Solar Eclipse: A Coming Together

 Posted by at 12:45 pm  Politics
Apr 132024
 

It may be that the best part of the 2024 Solar Eclipse wasn’t the eclipse at all, but the feeling of sharing a unifying connecting event as a community – especially since we’re being buffeted daily by our current polarization.

It was a treat to scour the Internet in search of some of the best photos shared online celebrating such an epic event.

But given how incessantly a certain politician spews falsehoods, maybe it shouldn’t be that surprising that the much-anticipated eclipse was somewhat eclipsed by a misconception.

An X-Tweet that went viral falsely claimed that the most stunning photo of the 2024 eclipse was taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

 

This, despite the fact that in the week prior to the April 8th eclipse NASA took pains to explain that the JSWT would NOT being taking any photos of the eclipse because it could not withstand the heat and light generated.  Heads Up: There would be NO JWST photos of the big event!

Even more outlandish is the fact that the viral tweet celebrating the “JSWT photo“ is NOT actually a photo, but a hand-drawn homage to an actual photo of the eclipse – AND it was of the 2017 total eclipse!

The inspiration for the drawing was a composite of 35 HDR images of the 2017 eclipse taken by Dr. Sebastian Voltmer who has a PhD in the field of Scientific Photography.

And the artist who was inspired by his photograph was Cathrin Machin who posted an Instagram time-lapse video of her 10-day project to hand-draw a reproduction.

Have you ever seen an eclipse in person? Hand drawn image of the Moon Obscuring the Sun, took 10 days to draw based Here’s the thing -… | Instagram

So, let’s begin our journey with a few close-ups of the eclipse – from both 2017 and 2024.

Another favorite way of commemorating the 2024 eclipse was by taking a series of pictures – essentially a time-lapse memorializing the event.

Lots of folks felt the urge to put their own unique brand to the event in fun ways.

And Americans from across the country shared their take on the epic event by posting how they marked this special occasion – whether by projecting telescopic images for all to enjoy, daredevil aerobatics or memorializing its singular natural beauty.

I can’t help but feel that we’d all be well-served to remember the feeling of such a unifying event by taking a step back to enjoy the “Big Picture” that swept across our Big Blue Marble …

 

 

 

 

Share

Open Thread April 13, 2024

 Posted by at 6:00 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 132024
 

Yesterday, Robert Reich’s column was about the Manhattan criminal charges against Donald Trump**. He explains in detail exactly why it is wrong to call it a “hush money” case. I umderstand, and I’m sure he also does, the temptation to find a way to distinguish it from all his other legal woes, so that people know instantly which case one is talking about. But it also plays into his hands. “New York election interference case” or “Manhattan election interference case” are two ways we can call a spade a spade and still make it clear what case is being alluded to.

This is a “Colorado leads the Way” story. I’m sad that it took this long. But I’m bursting with pride that it’s being done now.

Not to suggest there is such a thing as a good Republican today – but, you know, the House could have done a lot worse than Mike Johnson.

Share

Open Thread April 12, 2024

 Posted by at 5:36 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 122024
 

Yesterday, I heard from Trinette that she has a cold, and might not make it Sunday. I said let’s skip a week – I want you to be well. (Thoughts and prayers welcome.) Also, yes, I’m aware that O.J.Simpson died Wednesday. It’s not something I really want to discuss. But the New Yorker, the Atlanta Black Star, and The Root, are packed with discussion, so if anyone wants to, the resources exist.

I realize that conservative groups consistently mis-name themselves to suggest the opposite of whatever bug is in their brains when they form the group – but this is extreme even for them.

This is something Joe can do without Congress. and I think – but am not sure – that the Food for Thought might be another thing. If so, I’m all for it.

Share

Open Thread April 11, 2024

 Posted by at 6:02 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 112024
 

Yesterday, I finally took a few duck eggs out of the freezer ((I’m allergic to chicken eggs, n=but not to duck eggs or goose eggs) to use as toppers to corned beef hash (yes, I’m old – that used to be a popular meal, particularly for breakfast). I froze some when my source retired. Freezing eggs is an awkward business – you have to take them out of the shell, because if you don’t, they will break in the freezer, and you also have to at least pierce the yolk. And if you don’t want to use them all together, you need to put each one into a separate plastic bag. So hardboiled eggs are not an option. Traditionally, with hash, they were poached, but that’s not an option either, since the yolk is pierced. I just made a “valley” in the “mountain” of hash and put an egg (out of the plastic bag) into it, then microwaved it. It wasn’t as good as the meals I remember, but it wasn’t bad either. However, the best use of frozen (and then thawed) eggs is in baking. Maybe I’ll feel up to that eventually.

I always enjoy reading Amanda Marcotte. She sees things that otber people, including me, don’t. I don’t claim she’s always right, but what she has to say always bears consideration. I should point out that Salon, where she is a senior writer, is also now on substack (as is I presume her personal newsletter which they mention.)

As Nameless often says, good news is always welcome. And I find this news particularly good coming from Texas. I suppose the whiny Texas GOP will be taking it to the Supremes, but at least there are injunctions for the interim. And the Supremes might turn it down. If they’re smart enough (I know some are.)

Hanky Alert

Share

Open Thread April 10, 2024

 Posted by at 5:51 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 102024
 

Yesterday, Democratic Underground had this short eclipse video from Xitter. I’m not going to send you to Xitter, but the embed is worth watching. (If you read the comments, you’ll know it was first posted by Eric Swalwell.)

Because this is not exactly current events, I held it for a few days. Heather Cox Richardson reviews the history of Yellowstone and of the Antiquities Act. It made me realize how close we came to not having something I have always taken for granted – our National Park system. I’ll try not to take it for granted any more.

Well, this doesn’t look good for my Congressinal District (Not that anything ever looks good for my Congressinal District.) On the other hand,perhaps, with enough publicity about this creep (of course I mean Williams, not Fish)a Dem might be able to win – or at the very least to make a good showing, which might be able to carry forward to 2026.)

Share

Open Thread April 9, 2024

 Posted by at 5:32 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 092024
 

Yesterday, a member of Democratic Underground posted a new Biden-Harris campaign ad there. Wow. I’m going to provide the DU link (embedded YouTube videos don’t have the advertising) but also the regular YouTube link in case you need full screen, CC, and 75% speed, which I did, to fully appreciate it (or you can navigate to YouTube from the embed.) Hanky alert.

After addressing the Key Bridge tragedy and the tragedy for our nation that is Trump**, Robert Hubbell turned this weekend to immigration. If you want to skip the first part, it’s fairly east – it has its own headline, large and bold – “How foreign immigrants support the US economy.” In addition to his own words, he links to an interactive map where you can, if you wish, find ypour own county, possibly even city, and see how may live there, how much they pay in taxes, what their spendinh power is, and how many are eligible voters (naturalized and 18 or over. Just under half of my county’s are in this category.) And some other data as well. You probably already knew that immigrants are good for the country, but this will really open your eyes to just how much and in what ways that is so.

RFK Jr is best known for being Anti-Vax (Off Topic – but another article at the Daily Beast reveals that Anti-Vaxxers are now trying to take over a hospital.) But it appears he is not averse to accepting support from other shady types.

Share

Open Thread April 8, 2024

 Posted by at 5:48 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 082024
 

Yesterday, Trinette came by. I didn’t have a lot for her to do this week. I was working on my closet more than clutter. She says hi to all.

The Reich on the left is right as usual – about the likely event – and I hope he is equally right about the lag time. Much more than that and it will be too late. I apologize for not making a note of where i read this, but apparently some polling in swing states specifically showed voters positivw abot their state’s economy but negative about the national economy (which makes little sense -but i guess that’s why they’re swing states.)

I don’t know how public this knowledge is – by which I mean, technically it’s public knowledge, but no one will know it if news outlets don’t pick it up.

Share

Open Thread April 7, 2024

 Posted by at 6:04 am  Open Thread, Personal, Politics
Apr 072024
 

Yesterday, The radio opera was Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” (“The love Potion”) and I’m afraid I slept through half of it. My alarm went off and I decided not to get up. I’m not a big Pavarotti fan, and while there were other major stars of the time, including one with whom I shared a violin teacher (not of course at the same time – decades apart actually) I just wasn’t inspired to get up then. I did get up in time fpre the second act (there are only two). One of the four main characters is a “snake oil salesman” and i see enough of that in real life.

Heather Cox Richardson is an historian, not an economist – but you don’t really need to be an economist to know that “supply-side” economics does not work. You just need to be over 40 and not blind. The Biden/Sanders video she speaks of is the second with Biden’s name on it in the list of Xitter videos below her list of links. Iy’s supposed to have sound, and it definitely has CC.

April, in the South, is Confederate Heritage Month. The Southrern Poverty Law Center find that less than acceptable. So they are pushing for a celebreation of good things in southern history to replace it – or at least alleviate the bad taste of it.

Share
 Older Entries  Newer Entries