random bits

[cellio]

The most recent gathering of the Transarc doc group was Saturday afternoon at a home half a mile from mine. (While I don't remember the hosts from Transarc (I don't think we overlapped), I did share a Hebrew class with them once.) At one point a person I've worked with twice, and tried to recruit, asked me "are you still loving your job?". I gestured toward another person sitting there and asked "have you met my grand-boss"? I then explained that any answer I gave under the circumstances would be perceived as either untruthful or unwise, depending, so I couldn't answer that question just then. I also pointed out that another attendee now works for me, so she shouldn't ask her about it in front of me. :-)

It took a couple weeks (after making an online reservation), but I finally got my confirmation for the NHC summer institute (Jewish learning program). So now all I have to do is decide on an airport and make reservations. Trains do not go there efficiently. That's a pity; I would like to be able to take a train somewhere someday. Doing the "airborne sardine" thing is over-rated. (Hmm. I'm taking it as a given that no one else from the Pittsburgh area is going, but I should check. Driving could work with the right group. But there is no way I'm taking such a road trip myself.)

Erik saw my vet tonight for a followup after his visit to the emergency clinic last week. He is eating but (still) not as much as he should be. I am to give him fluids for a while. We are waiting for an appointment for a consultation with a specialist, who'll look at the ultrasound and advise on options, including surgery. Poor guy. He's active and otherwise happy near as I can tell, but he does seem to have a case of ADR (Ain't Doin' Right), and I hope they can figure out how to fix it soon.

It's a little disconcerting to realize that my cat has better health care than many people who can pay (but live in places where there's none to be bought).

What does "X% chance of rain tonight" mean? Any rain anywhere in the region at any time during the night? That X% of the region will be wet by morning? That the whole region will get rain for X% of the night? Inquiring minds want to know, and empirical evidence is decidedly lacking.

Short takes:

As rjlippincott says, sometimes a product name says everything you need to know. Moo Doo, indeed.

For SCA folks: jducoeur's rules of water-bearing nails some of the current bureaucracy square on the head. Go. Read.

This kitten pile from kittenbreak is adorable. Assuming that's one litter, I'm surprised by both the number and the uniformity.

Comments

[sue-n-julia.livejournal.com]

Yea, Eric!!!1

X% chance of rain means that given the predicted conditions (humidity, wind direction, wind speed, etc.) that it rains X out of 100 times.

S

[cellio]

Rain: Anywhere in the region? Everywhere in the region? For five minutes? All day? I'm trying to figure out what the parameters are.

[sue-n-julia.livejournal.com]

As far as I understand it, the parameters apply anywhere in the forecasted region for the forecasted period of time. Here out west, there's a lot more regionality to the forecasts, so what's expected for Colville (an hour or so north) isn't necessarily what is expected for Spokane. What's expected for the South Hill isn't always what is expected in downtown because elevation affects our weather so much more (at what elevation will the precipitation be snow vs. rain, at what elevation will we get rain vs. evaporating before it hits the ground, etc.).

S

Because I'm an incorrigible transit geek...

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

Trains do not go [to the NHC institute site] efficiently.

Had you considered going to Boston and then taking an MBTA train out to Fitchburg (20 miles southeast of the site) and arranging a pickup there?

Also, the institute starts as Pennsic is ending. You might be able to arrange for a ride east to a suitable railroad station (in Philly, NJ, NY, or New England) if not to the site itself; then plane or train home.

Re: Because I'm an incorrigible transit geek...

[cellio]

Had you considered going to Boston and then taking an MBTA train out to Fitchburg (20 miles southeast of the site) and arranging a pickup there?

Hadn't thought of that. There is someone arranging a van-share from the Manchester airport, so I'm not sure that buys me anything, but otherwise that might have been interesting.

Also, the institute starts as Pennsic is ending.

True, though that only helps in the one direction. I suppose buying a one-way plane ticket for the return trip is feasible, though. Hmm.

[hildakrista.livejournal.com]

X% chance of rain means that, in the past during all their years of record-keeping, when atmospheric conditions (pressure, humidity, etc) were exactly or nearly as they are now, it rained X% of the time. Based on historical data.

[cellio]

Thanks.

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

You mentioned name of giant corporate overlord...

[cellio]

Not the current overlords; not as worried about them. But good point; I probably should be more careful about that too.

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

hehe we use ewe poo.

[schulman.livejournal.com]

I bought one of my sisters llama poo for her birthday. On eBay. I believe in keeping my family on their toes, giftwise.

Monica, had you noticed that the page for this post is 720000.html? I have no idea exactly what that encodes, but it's a nice odometer moment even with limited context.

[cellio]

Heh. No, I hadn't noticed the round number. Cute -- round numbers are so rare.

I've never actually figured out LJ's numbering scheme. Numbers increase, but all else is uncertain. I've seen journals with very low numbers, almost as if LJ were handing them out sequentially per journal, and ones like mine, where the numbers are 6 digits and have large gaps in sequencing.

[eub.livejournal.com]

This NOAA page (http://pajk.arh.noaa.gov/info/articles/survey/poptext.htm) says:

The Weather Service Operations Manual (C-11, 8.3.1) states that a [probability of precipitation] forecast represents "the likelihood of occurrence, expressed as a percent, of a precipitation event at any given point in the forecast area within a clearly stated time period."

This one (http://www.erh.noaa.gov/ilm/products/faq/index.shtml) specifies the threshold amount of rain:

The Probability of Precipitation(POP) or percent chance of rain means that measurable rain...0.01 inches will fall at that location within a specific time period...usually 12 hours.