nj2va Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 1 hour ago, NorthArlington101 said: Anyone done proper Midwest storm chasing? My family vacation plans for May got disrupted but I’m still debating taking the time I had scheduled off for myself… I’m gonna be over my PTO allotment if I don’t use it soon. Trying to get a sense of the cost of existing as a storm chaser for a week - hotels, gas, rental car (with insurance, lmao). No idea if it’s worth the struggle but it strikes me as the kind of vacation that could work solo if I had to take a solo trip. @WxWatcher007 is a pro! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAPE Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 I asked Copilot "how are you more helpful than using Google". It basically told me it was a shill for Microsoft and it used Bing lol. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vastateofmind Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 3 hours ago, CAPE said: I asked Copilot "how are you more helpful than using Google". It basically told me it was a shill for Microsoft and it used Bing lol. Oh, I'm quite sure. So, I have been tasked to "teach" a course in MS Copilot to not only my team of co-workers (around 10 folks), but potentially for larger groups across our organization in my "day job." I have about as much trust in Microsoft as I do Google...which is to say, meh. Beyond that...while generative AI has great potential as a "starter" tool when it comes to writing, I've already developed a disdain for it because in the undergrad courses that I teach as part of my "side/evening gig," easily ONE QUARTER (or more) of the students I've taught in several class offerings over the past 1.5 years have blatantly used generative AI to cheat their asses off in submitted papers and required discussions. There are generative AI "writing checkers" online now, but FFS...you can just tell, because there are always a couple students who normally write complete and total shite (in terms of grammar AND content), who suddenly turn in the most gorgeous, GENERATED prose ever. It's just so completely and egregiously obvious. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WxWatcher007 Posted April 19 Share Posted April 19 7 hours ago, NorthArlington101 said: Anyone done proper Midwest storm chasing? My family vacation plans for May got disrupted but I’m still debating taking the time I had scheduled off for myself… I’m gonna be over my PTO allotment if I don’t use it soon. Trying to get a sense of the cost of existing as a storm chaser for a week - hotels, gas, rental car (with insurance, lmao). No idea if it’s worth the struggle but it strikes me as the kind of vacation that could work solo if I had to take a solo trip. 6 hours ago, nj2va said: @WxWatcher007 is a pro! Haha far from a pro but I’ve done it a few times! I’ve never done solo but it may be possible. I think if I were to do solo I’d only have a predetermined zone I’d be willing to drive in—say staying in the front range of Colorado through central Kansas and bouncing around the zone depending on the severe wx outlook. During my trips I had at least one other person willing to drive, and we literally traveled thousands of miles each trip over the course of 7-10 days. One time we went from San Antonio to Corpus Christi to Amarillo in one day. That’s a lot to ask of one person. Expect to spend between $100-150 each night for a decent hotel. Gas isn’t terrible if you have an efficient car. Rental car with insurance (and always get the full insurance in case of getting totaled by hail lol) isn’t awful as well but check around to get the cheapest price. Don’t forget to factor in food. Each of my trips cost at least $1k. Being in multiple cities alone is worth the cost IMO. That’s all doable. The biggest challenge with a solo trip imo is the logistics when you’re actually in chase mode. Driving and tracking a supercell that could split, spawn a tornado, or throw out big hail far from the “center” sounds dicey. If you did do it, I’d recommend keeping even greater distance and ALWAYS being prepared to move to a safer location. If you question in the slightest whether you’re safe, move immediately. Other than that, hell of a thrill and amazing to travel the country. I’d try chasing again this year, but I think the tropics will have me busy this summer/fall. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnowenOutThere Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 3 hours ago, vastateofmind said: There are generative AI "writing checkers" online now, but FFS...you can just tell, because there are always a couple students who normally write complete and total shite (in terms of grammar AND content), who suddenly turn in the most gorgeous, GENERATED prose ever. It's just so completely and egregiously obvious. As a student I've noticed that often times AI writing isn't even that great, its more or less boilerplate slop (is good for summarizations and titles though). There is one kid in my Ap Lang class who uses AI on every assignment and gets straight Bs, overall I just don't see its use besides for the laziest students who can't be bothered to think up anything better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wxdude64 Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 1 hour ago, WxWatcher007 said: Haha far from a pro but I’ve done it a few times! I’ve never done solo but it may be possible. I think if I were to do solo I’d only have a predetermined zone I’d be willing to drive in—say staying in the front range of Colorado through central Kansas and bouncing around the zone depending on the severe wx outlook. During my trips I had at least one other person willing to drive, and we literally traveled thousands of miles each trip over the course of 7-10 days. One time we went from San Antonio to Corpus Christi to Amarillo in one day. That’s a lot to ask of one person. Expect to spend between $100-150 each night for a decent hotel. Gas isn’t terrible if you have an efficient car. Rental car with insurance (and always get the full insurance in case of getting totaled by hail lol) isn’t awful as well but check around to get the cheapest price. Don’t forget to factor in food. Each of my trips cost at least $1k. Being in multiple cities alone is worth the cost IMO. That’s all doable. The biggest challenge with a solo trip imo is the logistics when you’re actually in chase mode. Driving and tracking a supercell that could split, spawn a tornado, or throw out big hail far from the “center” sounds dicey. If you did do it, I’d recommend keeping even greater distance and ALWAYS being prepared to move to a safer location. If you question in the slightest whether you’re safe, move immediately. Other than that, hell of a thrill and amazing to travel the country. I’d try chasing again this year, but I think the tropics will have me busy this summer/fall. A great response and I agree totally. I've never 'chased' by myself, only with my son on a few occasions. The part about driving AND keeping up with radar/warnings/sky conditions keeps me from trying solo myself. BTW awesome last pic! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthArlington101 Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 Thanks @WxWatcher007 ! Just assessing options… had my tropical vacation snatched away last minute by a series of unfortunate events. Might make sense to solo explore a city near here… or run up to NYC and find friends. Or a tornado! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harv_poor Posted April 21 Share Posted April 21 Jebman - Not sure of the weather yesterday in Austin, but am visiting Dallas. Torrential rains for about 12 hours yesterday. Love Field in dallas reported 4.22 inches of rain. Radar estimates show that was pretty common across the City. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nj2va Posted April 21 Share Posted April 21 Let’s go Caps!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted April 21 Share Posted April 21 Kind of hoping the Caps bait a brawl in the final few minutes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda Posted April 23 Share Posted April 23 Orioles have called up Kjerstad https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/04/orioles-promote-heston-kjerstad-top-prospect.html 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WxUSAF Posted April 23 Share Posted April 23 Orioles lineup tonight with Grayson Rodriguez pitching is just 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wxdude64 Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 Caps played better, but down 2-0 headed home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 11 hours ago, WxUSAF said: Orioles lineup tonight with Grayson Rodriguez pitching is just Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WxUSAF Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 6 hours ago, nw baltimore wx said: Woof, that didn’t go the glorious way I imagined after seeing that lineup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 9 minutes ago, WxUSAF said: Woof, that didn’t go the glorious way I imagined after seeing that lineup At least Holliday got a hit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickinBaltimore Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 This bullpen will takes years off my life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WxUSAF Posted April 24 Share Posted April 24 24 minutes ago, RickinBaltimore said: This bullpen will takes years off my life. It’s been rough the last 7-10 games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MN Transplant Posted April 25 Share Posted April 25 The NFL draft can't start soon enough. The Vikings fandom is going insane with the QB question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CAPE Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 So the commanders drafted 'Lamar 2.0', and the Ravens have the original. Should be fun to watch locally, even though they may not compete against each other very often. Good pick by the Commanders imo and probably the best QB overall in the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 8 hours ago, MN Transplant said: The NFL draft can't start soon enough. The Vikings fandom is going insane with the QB question. McCarthy from Michigan it is for you guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maestrobjwa Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 For some reason, I'm just not convinced about Caleb Williams...dude smells like a bust to me. Something about him...And he came up so amped up even though he knew he was gonna be the No. 1 overall pick. Talking about the crowd...seems to lack a bit of humility (not to be confused with confidence). For the Bears' sake I hope I'm wrong, but...not a great vibe to me! And...it is the Bears, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs.J Posted April 26 Share Posted April 26 On 4/15/2024 at 8:26 PM, toolsheds said: That's great news and is a great experience for her! Trying to get mine to look at the abroad program they have in London. She initially wanted to and now is not so sure. It is a big decision. This will be my kids second time abroad. She was in England last Spring. As it was her freshman spring semester it was a more guided experience. This time she will actually be taking classes for her major. The idea of attending one of Europes oldest film schools and get hands on experience and connections is what really drew her to her program. It also involves a 20hr language intensive the first week. The best part about going abroad is if you don’t go one semester there are more chances. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MN Transplant Posted Friday at 05:58 PM Share Posted Friday at 05:58 PM 16 hours ago, yoda said: McCarthy from Michigan it is for you guys And Dallas Turner (edge), who was the #1 defender on many boards. Not much draft capital left this year and next, but a good foundation for future years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickinBaltimore Posted Friday at 08:09 PM Share Posted Friday at 08:09 PM And Holliday back to Norfolk. Honestly, not surprised, he has been struggling bad at the major league level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda Posted Saturday at 12:41 AM Share Posted Saturday at 12:41 AM Lol Capitals. True, made the playoffs, but your offense sucks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nw baltimore wx Posted Saturday at 01:45 AM Share Posted Saturday at 01:45 AM 1 hour ago, yoda said: Lol Capitals. True, made the playoffs, but your offense sucks Sssshhhhhhh… You should be resting if you’re hoping to make that early morning tee time with the Pens. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda Posted Saturday at 01:52 AM Share Posted Saturday at 01:52 AM 6 minutes ago, nw baltimore wx said: Sssshhhhhhh… You should be resting if you’re hoping to make that early morning tee time with the Pens. Crosby told me he was trying to get a Monday morning time so we could include Ovechkin 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdhokie Posted Saturday at 02:07 AM Share Posted Saturday at 02:07 AM Thought a home game against the As would be a sure fire win... Ugh. Well still had some fun with the kids at the ballpark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WxUSAF Posted Saturday at 02:59 AM Share Posted Saturday at 02:59 AM That game sucked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now