Posted On: Monday - April 8th 2024 10:57AM MST
In Topics: Science Totalitarianism
Our family got to see the total solar eclipse of August 21st of '17. For me, my son, and 2 friends, it was worth traveling a little ways last minute to get to an area of "few" rather than "scattered" (or worse) cloud cover, one cloud of which could have ruined the whole thing. My wife didn't care so much, but she got lucky.
It was fantastic, and a great time was had by all. However, nobody here (my family) seems to care enough this time, so we'll miss this one.*
Peak Stupidity was less than a year old that last total solar eclipse with a good path across America.. That afternoon we posted Eclipses in History: Learn some science - it may save your ass some day.. We also linked to a great book by one Duncan Steel - Eclipse.
We hope some Peak Stupidity readers will find the right spot weather-wise and enjoy this amazing** astronomical phenomenon this afternoon. Because the moon is closer to Earth than it was during the eclipse in '17, the path of totality is wider, and, in the transverse direction, the duration of totality will be 4 minutes instead of just over 2.
Peak Totality is one thing, but we will continue to focus more on Peak Totalitarianism here. You don't need special glasses*** to see the latter.
* For you would-be doxxers, this is a tough, challenging puzzle. "So, he's not IN the path today, meaning he doesn't live along this 110 mile-wide curve here. In '17 he DID see it, so he was right about here .." Yeah, but what if we'd traveled a ways .. both times. Yeah, but it's about the weather too. Keeping an eye on the TAFs, are you? Gotcha! (Being paranoid can be fun at times.)
** It is really miraculous, as what are the chances of the moon in your world being this close to the same apparent diameter as your sun? (30 minutes of arc = 1/2 degree)
*** They're for viewing the phases of the eclipse around totality, not during. You won't be harmed looking at the moon during totality with the naked eye.
Comments:
Moderator
Tuesday - April 9th 2024 6:50AM MST
PS: Adam, until I looked at your map closely, I didn't realize that you were within 10 or 15 miles of the edge of it. I, personally, would have driven over to Toccoa or maybe Andrews, NC, but then the weather would have to be right. Perhaps Andrews is clouded over a lot, being in there among the high Blue Ridge.
The Guidestones WERE about 7 miles, IIRC, up the road NNE out of downtown Elberton. It looks from your map that the spot is uncannily right on the edge of the totality path, maybe within 1 mile! Weird, that. The 400 people out there that day looked like they were having a nice outing. (I did not get out there till late fall of '21.) I guess one of those scattered cumulus clouds didn't ruin it for them. It doesn't look like it was a sure thing from the picture a the top of that article.
The Guidestones WERE about 7 miles, IIRC, up the road NNE out of downtown Elberton. It looks from your map that the spot is uncannily right on the edge of the totality path, maybe within 1 mile! Weird, that. The 400 people out there that day looked like they were having a nice outing. (I did not get out there till late fall of '21.) I guess one of those scattered cumulus clouds didn't ruin it for them. It doesn't look like it was a sure thing from the picture a the top of that article.
Moderator
Tuesday - April 9th 2024 6:42AM MST
PS: "Many such internet personalities identify as patriotic citizen journalists uncovering real corruption. Yet their demonstrated ability to spread misinformation unchecked while disguising their true motives worries **experts** with the United States in a presidential election year. (....)"
I am one of the EXPERTS myself, so let me, as with Paul Simon's "One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor", One man's misinformation is another man's REAL news. So, lighten up, Francis! errr, Lighten up, Ali and Melissa!
"(When and why did headlines evolve into short-two-declarative-sentence, preachy form?)" People are no good at making article/post titles anymore, present companies excepted, of course.
I am one of the EXPERTS myself, so let me, as with Paul Simon's "One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor", One man's misinformation is another man's REAL news. So, lighten up, Francis! errr, Lighten up, Ali and Melissa!
"(When and why did headlines evolve into short-two-declarative-sentence, preachy form?)" People are no good at making article/post titles anymore, present companies excepted, of course.
The Alarmist
Tuesday - April 9th 2024 2:28AM MST
PS
It's lunacy, I tell you... Lunacy!
It's lunacy, I tell you... Lunacy!
Adam Smith
Monday - April 8th 2024 10:13PM MST
PS: Good evening, Messrs. Hail and Moderator,
“Did the Great Solar Eclipse go over the Georgia Guidestones?”
https://digforcrystals.com/images/eclipse-map-close3.jpg
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/static/img/eclipse-maps/ga_full.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LXNmtBMBEw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHa1XCbNNyw
https://digforcrystals.com/great-american-eclipse-2017.html
https://www.onlineathens.com/story/news/state/2017/08/21/eclipse-awes-those-gathered-georgia-guidestones/15412176007/
Common Sense Renewed (652kb .pdf):
https://tinyurl.com/2r7jhc5h
Mr. Moderator, if you visit the falls you should bring a coat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yEnqjalPeE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJI01JG0O84
☮️
“Did the Great Solar Eclipse go over the Georgia Guidestones?”
https://digforcrystals.com/images/eclipse-map-close3.jpg
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/static/img/eclipse-maps/ga_full.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LXNmtBMBEw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHa1XCbNNyw
https://digforcrystals.com/great-american-eclipse-2017.html
https://www.onlineathens.com/story/news/state/2017/08/21/eclipse-awes-those-gathered-georgia-guidestones/15412176007/
Common Sense Renewed (652kb .pdf):
https://tinyurl.com/2r7jhc5h
Mr. Moderator, if you visit the falls you should bring a coat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yEnqjalPeE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJI01JG0O84
☮️
Hail
Monday - April 8th 2024 8:59PM MST
PS
RE: Adam Smith's Solar Eclipse Map of 2019
Did the Great Solar Eclipse go over the Georgia Guidestones? Someone's negligence neglected to mark the Guidestones' location on the map you kindly provided.
A new theory on the George Guidestones' mysterious demolition-by-explosion has just occurred to me...
If Peak Stupidity has any leftover funds following its latest string of late-nite bashes, maybe someone high-up can 'okay' a dispatch some Stupidity Investigation interns to look into this.
RE: Adam Smith's Solar Eclipse Map of 2019
Did the Great Solar Eclipse go over the Georgia Guidestones? Someone's negligence neglected to mark the Guidestones' location on the map you kindly provided.
A new theory on the George Guidestones' mysterious demolition-by-explosion has just occurred to me...
If Peak Stupidity has any leftover funds following its latest string of late-nite bashes, maybe someone high-up can 'okay' a dispatch some Stupidity Investigation interns to look into this.
Hail
Monday - April 8th 2024 8:55PM MST
PS
Peak Stupidity content alert!
(When and why did headlines evolve into short-two-declarative-sentence, preachy form?)
____________________
HEADLINE: Anonymous users are dominating right-wing discussions online. They also spread false information.
ALI SWENSON and MELISSA GOLDIN
Associated Press
April 7, 2024
(....) Social media accounts that shield the identities of the people or groups behind them through clever slogans and cartoon avatars have come to dominate right-wing political discussion online even as they spread false information.
The accounts enjoy a massive reach that is boosted by engagement algorithms, by social media companies greatly reducing or eliminating efforts to remove phony or harmful material, and by endorsements from high-profile figures such as Musk. They also can generate substantial financial rewards from X and other platforms by ginning up outrage against Democrats.
Many such internet personalities identify as patriotic citizen journalists uncovering real corruption. Yet their demonstrated ability to spread misinformation unchecked while disguising their true motives worries experts with the United States in a presidential election year. (....)
____________________
Peak Stupidity content alert!
(When and why did headlines evolve into short-two-declarative-sentence, preachy form?)
____________________
HEADLINE: Anonymous users are dominating right-wing discussions online. They also spread false information.
ALI SWENSON and MELISSA GOLDIN
Associated Press
April 7, 2024
(....) Social media accounts that shield the identities of the people or groups behind them through clever slogans and cartoon avatars have come to dominate right-wing political discussion online even as they spread false information.
The accounts enjoy a massive reach that is boosted by engagement algorithms, by social media companies greatly reducing or eliminating efforts to remove phony or harmful material, and by endorsements from high-profile figures such as Musk. They also can generate substantial financial rewards from X and other platforms by ginning up outrage against Democrats.
Many such internet personalities identify as patriotic citizen journalists uncovering real corruption. Yet their demonstrated ability to spread misinformation unchecked while disguising their true motives worries experts with the United States in a presidential election year. (....)
____________________
Moderator
Monday - April 8th 2024 3:48PM MST
PS: Greetings, Mr. Smith. You've set up the doxxers for a long and arduous, and pretty fruitless journey. Thanks!
I guess Niagara Falls, the superfund site is a nice place to visit, buy you wouldn't want to live there. Short doses are probably OK. Of all the places I've been to in this country, that's not one of them. My wife wants to go.
As for me, give me Totality, or forget it.
I guess Niagara Falls, the superfund site is a nice place to visit, buy you wouldn't want to live there. Short doses are probably OK. Of all the places I've been to in this country, that's not one of them. My wife wants to go.
As for me, give me Totality, or forget it.
Adam Smith
Monday - April 8th 2024 2:13PM MST
PS: Good afternoon, Mr. Moderator and Friends!
As with the eclipse of 2017, Mrs. Smith and I watched from our front porch. Not all that exciting nor adventurous, but there was no traffic to deal with either.
In 2017 the totality path was pretty close to Dahlonega so there really wasn't any point in traveling. (They say that Rabun Gap was a good place to watch in 2017.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxj9sNyNakA
This year we had a small group of tourists gather at the end of our driveway to watch the event. They even strung up a hammock to lounge in while watching. I hope they didn't burn their eyes looking at the sun through those cheap eclipse glasses.
I hear about a million people flocked to Niagara Falls for the event...
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video/c2899429-huge-crowds-at-niagara-falls-for-solar-eclipse
I wonder how many people know that the whole Greater Niagara region is essentially a huge, poisonous, radioactive superfund site? I wonder how many care?
And, a helpful hint for all you would-be doxxers:
Achmed lives within traveling distance of the path on this map...
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/static/img/eclipse-maps/nasa_eclipse_map_full.jpg
Anyway... I hope you're all doing well. Happy Eclipse! ☮️
As with the eclipse of 2017, Mrs. Smith and I watched from our front porch. Not all that exciting nor adventurous, but there was no traffic to deal with either.
In 2017 the totality path was pretty close to Dahlonega so there really wasn't any point in traveling. (They say that Rabun Gap was a good place to watch in 2017.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxj9sNyNakA
This year we had a small group of tourists gather at the end of our driveway to watch the event. They even strung up a hammock to lounge in while watching. I hope they didn't burn their eyes looking at the sun through those cheap eclipse glasses.
I hear about a million people flocked to Niagara Falls for the event...
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/video/c2899429-huge-crowds-at-niagara-falls-for-solar-eclipse
I wonder how many people know that the whole Greater Niagara region is essentially a huge, poisonous, radioactive superfund site? I wonder how many care?
And, a helpful hint for all you would-be doxxers:
Achmed lives within traveling distance of the path on this map...
https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/static/img/eclipse-maps/nasa_eclipse_map_full.jpg
Anyway... I hope you're all doing well. Happy Eclipse! ☮️
Re: Mr. Hail's other comment and "If Peak Stupidity has any leftover funds following its latest string of late-nite bashes, maybe someone high-up can 'okay' a dispatch some Stupidity Investigation interns to look into this."
Yeah, I had planned a trip shortly after the whole thing was demolished. Now, it seems to late to investigate much, I dunno. I could do a James O'Keefe and try to pick up the City Manager on Grinder... ;-}