Topic: Local News

[8ullfrog]

Congressman for my area has a bizarre quasi military uniform polo. It identifies him as a congressman. I do not feel comforted.

From what I've read DeSantis ignored federal guidance on drainage, and looking around, yup
I keep trying to explain to mom that the water and power we have right now are a massive luxury and pure luck. We're in the middle of an outage zone and have bless'ed air conditioning.

No fence though, hurricane bless'ed shredded it.

[goldshirt*9]

Not quite local but,
Has anyone seen the comet that was last viewed 80,000 years ago in the night sky.
And as I am not an astrologist, if it sailed past us so long ago why has it appeared again ?
Does it mead the universe is circular or its because its the gravity of planets causing it to return (if due to gravity then that's pretty impressive as its not collided with another "world")
And how do we know it first appeared 80,000 years ago ? who saw it ?

[goldshirt*9]

1) Astronomer

2) It has an elliptical orbit around the sun, and having measured its course that orbit can be calculated with very precise accuracy; and in this case it is a big-ass ellipse that takes 80,000 years to do one lap. (80,000 years ago wasn't when it first appeared, that is the last time it appeared locally)

3) Collisions: to quote Douglas Adams: "Space is BIG. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist's, but that's just peanuts to space". The chances of two objects bumping in to each other really aren't that high, so any given comet can circulate for a very long time before it hits something.

4) No, I haven't seen it, neither will I look - all celestial objects are a marvel, I don't really consider any one to be more special than any others. Saves me having to run out and check whenever something new happens. I will, however, look up if something is on a collision course!

Cheers

[6pairsofshoes]

Somebody in New Mexico posted a photo of it in my Facebook feed.  That's as close as I've come to any personal experience or knowledge of it.  In a way, it's a good thing that space is big since if there is intelligent life out there, it keeps Bebe Netanyahu and Putin far enough away to prevent them from inflicting mischief on it.

[6pairsofshoes]

If there is life out there capable of getting here to play, then the impact will be similar in principle (although orders of magnitude different) to when the Europeans arrived in the Americas. The indigenous population won't stand a chance. In all SciFi versions of this scenario, somehow the Tau'ri are the best, brightest, and strongest race in the universe: common sense says that this is complete balls.

tl;dr: I don't think earth's "leaders" will pose any threat to "visitors".

My concern wasn't with visitors, it was given the prospect that Earthlings acquire the tech to go visit other planets with the capacity to treat the inhabitants the ways that we have treated indigenous folks on our own blue sphere.  That said, the Tau'ri did have a marked sense of style.

[dweez]

other intelligent life

Of course you mean Trump, right?

[goldshirt*9]

Family / work associates going down with the Cold, Flu, Covid ?  not nice at all.
Myself I seem to have the sniffles and a fuzzy head. Thankfully no "man flu" 

[6pairsofshoes]

Trick or treaters are arriving in droves.  Spent about $25 on Candy and hopefully it will go away with them.  Happy Halloween!

[8ullfrog]

I had three fun size milky way and two ketchup dipping cups.

Thankfully no one came. Part of that is that the area is trying to keep kids off potentially dangerous streets by doing trunk or treat.

I did buy a six pack of simple nougat bars at walmart, but mom went ravenous on them. She managed to scare the hell out of me wearing a wig, I thought a neighbor had got in. (It's a highly popular retirement area, and most of our neighbors are 55+)

[6pairsofshoes]

I think it's hilarious that your own mother managed to scare you with a mere wig.  Anyway, I still have more than 50% of the candy left.  I did have the porch light on but heard the happy voices of kids passing me by most of the time because I didn't have time to put up decorations.  Geez.  Most of them were older kids an I gave them a couple pieces each, but now wish I'd chucked handfuls at them instead.  I may swing by a homeless encampment and drop off a bag of the leftovers.  Sadly, there's plenty of those around here.

[6pairsofshoes]

For ¾ of the year there's no rain here to speak of.  This week it's beginning to make up for that.  It's enough to make you check online listings for used canoes.

I'm reminded of this poem by Richard Brautigan.
"At the California Institute of Technology"

I don’t care how God-damn smart
these guys are: I’m bored.

It’s been raining like hell all day long
and there’s nothing to do.

1/24/1967 while poet in residence at the California Institute of Technology.

[8ullfrog]

I hate the rain here in Florida. In CA it could rain all day, and you could plan around it.
Florida laughs at your plans.

[6pairsofshoes]

Most of the times when I've been in FL when it was raining, there was a hurricane approaching, so yeah, I get how the weather really messes with your plans.

Here, we have to watch the basement in case it floods since the pilot for the hot water heater that serves the entire building is near the floor.  If that goes out we get to have cold showers.

[goldshirt*9]

When We have to make the decision on saying goodbye to your pet due to heart problems which cause lungs to fill with water.
 :'(
Sucks atm

[8ullfrog]

A while back we thought our dog had leptospirosis.

I laid next to my dog in a bathtub for two days, and it was selfish on my part. I was hoping it was an illness that my boy could beat.
He couldn't eat food and couldn't even keep in water.

It wasn't something he could beat.

When we went to the vet, she told us it was kidney failure. Because of covid, we couldn't even be with him when he was put down.

I've always made it a point to get my dog a steak before they take that last ride to the vet, but it wasn't possible.

It broke me.

But as someone who lives with fairly shitty lungs, you are sparing your buddy from a world of pain.

golly this lame earth.

(current dog is fine, this was my last dog, pikachu.)

For what it's worth, this is the poo part of the relationship, where there is nothing we can do but make that horrible choice. Please do not feel any guilt here, you're ending pain.