The influence of risk attraction and risk aversion in the adoption and Thesis

The influence of risk attraction and risk aversion in the adoption and diffusion of the extreme sports - Thesis Example As contemporary society has become preoccupied with safety and certainty, risk has steadily become a sinister phenomenon. Society has become quite obsessed with reducing risk and uncertainty that activities not directly approved by the mainstream society are immediately considered disagreeable. This essay discusses the influence of risk attraction and risk aversion in the adoption and diffusion in extreme sports. In sport, risk refers to the likelihood of actual, physical danger. In extreme sports like big wave surfing, snowboarding, and base jumping this has been assumed to indicate extremely high levels of risk, an extremely high possibility that something bad will happen, and a significant possibility of death (Kerr, 2005). Hence involvement in extreme sports has been deemed undesirable and deviant. Reasons for engagement in extreme sports are most frequently associated with the idea of ‘adrenaline rush’ or a craving to take socially undesirable and pathological risks (Cecile & Laurendeau, 2010). The hypothesis is that risk functions as a driving force for partakers with little talent but a frantic desire to hook up with the image of prestige related to extreme sports. In a culture where in taking needless risks is generally viewed as wild, irresponsible, ridiculous, and irrational, there appears to be something of a pattern toward the growing recognition of risk and uncertainty in leisure activities. In sport, there is substantial proof that risk taking is integral to numerous sporting activities. The concept of edgework by Lyng (1990) views intentional risk taking as testing the limitations of one’s capacity while sustaining sufficient control to effectively balance the limit between uncertainty and certainty. In the literature on the reason for this edgework tendency, the sensation-seeking attribute, described as the â€Å"seeking of varied, novel, complex, and intense experiences† (Cecile & Laurendeau, 2010, p. 129), has been e xtensively studied. Many outdoor activities have been reported to draw people who have high levels of sensation seeking attributes. The tendency to seek excitement, adventure, and arousal may accurately shed light on why individuals with high levels of sensation seeking attributes take part in extreme sports. Risk Attraction and Risk Aversion in Extreme Sports Several theorists argue that risky activities provide an escape from a society that is ever more ‘constricted by comfort’ and risk-averse (Moran, 2004, p. 60). This assumption states that some individuals feel too much pampered by the materialistic conveniences of modern society and thus look for exciting, risky activities in an attempt to break out of too much comfort. As contemporary life â€Å"is now tame and increasingly controlled† (Moran, 2004, p. 60), some individuals seek risk in outdoor activities. Hence, the need to take risks may signify an intentional reaction against the ordinary and risk-avers e daily living. Even though this theory is exploratory, it appears likely that estranged individuals may experience a stronger sense of awareness when they are in the verge of death or serious injury (Pain & Pain, 2005). In fact, Schrader and Wann (1999 as cited in Moran, 2004, p. 62) claimed that one way of attaining a semblance of power over one’s life is by facing death through participation in risky activities. Another

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay Example for Free

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the author, Mark Twain, compares life on land to life on the river using Huck’s forbidden friendship with Jim, the risks Huck makes, and when Huck joins Tom sawyer’s gang, proving that friendship has no limits. Life on land was emotional for Huck because of the obstacles and hardships he faced. Life on the river on the other hand was a challenge because of the troubles Huck had being safe. Huck and Jim’s forbidden friendship proves that friendship has no limits through Huck seeing past the fact that Jim is black. On land when Huck found Jim for the first time in the woods, he says â€Å"..it was Miss Watson’s Jim! I bet I was glad to see him.† This shows Huck enjoys Jim’s company, White or black, he regards Jim as a type of friend. Friendship has no limits and will see past each other’s differences. The risks that Huck made for friendship proves that friendship has no limits through Huck risking his friendship with Tom to save a friendship with Jim. Huck has already been through so much with Jim on land and river, and had made a promise to stay with him till the end. So Huck was willing to risk Tom for Jim. Huck had told Tom, â€Å"I know what youll say. Youll say its dirty, low- down business; but what if it is? Im low down; and Im a-going to steal him, and I want you keep mum and not let on. Will you? Huck was being a true friend and protecting Jim, he was going to risk his old friend to save Jim. That showed how loyal Huck was to Jim and their friendship, showing that friendship really doesn’t have limits. When Huck joins Tom Sawyer’s gang he is proving that friendship has no limits by taking the oath Tom had made. On land while Tom forms his gang he says, â€Å"Everybody that wants to join has got to take an oath, and write his name in blood.† Tom takes friendship as seriously as a religion. Both Tom and Huck believe in it faithfully, it’s like a belief in a religion. It proves that friendship has no limits when a friendship is most important to both of them.

Introduction Of Silk Industry

Introduction Of Silk Industry Silk is the queen of all fabrics which is historically one of the most important industries in India. India is the second largest producer of silk, contributing to about 18 percent to the world production. Silk production in India In nature, Asia is the major manufacturer of silk in the world and produces in excess of 95% of the entirety global output. Some of the countries which give important for producing silk are China, India, Japan, Brazil and Korea. India is the leading manufacturer of silk and also have largest consumer of silk in the world. India has a well-built tradition and culture bound home market of silk. In India, mulberry silk is produced mainly in the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jammu Kashmir and west Bengal. The non-mulberry silks are produced in the state like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and north-eastern states. Silk produce in Kanchipuram The kanchipuram saree holds a special position among the wide range of silk sarees available in India. Kanchipuram sarees are available all around the world. The production of these silk sarees is centred in kanchipuram. The town kanchipuram is fine known as silk city because roundabout of its population is reliant upon the silk industry. In the order of 60,000 silk looms work, filled within town. This town has an annual turnover of more than Rs.200 crores by means of the exports comprising around Rs. 3 crores. The export figures are incomplete due to the inadequacy of weaving on the whole sarees, which has its possess demand, but is moderately lesser over other outfits. Basic Functioning of the Silk Industry in specific to production The first silk filament cloth was made in Ancient china. Silk filament is a fine, touch, elastic fibre which is produced from caterpillars name called bombyxmori. After thirty-five days it has hatched from the eggs laid by its parent moth, the caterpillar, normally referred to as silkworm, that silkworm usually spends its time in eating the leaves of a mulberry tree. Within two or three days spinning it surrounds itself in a cocoon which consists of a continuous and very fine filament of silk. Then silkworm turns into a moth, which escapes by making a hole through the cocoon. The first cocoons were placed in very hot water to soften the sticky gum, sericin, which holds the filament together. The ends of the filament are found and it would be unwound. This progression is called reeling. The silk filament is put on to large reels which are known as swifts. Silk is not like cotton or wool, it is not spun but twisted, then term throwing rather than spinning. Throwing includes the revolvi ng of two sets of bobbins at different, carefully adjusted, speeds. PORTERS FIVE FORCES Shaping an industry and define its competitors and attractiveness can be determine through porters five forces. Threats for new entrance high The silk industry always has potential threat entrance from developing countries like china in relation to global exports. Through there are lots of barriers like capital requirements and chemical requirements. It is difficult for the other countries to develop the market because of the capital requirement and to gain the confidence of the government. Since there is a government support which results in gaining a new entrance for the competitors with inexpensive labour. That threat for new entrance is relatively high. Barriers power of the buyers high The buyer power is relatively high in the textile industry as they drive the industry as such. There is the best utilization of the resources such that there is a major investment from the buyers. The buyers drive the industry due to price proximity and quality of the product. Barriers power of the suppliers low Suppliers for the textile industry are provided by the chemical industry as they are one of the structural drivers. The supplier is relatively low as compare to the other industries. The suppliers are those who supply the raw material to the textile industry for the production of the textile materials. The pricing of the chemical substances which has been supplied to the textile industry is rising due to economic recession and inflation. Threats of substitute high The substitutes product for silk industry is cotton and wool. Normally the demand for the cotton is very high, because it is the one of the cheapest product in textile material. Silk fabric is the one of most costly and luxury material in textile industry. Demand for the wool material is high during winter seasons. While that time silk material is not that much demand while comparing with cotton. Competitive rivalry high The competitive rivalry within the industry is very high and this is justified rivalry within silk industry producers who supply a large variety of silk products to instigate further demand in market also supporting the justification it is clearly noticeable that the product line depth width of the silk supply is high and portfolio of the product is of a high variety within the silk industry. PESTLE (Macro environmental analysis for the Silk Industry in India) The concept of PESTEL analysis provides the framework of macro-environmental factors to scan the external environment. It the basic tool to understand market growth or decline. This framework evaluates the impact of political, economic, social, technology, environment and legal factors on the business environment. This analysis provides opportunities or threats for an organization in external environment. Political environment The political factors in silk textile industry include trade regulations, tax policies. The silk industry add up major growth as it one of the booming sector in India. The government have lots of subsidiary to textile industry as it is the second largest producer of silks. The tax exemption has been provided on the exports done from the industry. Economic environment The GDP growth for the silk textile industry in the last two years is declining because of the global economic recession, due to this the labour cost as considerably increase in a gradual pace. This has also decrease customer spending capability. Purchasing power of the consumer is high, because silk sarees shows the prestige status of women in India. Social analysis The silk industry has normally changes the customers living standard and also changes the social cultural factors in the fashion designing industry. Silk is the maximum consumed in south India which has abundant resources of fabrics and raw materials. The silk sarees resemble the social culture of women in India particularly in Tamil Nadu. Technology analysis India being one of the major exporters of silk, the silk industry in India has gained maximum focus and attention from the government wherein any new technological advancement in production is introduced to this industry adding to the important to this industry. Recently there are lot of new invention and technological developments which are taking place in the textile industry and which will provide the customer and the government to improve the revenue considerably. Environmental analysis There are few critical problems in terms of environment and ecology which are facing the silk industry; these include the chemical wastes and emission from silk producing factories which tend to cause nervous disorders. Another issue which recently is gaining spotlight attention relates to the disruption of the ecological system and imbalance due to the killing of silk worms and this problem was one of the main driver to produce what is called harmless silk (i.e.) silk produced without harming the silk worms. Legal analysis The health and safety issues are always consider in this type of industry there are committees in international organizations to take care the benefits of the workers. Compensation for the workers is low in silk industry. There are many times the weavers have strike to raise the salary for them. STRUCTURAL DRIVERS OF CHANGE IN SILK INDUSTRY In this silk industry there are many structural drivers of change. These drivers of change can be seen in fashion of the people, government and purchasing power of the consumers. Fashion trends of the people Indian saris are the habitual clothing of Indian women. Fashion of the people remains changing, so the textile industries also produce the saris according to the people wants. The silk sarees are defensible as that they are easy to carry; light weighted and help in free movement. This silk sarees are softness and crispness which assure the best quality. The reason for the popularity of the silk sarees is suitability to all occasions. There are many varieties of silk saree like jamdani silk saree, pure silk bridal wear, ethnic kanchipuram saree make for purely traditional wear, the art silk sarees, printed silk sarees, khadi silk sarees and kora silk which are more fashionable Indian silk sarees. Government The silk industry is the one of the major sector which developed the Indian economy and it increase the GDP. There are 2000 set of new textile policy reforms in textile sector, which dealing with removal of raw material price distortions, cluster approach for power looms, pragmatic exit of idle mills, modernisation of outdated technology, etc. The Union Budget of 2005-2006 announced economical progressive policies, which includes: Reduction in corporate tax rate from 35% to 30% with 10% surcharge. Reduction in depreciation rate on plant and machinery from 25% to 15%. Initiation of cluster development for handloom sector. Availability of health insurance package to 0.2mn weavers from 0.02mn initially. Purchasing power of the customer Silk sarees make the best among all Indian sarees. The price of the Indian sarees start from few thousand rupees, a good silk saree can cost a lot of rupees. This silk saree shows the prestige status for women. Few years before rich people can only buy the silk sarees, while that time price of the sarees is at high. Middle and lower class people cannot able to buy the silk sarees. But now a days purchasing power of the middle class is raised. At present the Indian middle class people is where around 351 million. Purchasing power of the customer has been increased. INDUSTRY LIFE CYCLE OF SILK INDUSTRY Development The silk industry is the second largest producer and it has an exclusive pose in India; it plays an important role textile industry and export. It produces 18% of raw silks in total world. The total production of silk during 2005-06 was 16,500 MT and export were Rs. 2,879.56 crores. Source: http://www.india-crafts.com/business-reports/indian-textile-industry/sericulture-silk-sector.htm Accessed Date: 13-3-2010 Introduction Silk industry is one of the most important industries from historical period in India. The sericulture industry employs over 700,000 farm families and is mostly concentrated in Southern India. As in today 56 lakhs people are dependent on this sericulture industry. The potency of this industry defamation in its extensive base, the sustaining market demand pulls particularly from the Indian handloom weaving sector. Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Indian-Silk-Industryid=364907 Accessed Date: 13-3-2010 Growth The revenue from the textile industry has boosted up the GDP growth in India. The industry magnitude has long-drawn-out from USD 37 billion in 2004-05 to USD 49 billion in 2006-07. In this era, the local market witnessed an escalation of USD 7 billion; this is from USD 23 billion to USD 30 billion. The export market developed from USD 14 billion to USD 19 billion in the same period. Source: http://business.mapsofindia.com/india-gdp/industries/textile.html Accessed Date: 13-3-2010 Maturity This is a growing industry which mainly depends on GDP growth and the inflation around the globe. Maturity stage is the stage where the industry cannot grow as they have seen a complete product development and review but the silk industry falls on the growing stage. If the silk industry reaches the maturity stages then the industry start to decline. Decline The Indian silk industry will not see the decline till the year 2020. CONCLUSION FOR INDUSTRY LIFE CUYCLE As seen the Indian economy is growing in faster pace than the other developing countries there is a considerable growth for the past two years. The budget is also presented in a diversified manner such that the industry grows as the inflation decrease. The industry falls in between the growth and maturity stage in the industry life cycle diagram. SCENARIOS Recycling the silk sarees Chemical wastage Artificial silk Scenario-1 Recycling the silk sarees The old silk sarees are recycled into new silk sarees and it can be sells in the market at better price. There are some manufacturing company which collect damaged and old silk sarees from people and that sarees recycled into new one. This progression saves the manufacture time and that sarees can be produced with new designs. Even though the sarees are recycled the value of the sarees did not reduce, so manufacturer can sell the sarees in fine price. In this process, cost of production is less and it can gain more profit. This process is environment friendly, normally dyeing company produce water pollution but in this recycling process creating pollution is very less while compare to the dyeing company. This process is introduce because, people consuming silk sarees are more in India they can use the silk sarees for maximum five years then they dont use that saree, so that old sarees can be recycled in this process. Scenario-2 Chemical wastage In silk industry, dyeing and finishing sector uses the large amount of water and extensive qualities of compound chemicals. The chemical using in this process can be reduced and the sarees can be produce with less chemical effects. The dyeing companies are facing lot of challenge in this process. These companies are the main reason for the water pollution. The chemical wastage which produces in the dyeing companies is mix with the river water and creates water pollution for the environment. The dyeing companies should have the proper outlet for the waste water. So the chemical usage can be reduce in the production of silk sarees and that dyeing companies should have the proper outlet for that chemical wastage and that chemical wastage should not mix with the river water. This process saves our environment. Scenario-3- Artificial silk Now a days silk is cultivated in Japan, China, Spain, France and Italy are replaced to artificial fibers that has been used of silk in much of the textile industry. The silk industry has a business worth of $200-$500 million annually. A small piece of silk fabric is produced by killing thousands of silkworms. Some of the industries in India are trying to produce silk cloth without killing of silkworms. Ahimsa silk sarees which is produced in Hyderabad, India is without killing silkworms. At the present time people dont like the sarees which is produced by killing silkworms, they are prefer for this ahimsa silk. These ahimsa silk sarees are eco-friendly. In future silk sarees can be produced without killing silkworm. RECOMMENDATION Commencing from above scenarios 3rd and 2nd can be suggested, because the third scenario tells about the producing of silk cloths without killing silkworm so generation of the silkworm is also saving through this method. Scenario 2 which tells regarding the reducing of chemical wastage in dyeing industry, this process will save the environment pollutions. CONCLUSION In India silk industry is a foremost player in the global scenario and the growth forecast for the industry appear to be optimistic. Method like the support of additional technological and economic research in the different aspects of sericulture, regularity and quality control of silk and silk products and explanation of marketing and stabilization of prices of silk cocoons and raw silk it might increase quickly than yet before. REFFERENCE: http://ezinearticles.com/?Indian-Silk-Industryid=364907 Accessed Date: 14-3-2010 http://business.mapsofindia.com/india-gdp/industries/textile.html Accessed Date: 14-3-2010 http://www.iloveindia.com/economy-of-india/textile-industry.html Accessed Date: 20-3-2010 Ahimsa Silk: Silk Saree without killing a single silkworm Accessed Date: 20-3-2010 http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/The-Kanchipuram-Silk-Industry/152671 Accessed Date: 20-3-2010 http://www.collectibles-articles.com/Article/Things-To-Remember-About-Silk-Sarees/23170 Accessed Date: 28-3-2010 http://indiansilk.kar.nic.in/body_silk.html Accessed Date: 28-3-2010

Around The World In 80 Days :: essays research papers

Type of Literary Work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This sensational novel is an adventure novel consisting of an enterprising Englishman touring the globe. Woven within are historical facts, such as the British Empire and colonies around the globe, as well as historically accurate locations. Theme   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theme of this breathtaking novel is one of daring and persistence. On the whim of a wager, Fogg is sent around the world in the impossible time span of eighty days. Throughout the work, Fogg’s limitless persistence, entwined with his stereotypical English composure, astound the reader.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fogg represents this boundless daring in the audacious wager he makes. He has promised his arrival back in London in eighty days, regardless of the wilderness, delay, or other problems that may arise on his journey. The reader is, perhaps, driven to the conclusion that Fogg is a madman, who takes lightly to large sums of money. This is not so, as Fogg (although the wager seems unfeasible) is a reserved man, calm and collected at all times atop the punctuality Verne expresses within him in just the first chapters.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Verne expresses the stereotypical Englishmen, the seeker of adventure, popular in his time. Almost jokingly does Verne come to this conclusion, he being a Frenchman, in which all Englishmen will go to the corners of the Earth to find an area to â€Å"Europeanize†, find a wild beast to market from, or a project to throw their pounds at.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fogg’s endless persistence, is further shown in his composure while great delays push him back, tragedies occur around him, and loved ones are lost repeatedly. His endless hope was a flood during a great drought within the circumstances he was found in. Train delays were compensated through elephant purchases, steamer delays through chartering yachts, stubborn foreigners subdued through a handful of bank notes – even the weather seemed to fall before Fogg. His devotion to his ultimate goal, not that of the money but of the accomplishment, was infinitely expressed throughout the work. Setting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The setting for this novel was a constantly shifting one. Taking place during what seems to be the Late Industrial Revolution and the high of the British Empire, the era is portrayed amongst influential Englishmen, the value of the pound, the presence of steamers, railroads, ferries, and a European globe. The novel begins in London, but quickly changes eastward, from Paris, to Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Yokohama, San Francisco, Omaha, New York, Queenstown, Liverpool, and back to London – a complete circumnavigation around the glove condensed into two hundred-odd pages.

Dispatches Paper Essay

As I read Dispatches by Michael Herr, there is an overwhelming sense of fear and horror. His dispatches are populated by soldiers called ‘grunts’, whose enemy was everywhere and nowhere. Their maps were blank; their names for the enemy, ‘Charlie’ or ‘VC’, told them nothing. How do you recognize them? They all wear black pajamas; they are all alien to us. They are everywhere. That’s where the paranoia began. Herr’s dispatches are disturbing because he writes from inside the nightmare, with all the tension and terror that turned these young men into killing machines. It is all the more frightening because, emptied of any concerns for justice, or ethics, or solidarity, they opened fire anywhere, everywhere. After all, who could know where or who the enemy was? Herr’s use of brutal imagery absorbed me into his savage surroundings. From the soldier who can’t stop drooling as a result of a particularly dreadful gun battle, to the scenes of the dead, American and Vietnamese, adult and infant, on battlefields and village streets. The characters are real people in a situation that most of them neither like nor understand. They are young men who invoke the same shortcomings we all have. They are professional soldiers and act that way despite their misgivings. They push past the boundaries of fear and into the realms of heroism or insanity or death. Everyone that he introduces is individual. There are no carbon copy soldiers here. They are funny or musical or religious or delusional. I felt as though I was being introduced to people I knew throughout the book. From time off in Saigon and Hong Kong to his time spent in a bunker during the siege of Khe Sanh, Herr covers every aspect of the war. He shows how so many soldiers were so drastically affected by the war. He describes the strange, fearful moments when at night the jungle suddenly goes silent. Herr tells tales of Marines throwing themselves on top of him with incoming fire, people he has only just met minutes or hours before that are risking their lives to protect his. This book is very descriptive and one of the best examples of this is this sentence, â€Å"Every fifth round was a tracer, and when Spooky was working, everything stopped while that solid stream of violent  red poured down out of the black sky.† In this sentence Herr is retelling the feelings felt by everyone as they watched the gunships flying overhead, unleashing the fury of gatling-guns that could fire thousands of rounds per minute. Not only does Herr convey the impact of such a sight; he does it in such a manner that a vivid image is formed in the reader’s mind. One of the more disturbing and insightful quotes in the book comes when a Marine at Khe Sanh learns that his wife is pregnant, but not with his child. Herr retells with this account, â€Å"†Oh don’t worry,† Orrin said. â€Å"There’s gonna be a death in my family. Just soon’s I git home.† And then he laughed. It was a terrible laugh, very quiet and intense, and it was the thing that made everyone who heard it believe Orrin.† This quote shows how badly some soldiers were transformed during the war. A man who used to be very peaceful and calm would now snap at the slightest provocation. He would now plan the death of his wife for cheating on him. With these examples I would definitely say that one of the strengths of this book is its vivid descriptions. The other strength of this book is probably how it covers the emotional and physical aspects of the war. Still it is difficult to reconcile Herr’s disregard for the grunts’ brutality and his apparent admiration that surfaces. Herr feeds on the death and carnage of the battlefield. It is difficult to grudge a person for their attachment to the most exciting times of their life. Herr’s is almost an addiction to the life of the thrill seeker, but as he frequently mentions, unlike the grunts, he could always take the next chopper back to an air-conditioned hotel room in Saigon, or leave altogether. (Not that an air-conditioned room in Saigon would be necessarily safer than Khe Sahn†¦) He describes Vietnam as a jumbled, confused, mess of a living hell. Herr also wrote the narration for â€Å"Apocalypse Now,† so what more do you need to know? It is crucial to understand that this book is not a political or military history of the war. Instead, Herr tried to portray the â€Å"experience† of what it was like to be in Vietnam; you won’t find a handy map and glossary in the back. (If you honestly don’t know what words like di di, zip, grunt, 16, and DMZ mean, I suggest you bone up on your history.) There are two major downfalls to this book: rambling and fiction. His writing style, disjointed and confused, makes the book a little hard to get used to. But when you do get used to it only then can you see that Herr is trying to give the reader an accurate account rather than a moral lecture. In terms of fiction the problem with writers is that they are writers. As such they are basically dishonest. This is not Vietnam as told by a soldier. This is Vietnam as told by a journalist who is â€Å"in-country† to the precise extent he cares to be and hotfoots it out of there when the going gets rough. In the beginning of the book Herr describes the horrors of night patrol by describing his own fear. He then informs the bewildered reader that this is a bit too much for him and therefore takes his journalistic eye somewhere else. The difference between a journalist and a soldier is that the soldier can’t leave when he feels like it and so he doesn’t have the luxury of drama. Unfortunately, most of this book is drama.

The Weather and Folklore of Altocumulus Clouds

The Weather and Folklore of Altocumulus Clouds An altocumulus cloud is a middle-level cloud that lives between 6,500 to 20,00 feet above ground and is made of water. Its name comes from the Latin Altus meaning high Cumulus meaning heaped. Altocumulus clouds are of the stratocumuliform cloud family (physical form) and are one of the 10 basic cloud types. There are four species of cloud underneath the altocumulus genus: altocumulus lenticularis (stationary lens-shaped clouds that are often mistaken for UFOs)altocumulus castellanus (altocumulus with tower-like sproutings that billow upwards)altocumulus stratiformis (altocumulus in sheets or relatively flat patches)altocumulus floccus (altocumulus with scattered tufts and fringy lower parts) The abbreviation for altocumulus clouds is (Ac). Cotton Balls in the Sky Altocumulus are commonly seen on warm spring and summer mornings. Theyre some of the simplest clouds to identify, especially since they look like balls of cotton stuck into the blue background of the sky. Theyre often white or gray in color and are arranged in patches of wavy, rounded masses or rolls. Altocumulus clouds are often called sheepback or mackerel sky because they resemble the wool of sheep and scales of mackerel fish. Bellwethers of Bad Weather Altocumulus clouds that appear on a clear humid morning can indicate the development of thunderstorms later in the day. Thats because altocumulus clouds often precede cold fronts of low-pressure systems. As such, they also sometimes signal the onset of cooler temperatures. While they are not clouds from which precipitation falls, their presence signals convection and instability at mid-levels of the troposphere. Altocumulus in Weather Folklore Mackerel sky, mackerel sky. Never long wet and never long dry.Mackerel scales and mares tails make lofty ships carry low sails. If youre a fan of weather folklore, youve likely heard the above sayings, both of which are true. The first piece of lore warns that if altocumulus clouds are seen and air pressure begins to fall, the weather wont be dry for much longer because it may start raining within 6 hours time. But once the rain does come, it wont be wet for long because as the warm front passes, so too will the precipitation. The second rhyme warns ships to lower and take in their sails for the same reason; a storm may be approaching soon and the sails should be lowered to protect them from the accompanying high winds.