Good Wednesday morning!
Double Scattergories Results
Here are the preliminary results to yesterday's Scattergories game. 27 people played yesterday and the top two players both had an answer duplicated so everyone else who scored 8 points will move up a bit in the final standings. I love how creative you guys are getting - many of the responses also included Web links and/or text to prove that your entry was something more than just random letters typed on your keyboard.
How many of you remember playing the "Outer Space" topic once before? Yep, that one has already been used, but it was with a "S" starting letter, so it's a brand new game with each new letter!
Starting Letter: C
Topic #1: Thing(s) in Outer Space
Comet (x3: Al, Kelley, and Katie/Bart)
Corona (x2: Ruth and Tammy)
Cosmic strings
Crust
Camelopardalis (name of star)
Cruithne - http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Astronomy/Solar_System/Comets__Meteors__and_Asteroids/Cruithne
Cordelia - Uranus' satellite
Circinus - http://www.astronomical.org/portal/modules/wfsection/article.php?articleid=23
Craters
Clusters
Cassiopeia
Ceres - It's one of the largest asteroids in the belt
Callisto (a moon of jupiter)
Cetus (it's a constellation)
Constellation
Cepheids
Clouds (as in Magellenic Clouds)
Canopus - A star, 650 light-years from Earth, in the constellation Carina. It is the second-brightest star in the sky.
Challenger
Cassini orbiter spacecraft
Capsule
Cameras(as mounted on the space station)
Cosmos
Coma (Ahem...when a comet nucleus nears the sun, solar energy begins to heat the ice and vaporize it. The gas flies off the comet, sometimes violently enough to break the nucleus apart and throws dust up with it...the gases form a cloud around the nucleus called the coma.)
Topic #2: Name a TV Show
Cosby Show, The (x3: Greg, Kelley, and John/Shelley)
Charles in Charge (x3: Bethany, Al, and Brian)
Car 54 Where Are You (x2: Rhonda and Linda)
Charlie's Angels (x2: Clair and Karl)
Commando Nanny - http://tv.yahoo.com/db/alpha/c.html
Chico and the Man
C.H.I.P.S.
Chicago Hope
Coupling
Columbo
Carol & Company - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098764/
Comic View
Charlie and Lola (on playhouse Disney)
Con Todo (Spanish language Entertainment Tonight kinda show)
Carol Burnett Show
Cheyenne
Cambridge Spies (BBC TV)
Clean Sweep (HGTV)
Candid Camera
Charmed
Criminal Minds
You have until Thursday at 9pm CDT to write in with any challenges!
Scattergories Challenge Message Board
http://guestbook.sparklit.com/entries?gbID=119493
Double Match Game Wednesday
And here are two Match Game games. Playing opposite of Scattergories with no starting letter, email me what you think will be the most popular response to the following sentences. Being funny and creative is half the fun! (the other half is getting 8 points credit )
Topic #1: Jackie the comic's jokes are really old! He gets all of his jokes from the _______.
Topic #2: Jan said, "This town is full of physical fitness buffs! At every street corner, there's a traffic sign that says _____, Don't ______."
(use the same word for both blanks)
Today’s forecast grade: A-
Forecast:
Now: At 8am with a partly cloudy sky, temps are mainly in the mid- 60s.
Synopsis: A cold front, currently in far northern Wisconsin, will sweep through the state tonight. While the radar looks rather peaceful right now, it's expected to explode tonight with showers and thunderstorms becoming likely and continuing through tomorrow morning.
Today: Partly cloudy, breezy and mild for one last day, high of 83 central, mid- 80s south. Increasing clouds later in the day.
Tonight: Becoming cloudy and breezy with showers and thunderstorms likely. There is a slight risk of severe weather tonight. Lows in the lower 60s. Rain chance 70%.
Tomorrow: Maybe a morning shower or thunderstorm, then decreasing clouds and cooler behind the cold front. Highs only in the upper 60s. Morning rain chance 40%.
Extended:
Friday: Partly cloudy, highs upper 60s.
Saturday: Increasing clouds with scattered showers developing late. Highs upper 60s to near 70. Rain chance Saturday night 50%.
Sunday: Morning showers, then clearing and cooler, highs near 70. Morning rain chance 30%.
Today in Las Vegas, Nevada: Partly cloudy, highs upper 80s.
http://www.wunderground.com/US/NV/Henderson.html
Today in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina: Isolated thunderstorms, highs mid- 80s.
http://www.wunderground.com/US/SC/Hilton_Head_Island.html
Today in League City and Pearland, Texas: Sunshine, highs in the mid- 90s. A perfect day to evacuate the city while the gettin' out's good. Beat the rush!
... Rita continues to strengthen...
... Coastal Flood Watch issued for the Upper Texas coast...
... This statement applies to the residents of... Galveston... Jackson...
Matagorda... Fort Bend... Wharton... Harris... Brazoria... Liberty and
Chambers counties...
... Watches/warnings in effect...
a coastal Flood Watch has been issued for the Upper Texas coast for
Thursday night.
... Current storm information...
.Location...
At 4 am CDT... the center of Hurricane Rita was located near latitude
24.3 north... longitude 84.6 west... or about 720 miles southeast of
Galveston Texas.
.Movement...
Hurricane Rita was moving west at 14 mph. This general motion is
expected to continue for the next 24 hours.
.Intensity...
Maximum sustained winds were 120 mph with higher gusts. Rita is
expected to become a category 4 hurricane later today.
... Precautionary/preparedness actions...
.Evacuation information...
For Galveston and Brazoria counties... voluntary evacuation is in
progress. Mandatory evacuation of nursing homes and assisted-living
facilities will begin at 6 am this morning. On Galveston
Island... buses will be available at the island Community Center on
Broadway this morning after 10 am for persons with no other means
of transportation. If there is no significant change of Rita's track
in the next 24 hours... a mandatory evacuation of Galveston and
Brazoria counties is expected to begin at 6 PM today.
Voluntary evacuations are also in progress this evening for low lying
areas of Chambers County... Harris County... and the cities of
Houston... Seabrook and Baytown
Decisions concerning evacuations for other counties and communities
will be made today.
.School... Government... and hospital facility closings...
most independent school districts in Galveston... Brazoria... and
southern Harris counties will be closed beginning today. In
addition... all schools in the San Jacinto College district and
brazosport College will be closed beginning today. Galveston
County government facilities will also be closed beginning today.
University of Texas medical branch (utmb) in Galveston will be
closing all facilities at 8 am this morning. No medical care will be
available at utmb hospital from this point forward.
.Storm surge and tides...
Tide levels are currently running near normal along the Upper Texas
coast. Tide levels are expected to gradually begin rising on
Thursday as swells associated with Hurricane Rita begin propagating
across the coastal waters. This potential water level rise coupled
with the high tide cycle beginning Thursday evening and persisting
during the overnight hours into early Friday morning will likely
result in minor coastal flooding across the lowest areas along the
coast and adjacent to the bays. More significant coastal flooding is
expected to occur at the subsequent high tide cycle which will begin
Friday evening and continue into Saturday morning.
.Wind impacts...
Tropical storm force winds are not expected to reach the Upper Texas
coast until Friday afternoon.
.Rainfall...
No significant rainfall is expected along the Upper Texas coast
through Thursday.
For more tropical weather information... see the National Hurricane
Center web Page at http://www.NHC.NOAA.Gov or the web Page of the
National Weather Service in Houston/Galveston at
http://www.Srh.NOAA.Gov/hgx.
The next Hurricane Rita statement will be issued around 11 am CDT.
--------------------
... Coastal Flood Watch issued for Thursday night...
The National Weather Service has issued a coastal Flood Watch
for persons living along the upper southeast Texas coastline and
Bay Shore lines.
Hurricane Rita is expected to continue to gradually strengthen and
move west into the west-central Gulf of Mexico on Thursday. As this
occurs... tide levels will gradually rise during the day on Thursday as
swells begin to propagate into the southeast Texas coastal waters.
It is anticipated that tides will rise to around 2 feet above
normal by Thursday evening. This potential water level rise coupled
with the high tide cycle beginning Thursday evening and persisting
during the overnight hours into early Friday morning will likely
result in minor coastal flooding across the lowest areas along the
coast and adjacent to the bays. Significant coastal flooding is
expected at the subsequent high tide cycle which will begin Friday
evening and continue into Saturday morning. Details concerning these
potential tide levels will be given in subsequent products as the
exact track... timing... and strength of Rita in the northwestern Gulf
becomes clear.
http://www.wunderground.com/US/TX/League_City.html
http://www.wunderground.com/US/TX/Pearland.html
Today in Georgetown, Kentucky: Morning fog, then sunshine, highs mid- 80s.
... Patchy areas of dense fog across parts of south central Indiana
and central Kentucky this morning...
Patchy areas of dense fog have formed this morning across much of
south central Indiana and central Kentucky... especially in areas
near rivers or streams. Visibility in many areas will be reduced
to less than one quarter mile. As of 8 am EDT... the Lexington and
Frankfort airports were reporting one quarter mile visibilities.
Bowling Green was at one half mile in fog as of 7 am CDT... and
Huntingburg Indiana was at three quarters of a mile as of 7 am EST.
Morning commuters should be alert to sudden drops in visibility
on roadways this morning... and allow extra distance between you
and the car ahead of you. Use your low beam headlights and allow
extra time to reach your destination.
http://www.wunderground.com/US/KY/Georgetown.html
Vernon, Connecticut Forecast Link:
http://www.wunderground.com/US/CT/Vernon.html
Yesterday’s Climate Data: (Courtesy of the National Weather Service)
My Forecast for Yesterday……..… 79 central, lower 80s south
High Yesterday (Appleton)……….. 79
High Yesterday (Madison)............. 82
High Yesterday (Waukesha).......... 81
High Yesterday (O’Hare, IL)…...... 83
High Yesterday (Las Vegas, NV)………... 82 (trace)
High Yesterday (Hilton Head Island, SC).. 84
High Yesterday (League City, TX)……….. 94
High Yesterday (Lexington, KY)…………. 80 (0.11")
In Case You Missed It:
Here we go again - but this time, Galveston and Houston are in the middle of the projected path.
Hurricane Rita upgraded to Category 4
Maximum sustained winds reach 135 mph
Hurricane Rita was upgraded to a Category 4 storm today as it churned through the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricanes designated Category 3 and above are considered "major" storms. Mandatory evacuations already have been ordered for New Orleans and Galveston, Texas. Rita skirted the Florida Keys on Monday as a Category 2 storm.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/09/21/rita/index.html
http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/tracking/at200518_5day.html
This hurricane is not currently projected to hit New Orleans, yet they are forcing evacuations again. I guess there is the chance for some good-sized tides and maybe some new rising waters and flooding depending on the eventual track.
Louisiana braces for Rita
Officials say floodwaters now pumped out of New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- Even as officials declared victory in ridding New Orleans of floodwaters, the threat of Hurricane Rita has prompted more evacuations and a request for a federal emergency declaration.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/21/katrina.impact/index.html
Meteorologists call for better storm tech
Meteorologists have excelled in forecasting the track of Hurricane Katrina and others, but they still need technological advances in storm surge prediction, experts told a congressional committee on Tuesday.
http://news.com.com/Meteorologists+call+for+better+storm+tech/2100-11395_3-5875243.html?part=rss&tag=5875243&subj=news
Google plans WiFi service
Pages on the search engine's Web site refer to upcoming product, but company declines comment.
LONDON (Reuters) - Internet search leader Google is preparing to launch its own wireless Internet service, Google WiFi, according to several pages found on the company's Web site on Tuesday.
http://www.cnn.com/money/2005/09/20/technology/google_wifi.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes
http://www.pcworld.com/resource/article/0,aid,122622,pg,1,RSS,RSS,00.asp
http://wifi.google.com/faq.html
http://wifi.google.com/download.html
Phones will soon be able to smell
(CNN) -- An "electric nose" that can distinguish the personal scent of an individual may begin to replace four-digit pin numbers and secret passwords within the next decade.
http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/2005/TECH/09/20/spark.electronic.nose/index.html?section=cnn_latest
Inventor denies dead cat fuel story
BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- A German inventor said he has developed a method to produce crude oil products from waste that he believes can be an answer to the soaring costs of fuel, but denied a German newspaper story implying he also used dead cats.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/09/14/germany.catfuel.reut/index.html
