[QUOTE=only_human;389555]Ditto.
It sounds like this next storm is going to be very strong and possibly more coming.

Here's some back of the envelope numbers so far:
[URL="http://m.kcra.com/news/are-we-there-yet-how-much-more-rain-will-end-the-drought/30086452"]'Are we there yet?': How much more rain will end drought?[/URL][/QUOTE]
The trouble that often happens is people (reporters) quoting the wrong figures. Saying "we are at 107% of normal" often leaves out the implied (or explicitly stated by the person-in-the-know) "for this point in the season" or maybe "for the calendar year". Saying that the rainfall is at 107% of normal at the end of October is different than saying that at the end of April. For my job I used to have to keep a close eye on the weather, the rainfall in specific.

I could go all Rainman on the subject, but I won't. Suffice it to say that I don't trust any short reports from TV news. Print and NPR are much better at getting the complete picture.

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;389571]The trouble that often happens is people (reporters) quoting the wrong figures. Saying "we are at 107% of normal" often leaves out the implied (or explicitly stated by the person-in-the-know) "for this point in the season" or maybe "for the calendar year". Saying that the rainfall is at 107% of normal at the end of October is different than saying that at the end of April. For my job I used to have to keep a close eye on the weather, the rainfall in specific.

I could go all Rainman on the subject, but I won't. Suffice it to say that I don't trust any short reports from TV news. Print and NPR are much better at getting the complete picture.[/QUOTE]I knew that the 107% number was not complete enough to be meaningful but I chose this particular article because I like the information about the locations of the gauges near reservoirs that they rely upon and what they consider a drought ending circumstance.

Anyway all of us here are pretty clear on the fact that reported values are almost always botched in some way compared to what an educated person in a particular topic would like to see reported. Sure print is better, and NPR and BBC are great at most reporting.

[QUOTE=Uncwilly;389571]Suffice it to say that I don't trust any short reports from TV news. Print and NPR are much better at getting the complete picture.[/QUOTE]Noted. I'll try to exercise more care what I flag for attention in the future. I poorly selected and I implicitly endorsed it especially by suggesting that these were back of the envelope numbers. That being primarily a term for a rough calculation from a expert.

[QUOTE=only_human;389575]Noted. I'll try to exercise more care what I flag for attention in the future. I poorly selected and I implicitly endorsed it especially by suggesting that these were back of the envelope numbers. That being primarily a term for a rough calculation from a expert.[/QUOTE]
I wasn't faulting you or your quote or source. I was just expressing frustration the way things often get expressed. Reporters are often careful to spin things to make them sound more extreme.

[SPOILER]"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."[/SPOILER]

[URL="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2014/11/18/a-vital-brain-structure-was-forgotten-for-100-years-because-scientists-couldnt-agree/"]A vital brain structure was forgotten for 100 years because scientists couldn’t agree[/URL]

[URL="http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-build-a-time-machine1/"]How to Build a Time Machine[/URL]

[URL="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141118-exoskeleton-neuroscience-brain-monkey-wheelchair-science/"]Monkeys Steer Wheelchairs With Their Brains, Raising Hope for Paralyzed People[/URL]

[URL="http://www.livescience.com/48775-humor-brain-activity.html"]Laughing Matter: Finding the Roots of Humor in the Brain[/URL]

[URL="http://gizmodo.com/a-periodic-table-that-tells-you-about-how-elements-real-1665078960"]A Periodic Table That Tells You How Common Elements Really Are[/URL]

[URL="http://www.livescience.com/49009-future-of-artificial-intelligence.html"]Artificial Intelligence: Friendly or Frightening?[/URL]

[URL="http://exclusive.multibriefs.com/content/tomorrows-buildings-may-be-built-by-robots/construction-building-materials"]Tomorrow’s buildings may be built by robots[/URL]

[URL]http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2014/12/15/a-northern-white-rhino-has-died-there-are-now-five-left-in-the-entire-world/[/URL]

[QUOTE]Following his death, there are just five northern white rhinos left worldwide, all in captivity.[/QUOTE]

Re. CA rains: Rained all last night, got a brief respite this afternoon, now next storm is blessing us. Holy opposite-of-last-year, Batman!

W.r.to the various touted statistics, all I know is here in Silicon Valley we've already gotten more rain in December than we did all last winter. Let's hope the trend continues, because the only way to make up a huge multiyear deficit is to run a similar multiyear surplus. (And the timescale for replenishing central valley aquifers is likely much longer, due to "deficit spending" on top of "collapsed revenues". I'm afraid Keynesian economics fails epically in the field of hydrology.)

============

[url=gizmodo.com/how-greenpeace-wrecked-one-of-the-most-sacred-places-in-1669873583]How Greenpeace Wrecked One of the Most Sacred Places in the Americas[/url] -- Nazca Drawings :(

[QUOTE][URL="http://gizmodo.com/how-greenpeace-wrecked-one-of-the-most-sacred-places-in-1669873583"]How Greenpeace Wrecked One of the Most Sacred Places in the Americas[/URL] -- Nazca Drawings :( [/QUOTE]

My feelings are beyond disgust and outrage.

[QUOTE=ewmayer;390193]Re. CA rains: Rained all last night, got a brief respite this afternoon, now next storm is blessing us.[/QUOTE]

And I can repeat the very same words today, and they are still (or better, once again) true.

[url=www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/12/141224103113.htm]Putting bedbugs to bed forever[/url] | ScienceDaily

[url]http://www.citiesatnight.org/[/url]