All the water in the world

I think this is such a very good teaching aid! It makes a clear point about our treasured, or not, global resources.

I've heard it said that the atmosphere, if represented on a globe would make plastic wrap look like it was thick. This image really struck home for me as to just how thin our resources are on this little blue planet.

I found this image on Dan Phiffer's site after someone posted it to the RASC-wpg list. The first thing I did was try and prove it out as reasonable, but the day wasn't long enough and the math heads on the list did it for us. Marvelous!



Left: All the water in the world (1.4087 billion cubic kilometres of it) including sea water, ice, lakes, rivers, ground water, clouds, etc. Right: All the air in the atmosphere (5140 trillion tonnes of it) gathered into a ball at sea-level density. Shown on the same scale as the Earth.

Edit:
Pictures that cast new light on our planet


UgoTrade - Archive for the ‘Virtual Worlds’ Category

Laminar Flow

I've just had the top of my head come off. Science is the best.
Laminar flow demo Thanks Brock.

wintah

Warnings
Steinbach - St. Adolphe - Dominion City - Vita - Richer
12:21 AM CST Wednesday 20 February 2008
Wind chill warning for
Steinbach - St. Adolphe - Dominion City - Vita - Richer continued

Extreme wind chill ending overnight.

This is a warning that extreme wind chill conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.



A very cold airmass blankets most of southern Manitoba. Combining this cold air with winds in the 15 to 20 km/h range will cause wind chills around minus 45. As winds abate by morning there will finally be a respite from the extreme wind chills.

At these extreme wind chill values frostbite on exposed skin may occur in less than 10 minutes.

Guide to Tomorrow's Eclipse Available!

RASC has made available a very nice little brochure for the lunar eclipse tomorrow. If you're around and dress warmly, the binos and the telescope will be out to enjoy the view. Check your clear sky clock for your local conditions.

video, biting politics and bike parts needed

First, I knew there was something going on with my cell phone. I am not quite sure what the ipod is up to, but it would not surprise me if it was headed down the same path.

On another note, I loved this little swing at the other team. A little vulgar maybe, but it's apropos given the subjects I think.
http://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/17538811/dickheads_of_the_year

The rubbers have rotten off my brake levers on my bike. Any ideas? I've been on the prowel for a couple of days. What do you think of these options? Money is always tight for this type of thing.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=290206116037&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=360022469067&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI

I think this is my best bet.
http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEBTOX:IT&item=370021852025&_trksid=p3984.cTODAY.m238.lVI

Missing the frostbit 5km race

Intervals are killers. A mile warm up. A minute running like you're possessed. Five minutes to try and calm the devil, repeat. This week I was a minute slower, but I'll use my chronograph screwing up or more likely me screwing it up as an excuse for being a minute slower overall this week. If I can recover, I'll race the Frostbite Festival 5km. If not I'll go cheer the crew on and enjoy the rich atmosphere at Festival du Voyageur. I hope they have the slide open! I have no idea how the insurance industry allows such wacky things. Oops. It's not on the weekend. I just spoiled my chances. :( It's slated to be run at 7:00pm tomorrow night. Insert swearing like a sailor.

some links

I've never traveled beyond North America. This slide show of the Moscow subway sure keeps me thinking about travel/

Moscow's Subway Stations

Political stripes

Stolen shamelessly from sugarplumkitty@lj

I'm exactly where I thought I would be. Weird. That almost never happens.

What's Your Political Philosophy? created with QuizFarm.com

Green 70% Old School Democrat 65% New Democrat 50% Libertarian 45% Pro Business Republican 30% Foreign Policy Hawk 25% Socially Conservative Republican 25%

Damn cold run

I'm dog tired. It seems that two hours sleep followed by a six mile run where the winter weather bites as hard as it was biting yesterday took it's toll. Limits are to be tested and apparently mine have been reached. I dressed well enough to run into the north wind for three miles.

snapshots be gone!

Does anyone actually like those little "snapshot" popup things? I have grown to hate them. I may, in my dopey fatigue, just figured out how to get rid of them. Oh glory be, I'm not dead yet.

Heavy breathing and dog breeding

I'm sure this has more to do with how little time I've spent running at my full capacity than it does about my brilliance, but I felt foolish anyway.

Last night Laura and I were talking on the way home from the movie discussing running experiences. She described a mutual friends breathing as being very noisy which I thought was odd. He's a veteran of many endurance sports.

On my run today I did my usual mile warm up then set to work to run four, one and five minute intervals. The day is bright and clear with fresh snow and reasonable temperatures. Best of all though, the wind was almost no existent. In the quiet I could hear my breathing and thought I too was making quite a bit of racket.

Then I opened my mouth. Oh those duh moments hit so smartly.

Last week I could barely make my way through three intervals. This week it seemed entirely within my grasp to complete four. Saturday will be a long run after I go out in the morning to look at possible mates for a couple of dogs. A friend is considering males for his talented Labrador retrieve and I'm thinking about having my pit bull Rosie bred. I'd like to find a mate for her of the old school variety where there is a lot of bull dog still in evidence. I don't want a runner, terrier type, I want a lunger with a massive head, bull dog type. It's not proving to be easy to find what I want, but this week I'll take my camera. We looked at dogs last week too and I left my camera at home which was a mistake.

change of pace

I'm changing my habits here a bit. I won't be posting much that's available to the public anymore. I'll be making most of the content available to others that like to write in this genre.

I had my first public speaking gig where I was able to convey all the potency I would have dreamt possible. How addictive is that feeling? Wildly addictive in my case. I can't wait to get another swing at it. It would be old news for you, but my insecurities have always stood in the way for me, but other more healthy habits seem to be possible for me just now.

Would you like to come out and run some intervals this morning? No? Me neither!

Hope the guitar still makes you smile.

Film night with Vergès

Went into the city with a friend for film night to see Terror's Advocate. We hadn't been all winter and we both like independent film a lot. The film last night dove tailed into a Noam Chomsky book I was given as a gift recently called What We Say Goes very well. It was a story of Jacques Vergès". The film mostly consisted of interviews with him and those that knew him. It was an outstanding look at a history I had little acquaintance with. I did not even know the name Vergès and my mind was bent into a pretzel as the larger implications of his role internationally were explored. He was the lawyer for Pol Pot and his ilk. Vergès was integral in the massive bombing spree in France in 1986, or so it seems.

It was a fascinating film that I had fairly low expectation of when heading in to see it. It was an unconventional documentary in the way John McPhee's writing is unconventional. The director went to some lengths to allow the viewers to draw their own conclusions. The director had great discipline in ensuring the story line had avenues available to create challenge for my bias against almost all of his clients. There was plenty to chew on in this one. My hat is off to the film maker for digging deeply into a highly distasteful area of investigation, namely the defense of some of the most vicious rebels of our time. A very stimulating window into the murky world of international terrorism.

ADHD presentation and new running program

I'm having a tough time believing that reducing my runs from four to three times a week and turning two of the three into more intense runs has demanded so much more out of my quads. I was supposed to run on Saturday, but was just too short of sleep to muster it. I ran on Sunday and logged four miles with the middle two at tempo pace. I was tired today, but ran a slow three miles anyway. I look pale. Life is just busy, that's it, that's all, that's everything.

I'm getting some really good feedback from the ADHD presentation my wife and youngest put on for a teaching "in service" day on Friday. I've never been so focused. Must be old age getting the better of me. :P

It was brilliant to deliver such a potent message with such a clear focus. I knew it was strong when I was doing it, but the comments are still coming in and they were from the members I was aiming for. Namely the support staff, administration and teachers that don't think they should play a role in accommodating the special needs kids in regular class rooms.

Here in Manitoba it's mandatory to be inclusive that way.

Pierrette is a teacher and very accustomed to speaking publicly. Manon has won numerous provincial first and second place victories in all types of public speaking, but I'm usually not capable of pulling all together to deliver what I want at game time, but not on Friday. Friday was my Super bowl. I nailed it.

I have been meaning to write something about the ego centric nature of living with a busy brain like mine. It wasn't until I got to understand that I didn't want to have my part in the presentation to be an Ian circus that it all began to settle into place. How could I serve these hard working professionals best? That was it, and with that idea I was off to the races. I really hope we get asked to do this gig again. I've got some ideas for improving the impact and content of the message.

If anyone has any insight into things that help in dealing with ADHD types, please pipe up. We can't have too many of those ideas. :P

Going through the photo archive while reflecting on all the different things I've studied made me smile inside. I make a good father.
Rave on.

Losing face? Naw... just a new skin! It's the cost of growth, or weight loss, whatever.

Tempo run

I ran today instead of yesterday, which means I'm supposed to run a long run tomorrow. Ouch. It was tempo day. 11:35 9:37 9:10 11:20 Not too bad for an old guy, but we'll see how I recover. That's always the rub and I was expectorating like mad when I was finished. Tomorrow I would love to put in six miles in the morning.

Went looking at prospective breeding males for my pit today. My friend, Ray is looking to cross his lab with a pit. We see the studs next weekend. Can't wait.

ADHD presentation

A family affair went well. PU, Manon and I were asked to make a presentation to a group of thirty some educators. Many were teachers, but others were support staff for student services.

I was very happy with my own part in it. I would not be surprised if we were asked to do that again. It was difficult to ignore that for so long these were the very types of people I caused a whole lot of grief for and now I was being asked to help them get their heads around the topic. I suppose I should record one shouldn't I? hmmm more on the "to do" list.

I'm off tomorrow earlier than I want to seeking a dog for breeding purposes. How's an Argentinian dogo work for you? I'm thinking maybe not, but I can't resist going for a look anyway.
Cheers!