Why is the weather service going to waste tax dollars flying a plane over a storm that is 44 miles

[RB TexLa]

from the coast? That's just fucking wasteful. Are they going to find out something that they think people can prepare for in the next couple of hours?

[jpgray]

1. I thought their naming system was the biggest outrage of our times.

:patriot:

[Retrograde]

45. why? (n/t)

[cobalt1999]

64. Here I thought the original post was stupid outrage

Then, you come along with something even stupider to be outraged at. Congrats!

[io-solip]

2. That flight costs about what 10 minutes occupying Iraq does. Really.

Just sayin'

[RB TexLa]

3. And if they use two planes it's wastes the same as 20 minutes

both the flight and war are wastes of money.

[io-solip]

37. Well, as a resident of the Gulf coast I disagree. The hurricane flights have a benefit to us,

the Iraq occupation does not.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

4. Ummm... research is useful. This is a unique storm.

[Bob Dobbs]

5. Of all the billions of tax money stolen, wasted on corporate welfare and imperial wars

you pick scientific storm tracking as a waste of tax money?!?!?!?!?

This is EXACTLY the type of collective endeavor our society SHOULD do.

Data collected in these expeditions is used to better understand this and future storms and use that information TO SAVE LIVES.

This is priceless scientific data and a GREAT investment.

[eshfemme]

58. Yes, for a country that's constantly afflicted by hurricanes that do huge damage

finding out more about them is simply a solid investment for the future. And to think, it's actually cheaper to save lives than to kill lives. So yeah, I agree with you here.

[Bluebear]

6. Of all the things that could be on your mind right now.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Wind speeds, eye walls

nothing important really

:sarcasm:

[Gold Metal Flake]

8. Your earlier work was better.

Now, it's just the same thing over and over.

[Tindalos]

9. Useful data.

Maybe it won't help anyone in the next couple of hours, but it will help them model
and predict future storms. That will save money and lives in the long run.

[mike_c]

10. oh for pete's sake....

Were you born this bitter or did it take practice?

[Fumesucker]

11. I agree completely...

People who want to know things with no immediate practical purpose are just elitists.

[Liberal In Texas]

18. Then your are ignorant. You have NO idea how this data might

effect the present situation or future ones.

Don't agree with someone who is spewing nonsense.

[Fumesucker]

27. I've come up with a corollary to Poe's law...

Poe's law: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing"

My corollary: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of pure dumbfuckery that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing"

[nonconformist]

29. Par for course around here... heh

[Liberal In Texas]

42. Excuse me, I didn't know I was reading Grimwood.

If Bolen is posting parody, humor, or irony, it's lost on me.

I have family in Houston. THIS IS NOT A JOKE.

[Fumesucker]

46. RG wasn't posting parody... but I was

I figured most people would get the "elite" reference and see it as snark.

At least, given RG's posting history I *think* he was serious..

Now you've got me wondering if I got suckered too. :)

[Liberal In Texas]

55. OK, got your post now...

I am humbled.

[Breeze54]

53. LOL!!

:P

[kurth_]

12. Cost per flight = $50,000

for the NOAA hurricane hunter WP-3D Orion and Gulfstream IV. Not sure if that includes the $18,750 for the dropsondes (25 @$750 ea). At any rate, peanuts in the federal budget.

[Liberal In Texas]

20. Yeah, Einstein, what does a flight cost for training?

They do this service and training all the time. Having a government and expecting them to be useful actually sometimes cost money.

[Catherine Vincent]

13. I knew we'd hear one of your whines before this day is up. :)

[RB TexLa]

14. No whining, no one likes wasteful spending. Except the people getting the money.

[Breeze54]

43. But you cheer those FOOTBALL FLY OVERS, right?!

Must keep priorities straight! :eyes:

[RB TexLa]

48. No, that's even a bigger waste of money.

[Breeze54]

52. How much did you pay in taxes last year?

Probably not enough for you to bitch about your $800.00 going to waste!!

Give me a break! That barely covers road repairs on your street!

[WolverineDG]

15. Those of us who actually live in Hurricane Alley appreciate

the Hurricane Hunters. I wanted to be one when I was a kid. There was talk about a decade ago about killing the project, but it provides much more information than the proposed alternative.

dg

[Liberal In Texas]

16. Mr. Bolen, I don't even know how to address this, but I'll give it a shot.

First of all, this is called science. You may have heard of it. We use science to understand the world we live in.

Second, the data by the hurricane hunters is some of the best real-time data available. You may not have noticed, but the radars on the coast don't go out into the middle of the gulf (ocean). Yes, I know, you're talking about 44 miles away. Monitoring systems do much better in the "eye of the beast" than they do from several miles out or in orbit.

Third, the real-time data is necessary to know about the complex architecture of the storm. Ike has wobbled and sped and slowed. Yes, this data does have an effect on the present storm predictions. The storm predictions have a very real effect on how the people in the situation react. From first responders to the average Joe.

Fourth, it may not be data acquired has anything to do with the present storm, but may help future predictions. (Remember that SCIENCE thing?)

My son and his wife are down there, and any amount of my "tax money" spent to predict and inform is well spent.

[onenote]

17. if we just declare you the dumbest DUer will you stop working so hard at it?

[LeftyMom]

19. You fail at life.

[neverforget]

21. God forbid scientists learn something about this storm to help with

predicting future storms. No use in that at all. :eyes:

[Liberal In Texas]

22. You live in my part of Dallas? I would love to have a beer with you.

I REALLY would.

L

[RB TexLa]

23. No thank you.

[Liberal In Texas]

24. I thought not.

Edited to delete some stuff.

I'll leave the phrase "blow hard" here.

L

[tkmorris]

35. Well, that might get deleted

But what can you do? Sometimes that's just what the situation calls for.

Oh, and Mods? I won't bother to alert because I know you are gonna read this thread anyway, but can we finally ban this guy? I mean, he is advocating against life-saving research here. It doesn't get more flagrant than that does it?

[Liberal In Texas]

44. It probably will. I made my point and I may delete it myself.

I have NEVER said this another DUer even a troll.

[io-solip]

47. Heh heh

:thumbsup:

[Liberal In Texas]

54. As much as I hate to propel this thing to the top as a kick, Welcome to DU.

You have an odd handle. Does it mean anything or did you fall on the keyboard and that's what popped up?

(I tried backwards. Didn't work. Io is a moon. I don't know. Give a pissed off guy a clue.)

[io-solip]

57. It is from a book I read 50 years ago, "Star of the Unborn"

by Franz Werfel. It's science fiction....sort of. :D

[Catherine Vincent]

30. LOL!

As my two year old nephew says to everybody..."You're mean!"

[Liberal In Texas]

32. My doggie likes me.

But sorry, I've seen this guy for years, and I've just had it.

[SammyWinstonJack]

63. I think that was addressed to the OP.

:evilgrin:

[Midlodemocrat]

62. He won't drink with you. Sorry.

I will, though, if you're ever up my way.

:bounce:

[RoadRage]

25. Let's just suggest we take it out of the "DNA testing for Sea Lions" fund. NT

[RB TexLa]

28. Does beat that.

[TahitiNut]

26. If you hadn't posted this, folks might have merely suspected you were myopic and self-centered.

But by posting this as its own thread, it seems you've removed all doubt. :shrug:

[Vickers]

31. Yeah man, science sux.

:rofl:

[Liberal In Texas]

33. Because it's all SCIENCY and stuff.

[Vickers]

36. I know!

It's so gross.

*full-body shiver*

[neverforget]

39. Just more anti-intellectualism....

[Vickers]

50. Har! That pin is fantastic...

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[bullwinkle428]

34. You're right - they should have just spent the money on birthday cake

[Mind_your_head]

40. *Zing* Good One!

:thumbsup:

[RL3AO]

38. Look at all that sickening science!

I hate you science! LMAO at this post.

[Breeze54]

41. LIFE!!! And they don't "Fly Over It" ... they fly THROUGH it!

You're post is wasteful. :eyes:

[Barack_America]

49. For one, research. Ike has been a freak storm.

They need to learn everything about this storm in case another develops. This is how hurricane models are borne.

[dendrobium]

51. Because

"I don't drink with you." :eyes:

[ConsAreLiars]

56. Some, like you, may believe that seeking knowledge is a waste of time and money

unless there is some immediate profit. Others have a longer and broader view of what is worthwhile. But for selfish and shortsighted ones who cannot see beyond immediate gain, this will look wasteful. You know the type. "What's in it for me now?" For those people, well, there's not much hope.

(edit minor typos)

[PBS Poll-435]

59. FFS

It's called research.

Tell me you are not in agreement with former Senator ManOnDog.

He wanted to outsource the NWS to Accuweather.

[RollWithIt]

60. Uhhh, here's our 3AM update people.... nm.... too expensive to find out.....

Duh

[Lyric]

61. There is no progress without research.

Progressives support progress. We also support spending money on things that don't necessarily involve instant, shallow gratification, and pursuing answers that don't always fit into a neat soundbite. No, they aren't going to find something that people can prepare for in the next two hours. But they might find something new that can help everyone be better-prepared next time. It's not like this is the last hurricane that we'll ever see.