I’m often amazed at the reach this blog has been getting worldwide. Last month, I found it hitting almost a quarter million visits. This month it is on track to exceed 300,000. And you never know who will drop by. For example MIT’s Richard Lindzen dropped by a few days ago and offered some insight and a graph.
Along those lines I’ve recently been given an offer of a sit down visit with one of the principal organizations and investigators of climate science today. I won’t say who just yet, (except to say it is not Al Gore) but I can say that the offer is genuine and exciting.
It also comes with a price tag, since I have to fund the travel, hotel, etc. myself.
When I first set out to do the surfacestations.org project, I did so with no expectation of funding. I rather like it that way because I think that when you are handed a wad of cash with the expectation of producing a result in exchange, sometimes the pressure of doing so can be a detriment to true curiosity and discovery. I once worked in a University environment, and I saw the pressure to produce.
But this visit I’ve been offered is going to take a bit of cash to do, and rather than beg supporters I have what I hope will be a better idea. I don’t like begging, but I do like providing useful things for meteorology.
So here’s my pitch. I have a weather radar program for the USA NEXRAD network, and a darn good one at that. It’s called StormPredator. Knowing that I have many people that frequent this blog who enjoy meteorology and severe weather tracking, I’m hoping those of you that like the work that I do will consider buying it to help fund my trip. You get something, I get something, we both win. Plus I’ll have one heck of a blog report when I get back from this meeting.
My idea for Stormpredator came from my working with old WSR-3, WSR-57, and WSR-74 weather radars with round PPI scopes. I wanted to create a weather radar program that anyone could use, not just a “met head”. I wanted a weather program that would be useful, educational, and fun at the same time.
It looks like this:
Besides round PPI mode, it also can be setup in a rectangular presentation. It has 3D topography for the entire USA, and can track and animate storms, do popup and email alerts, provide ETA estimates, forecasts, satellite imagery, and even send pictures to your website or cell phone. It’s loaded.
It is used by storm trackers, 911 centers, dispatch centers, TV stations, radio stations, schools, amateur radio operators, and just regular folks that like to track storms.
It has a boatload of features. Check them out here.
There is no subscription fee for the radar or other weather data, and the program will operate using any type of Internet connection. It is also inexpensive for what it does, at $39.99. (or $10 more for a CD ROM version).
If watching the weather interests you, I hope you’ll consider buying a copy to help me fund my trip. Thank you for your consideration.
If you don’t live in the USA, and can’t use the program above for that or any other reason, but would like to help out, I have provided a donation page via PayPal on the surfacestations.org website.
Program looks neat.
I’m linux.
Nothing wrong with a paypal donate button. Would be glad to contribute.
I’m with garron: it looks nice, just as does TeleChart.
Unfortunately, I also use Linux (3 different distros).
I can use TeleChart on Crossover, but it can be flaky.
Given that, I can’t see tossing 50 bucks on another (potential) headache. No listing that I can see at Code Weavers, either.
Inasmuch as Google has funded some improvements to the Wine system, to make PhotoShop work better, I will eventually try the latest version with sundry apps; perhaps then StormPredator will fly….
I see nothing wrong with having a PapPal button, either!
OK.
Eric and Garron, thanks. I see your points. I’m leaving out a big segment of people without a Windows system. So I’ve edited the post to include a donation page on surfacestations.org
http://www.surfacestations.org/donate.htm
Please don’t feel obligated, I feel cheapened just talking about it.
Well I can’t afford much, but I hope my little bit helps.
REPLY: Jim, it does, and I thank you most sincerely. – Anthony
It’s funny how you feel cheapened to ask your compatriots for assistance with a valid scientific endeavor, yet “others” take hundreds of thousands of dollars to rehash an old power point presentation that has been throughly discredited, and then take no questions from the audience.
Integrity is a bitch, ain’t it.
Since the early twenty-somethings of How not to measure temperature, I have lurked in the shadows, trying to formulate a comment which would truly add to the discussion. The regulars here seem to have everything well in hand. Perhaps someday I will find a niche here for a useful thought. In the meantime, I am delighted to find a way, however tiny, to help the cause of accuracy. Thank you for everything you are doing.
REPLY: Thank you sincerely Otto. Don’t be shy, even asking questions is valuable.
I spend money each year supporting different kinds of organizations that provide good information. Some of them are non-profit like consumer reports. Supporting your efforts falls into the same category for me.
Keep up the good work.
REPLY: Thank you Raven, I am most appreciative.
Anthony,
Really appreciate your work, one day you must turn your attention to “the land of Oz”.
Hope the donation helps.
Scott
REPLY: Scott it does indeed, and I thank you sincerely. “The land of Oz” has been discussed here, and you’ll see more.
Anthony, how about frequent flier miles? I don’t know if my airline will transfer to non family but I’ll check it out.
REPLY: Thats a nice gesture, but the problem with miles is that when you use them, you fly standby. This meeting is scheduled over a month in advance. If I miss it there is not likely to be a do-over.
Anthony,
My pleasure to donate. Between you, Steve M. and several other authors I’m able to keep my sanity when it comes to AGW.
My brother lives in NC, home of NC Watch, so I am familiar with your home base to some degree. Love the biking out there.
Keep up the great work. I especially appreciate the tone of your work. Name calling and the general invective, no matter the source, retards the growth of knowledge.
Can’t promise it, but will try to audit several weather stations here in Northern Illinois during spring break.
Cheers
REPLY: Thanks so much Joe. I can see why you like Nevada County. Biking is a challenge over the flatlands of N. Illinois.
Anthony – For Linux people
– have you tried Wine (www.winehq.org)
– I think it would have a pretty good chance of running under Wine, as it probably doesn’t use too much exotic Win32 stuff
REPLY: I haven’t tried Wine on Linux, but we have gotten it to run on emulators on the Mac, so chances are good.
Anthony, I’m glad to help by ordering your software. Good Luck!! I will be looking forward to the results of your visit.
Anthony
REPLY: Thanks Anthony. – Anthony 😉
Anthony,
Bought a gadget from your shop. Hope that helps some.
(Paypal and me don’t get along).
REPLY: Much appreciated, thanks.
I live in Canada, but my wife comes from Texas so we can watch the weather there and I like to play with software. maybe I live close enough to the BC/Washington boarder to make it useful. (250 Km N of Vancouver). This blog is a great resource. Sold.
I just checked the website. How does the money get to you? If I buy a second license do you get a little bit more?
REPLY: I actually own the website and software, so placing an order is directly benefitting me. At 250KM north of Vancouver though, I think you are “off the radar” of the US NEXRAD coverage. Thanks for considering it.
Just placed my order, can’t wait for the download link!
FYI, the page doesn’t format well under Firefox, And even under IE7 there is a left-right scroll bar at the bottom, but nothing to see when you scroll over.
REPLY: Thanks Jeff, I appreciate the help. I’ll look into fixing that page. It hasn’t been updated in awhile, partly due to my focus on this project.
Hmm, I’ve never flown standby when using my CapitalOne miles. I guess it depends on who’s providing the miles.
skip the meeting or go on your own dime. But this kind of combining in of your other business interests is a bad idea. Keep them separate.
And is the or E&E or the Heartland or some sort of skpetic group? Or mainstream? And why not tell people what the name of the group is. This blows.
REPLY: No it is not a skeptic group, I have good reasons for not announcing it yet. If you think that “blows”, consider your own hit and run phantomness over the years. You have your reasons for not sharing anything about yourself, so don’t impugn me. At least in my case you’ll get the answer. Ask TCO anything about TCO – silence.
I hit the “tip jar” and am glad to do so. Perhaps you should have solicited $ help before. I know that your efforts have had a significant price tag on them and also represent an opportunity loss much higher. Keep up the good work.
REPLY: Thanks Mike. I’ve never asked before, and I truly appreciate the help.
I’ll surely catch HELL from the old Frau when she goes through the MasterCard statements…, but that goes with the “being-married” territory.
REPLY: Thanks I know what you mean. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Wonderful site, one of the highlights of my day is finding out Watts Up.
REPLY: Thanks so much Jerry. I try to keep the coffee fresh here.
You’ve been offered to sit down with one of the principal organizations and investigators of climate science today and you don’t get your travel expenses paid? What a bunch of cheap charlies. Just ask them.
REPLY: Normally I would agree, but there are reasons.
Just got home from running a 10km race here in Calgary. -12C, windchill around -19, ice and snow becoming slush, flurries for most of the race.
But still a nice run!
Donation has been made.
REPLY: Thanks so much Robert. You are a braver man than I running in that cold.
TCO my old pal, nemisis, and bloody mary buddy….
Please trust me. This is an important trip to an important place. I encouraged Anthony to make it. Primarily to listen and make personal contact
with the people we write so blithly about. The invitation was made in good faith. I think the visit might take the vinegar out of some the fights.
That’s a good thing, bad theater, but good nonetheless.
all my posts come out looking like william carlos williams. WTF?
I also just ordered a copy of your program. I am happy to support your activity. Your web site has been a great addition to the climate discussion sites. It is a pity, however, that your program only runs on Windblows! It would be great to have Mac native version — pretty soon you could also sell it for iPhones making it very useful for people out and about wanting to know what is happening with approaching weather.
REPLY: Thanks Peter, we send oics to cell phones now with this program, but maybe an iPhone version with the new SDk would be useful.
You might try advertising as well. I am not sure how much revenue 300,000 visits would create but you would be surprised how much people pay for a click. Also, companies like Google will find the advertisers for you.
The money is in the tip jar. It’s a pleasure being educated by you and the rest of the blogers (even the ones that may not agree with you).
Thank you.
REPLY: And my thinks to you sir!
Look JohnA uses a pseudonym for very similar reasons. Half the internet uses personas and such and the other half puts there real names on things. You can make a case for either and I’m not saying that I’m certain the “real name” brigades are wrong. however it is normal behavior to use a pseudonym as long as you don’t go creating multiple idents, talking to yourself, etc. It’s just accepted.
All that aside, I really think you should leave this kind of commingling of your little business projects with the skeptic advocacy aside. It just makes us look even sketchier as skeptics. We’re publishing in E&E and on blogs. And we have people running home businessess combining them into their skeptic blogs.
TCO: I understand what you are saying, but I could also make the same argument about NASA GISS, running an AGW advocacy blog on the nickel of a known eco-promotional public relations organization. They shouldn’t mix science and advocacy by involving outside organizations.
I have not needed to ask for money until now, and what most people don’t know is how much this project has cost me and my business in cash outlay, infrastructure use, lost business time, lost opportunities (chasing weather stations instead of sales), and personal time and money. If I had not drawn on my business infrastructure, the surfacestations.org project would never have happened.
The difference between my blogs, and say people like Tamino, (who works from home by his own mention) is that they don’t have to make or buy tools, pay for travel, buy equipment, run a server, pay monthly rent for a dedicated co-location for a high bandwidth picture gallery server, etc. Tamino, Rabbet, Atmoz, Deltoid, the whole bunch gets their server and bandwidth for free. The kind of work they do where they are just writing words and making graphs doesn’t need the travel, field work, or measurment equipment like my projects.
Steve McIntyre and myself are the only individuals that I know of (Warren Meyer maybe but don’t know for sure) spending personal money for investigation and presentation of our ideas and projects. McIntyre paid a boatload to get BCP core samples analysed and another boatload on travel, plus his monthly server fees. I use my personal and business resources too. The only freebie I get is this blog from WordPress.
I don’t have the luxury of a retirement income, or grants, or a government job. I have to work my butt off every day to support my business, my employees, and my family. I can’t just easily separate it all especially when I have to trade off business and family time to do this research.
If it bothers you TCO, or anyone else, there’s little I can do about it. Heck, If I overly worried about critics, I would have stopped my efforts long ago.
OK I’m offline again for awhile, writing from laptop at a Starbuck’s hotspot
Peace.
I’m gonna see how much trouble I’ll be in if I spent more money (hmmmm, if I stay home tomorrow instead of going to Sam’s . . . I think I can make it work).
You asked for help (and there is no shame in that) and I’m working on it, but in the mean time I have one bit of advice–don’t listen to TCO.
Steady as you go. (Old Navy saying.)
REPLY: Thanks Larry, I appreciate the support and the risk it entails.
Who is william carlos williams?
Sorry, but this argument makes no sense. Anthony is a private individual who is doing all this on his private time. It’s perfectly within his right to advertise his private business on his private blog. I don’t see how in the slightest it makes skeptics (which I’m guessing you mean skeptical of AGW, since all scientists are supposed to be skeptics) look sketchy at all, much less sketchier.
Ok back home. No more Starbucks hotspots. Comments will get updated with regularity now.
Anthony: One CAN transfer miles and it is NOT a standby ticket. Back in my consulting days, used to do this all the time for team-mates that lacked miles but had lonely girlfriends.
Moshpit: Very good points. I think it would be good for our host to spend time with the agency. Maybe he will do a better job in the future because of it. He bothers me a lot sometimes with being clueless, but on the site survey, just spending some time talking to these guys would be time well spent.
Larry: All back emergency, drop the anchor, sound collision.
REPLY: My sister is a stewardess for United, and she says United routinely puts miles passengers on standby. Been there done that myself with United. Not sure about other airlines.
“Maybe he will do a better job in the future because of it.” I’d point out that I’m doing this because our “agencies” are not. Am I perfect? No. Clueless? Probably not, but I do write for a broader audience, so if I get too bollixed up in writing details, that leaves many scratching their heads. Remember who I am – TV weatherguy.
On the plus side, I am making steady headway. Slow and steady winds the race.
HELP WANTED: I am trying to purchase (or plunder) a full copy of this story, mentioned here on this forum:
A Washington, D.C. resident John Lockwood was conducting research at the Library of Congress and came across an intriguing headline in the Nov. 2, 1922 edition of The Washington Post: Arctic Ocean Getting Warm; Seals Vanish and Icebergs Melt.
The article mentions “great masses of ice have now been replaced by moraines of earth and stones,” and “at many points well-known glaciers have entirely disappeared.”
REPLY: Why not write the Washington Post directly? They have morgue services.
Dude: I’ve generated and used hundreds of thousands of miles on multiple airlines. You get a regular ticket. Your stewardess sis is not in the know. And there are a lot of other airlines that fly into Dulles, BWI or National, from Sacramento or SFO or Oakland.
REPLY: Dude, TCO, I don’t even know why we are arguing about this. FF miles have all sorts of rules and restrictions, blackout dates, travel destination limitations, requirements for advance notice, etc.
My experience is different than yours. Thus, I’m not going to risk missing the appointment. When you get invited, you can sketch out your own travel plans, in the meantime I’ll do mine in a way that ensures arrival.
Oh…and yeah, I know you’re a TV weather guy. Good luck with the site surveys. I think at least the pictures are some useful work product. (not all the blather about air conditioners mind you). And don’t put on airs because Steve allows you to post unsupervised. You’re still pretty much a garden vbariety skeptic who doesn’t know tough math or have a shrewd mindset like SM or an open one like JohnV or Moshie. But you are a nice guy.
REPLY: Well since you have that opinion, I’ll paraphrase Forrest Gump; “I may not be a smart man, but I know what truth is.”
Hi Anthony,
I am a Mac User, but will buy a copy and donate it to our Library. Checks in the mail.
Russ
REPLY: Thanks Russ.
It must depend on who is providing the miles. I’ve had miles from CapitalOne and directly from United, never a standby ticket.
Now, my dad worked for United for 33 years, now retired. He still gets Companion Passes, and they DO travel standby.
Thanks for your advice on the Washington Post article I am trying to get, Anthony. I have been trying them without result yet.
REPLY: See the main page. I found what you seek and posted it.
Hi Anthony-check your site out at least every other day-excellent on many levels.Never made a comment until now , most of the stuff is way outside my field but not outside my interest or basic understanding.Made a small donation( wish it could be more) hope it helps.Keep up the good work and be congratulated on the excellent tenor of your website-cheers from OZ–brett
REPLY: Thanks Brett, much appreciated.
Anthony,
Best wishes for a safe trip. Enjoyed meeting you in NY. Money in jar; mac user.
Chuck
REPLY: Thanks Chuck, much appreciated. It is nice to have met you too!
On the chance that there’s a herd effect, I’ll note that I too have hit your tip jar. Thank you for your work on this topic.
REPLY: Brent, I Thank you sincerely.
Dear TV Weather Guy/garden variety skeptic/ye of the simple but closed mind who dare not put on airs:
Money in jar; linux user.
Harold Vance
REPLY: Thanks Harold, I apreciate it.
Thanks for all of your amazing work.
You’ve provided much fodder for conversations that begin “You won’t believe what I saw today!”
Have a great trip.
REPLY: Thanks meesh, I’ll have a report at the end of April.
Hey ANthony, just downloaded my registered copy of Storm Predator. Pretty neat application! Now if I can figure out how to get it out of mini-mode 😉
And it runs great on Vista, hehe.
All in.
Hi,
Keep up the good work. Donated on surfacestations.org from Techco Sales. I think TCO would argue with a sign post.
REPLY: Thanks Jim, I appreciate it.
Won’t go to Sam’s and WalMart today. How many gadgets do a need to buy to get a muzzle on “TCO”?
REPLY: TCO has his points, even though he sometimes gets a bit too snarky. So I’d say no amount of gadgetry will help at the moment, but thanks for the offer.
TCO’s just jealous he hasn’t been invited.
I had to set up a PayPal account since I don’t shop on-line much, and I’ve never donated to anyone before, but you’re worth it, Anthony. Many thanks for an informative and entertaining blog.
REPLY: Wow, thanks Stan. I appreciate the trouble you went to.
“All engines back emergency”
There may be a valuable metaphor there.
A very long time ago I was a Seaman aboard a Heavy Cruiser in the US Navy, we were on a post-yard shakedown cruise in the Caribbean on a speed run.
The ship engine-order telegraph says “All Engines Ahead Flank”, but the rev-order is for the maximum the ship an do.
Sort of like life as we like to live it.
A destroyer cuts across our bow on a maneuver that looks a little startling but a little basic seamanship and experience says is not really a big deal.
But it panics the OOD and he orders “All Engines Back Emergency” — sort of like Gore and his acolytes want us to do.
If you have never seen a large ship running at flank speed, you have no conception of the size of the rooster-tail thrown up under those conditions (nor of how much water is in it). But if your quarters are under the fantail, and the hatch-covers are all open for the warm, fresh Caribbean air, and something like that happens, you get an appreciation for just how much damage an ill-conceived action can cause.
I left out a part of the word picture that a non-boater will need.
The action of the propellers (“screws” to a sailor) and the motion of the ship through the water cause a mountain of water (the “rooster tail” to form behind and follow the ship. This actuallly leaves a low place in the water between the stern and the mountain.
When suddenly reverse the screws (the only “brakes” a ship has), the tendency is for the ship to back (relatively speaking) down into the hole under the rooster-tail.
More pesos headed your way from the bottom of the world. And, of course, keep it a’comin’, and illegitimi non carborundum…..
REPLY: Thanks Wayne, we appreciate the NZ connection here.
small tip in the jar from the Ray family.
REPLY: Robert, thanks so much! Your assistance is appreciated.
Anthony,
Downloaded the software today. Bought a couple of licenses.
There is a + at Pemberton, BC (150 Mi from Seattle) and my small town is in the map area. What does the + mean? Can’t seem to find any comment on the + sign in the help. The weather here is clear right now but the beam sweeps well within the area I need.
Perhaps Canadians near enough to the boarder can get some useful information from this program.
REPLY: It is simply the marker for the town location. You can edit the base map by locating it in the data folder if you have a paint program or you can apply a custome marker over the top of it if you wish. Thanks for support!
I’ve very happily purchased the software. Glad to help support the good work done here and at surfacestations. Thanks for doing it.
Anthony
Keep up the good work.
It will take a number of years for the AGW scam to be scotched. A long road lies ahead – slings and arrows etc.
I don’t live in the USA so I’ve made a PayPal donation equivalent to the cost of the CD version and circulated my colleagues with the quote of the day – (see Jim B 22:41 15/03/08).
Kind regards
REPLY: Thanks so much Atholl, your support is greatly appreciated.
Anthony, just dropped a contribution via paypal. Keep up the great work. I hope to pull myself away from business this summer to add some surveys in the southeast. I continue to be impressed by your tenacity. It reminds me of a quote from Calvin Coolidge, that was shared with me by my PhD boss at GE R&D Center 25 years ago-
“Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
REPLY: Thanks Paminator, that’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said about me. I appreciate it.
Blah, blah, blah, linux user, blah, blah, blah TCO, blah, blah, donated a schilling or two…
PS. I couldn’t donate much as I’m living almost solely on student loans at the moment, but I wanted to help you with your endeavor. Have a good trip.
PPS. I would buy the software, it looks really really cool. But, alas, I live in the San Joaquin Valley and, well, there really isn’t much weather here to speak of most of the year, and $40 to track the two or three storms we do get…
PPPS. Oh, and unlike TCO, I have great respect for the science of meteorology.
REPLY: Thanks Mike, I apreciate the current help and the surveys you’ve done. BTW many of those Linux users helped out. I have great respect for the Linux OS, (except for the GREP command, which I loathe). 😉
Aww, now you’ve done it. grep is my mostest favorite command in all of computerdom and one of the things I miss most.
Finally got around to shifting some of my assets offshore from Australia under the guise of a donation. 🙂 A good investment, nonetheless.
Larry Sheldon: Why would you miss grep? It’s still around. Or have you run off to have an affair with awk?
REPLY: Thanks Bernd, much appreciated.
Surveying an actual weather station and comparing it to other sources
of data in the area strikes me as an great science fair project.
better than a vinager and baking soda volcano
Naw, nor have I been over attentive to sed.
The problem is that I have been confined to a MSDOS, etc world for several years.
I have an old NT server downstairs that now has no function since the University fired me–I intend to put a real OS on it, but I have not yet.
RELPLY: Try Ubuntu for that old server box, it is really slick. If you don’t want slick, then I recommend “Slack” as in Slackware distro.
Anthony, I’m an old (really old) retired military weatherman who is appalled at the poor conditions and siting of so many of the places that your project has surveyed. Although I won’t go in to a rant about what appears to be a near total lack of management and quality control by taxpayer funded agencies, I am of the firm opinion that collecting second (third? fourth?) class observations and then running algorithms against this data (trash?) in order to predict even a short term future temperature is sheer folly.
I remember an old Oklahoma gal who once told me, “If you put trash on a pedestal, it is still trash,” which sort of expresses my thoughts a bit more colorfully. And as a computer programmer who began coding on weather computers in 1966, I also am a firm believer of “Garbage in, garbage out.”
I spent lots of time collecting and distributing world-wide observations and have a reasonably good memory of how sparse reports are from many areas of the globe. And I remember that we had to do a lot of massaging to make them useful.
ENOUGH rant!!
I’ve contributed to your trip because I believe you furnish a lot of critical information to the problem, information that is not generally available on a piece of paper and therefore unknown to most academics. You have only scratched the surface regarding data quality.
Keep up the good work, and have a good trip.
REPLY: Hi Rod, thanks so much. The entire thing is a huge puzzle for sure.
Lol, good one. Though some people call it Art…
That’s not true. I pay to have my site hosted and for bandwidth. They may not be as much as what you pay, but it is out of my pocket.
REPLY: I thought your blog was wordpress like this one. Did you opt for a third party host then rather than the free service?
Yes, it’s a third party host. Am I silly for doing that? Probably, but I like the feeling that I’m in total control of my site.
Nothing wrong with that, Atmoz. It’s the reason I pay $170 a month for a dedicated server.
green flare
I ordered two licenses for the download version. I didn’t know that the packaged version had better backgrounds. I plan to have a version at home and one on my “Mobile Spotting” laptop. How much clearer are the images in the boxed version? The program as advertised and will be a great adjunct when I go out chasing oops I mean “Mobile Spotting”.
I also may be looking for a new Weather Station for my house. My old one was pretty beat up in Kansas when I lived there, and a new one is probably in order. Maybe I can use the stimulus check for something useful? I am still debating the wired / wireless route. My current one is wired, and I am not sure that going wireless would be of any help especially if it reduces the update frequency. it si difficult to get detailed specifications on many of the systems online.
I enjoy your site and when I visit Kansas next I will try to survey some sites for your study.
Thanks for your hard work.
[…] is something that you, my faithful readers have made possible through generous donations when I asked for some help a few weeks ago. I thank you, each and every one, who donated to make this trip […]