There was a maddening story the other day in the WSJ (it’s paywalled) about how desperate businesses and many communities are for workers, but how they absolutely refuse to even consider migrant labor/immigrant labor. People dying while on wait lists for home health care, restaurants no longer serving breakfast or opening on weekends, etc.
There’s a whole lot of reasons for where we are now as a state, including years of mismanagement, emigration, focusing on keeping us a resource extraction based economy, lack of investment in education and people, refusing to raise the minimum wage, pushing the jeebus agenda on everyone, and on and on and on. As I have said before, no one in their right mind is going to come here to work a shit job cleaning grease traps for 8 bucks and hour so they can be tailgated by a jacked up pickup truck with Punisher and Trump stickers on it back to the apartment they can’t afford to pay for to sit and do nothing because there are no entertainment options. So don’t expect a youth revival.
I’ve spent the last few days trying to find a part time job for the summer because I have to fix the ac in my car, get a new roof on the house, fix the water line into my house, as well as pay the bills and eat, so I can’t afford to not find work, but let me tell you, the opportunities are GRIM. Especially if you have some sense of self-worth, because I find my time to be worth more than 9 bucks an hour. It’s quite dispiriting, especially if you contrast it with the job market in the Phoenix area.
It was Maxwell’s birthday this week, and he celebrated by absolutely massacring a bird in the foyer overnight. I heard him making weird sounds in the middle of the night, yelled at him, and he quieted down, so I did not investigate. This morning when I went downstairs there was a headless bird with a chewed on body and thousands of feathers all over the place. I have yet to find the head.
I don’t know what kind of bird it was or how he caught one at night, but I don’t have any feeders out back to attract them, so I guess there is not much I can do. He even has a bell on his collar, the murderous fucker.
Also yesterday, my stainless steel hose apparently burst, and my water outside the house was running for about 5 hours before I noticed, which was long enough for it to flood the basement. It’s mostly cleaned up and the dehumidifier is running, so I can add putting up a new coat of drylock on the walls to my summer agenda. It never fucking ends.
In other news, it is rainy and cold, I am unmotivated, there are no video games or tv shows or books catching my interest, and I am not getting enough sunshine. Blerg.
Fuck Donald Trump
War for Ukraine Day 807: Russia’s Invasion of Kharkiv Oblast Has Begun!
tam1MI
That’s because Maxwell hasn’t barfed it up yet.
Michael Bersin
Solar acne is apparently a thing:
Coronal Mass Ejection
twbrandt
Always
RSA
How can our top-10,000 blogfather be in financial straits? You know the obvious answer.
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OnlyFans.
NotMax
Returned from the appointment for a COVID shot (still maintain a schedule of every six months) less than 10 minutes before the skies opened up to unleash a massive downpour.
Chalking that up as a win-win.
;)
Jackie
Ugh. Finding a headless bird in the house isn’t a great way to start the day. Been there. Hopefully Maxwell ate the head, so you don’t find it later 🤮
Politics in WV aren’t going to be fun this election year – as in worse than normal 😞
When is Joelle coming for a visit? I’m trying to decide who has the worst weather right now – AZ or WV?
Jackie
@tam1MI:
Yup
John Cole
@Jackie: She will be here in October.
Jackie
@twbrandt:
NEVER! 🤢🤮
Jackie
@John Cole: OCTOBER???
Do you have plans to meet up – maybe in a somewhat neutral temperate middle ground in the meanwhile?
Ken
As the cause of the financial straits, or the solution?
NutmegAgain
My mom had a cat who would eat the heads off squirrels–only the head–and leave the decapitated carcass in or next to the bed. A sort of love gift. In the bed is self-evidently yuck, but next to the bed is especially nice in the evening. She’d hop out of bed in the dark, and her are foot would land on the squirrel corpse. Double yuck.
Harrison Wesley
When I first moved to FL in 2016, I spent a month house- and pet-sitting. The cat gave me the greeting I should have anticipated from an outdoor cat. Opened the door to go out and get the paper, and found a headless rat corpse thoughtfully laid in front.
piratedan
the AZ weather has been downright awesome this spring, we’ve yet to hit triple digits here in the Old Pueblo and the winter was wet, which helps the groundwater situation. My jacaranda trees are in bloom and we’ve yet to see the saguaros bloom here (although the ocotillo, prickly pear, pincushion and cholla are flowering).
Getting outside stuff done now before the real heat arrives.
SpaceUnit
@NutmegAgain:
Was it a bobcat? An adult squirrel ain’t no easy kill for a house cat.
Sister Golden Bear
@RSA: All naked mopping, all the time.
VFX Lurker
Oof. Hang in there, John.
I’m hearing the nicest things about Hades II, but there’s no way you’ve exhausted Baldur’s Gate 3. That title has 158 hours of gameplay in it at least.
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax: Nice radar colors northeast of Honolulu.
gene108
I did cold calling for a home waterproofing company in 1996, after graduating from college. I was paid $9/hr. This was in Raleigh, NC. I can’t imagine trying to make ends meet at that wage in 2024.
Ohio Mom
Ugh. A hose broke and flooded our crawl space once. Fortunately I am in the basement, doing the laundry, several times most days and caught it before it flooded the full part of the basement.
Every house is a money pit in its own way and I resent the way our economic system just about forces us into home “ownership.” I put quotes around ownership because most of the time we are only living in the house while we generate profits for the real owner, the bank.
Cole, I have sympathy for anyone looking for a job. It’s usually a totally inhumane process. How far can you commute, could looking in say Pittsburgh be an option? A big city may have more opportunities.
Anyway, Fuck E. Gordon Gee for slashing your income. Ohio Dad maintains that anyone who initializes their first name is not to be trusted. He keeps a list of examples, I’ll have to tell him there’s another name to add to his roster.
On another note, trying to decide if I should try waking up at two to see if the aurora borealis shows up here in southwest Ohio. In theory, I’d like to but in practice? I’ll probably turn off the alarm and roll over back to sleep.
Sister Golden Bear
Definitely feel ya about feeling blerg.
After three additional consultations about my shoulder problems, the consensus is “That’s… interesting. We haven’t really seen that before.”
Probably some combination of torn rotator cuff, frozen shoulder and nerve injury. Thankfully the pain is tolerable at this point, but not being able enough to fully use my right arm sucks.
So just have to wait and see how quickly it heals, and if it fully heals. The one silver lining is if I head to be on short-term disability, at least it’s while the tech job market has cratered again.
Chet Murthy
@gene108: the CPI has about doubled since 1996. Yeah: cannot imagine surviving on that wage.
Chet Murthy
@Sister Golden Bear: Um, I’m sure somebody’s mentioned this already (so maybe completely superfluous), but ….. I’ve had shoulder problems (brought on by over-enthusiastic weightlifting, and *bad, bad* form). I lived with it for nearly 10yr, until somebody said “y’know, they can fix that: go see Dr. Dillingham”. And he did! Both shoulders! I can lift and swim now.
Anyway, you might already have a great Ortho, but just in case, Mike Dillingham is down in Sili Valley, and he did arthroscopic surgery on both my shoulders. One reason I like him, is that he tries everything possible *before* recommending surgery
ETA: Also he was the team doc for the 49ers, apparently. Or something like that
ETA2: His wife is a PT and has a place in SF called ActiveCare. They’re *excellent* (I find).
Urza
@VFX Lurker: thats like 1 play through. If you want to see everything theres 174 hours of cinematics alone
But yes, this year has a game drought after all the good games last year. There is nothing on the calendar yet that is worth buying and a long time till any known quantity is coming out.
piratedan
ended up bringing Elsbeth for four episodes, will do more, kind of like a female Columbo/Monk hybrid :-)
Jay
John,
have you looked for PT Admin work, remote?
SpaceUnit
@Sister Golden Bear:
I managed to tweak the living shit out of my left shoulder and tricep about a month ago. And it just wouldn’t heal. Hurt like hell.
Finally ordered a massage gun from Amazon. Life changing. I’m still not 100%, but I can use my left arm now, raise it above my head without the the sharp, stabbing pain.
You might want to consider one if you haven’t tried it yet. Obviously I know nothing about your injury, but good luck.
Kelly
@Michael Bersin: I’m hoping to see the Northern Lights here in Oregon’s Western Cascade foothills. Clear sky in our forecast.
mrmoshpotato
@Ohio Mom:
Thanks for the heads up. I might roam over to the lake about 1.
Jay
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fort-mcmurray-wildfire-evacuation-alert-1.7201442
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/zombie-fires-fort-nelson-risk-1.7200810
NotMax
AFAICT you’ve yet to try the oft mentioned Amazon original series Patriot on Prime. Ticks off many of the boxes inferred from things you’ve expressed a liking for in the past. While the first episode can seem a somewhat peripatetic crazy quilt all that follows is primarily straightforward and linear.
Parfigliano
I retired 7 years ago. Played golf for 5 years (still play but not as much) and worked 2 nights a week for 6 hours delivering pizza. With tips averaged about $19 an hour. Now retired from pizza too.
chrisanthemama
@Michael Bersin: Good chance for the Northern Lights to be visible as far south as Alabama (I have my doubts), and probably in northern Oregon (where we are)–and no clouds/rain predicted. Late late tonight/wee hours Saturday. A good night for Northern Lights chasin’.
Ksmiami
What about remote security/ political work for all the dc area firms? It flummoxes me that West Virginia is so far behind when compared to VA and MD and the district- some of the largest areas of employment and growth in the country.
Jackie
@SpaceUnit:
You must not have cats. Or squirrels.
SpaceUnit
@Jackie:
I’ve had both!
Currently only have squirrels. They are the ninjas of the rodent world.
prostratedragon
Duke Ellington: “Northern Lights,” The Queen’s Suite
narya
Tried to see some lights but too many clouds. Not gonna set an alarm but if I wake up 3-4:30 might try again—the lake is half a block away.
Jay
So, probably nobody here knows the story about Buffalo Woman, Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe.
A Winnipeg serial killed killed Indigenous 4 women, dismembered their bodies, put them in black garbage bags, dumped them in dumpsters, about 3 weeks apart.
A “binner”, (often an unhoused person), somebody who digs through garbage for recycling and saleable items, found Rebecca Contois’s remains and called police.
Through video and GPS tracking, forensics on garbage bins, Police discovered that there were 3 other victims in the past 3 weeks. Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran, and Buffalo Woman, Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, whose name is unkown.
Police tracked Rebecca Contois’s remains to Brady Road landfill, where dump workers had already cordoned off a section, where Police recovered her severed body.
Morgan Harris’s and Marcedes Myran’s bodies were dumped at Prairie Green Landfill, 1 to 2 weeks earlier.
Buffalo Woman, Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe’s remains location is unknown.
For almost 2 years, Indian Affairs, the Federal Government, the Province of Manitoba have fought tooth and nail to prevent a search to recover the bodies and identify Buffalo Woman, Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe. There were major protests, the dumps were blockaided, and finally, when there was little chance at success, the Feds and the Province have finally allowed a search, of Prairie Green Landfill only.
Melancholy Jaques
@NotMax:
Patriot is one of the most entertaining shows I’ve seen in years. I’ve watched it four times and I’ve gone back to re-watch particular scenes. I am nothing if not peculiar, so perhaps it is for a niche that happen to occupy. I have a hard time describing it to those who ask why I recommend it.
Dangerman
Citizen Alan
@Jackie:
Rodney Dangerfield: It’s a good omen.
Chevy Chase; Yeah. In Haiti.
Dangerman
Oops.
what strain of Covid is going around?
Just went to a Family Reunion of 7. 6 tested positive. BTW, the Charles Schultz Museum in Santa Rosa is very cool. I could have spent all week there.
Anyway, I’m vaxxed and boosted up the wazzoo, as is my Brother, and we are both positive. Not sure the other 4. I know that both of us have had Covid previously.
something potent out there.
pieceofpeace
@Chet Murthy: Yes, he was team Dr. for 49ers and had a clinic not far from my town. My sons went to him when they had shoulder problems, then he moved to Redwood City. I’m not sure what he’s doing now, but his wife is supposed to be well-known resource for non-surgical physical therapies. This is from a few years ago, so all might be moot at this point.
Chet Murthy
@pieceofpeace: I remember when I’d go to his wife’s PT place, there were three kinds of people there:
The presence of categories #1, #2 made me feel more comfortable about the place: if people who really need the help (either for work, or for just plain living) went there, I figured idiot me could too.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
Cats think the only thing better than dead prey is live, but crippled prey, just still able to move enough to provide amusement.
I had a cat who tried to teach me how to hunt. I woke up one night to feel her jumping about on the bed, and when I switched on the light, she gently caught the terrified mouse in her mouth and carefully put it down on the bed in between me & the light to make sure that my bad eyes, which evidently work only when the light is bright, could see it. The poor mouse was literally shaking with fear. She nudged it, it tried to run, she caught it and brought it back right under the light. Then she looked at me expectantly, and when I didn’t do anything, nudged me with her nose.
Since I failed to understand, she pounced, the poor mouse tried to get away, she caught it, brought it back to the light, and then nosed me again – my turn!
I told her that while I appreciated the fact she was no speciesist, neither I nor the mouse actually wanted this situation. So I grabbed the mouse with a paper bag, grabbed my keys, put on my coat & shoes & let the mouse go outside the apartment building.
KrackenJack
@Ohio Mom: Regarding the aurora, I guess it depends on your interest in such phenomena. You’re pretty far south, so even if it is visible, it’s likely to be faint and low on the horizon.
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/products/aurora-viewline-tonight-and-tomorrow-night-experimental
Auroras are a case where the photos more than do it justice. A picture with a few seconds exposure will be much more vivid than it was in person. Furthermore, individuals vary in their sensitivity to the light. The aurora tour guides take great pains to manage expectations against Instagram and the photos on their own website. Finally, it can vary in intensity minute-by-minute. A diffuse glow for 20 minutes then dancing curtains that quickly fade away.
If you can potentially see it for free on a Friday night and sleep in on Saturday, I’d say go for it.
Ohio Mom
@mrmoshpotato: I am using this map to let me know when the aurora borealis might be visible here: https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/communities/space-weather-enthusiasts-dashboard
I just realized the map uses Coordinated Universal Time which is four hours earlier than EST. Which means your best time to look might be now? I am notoriously bad at time zones.
I don’t think it matters to me anymore, I just went out to look and it’s now cloudy. Phooey!
Chet Murthy
@Chacal Charles Calthrop: I thought the reason cats bring their half-dead quarry to you, is that it’s a sort of offering, so you can do the coup de grace ? Kind of like the subordinate members of the clowder bringing ’em to the leader of the pack, so to speak.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
@Chet Murthy: mine was definitely trying to mainstream a large, disabled alien kitten. She was a very clever & loving pet but she loved to hunt & couldn’t figure out why I didn’t seem to want to learn.
mrmoshpotato
@KrackenJack:
@Ohio Mom: Thanks to you both.
Tom Levenson
@Ohio Mom: do it. My spouse and I just got back from an hour and a half of watching the aurora on bluff. Genuinely amazing. My first time seeing it.
Sister Golden Bear
@Chet Murthy: @SpaceUnit: Thanks for the referrals.
I’ve got a long-time PT who’s magical, I’m seeing one of the best pain/rehab docs in the Bay Area who did a PRF injection (which promotes healing), did consults with a really good ortho/sports doc (team doc for high school, college and indoor football teams), and two of the top orthopedic surgeons locally. Also seeing a good acupuncturist and a rehab trainer.
The doctors’ consensus is that since it’s not clear what’s going on, and because the pain isn’t bad, it’s best not to rush into surgery or another PRF injection. Rather wait and let the “shoulder declare itself” especially since I’m doing some intense PT for the next couple weeks.
The latest ortho surgeon referred me to a neurologist — but the first appointment I can get is med-September, and the other neurologist who’s highly recommended until end of October.
Pain doc suggested consulting a spine surgeon, since I have a long-standing cervical impingement of the C5 nerve. Not that I want to do neck surgery unless there’s no other options, but doc thought a spine surgeon might have better insights on how the impingement might affect things.
The difficulty is the 1) there’s far more loss of range of motion than I should have from two minor rotator cuff tears, but 2) I have full range of motion if someone moves the arm or if I’m laying on my back or side, which shouldn’t happen if it’s frozen shoulder, and 3) while the muscle weakness likely is nerve related, if the problems are mainly due to C5 root problems that would affect a much larger area.
So ’tis a mystery.
Anoniminous
@Jay:
And so it begins
Or more correctly continues since 2023 fires were never fully extinguished.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
@Sister Golden Bear: I swear by yoga but that serves to prevent injury; once something’s hurt I wouldn’t do it. But can you put any weight on the injured arm?
Chet Murthy
@Sister Golden Bear: Oh wow, you’re much further along than I am/was in knowing orthos! Um, can *I* ask *you* for some advice ? I have longstanding (like, since mid-80s) patello-femoral injury in both knees. Slowly, bit-by-bit, it’s gotten worse over the years. I’m planning on seeing Dillingham soon so he can tell me what the status is, but …. he’s getting old and I fear he’ll retire soon. [Hell, he’s earned a nice comfy retirement.] So I’m always looking around for a good Ortho who I can trust to advise/treat my joint ailments. I read about these autologous grafts of vat-grown cartilage, but last time I asked Mike (nearly 10yr ago) he said I was too old for that to be recommended. I wonder if that’s changed at all?
I’m pretty active, and am perfectly well ambulatory. But geez I’d like to be able to run again.
Anyway, if you have advice on orthos I might want to consult (when/if Mike decides to go make wine, or whatever), I’d appreciate it!
wjca
@twbrandt:
Only if I can subcontract it. (To, obviously, someone with no taste. Or an extremely strong stomach.) Because I have no desire to even be in the same county with him.
EDT Obviously I lack Jackie’s skill with emoji3.
Ann Marie
@Chacal Charles Calthrop:
Of the six cats I’ve lived with, only two have been good hunters. The female cat I grew up, KiKi, with was a terrific hunter and my second cat as an adult, Mac, was also very good, but the others have not been all that interested — except when it comes to pointing out bugs. I’ve learned that if a cat is staring intently at the wall or ceiling or somewhere else, I should take a look.
My current cat, Harley, kept trying to tell me something was going on in a kitchen cabinet, but I made the mistake of ignoring him. When I finally realized I had a whole bunch of mice having a party in there, Harley decided he had done his job and refused to have anything to do with getting rid of them.
Craig
Thank you John Cole.
sab
@SpaceUnit: My dad’s cat killed lots of squirrels until he got old and a squirrel kicked his ass.
He also caught some disease from eating squirrels that eventually made him go blind. Another reason to keep cats indoors.
Ohio Mom
Lots of clouds out there and according to satellite maps, not clearing up still tomorrow morning. So I missed my chance, if it was visible in my neighborhood.
Not the worse disappointment in my life, not even in the top 20. But I do feel cheated. And jealous of those who got to see it. Again: Phooey!
M. Bouffant
@Dangerman: Something called FLiRT.
Chet Murthy
@M. Bouffant: Anne Laurie’s latest update had some stuff about FLiRT in it. I didn’t read it carefully, since I got a booster a month-ish ago and wear a mask everywhere in foreign buildings.
mrmoshpotato
@Ohio Mom: Rain showers going through Chicago. :(
Cathie from Canada
When I hear about the money that even slow boring people are making on Substack…well, John, maybe it’s time to monetize this blog.
Michael Bersin
@Kelly:
At 9:30 p.m. we looked at each other and said, “Let’s go.” Grabbed a camera and a tripod and drove north (for more rural areas, with less light pollution). Started out at a state recreation area parking lot. Thought we may have seen something. Then kept driving to a spot north of the Missouri river on a county highway pullout. Spent a while looking at a glow which may or may not have been it. Eventually we ended up 50 miles north of where we started. Turned around and drove back home. It took us three hours.
Michael Bersin
@chrisanthemama:
We did. Drive around 100 miles up and back in three hours. “Road trip!” Not certain we saw anything other than a glow in the sky. I haven’t looked at the images on the camera yet.
Jay
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-trial-prosecutors-reveal-alleged-hush-money-deal-to-trump-crony-allen-weisselberg?ref=home
Sister Golden Bear
@Chacal Charles Calthrop: Not sure what you mean by putting weight on the arm. But I can hold things. But I can’t fully raise the arm, nor have any external rotation.
@Chet Murthy: I’d suggest Dr. Jeffrey Peng in Campbell, he’s a sports doc and non-surgical ortho, and if quite knowledgeable about PRP/PRF injections, which might help your knee. I also like that since he’s a sport doc, he’s less wedded to any particular approach (e.g. surgeons wanna cut), and also open to non-traditional treatments. Peng has a YouTube channel, which will give you a good idea of where he’s coming from.
I’d also recommend Dr. Shabi Khan in Daly City, who’s an ortho surgeon. Didn’t like the other ortho surgeon, who I felt didn’t listen well, where as Dr. Khan did.
2liberal
I live in Tempe. Right now the blast furnace hasn’t started up and the haboobs won’t start for months yet. So definitely Tempe is better. It is a little windy for biking in the afternoons however.
Kelly
Northern lights are just getting going here in Oregon’s Western Cascade Foothills. We have some pink all over the place. Oh there’s more all the time
Michael Bersin
Just looked at the camera images. Caught it. Or, maybe I’m currently hallucinating because it’s so late. Just above the horizon on a county highway north of the Missouri River, south of Richmond, Missouri. F 1.8, 15 seconds, ISO 400, 50 mm (“nifty fifty”). I’ll check the images again in the morning…
NotMax
@mrmoshpotato
Incredible thunderstorm passed through here. Bone shakingly loud claps of thunder.
Origuy
@Sister Golden Bear: The orthopedic surgeon who did the arthroscopy on my knee has retired, or I’d recommend him. I tore my medial meniscus at the beginning of May 2018. I had already booked a trip to Whitehorse, Yukon for the North American Orienteering Championships. I told my PCP and my ortho that I really didn’t want to cancel the trip. My surgery was June 1; I did a lot of PT and was able to go on the trip in August. I walked my courses, but I did them all.
The injury, by the way, wasn’t orienteering or running, it was Scottish dancing. Dancing does my knees in; orienteering sprains my ankles. I’m not sure why I have tennis elbow now, I don’t play tennis.
John Revolta
@Origuy: The Scottish dancers I’ve known have been fond of bending the elbow now and again…
Sister Golden Bear
@Chet Murthy: FWIW, Your Dr. Dillingham is part of the same ortho group as Dr. Khan.
Chet Murthy
@Sister Golden Bear: Thank you! I’ve put these recs into a Keep Note, so I won’t lose ’em!
trollhattan
@Jay: Cripes, it’s May and they’re having wildfires? The hell?
By contrast approximately zero of California is on fire other than random prescribed burns.
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax:
My kinda storm!
Jay
@trollhattan:
The first big “new”* fires we had were in April
These are the first major evacuation fires.
*there were 98 “zombie” fires left over from last year, fires that had gone underground or inside major timber that smoldered all winter, only to start up in the spring. In what used to be a “normal fire season, there might be 12 zombie fires, the first forest fires would start in July, and the first “evacuation” fires, would not be until August.
Get yourself some air purifiers and lots of N95 masks, it’s going to be a long, hot, smoky summer all across North America.
Oh, did I mention, we are in a historic drought.
NotMax
@mrmoshpotato
Not a Hawaii thing but on the mainland I’d opt for the muted majesty of thundersnow.
Jay
@mrmoshpotato:
@NotMax:
When we lived in the hill in the interior the thunderstorms were spectacular, the majority with out rain,
and butt clenching. 4/10 lightning strikes started a forest fire.
VeniceRiley
@Dangerman: https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240429/New-SARS-CoV-2-KP2-variant-defies-vaccines-with-higher-spread-study-warns.aspx
MagdaInBlack
@mrmoshpotato: The clouds have cleared out here in the nw burbs. I have convinced myself that I can kinda sort see them. There’s so much light they don’t show up well, but I can see streaks and some faint color.
Chet Murthy
@VeniceRiley: Thank you for finding/posting this. The last bit of the results section is …. troubling. Ah, well.
NotMax
@MagdaInBlack
One hopes not a repeat, technologically speaking, of the Carrington Event.
IIRC only a few years ago some two score Starlink satellites were lost before they could be lofted to a high enough orbit to compensate for the thickening of the ionosphere resulting from a geomagnetic storm.
Geoduck
People in my SW Washington state town are posting great aurora pics online, but sadly at my house there’s just a faint haze. Probably too much light pollution.
prostratedragon
@Michael Bersin: I had such an adventure once, in Ann Arbor. Several of us had enough of cabin fever one night in a very cold January. Having heard the aurora was supposed to be visible, we piled into someone’s father’s Oldsmobile to drive out from the town to see it. We found a spot 20 miles or so out and piled out to look. After 5 chilly minutes we formed the consensus that we had seen the lights of Chelsea.
MagdaInBlack
@NotMax: I did skim a couple articles that expressed some concerns with this ” event.” I’m not knowledgeable enough to know how seriously to take it.
We shall see. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy the show. 🙂
P.S. Wikipedia already has an entry for this May 10 solar flare.
opiejeanne
@MagdaInBlack: We went out at midnight and stood on our septic mound, facing north, and could just see light streaks in the sky. But when I aimed my cell phone at them I could see lots of color on the screen. I’m just east of Seattle, about 10 miles as the crow jogs, In Woodinville.
https://flic.kr/p/2pQtaxm
JWR
@Chet Murthy:
I’ve never been presented with anything not already dead, but I was getting up one morning, and right next to the bed was my big cat Mr. Bert sitting up and looking up at me, and on the floor right in front of him were the skeletal remains of a sparrow: beak, feet and bones, and a few feathers, and he meowed. I laughed and thanked him very much.
I always thought that if anything, it seemed to be a sort of kitty thank you for the food and for taking care of him, and oh by the way could you get up and FEED ME?! ;)
🐾BillinGlendaleCA
@opiejeanne: Nice shot.
opiejeanne
@🐾BillinGlendaleCA: Thanks! coming from you that’s quite a compliment. I took it with my Smart Phone. Couldn’t see a thing until I looked at the screen. It was like going from grayscale to color in edit, and the actual picture looks like I took it to vivid in edit
I had a lot of trouble standing still enough, planted my feet and tried not to fall over while looking up. The phone did the heavy lifting, catching the images without much help from me.
Dan B
@opiejeanne: A friend in Yelm just sent video of a very red sky in several directions. Nothing visible here or on my camera phone. Too tired to stay up. Nice picture!
Gloria DryGarden
@mrmoshpotato: friends were posting their photos of tonight’s aurora, from Athens, Ga (11 pm est), from NC (11 ish), from northern Colorado/ Fort Collins approx. 930pm. Evergreen had the purple glow, too, sometime before 11 pm. It looked so pretty in the pix, a big purple pink glow, halfway up the sky. So I went for a drive. First, a park that stretches north with undeveloped land. Then I tried driving east. ( years ago, I had tried going north an hour, on a very rural road, but there were endless well lit developments)
Denver and it’s suburbs go on, and on. I got past all that to the next little town, but still too much light.
I sure got my hopes up. Maybe if I’d gone west, up to evergreen….
well, phooey.
Gloria DryGarden
@opiejeanne: wow.
mrmoshpotato
@opiejeanne: Cool!
Princess
@VeniceRiley: I’m certain this is the strain my stupid brother in law, knowing he was sick, brought from Australia in March to a family reunion and infected 90% of the people there. Vaxxed, boosted, unvaxxed, everyone fell. If you’re sick, stay home.
DavidFud
Honestly, John, this sounds like a real estate collapse in the making. My not-sufficiently-informed advice is to sell this year and cohabit in AZ if possible. Also consider selling online service via fiverr or the like and avoid the local WV economy.
Michael Bersin
We weren’t hallucinating. Got the images:
Aurora Borealis – Missouri
Miie
If you can’t keep your cat indoors, CatBib works.
Terraformer
You’re going to move to Arizona, aren’t you?
I can understand it, and maybe we’re both too old to worry about it – but to me, moving anywhere where access to clean water is suspect and where heat is increasingly dangerous would be a bad move
Butch
I lived in Colorado for a few years and one of the weather forecasters there used to talk about “beneficial liquid moisture.” We’ve had so much of this “beneficial moisture” in the last few weeks (including a snowstorm that knocked out our power for 43 hours) that the basement is flooded. In addition to which I just found out that I’m going to be undergoing surgery in the next few days, so let me repeat. Blerg.
MagdaInBlack
@opiejeanne: Oh wow, thank you! That’s what I was seeing only much much fainter. Shoulda grabbed my phone.
Timill
@Terraformer: On the other hand, moving away from places where access to clean water is suspect and where heat is increasingly dangerous would be a good move…
[Both AZ and WV look like such places to me]
NutmegAgain
@SpaceUnit: No. But he was a really big cat.
wjca
Oops! I figured the Bay Area was too far south and west (judging by the prediction maps, which had <10% chance up at the Oregon border). But a neighbor just posted some pictures of last night, with serious purple sky glow. This in spite of suburban sky glow; and even some green away from the lights.
Gonna have to bestir ourselves tonight to go look.
pluky
@SpaceUnit: I had a ginger tom that would chase squirrels in the trees. He was a most persistent hunter, and often successful.