Mark your calendar for the total solar eclipse

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Sat May 13, 2017 3:59 pm

August 21st, 2017. If you're an astronomy geek like myself, you'll want to be ready for this event that hasn't occurred in these parts since 1979.

Hell, you don't have to be geek, just mildly curious. Having a pulse and not being blind is a bonus as well.

There's a lot of hype 'out there' about this occurrence and I was going to post a link. I decided not to since if you care the least bit about what goes on under the sun, you'll either already know about it or at least know where to look. I would suggest Popular Mechanics.com as a good place to start.

The crib notes version is that it starts over the North American continent somewhere around South Carolina and then cuts a 70 mile wide swath U & L towards Dins neck of the woods. Should be centered just north of KC so being in the northern exurbs, I should have a good view of it from my front porch. I don't know yet the exact time of day this 2-1/2 minute event is going to happen, but I plan on taking a 3 day weekend to observe the occasion.

I will hope for a cloudless day, and in the dog days of summer in these parts, the chances are good that we will be in the midst of a sweltering drought.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Sat May 13, 2017 5:30 pm

I'll be into my vacation in the Thousand Islands that week. Don't think it's going to get that far North. Hopefully Trump doesn't do anything completely stupid with Canada and make getting over there for short day trips a pain in the ass.

Wolfman · Post by **Wolfman** » Sat May 13, 2017 8:04 pm

Hey Bri. I'm guessing you know you need a passport for Canada these days, or an "enhanced" NY driver's license. PIA for sure. Reminds me our passports expire in October. Renewal process is underway. I remember the total eclipse of 1963, which was a total FAIL when the northeast was blanketed with heavy cloud cover. Was strange when it got really dark for a while in the middle of the afternoon.
BTW---looks like it is not total down at my latitude either. So be it.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Sat May 13, 2017 9:31 pm

Wolfman wrote:Hey Bri. I'm guessing you know you need a passport for Canada these days, or an "enhanced" NY driver's license. PIA for sure.

I have all of the above. And I have the most important thing you can have for a border crossing, a child in a booster seat.

Wolfman · Post by **Wolfman** » Sat May 13, 2017 10:04 pm

Child in booster seat is n asset? Who have known. One time taking my mother in law back to Prescott Ontario, we were crossing at Alex.Bay. As we approached the Canada Customs, I saw an older agent and a younger one sitting outside. The older guy points at my car and the next thing you know, my car was part of the young kid's training. Everybody out of the car, trunk and hood open, luggage open. The kids "combs" through stuff, we pass inspection and are on our way. The only time that ever happened.Good thing I didn't have anything "illegal" in the car, or a gun I forgot was back in the trunk. The last time I crossed, at Lewiston, last fall, there was a shift change. I noticed the Canada Customs people were quite a bit younger and all were packing heat. Never saw that before. I'll also tell you one thing. I'll never EVER fly into Toronto Pearson again. The security and customs was UBER PIA. Much easier to go to Buffalo, rent a car, and drive over and back. Longing for the good old days when you just drove over in back, got asked a few questions like "any alcohol. tobacco, or firearms?" and you were on your way. One funny time, crossing at Lewiston again. got asked where I was going and told him to Toronto and then to Spencerville for a couple days. He said a couple days in Spencerville would probably be enough. Who knew they had a sense of humor.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Sat May 13, 2017 11:28 pm

Wolfman wrote:Longing for the good old days when you just drove over in back, got asked a few questions like "any alcohol. tobacco, or firearms?" and you were on your way.

No kidding. That was how it was when my dad took us across the border back in the 70s. Now when I was young adult and I was going over the border with my friends, I got searched every single time. Now I have a wife and a son and we have never gotten searched. Hope that streak continues.

Derron · Post by **Derron** » Sun May 14, 2017 4:57 pm

The eclipse will be coming over the middle of Oregon in totality. I remember the eclipse in 1978. We went up to the top of a fertilizer elevator in Hillsboro, smoked up some good bud and watch day turn to night, the birds all losing their shit and flying about. The speed was amazing and it was a surreal experience to be sure.

Central Oregon is ground zero and the locals are thinking this is going to be a mess. They estimate that over 1 million people will come to a county that is home to 28,000 people. The public works officials are worried about water systems, sewage, phone systems and emergency services. it does not help that a lot of people have decided to open their private properties to hold eclipse Burning Man style parties. These are wide open high desert range areas, with a lot of Federal BLM and Forest Service properties.

The more populated areas south of Portland will be a complete cluster fuck since they are so much more heavily populated. We own two acres in Crooked River Ranch, which is an unincorporated area 26 miles south of Madras, OR which is Ground zero and 12 miles north of Redmond, OR. We are taking our trailer over there 2 weeks before and will see the eclipse from our own property which has a good views. The warnings are out to have all your groceries in, have your gas bought, and be prepared for communications failures.

Dr_Phibes · Post by **Dr_Phibes** » Sun May 14, 2017 6:36 pm

Wolfman wrote: I noticed the Canada Customs people were quite a bit younger and all were packing heat. Never saw that before.

CBSA started harassing the Mohawks looking for cigs, so the Mohawks surrounded the Cornwall station and ran them off. Right out of an old movie, it was hilarious. Customs union now demands they be armed near Mohawk territory.

kcdave · Post by **kcdave** » Sun May 14, 2017 11:34 pm

Wags, you will need to set aside time between 11 and 2. However, you may want to travel north a little ways.
Get up around Plattsburg, or St. Joe if possible. Hoping for clear skies that day.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Mon May 15, 2017 7:10 pm

War Wagon wrote: The crib notes version is that it starts over the North American continent somewhere around South Carolina and then cuts a 70 mile wide swath U & L towards Dins neck of the woods.

Yeah, it's kind of like that, only the exact opposite. It starts in Oregon, and heads east.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Mon May 15, 2017 8:01 pm

Dinsdale wrote:
War Wagon wrote: The crib notes version is that it starts over the North American continent somewhere around South Carolina and then cuts a 70 mile wide swath U & L towards Dins neck of the woods.

Yeah, it's kind of like that, only the exact opposite. It starts in Oregon, and heads east.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Mon May 15, 2017 11:10 pm

kcdave wrote:Wags, you will need to set aside time between 11 and 2. However, you may want to travel north a little ways.
Get up around Plattsburg, or St. Joe if possible. Hoping for clear skies that day.

I hear every hotel/motel and trailer park in St. Joe is booked solid. Doubt that I'll drive any further north than the QT in Smithville. Or if I'm feeling really adventurous, it's been awhile since I've seen the sights in Trimble. Maybe they have a Casey's there now? Pizza for lunch sounds good and if I can only catch 90% of the totality, oh well.

I surely wonder if 'tart will witness this event and what it might/could do to his view of the cosmos. Is the moon flat too?

Smackie Chan · Post by **Smackie Chan** » Tue May 16, 2017 1:03 am

War Wagon wrote:Is the moon flat too?

Find out for yourself. It's supposedly only, like, 25 miles away.

Softball Bat · Post by **Softball Bat** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:06 pm

War Wagon wrote:I plan on taking a 3 day weekend to observe the occasion.

Leave it to Wagon to turn a routine 3 day weekend into -----> an eternity.

Derron wrote:Central Oregon is ground zero and the locals are thinking this is going to be a mess. They estimate that over 1 million people will come to a county that is home to 28,000 people. The public works officials are worried about water systems, sewage, phone systems and emergency services. it does not help that a lot of people have decided to open their private properties to hold eclipse Burning Man style parties. These are wide open high desert range areas, with a lot of Federal BLM and Forest Service properties.

The more populated areas south of Portland will be a complete cluster fuck since they are so much more heavily populated. We own two acres in Crooked River Ranch, which is an unincorporated area 26 miles south of Madras, OR which is Ground zero and 12 miles north of Redmond, OR. We are taking our trailer over there 2 weeks before and will see the eclipse from our own property which has a good views. The warnings are out to have all your groceries in, have your gas bought, and be prepared for communications failures.

http://www.knoxnews.com/story/opinion/e ... 476104001/

-- Residents and visitors should plan to shelter in place and not expect easy cellphone service. --

:)

Bucmonkey · Post by **Bucmonkey** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 2:22 pm

War Wagon wrote: Having a pulse and not being blind is a bonus as well.

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 9:56 pm

Smackie Chan wrote:
War Wagon wrote:Is the moon flat too?
Find out for yourself. It's supposedly only, like, 25 miles away.

Well, maybe he has found out. Too bad he can't PM somebody with some answers.

smackaholic · Post by **smackaholic** » Tue Jul 18, 2017 9:57 pm

Bucmonkey wrote:
War Wagon wrote: Having a pulse and not being blind is a bonus as well.

x 2

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 1:20 am

Bucmonkey wrote:
War Wagon wrote: Having a pulse and not being blind is a bonus as well.

Still is buddy. Still is.

:cry:

Dr_Phibes · Post by **Dr_Phibes** » Wed Jul 19, 2017 2:56 am

Softball Bat wrote:
War Wagon wrote:I plan on taking a 3 day weekend to observe the occasion.

Leave it to Wagon to turn a routine 3 day weekend into -----> an eternity.

Well done, you're a thoughtful gent. :grin:

Softball Bat · Post by **Softball Bat** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 10:23 am

Some St. Loser schools will be *CLOSING* on eclipse day.

It is a hazard for students.

:?

What is the hazard?

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 12:56 pm

Anyone worries that the sun and moon might crash into each other. I have been told the firmament is only a few miles high.

Softball Bat · Post by **Softball Bat** » Sun Jul 23, 2017 11:48 pm

Softball Bat · Post by **Softball Bat** » Thu Jul 27, 2017 5:39 am

Click and view NASA's animation of the August 21 solar eclipse.

https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a000000/a ... 080p30.mp4

:|

1. The moon is said to be moving at a speed of 2,228 mph around the earth. That is more than twice the speed the earth is said to be spinning on it's axis (not of evil).

The moon appears to be stationary in NASA's cartoon. :)

2. Did you click the link and view NASA's cartoon?

If that is the moon and the earth size, what to make of this...

Have a nice day.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Thu Jul 27, 2017 1:20 pm

Ready to discuss Southern Hemisphere nonstop flights yet?

Softball Bat · Post by **Softball Bat** » Thu Jul 27, 2017 10:08 pm

I have.
In February.

Dan Voge wrote:the southern hemisphere flights (which you cited) are consistent with your globe.

Does that automatically mean that the globe is the only model those flights could possibly be consistent with?

I'm not talking about flat earth and I'm not talking about southern hemisphere flights.
I'm talking about us paying NASA 61 million dollars a day -- and them showing us strange cartoons like the one above.

We should expect much better.

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Fri Jul 28, 2017 2:45 am

Oh ok your not talking about flat earth.

So yes Southern Hemisphere non stop flights support a globe model. If you don't think that is the only one that could fit, show us another that does.

As for your NASA claim I don't know. I haven't been to space. I don't know what camera and lenses they used. Same goes for you.

Softball Bat · Post by **Softball Bat** » Fri Jul 28, 2017 3:34 am

I haven't been to space

LTS TRN 2 · Post by **LTS TRN 2** » Fri Jul 28, 2017 6:56 am

Buzz has been there, seen that, testified accordingly--despite knowing that he's talking to ignorant and dangerously religious rubes--about what he saw and experienced...

and you're asleep!!

WW

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 1:38 am

And the Retards To The East chime in...

http://www.ktvb.com/news/eclipse/payett ... /460845851

Shlomart Ben Yisrael · Wed Aug 02, 2017 2:13 am

Once upon a time I was falling in love
But now I'm only falling apart
And there's nothing I can do
A total eclipse of the heart

:cry:

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 2:33 am

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 2:43 pm

Softball Bat wrote:I haven't been to space

Left Seater · Post by **Left Seater** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:51 pm

I laffed.

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:57 pm

Dinsdale wrote:And the Retards To The East chime in...

http://www.ktvb.com/news/eclipse/payett ... /460845851

Derron?

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 5:26 pm

When did Derron move to Idaho?

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 5:42 pm

Dinsdale wrote:When did Derron move to Idaho?

I don't know, maybe last week?

Didn't notice the Idaho part. All I noticed when scanning the link was something about people being worried about being overrun with eclipse watchers.
I seem to recall Derron mentioning something about setting up in his front ~~yard~~ compound with automatic weapons to ward off the hippies.

Goober McTuber · Post by **Goober McTuber** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 7:07 pm

Papa Willie wrote:
Mikey wrote:
Dinsdale wrote:When did Derron move to Idaho?
I don't know, maybe last week?

Didn't notice the Idaho part. All I noticed when scanning the link was something about people being worried about being overrun with eclipse watchers.
I seem to recall Derron mentioning something about setting up in his front ~~yard~~ compound with automatic weapons to ward off the hippies.
Mikey - please upgrade your account to enable 3rd party hosting. TIA.

Hey Tubby, just print this out and paste it on your screen:

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 8:12 pm

That was my avatar for quite a while.

I've grown a lot older since then, hence Mr Natural up until about a week ago. I kind of like the new one and may keep it for a while. Even if I change picture hosting sites I might keep it.

BTW...I plan to tell Photobucket to fuck off. But not before I move all my pictures out of there.
I'm not paying $40/month so I can have a cool avatar and post a PET once or twice a year.

Derron · Post by **Derron** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 9:38 pm

Mikey wrote:
Dinsdale wrote:When did Derron move to Idaho?
I don't know, maybe last week?

Didn't notice the Idaho part. All I noticed when scanning the link was something about people being worried about being overrun with eclipse watchers.
I seem to recall Derron mentioning something about setting up in his front ~~yard~~ compound with automatic weapons to ward off the hippies.

Pay the fuck attention when updating your spreadsheets. I am moving to Central Oregon next year. The people in Central Oregon are moving to Idaho because those of us are moving to Central Oregon. I went over and posted our property last week in the Crooked River Ranch area anticipating a bunch of filthy sun freaks camping out and burning my shit up. The Central Oregon compound to be is about 16 miles south of ground zero, but will still attract hordes of freaks. It does have 68 vertical foot of elevation in 600 feet from the road, so the fields of fire are extremely good should it ever come to that.

Now expecting any of you So Cals or East Coasters to understand how open the west is, since you all live in cookie cutter subdivisions where you can listen to each other fuck, fart and eat, is not happening. Distances are great, traffic is less and is takes me less time to go 17 miles to Redmond than the 25 minutes it currently does to go 5 miles to Hillsburrito.

My son will be making twice daily trips by the bare ground site, the neighbor across the hill will fly his drone over in between using his 1500 watt ham radio to knock out other drones, and will live stream me any video of any trespassers. Real hippies are not a threat. They usually have good weed and their women don't wear bras. The new generation of millennial hippies are a bunch of lazy slacking faux hippies. They are easily scared off.

My current location is farther north and will not be impacted by the hordes. I am staying home, 98% is good enough for me. The supposition is that the eclipse will be a non event or a complete shit show. When 250,000 plus people descend on an area that only has infrastructure for its 200,000 residents shit will get interesting.

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Wed Aug 02, 2017 11:10 pm

Derron wrote:Pay the fuck attention when updating your spreadsheets. I am moving to Central Oregon next year. The people in Central Oregon are moving to Idaho because those of us are moving to Central Oregon.

Wouldn't it work out easier if y'all just stayed where you were? Seems awfully complicated. :P