Tag Archives: "Cloud Wars" 10-26 Feb

WARNING: gross medical stuff to follow. . . don’t read this while eating. Regular readers will be aware that I went to China and Indonesia early this year, and became sick in Indonesia (I’ve been to Indo-land seven times, and become ill every time). I am still sick almost two months later, so I wentContinue reading “Cloud Wars: En Giardia!”

Still in the “mad science” vein, here’s something that really exists (but only just): It’s an electric-powered scooter. And it still does have two wheels – they’re just side by side, instead of that stuffy old “one in front of the other” thing. It’s toally simple to drive – once you get it balanced. Reassured,Continue reading “Cloud Wars: Future Scooter”

Here are some scifi images to haunt your dreams (as per usual, I’m not responsible for the content on these web sites, but didn’t immediately notice anything amiss): http://www.paranormalknowledge.com/articles/tag/science-fiction http://www.darkfaery-subculture.com/sci-fi/a-look-at-science-fiction-books/ http://www.terpconnect.umd.edu/~ehamm/Elementary%20Genres.html http://www.armchairgeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63820

Science up your day with these two very different but equally insane individuals: http://cedarconsulting.wordpress.com/2008/05/13/mad-science-or-insurance-laboratory/ Not enough for you? Visit the ten mad scientists post that belongs to the above picture. http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2009/03/30/10-real-life-mad-scientists/

There is a LOT of steampunk art around, and much of it reaches a very high standard. Here’s a random person I found through twitter (and their website, http://www.tribalgothic.com is very pretty too):

For all lovers of good writing, here are this year’s winners of the Bulwer-Lytton contest, (aka “It Was a dark and Stormy Night” Contest), run by the English Department of San Jose State University, wherein one writes only the first line of a bad novel. 10. As a scientist, Throckmorton knew that if he wereContinue reading “Cloud Wars: Bad writing”

Wed 10 Feb “Mum! I gotta go make rain now.” “Why can’t you get a real job?” “MUM!” I switched off the comm and shot my payload into a full-looking cloud. * Since I’d cunningly forgotten to shut my lid, the rain I made fell right in. When the sparks started I cursed myself andContinue reading “Cloud Wars: Story so far”

Here’s another fun (and somewhat less normal) type of flying machine – the ornithopter. An ornithopter is a machine that flies by flapping its wings. And yes, there is at least one in the world that actually does fly. Here’s a place offering model workshops: http://www.aero.iitb.ac.in/home/zephyr/08/index.php?option=com_content&task?task=view&id=43&Itemid=58

Here’s what a cloud seeding plane looks like at work (from http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.china-briefing.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/cloud-seeding.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.china-briefing.com/news/2008/02/01/37000-reservists-30-aircraft-4000-rocket-launchers-and-7000-anti-aircraft-guns.html&usg=__ix6r6iAnTkztU-pPTjfD00wvZJM=&h=282&w=645&sz=41&hl=en&start=10&itbs=1&tbnid=UzW3bu48t8-8qM:&tbnh=60&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcloud%2Bseeding%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG): The rockets on a plane’s wing (from http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.harunyahya.com/articles/images_articles/yagmur_bombasi_clip_image004.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.harunyahya.com/articles/signs_endoftimes.php&usg=__ySS58g7UrXyW8nB6RBnRktYekBk=&h=307&w=437&sz=15&hl=en&start=19&itbs=1&tbnid=pd6sjpG8TzzW0M:&tbnh=89&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcloud%2Bseeding%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D18): And some cannons (from http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.summitsun.com.au/multimedia/images/full/147639.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.summitsun.com.au/news/local/news/general/expect-more-snow-as-cloud-seeding-increased/466207.aspx&usg=__Hoh4g2rmE8m_2Y4b1yr0Awlyaj4=&h=300&w=400&sz=16&hl=en&start=58&itbs=1&tbnid=5cAbNsk4EjAk_M:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcloud%2Bseeding%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D54): The above websites are a study in contrasts – the first is about China, the second is about how cloud seeding is against God, and the third is about cloud seedingContinue reading “Cloud Wars: Picture time”

I normally do this on Fridays (and at the end of each tale), but here it is anyways: Wed 10 Feb “Mum! I gotta go make rain now.” “Why can’t you get a real job?” “MUM!” I switched off the comm and shot my payload into a full-looking cloud. * Since I’d cunningly forgotten toContinue reading “Cloud Wars: Story so far”

It’s been pointed out to me (usually with sniggering) how unbelievably Freudian my first day of “Cloud Wars” turned out to be. All I can say is. . . I had absolutely no idea. It’s interesting, though – pirates kill a bunch of people, no problem. A woman starves her husband to death – whatContinue reading “Cloud Wars: Twitter controversy # 2”

Cloud seeding (ie making clouds suddenly drop rain or snow) is real. I’ve seen the results (this year, in Beijing – the heaviest snowfall in sixty years). Clouds can be seeded by cannons (which can be loaded on the back of trucks, or shot from the ground – and yes, people living nearby hear themContinue reading “Cloud Wars: Scifi that isn’t fi”