nrtiwlnvragn's WunderBlog

Offseason

Posted by: nrtiwlnvragn, 4:03 PM GMT on December 05, 2012

Click on any image to view original size in a new window

Storm Tracks Link
Not Updated Yet

These storm tracks are from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and include both extratropical and tropical cyclones. They are highly speculative, you will see storms appear and disappear model run to model run. Keys to look for are multiple models forming storms in the same general area and that they persist on multiple model runs. Even then, storm formation may not occur. Method for determining tracks.

Last four GFS

Last four NAM

Last two UKMET

Last two NOGAPS

Last two CMC

Global Hazards Link

Tropical Surface Analysis Link

24 Hour Surface Forecast Link

48 Hour Surface Forecast Link

72 Hour Surface Forecast Link

High Wind and Associated Seas Link

South Florida animation loop.

Eastern Sector Visible Link

Eastern Sector Infrared Link

Eastern Sector Water Vapor Link

What an itemized receipt from the IRS would look like if they issued one.

Credit: www.democracyjournal.org

Corporate America

Fi$cal IQ Test
My score was 97.5

Does Anyone Really Think Reducing The Deficit Isn't Going To Be Painful?

Congressional Budget Office Budget Infographic

Some reforms from No Labels that may help reduce the gridlock in Congress. I would support 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8.
PDF Booklet

1.No Budget, No Pay: Congress rarely passes spending bills on time, which makes it virtually impossible for members to intelligently consider why they are spending taxpayer dollars in the first place. No Labels Solution: If Congress can’t make spending and budget decisions on time, they shouldn't get paid on time either.

2.Up or Down Vote on Presidential Appointments: The Senate now routinely holds up critical presidential appointments to the Cabinet and the courts for purely political reasons. No Labels Solution: All appointees should receive an up or down vote within 90 days of their name being sent to the Senate. If deadline is not met, the nominee would be confirmed by default.

3.Filibuster Reform: Constant use of the filibuster has ground the Senate to a halt. One reason the filibuster is used so often is that senators don’t even have to show up on the floor to explain themselves anymore. No Labels Solution: Our filibuster fix is based on a simple idea: If senators want to filibuster legislation, they should actually have to publicly explain why. Also, filibusters can be used to prevent a bill from reaching the floor for debate (motions to proceed). Eliminating the filibuster for motions to proceed would allow more issues to be debated and voted on by the whole Senate.

4.Empower the Sensible Majority: Good legislation that is supported by a sensible bipartisan majority often isn’t even debated because congressional leaders or committee chairs see political benefit in keeping Democrats and Republicans at one another’s throats. No Labels Solution: House and Senate rules should be reformed to make it easier for a bipartisan majority to bring legislation to the House or Senate floor over the objection of party leaders.

5.Make Members Come to Work: Part of the reason why Congress can’t get much done is that they’re not showing up in the halls of the Senate or House more than a few days a week due to constant fundraising and trips home. No Labels Solution: Congress could get more done if they actually came to their offices in the capital. The House and Senate should be in Washington, DC for three weeks in any given month. The House and Senate should also have five-day work weeks and they should be in session at the same time.

Promoting Constructive Discussion

6.Question Time for the President: Leaders in Washington rarely debate one another anymore, choosing instead to just talk past one another through the media. No Labels Solution: America should take a cue from the British Parliament’s regular questioning of the prime minister to create question time for the president and Congress.

7.Fiscal Report to Congress: Hear it. Read it. Sign it: Perhaps the chief obstacle to fixing America's finances is that no one agrees what’s really on our balance sheet. When leaders in Washington debate our budget, they routinely use different baselines, projections and assumptions, which tend to conveniently support whatever policy they are pushing at the moment. The No Labels Solution: Every year, a nonpartisan leader, such as the comptroller general, should deliver a fiscal update that must be signed off on by our senior political leaders, just as CEOs are required to affirm the accuracy of their company’s financial reporting.

Reducing Polarization

8.No Pledge but the Oath of Office: One of the biggest barriers to solving problems in Congress is that many members literally sign away their ability to legislate with repeated pledges to narrow interest groups. The No Labels Solution: It’s time to cut the puppet strings that allow narrow interest groups to control members of Congress. Members should make no pledge but the pledge of allegiance and their formal oath of office.

9.Monthly Bipartisan Gatherings: Democrats and Republicans in Congress rarely socialize or even meet with members of the other party anymore. Like any workplace, Congress depends on good human relationships to function. When there are no relationships, there is dysfunction. The No Labels Solution: To get members talking to one another, both the House and Senate should institute monthly bipartisan gatherings.

10.Bipartisan Seating: More often than not, seating in Congress resembles boys and girls at a middle school dance, with each side keeping an (un)comfortable distance from one another. The No Labels Solution: It’s time to curb the cliques in Congress. At all joint meetings or sessions of Congress, each member should be seated next to at least one member of the other party.

11.Bipartisan Leadership Committee: In today’s Congress, almost every meeting or get-together is partisan, with legislative problem-solving taking a back seat to discussion of how to stick it to the other side. The No Labels Solution: Congressional party leaders should form a bipartisan congressional leadership committee as a forum for discussing both legislative agendas and substantive solutions.

12.No Negative Campaigns Against Incumbents: When incumbent members of Congress from one party negatively campaign against the incumbents from the other party, it destroys the trust necessary to work together. The No Labels Solution: Incumbents from one party should not conduct negative campaigns against incumbents from the opposing party. That means no appearing in negative ads, no signing nasty direct mail letters and no traveling to an incumbent’s district or state to play attack dog. Members would, of course, be free to campaign or fundraise in support of candidates from their party.

The DHS Wants to Know Who’s Spreading the News (or Expressing an Opinion), Your Rights Optional

3rd Annual TV News Trust Poll

-Democrats trust everything- except Fox News. NBC does the best with them at +50 (67/17), followed by PBS and CNN at +49 (66/17 and 65/16 respectively), ABC at +38 (57/19), CBS at +35 (58/23), MSNBC at +33 (56/23), and even Comedy Central at +4 (36/32). Fox News comes in at -36 (25/61).

-Republicans meanwhile don't trust anything except Fox News. PBS comes the closest to breaking even among non-Fox outlets, although not very close, at -30 (26/56). It's followed by CNN at -49 (18/67), MSNBC at -51 (18/69), NBC at -52 (17/69), CBS at -54 (17/71), ABC at -56 (14/70), and Comedy Central at -59 (12/71). But Fox News comes in at a stellar 73/17.

Updated: 3:03 PM GMT on May 22, 2013

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (2)

Always on My Mind

Posted by: nrtiwlnvragn, 9:21 PM GMT on October 30, 2010

It's now been a year two years since I origionally wrote this, yet you are.....

You came into my life when I met your previous owner and we got along pretty well. You were growing up in a house full of teenagers and their friends, and your lifestyle reflected theirs, late nights and a diet of pizza, burgers and tacos more than dog food. I cautioned that diet was not good...

Updated: 8:54 PM GMT on November 13, 2012

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (7)

Trying to reason with the Hurricane Season

Posted by: nrtiwlnvragn, 1:07 PM GMT on May 21, 2010

Updated: 12:29 PM GMT on October 30, 2010

Permalink | A A A

View Full Blog Entry — View Comments (17)

Offseason

Posted by: nrtiwlnvragn, 12:27 AM GMT on December 01, 2009

Updated: 11:29 AM GMT on May 21, 2010

Permalink | A A A