Swirling Non-Supercell Tornadoes in Pictures

While we here at Environmental Graffiti do not claim to be scientists, we do think we’ve seen enough cool stuff to give you the run down on certain subjects. Awesome insects, peculiar clouds, even the occasional entry involving quantum physics
. That’s just something we do, and something we hope you come here for.

Today’s cool stuff just happens to be non-supercell tornadoes. Limited research suggests the common person (and the common Environmental Graffiti writer, consequently) has no idea what on earth a non-supercell tornado is.

A non-supercell tornado comes in many flavors: dust devils, dust tubes, and waterspouts, to name just a few. The basic difference is that these type of vortexes are not born of a larger storm system and appear only sporadically. Also, as is apparent in this photo, they do not seem to pose any real danger as there should be more arm flailing and/or opposite direction running.
What follows is a list of the most incredible non-supercell tornadoes we could find on the web.

Dust Devil

We’ve all done it; running headlong in a spring field, bumbling over knee-high grass to catch a small swirling cloud that dissipates just before you reach it. Well, maybe not all of us, but for some, this is a springtime childhood memory that is just as ingrained as watermelons or ant extermination via magnifying glass.

Dust devils normally form on warm days and with clear skies.

Martian Dust DevilWhat makes this dust devil so amazing isn’t so much the vortex itself, but its extraterrestrial location. While Mars has a relatively thin atmosphere, it is still dense enough to have the occasional dust devil.

These dust devils also have the peculiar ability to excite NASA scientists into peeing their collective pants. The dust devil’s high gusts occasionally sweep over the Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers, cleaning the collected dirt off their solar panels and extending their life span far beyond expectations.

Landspout or Dust Tube Tornado

Landspout or dust tube tornadoes are weaker versions of supercell tornadoes. Essentially, they are waterspouts over land. They dissipate quickly and are less destructive.
t is difficult for the untrained to really tell the difference between a landspout and supercell tornado, but witnessing one or the other would probably spur even the hardiest Environmental Graffiti writer into squatting under his or her cheap IKEA desk.

Waterspouts

Waterspouts are basically nonsupercell tornadoes that appear over water. They are normally much smaller and weaker than supercell tornadoes and dissipate quickly. Amazingly, waterspouts have been known to suck whole schools of fish into the air and hurl them at unsuspecting bystanders. This activity, we believe, is absolute proof that the waterspout is the funniest natural phenomenon on the planet.

The waterspout above was spotted in Punta Gorda (translated “fat woman point?”) Florida in 2005. Pretty. The wimpier ones below are from a beach near The Hague in the Netherlands.

Fire Whirl

Amazingly, this swirling braid of fire is not the business end of the Balrog of Moria’s whip (first and last Lord of the Rings reference, we promise). The vortex is a phenomenon known as a fire whirl. While not a tornado per se, this type of vortex was too amazing to leave out. Air currents inside blazing infernos sometimes swirl about, creating this awe-inspiring, pants-crapping effect.

Here is the beginning of my post. And here is the rest of it.

5 Incredible Works of Leather Art

Leather is one of the most versatile materials available to an artist.
Normally the preserve of clothing or sofas, artists have been using it for centuries as a form of decoration and self expression.

From the elaborate saddle covers of the 5th century BC Nomads of the Altaic Region to modern day contemporary wall hangings, working with such an unforgiving medium as leather requires a truly masterful skill-set to produce a work of art from what is basically tanned animal hide. Fortunately the advancement of both tools and techniques has enabled artists to do more with leather than ever before, most notably in the realm of sculpture and intricate pictures. Let’s celebrate the skill and talent of the master craftsmen and women with a look at five incredible works of leather art.

1. The Hunters (Painted Leather)

Unlike dyeing leather, when you paint on leather the paint isn’t absorbed into the material and therefore artists have to be very careful not to bend or twist the leather as the paint can crack or flake off.

This vibrant depiction of two traditional hunters with their quarry is a brilliant illustration of the intricate detailing that can be achieved when using paint on leather. The use of form, colour and texture makes this painting appear three-dimensional while helping to give an illusion of movement in the huntsman’s clothing.

2. The Guitar (Sculptured and Carved Leather)

This piece won a Blue Ribbon at the 2008 Tennessee State Fair and is a brilliant example of the possibilities that exist when using leather as an art medium. It is life-like and immaculately detailed with a character all of its own. The artist has even gone so far as to include the Tennessee state flag on the body of the guitar.

3. Tipping the Hat (Carved Leather)

This incredible picture of a man tipping his hat carved into suede leather is a superb illustration of master leather craftsmanship. Excellently proportioned, even the hand is perfectly formed. A three dimensional effect is created by the fine detailing of the man and the illusion of distance with the background images. There’s even a vague similarity with Michael Jackson!

4. Hidden Face (Sculptured Leather)

Leather is a great medium for sculpture, which if used correctly can be used to produce a dramatic visual effect as is the case with this Peruvian leather sculpture.

This particular example of leather art is exceptionally well moulded, giving the impression of a face framed by folds of the leather. The careful positioning of the creases leads the eye to the central focus point, the face.

5. The Wilderness (Carved and Dyed Leather)

A number of tools including a swivel knife, veiner and pear shader are used in the art of leather carving. The intension with this type of leather art is to carve a design or image into the leather and thereby to create a three dimensional visual effect.

This scene of deer in a forest is just one example of what can be created when combining the technique of leather carving with dyeing. The artist has managed to capture a feeling of tranquility in the wilderness on this particular leather wallet purely by the placement and actions of the deer set against a natural backdrop of sky and ground.

Pregnant man shows off five-month-old daughter on U.S. TV

'Pregnant man' shows off five-month-old daughter on U.S. TV and says baby No.2 will complete our 'American dream'

The transgender man who gave birth to a baby has showed off his daughter on an American television show.

Thomas Beatie shocked the world earlier this year when he gave birth to daughter Susan, despite having had a sex change operation.

Now Beatie, from Bend, Oregon, has revealed he is 10-weeks pregnant with his second baby.

We are living the American dream right now and I couldn't be happier.

'I have my loving wife and this miracle of a baby, I couldn't be happier,' he told Good Morning America.

Beatie, 34, was a former lesbian who had chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy, but chose to keep his female reproductive organs.

Beatie, who was born Tracy Lagondino, gave birth to Susan in June amid a blitz of media scrutiny.

He had been inseminated at home by his wife Nancy, 46, with sperm from a donor.

'She (Susan) is such a happy baby, she loves to smile and laugh,' he said.

'I had a natural birth. People do recognise me now, I am really surprised, New York is a big city but people recognise us instantaneously now I think.

'They say "That's the pregnant man".

'It is absolutely positive, 99 per cent positive. People when they meet us they just see us as a regular family.

'It is easy for people to see us as a family, because that is what we are, a husband, wife and child.'

Asked if he can understood why some people did not see his situation as 'normal', Beatie said: 'I think everyone is trying to find their own definition of normal.

'With all the differences in the world, different is clearly normal.'

Asked if he is still happy to be a man, he replied: 'Oh absolutely. There is nothing wrong with a pregnant man.

'It is just normal for us, it was completely the best decision for me to carry our child and we did not even give it a second thought.'

Beatie was also asked if he felt he could have given birth to Susan more 'privately'.

'I don't think it could have happened that way (privately),' he said.

'When I wrote the article for the Advocate, we were experiencing medical discrimination and we had legal questions we needed answers for.

'So we were talking to a gay and lesbian audience hoping to find answers and we couldn't find any. In our pursuit for answers this ensued.'

Beatie admitted that he had not spoken to his father since the birth of his daughter, but hoped to eventually introduce them to each other.

Asked if his family's negative attitude towards the pregnancy had been hard, he replied: 'Yes it has been hard.

'But Nancy's family has been incredibly supportive, her father and her brothers and sisters and children.'

And Nancy said that she was 'excited' about the couple having a second baby, even with the publicity that would surround it.

'I am so excited. Hopefully things will calm down and we can get on with our lives,' she said.

'It is neat to be able to educate people about different families and that is really what we are.

'There are so many different families out there and we are just another one.

'I have done this before (she has two other children) and what is wonderful is that I got to be on the other side of this and could support him through the labour experience and right through the pregnancy.

'I got to breast feed the baby, we are so closely bonded with her. He was able to carry her and I was able to breast feed her.'

Celebrities Looking Like Strange Creatures

Posh Spice - Falcor

Flava Flav - Stripe
Ron Paul - Magneto
Pope Benedict - Darth Sidious
Mick Jagger - A batfish
John Kerry - Herman Munster
Jamie Hyneman - A Walrus
James Hetfield - Cowardly Lion
James Carville - Gollum
George Bush - Chimpanzee
Nick Nolte - Cthulu
Wilford Brimley - Diabeetus Cat
Gary Busley - A Horse
Robert Smith - Chinese Crested
Avril Lavigne - Chris Crocker
Jack White - Michael Jacson