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[Randi]

In the beginning....

Welcome! Here's the place for general "Hello, Howyadoin?" chat.

So... Hello!

Howyadoin?

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Chat from January to July 2020

[Randi]

Good news and bad news on penguins. More than we knew about but sites vulnerable to global warming. Interesting mapping of breeding sites though

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-53549299

Thanks for posting this story! It's wonderful news, especially after the warning warming bells were set off last year by the British Antarctic Survey (https://www.bas.ac.uk/media-post/study- ... -penguins/). And a great use for satellites
I'll post it over on PW - we don't count emperors but we're always happy to get news about the amazing birds.

More penguins here!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/photogra ... 2StDE-wvCE

[AvastMH]

Awwww- so lovely

PS - I'll copy these posts over to the new forum - see you over there folks!!

[Michael]

There is a theory that the long range forecasts, those are forecasts for more than 3-5 days, are not as good as they were because of the reduced number of aircraft in the air. Most modern aircraft relay temperature, humidity and wind data back to the various meteorological agencies, and these extra data improve the accuracy of the forecasts, especially those in the longer ranges.

I was curious about this. My son is working in northern Alberta, and each day I send him a ten day forecast which I get from the Norwegian Weather Service which are based on the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts. This is the gold standard for weather forecasts. I have noticed that the total rainfall amounts for the ten days really jumps around. Here are the data for the past 13 days:

8.7
41.7
23.6
24.8
5.0
60.6
3.9
15.6
18.7
49.8
13.2
98.9
38.9

Each forecast has nine days in common with the ones on either side, so the rainfall amounts should vary slightly, but not as wildly as these.

[Morgan]

I'm sorry, I am in a late time zone and am still reading about penguins. I shared the joke with my daughters and Mom's sense of humor index rose 100%. I love the idea that all the mapping comments follow. Glad to have recently joined such lighthearted, serious minded folks.

[Michael]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/me ... -1.5678802

and

https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/08/weather/ ... index.html

[Randi]

Belated
Happy Birthday
Kevin !

---

A Happy Belated Birthday Kevin!!!

Happy Birthday, Kevin!

Very Happy Birthday, Kevin!

Have a good one Kevin.

[Michael]

Belated Happy Birthday, Kevin!!!

[Michael]

We generated 8,057 kwh of electricity in our first full year with solar panels. Our normal annual consumption is 11,000 kwh. Our average cost per kwh, including line charges, taxes etc comes to $0.12, so we saved $967. Our return on investment was 6.4%, which is tax free. And, our cost per kwh has gone up 33% in the eight years we've lived here, and more increases are coming, so our savings will become larger over time. The installer thought we could get 22 panels on our roof, but in the end there was room only for 21. A 100 year old cast iron pipe was in the way. The installer thought they could move the panels so they would sit on either side of the pipe, but the pipe was such that it was right in the centre of a panel, and the panels couldn't shift far enough in any direction to accommodate the pipe. Too far east and they would overhang the roof, and too far west and they would run into our neighbour's house, which was build as an extension to the original house about 25 years ago.

[Randi]

This is impressive Michael - I am inspired! The flats here could be generating a lot of electricity. Once we have some cash in the pot I'm going to look into it.

What I can;t understand is that all new housing stock does not have solar panels as part of the build. How barking mad is that? :'(

Quite a few of the new builds round here have at least some solar panels fitted. I'm not sure whether this is standard or optional though. My roof is completely the wrong angle and one side shaded by trees. Some of the nearby houses would be perfect for it but haven't had it installed. I would like to see more of it on industrial buildings I don't think there is any on the nearby business park, they are building a new 'Innovation Zone' near Glasgow Airport, I'll keep you posted but wouldn't advise you to hold your breath.

[AvastMH]

For the penguin fanciers among us. Even in sunny (?) England keep your eyes peeled.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-n ... e-53798757

I have to admit to terrible thoughts. We've got two sites with Magellanics living in burrows on PW. The fairground game 'whack-a-mole' sometimes pops through my mind when I'm trying to work out if 'it' is a clump of mud or a penguin head.

You'd need an awfully long 'whacker' to do any real damage so dream away

;D ;D

[Michael]

Last year we had to put down our two old cats. The CO said, "That's it! No more cats. Too expensive, too much work!"

"Yeah, right," I thought to myself.

[Randi]

[Hanibal94]

As a huge cat fan, I don't blame you a bit for disobeying your CO

[Randi]

I suspect Michael didn't

Another huge cat fan!

[Michael]

Ten points for Randi!!! I just said, "Yes, dear..."

[AvastMH]

Ten points for Randi!!! I just said, "Yes, dear..."

My poor old boy Oscar-the-neighbour's-cat is not well just now - his kitten days are too long ago I think.

[Michael]

[Randi]

[Michael]

With Covid, many people are reporting strange dreams. For some reason, I was dreaming all night about being on the Yangtze Kiang River! Not sure where that came from!!!

PS For those of you that don't get the reference, for the past week I've been working out the 1930-31 voyage of the Panay_II as she works her way up the Yangtze Kiang River to Chungking.