RumRunner

I don't know if I have any rebuttals. The rules themselves are reasonable, but like any set of rules, it often comes down to the execution of those rules which determines their usability. And yes I think that opening paragraph indicates that anyone with an interest in TWI is welcome to post and also indicates the desire to help in the recovery process. Considering "your own" phrase (often cited by many others but since I am quoting you...) if you have someone with waybrain you have a pretty good recipe for some conflict. That, in and of itself, should not be a showstopper. I've seen plenty of posts that on one forum tear into TWI and in another forum are thoughtful to newbies with waybrain. I think that is appropriate - content does not need to be the same everywhere - I believe the word is "venue." Thanks for your input WordWolf - always appreciated.

From the first paragraph of the "About us" link on GSC's splash page. While all are welcome according to it, please note what is in boldface/italics below. There is a significant mission to provide the other side of the story. In that I agree with Groucho "GreaseSpot Cafe is a gathering place, bringing together people and information. We welcome all who have an interest in The Way International, including former followers, current followers, and those who may have friends or family members who are involved. Our mission is to provide information that tells the other side of the story about The Way International and its trustees. Our hope is that GreaseSpot Cafe serves as a place where those who have been impacted by The Way can make connections with people and information which will support their particular process of recovery."

No sweat Mr-P-Mosh - feel free but yes please do keep it anonymous

Musn't forget Yorkshire pudding! Once I made it the first time - there is no way a rib roast gets done in my kitchen without it. My two children can easily wolf down half a dozen. Plenty of perfectly good recipes on line although there are only a couple of ingredients. I cheat and use the disposable muffin tins - much better than cleaning a pan out. I use the meat drippings although you can find recipes that don't call for it.

I agree as well having just a tad of experience with tropical storm events. First - Much glad you guys are OK and beginning to trickle back in here. Life s(cks after a hurricane. I won't make any socio-political comments about evacuation here but wanted to address your comment about NOAA below. You seem like a pretty bright person in other posts so I thought you might like more info on storm surge. So...not trying to pick a fight with you or anything - especially since life still s(cks for you folks right now - but wanted to comment on how storm surge is calculated and give you some idea of what the physics of storm surge are. Storm surge (as opposed to tidal surge) is indeed an almost completely wind driven event so wind speed is paramount as a measurement. The Saffir-Simpson scale is simplistic for surge however. It is a reasonable estimate of wind damage upon the storm making landfall and is a very good estimate of total storm intensity. Storm surge (technically defined as height of water above normal astronomical tide level for this day and time) is primarily affected by four things, a) wind speed, b) radius of maximum winds, c) local "normal" astronomical tide levels and d) the bathymetry of the continental shelf across the area where the storm makes landfall - not just the eye - but the storm as defined by RMW (b above). It is usually modeled by something called a SLOSH model (Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes). Tropical storm intensity is usually modeled using something called the Objective Dvorak Technique and includes 11 different indicies of storm intensity - not just wind speed by any means. Technically there is a fifth element (no pun intended on the movie) which is rainfall effect but that primarily affects estuaries. Hence a cat 2 with a 600 mile diameter (Ike) will potentially have more storm surge over a wider area than a cat 4 that is 200 miles in diameter. The small cat 4 will devastate a small area very quickly and then be gone. In your case you guys got hit by a steam roller. Your tides were high. Texas, Louisiana have a broad and shallow shelf. The RMW was huge on this storm. Simplistically think of it this way. Which has more latent energy? A cup of boiling water or a 55 gallon drum at 100F? Answer the drum. And you guys got hit by the 55 gallon drum. Next time there is a trop storm (and you are not the target) go to NHC and click on a named storm. There will be some links at the top - above the graphics. One will be "Public Advisory" - that is from NHC and directed to the public at large. One is called "Discussion" as is for people in the business - it will be boring to most people who are not well versed in tropical storm physics. Another is called "Advisory." Advisory will be interesting to you. It contains plain-text that will give RMW at three levels; hurricane, tropical storm and gale force winds in each of the four quadrants of the storm. It can be a little annoying to read because RMW is not measured in miles or kilometers but in degrees of a great circle arc around the sphere of the earth. Also in "Advisory" you will see reports with the header WTNTXYY where X is the storm number of the season and YY is the sequential number of the report for that storm. Those will make for a good read for you. There reason you hear so much about Saffir-Simpson is that is about all that most broadcast "meteorologists" know about. The rest gets technical quickly and doesn't make for a great "media event" (journalist bravely leaning into the wind as pieces of roof blow by - hmm how does the camera operator keep so steady???). They do NOT accurately report NOAA's calculations on a regular basis. This I know from much experience in emergency operations centers. However when the wall of water is on top of you - you aren't really thinking about any of the above...(I hate smileys or I'd put one here) Glad you're OK edited for bad spelling

A la If you have a lot of apples in the fall here is a quick, easy and cheap way to prep them as a nice desert for dinner or also makes a nice gift for the next door neighbors. One firm apple per person you are serving. Mushy apples won't work very well (experienced that mistake myself) Core apples leaving apple intact. Place in glass baking dish standing on the bottom of the apple Put a few raisins in the bottom of each apple Drizzle some lemon juice into the core Spoon a tsp or so of brown sugar into the core Add 1/4 tsp of cinnamon into the core Back at 350F for 30-45mins (depending on apple size) until apples are soft enough to eat with a spoon Serve in a bowl

If you give me your street address (PM) and if you know the satellite provider and (even better) which satellite you were pointing at I will give you the azimuth and elevation to re-point your antenna

LOLOLOL - I was just about to post success and got booted again. Here is what I did that worked for the last 36 hours - but failed just now. Remove cookies from GSC on the GSC bar. Shut down Firefox. Bring Firefox back up, don't log into GSC, remove GSC cookies from Firefox. Log into GSC Obviously per above not a permanent solution

Much sweet - thanks

Kit - it is a web comic from a site frequented by geeks - nothing more. It was a spoof on "Ghostbusters" I have no problems if someone believes in the trinity - that is their ethical and (in this country) constitutional right - but humor often disregards someones' personal beliefs (witness political editorial humor). And BTW since it was a comment by the author of XKCD please do not assign to me that I am making disparaging remarks. I simply re-posted a comic. There are plenty of threads on this site where people VEHEMENTLY disagree on doctrine - be it Biblical, political or what you eat. A humorous cartoon post should not be considered a disparaging remark. If we have decided on that level of censorship, condescension, accusation and condemnation then there is no need to have open minds any more and there is no need for open discussion on GSC. Take it easy. Thanks, RR

Will do same

http://xkcd.com/459/

Still ain't right and I use Firefox - used to stay on for weeks - still getting random log offs by hitting a topic change or "view new posts"

Please see my post on the ex10 thread that TL started. I left a useful link behind.

For those of you in contact with Ike victims... I've been in the business of providing operational support for first responders (from a science perspective) for a number of years, especially with tropical cyclones (the broad name for any cyclonic storm, hurricane in the Atlantic, typhoon in the Pacific...so I am not going to entertain what often becomes the Greasespot debate cycle...I've also been through some pretty serious storms personally... That said... PLEASE encourage them NOT TO USE CANDLES. It is the third most common cause of death post a cyclone event. These people, as TL indicated, are tired, hot, hungry and generally miserable. With batteries running low and no power a candle seems obvious. However as tired as they can get; it is all too often someone falls asleep with a lit candle on the coffee table. Once the wax starts to run, if it runs onto the wood there is some chance (not giant but it happens every year) that the flame will follow the running wax and set the table on fire while they are sleeping. As exhausted as they are some will only wake up to find themselves being asphyxiated by the fumes of an already burning room. Additional if there is significant local infrastructure damage they run the risk of gas line leaks being exposed to open flame. If they feel they must use a candle - say it is dark and someone falls and needs first aid - use what are called utility candles (sometimes also referred to as plumbers candles). The fuel in those candles is a modified paraffin which burns almost completely with no dripping. Put the candle in a bowl, NOT a candlestick...a bowl big enough to hold the wax of the entire candle. Make sure the bowl is reasonably deep so that if the candle falls over it falls into the bowl and not out onto a table. EXTINGUISH the candle when done the emergency need. Make the best of daylight hours and revert to "pre power" days of resting at night as best you can. Since the newer, or renovated, parts of Texas will have phone infrastructure underground they will likely have phone even with no power. If they use any of the internet phone providers probably no dice. Avoid calling their cell phone since they have no way to charge them and may need them for local emergencies. TL did the correct thing in passing on the info to a number of people for ex10 instead of causing ex10 to try and make a lot calls on her own...phone lines will be tied up anyway and a lot of cell towers will be down. Thanks for listening (reading) and thanks for the show of compassion to the people stuck down there. Here is a useful link from the NHC although a lot of the discussion of preparation is currently immaterial for those already in the post storm recovery and mitigation. http://www.weather.gov/os/hurricane/index.shtml In addition each state as an emergency management office. Those in the Gulf Coast and East Coast areas have specialists in hurricane preparedness and recover. Texas follows: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/pages/index.htm And Louisiana: http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/

OK Mstar - I have a dark and cynical sense of humor. You know as well as I do that after enough time in TWI you can make ANYTHING sound like the bible... And it came to pass that Adam and Eve darkened their hearts and eyes to the Lord God. And God spake to them saying, "I have cast thee out of Eden into the wilderness." Flowers and herbs ye shall no longer have" Verily, instead of flowers and herbs ye shall have mold and spores which will follow you into the wilderness. They shall curdle the milk of your animals such that when you eat of the curdled milk (ancient San Diegan text calls it cheese) the sons of Lucifer shall come down and gnaw at your head and your stomach. They shall gnaw at all parts of your heads until your pain is exceeding. Your stomachs shall hold no victuals and sleep will leave from thee until such time as the sons of Lucifer are sated in their bondage of thee. Then shall the pain leave and ye will repent and turn back to the Lord your God. These things shall ye teach unto your children so that when they to consume of the mold and spore smitten curdled milk that they too shall remember the God who created all and turn their hearts back to them. [Author's note: I wish you could see it in the original]

I was getting ready for an early work day. Just separated from the ex a month ago and it was her turn with the kids. Phone rang and it was the Navy at the Norfolk NLMOC office requesting help with some software I wrote and quickly informing me of the situation. I got out the secure laptop they had provided me, logged in remotely and turned on CNN. NLMOC coordinated with the Pentagon METOC center. While we were just getting started the second plane hit. Just a bit later the plane hit the Pentagon, into the offices of the people we were on the phone with... Everyone stayed professional and to the credit of a young LT named Christine; Norfolk got something like 28 ships in three battle groups out in under 8 hours. While I stayed on the line with Norfolk I called up some key work people at home (it was still pretty early here in CA). Most of them had already heard and were following. We put together a support staff that could arrive early. The damage had been done by then so I told the LT that I would call back from our operations center in 15 minutes. Got a quick phone call off to the soon to be ex letting her know what was happening and giving her some instructions about the kids (San Diego was considered a high risk area immediately because of the large naval presence). When I got to work there were already half a dozen people in ops. We got back going with Norfolk and SPAWAR and so they day wore on. Surreal is all that comes to mind. I posted this for your consideration of the response of the Navy, the Pentagon, SPAWAR, and those people who reported to me at the time. Many had family and friends at risk...and for the METOC community at NLMOC and SPAWAR also lost friends in those few moments. My respects for those that died. My equal respect for those who stayed professional and kept things going. My best to all of those who lost loved ones.

http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics.php?hid=FzAqIgnRCmk= Meet the new boss - same as the old boss - we won't get fooled again... The Who... please refer to URL for appropriate credits. Other appropriate lyrics IMO And the men who spurred us on Sit in judgement of all wrong They decide and the shotgun sings the song

I submit to you an old Latin question I first learned from a sci-fi book as a kid, however, I believe first coined by Plato. "Who shall guard the guardians?" Your concern for authority goes back a few thousand years.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quis_custodie...sos_custodes%3F

Excellent - TNX

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ42ChFJiaw

Does god look down on the boys in the barroom mainly forsaken but surely not judged - Robert Hunter - 1974. At my age either I am already eternally damned or going to be knighted as some crooked halo'd saint. Doesn't matter to me and don't care. "Life is art without an eraser." (unknown quote). Eternal damnation is kind of a waste of time considering foolish things like "all have fallen short" - well I guess we are all damned by inference. And yes - posted to annoy people because I am rude.

There is no apology needed DM and there is no Mea Culpa. There's no pedigree on the net - so we see nice things and pass them on. No doubt I've "committed the same sin" In this case I recognized the satellite imagery (slides) because of my work and science network. How were you to know the origin of them? No way unless you are in my business. So - again - no apology needed from you. It was an artful piece of work. As I originally noted - if credit had been given I would have had a much higher opinion. If I seemed to come down on you then please accept MY apologies. That most certainly was NOT my intent. Best, RR

DD-214

I thank you all for your thoughtful birthday wishes - and if I had a way to pass the grog around I surely would.