Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

A norm that restrains only one side really is not a norm – it is a trap.

He really is that stupid.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

They were going to turn on one another at some point. It was inevitable.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

There is no compromise when it comes to body autonomy. You either have it or you do not.

You passed on an opportunity to be offended? What are you even doing here?

Marge, god is saying you’re stupid.

We know you aren’t a Democrat but since you seem confused let me help you.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

Anyone who bans teaching American history has no right to shape America’s future.

Radicalized white males who support Trump are pitching a tent in the abyss.

This country desperately needs a functioning fourth estate.

The most dangerous place for a black man in America is in a white man’s imagination.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

Not loving this new fraud based economy.

Speaker Mike Johnson is a vile traitor to the House and the Constitution.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

“Loving your country does not mean lying about its history.”

If a good thing happens for a bad reason, it’s still a good thing.

The low info voters probably won’t even notice or remember by their next lap around the goldfish bowl.

You are here: Home / Nature & Respite / Late Night Open Thread: We Have Seen the Comet

Late Night Open Thread: We Have Seen the Comet

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First time I’ve gone beyond our yard in four months, but it was a no-contact excursion. The Spousal Unit, who’s the astronomy expert in this household (growing up in rural upper lower Michigan gave him a head start), decided the best reachable viewing spot for us would be the dirt lot at a waterfront state park some 40 minutes north. Sunday night’s run was not a success — fogbanks obscured the horizon. But tonight, even our aging eyes could pick out Comet Neowise… at least with the very basic binoculars, which took it from ‘slightly brighter pinprick in the smudge below the Dipper‘ to ‘yup, that’s a comet.‘

We’d have stayed to admire it for more than half an hour, except we’d forgotten to bring bug spray.

But (Murphy the Trickster God grant us a clear night) it should be a great spot to watch the Perseids next month, which is one of our summer traditions.

Reader Interactions

88Comments

  1. 1.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    haven’t read the post yet, but Lt General Russell Honore (ret’d) live-watching the Portland video of the Navy vet being attacked by Chad Wolf’s commandos on Brian Williams’ program: “What kind of bullshit is this?”
    I’m usually irritated by our collective third-grade reaction when people say a swear on the TeeVee, but this came from the gut. I hope it goes viral.

  3. 3.

    Elizabelle

    We had thunderstorms tonight.  No heading down to the Lee Monument.  Tomorrow night might be a wash too.

    Would love to see that comet.

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:   Good for General Honore.  More people should speak out, forcefully.

    Our media, learning:

    Jake Tapper to the governor of Mississippi, on State of the Union, July 19:

    “You’ve encouraged residents to wear masks. But it’s only 13 out of 82 counties that have the mask mandate. The medical association says it should be the whole county. Isn’t — you call it surgical, but is it the idea of having a mask mandate only in some places and not the whole state? Isn’t that like having part of the pool that it’s okay to pee in? People travel from county to county.”

  5. 5.

    laura

    If we get the 2am insomnia in the next couple of nights, spouse and I will pull a runner to the causeway in hopes of seeing the comet without ambient light interference. To date, our backyard and street attempts have failed because we cant get tree free views except for the busy sky what with the evening planets and the International Space Station whizzing by. Binoculars at the ready.

  6. 6.

    ixnay

    Ooh, ooh, first clear night here in ages, and we went out and actually found the comet. And then there were fireflies in the back field. Date night!

  7. 7.

    Kay

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist:

    Andrew Lawrence
    @ndrew_lawrence
    · 1h
    Sean Hannity asks who will be blamed when the stormtroopers hypothetically shoot a bunch of protesters. Tom Cotton says the protesters will be to blame under this hypothetical

    Poor, cancelled Tom Cotton. Unfairly accused of advocating to shoot protesters.
    Look at that. Somehow he rallied back from all that Twitter abuse and is now on tv…. calling for protesters to be shot and he actually got an army of secret police to deploy!
    As it turns out it wasn’t just an abstract, high-minded “debate”. It was in the works.

  8. 8.

    NotMax

    Homestead smells real good.

    Chocolate sour cream pudding cake just taken from the oven; cooling on the counter.

  9. 9.

    Kay

    Josh Wingrove
    @josh_wingrove
    · 4h
    Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf tells Fox that they’re “proactive arrest[ing] people” in Portland.

    Chad the Lobbyist sure spends a lot of time on tv threatening citizens. Isn’t Homeland Security supposed to have some pandemic mission? Anyone working on that?

  10. 10.

    piratedan

    @Jim, Foolish Literalist: … think we can file that under, what part of peaceful, non-violent protesting does the Trump Administration not understand? Apparently they think that any opposition should be met with force and the more images we see of scenes like this we get two very visceral reactions, those that disapprove and while they may not be sympathetic to the cause and motivation of the protests, sure as hell don’t think that’s an appropriate response.

    and those that get a hard on for it and pile onto the “he had it coming!”, “they’re disrespecting OUR authority!” and ‘fuck your feelings!” crowd.

    For those old school types that actually believed in the system and in honoring their oaths, having this displayed to them is pretty compelling and worldview shattering.

  11. 11.

    Aleta

    Went out and saw it tonight too. Was so torn up by the news today I was flattened and not up for anything. But gave it a try outside the house, looking up across the street w/binoculars. After awhile (had started to give up) I saw what could be the body, and a bit at the end of what could be the tail, quite faint. Five min later looked again — it was darker, much clearer, long bright tail. Five min later it was better. Surprised it was that large; I hadn’t expected that at all. Surprised how the visibility and brightness changed so quickly. It was quickly moving closer to the horizon. Its beauty took me away from earth and that felt better than I thought possible tonight.

  12. 12.

    Jerzy Russian

    I saw the comet from my back yard using small binoculars. I don’t feel like driving an hour east to the hills where it is a lot darker (and higher elevation).

  13. 13.

    Jerzy Russian

    @laura:   Depending on your location, you will have only a few hours after sunset to see the comet before it sets.  The comet is to the northwest, and things in the western sky are setting…

  16. 16.

    laura

    @Kay: Look at that. Somehow he rallied back from all that Twitter abuse and is now on tv…. calling for protesters to be shot and he actually got an army of secret police to deploy!

    That Tom Cotton is a dangerous man, and he’s on the tv manufacturing consent at someone’s beck and call. It sure isn’t in defense of the Constitution of the oath he swore.

  18. 18.

    Jerzy Russian

    @?BillinGlendaleCA:   If she is far enough north, the comet won’t set.  Of course, if she is that far north, it gets dark for only an hour or two this time of the year.

  19. 19.

    MisterForkbeard

    @Kay: …isn’t “proactively arresting people” arresting them before they’ve done anything?

    That’s literally an admission that they don’t have a case here. That their victims literally haven’t done anything worthy of arrest.

    EDIT: Didn’t these fuckers watch Minority Report? :)

  22. 22.

    Kay

    @MisterForkbeard:

    They took someone into custody because he was somewhere around another one who was or was not doing anything. Unclear on that, because as I said they picked up the other one.

    Chad’s a lobbyist. You can’t expect him to know this stuff.

    “I don’t need invitations by the state, state mayors, or state governors to do our job. We’re going to do that, whether they like us there or not.” — acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf

    He’s appointed himself National Secret Police Chief now. Will anyone stop this lobbyist before he invades another city? Does anyone even have that kind of power?

  25. 25.

    Major Major Major Major

    Apparently it’s been visible with binoculars from Central Park the last two nights, but I don’t own any nor am I good at this sort of thing. At any rate there will be other comets. I enjoyed the one some years back that got too warm and sort of exploded a little, it was quite big.

  26. 26.

    Jinchi

    I’ve been out to see the comet the last several nights. It’s been pretty low in the sky just after sunset and unfortunately for me in the direction of several nearby cities, so it takes some effort to see it. Find the big dipper, then about two fists down. (I’m pretty sure it sets a few hours after sunset so don’t wait to late to search for it). Once I knew where to look I managed to get a small telescope on it for a better view. I imagine it’s pretty nice if you can find dark skies. Turn around 180 degrees and you’ll find Jupiter high and bright in the sky and Saturn close beside it.

  34. 34.

    Major Major Major Major

    @MisterForkbeard: My reading of the clip is that he is defending sending people out to detain people they’ve seen commit crimes. He even says something like “it’s BS that somebody commits a crime, they go across the street and we can’t touch them.”

    So, that’s what he means by proactive, he is saying it as a defense of his actions. Now, it doesn’t happen to describe what they’re doing…

    …but as an official defense, I think the context makes clear he means “walking across the street after we see them do it” proactive and not “pre-crime” proactive.

    idk why this is bugging me! What they’re doing is very bad.

  35. 35.

    Brachiator

    @Kay: 

    He’s appointed himself National Secret Police Chief now. Will anyone stop this lobbyist before he invades another city? Does anyone even have that kind of power?

    Trump set this dog loose.

    It will be tricky putting him back on his leash.

  37. 37.

    Anne Laurie

    @NotMax: Been meaning to ask for a long time whence the use of Murphy derives?

    He’s the fella behind Murphy’s Law, of course!

    “Gods come and go, but Murphy’s Law abides.”

    I vaguely remember a theory it was a neopagan corruption of Mercury, but mostly it just seems *perfect* as a sobriquet, to me…

  38. 38.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    @Kay:

    “I don’t need invitations by the state, state mayors, or state governors to do our job. We’re going to do that, whether they like us there or not.”

    So much for federalism and big government being evil.

    Where are the self-proclaimed Second Amendment freedom fighters to stop these jackbooted thugs? That’s rhetorical, so don’t answer

    Somebody should ask Wolf where his Oath Breakers were when the Proud Boys were beating counterprotesters up in Portland the past couple of years

  39. 39.

    Aleta

    Chad W seems not super bright, and minimally capable to have this power to begin with.  Even less mature under pressure.  And not an honest or experienced thinker.  What a fcking shame he’s  hung on to a job he shouldn’t be near.

  41. 41.

    Anne Laurie

    @Jinchi: Turn around 180 degrees and you’ll find Jupiter high and bright in the sky and Saturn close beside it.

    Wow, thanks, those are the only two lights I could see from our light-polluted yard — I thought they were Venus and Jupiter!

  42. 42.

    mrmoshpotato

    1. When can we waterboard Hannity for charity? (His promise, remember?)

    2. Can everyone beaten by the Dumpstapo be allowed to wail on douchecanoe Chad first thing January 21st?

    ETA – cool comet too.

  43. 43.

    Aleta

    @Aleta:  They’re really pissed that the NYT got its hands on the DHS memo to ChadW .  What he’s saying about the training is pretty much what RW Re d st at e wrote when it attacked the NYT about their report.  Last night one of the three reporters on the article, Mike Bake (NYT), was punched and knocked to the ground for no reason by a fed officer.  It looked out of the blue to me, as though targeted.

  44. 44.

    Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)

    Started watching 70s Columbo. Into season 3 and I have to say it’s always satisfying to see Columbo nail the murderer at the end. The murderer always tends to underestimate Columbo as well

    One thing I don’t understand is why the perp, when cornered by Columbo, doesn’t try to escape or kill him. He doesn’t carry a gun on him. People aren’t often rational and you’d think facing a murder rap would cause somebody to try something desperate

  46. 46.

    NotMax

    @Anne Laurie

    Diff’rent strokes.

    Have always interpreted Murphy’s Law as running on autopilot, versus the trickster’s implication of direct intervention by a mythological deity.

    No biggie either way. To-may-to, nightshade.

    ;)

  53. 53.

    Jinchi

    Hadn’t realized til yesterday that we’re talking about this Chad Wolf. This guy advocated a policy of kidnapping children, so I think we can interpret “proactive arrest” in the broadest way possible.

    Trump admin considering Chad Wolf, an author of family separation policy, for DHS chief (October 22, 2019)

    Number 2 on his list of options to deal with immigration:

    “Announce that DHS is considering separating family units, placing the adults in detention and placing minors under the age of 18 in the custody of HHS as unaccompanied alien children,” Wolf wrote, referring to the Department of Health and Human Services, the agency that would later be called on to shelter more than 2,800 children separated from their parents in 2018.

    Also included on the list were policies that would speed up the deportation of children (which has not come to pass) and require immigrants to seek asylum in Mexico (which has since been announced).

  54. 54.

    SectionH

    Well, my “kids” – son, dil, granddaughter – saw NEOWISE a few days ago by walking around to the other side of their block at sunset for the west-facing view. They used my granddaughter’s birthday present from me – some serious binoculars – were all very happy. My son was a bit WTF for his 9 yro daughter? but LE and her Mom got it.

    Brag, I got separate “Wow we did this” texts from my DiL And my “kid”. He asked if we wanted to go view on their block. I said, maybe. Thought we might catch a glimpse with my grandmother’s Opera Glasses from our NW facing balcony. Oh well. I may take them up in the next couple of days on the comet viewing, because the Marine Layer here (~200 ft above sea level, central San Diego) is earlier and thicker than usual night after night.

  55. 55.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @?BillinGlendaleCA: Isaiah 14:12.  I have won and I shall drink from your skull as I dance victoriously on your carcass.*

    *Not intended as a factual statement.  I’m not really a dancer.

  56. 56.

    NotMax

    @SectionH

    So old can remember being in San Diego when the Marine layers were most evident on the sidewalks of the seedy blocks near to the docks then.

    :)

  61. 61.

    SectionH

    @NotMax: yeah, well, if you say so. I’m so old I remember when Pete Wilson would’nt buy MIramar for $1 or something close enough.

  62. 62.

    NotMax

    @BillinGlendale

    Do you really think I didn’t know that already? Was using layer to a modicum of humorous effect in an altogether different sense.

    Time was there was an area of the city with more dowdy gin mills, streetwalkers and tattoo parlors than one could shake the proverbial stick at.

  64. 64.

    mrmoshpotato

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):

    Started watching 70s Columbo. Into season 3 and I have to say it’s always satisfying to see Columbo nail the murderer at the end. The murderer always tends to underestimate Columbo as well 

    Is it a crime per episode like Scooby Doo?

    Has the murderer ever called him “you meddling Columbo?”

  67. 67.

    SectionH

    @NotMax: Yeah, we know that, it’s now called Gaslamp. Or it’s a nearby something rather less interesting. My neighborhood gets a lot of suburban traffic for restaurants, but it still has Thrift Shops, and was disreputable until it wasn’t. But there are still ppl sleeping on the sidewalks here, too, ok? They’re not doing it for fun. They’re here because ppl who live here don’t usually stomp them, rather try to get them into shelters or help otherwise.

  68. 68.

    NotMax

    @mrmoshpotato

    (Haven’t checked the statistics lately but believe it still is so.)

    Trivia: Scooby-Doo holds the record for most feature-length movies made featuring the same character. Somewhere in the high forties at last count, if memory serves.

  69. 69.

    Poe Larity

    @Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): It was the 70’s in LA. All the perps were on Quaaludes and there were uniforms at the gates of their estates. Bail was never going to be problem.

    Now Johnny Cash might have gotten him, but he was only into killin  those womyn harshing his mellow.

  77. 77.

    mrmoshpotato

    Hahahahahahahaha

    One would hope there’s some soul searching going on in this country: ‘am I as fucking stupid as Trump thinks I am?’— marc maron (@marcmaron) July 22, 2020

  82. 82.

    mrmoshpotato

    OT – What asshole told Midnight Oil to get back to sleep while their beds were ablaze?

  84. 84.

    Miss Bianca

    @Anne Laurie: The other night – night of the new moon – we had a wonderful star-gazing session – inside of ten minutes, I saw the comet (couldn’t stop saying, “Wow, amazing!”), checked on Jupiter and its moons, saw Saturn, and then a shooting star to top it all off.

    There are times when I wonder what the hell I’m doing out here in Redneckistan. Then I have a night like that one and I remember what I love about this place.

  85. 85.

    J R in WV

    @NotMax:

    July 21, 2020 at 11:45 pm

    Been meaning to ask for a long time whence the use of Murphy derives?

    Wikipedia is silent.’

    Your Wiki shearch is for the Trickster, which is an ancient figure in many religions pantheons. Murphy is not the same as the Trickster, who is most commonly in American folklore the Coyote, from First Nation lore.

    In Norse eschatology Loki is the trickster god.

    In Greek religious mythology most all the gods are nearly all psychopathic, many in severe manifestations. I would not care to live in a universe with god-like creatures with Greek tendencies, totally crazed. But life is randomly horrible all around us, and perhaps the Greek gods’ mentality is based upon the actual random horror of real life.

    Look at our current situation – if we didn’t know about virial infections, did not have medical science, we would be in a random horror universe right now. Actually, we are in a random horror universe even with medical science. A gamma ray beam could sweep over us any time, invisible death ray from heaven.

    Murphy’s law states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and there is an addendum that says “at the worst possible moment!” There are a hundred variations in computer work, which are easy to look up.

  86. 86.

    J R in WV

    I think Chad Wolf needs to be indicted on multiple counts of kidnapping, assault with intent, terrorism statutes, conspiring to commit such attacks, and then immediately taken into custody from his hotel room at 3 am, for a long ride in the back of a dirty wagon. The rest of his gang of criminal cowards should be swept up that same night with overwhelming force by actual trained LEOs, which these wanna be gangsters surely are not.

    Chad is not a lawyer, has not a moment of LEO training, and has no idea whether his orders are legal or not, and does not care. Nor do his small squad of horror-monger gangsters. Watching them approach and then attack a motionless military veteran with more training in his little finger than any of these despicable cowardly criminals have all together was appalling and horrible.

    They deserve no respect whatsoever, and should spend many years in prison for that one attack alone. They all together are  a criminal conspiracy in violation of their oath, the constitution and the laws of any state, and they are all responsible for each and every crime committed by any one of them according to the way conspiracy laws work. Chad has the biggest load of felonies, because he was giving the orders and set up the whole conspiracy.

  87. 87.

    J R in WV

    @Kay:

    Sean Hannity asks who will be blamed when the stormtroopers hypothetically shoot a bunch of protesters. Tom Cotton says the protesters will be to blame under this hypothetical

    Sounds like Cotton wants to join the conspiracy to kill innocent protestors making use of the First Amendment — is he a lawyer? Does he understand how the  conspiracy law works in felony criminal cases?

    Maybe rioters killing innocent people deserve to be shot at, but for graffiti? I think not. No state in this nation has a death penalty on the books for simple property crimes with no injuries to my knowledge.

  88. 88.

    J R in WV

    @NotMax:

    So old can remember being in San Diego when the Marine layers were most evident on the sidewalks of the seedy blocks near to the docks then.

    At every Navy base I was ever at there was a very seedy business area about the gate with cheap-but-expensive bars and clubs and shops selling expensive crap someone thinks sailors and Marines need. Tattoo parlors, which were NOT common back then in the 1970s!!!

    Early in my hitch there were even sleazy locker clubs where you could keep some civilian clothes, which you weren’t even allowed to have on base. Then they relaxed a little bit, and put those clubs out of business by allowing us to have and wear civvies on base or shipboard. Some lifers thought it was the end of military discipline!

    ETA: and now I have closed another thread down with my “wisdom”!

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