Reduced Prices on Weather Radars

In stores like Academy and H.E.B., the price of weather radios have been reduced to prepare Texans for hurricane season. The chip that is in these radios is the most advanced piece of technology in weather radio history. Reducing the price on the radios is causing more customers to purchase them in case of an emergency (plus, they're just really stylish...). The more awareness that is spread, the safer we will be in case of a real emergency. So just in case you don't hear the news talking about a hurricane nonstop the week before it hits, you will be informed with your weather tracking device if you chose to purchase it while it is at it's new low price.

source:
http://www.click2houston.com/news/KPRC-Local-2-teams-up-for-weather-radio-deal/-/1735978/15698482/-/x448bez/-/index.html

YAY FINALLY A COLD FRONT sort of...

Finally, a cold front is about to hit the firey furnace that is Houston, TX. All of this week, temperatures have been higher than average, with heat a heat index that approaches 100 and above. Especially for people like me in Markettes and people in band and football, this is absolute hell outside. Tomorrow, however, should be an end to the disgustingly high temperatures. After a hot Friday, there will be a cool, almost rain-free cold front moving through Southeast Texas. Praise the Lord. The temperatures will approach the mid to high 80s in the day and mid 60s in the evening. I will be pulling out my sweaters ahead of time because I cannot wait for cold weather.

source:
http://www.click2houston.com/news/Friday-will-be-hot-ahead-of-cold-front/-/1735978/16512750/-/g5iwsyz/-/index.html

Costa Rica Rattling the United States

Yesterday, an earthquake hit Costa Rica near its capital, San Jose. The earthquake measured a magnitude of 7.6 and seismographs show that this earthquake shot up through parts of the United States. In the map, it shows the heavy vibration going straight up from Louisiana to Michigan and in parts of Southwest California. Of course, the magnitude decreased greatly and the the vibration is nowhere near strong enough for Americans to feel it. The ground is only moving a fraction of an inch, which is not enough for us to feel. However, seismographs that have been placed all the way up the Mississippi River recorded definite vibration, linking back to Costa Rica.

source:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48919027/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.UElEE81F4rE

Shark Threat Off the Coast of Australia

Because of recent fatal shark attacks off the coast of Australia, letters have been sent into the Australian government requesting a lift on a protective environmental law preventing the killing of great white sharks. The Western Australia Fishing Minister, Norman Moore, wrote a letter to the government requesting that where the great whites are causing a problem, the law be lifted and the sharks be killed. If his letter gets through to acceptance, this could mean the death of thousands of innocent sharks who might not be causing harm to anyone. If the law is lifted, a trend of slaughtering sharks might take effect, killing innocent kinds of sharks that might not have any history of hurting humans or even being a burden in any way. This might cause a great decrease in the population of sharks in that part of the world. To maintain their element of surprise strategy, sharks must move. And any sharks that move too close to the Australian coast might meet an unfortunate fate even if they had no intention of harming anyone.
Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/22/opinion/coots-sharks/index.html?iref=storysearch

Tropical Storm/Hurricane(?) Isaac

I'm sure that I am not the only student covering this subject as a news article but weather FASCINATES me because I think I want to be a meteorologist. In the CNN article I read, the storm has already moved through Cuba and Haiti causing 6 deaths in its second destination. In southern Florida, 6 communities have issued evacuation warnings and they are already experiencing heavy rain and tornado warnings until 5 p.m. tonight. Tomorrow evening, the eye Isaac is predicted to hit the southern part of Florida. The storm is expected to brush the Mississippi coast on Wednesday morning (the 7th anniversary of hurricane Katrina) and possibly southern Louisiana. The storm might also become a hurricane after traveling through the warm Gulf of Mexico. It is expected to become a category 2 but any hurricane can cause great damage, especially in the cities located below or at sea level. Scientists are worried that Isaac will re-damage the areas that were hit by tropical storm Debbie earlier in the summer. So far, all we can do is sit by and watch the storm move up and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/26/us/tropical-storm-isaac/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

The Torn Cabin

This summer, I returned to Camp Ozark in the Ouachita Mountain Region of Arkansas for my 8th and final year as a camper. I was a part of an activity that only high school juniors and seniors can participate in called breakaway. It provided a more mature set of activities to participate in during the morning hours. One of the days, we walked across camp to sit on the porch of the owner of the camp, Sam Torn. Once there, we had about an hour of quiet time with the Lord where we were able to sit and look out over a river and into a mountain range from the Torn cabin porch. I wish I had been able to take a picture but phones aren't allowed at camp. It's pretty safe to say that I have never felt so peaceful and in touch with all of God's creation. There was just such effortless beauty in such a simple view of mountains. It had rained the night before so the river was abnormally high (nowhere near even becoming close to touching us at the top of a mountain). Everything was silent and it seemed as though there was nobody else in the world except these giant mountains that seemed to go on forever.

Ground Zero Memorial

Also while in NYC, we visited the ground zero memorial. It was breathtaking. There were two giant fountains built down into the ground to represent the North and South towers. These fountains used an unbelievable amount of water and just looked like a waterfall room. All 4 walls sucked up water from the bottom and dropped it down into a giant square shaped pool with a smaller square cut into the middle. It's mind boggling thinking of how the architects and builders made these fountains so unbelievably huge. Also in the memorial was the only tree left standing after the tragedy of 9/11. It had clearly been nursed back to health and it was being supported by many different pots and ropes to keep it standing tall and straight. This tree wasn't large at all, which is what surprised me. That a small little tree could survive an event such as a plane attack and falling buildings. I think they had named the tree but I don't remember exactly what it was. It was definitely a fighter.