|
Today a government helicopter was flying around seeding the clouds in the hopes of producing some rain.
Rain is seriously needed here on the Korat Plateau. We got a little rain as a result of the Southwest Monsoon that come from Cyclones in the Indian Ocean - remember recent flooding in Southern India.
That was a few weeks ago and only was intermittent thunder storms with a few hours of real monsoon rains - rain that falls straight down with zero visibility - on a day or two.
Taking a cue from the starting of the rains we went ahead and seeded our rice paddies and planted corn, peanuts and watermelon in the field behind my house. After that we got very little rain for the past two or three weeks.
The corn and peanuts seem to be doing surprisingly well with the meager showers we have had - not nearly enough - but, as you might imagine, the watermelon not so much.
One rice paddy - the smaller of the two - seems to be in pretty good shape, but the other one a few kilometers away - the larger one - isn't doing to good with weeds growing up and a lot of pale green and yellow rice. If it doesn't rain in a few days we will most likely need to re-seed it when the Northeast Monsoon - from Typhoons in the Pacific Ocean - rain starts in a month or two.
Anyway, back to the cloud seeding. The result was some really ominous looking clouds just before sundown, seriously black, but not a drop of rain.  These were the blackest clouds I have ever seen.
Hope we get some substantial rain in time to salvage the ailing rice paddy and get a bumper crop of TengMo (watermelon).
<edit>
Mark Clifton pointed out that cloud seeding was carried out at altitudes above where helicopters fly. He is most likely correct and the helicopters I observed were probably just in transit to an Army Garrison to the west of where I live. The Royal Thai Air Force is cloud seeding in the area.
</edit>
Once you lose your pride the rest is easy.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
modified 6-Jul-15 11:54am.
|
|
|
|
|
Hope you get some rain soon, JimmyRopes!
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks - we are hoping.
Once you lose your pride the rest is easy.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
|
|
|
|
|
I'd send you some of ours - we have plenty - but it doesn't email well...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
|
|
|
|
|
Where is the teletransporter when you need it? 
Once you lose your pride the rest is easy.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
|
|
|
|
|
The pattern buffer is probably full!
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
|
|
|
|
|
Damn, maybe a 3D printer will have to do?
Once you lose your pride the rest is easy.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
|
|
|
|
|
Man! You have hard rain in Thailand! 
(I remember it being wet - very wet - in Thailand when the monsoon does arrive, but I don't remember it being that firm and plasticky...)
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
|
|
|
|
|
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Once you lose your pride the rest is easy.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
modified 5-Jul-15 12:32pm.
|
|
|
|
|
Thought this was a new technology that uSoft dreamed up to replace Azure? 
Seriously good luck with the rains!
New version: WinHeist Version 2.1.1 new web site.
I know the voices in my head are not real but damn they come up with some good ideas!
|
|
|
|
|
We are hopeful, but the forecast isn't very promising.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday mostly cloudy.
Thursday light rain.
Friday and Saturday mostly cloudy.
Sunday light rain.
Once you lose your pride the rest is easy.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
|
|
|
|
|
JimmyRopes wrote: Today a government helicopter was flying around seeding the clouds in the hopes of producing some rain.
I thought cloud seeding was done at altitudes higher than a helicopter can reach.
Marc
|
|
|
|
|
Marc Clifton wrote: I thought cloud seeding was done at altitudes higher than a helicopter can reach.
We have an expression around here that covers a lot of things; TIT (This Is Thailand)
Once you lose your pride the rest is easy.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
|
|
|
|
|
Seeding is done at the height of the clouds (obviously) and the best range is 8000 to 15000 feet whilst a turbo helicopter can reach 25000 feet.
|
|
|
|
|
Marc Clifton wrote: I thought cloud seeding was done at altitudes higher than a helicopter can reach.
Thinking about what you said you are most likely correct that the helicopters that flew over were not cloud seeding, but more likely heading for an Army Garrison located to the west of where I live.
We are in a military flyway for helicopters heading there and they were most likely just transiting the area near my house in Buriram.
Coincidentally that is the garrison where the tanks were deployed to Bangkok to carry out the Coup d'état that ousted Thaksin Shinawatra from office in 2006 while he was in New York addressing the UN General Assembly. It was feared that Thaksin had close ties to the Generals in the Bangkok Garrison.
There was no need to invade Bangkok for the Coup d'état that took over power in 2014 because the Constitutional Court had already removed Yingluck Shinawatra - Thaksin Sister - by finding her guilty on a charge of abuse of power. The military just declared Martial Law, moved troops into Bangkok to keep order, and then announced the Coup d'état a few days later. As I said before TIT.
The Thai Royal Air Force is actively cloud seeding and when I mentioned the helicopters to my wife's sister she mentioned that they were likely to be seeding and I didn't give it a second thought.
Once you lose your pride the rest is easy.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
|
|
|
|
|
|
PIEBALDconsult wrote: Hey, you have it good.
I will if we get some rain soon.
There was a heavy wind storm one night last season just around harvest time and because the rice plants were top heavy with seed (rice) a good amount were blown down into the flooded paddy. Because my wife's father was very sick at time we had to wait for relatives and friends to harvest their rice before we could get some help and the rice that was in the water rotted.
We had enough to feed us for the year but not a lot to sell. I was hoping this year would be better but it is starting out pretty bad.
But yes I do have it good.
Once you lose your pride the rest is easy.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
modified 6-Jul-15 12:35pm.
|
|
|
|
|
I believe he's from Arizona, where rainfall is measured in microns.
Over here it's been raining a week straight and the weatherman has predicted a week more of it. I wish some of it would blow over there, where it is needed. It's only a matter of time before mountains start to bury people if this keeps up 
|
|
|
|
|
Indivara wrote: It's only a matter of time before mountains start to bury people if this keeps up
We have that problem in the north of Thailand where the hill tribe people live.
I do have to say we did get a light sprinkle of rain for about 5 minutes tonight - not enough to be of any good - and my wife observed that it wasn't natural rain as it didn't have a fresh smell.
Now I am becoming paranoid about the residual chemicals in the unnatural rain. 
Once you lose your pride the rest is easy.
In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
|
|
|
|
|
|
Gives the same answer for "dish" or "woman".
Looks more like a customized 404 than an easter egg.
Bastard Programmer from Hell 
If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]
|
|
|
|
|
Strange: for "what is your favourite woman?" I get a definition of "favourite".
For "what is your favourite colour?", I get a Monty Python quote...
Bad command or file name. Bad, bad command! Sit! Stay! Staaaay...
|
|
|
|
|
I may have mistaken the "still computing" animation for the answer 
|
|
|
|
|
Quote: Result:
Blue. No yel-- Auuuuuuuugh!
(asked by the bridgekeeper and incorrectly answered by Sir Galahad in the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail)
|
|
|
|
|
I've been downvoted in the Lounge... 
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
