[meteorite-list] METEOROLOGIST

From: Sterling K. Webb <kelly_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon Apr 25 15:51:46 2005
Message-ID: <426D4A2E.95A6E450_at_bhil.com>

Dave!

    A.) It was a joke. Ok, not much of one. But there is something ironic
about a METEOROLOGIST who says METEORS are not their department. And if
English were not my first language and I was not familiar with the usage it
would puzzling. And leaving the space sciences with having to use something
like METEORITICIST instead is ridiculous, as it's an ugly word.

    B.) Meteorologists are called that professionally because comets and
meteors were considered as atmospheric phenomena, a kind of weather, something
that happened IN the atmosphere at the level above the cloud tops. Yes,
something you'd want to take into account when making your weather forecast.
And, paradoxically, the name was applied to the profession long after it was
known that meteors and comets were celestial phenomena and not weather, the
result of excessive classical education.

    C.) I think weather-persons (a-hem) ought to be twitted about their silly
professional title until they change it to something that doesn't reflect
neolithic thought patterns. We got enough of them as it is... This is why I
always ask weather-persons for the comet forecast on the destiny of empires or
some such nonsense. I get a puzzled look, and then I say, why don't you guys
change that silly name? What, do you read the spots on newly sacrificed goat
livers, too?

    D.) Lastly, every once in a while you get a meteorologist that takes it
seriously and always throws the eclipses, known meteor showers and fireball
reports into his time slot for the weather. I like them best of all, for
reminding the sheep to look up.


Sterling K. Webb
-----------------------------------------------------------
Dave Harris wrote:

> Sterling wrote:
> >Hi, Dana, List,
> > I particularly like the part of the article on the showy Lyrid
> >meteor shower containing the quote from the Weather Bureau personnel:
> >....said meteorologist Eleanor Vallier-Talbot, "We have no clue what it
> > was. That4s not our department."
> > And you're what, Eleanor? What was that job title again?
> > METEOROLOGIST?
> > Sterling K. Webb
>
> ..a "meteorologist" is a weatherperson, not an astronomer - so sounds like
> a valid and honest comment to make as far as I'm concerned.
> Best -- dave
Received on Mon 25 Apr 2005 03:51:10 PM PDT