Welcome my friend

I would like to welcome my good friend "60 degrees".  I have not seen you since November 4th.

Got some possible rain for NEXT weekend. Friday and Saturday.  The high temps will start to cool off to the low 50s and upper 40s later next week but nothing to get worried about. 

Saturday will be the "cool" day of the next 4 hitting only 59 and maybe 60 and then zooming back up to the middle 60s Sunday and upper 60s Monday.  Could be a messy next Saturday with mixed precip early Saturday morning NEXT week and a high Saturday of 44ish. 

The big weather news is happening east of Australia where Survivor 9 was filmed on the island of Vanuatu. Tropical Cyclone Pam, a cat 5 with sustained winds of 168 is bashing that tiny island 

***********************

Had a really interesting Water and Light presentation/sales pitch about the Columbus water wells. Well #1 was constructed in 1928 and is 87 years old.  Well #2 was 1944 and is 71 years old.  We were told that wells last about, and age at about the same rate as humans which make our wells  . . . OLD.   

So the question is do we need a check up?  One argument was that everything is fine why spend money on something that is working perfectly.  This to me is like saying that because I'm 80 years old and jog and feel fine, why should I have a yearly check up. I'M FINE.  The other argument is that perhaps we should get a check up and plan for our death so when it happens we are prepared.  Maybe start the process for planning new wells since it's a 2-3 year process. 

Columbus has a lot of water at our disposal which if you think about it is better then you think because some industry need a lot of water. They will ask communities about the water situation. But with aging infrastructure  . . . . . . .

The one thing we DO have a problem with is phosphorus.  The State Government has decided that while it's fertilization of farmland that causes this problem they have decided that it's the communities that need to deal with it.  We will pay for this problem even though we are not causing it. The current State government in charge really likes to screw small towns.    

One more thing was that many people do not know that Columbus Water &  Light has many conservation programs available including a cash rebate for shade trees. Only 2 people took advantage of this last year.  I said we should really advertise this more and the response was "Did you see this in our last insert in the bill?" . . . . ummmmmm  no!  Who looks at that stuff when paying a 3 inch stack of bills  OK - smacked me down there. LOL

Here is a weird mind bending fact. Trees do not grow in the ground. They ACTUALLY grow in the air. Trees receive their carbon dioxide through the air and because of photosynthesis releases that carbon to create the substance of the tree in air. They receive water and nutrients from the soil but the actual tree is growing in the air, not the ground.       

*************************  

Sophie has a new place to sit watching me type.  I had to strategically place my weather station console so she would not step on the OFF button AGAIN on my computer (which she did twice, rebooting both times).

************************

Oil is in contango!!!  

My reaction also - WTF is contango! I looked it up. 

In a contango situation, hedgers (commodity producers and commodity users) or arbitrageurs/speculators (non-commercial investors), are "willing to pay more [now] for a commodity at some point in the future than the actual expected price of the commodity [at that future point].

WELL - OK then - whatever!   I'm sure you are now asking yourself what is the opposite of a contango. Obviously it's a backwardation.  Of course!  Daaa!

But wait, there is more!!  There is one report saying we could go into a SUPER CONTANGO (seriously, not a clue how that works or even why).

The Energy Information Administration reported last week that the U.S. pumped 4.5 million barrels of oil more then we consumed or gave away and we now have more oil them we have ever had in the last 80 years!  Oil plunged another 2% overnight and is at $46 a barrel.

These are crazy times in oil. Remember when gas stations were closed because of no gas? Or only open on even days and there were were hour long lines?

**********************

Did you see the latest video from the shooting in Madison? I know this area very well as I lived about a block away.  It's from a surveillance camera from the gas station across the street and shows a guy filling his tank.

All of a sudden there is gunfire and he ducks behind his gas tank and lights a cigarette.  WHAT?  Is that really the best he could do?   Two fails.  1. Hide behind his gas tank when bullets are assumed flying and 2. Light a cigarette while hiding behind his gas tank.

Come on man!    

*******************

Something Columbus Waste Water probably already knows.  Sanitary wipes are NOT meant for flushing.  NYCity spent $18 million in the last 5 years with this problem.  Don't flush those things.
++++++
58% of American bartenders are woman but on TV only 15% are portrayed as woman.
++++++
OH - while the world is rich in oil, the world is running out of bourbon. In 2002 there were 13 million cases of bourbon sold,  in 2014, 19 million cases. The problem is that bourbon needs to age a large number of years.   One report said that one retailer was selling a bottle 3 years ago for $25 and now it is $150.  While craft beer is cutting into the big breweries sales bourbon is cutting into craft beer sales.  Notice how many bourbon barrel craft beers are available now.

*****************

Wisconsin is -13.5 point favorites, or -1250 money line. Money line means you are just betting to win or lose.  This means you have to bet $1,250 to win $100 (get $1,350 in return . . hopefully).   I have no opinion on this game at all except they should win. It would be catastrophic if they lost.

******************

Bird watch - Starlings are back.  oh joy!    Remember when I said every so often I have a pigeon explosion when the local hawk has a meal?  I seemed to have a bunny explosion under the feeder.