Tech Tip: Favicon

I just add a favicon to my blogger site.  It is Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon album cover.  They are one of my all time favorite bands.

Wikipedia Trail: Reynolds Number to Tornado

Tornado (Wikimedia Commons)

Reynolds Number

Reynolds number is extremely important to aerospace engineer majors.  The point at which air flow over an airfoil (wing) transitions from laminar flow to turbulent flow is the Reynolds number.  In other words it is a ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces.  As far as airfoil testing is concerned sea level is best.  That way air can be treated as a liquid.

Sea Level

Sea level is the average level where the oceans meet the land.  This is important for aircraft because sea level and atmospheric pressure is used for the altimeter.  An altimeter uses sea level to estimate the altitude the aircraft is flying.  On the ground the atmospheric pressure  is 29.92 inHg (inches of mercury)

Atmospheric Pressure

Also known as barometric pressure.  At sea level is 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch).  The higher in altitude, the lower the pressure.  Highest pressure is in Siberia.  Lowest pressure is in the middle of tropical cyclones or tornados.

Tornado

A tornado is a column of rotating air between a cloud and the ground.  In the northern hemisphere they always rotate counter clockwise.  In the southern hemisphere they always rotate clockwise.  The Fujita scale is one of the more common rating scales for damage that a tornado causes.  A tornado family is when one storm cell forms more than one tornado.

Story Lab: TVTropes

TVTropes Logo (tvtropes.org)

What is a trope?
A trope tool writers use that is a story telling device or convention.  It is an easy way for writers to describe things that the reader will quickly understand.  Below are a few examples of tropes.

The One Steve Limit:
This is an omnipresent trope, or one that is used so much that the reader does not even notice it.  The trope says that no story should have two or more characters with the same or similar name.  For  example: If there is a Steve, then no other character will have the name Steve, Steven, Stephen, or even Stu.  This is considered a break from reality.  Think of a class room, there is usually a couple of people named Sara or Mike.

The Great Big Book of Everything
This is an "information desk" (exposition) trope.  The purpose of the book is to supply a character with knowledge at the right time in order to push the story forward.  It will always appear when needed by a character.  A good example is The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, it describes the entire universe in detail for Arthur.

All For Nothing
This is an older than feudalism trope.  According to TVTropes classification that means the trope has been around since the invention of the Greek alphabet (800 BC-467 AD).  This trope can be found on the Ramayana trope page.  Their example of all for nothing is Rama exiling Sita while pregnant with twins after he rescues her from Ravana.

EC Reading Notes: Saraswati

Cover Art (Indian Epics: Amar Chitra Katha)

Saraswati Stories of the Goddess of Wisdom
Written By: Sanjana Kapur
Art Work By: Adarsh Achari

Birth of Saraswati

Version 1
After Brahma created the three worlds, his mind was at peace.  From his mind came Saraswati.  He was so captivated by her that every time she moved he grew another head to keep her in his sites.  After he grew five heads Saraswati asked Shiva for help.  He destroyed Brahma's fifth head.  Brahma apologized and asked Saraswati for guidance.  She gave him knowledge and married him. 

Version 2
Saraswati was born from Brahma's mind.  She said he had to give her a place in the universe because she came from him.  He said she would exist in three forms.  Speech, to stay on the tip of everybody's tongue.  River, so she would exist on earth.  Goddess, to stay with Brahma because she is a part of him.

Saraswati's Image

She wears white to represent purity of thought.  Also, she wears blue accents to represent her river form and fluidity.  Her clothing is simple to show that wisdom and knowledge are beyond material wealth.

Saraswati Saves the World

At the request of the Gods, Saraswati keeps the world from burning.  In her river form she carries the Vadavagni (all consuming fire that destroys everything) to the ocean.  The area where her river meets the ocean is sacred. 

Reading Notes: Krishna the Defender of Dharma Part B

Baby Krishna Eating Stolen Butter (Wikipedia)

Krishna the Defender of Dharma

Written by: Shweta Taneja

Artwork by: Rajesh Nagulakonda

Part B: pages 37-68

The Brother's Childhood

They were raised as cow herders.  They spent their time playing music, and tricks on the villagers.  Krishna loved to steal freshly churned butter.  Occasionally they killed assassin demon's sent by Kansa.  Radha and Krishna were childhood sweethearts.  When the were teenagers they entered Kansa's wrestling tournament and won. Then Krishna killed Kansa to end his reign of terror, and restore dharma. Ugrasena (Kansa's father, Krishna's and Balarama's grandfather) is returned to the throne.  Krishna and Balarama go to Ujjain with the guru Sandipani to be educated.  They were taught politics, philosophy, and military science.

Demon Assassins

1. Kaliya (poisionous snake), killed by Krishna
2. Bakasura (stork demon), killed by Krishna
3. Dhenuka (donkey demon), killed by Balarama
4. Aghasura (serpent demon), killed by Krishna
5. Pralamba (shape shifting demon), killed by Balarama

Reading Notes: Krishna the Defender of Dharma Part A

Cover Art (Indian Epics: Reading and Resources)

Krishna the Defender of Dharma

Written by: Shweta Taneja
Artwork by: Rajesh Nagulakonda
Part A: pages 1-36

Explaining Dharma

It covers everything from righteousness to social order.  This includes protecting the weak, and taking care of the environment.

About Krishna

1. he is the avatar of Vishnu
2. Vishnu is the preserver of all creation
3. he was born to bring an end to evil and to restore dharma
4. Vishnu's celestial home is Vaikuntha
5. Yogmaya (Goddess of Illusion) helped Krishna and Balarama be born

Krishna's Family

1. he is the eighth child of Princess Devaki and Vasudeva
2. raised by Yashoda and Nanda Vasudeva
3. his powers include sucking out life essence, super strength
4. five demons tried to kill him
5. has an older brother named Balarama

About Balarama

1. he is Krishna's older brother
2. he is the seventh child of Princess Devaki and Vasudeva
3. raised by Rohini, Vasudeva's first wife
4. he is the avatar of Shesha
5. his powers include super strength, and manipulating his bodies density