A Few Of FR's Finest....Every Day....05-14-03....Hurricane Hunters

dansangel; Billie

[dansangel]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

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We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, daisyscarlett, dansangel, dutchess, Mama_Bear

Hurricane Hunters

While most of us who have been through the fury of a hurricane would do everything we could to avoid bearing the brunt of its destructive energy, there are some very special individuals who purposely fly into the storm to gather data for the National Hurricane Center. They have come to be known as "Hurricane Hunters."

The Hurricane Hunters who are stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Mississippi typically fly in a WC-130 Hercules aircraft. The crew is made up of six people; the aircraft commander, pilot, flight engineer, navigator, weather officer and a dropsonde (more about that in a minute) system operator.

Hurricane season lasts from June 1 through November 30 as most residents of the East Coast and Gulf regions know all too well. Most tropical depressions that grow into full-fledged hurricanes begin their "lives" off of the coast of Africa. While travelling over the Atlantic Ocean, these tropical depressions may find conditions ripe for building up to hurricane force.

Once that happens, the Hurricane Hunters swing into action. Boarding the WC-130 Hercules and taking off on their mission, these very brave people actually fly into the storm, recording data on position, dewpoint and pressure readings every thirty seconds and beaming this information, by satellite, to the National Hurricane Center.

One of the methods used to gather this information is via a dropsonde. This device is a small canister about the size of a large "Pringles" chips can. The dropsonde acts as a "mini-weather station" and is fired out into the storm by the system operator. While the dropsonde is falling, a parachute is deployed, allowing the device to transmit important information in tandem with the weather officer's onboard computer. This data is interpreted at the National Hurricane Center so that appropriate life-saving warnings may be broadcast to those in the storm's path. In addition to helping forecasters to make accurate predictions during the course of the storm, the data also aids hurricane forecasters in their understanding of what makes such a storm "tick," improving their forecast models.

In the event that Keesler AFB is inaccessible due to a hurricane positioned in the Gulf, Charleston AFB, Patrick AFB and Homestead AFB are all alternate locations for the Hurricane Hunters. No matter where the storm is located nor how intense, the Hurricane Hunters are ever-ready to put themselves into harm's way so that lives may be saved.

May God bless and protect those that risk their lives in an effort to save ours. It is with great pleasure that I bring the "Hurricane Hunters" to a Few of FR's Finest!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 05-12-03 Military Monday 05-13-03 How Does Your Garden Grow?

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

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God Bless Our Military

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Below are names of some of our FReepers' loved ones who are serving our country. If you have someone you would like to add, please address a post to Billie; Daisyscarlett; Dansangel; Dutchess; Mama_Bear; and we will add their name to this list. As we pray for them, we pray also for all our nation’s leaders, and military personnel, and their families and friends. May God hold them close to His heart.

~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~

We ask Lord, that You guide the leaders of our great country in their hour of decision. The burden that has been placed on their shoulders is overwhelming. We ask that with Your infinite wisdom You guide them gently to the right decisions.

Please give us the strength, Lord, to get through each difficult and devastating day that faces each of us and our country. Protect and guide our Military that are now being called to duty, strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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OhioWfan........................son mystery-ak..........son, husband Gogrammy................grandson Inspectorette...................son Blessed American..........nephew Slip18..........................nephew anniegetyourgun...........nephew Pippin....niece,nephew,loved one Doug from Upland......son-in-law weldgophardline.....brotherinlaw Future Snake Eater..........cousin WaterDragon..son-in-law,grandson BeforeISleep...................son Warrior Nurse...........active duty SK1 Thurman...........active duty David Osborne.........active duty fc2tomschermuly......active duty bkwells..................active duty LadyX....................grandson LongCut..................active duty Trish.......................active duty The Mayor................niece

Maigrey................cousin ladtx....................2 sons Mama_Bear...........nephew gator girl............husband severa................husband MozartLover...........nephew LBGA........................son SpookBrat...........nephew Himyar.....................son boxerblues............2 sons the piper...................son sheeza...............husband kemathen7...........husband Diver Dave................niece deadhead................cousin JimRobinson.....2 nephews Armymarinemom.....3 sons Consort...........2 daughters Darheel..................niece dixie sass.............nephew BeAllYouCanBe.........son AgThorn.............2 sons kneezles...........son

[dixie sass]

Try going all the way down to the corner and dragging it that way. Sometimes that works, telling it off also works.

[dutchess]

Hi dansy...we're here at the same time???? Unfortunately I must get back to work. Again...great job today!

(((((((dansy)))))))))

[dansangel]

dansangel, no fibs allowed! :-)

Molly....I'm a woman....I *always* fib about my weight! LOL!!

[dansangel]

((((((LadyX))))))))

I, too became quite adept at "the drill." We would diligently tape the windows, fill up the bathtub, check the flashlight batteries and the portable radio... We had plenty of "near misses" while I was there.

As I stated above to Lee's Ghost, I was living in OH when Andrew flattened Homestead. Nine months later I drove through on my way to the Keys and was horrified by the devastation even then.

Not a forced to be reckoned with!

[dansangel]

Caaaaaaaa-rrrrrrr-lllllll !! Another cup for the lady, please !!

LOL! Please give Carl a - well.....a *hug* (pat on the back?) from me for being so agreeable! :-)

[dansangel]

I'm usually blown away by the Finest, today especially so...)

What a sweet thing to say! Enjoy your day, (((((((jwfiv))))))))

[dutchess]

Try going all the way down to the corner and dragging it that way. Sometimes that works, telling it off also works.

Tried that....don't know what the problem it. I'm going to try the telling it off now :o) Thanks for the advice! Now...off to work!

[dansangel]

What a shame. :)

Pfffftttt! Ya right! LOL!!!!

You really slay me, ((((((((TTM))))))))

:-)

[dansangel]

Hey, wonder who is in charge of naming these Hurricanes.....think we will ever see one named "Dansangel"? :)

{{{{{{{Billie}}}}}}}}}

Thank-you so much! I had fun with this one.

As to your query, if it was up to *nicmarshmallow* I'm sure there would be one named dansdevil - LOL!

[dansangel]

Sometimes that works, telling it off also works

LOL! I tell off my computers (here at work and at home) on a daily basis.

They *ignore* me.

:-)

[Aeronaut]

Hi Pippin!

[Mo1]

When we reached the tarmac in Miami, I got down on my hands and knees, kissed the ground and announced, "If anyone needs me I'll be in the bar!" LOL!

LOL .. If that happen to me, I'd be in the seat right beside you

[dansangel]

I'd be in the seat right beside you

LOL! I'm glad I'm not the only one!

((((((((Mo1))))))))

PS - How's potty training going? They had a blurb on the local news last night that there's a book that's been out for almost thirty years about potty-training in less than a day! Can you believe it?

[Lee'sGhost]

Got it. Thanks.

Luv ya, Pippin.

[LadyX]

YES - YES - YES !!!
That's the dude, all right!

Other Al Capp Characters

Throughout the years fans of the Li'l Abner comic strip were not only entertained by creator Al Capp's major characters, Li'l Abner, Daisy Mae, Mammy Yokum, Pappy Yokum, and Fearless Fosdick, but they were also treated to a constant and colorfully unique world of supporting characters.

Joe Btfsplk: World's most loving friend and worst jinx who always travels with a dark cloud over his head.

Tiny Yokum:Abner's 15 1/2 year old brother.

Honest Abe Yokum: Abner and Daisy Mae's little boy.

Evil Eye Fleegle: His quadruple whammy can melt a battleship.

Marryin' Sam: The preacher who specializes in $2 weddings.

=======================================================

Yep - wondered if there were a Joe-sephine, and I was she!

[Mo1]

They had a blurb on the local news last night that there's a book that's been out for almost thirty years about potty-training in less than a day! Can you believe it?

Nope .. that is pure BS .. it takes at least a couple of days for kids to get over the fear of being flushed down the toilet .. *L*

I read all those books with my oldest and none of them worked and I finally took mom's advice and guess what .. it worked, in 2/3 weeks she was completely potty trained

As for my youngest .. she's getting there. Yesterday morning I woke up and went to get her out of bed, but I couldn't find her .. I looked all over the house and still couldn't find her and was about to go in a panic when I noticed the bathroom light on. There she was sitting on the potty and all so proud of herself .. they only problem was that she forgot to pull down her pants before going .. LOL

That about sums up my life these days .. it's really really sad .. LOL

[Diver Dave]

Very interesting topic today, dansy.

Luckily, we don't get any hurricanes in this neck of the woods - just a little "Rock 'n Roll" occasionally.

Did ride out a typhoon in the Pacific long ago. We just battened the hatches and got out a deck of cards and waited for it to pass. Not too many folks were interested in chow call during those times.

[Dog Gone]

Another great thread!

[Pippin]

Hi, (((LadyX!)))!

[Pippin]

:O)