Ticker for November 17, 2004

                
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November 17, 2004  November 17, 2004  November 17, 2004  November 17, 2004



A SAD Day for Man and Machine

Today marks the fifth or sixth consecutive day with continuous cloud
cover and precipitation across much of the state.  And, while the rain
is certainly welcome and useful, it can really have an impact on our
psyche.

Think about the adjectives we attach to these types of days.  We'd bet
that "gloomy" crossed your mind before "glorious", and that "dreary"
popped up before "delightful".  And hey, the Carpenters didn't sing
about rainy days cheering them up.

There's a reason we assign these values to days like these.  For many
of us, excessive and prolonged cloudiness have a definite negative
effect on our attitude and feelings.  Some people are profoundly
affected by these conditions, even to the point that the migration
of the sun in autumn can bring on physiological changes that may lead
to depression.  This condition may be called "Seasonal Affective
Disorder", or SAD.

We humans may feel like sunlight recharges our batteries, but for
Mesonet stations, it literally does just that.  Mesonet stations can
operate while using less power than a standard nightlight, but after
several consecutive cloudy days, even the most careful energy demands
can deplete battery voltage.

Today, Mesonet technicians replaced batteries at several sites in
central Oklahoma, where excessive cloudiness made the stations SAD
(Sunlight Acquisition Deficiency?). Almost no data was lost, thanks
to: 1) early detection and 2) speedy response, which are two factors
that help SAD humans, too.

So, for the sake of man and machine, the Ticker Staff calls on the
clouds to give us a break.  Let the sun come out soon, and send some
Vitamin D through our veins, and ions through our anodes.  Until the
Sun appears, few of us, man or machine, are working at full speed.