according to jeff

Given (a) that incidents of unexpected acceleration by Toyota vehicles are not statistically significantly different than those for vehicles from other manufacturers (I read that on the Internet so it must be true) and (b) the questions about the accuracy of the alleged incident in California regarding a Toyota Prius that raced up to 90 MPH and couldn’t be slowed (the brakes don’t share wear consistent with the report, the behavior cannot be duplicated, the “victim” has hired a lawyer, etc.), one must wonder whether the class action lawsuit brought by Toyota vehicle owners, alleging the decrease in value of their Toyota vehicles, should be directed to the media, rather than Toyota.

“South Africa’s leading Internet service provider is facing some unexpected competition. A financial services company, frustrated with super-slow Internet speed, decided to try a homing pigeon instead. It strapped a memory card to the leg of a bird. By the time it arrived at the data’s destination, 50 miles away, the Internet had managed to send only 4 percent of the information.”
NPR
September 10, 2009

On this morning’s Andy Petersen show on WMT radio, Andy hosted Anthony Watts, a meteorologist with an interesting project.

Back in the 70s, when he made his first weather reporting station, his professor cautioned him to be sure to use whitewash for the surface paint, as this was the standard. To use a different paint would distort the data and make it unscientific to compare readings to previous years.

Many years later, though, he noticed that a weather station was painted with latex paint, rather than whitewash. He wondered if the difference in paint would make a difference in the recorded temperatures, and that distort comparisons with prior years. His investigation led him to discover the problems are much deeper. He found many reporting stations not properly isolated from outside influences that would artificially increase the reported temperature. Such influences included being positioned next to air conditioner exhausts, on concrete pads, etc. He then kicked off a volunteer campaign to find and photographically report on the official weather reporting stations. His conclusion: “the network has fallen into neglect, and the temperature data produced by it is suspect due to microsite biases.”

Read more about it here: www.wattsupwiththat.com/test.

Temperature recordings at these weather stations are used, in part, to support the concept of global warming. However, if there are other influences that cause increased average temperature readings at these stations, then any trend data isn’t reliable. If the trend data isn’t reliable, then it cannot be used to support any hypothesis, whether pro-warming or pro-cooling.

What am I missing in this story by Trish Mehaffey in the Saturday, May 30, edition of the Cedar Rapids Gazette?

CEDAR RAPIDS – A former Mercy Medical Center employee was sentenced Friday to 10 years suspended with five years’ probation in Linn County District Court for embezzling $210,000 from the hospital.

Tammy Brandt, 49, of Cedar Rapids, convicted by a jury in March for first-degree theft, also was ordered to pay $8,850 in victim’s restitution and a $1,000 fine.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Marsha Beckelman said she followed the presentencing investigation recommendation of a suspended sentence because Brandt has no prior offenses and she wants Brandt to pay restitution.

Beckelman told Brandt she was in a position of trust and the evidence at the trial was “overwhelming.” The sentence provides rehabilitation for Brandt and protection for the community, the judge said.

Brandt told the judge one of the witnesses didn’t testify truthfully about what she did and claimed she was innocent. She also said her attorney didn’t discuss her testifying until the last day of the trial.

Assistant Attorney General James Kivi, who prosecuted the case, asked the judge to give her the maximum jail time — 10 years. Brandt, he said, violated the trust of her position, not just once but “scores” of times — “it may be as many as 100 times.”

Kivi said Brandt made a conscious decision to willfully take money from the hospital.

Mark Brown, Brandts attorney, stressed to Beckelman that it would be extremely unusual for a first-time offender to receive 10 years for a non-violent “paper” crime like this.

Brandt, as a finance executive assistant, embezzled the $210,000 from the hospital during fiscal years 1995 to 2008 through a scheme in which she cashed Mercy Medical Center Foundation donations.

Witnesses testified at the trial the foundation wasn’t set up to accept credit cards, so the hospital finance department would process them and reimburse the foundation. Brandt would then take checks to the cashiers once or twice a month and ask for $100 bills. The cash donations never made it into the foundation or hospital accounts, an auditor said.

Both today and yesterday, the CBS World News Roundup referred to our president’s approval rating in two ways.

• An approval rating of 68%
• A 3 to 1 approval rating

Apparently no CBS World News Roundup reporters, editors or producers caught the error, since it was repeated today. I wonder how many listeners did.

Today I had occasion to drive to Mt. Vernon, to pick Lu up on her way back from a children’s camp in the Muscatine area. Since we are in the middle of the unprecedented flood of the Cedar River, the trip could have been qualified as an adventure.

Fortunately, while it was an adventure, it was relatively uneventful.

The local media was announcing that I-380 was to be closed, so I planned my trip to Mt. Vernon such that I wouldn’t need to cross the Cedar River. I took the Marion Bypass to Hwy 13, took Hwy 13 to Hwy 30, and Hwy 30 into Mt. Vernon. I’d originally planned to take the backroad (Mt. Vernon Rd.) into Mt. Vernon, once I cleared the four-way stop there, I decided to stay on Hwy 13. I was glad that I did, because I was able to see the highway nearly covered by water from the rising Cedar River. It took me 25 minutes to clear the Lindale Mall area, and another 35 to make it from Lindale to Mt. Vernon.

For the trip home, I’d planned to return via Mt. Vernon Road and then take Hwy 13 up to County Home Road to avoid the Lindale traffic. However, I’d heard that I-380 wasn’t actually closed. Instead, there were lane restrictions to allow the emergency vehicles to travel faster. So, we decided to escort our friend, the other driver, back to 380, where she’d stay on this side of the river while we crossed to the other side. Again, I was glad for this change of plans, because we were able to see that Hwy 13 had been closed (the water must have engulfed the road) and also able to see the flooding from the vantage point of the raised highway. It was clear sailing on Hwy 30 to 380, but then 40 minutes to get home from there.

Again, we took some pictures from the moving car with my iPhone. Compare pictures 7 and 8 to yesterday’s pictures, and you’ll see that the First, Second and Third Avenue bridges are completely engulfed. (Click a picture for more detail.)

3: Yes, That’s a Car Behind the Bike

4: Flood Waters

5: Looking up First Avenue

6: The Dairy Queen

7: “The Covered Bridges of Linn County”

8: Mays Island

The river has not yet crested. My friend Jim provided these updated figures:

• Current level: 28.5
• Predicted crest: unknown, but above 30 feet

If the river crests above 30 feet, then it will crest a full 50% higher than the previously recorded high.

One stunning feature of this flood is the apparent capriciousness. Some homes are completely devastated, while only a few blocks away, life continues with only some inconvenience.

Cedar Rapids is experiencing what is being described as between a 100 year and a 500 year flood, as the Cedar River is expected to crest at more than a four feet higher than any previously recorded height. There is a mandatory evacuation for everyone within the 100 year flood plain, and the city is expecting flooding within the 500 year flood plain.

Where we live in Hiawatha, just north of Cedar Rapids, we don’t expect any direct flooding effects. However, for those closer to the river, the situation is dire. Even traveling from the north side of the river to the south side of the river is difficult, as many of the bridges are closed and many of the entrance and exit ramps to downtown are also closed.

Earlier today, I was at our church on the other side of the river. As the afternoon progressed, traffic became more and more congested, as bridges and roads were closed due to the rising water. Church is usually a 10 minute drive, but the trip home took about 35 minutes as we detoured south to Highway 30 in order to head north and cross the river on I-380. (The Wilson Avenue entrance was also open, but I knew from earlier experience that traffic was backed up there.)

Bethany was able to take a few (low quality) pictures as we crossed the river. (Click a photo for more detail.)

1: A View from 380

2: Another View from 380

Unless you’re familiar with the downtown view, these pictures may not mean anything to you. However, look at the height of the water at the First Avenue bridge. If you’ve seen it before, you know how high it is now.

The previous highest recorded river level in Cedar Rapids was 20 feet. The current height is being reported as 21 feet. The projected crest is 24.5 feet. Another 3.5 feet to go.