As this year finally draws to a close, the times have gone by like blurs on an impressionist's canvas. I only have one semester of undergraduate college left and I will be applying for graduate school soon. Around this January I'll will be applying for several graduate programs, but my first choice is the University of Oklahoma, whose research programs first inspired me to begin my interest in meteorology.
However even with these things that I've wanted all my life, I know that reality can make things so much different. Like the recession and other social problems around me I know that things don't always work out the way they should and sometimes this life can feel very loveless and appear like a frigid void. However as my personality is slowly revealing itself after so many years of remaining hidden I now look at my goals through a different lens.
What I want in life, more than any prestige, dollar amount, or charisma worship from other people is simply love and acceptance; more valuable to me than any profit that I will ever attain. If I can even reach that level of living and at the same time contribute anything, at any level, to my science; then I know that most of my life goals have been met, and even in this sometimes broken world of ours I will come to know a content that I have been seeking for a very long time.
Have a nice day!
Justin Reid
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
My Own Autumn of Life
I have always loved the different colors that appear at this time of year when the air gets colder and daylight becomes less and less. Some of my poetry has been inspired by this time of year that seems to be drenched in golden waves of afternoons and early evenings. Whenever I see things like these, I remember what I have forever wanted in my life more than anything that the world can give.
In college I've been exposed to many sensibilities, philosophies and perspectives on the human experience. I've also seen warriors for social justice wage battles of rhetoric and existence against those they perceive as oppressors. However among all these wonders, horrors, and temples to materialism they cannot fill the part of my soul that hungers for my greatest desire from this world, true acceptance at last.
No amount of money, influence, or change that I could enact would replace those time that I remember when I was younger, when I could bring forth my emotions like a paintbrush whisking clouds on an empty canvas, and others there would fill my heart with happiness in return. All these contemporary ideas that try to replace this experience (be it with pets, alcohol, or sexual excess) fail miserably in my eyes and lead to the utterly depressed state of many people I've met here. Everyone just seems so distant, either avoiding being hurt by some force or that I don't fit enough for what they put on a pedestal. However these times that I have lived through are changing.
No matter what type of "Mythical American Norm" that I supposedly belong to, or how socially awkward I am will change the person inside myself that I have been too afraid to reveal since I was a child. Not that this matters much to a busy rebellious person hypnotized and enthralled in the young life or the winds of change, but this is who I am. I am someone who has loved meteorology and the sky above us for most of my life, but I have other things too. I also have feelings and perceptions that I have experienced, since I was young, from the world around me that has matured into the poetry that I write today. This is how I derive my inspiration and expression, an act of respect and love for other people, places, and events. Finally I do want to truly fall in love with someone one day. She isn't a prize, an object, or some nominal significant other to extend my personal space with. She is a node within my soul, as much a member of my being as my right hand (probably more). To suggest I would think otherwise as a part of my natural tendencies, is utterly offensive to the very foundation of how I live.
These things always swirl within my mind when I am alone staring at the beauty of the world that I observe. My greatest dream, more than winning the lottery, becoming an AMS Fellow, or being the top researcher of the National Severe Storms Laboratory, is the day when I can walk up to my friends and be welcomed fully once more. That connection, that other side, is where I know that I can at least for a moment, find true happiness on planet Earth. I think of those smiling faces when I see the leaves fall in the late autumn sunlight. I know that I will meet them again, but sometimes I'm not sure when that will happen.
Have a wonderful day,
Justin Lynn Reid
In college I've been exposed to many sensibilities, philosophies and perspectives on the human experience. I've also seen warriors for social justice wage battles of rhetoric and existence against those they perceive as oppressors. However among all these wonders, horrors, and temples to materialism they cannot fill the part of my soul that hungers for my greatest desire from this world, true acceptance at last.
No amount of money, influence, or change that I could enact would replace those time that I remember when I was younger, when I could bring forth my emotions like a paintbrush whisking clouds on an empty canvas, and others there would fill my heart with happiness in return. All these contemporary ideas that try to replace this experience (be it with pets, alcohol, or sexual excess) fail miserably in my eyes and lead to the utterly depressed state of many people I've met here. Everyone just seems so distant, either avoiding being hurt by some force or that I don't fit enough for what they put on a pedestal. However these times that I have lived through are changing.
No matter what type of "Mythical American Norm" that I supposedly belong to, or how socially awkward I am will change the person inside myself that I have been too afraid to reveal since I was a child. Not that this matters much to a busy rebellious person hypnotized and enthralled in the young life or the winds of change, but this is who I am. I am someone who has loved meteorology and the sky above us for most of my life, but I have other things too. I also have feelings and perceptions that I have experienced, since I was young, from the world around me that has matured into the poetry that I write today. This is how I derive my inspiration and expression, an act of respect and love for other people, places, and events. Finally I do want to truly fall in love with someone one day. She isn't a prize, an object, or some nominal significant other to extend my personal space with. She is a node within my soul, as much a member of my being as my right hand (probably more). To suggest I would think otherwise as a part of my natural tendencies, is utterly offensive to the very foundation of how I live.
These things always swirl within my mind when I am alone staring at the beauty of the world that I observe. My greatest dream, more than winning the lottery, becoming an AMS Fellow, or being the top researcher of the National Severe Storms Laboratory, is the day when I can walk up to my friends and be welcomed fully once more. That connection, that other side, is where I know that I can at least for a moment, find true happiness on planet Earth. I think of those smiling faces when I see the leaves fall in the late autumn sunlight. I know that I will meet them again, but sometimes I'm not sure when that will happen.
Have a wonderful day,
Justin Lynn Reid
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Ostracism, another synonym for "Bullying"
For this post, I'm writing in response to recent reports, especially through CNN and Anderson Cooper, about the "bullying" phenomenon going on the public school system. For the record, I must point out that I am heterosexual and a Christian and I didn't receive this treatment due to sexual preference, race, or religion. I've always found this subject uncomfortable for me to talk about and I thought airing the subject would be too crass, but I now think it is time for me to tell the story. What I experienced, I believe, is a form of conceited discrimination that I dealt with for nearly 8 years of my life.
Before the "bullying" started I was 8 years old. I was interested in meteorology even during those days (I first got interested when I was 5 after watching the PBS special Cylcone) and even took a tour of my local NBC station's weather center with my father. What I remember from those days was a mostly positive life with the creative experiences that come with childhood. This creative impulses that I felt so often during those days are those that ultimately lead to me writing poetry, and stories when I came to college. School was school during those days (even with it many administrative quirks) and I learned what I needed and left, and I even had a few friends during those times.
However this all changed in the fourth grade and what followed was what I call a deep and persistent spiral into isolation and ridicule. It started out as your usual immaturities but then I began to feel more and more distanced from my peers, even the ones that I knew before this began to happen. Many seemed to take an extreme displeasure to my presence. By sixth grade even though I changed schools, this sense from the people around me grew by such a large extent (one student even suggested that I drop dead) malicious rumors began to fly around (I believe of something an explicit nature) and soon I became a social outcast, something to be parodied like the subject of a South Park episode. The teachers and administration either didn't care and in some instances exacerbated the problem. Ultimately I left this public school because of death threats against other students.
When I moved to my new school the direct threat of violence ended, however the new people I began to know at my new school started to follow in the same good ol' American tradition of alienate the weird kid that's so different. This ultimately mushroomed in my sophomore year of high school where I literally almost went an entire school year isolated and without any friends to speak of. I was a cast away in my own thirsty mind among the rebellious and the condemning. All sorts of new expressions such as punk music, myspace, MTV, and other things spoke about freedom and having a sense self worth, but the same culture denied me the glittering friendship that it promised. I pretty much had no friendship at all and was something of an emotional punching bag when someone had a bad day. These desolate times that I call "high orbit" even affect my fashion sense today and is why I utterly refuse to buy Hollister, American Eagle, and other products that I associate with the treatment I endured.
In the end I graduated third in my class and retained high academic honors that have lead me to the college years that I am almost done with. With these memories still deep in my psyche I still question of what I am really worth. Am I a true member of this "free" American society? What is so wrong about me that someone would literally take the time to effectively devalue my own existence and make me feel at time like I am a life form lower than rotting pond scum? Even in college I still sense some of this bitterness and though I don't do all the things everyone else does, is my personality that much of a pestilence and a bother?
Now you know a little bit more on how I think and how some of my opinions and style choices were made. Not by a simplistic flow of trivial trends and memes, but by enduring a state of malicious condemnation and pure hatred that I lived with for a very long time. Anderson Cooper and the activist groups have only just unearthed the skylight of an entire underground cavern that has been interwoven among American society. So if you decide to dodge hanging out or preach to me about accepting other lifestyles due to college "liberal" ideals think twice, because I have already lived and learned the sensibilities and lessons that you are only now considering because it is politically advantageous and finally "cool" to understand.
In closing I consider what happened to me not "bullying" in the regular sense. Rather, I use the word ostracism to describe the interaction I had most often with my peers during those days. I remember one the first of my childhood's creative moments (a dream) that I have always considered close to my religion. Even with all that has happened and may happen again, I still keep this image in my mind and in my soul.
I behold the perfect afternoon, pure and unending, drenched in the patchwork of love and words. I feel no evil and I relinquish my connection to avarice. Each day is a story, a second is a metaphor, everything around me is a blessed actor. Even if I find emptiness, I'll travel back to this world, and find all the connections to my inner purity once more.
Have a fulfilling day,
Justin Reid
Before the "bullying" started I was 8 years old. I was interested in meteorology even during those days (I first got interested when I was 5 after watching the PBS special Cylcone) and even took a tour of my local NBC station's weather center with my father. What I remember from those days was a mostly positive life with the creative experiences that come with childhood. This creative impulses that I felt so often during those days are those that ultimately lead to me writing poetry, and stories when I came to college. School was school during those days (even with it many administrative quirks) and I learned what I needed and left, and I even had a few friends during those times.
However this all changed in the fourth grade and what followed was what I call a deep and persistent spiral into isolation and ridicule. It started out as your usual immaturities but then I began to feel more and more distanced from my peers, even the ones that I knew before this began to happen. Many seemed to take an extreme displeasure to my presence. By sixth grade even though I changed schools, this sense from the people around me grew by such a large extent (one student even suggested that I drop dead) malicious rumors began to fly around (I believe of something an explicit nature) and soon I became a social outcast, something to be parodied like the subject of a South Park episode. The teachers and administration either didn't care and in some instances exacerbated the problem. Ultimately I left this public school because of death threats against other students.
When I moved to my new school the direct threat of violence ended, however the new people I began to know at my new school started to follow in the same good ol' American tradition of alienate the weird kid that's so different. This ultimately mushroomed in my sophomore year of high school where I literally almost went an entire school year isolated and without any friends to speak of. I was a cast away in my own thirsty mind among the rebellious and the condemning. All sorts of new expressions such as punk music, myspace, MTV, and other things spoke about freedom and having a sense self worth, but the same culture denied me the glittering friendship that it promised. I pretty much had no friendship at all and was something of an emotional punching bag when someone had a bad day. These desolate times that I call "high orbit" even affect my fashion sense today and is why I utterly refuse to buy Hollister, American Eagle, and other products that I associate with the treatment I endured.
In the end I graduated third in my class and retained high academic honors that have lead me to the college years that I am almost done with. With these memories still deep in my psyche I still question of what I am really worth. Am I a true member of this "free" American society? What is so wrong about me that someone would literally take the time to effectively devalue my own existence and make me feel at time like I am a life form lower than rotting pond scum? Even in college I still sense some of this bitterness and though I don't do all the things everyone else does, is my personality that much of a pestilence and a bother?
Now you know a little bit more on how I think and how some of my opinions and style choices were made. Not by a simplistic flow of trivial trends and memes, but by enduring a state of malicious condemnation and pure hatred that I lived with for a very long time. Anderson Cooper and the activist groups have only just unearthed the skylight of an entire underground cavern that has been interwoven among American society. So if you decide to dodge hanging out or preach to me about accepting other lifestyles due to college "liberal" ideals think twice, because I have already lived and learned the sensibilities and lessons that you are only now considering because it is politically advantageous and finally "cool" to understand.
In closing I consider what happened to me not "bullying" in the regular sense. Rather, I use the word ostracism to describe the interaction I had most often with my peers during those days. I remember one the first of my childhood's creative moments (a dream) that I have always considered close to my religion. Even with all that has happened and may happen again, I still keep this image in my mind and in my soul.
I behold the perfect afternoon, pure and unending, drenched in the patchwork of love and words. I feel no evil and I relinquish my connection to avarice. Each day is a story, a second is a metaphor, everything around me is a blessed actor. Even if I find emptiness, I'll travel back to this world, and find all the connections to my inner purity once more.
Have a fulfilling day,
Justin Reid
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Beauty and the Dark Side of my Linux Experience
Since I've been in middle school I have had to learn about computers and the applications that they've run. No fanboy-like rant intended, I've never actually taken pleasure out of that singular experience until I used the Linux operating system. For what I do, Linux does things faster, more intuitively, and for free. The Ubuntu Linux distribution is one of my main weapons against the hard times of the recession in my country. However even with my current knowledge of programming and my interest in Linux, I sometimes feel a sort of resistance coming from one of the system's hallmarks, the Linux community.
Many articles have been written about the Linux snob syndrome. Although I believe that the Open Source development process is one of the best paradigms for creating and maintaining software, I feel sort of alienated when I try to interact with some of its members. Sometimes when I ask a question I get the go to response of "please ask me something more specific". You're a computer programmer, if you understand recursive algorithms you can answer a general question about a bug or how an application works, I'm not asking about a kernel spec. This sort of sensibility also carried over to another ambition of mine, being a Linux developer.
Earlier this year I wanted to play an active part in being a developer for my current distribution Ubuntu. Although I knew I needed to learn C++, I thought I knew enough programming to begin learning more about Linux and actually getting real world coding experience by becoming a developer like someone who maintains and creates Linux applications (such as GIMP or Emacs), however when I looked at all the information it was truly an overwhelming experience and when I went into what is called and internet relay chat (irc) room I was only advised to go back to the links I had already visited, and that I needed a to have an exact definition of what I wanted to do. I can understand where the people in that irc came from, however I do not work for Canonical (the corporate sponsor of Ubuntu) and trying to synthesize all the different ends and outs (MOTUs, Upstream vs. downstream, Launchpad, etc.) without some form of more concrete guidance seems counter intuitive to the Linux and open source mission. The path to becoming a developer seemed for me to be fuzzy and non-direct, and I didn't think I would get any more help from the community sources.
Ultimately I realized that development for me would be impractical because I only have one machine and I would have to buy another for the sole purpose of stability. In addition I also bought Mark Sobell's A Practical Guide to Linux which has helped me extensively understand Linux's elegance in its many flavors sans the aloofness. I do feel that most of the Linux community is not this way, especially when reading articles from sources such as OMG! Ubuntu and Nixie Pixel, however this gravitas does exist in places. I really do see a bright future for Linux and will be my primary operating system moving forward. But in some ways I wonder if I'll still be looking at the Tux from the outside in.
Have a peaceful day,
Justin Reid
Many articles have been written about the Linux snob syndrome. Although I believe that the Open Source development process is one of the best paradigms for creating and maintaining software, I feel sort of alienated when I try to interact with some of its members. Sometimes when I ask a question I get the go to response of "please ask me something more specific". You're a computer programmer, if you understand recursive algorithms you can answer a general question about a bug or how an application works, I'm not asking about a kernel spec. This sort of sensibility also carried over to another ambition of mine, being a Linux developer.
Earlier this year I wanted to play an active part in being a developer for my current distribution Ubuntu. Although I knew I needed to learn C++, I thought I knew enough programming to begin learning more about Linux and actually getting real world coding experience by becoming a developer like someone who maintains and creates Linux applications (such as GIMP or Emacs), however when I looked at all the information it was truly an overwhelming experience and when I went into what is called and internet relay chat (irc) room I was only advised to go back to the links I had already visited, and that I needed a to have an exact definition of what I wanted to do. I can understand where the people in that irc came from, however I do not work for Canonical (the corporate sponsor of Ubuntu) and trying to synthesize all the different ends and outs (MOTUs, Upstream vs. downstream, Launchpad, etc.) without some form of more concrete guidance seems counter intuitive to the Linux and open source mission. The path to becoming a developer seemed for me to be fuzzy and non-direct, and I didn't think I would get any more help from the community sources.
Ultimately I realized that development for me would be impractical because I only have one machine and I would have to buy another for the sole purpose of stability. In addition I also bought Mark Sobell's A Practical Guide to Linux which has helped me extensively understand Linux's elegance in its many flavors sans the aloofness. I do feel that most of the Linux community is not this way, especially when reading articles from sources such as OMG! Ubuntu and Nixie Pixel, however this gravitas does exist in places. I really do see a bright future for Linux and will be my primary operating system moving forward. But in some ways I wonder if I'll still be looking at the Tux from the outside in.
Have a peaceful day,
Justin Reid
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Why I will Never Regard Myself as an Atheist
These days many proponents of reason regard the existence of deity as a human invention and something like a flight-fight response to deal with the perpetual condition of pain and suffering that we have been dealt as a race of sentient beings. However as "logical" as this argument may seem, I truthfully in my heart cannot fall into this category. I have several reasons for thinking this way.
This first is that pure reason, while one of mankind's most powerful inventions, has it's limitations. This is the difference between pure theoretical "know how" and inspiration. There are endless varieties of connections and insights that can be made about the universe, however these facts alone cannot explain the ideas of love, despair, resolution, or conviction. These concepts transcend logical means and can cause us to act irrationally, to sometimes greater ends. Why do we have this choice between the logical and the illogical? Why do we even know of something as "artistic expression"? Some say it's a simple combination of neurotransmitters and exposure to social forces, but in my view there has to be some other agent.
Secondly, if I resigned myself to the reigns of rationality alone I wouldn't be where I am today. I would simply have no drive because I am not a member of a powerful family, I've been considered a social pariah in the past (and sometimes the present), and lack that certain charisma which causes people to melt through their tiny comfort zone and actually try to be friends with you. If I would to take these things on a pure logical basis, I would simply consider myself worthless to human society. However through my religion I reconciled the expressive things that I have known since my young childhood and learned how to strengthen my will against these repulsive forces. Atheism may view these motivations as some sort simple defense mechanism, but it is my main source of inspiration and living as a creative being.
Atheists are entitled to what they believe as it is their human right to follow their own belief (or rejection of belief) system. However it is my opinion that no matter what religion you follow, it fills a certain hole that the wonders of reason fail to consider. This is why I still hold my religion close to my heart because the realms of science have yet to touch these abstract notions.
Have a good day,
Justin Reid
This first is that pure reason, while one of mankind's most powerful inventions, has it's limitations. This is the difference between pure theoretical "know how" and inspiration. There are endless varieties of connections and insights that can be made about the universe, however these facts alone cannot explain the ideas of love, despair, resolution, or conviction. These concepts transcend logical means and can cause us to act irrationally, to sometimes greater ends. Why do we have this choice between the logical and the illogical? Why do we even know of something as "artistic expression"? Some say it's a simple combination of neurotransmitters and exposure to social forces, but in my view there has to be some other agent.
Secondly, if I resigned myself to the reigns of rationality alone I wouldn't be where I am today. I would simply have no drive because I am not a member of a powerful family, I've been considered a social pariah in the past (and sometimes the present), and lack that certain charisma which causes people to melt through their tiny comfort zone and actually try to be friends with you. If I would to take these things on a pure logical basis, I would simply consider myself worthless to human society. However through my religion I reconciled the expressive things that I have known since my young childhood and learned how to strengthen my will against these repulsive forces. Atheism may view these motivations as some sort simple defense mechanism, but it is my main source of inspiration and living as a creative being.
Atheists are entitled to what they believe as it is their human right to follow their own belief (or rejection of belief) system. However it is my opinion that no matter what religion you follow, it fills a certain hole that the wonders of reason fail to consider. This is why I still hold my religion close to my heart because the realms of science have yet to touch these abstract notions.
Have a good day,
Justin Reid
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
An Outsider's View on Japanese Culture
Japan has gotten a lot of headlines recently because of the tsunami and earthquake. However that country and it's culture have had a pretty long influence beforehand on what I do, how I live, and many of my artistic ventures.
Firstly, even though I've yet to visit the country, discovering Japanese culture has been one of the most positive points throughout my life. A lot of the people I have known that have been associated with that culture have been 'otaku' (obsessive anime fans for the uninitiated) but the common denominator for all of them is that they have been some of the few people that have accepted me over the years when others only point out my flaws and shortcomings. For this reason I have associated Japanese culture with true love and kindness, and is probably the main motivation why I want to visit and maybe live there one day.
Since I have come to this perception, I have written many poems and one poetry series called Japan which I finished earlier this year. I hope to write 2 more on the subject and make something of a trilogy. I've heard that there are many places in Japan, especially after the tsunami, that carry heavy emotions of loss and despair. However for a place where many people transcend materialism and focus on goals more virtuous, there should be a sense of resolve and caring that has allowed their culture to survive over thousands of years despite war and tyranny.
No place on Earth is perfect and Japan is no exception to this rule, however I believe the country contains something beautiful in my eyes that I have rarely come across since I was younger. That something is the equal chance of finding those who will care about you, no matter your perceived social ineptness or inequality. That's why I will try to learn the Japanese language and visit the place that has been a distant source of happiness and inspiration throughout these times of turmoil and social upheavals.
Ganbare Nippon,
Justin Reid
Firstly, even though I've yet to visit the country, discovering Japanese culture has been one of the most positive points throughout my life. A lot of the people I have known that have been associated with that culture have been 'otaku' (obsessive anime fans for the uninitiated) but the common denominator for all of them is that they have been some of the few people that have accepted me over the years when others only point out my flaws and shortcomings. For this reason I have associated Japanese culture with true love and kindness, and is probably the main motivation why I want to visit and maybe live there one day.
Since I have come to this perception, I have written many poems and one poetry series called Japan which I finished earlier this year. I hope to write 2 more on the subject and make something of a trilogy. I've heard that there are many places in Japan, especially after the tsunami, that carry heavy emotions of loss and despair. However for a place where many people transcend materialism and focus on goals more virtuous, there should be a sense of resolve and caring that has allowed their culture to survive over thousands of years despite war and tyranny.
No place on Earth is perfect and Japan is no exception to this rule, however I believe the country contains something beautiful in my eyes that I have rarely come across since I was younger. That something is the equal chance of finding those who will care about you, no matter your perceived social ineptness or inequality. That's why I will try to learn the Japanese language and visit the place that has been a distant source of happiness and inspiration throughout these times of turmoil and social upheavals.
Ganbare Nippon,
Justin Reid
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Sorry for the Hiatus
Dear all,
Sorry that I haven't been writing here. Last semester, in the words of Reed Timmer, was pure insanity. But I got through it and still look to be a meteorologist by the end of this year when I graduate.
Right now I now have a GIS intern position at the National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) working on the Climate Literacy, Education, and Research (CLEaR) project with NCDC. With the economy the way it is, I count myself lucky to be working right now, especially since it is in the field of atmospheric sciences.
I will hopefully add a CV to this site soon, especially if graduate school opportunities pan out. I also hope to post some of my GIS analyses and links to my latest undergraduate research once it gets close to completion. In addition I will also be posting some poetry here and use this site to showcase my work.
By the end of this year when I graduate I plan on becoming a professional meteorologist and will be going straight into my career or going to graduate school. This will be a major step for me since I hope to move on from North Carolina and leave behind some bad memories I have from here. But I believe that my future and others' are bright and will lead to some of the fulfilment that we all want deep in ourselves.
Have a wonderful day,
Justin Lynn Reid
Sorry that I haven't been writing here. Last semester, in the words of Reed Timmer, was pure insanity. But I got through it and still look to be a meteorologist by the end of this year when I graduate.
Right now I now have a GIS intern position at the National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) working on the Climate Literacy, Education, and Research (CLEaR) project with NCDC. With the economy the way it is, I count myself lucky to be working right now, especially since it is in the field of atmospheric sciences.
I will hopefully add a CV to this site soon, especially if graduate school opportunities pan out. I also hope to post some of my GIS analyses and links to my latest undergraduate research once it gets close to completion. In addition I will also be posting some poetry here and use this site to showcase my work.
By the end of this year when I graduate I plan on becoming a professional meteorologist and will be going straight into my career or going to graduate school. This will be a major step for me since I hope to move on from North Carolina and leave behind some bad memories I have from here. But I believe that my future and others' are bright and will lead to some of the fulfilment that we all want deep in ourselves.
Have a wonderful day,
Justin Lynn Reid
Friday, May 27, 2011
Why I like to chase storms
2011 has turned out to be one of the worst years for severe weather and tornadoes, and shows how powerful tornadoes can truly be even with modern technologies such as WSR-88Ds. However along the sidelines of this disastrous season, I've noticed a phenomenon among storm chasing that reaffirms why I wanted to pursue meteorology and chase storms in the first place.
The storm chasing community has changed since the time I was introduced to it in the mid 90s. Now besides the stories of Gene Rhoden, Warren Faidley et al. storm chasing has devolved into more of a" rat race". A large majority of storm chasing is, in my opinion, an extreme ego trip combined with pseudo-science. Anyone who can purchase a few pricey gadgets because of monetary advantages, but yet have little meteorological experience or real world forecasting experience, can fashion themselves into a chasing community fixture (P.T. Barnum horrendously out of control.)
What made me want to follow severe weather in the first place is the drive to explore a dynamic system that is difficult to understand. This is what has led me to pursue atmospheric science and research. The now ridiculously cutthroat nature of storm chasing, with its pointless arguments that secrete arrogance like tree sap, has strangely driven me back to these fundamentals. Besides worrying whether I have close enough video and extreme enough photos, I have returned to just wanting to experience the system that is in front of me. What tools or what clout that I have in storm chasing are only plastic juvenile illusions.
I believe that this terrible era of storm chasing will either end, or that chasing itself will dissolve into a thrill sport meant for the halls of Reality TV. I left high school for the attitude I see now in chaseworld and the best solution is to let those views be as they may. One thing that remains for certain for me is that science will be an integral part of my life and I will still take time to explore the makeup of the natural world.
Have a wonderful day,
Justin Reid
The storm chasing community has changed since the time I was introduced to it in the mid 90s. Now besides the stories of Gene Rhoden, Warren Faidley et al. storm chasing has devolved into more of a" rat race". A large majority of storm chasing is, in my opinion, an extreme ego trip combined with pseudo-science. Anyone who can purchase a few pricey gadgets because of monetary advantages, but yet have little meteorological experience or real world forecasting experience, can fashion themselves into a chasing community fixture (P.T. Barnum horrendously out of control.)
What made me want to follow severe weather in the first place is the drive to explore a dynamic system that is difficult to understand. This is what has led me to pursue atmospheric science and research. The now ridiculously cutthroat nature of storm chasing, with its pointless arguments that secrete arrogance like tree sap, has strangely driven me back to these fundamentals. Besides worrying whether I have close enough video and extreme enough photos, I have returned to just wanting to experience the system that is in front of me. What tools or what clout that I have in storm chasing are only plastic juvenile illusions.
I believe that this terrible era of storm chasing will either end, or that chasing itself will dissolve into a thrill sport meant for the halls of Reality TV. I left high school for the attitude I see now in chaseworld and the best solution is to let those views be as they may. One thing that remains for certain for me is that science will be an integral part of my life and I will still take time to explore the makeup of the natural world.
Have a wonderful day,
Justin Reid
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Thoughts of the past semester
As I finish out my finals, I've realized all of the things that I have learned and the many journeys I've taken to get there. Another milestone is that I have reached the highest level of my mathematics education and I feel really comfortable with that subject after a really long time. I even found a place for research and a poster presentation that went over really well, and is a great launchpad to further my project next year.
But there is one thing that I wish that I would've changed. A unique combination of factors came together to make this semester one of my most stressful. Mostly due to an accelerated workload due to the economy. I wish that I had more time to find someone to truly be friends with and not drown in perspectives and considerations.
That's why yesterday, when I hung out with one of my few good friends here, I felt like I was truly a living being. I always find that moment when someone takes time out of their day to be with me a special occasion. When I'm with friends, there isn't any negative and emotionless world to search for true authenticity. When I'm with them, we make the world our own.
And I'm happy that for my senior year, I'll have a chance to find that world. The most difficult portion of my work will be complete after this semester and in the next one I can gratefully balance my journeys through the atmosphere with times that help me be who I am.
Have a pleasant day,
Justin Reid
But there is one thing that I wish that I would've changed. A unique combination of factors came together to make this semester one of my most stressful. Mostly due to an accelerated workload due to the economy. I wish that I had more time to find someone to truly be friends with and not drown in perspectives and considerations.
That's why yesterday, when I hung out with one of my few good friends here, I felt like I was truly a living being. I always find that moment when someone takes time out of their day to be with me a special occasion. When I'm with friends, there isn't any negative and emotionless world to search for true authenticity. When I'm with them, we make the world our own.
And I'm happy that for my senior year, I'll have a chance to find that world. The most difficult portion of my work will be complete after this semester and in the next one I can gratefully balance my journeys through the atmosphere with times that help me be who I am.
Have a pleasant day,
Justin Reid
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
On Ownership
On a trip to the National Weather Center almost 2 years ago, I was given a call to action by the renowned severe weather expert Chuck Doswell. In a lecture, I was told to take "ownership" of my education and make the things that I learn my own. Since that day so many things have happened.
I've now come to understand the fundamental concept of scientific meteorology, which is seeing the atmosphere as a 4-dimensional physical system. Without this perspective the fundamental equations, forecasting, and other topics would seem as ambiguous as Egyptian without a Rosetta stone. Beyond the sometimes drama filled world of meteorology, each lecture is a journey through its own world, and paints an image of that system for the mind to see and appreciate fully.
At this point in my science I have also come to realize that not every part of the scientific community is perfect. Meteorology is esoteric, but not impossible for the curious person to learn, and experts can either help or hinder the process of that illumination. As I have matured I have come to realize that consensus, presentations, and other expressions of the Intellegensia's grandeur aren't the force that makes discoveries happen. They instead come from the natural world, a world that some people forget at times, but it is there to explore a lifetime in.
Reflecting on Doswell's words and the events that I have been a part of, much of what he alluded to was indeed a fact. However I have grown upon such advice and realized what makes me a person isn't a set of scientists pontificating on a gilded hill of prestige. It is my faith and the road of curiosity that make me who I am and will bring me to where I'll find true love and the best way to advance atmospheric science.
Have a pleasant day,
Justin Reid
I've now come to understand the fundamental concept of scientific meteorology, which is seeing the atmosphere as a 4-dimensional physical system. Without this perspective the fundamental equations, forecasting, and other topics would seem as ambiguous as Egyptian without a Rosetta stone. Beyond the sometimes drama filled world of meteorology, each lecture is a journey through its own world, and paints an image of that system for the mind to see and appreciate fully.
At this point in my science I have also come to realize that not every part of the scientific community is perfect. Meteorology is esoteric, but not impossible for the curious person to learn, and experts can either help or hinder the process of that illumination. As I have matured I have come to realize that consensus, presentations, and other expressions of the Intellegensia's grandeur aren't the force that makes discoveries happen. They instead come from the natural world, a world that some people forget at times, but it is there to explore a lifetime in.
Reflecting on Doswell's words and the events that I have been a part of, much of what he alluded to was indeed a fact. However I have grown upon such advice and realized what makes me a person isn't a set of scientists pontificating on a gilded hill of prestige. It is my faith and the road of curiosity that make me who I am and will bring me to where I'll find true love and the best way to advance atmospheric science.
Have a pleasant day,
Justin Reid
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Something more than Raindrops
As I'm nearing the end of my junior year, I have learned so much and have traveled to many new ideas. I'm finally learning how the atmosphere works and how scientists come to discover new things about it. But even as I have come to understand more about something that has captured my curiosity since I was a young child, I still look to the one thing that is more than any scientific discovery that I would ever make.
With everyone living their lives, old friends moving on and new ones being found, I remember what it is that truly makes me happy inside. It isn't the adoration of some large group of people or the prestige of being in an academic elite, it's the simple authentic smile that someone gives every day, or the kind words of someone dear to you. Such times have been a luxury in my life and I learn to keep them close to my heart whenever I receive them.
So whenever I look to something like a sunset I just don't see a placid display of pure colors. I'm also inspired to see what beauty does exist inside people also. When I feel like I'm around someone who truly accepts me for who I am, they are also a part of that sunset. Such a person is to me, something more than raindrops.
Have a pleasant day,
Justin Reid
With everyone living their lives, old friends moving on and new ones being found, I remember what it is that truly makes me happy inside. It isn't the adoration of some large group of people or the prestige of being in an academic elite, it's the simple authentic smile that someone gives every day, or the kind words of someone dear to you. Such times have been a luxury in my life and I learn to keep them close to my heart whenever I receive them.
So whenever I look to something like a sunset I just don't see a placid display of pure colors. I'm also inspired to see what beauty does exist inside people also. When I feel like I'm around someone who truly accepts me for who I am, they are also a part of that sunset. Such a person is to me, something more than raindrops.
Have a pleasant day,
Justin Reid
Monday, February 21, 2011
A musing about my artistic side
Most people who know me consider me your usual weather nerd (those who know what Rossby waves and nacreous clouds are). But what some don't fully know is that I have had a artistic side that has grown along with my science. To those who haven't been introduced to my other side, here is an introduction.
The medium that I am most comfortable with in art is writing and I love to write poetry. My inspiration comes from feelings that I have had since I was a child and come from me observing the world and people. My poetry however, isn't of the avant-garde genre and tends to what I see as either postmodern or slightly romantic, but those could just be my own descriptions. I have been composing a four part poetry book these past four years and hope to one day publish it and call it "Creative Wavelengths", which are what I call the feelings I go to for my inspiration.
Also, I'm very creatively and educationally inspired by the culture of Japan. Though I'm not as anime obsessed as some and I draw from a wider spectrum of their culture. I find that many aspects of Japanese life are elegant and inspiring and reflect the love and acceptance that I've always wanted. I hope to one day visit there after I learn their language and complete my meteorology studies.
Finally I live the poetic person's dream of being a hopeless romantic. I hope to find that special someone who can fill my spirit with true love and happiness. It will take some time but I know that I can find that distant paradise one day.
If you want to see more my poetry you can click the link to my poetry webpage here. You can also check my photography also if you wish to see more of my artsy side!
Have a warm day,
Justin Reid
The medium that I am most comfortable with in art is writing and I love to write poetry. My inspiration comes from feelings that I have had since I was a child and come from me observing the world and people. My poetry however, isn't of the avant-garde genre and tends to what I see as either postmodern or slightly romantic, but those could just be my own descriptions. I have been composing a four part poetry book these past four years and hope to one day publish it and call it "Creative Wavelengths", which are what I call the feelings I go to for my inspiration.
Also, I'm very creatively and educationally inspired by the culture of Japan. Though I'm not as anime obsessed as some and I draw from a wider spectrum of their culture. I find that many aspects of Japanese life are elegant and inspiring and reflect the love and acceptance that I've always wanted. I hope to one day visit there after I learn their language and complete my meteorology studies.
Finally I live the poetic person's dream of being a hopeless romantic. I hope to find that special someone who can fill my spirit with true love and happiness. It will take some time but I know that I can find that distant paradise one day.
If you want to see more my poetry you can click the link to my poetry webpage here. You can also check my photography also if you wish to see more of my artsy side!
Have a warm day,
Justin Reid
Saturday, February 19, 2011
My thoughts on today's meteorology
Probably everyone (at least weather people) by now has heard of the 30% budget cut to the National Weather Service and it's related agencies. This is a volatile time for not just that agency but for the rest of our society as well. This gives me a chance to talk a little about what today's meteorology is like for me and how things like budget cuts to the NWS are just another proverbial "tempest" to endure.
Like most in my field I have been interested in meteorology since I was young (5 years old to be exact) ever since I saw the PBS special Cyclone. Since then I've learned many things and have become the atmospheric science student I am today and aim to be a scientist at a research agency. I find the ever changing atmospheric physical system somewhat elusive and always providing something new to unravel about it. The heavens have their own skyscrapers of moisture & rivers of air, and it's almost like traveling to another beautiful world when you explore into how it really works.
Now for the negatives, which no field of study is without them. The biggest flaw in meteorology, which I see plastered on a national stage, is the kind displayed at times on the Discovery Channel's Stormchasers. Whenever I see parts of that TV program, the atmosphere is no longer the center of interest. Instead the members of the show seem to only care about bolstering their own careers and statuses by showing how much of an "expert" they are. A true expert in meteorology would not bother with such trivialities. He or she would only be concerned about producing good science, not whether their science would result in an institution named in their honor. This ego war that sometimes manifests is what I consider the worst part of meteorology, not the hard calculus, nor the difficult upper atmospheric science courses. In order for a scientific community to operate properly, pride has to be put aside so that the we can all learn how the complex system of the atmosphere actually works.
On the NWS issue, this calls back to a rift in meteorology that has gone back for a long time, all the way back to meteorology's roots in Norway. When I was in my teens, I had assumed that the branches of research and forecasting in meteorology were symbiotic, and grew off of one another. Now I have come to realize that their is a great canyon separating them. This was evident in VORTEX2 were I heard stories of the research leaders of that project ignoring their forecasters' advice simply because the forecasters weren't researchers themselves. This practice not only caused animosity among the team, but probably caused missed tornadic thunderstorm (supercell) cases for their initiative. In my studies I focus primarily on research, but I am also a good forecaster with a WxChallenge trophy under my belt, so I understand that forecasting is an essential part of the meteorology profession as well as scientific research. These latest cuts to the NWS remind me of those days when I heard the "forecasting vs. research" debates and where the NWS seemed to be the fountainhead of the forecasting arm that wrestled with the research one. As some of my colleagues, as well as I, will tell you, forecasting is vital to public safety and awareness about hazardous weather and should not be devalued by any group or political faction!
With all of the things that have happened in my years of college, I have come to a more simpler philosophy in meteorology than I had coming into my undergraduate work. There are outside forces beyond your control that will sometimes drag you down, or try to cast you out. The best thing that I can do is to contribute to my profession the best way I can, even if it is just modest work. In that simplicity, my overall goal is still achieved, no matter what the powers that be say or do. I am still revealing how our atmosphere works using a scientific method and bringing those results to my peers.
To further discoveries,
Justin Reid
Like most in my field I have been interested in meteorology since I was young (5 years old to be exact) ever since I saw the PBS special Cyclone. Since then I've learned many things and have become the atmospheric science student I am today and aim to be a scientist at a research agency. I find the ever changing atmospheric physical system somewhat elusive and always providing something new to unravel about it. The heavens have their own skyscrapers of moisture & rivers of air, and it's almost like traveling to another beautiful world when you explore into how it really works.
Now for the negatives, which no field of study is without them. The biggest flaw in meteorology, which I see plastered on a national stage, is the kind displayed at times on the Discovery Channel's Stormchasers. Whenever I see parts of that TV program, the atmosphere is no longer the center of interest. Instead the members of the show seem to only care about bolstering their own careers and statuses by showing how much of an "expert" they are. A true expert in meteorology would not bother with such trivialities. He or she would only be concerned about producing good science, not whether their science would result in an institution named in their honor. This ego war that sometimes manifests is what I consider the worst part of meteorology, not the hard calculus, nor the difficult upper atmospheric science courses. In order for a scientific community to operate properly, pride has to be put aside so that the we can all learn how the complex system of the atmosphere actually works.
On the NWS issue, this calls back to a rift in meteorology that has gone back for a long time, all the way back to meteorology's roots in Norway. When I was in my teens, I had assumed that the branches of research and forecasting in meteorology were symbiotic, and grew off of one another. Now I have come to realize that their is a great canyon separating them. This was evident in VORTEX2 were I heard stories of the research leaders of that project ignoring their forecasters' advice simply because the forecasters weren't researchers themselves. This practice not only caused animosity among the team, but probably caused missed tornadic thunderstorm (supercell) cases for their initiative. In my studies I focus primarily on research, but I am also a good forecaster with a WxChallenge trophy under my belt, so I understand that forecasting is an essential part of the meteorology profession as well as scientific research. These latest cuts to the NWS remind me of those days when I heard the "forecasting vs. research" debates and where the NWS seemed to be the fountainhead of the forecasting arm that wrestled with the research one. As some of my colleagues, as well as I, will tell you, forecasting is vital to public safety and awareness about hazardous weather and should not be devalued by any group or political faction!
With all of the things that have happened in my years of college, I have come to a more simpler philosophy in meteorology than I had coming into my undergraduate work. There are outside forces beyond your control that will sometimes drag you down, or try to cast you out. The best thing that I can do is to contribute to my profession the best way I can, even if it is just modest work. In that simplicity, my overall goal is still achieved, no matter what the powers that be say or do. I am still revealing how our atmosphere works using a scientific method and bringing those results to my peers.
To further discoveries,
Justin Reid
Friday, February 18, 2011
Welcome to my world in the skies
Hello everyone and I would like to cordially invite you to my blog! Here I hope to post about what I am doing in the field of meteorology, and my other interests. The reason I made this page is that I hope to unify two sides of my life that rarely run into each other. One is my scientific side which involves atmospheric research and weather forecasting. And on the other is my artistic side which encompasses my writing interests and some of my photography. I hope that someone will find these musings at least an interesting bunch of stories that they can tell to their friends.
Have a wonderful day,
Justin Reid
Have a wonderful day,
Justin Reid
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)