Daily Archives: January 16, 2009

Art and Culture, GeekWorld, Weather +Climate

Out of the House. At Last.

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7  steep fall 30.38  ENE2  windchill 7  Winter

Waning Wolf Moon

Spent a morning at the museum.  The first time I got out of the house since Monday. Thanks to telecommuting I did committee work for the Sierra Club on Monday and Wednesday, research each day.  So this cold snap came and went with my outside experiences limited to snow blowing, shoveling, paper and mail retrieving.  It got cold.  -28 this morning at 8AM.

Starting Monday on the Star-Tribune Weatherblog page you will find me under Twin Cities Metro.  I got a sneak peek at the site today and it looks very professional.  This will be in addition to the Citizen Weather Observer Program webpage and the Davis Weatherlink webpage that take live-feed from my station.  I think I do have some instrument adjustment issues to iron out and come connectivity with the CWOP folks, but otherwise we pump info out into the public datastream every five minutes or less 24/7.  Another techno advantage.

The second graders I had today at the museum were bright, engaged kids.  But.  They recognized George Washington but did not know who he was.  One girl wondered if George Washington was G. W. Bush’s father.  The three African-American kids did not know where Africa was.  I sat with them and tried to get a few facts installed, but I had so little time with them.  I love second graders though, they were so eager.  So willing.  If only the world would not beat up on them, they could overcome this knowledge deficit.

Myth and Story, Our Land and Home

Hey! You! Help Me Write My Piece On American Identity

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I’d appreciate any comments on the notion of American identity:  what is it?  who has it?  should all Americans have it?  Do all Americans have it?  What is the American sine qua non?  Can we survive as a nation if we don’t have a shared national identity?  If not, why not?  If so, how would that work?

Use the comments section.  I’d love to know what you think.

Weather +Climate

Kinetic Energy Verrrry Slllloowww

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-25 falls 30.60  ENE0 wchill -25  winter

Waning Wolf Moon

Cold.  Colder.  Coldest.  -27 when I got up this morning.  Now that’s cold.  Today, for the first time in this cold snap I have to go into the city, another 2nd grade VTS tour.  I also have to get gas.  Don’t look forward to that.  Ouch.  Gotta gas for the snowblower, too.  You never know, it might warm up and snow big time.  Not predicted though.

According to rumor, the Startribune weatherblogs go live on Monday.  I will be among them so click on the Trib weather blogs if you want to see weather reporting from Andover.  My CWOP postings have been sporadic.  I don’t know why.  My data logger keeps my weather website up justs fine, so it’s something in the CWOP servers.  Over the weekend I plan to work on it.

My in box is basically empty.  Now I have to start filling it up again.  I have to write another legislative update on Sunday for Sierra Club folks who follow the political end of the Great Work. I want to get back to writing full time.  He says again.  But this time I mean it.