moment

I've been working on training my cat to do tricks, such as sit, stand, and roll over. It's become a huge fan of roll over. So much so that tonight, it decided to roll over without me asking it to do so. After completing the roll, it promptly started sniffing around for the food, expecting to get fed for doing a trick that I hadn't asked it to do, yet. That is a case of classical conditioning at its finest. And it's very amusing, too.

Elections are coming up. If you're over 18 and you've registered to vote, get out and vote!

Rant: This Is Why I Don't Like Dogs

I had an incident yesterday that reinforced my dislike of dogs in general. (This is not to say that there aren't certain dogs that I don't like. My brother has a very nice golden retriever.)
We're at the KCAA tournament in Wichita, and we're staying at a hotel way down on the south side of town. (Why, I don't know...) Anyway, I decided to go jogging Saturday morning, and since I didn't know the neighborhood, I decided to run down the main road that the hotel was near (aka 47th Street).

As I left, I prayed a silent prayer that God would protect me, although I figured I shouldn't run into any trouble since I was far south of the worst parts of the city. I was wrong.
I turned along the street and was about a minute down the road when I noticed two dogs roaming loose on the opposite side of the road. <rant>No sooner did I see the dogs than one, which later I thought might have been a pit bull, for no good reason at all made a bee line for me, across a busy street, barking and snarling like I had just called its mother a cat. I attempted to back away slowly, hoping that this was just some stupid territorial thing like most dogs have when an innocent unknown accidentally crosses the invisible boundary that somehow marks their territory. Unfortunately, I happened to back into a parking lot that was fenced in on three sides. There was no way out. I had no way of defending myself, either, nor did I have my cell phone to call for help. I was getting ready, in fact, to give that dog a good swift kick in the face if it had made any move to attack me. At the same time, I was wondering how much it would hurt to get mauled by a dog and if anyone would find me before the dog had finished snacking on me or I bled to death.
About that time, a truck drove into the neighboring lot, temporarily distracting my assailant and allowing me to put about 20-25 yards between me and it. Still, however, this evil fiend would not go away and allow me to continue my jog in peace. (Nor was the guy in the truck any help. He just sort of waved to me and drove his truck on to another part of the lot where I couldn't see him.) That's when God intervened and rescued me. A woman--incidentally a former postal worker who had been attacked by dogs on several occassions--happened to be driving down the road. She saw the dog start after me, and after a couple of minutes she was able to get herself turned around and into the parking lot where I was trapped. The arrival of her vehicle chased the moronic mutt away. She gave me a ride back to the hotel, where I proceeded to run laps in the parking lot for 15 minutes.
This is why I don't like dogs. I wasn't doing anything. I was minding my own business, and this mongrel that some owner let loose to snack on innocent joggers makes a deliberate effort to cross a busy road and corner me in a parking lot for who knows what reason. When, I ask you, was the last time you heard of a cat crossing a busy road and cornering an innocent jogger? (Stupid dog...)</rant>
Praise God for His protection that kept me from becoming puppy chow!