What Are You Doing In Real Life II - Page 242

Cybermat47 · 10-21-21, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean C

After looking at Jupiter and Saturn, she hesitantly asked me if I thought the Earth could be flat. I laughed and said "No, of course not.”

We all know the real shape of the Earth:

Looking forward to seeing more of your photos!

Catfish · 10-22-21, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean C

I bought a telescope a while back. [...]

Nice! Please keep posting those pictures

Quote:

Side note:
While I was outside, my neighbor's wife came over and asked if she could look through my telescope. I said "Sure." After looking at Jupiter and Saturn, she hesitantly asked me if I thought the Earth could be flat. I laughed and said "No, of course not."

She did not laugh. Hilarity ensued.

I did not come across a lot of people who say that the earth is flat

Just mention evidence of the earth being not flat is that in that case cats would have all shoved over the edge already, they will laugh and you can quickly change the subject

mapuc · 10-22-21, 01:59 PM

Earth is flat at zero meter of ground-this change as you go higher and higher up in the sky. At 10.000 Feet Earth are no more flat.

Markus

Sean C · 10-23-21, 12:02 AM

Still having trouble with the camera, but the view is amazing! The picture below does not do it justice, but it will give you an idea of what I am seeing. (And thank you all for the kind replies!)

Aktungbby · 10-24-21, 10:39 AM

RAIN! The atmospheric river is doing it all along the western seaboard up to Oregon! Winds in the hills are at 30+ mph and rain is in inches and expected all week long. The Napa river had been empty mud above Napa City due in part to world famous grape vineyards pumping out the underground aquifers; lowering the water-table which is not good for the fish. This will put out the ongoing California & Oregon fires which have been burning for months in rough terrain; and replenish our greatly reduced reservoirs...but probably not get us out of the serious drought we're in... The Sierras will have great ski conditions after this as snow will be 2+ feet! EDIT: Just called in a 911 fire-showering electric shower from the four insulators on the crosstree! The homeowner, two doors away dwelling there happens to be my cardiac nurse on my recent treadmill test last Thursday!! So, I went out in the tempest to warn her.

Aktungbby · 10-26-21, 11:35 AM

Still drying out from the atmospheric river that zeroed in on California on Sunday. Several roads/highways are washed out; but the fire season is over!

It's the earliest fire season ending in years! Recorded rainfall amounts in a day were 5.5 in. at San Francisco up to 11 inches in nearby counties. The Napa River went from 2.6 ft to more than 21 feet in 14 hours. The flood gates and a low tide in SF Bay prevented any serious flooding. Our drought stricken local reservoirs went from 58% to 66%...all good! The Napa river is flowing from all the reborn bone-dry creeks feeding into it again. Some more rain is expected all week, but the mother load has passed into Nevada and Arizona according to my tablet's weather radar app. Technically we're still in a drought though.

Eichhörnchen · 10-27-21, 05:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean C

Still having trouble with the camera, but the view is amazing! The picture below does not do it justice, but it will give you an idea of what I am seeing. (And thank you all for the kind replies!)

Please do post more... I've got a telescope up in the attic but it's nowhere near this good. Look forward to seeing some more, mate

Sean C · 10-27-21, 02:08 PM

Thanks! The image above is actually a still from a video. It was the only way I could get a decent image at the time. I've attached all the videos I shot that night below. I would attach the picture I took of Saturn, but it's barely recognizable.

Sean C · 10-27-21, 04:29 PM

By the way, you don't have to spend an unreasonable amount of money to get similar or even better results. Here's an inventory of everything I use:

Celestron Travel Scope 80: $119.95
(Includes 20mm and 10mm eyepieces and star diagonal.)
Celestron Heavy Duty Azimuth Tripod: $99.95
(Original tripod was too flimsy and had no slow motion controls.)
Omni 2X Barlow Lens - 1.25": $57.95
X-Cel LX 3X Barlow Lens - 1.25": $92.74
Lunar and Planetary Filter Set - 1.25": $44.95

Total cost: $415.54 + tax/s&h

However, you could get the same view of the Moon with only the scope and 3X Barlow.

Cost: $212.69 + tax/s&h

Aktungbby · 12-09-21, 11:43 PM

A solid day of chores:

made the coffee, did the dishes...and got the outside Christmas lights up well B 4 the holiday!

Most of my enthusiastic neighbors do it on Friday following Thanksgiving but I'm too stuffed to climb the ladder. The 'boss' spotted me on the ladder; and handed up new traditional 2" colored bulbs as needed; some on my venerable 32 year-old 4-strand have died. I don't go for the modern glitzy white light crap. The new deep gutters totally blocking the wooden eaveends necessitated some hasty picture brass wall-hooks being tapped in around corner downspouts to hold the wire. My excited wife, dubbed 'Christmas Baby' decades ago by the inlaws, is real big on Xmas decorations incl. the mantel and tree to follow tomorrow. Mission acomplished; getting up and down ladders at 70 is not a percentage maneuver for an old guy!

ET2SN · 12-10-21, 02:06 AM

OK, this will wind up sounding a bit odd..

As some of you know, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis back in 2009-2010. Its why I get all of my health care done at the VA. I had really good luck with injecting Interferon (after I built up a tolerance to it) to the point where some of the old damaged areas "healed" back close to normal and my MRI scans showed either no signs or very minimal signs of MS progression.

Then the pandemic hit and I had to put the Neurology appointments on the back burner during the lock downs. I was finally able to set up a Neurology appt. a couple of weeks ago where I had wanted to talk with my Dr. about being on the same medicine vs. switching to one of the other MS meds (doing a shot of Interferon every other day for 13 years starts to take its toll).

My Dr. came back with a curve ball: "Be honest, when was the last time your MS flared up?" I had to think about that, it was something like four years after I started the shots. I ask why and he says "Its a little early with you, but I think we can take you off your meds. What do you think?"

So, we set up an MRI scan appt. which happened yesterday and I got the call this morning: no signs of activity. I'm just waiting now for my Neuro to call back where we can map out a plan to get me off these meds.

This isn't a decision I'm taking lightly. As far as I know, I'm not cured. That never really happens. What does happen with some MS patients is that the disease goes dormant or "burns itself out" once the patient gets into their mid-60's. I just turned 60 last summer so that outcome wasn't even on my RADAR yet.

It is NOW.

To be clear, this ISN'T one of those "cruel VA stories" where they kick me into a snow drift and cut off my meds. I doubt I'll be getting off the good 'ole disability pension any time soon (my disability % is pretty high). Still, I've been able to keep my basic mobility intact and adapt to the stuff that changed.

Anyway, if any of you noticed me walking three inches above the ground in the last two weeks, that was why.

Sean C · 12-10-21, 02:13 AM

That's great!

Congratulations!

Catfish · 12-10-21, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ET2SN

[...] As some of you know, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis back in 2009-2010. Its why I get all of my health care done at the VA. I had really good luck with injecting Interferon

So, we set up an MRI scan appt. which happened yesterday and I got the call this morning: no signs of activity. I'm just waiting now for my Neuro to call back where we can map out a plan to get me off these meds.

Good to hear

Quote:

As far as I know, I'm not cured. That never really happens. What does happen with some MS patients is that the disease goes dormant or "burns itself out" once the patient gets into their mid-60's. I just turned 60 last summer so that outcome wasn't even on my RADAR yet.
It is NOW.

In the relapsing/remitting form of MS the flares can happen every few years (or more often), while the inflammation is dormant in between. As you said this alone is not a sign that it will not happen again, but this 'burnin itself out' sure is good news.
Apart from Interferon there are developments involving some Ocrelizumab/Ocrevus every 6 months. Advised are also vitamine D3 and especially propione acid against the flaring-up of MS, you get propione acid in pill form. Maybe ask your doctor. Apart from the Ocrelizumab stuff all else is relatively cheap.

Quote:

Anyway, if any of you noticed me walking three inches above the ground in the last two weeks, that was why.

Wish you all the best!

ET2SN · 12-10-21, 04:30 AM

Catfish;
Trust me, you're preaching to the choir. I know all about this disease.

With the other meds, I'm thinking NO meds is a better alternative as long as I can get away with it.

I've heard my share of stories from really invasive surgery (debunked) to third world miracle cures that only require a visa and most of your savings.

That's where MS is dangerous. The reality is that no one knows what really triggers it so its easy to dream up miracle cures for the desperate. Let's agree to just not go there.

With D3, I did a "mega dose" trial back in 2011 to get my levels back to a normal range. I still take D3 supplements to keep my levels normal and I don't plan to change that.

Catfish · 12-10-21, 05:28 AM

I am getting this Ocr. stuff since 2 years, found no side effects up to now, caught no cold, not even tired or anything after infusions. Yet.
Yep, there are a lot of charlatans out there of course, however vitamine D3 and propion acid seem to have an impact: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32160527/
All the best

10-22-21, 01:59 PM	#3618
mapuc CINC Pacific Fleet Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Denmark Posts: 20,541 Downloads: 37 Uploads: 0	Earth is flat at zero meter of ground-this change as you go higher and higher up in the sky. At 10.000 Feet Earth are no more flat. Markus __________________ My little lovely female cat

10-23-21, 12:02 AM	#3619
Sean C Grey Wolf Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Norfolk, VA Posts: 984 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 2	Still having trouble with the camera, but the view is amazing! The picture below does not do it justice, but it will give you an idea of what I am seeing. (And thank you all for the kind replies!) __________________ If you have a question about celestial navigation ... ask me! Celestial Navigation Spreadsheet

10-24-21, 10:39 AM	#3620
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 30,023 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	RAIN! The atmospheric river is doing it all along the western seaboard up to Oregon! Winds in the hills are at 30+ mph and rain is in inches and expected all week long. The Napa river had been empty mud above Napa City due in part to world famous grape vineyards pumping out the underground aquifers; lowering the water-table which is not good for the fish. This will put out the ongoing California & Oregon fires which have been burning for months in rough terrain; and replenish our greatly reduced reservoirs...but probably not get us out of the serious drought we're in... The Sierras will have great ski conditions after this as snow will be 2+ feet! EDIT: Just called in a 911 fire-showering electric shower from the four insulators on the crosstree! The homeowner, two doors away dwelling there happens to be my cardiac nurse on my recent treadmill test last Thursday!! So, I went out in the tempest to warn her. __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness?!! Last edited by Aktungbby; 10-24-21 at 01:49 PM.

10-26-21, 11:35 AM	#3621
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 30,023 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	Still drying out from the atmospheric river that zeroed in on California on Sunday. Several roads/highways are washed out; but the fire season is over! It's the earliest fire season ending in years! Recorded rainfall amounts in a day were 5.5 in. at San Francisco up to 11 inches in nearby counties. The Napa River went from 2.6 ft to more than 21 feet in 14 hours. The flood gates and a low tide in SF Bay prevented any serious flooding. Our drought stricken local reservoirs went from 58% to 66%...all good! The Napa river is flowing from all the reborn bone-dry creeks feeding into it again. Some more rain is expected all week, but the mother load has passed into Nevada and Arizona according to my tablet's weather radar app. Technically we're still in a drought though. __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness?!!

10-27-21, 02:08 PM	#3623
Sean C Grey Wolf Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Norfolk, VA Posts: 984 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 2	Thanks! The image above is actually a still from a video. It was the only way I could get a decent image at the time. I've attached all the videos I shot that night below. I would attach the picture I took of Saturn, but it's barely recognizable. __________________ If you have a question about celestial navigation ... ask me! Celestial Navigation Spreadsheet

10-27-21, 04:29 PM	#3624
Sean C Grey Wolf Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Norfolk, VA Posts: 984 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 2	By the way, you don't have to spend an unreasonable amount of money to get similar or even better results. Here's an inventory of everything I use: Celestron Travel Scope 80: $119.95 (Includes 20mm and 10mm eyepieces and star diagonal.) Celestron Heavy Duty Azimuth Tripod: $99.95 (Original tripod was too flimsy and had no slow motion controls.) Omni 2X Barlow Lens - 1.25": $57.95 X-Cel LX 3X Barlow Lens - 1.25": $92.74 Lunar and Planetary Filter Set - 1.25": $44.95 Total cost: $415.54 + tax/s&h However, you could get the same view of the Moon with only the scope and 3X Barlow. Cost: $212.69 + tax/s&h __________________ If you have a question about celestial navigation ... ask me! Celestial Navigation Spreadsheet

12-09-21, 11:43 PM	#3625
Aktungbby Gefallen Engel U-666 Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: On a tilted, overheated, overpopulated spinning mudball on Collision course with Andromeda Galaxy Posts: 30,023 Downloads: 24 Uploads: 0	A solid day of chores: made the coffee, did the dishes...and got the outside Christmas lights up well B 4 the holiday! Most of my enthusiastic neighbors do it on Friday following Thanksgiving but I'm too stuffed to climb the ladder. The 'boss' spotted me on the ladder; and handed up new traditional 2" colored bulbs as needed; some on my venerable 32 year-old 4-strand have died. I don't go for the modern glitzy white light crap. The new deep gutters totally blocking the wooden eaveends necessitated some hasty picture brass wall-hooks being tapped in around corner downspouts to hold the wire. My excited wife, dubbed 'Christmas Baby' decades ago by the inlaws, is real big on Xmas decorations incl. the mantel and tree to follow tomorrow. Mission acomplished; getting up and down ladders at 70 is not a percentage maneuver for an old guy! __________________ "Only two things are infinite; The Universe and human squirrelyness?!!

12-10-21, 02:06 AM	#3626
ET2SN Ocean Warrior Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 2,652 Downloads: 60 Uploads: 0	OK, this will wind up sounding a bit odd.. As some of you know, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis back in 2009-2010. Its why I get all of my health care done at the VA. I had really good luck with injecting Interferon (after I built up a tolerance to it) to the point where some of the old damaged areas "healed" back close to normal and my MRI scans showed either no signs or very minimal signs of MS progression. Then the pandemic hit and I had to put the Neurology appointments on the back burner during the lock downs. I was finally able to set up a Neurology appt. a couple of weeks ago where I had wanted to talk with my Dr. about being on the same medicine vs. switching to one of the other MS meds (doing a shot of Interferon every other day for 13 years starts to take its toll). My Dr. came back with a curve ball: "Be honest, when was the last time your MS flared up?" I had to think about that, it was something like four years after I started the shots. I ask why and he says "Its a little early with you, but I think we can take you off your meds. What do you think?" So, we set up an MRI scan appt. which happened yesterday and I got the call this morning: no signs of activity. I'm just waiting now for my Neuro to call back where we can map out a plan to get me off these meds. This isn't a decision I'm taking lightly. As far as I know, I'm not cured. That never really happens. What does happen with some MS patients is that the disease goes dormant or "burns itself out" once the patient gets into their mid-60's. I just turned 60 last summer so that outcome wasn't even on my RADAR yet. It is NOW. To be clear, this ISN'T one of those "cruel VA stories" where they kick me into a snow drift and cut off my meds. I doubt I'll be getting off the good 'ole disability pension any time soon (my disability % is pretty high). Still, I've been able to keep my basic mobility intact and adapt to the stuff that changed. Anyway, if any of you noticed me walking three inches above the ground in the last two weeks, that was why.

12-10-21, 02:13 AM	#3627
Sean C Grey Wolf Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Norfolk, VA Posts: 984 Downloads: 16 Uploads: 2	That's great! Congratulations! __________________ If you have a question about celestial navigation ... ask me! Celestial Navigation Spreadsheet

12-10-21, 04:30 AM	#3629
ET2SN Ocean Warrior Join Date: Oct 2017 Posts: 2,652 Downloads: 60 Uploads: 0	Catfish; Trust me, you're preaching to the choir. I know all about this disease. With the other meds, I'm thinking NO meds is a better alternative as long as I can get away with it. I've heard my share of stories from really invasive surgery (debunked) to third world miracle cures that only require a visa and most of your savings. That's where MS is dangerous. The reality is that no one knows what really triggers it so its easy to dream up miracle cures for the desperate. Let's agree to just not go there. With D3, I did a "mega dose" trial back in 2011 to get my levels back to a normal range. I still take D3 supplements to keep my levels normal and I don't plan to change that.

12-10-21, 05:28 AM	#3630
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,767 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	I am getting this Ocr. stuff since 2 years, found no side effects up to now, caught no cold, not even tired or anything after infusions. Yet. Yep, there are a lot of charlatans out there of course, however vitamine D3 and propion acid seem to have an impact: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32160527/ All the best __________________ >^..^<*)))>{ All generalizations are wrong.