Quotes from Anne McCaffrey

These are the lines quoted last week from @sueannbowling, with their contexts.

“The fool who treats himself has only a fool for a patient.” Anne McCaffrey, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern. Desdra to Masterhealer Caspiam, when he is sick and arguing with her on medications.

“The resolute man accepts misfortune and endeavors to survive, mature and improve because of it.” Anne McCaffrey, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern. Caspiam speaking to Alessan, assuring him that the epidemic is not his fault.

“One is always more sorry for the things one didn’t do than the things one has done.” Anne McCaffrey, Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern. Moreta, during the needlethorn expedition when Alessan remarks that she had been clever to bring mixed pairs – which include Moreta and Alessan.

“What matter the motives, hidden or open?” Anne McCaffrey, Nerilka’s Story. Nerilka arguing with herself that her determination to help nurse the sick at Ruatha is no less valid because she has long wanted to go there.

“It doesn’t cost anything to be gracious, no matter where you are or what you’re doing.”  Anne McCaffrey, The Masterharper of Pern. Something Robinton’s mother often told him.

“Modesty is all very well and good, but don’t let it get in your way.” Anne McCaffrey, The Masterharper of Pern. Masterharper Genell to Robinton, as he is deciding where to send him for his first assignment as a journeyman.

“If we start saying the water distribution system is unsafe, they’ll get their water from sources we know are unsafe.” Sue Ann Bowling, Tourist Trap. Anden, the administrator on Eversummer, when Marna suggests that the plague they are facing may be waterborne.

Don’t forget the blog hop Friday!

Frozen Planet: DVD Review

When I heard that the BBC was making a documentary about the Earth’s high latitudes, Frozen Planet, I knew I had to have the DVD if they made one. When stories appeared that the part on global warming would be cut for US audiences, I was horrified – and relieved when the Discovery Channel relented – at least partly. Since I do not have cable or satellite TV, I had to wait for the DVD. Finally it arrived and I have been watching it – when I have time between gardening, marketing and writing.

As you may have guessed from previous reviews, I adore David Attenborough and really don’t understand why so many of his nature programs for BBC have been released in the US with different narrators.

The first episode is a general overview, followed by one for each of the four seasons – but the seasons used: spring, summer, autumn and winter, are not the seasons as usually defined. In fact they are not well defined, but appear to be based on the weather rather than the usual spring = the period from the northward equinox to northern solstice in the northern hemisphere and from the southward equinox to the southern solstice in the southern hemisphere. Roughly, they seem to define the period of continuous (or at least very long) daylight as summer, that of continuous or very long night as winter, and the period of alternating daylight and dark as the transitional seasons – but even this is not well followed. Other ways of dividing the seasons may be the waning, absence, reformation and solidity of sea ice, or the melting, absence, buildup and universal presence of snow. All seem to be used to some extent.

These first five episodes are almost entirely about the natural world: the wildlife, the weather, the geography.

The sixth program is about how humans interact with the polar regions. Our species evolved in the Ice Age, so it is hardly surprising that we invaded the northern parts of the continents almost as soon as we could reach them. Two domesticated or semi-domesticated animals made this spread to northern climates possible: the dog and the reindeer. Early migrants and their descendants today relied heavily on the polar oceans, as agriculture of any kind is difficult in permafrost country (though I was a little surprised that permafrost was never really mentioned.) There was little mention of wild plant foods, though in fact berries and other wild plants are definitely part of the arctic diet, and the arctic in spring and summer has high productivity, as indicated by the number of migratory birds that breed at high latitudes. Today human interactions – and impacts – are more often focused on resource extraction.

Antarctica has had quite a different history. Undiscovered until relatively recently, its fauna has evolved with a lack of land predators that could make it very vulnerable. Luckily Antarctica is protected by international treaties so most of the human activity there today is scientific research. But how long will that remain true as our appetite for resources increases?

The seventh program is the “controversial” one. I’m not sure what the controversy was supposed to be about. The program shows observations at both ends of the Earth that demonstrate the thinning and melting of sea ice in the Arctic and collapse of ice sheets, which may act to buttress glaciers draining the interior, in Antarctica. The importance of enhanced glacier calving to sea level rise was touched on. The cause of this warming might be controversial, as is the use of weather records to observe it, but these were not even mentioned. Just the observed changes, and their possible impact on both the human inhabitants and the animals of the polar regions.

As an atmospheric scientist for most of my professional career, the only thing I considered even remotely controversial was the lack of any mention that human activity might in any way be responsible for the observed changes. Somehow I don’t think that was what had Discovery Channel worried.

North Pole Weather 6/18/12

For scale, the top of the lattice is 7′ above the ground.

The sun rose at 2:58 this morning and will set at 12:47 tomorrow morning for a total of 21 hours 49 minutes of daylight. Day-to-day change this close to the solstice, which will occur at 3:08 PM June 20 our time, is less than a minute, and the sun at noon is at its highest for the year at 48.6° above the horizon. It is quite light at night now. Luckily I’ve lived up here long enough that I have no problem sleeping in full daylight.

The first beginnings of beans

Weather has been mixed, with sunshine, clouds, showers and the occasional thunderstorm. Not enough water for the garden, though; I had to water yesterday. It might make 80 today – I think I’ll get the garden work done early, while it’s still cool!

The yellow beets come up in clusters. The reds are a 1 seed = 1 plant variety.

The white iris are in full bloom, and the wild roses and dwarf columbines are a little past their peak. The day lilies are budded, though not blooming yet, and the delphiniums are chin-high. The Maltese cross, Asiatic lilies and tall columbines are up, but not showing buds yet.

On a more practical note, the beans are in full bloom and are starting to show tiny bean pods, and the strawberries are also showing the first tiny green fruits. The beets had reached the point where they needed thinning, and I got to that yesterday. Beet thinnings braised in a little olive oil — yum! The squash is budded, but so far only male flowers. Herbs are thriving, and the two that are perennial, chives and a local mint, are doing their best to take over the garden. The first lettuce transplants are actually starting to bolt. Sad to say, the weeds are thriving too.

Lettuce starting to bolt.

Notice the new badge on the upper right of my site? I’m participating in the Blog Hop June 22, with a post about summer solstice on a planet with a really large axial tilt — like Uranus. The prize for this site will be a pdf of one of my books — your choice.  To enter the drawing just comment on the June 22 post, but be sure I have a way of contacting you! Note that if you comment on my post you will automatically be entered for the grand prize.

Hello there!

On Friday 22nd June (Pacific Time) the SFR Brigade will be holding its first ever Blog Hop to celebrate Midsummer. 36 fabulous science fiction romance authors will be telling you mystical or scientific stories related to the event, and they’ll each be giving away a prize – books, gift cards, swag bags…and lots more!

Plus there’s TWO GRAND PRIZES!

1st Prize – a Kindle Touch or Nook Touch
2nd Prize -a library of science fiction romance titles from over 20 authors (these will be mostly ebooks with one print anthology), and an Anabanana Gift Card.

All you need to do to enter is pop along to the blogs listed below and comment on as many as you want (only ONE comment per site will count as an entry). Each time you comment at a stop, you’ll earn one entry into the grand prize – so the more sites you visit, the greater your chances of winning. The winners will be drawn at random on the 24th June and announced on this site. The list of participating authors can be found here. Spread the news!

Six Sentence Sunday

Welcome to Six Sentence Sunday! Once again I am presenting a snippet from the last volume of my trilogy, working title War’s End. Coralie has suddenly found herself and her baby in a place completely strange to her, but which she has deduced is a forest. This follows on directly from last week’s snippet.

Where were the others?  Was it as hot and steamy as she thought it was, or was that part of the disorientation she felt?

She listened.  Wherever she was, it was far from quiet, but the sounds were so unfamiliar she could hardly name them, let alone identify them.  There were clicks, buzzes, and various tapping and rustling sounds, but mixed in with them were things that sounded appallingly like screams and sobbing, but far too high or low for anything she knew.  One whine seemed to be associated with a tiny flying mote that kept diving at her face.

Where is she? Where are the others? Are she and the baby completely alone?

One announcement. Notice the new badge at the top right, for the Science Fiction Romance Writers Midsummer Blog Hop? I’m borderline on romance in my science fiction though I do include some, mostly of the family rather than spicy sort. However, I am participating in the blog hop, with a post on what summer solstice would mean on a planet with really high tilt. Normally Friday would be a bit of Jarn’s Journal, but I’ll put that on Thursday instead. Do visit the SFR Blog Hop Friday, starting at midnight Pacific time.  There will be prizes drawn for commenting, including an e-reader, and I’m offering a PDF of either Homecoming or Tourist Trap, your choice.

If you want to know more about Six Sentence Sunday, or visit the other great authors posting today, click on the logo below.

How does Rain Form?

Most of the rain that falls over the continents started out as snow or hail. It may be quite warm by the time it reaches the ground, but it started out as ice.

Why?

Aftermath of an ice storm. The raindrops were supercooled, and froze as they struck the twigs.

Cloud droplets, it turns out, do not coalesce easily. Most of them, especially in continental clouds, are so small that the air keeps them from actually colliding. The result is that most continental clouds do not rain unless they are tall enough to reach well above the freezing level.

But what if ice and liquid water are both present in a cloud?

No, that’s not impossible. Water can exist as a liquid at temperatures below freezing. It’s not stable, and any small particle around which ice can form will result in rapid freezing, but such particles are rare in the free atmosphere. They do, however, occur. Furthermore, they are activated at different temperatures, and the colder the air, the more particles that can act as freezing nuclei.

At temperatures below freezing but above about -15°C (5°F) such particles are rare enough that most clouds are made up of supercooled water droplets. These are the temperatures at which pilots dread having to go through clouds, because the plane acts as a giant freezing nucleus and any droplets that strike it are instantly turned to ice. Below about -20°C (-4°F) there are generally enough ice nuclei that the cloud is made up of ice crystals, or glaciated.

What happens if both ice and supercooled water are present?

Water evaporates more easily than ice at temperatures below freezing. The result is, water evaporates from the supercooled droplets and condenses on the ice crystals, which grow rapidly at the expense of the droplets. Since they grow more rapidly, they begin to fall faster, and accumulate still more water droplets by collision. If they get large enough to continue falling into the warmer air below the freezing level, they will (usually) melt and reach the ground as rain.

If there are really strong updrafts, as is often the case in a thunderstorm, they may actually be carried upward through the supercooled part of the cloud. They may collect several layers of ice, too much to melt once they fall out of the updraft. The result is hail.

If there is a layer below the cloud which is warm enough to melt the snowflakes but the ground itself is below freezing, the result may be freezing rain. But in most cases freezing rain started out as snowflakes that thawed, but then fell back into colder conditions near the ground.

Jarn’s Journal Year 3 Day 25

 Year 3 Day 25

I don’t know why I worried about clothes.

I teleported to where Storm Cloud had said their last camp would be well into the afternoon, to find them still present. Songbird caught me by the hand at once, and pulled me toward the shaman’s hut. “Hurry, hurry, she cried, “we must adorn you!” The next thing I knew I was being stripped and elaborately dressed in beautifully tanned leather, covered with designs in ivory and shell beads, porcupine quills, and carved bone. At least the loincloth they gave me didn’t chafe like mine. Perhaps I could trade for some properly tanned leather?

I managed to talk them out of dressing my hair with mud, but not out of the strongly scented fat they rubbed into it. Not that it made much difference, as they then covered it with a creation of feathers, fur and more beads that covered my head to such an extent that I could hardly see. Then they proceeded to paint designs on whatever skin was still visible. I think most of the paint was colored mud, though a thinner red color seemed to be some kind of vegetable dye.

The final step was a heavy leopard skin, complete with head and tail, to wear as a cloak. By this time I was sweating profusely in the heat, and felt more like jumping into the lake nearby to cool off than accompanying them along the shores to the meeting place, where a bonfire was already lighting up the darkening twilight.

“Ah,” said Storm Cloud with satisfaction. “Now you look like the god you are.”

I almost teleported back to the shelter.

Printer Woes

When I learned to type, it was on a typewriter. Not a sleek little electric portable, or even a mechanical portable, but a big, clunky machine with keys that had to be pushed hard enough to flip up the letters through a mechanical linkage, and a lever that had to be pushed over when a bell signaled you were approaching the end of a line. And what I hated worst was threading in a new ribbon.

It wasn’t a cartridge, it was a spool of ink-impregnated fabric that you had to thread through a finicky little gadget that held it where the lever with the letter on its end could strike the ribbon and leave a letter on the paper. It was impossible to thread the ribbon without getting ink all over your hands, so I generally used a ribbon as long as possible – until the letters it produced were getting too light to read.

Probably that’s why I try to do the same with cartridge ink and even toner.

No longer.

I’m not sure whether it’s bad design because of not thinking or bad design because the company wants to sell more ink cartridges/toner. In either case it’s bad design as far as customer usability is concerned.

My current inkjet printer is a 3-way HP Photosmart. It serves as a color copier and a scanner as well as a printer. I would have killed for a copier back in the days before Xerox when you layered paper with carbon paper to type, and woe betide you if you made a typo. Especially on the first page of a long document! Likewise a scanner – my first one was a standalone that cost far more than my printer. But having all three together is a great way to save space.

Unfortunately, there’s that design problem I mentioned.

All of my printers, laser or inkjet, now decide for themselves when the toner or ink cartridge is low, often before I even notice any reduction in quality, and simply quit working. Usually they send me a message that they need a new cartridge. Usually this is in the wee hours of the morning when all the stores are closed and when I cannot find the spare ink I’m sure I bought. When it’s a matter of printing something I usually just sigh and put a cartridge on my shopping list. But why on earth does the lack of a black inkjet cartridge keep the combo from scanning? Especially when I need to scan a signed contract and send it off by email, and I promised to do it right away?

It does not help at all that the exact name of the printer, and the size of ink cartridge needed, are hidden inside the machine, and it’s not obvious how to open it.

I finally went to the HP web site, looked for the machine that looked most like mine, and downloaded the instruction book – again. I still can’t find the one I’m sure I downloaded before, but I was able to find the instructions for opening the ink compartment, which (a) confirmed that I’d downloaded the right instruction book and (b) finally allowed me to figure out what kind of replacement cartridge to get.

I still think it’s bad design.

Quotes from Ray Bradbury

My very old copy of The Martian Chronicles

Ray Bradbury died last week. In his honor, all of the quotations I tweeted last week were from his first book, The Martian Chronicles. Some of the problems he wrote about have been – not fixed, but at least changed. Others – well, the book was published in 1950, and we don’t seem to have made much progress in the last 70 years. The book is a collection of short stories (some would qualify as flash fiction today) and I have given the title of the story the quote is from.

My copy is in better shape than I remembered, though it’s pretty yellowed. I think it must have been The Illustrated Man that I remembered as falling apart, as I was unable to find it.

“Marriage made people old and familiar, while still young.” Ray Bradbury, “Ylla.” Thoughts of a Martian wife, before the Earth people arrive.

“It’s just words we don’t understand.” Ray Bradbury, “The Summer Night  Martian children, singing “Old Mother Hubbard” but not understanding why.

“Doesn’t an old thing always know when a new thing comes?” Ray Bradbury, “And the Moon be Still as Bright.” Spencer, talking to the Captain of the fourth expedition to Mars, after they have discovered all the Martians dead of chicken pox.

“We Earth Men have a talent for ruining big, beautiful things.” Ray Bradbury, “And the Moon be Still as Bright,” from The Martian Chronicles. Spencer, in response to the Captain saying “We won’t ruin Mars. It’s too big and too good.”

“Anything that is strange is no good to the average American.” Ray Bradbury, “And the Moon be Still as Bright.” Spencer talking to the Captain as he remembers his father.

“There were so many things a tree could do.” Ray Bradbury, “The Green Morning.” Benjamin Driscoll becomes the Johnny Appleseed of Mars.

“Them as has helps them as hasn’t.” Ray Bradbury, “Way in the Middle of the Air.” This story (remember it was published in 1950 and some of the language would not be acceptable today) takes as its theme the decision of African-Americans all over the south to emigrate to Mars – and they are determined no one shall be left behind because of debts.

Waking the Baby Mammoth: DVD Review

In the spring of 2007 Yuri Khudi, a reindeer herder in northwestern Siberia, found a baby mammoth carcass, still frozen and remarkably complete, lying on the snowy tundra. Scientists named her Lyuba (little love) after Yuri’s wife – who did not appreciate the honor! Lyuba’s discovery and the scientific investigation that followed became the subject of a National Geographic program, first aired roughly two years after her discovery, and later made available as a DVD.

From a scientific point of view, the DVD is excellent. Certainly some of the scenes of the finding, disappearance and re-finding of Lyuba must have been re-enacted, but not obtrusively so. The long-distance travel, tomographic investigation and subsequent tissue sampling of Lyuba appear to have been photographed in real time, and give a much better idea of how a frozen mummy can be investigated than is generally available. Some of the discoveries included the definite identification of heat-producing brown fat in Lyuba’s hump, her age at death (only about a month) and that she died, probably by drowning, in excellent health.

The reindeer herder Yuri was able to be present at part of the autopsy, and a highlight of the DVD is Nenets culture as the scientists investigating Lyuba stayed with Yuri’s family as they examined where she had been found. The problem of how her body reached the surface of the tundra without thawing or decay is still unsolved.

As usual in National Geographic DVDs, the computer graphic imaging of mammoths in their Pleistocene setting consists of a relatively few clips repeated several times. To some extent this is offset by a series of charming vignettes of Lyuba against modern backgrounds – wandering the museum, appearing to scientists relaxing in modern settings, and interacting with Yuri’s reindeer.

Lyuba is featured a current exhibition touring the USA and the world from the Field Museum. She is just finishing a visit in Hong Kong.

If you like Pleistocene mammals, this is definitely a program to see. Of course I’m prejudiced, since I used mammoths, among other Pleistocene mammals, in Tourist Trap.

North Pole Weather 6/11/12

The beans are close to blooming already.

The sun rose this morning at 3:06, and will set tomorrow morning at 12:37 for 21 hours 31 minutes of daylight. The gain has slowed down a little, to 4 minutes a day, and the noontime solar altitude is nearly constant around 48°. Darkness is now controlled more by cloud cover than by whether the sun is above the horizon.

We’ve had thunder several days this month, with hail a week ago and a storm that knocked out power for an hour or so last Friday. So far the garden is fine. The

The outer leaves of the lettuce in holes edging the raised bed are ready to cut.

first small buds are showing on the squash and beans, and the lettuce and herbs have reached cutting size. This time last year, I was still planting bean seeds! Strawberries and wild roses are in full bloom.

Highs are in the 70’s when it’s clear, and we reached 79 last Friday (which is probably where the energy for the storm came from.) Next week looks like more of the same – highs in the 70’s, intermittent showers. I’m not even having to water much, though it would be nice to have more sunshine.

P.S. later in the morning: the first bean blossom has opened, and I also have flowers on my “Sweet Pea” tomato.

Strawberries are blooming, though it’s hard to tell them from the white violets.