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Chat

Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2020 6:59 pm
by Randi
In the beginning....
DJ_59 wrote:Sat Oct 09, 2010 10:46 pm Welcome! Here's the place for general "Hello, Howyadoin?" chat.

So... Hello!

Howyadoin?

Chat from 2010

Chat from 2011

Chat from 2012

Chat from 2013

Chat from 2014

Chat from 2015

Chat from 2016

Chat from 2017

Chat from 2018

Chat from 2019

Chat from January to July 2020

Re: Chat

Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 4:50 pm
by Randi
studentforever wrote:Wed Aug 05, 2020 6:34 am 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
AvastMH wrote:Wed Aug 05, 2020 12:44 pm 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. :D
Thursday Next wrote:Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:30 pm More penguins here!
https://www.washingtonpost.com/photogra ... 2StDE-wvCE

Re: Chat

Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 8:14 pm
by AvastMH
Awwww- so lovely :D

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

Re: Chat

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 12:04 am
by 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.

Re: Chat

Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2020 4:39 pm
by 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.

Canada loses its last three ice shelves

Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2020 4:21 pm
by Michael

Re: Chat

Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 10:29 pm
by Randi

Belated
Happy Birthday
Kevin !





AvastMH wrote:Thu Aug 13, 2020 12:00 am
A Happy Belated Birthday Kevin!!!
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:D :D :D :D :D

Bob wrote: Happy Birthday, Kevin!

Hanibal94 wrote:Thu Aug 13, 2020 4:08 pm Very Happy Birthday, Kevin!

Pommy Stuart wrote:Fri Aug 14, 2020 5:04 am Have a good one Kevin.

Re: Chat

Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 11:47 pm
by Michael
Belated Happy Birthday, Kevin!!!

Re: Chat

Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2020 2:12 pm
by 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.

Image

Re: Chat

Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2020 7:11 pm
by Randi
AvastMH wrote:Sat Aug 15, 2020 1:51 pm 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. :D

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? :'(

studentforever wrote:Sat Aug 15, 2020 6:44 pm 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.

Re: Chat

Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2020 11:19 pm
by AvastMH
studentforever wrote:Sun Aug 16, 2020 6:35 pm 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
jil wrote:Sun Aug 16, 2020 8:48 pm :o :D
AvastMH wrote:Sun Aug 16, 2020 11:16 pm :D :D :D

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. :roll: :o ;)
studentforever wrote:Mon Aug 17, 2020 10:46 am You'd need an awfully long 'whacker' to do any real damage so dream away

;) ;D ;D

Re: Chat

Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2020 7:21 pm
by 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. :roll:

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Re: Chat

Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2020 7:24 pm
by Randi
:D :D :D :D :D

Re: Chat

Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:11 pm
by Hanibal94
As a huge cat fan, I don't blame you a bit for disobeying your CO ;) :lol:

Re: Chat

Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:47 pm
by Randi
I suspect Michael didn't ;)

Another huge cat fan!

Re: Chat

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 12:15 am
by Michael
Ten points for Randi!!! I just said, "Yes, dear..." :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Chat

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 8:40 pm
by AvastMH
Michael wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 12:15 am Ten points for Randi!!! I just said, "Yes, dear..." :lol: :lol: :lol:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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

Re: Chat

Posted: Sun Sep 06, 2020 10:55 pm
by Michael
:cry: :cry: :cry:

Re: Chat

Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 12:33 am
by Randi
:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

Re: Chat

Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2020 2:21 pm
by 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!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

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. ;)