What's on your mind today?

[billy rubin]

i didnt watch it. what is ypur opinion of the discusdion?

[Asmodean]

I found it much more agreeable than what we "usually" get. Actual policy points were made and countered. Trying to ignore personal leanings on the individual issues discussed, such as abortion and firearms, I found Vance to be a little sharper and more charismatic overall, but Tim Walz did OK.

It was... I would say that it was "an average debate of yesteryear." By today's standards, however, it was refreshingly good. They did have some discussions, such as those are in debates, rather than skipping straight to the next talking point. There were instances of agreement and seeing each others' point of view... Such-like.

Tl;dr I was able to establish some sort of an opinion on each candidate, and it's pretty positive for them both - perhaps marginally more so for Vance.

[billy rubin]

well the answer to.my earlier question is here



obviously the orbital plane of the moon is not at 90 degrees to the rotational axis of the earth.

so the azimuth of the moon will rise and fall with its orbit.

[Icarus]

Vance was the smoother of the two. However, Vance told some colossal lies while being smooth, five of them. He also continued to question: why didn't  Harris do something about problems a..b..c.. X during her three and a half years as vice president. That was deceptive and will have snookered the majority of our citizens who don't know shit about the way our government is constructed. The reality is that the VP does not have the power to do anything except what the boss, the President, tells the VP to do.

Vance was on his best behavior during the debate. Never before has he been so polite and congenial in the political realm. He is a rude, lying, loose cannon in the press and at his campaign rallies. It is odd that I liked the book that he authored several years ago. The book is titled: Hillbilly Elegy.

If the president leaves office before the term is completed, the VP becomes president and then, and only then, can the now president make policy, assume the role commander in chief of the armed forces, etc...... Say both the president and the VP are killed or become incapacitated, for whatever reason. In that case the speaker of the House of Representatives inherits the  presidency.

Perish the thought that the current Speaker of the House of Representatives could become president. He is a hard core republican weasel who is a religious freak. He holds morning prayer meetings in the capitol building.

[Icarus]

Whats on my  mind today. A stupendous storm is headed directly toward my small city.  I live about 45 miles inland (72 km) from the Florida's west central coast. The storm, at this time, is predicted to smash right into my area. It is deadly and it may have sustained winds of 140 MPH (or 225 Km per hour). That will destroy much of the infrastructure and all of the mobile homes, Many of the ordinary houses, electric utilities, and possibly water utilities.

The worst of it will be the storm surge that may bring a rise in the water level as much as twelve to fifteen feet above normal (3.6 to 4.5 meters). I will not suffer the devastation storm storm surge of water  but the west coast will be smashed all to hell.

The storm will arrive in Florida late Wednesday or early Thursday.  I have been through that kind of ordeal numerous times before because I have been a Florida resident for about 80 years. So I am prepared as best I can be.

This whole deal is because of those damned Mexicans and Guatamalans. (Trump will blame it on them) There is weather phenomena called the CAG or Central American Gyre. It is a system of rotating air and water that is prevalent around the Yucutan peninsula. The gyre often creates rotating atmospheric conditions.  If the system moves out into the Gulf of Mexico the warm water increases the rotation and wind strengths over a long fetch across the Gulf. The upper atmosphere with it's high and low pressure systems tend to steer the storms. We call them hurricanes when the wind velocity reaches 72 MPH. It is then a category one storm. As it moves across the warm Gulf waters, currently 85F, the velocities increase into category two, three, four and end of the world fives..

I may not annoy my fellow HAFers for a few days after the storm rips up this part of Florida.....that is if I am still alive, which I hope that I will be.

 

[Recusant]

By all means batten down the hatches and take care, man. With best wishes, will be awaiting your next dispatch. Here's to the best of luck. 

[Asmodean]

Indeed.

Hey, wasn't there "just" a other storm over Florida? I seem to have heard something from some YouTubers I follow, who were battening them hatches a couple of weeks ago. Or was it for this event?

[billy rubin]

milton went from 90 mph to 175 mph sustained winds since yesterday.

[Dark Lightning]

I was working at Cape Canaveral in '05 when Wilma churned a groove across Florida. The condo I was renting was mostly water tight, but the horizontal rain even that far away managed to get into a small bay window in the kitchen and get the counter wet. There was a power strip on that counter, so I just threw a towel down to soak up the water. I wasn't even going to try to unplug that thing, given all the lightning. It was interesting- the wild variation in atmospheric pressure caused the water in the toilet bowl to fluctuate.

[Icarus]

The big one named Milton has expected landfall near my city, by Wednesday evening. It has grown in strength to category five which means that it has 180 MPH winds 290 KM/hr.

We escaped the fury of the previous one that was named Helene. It smashed into north Florida well away from the peninsular part where I live. Helene proceeded northward overland for hundreds of miles. The wind strength diminished as it traveled over terra firma. Unfortunately the rain fall did not diminish. It caused critically swollen rivers, a rising water damned near completely destroyed the small but beautiful city of AShville North Carolina.

Mother nature is sometimes a mean bitch.  I had to bust my ass and budget today in order to cover many of my houses windows with Plywood. The windows might survive the enormous wind pressures but the problem is flying debris. Storms of these types can pick up trees or other rigid objects and hurl then into buildings, including windows.   If the integrity of the building is breached the next thing that happens is that the interior of the structure will experience high pressures and the roof will be lifted and removed from the house.

Insurance companies in this part of the world impose heavy "deductions" for wind and water damage.  My insurance will not even take effect until the damage assessment reaches more than ten thousand dollars. With all that risk, we Florida residents do like it here and we opt to stay put in spite of Devastating storms, alligators and plenty of snakes and bugs.   

[billy rubin]

are you staying or bugging out?

[Icarus]

About 8 pm here on Wednesday night. So far no damaging winds but more is expected. This kind of weather phenomena, an approaching Hurricane, has the added horror of spawning Tornadoes. We have had reports of three of them in areas within a few miles of my keyboard.

In the last few hours, Milton has veered a little bit southward which means that I will not get the full fury of the storm. We will get more than enough of it to keep us in a vigilant state.

I spent many hours and a lot of sweat to board up all my windows and some of the doors. My poor ancient ass is dragging from all the physical exercise. I also used more than a gentlemanly number of curse words in the process.

Oh happy day....My wife just said; "what is that beeping sound"....I don't know but I will find the source. AHA! It was my damned water heater which is in the garage. It was leaking around the gasket of the lower heating element and the sensor took issue with the water that was not supposed to be there. Alright I have to disconnect the power shut off the water supply to the heater and drain the tank. I did that, which is  part of the misery that the Gods have laid on me.  That is not a big deal because it is a certainty that I will lose electric power for a few days while the utility company does their repair thing. I would not have hot water anyway. None of this is like;y to defeat me because I have gone through this kind of character test many times before.....But it is getting pretty damned tiresome.

No, I am not leaving my humble abode. I will weather the storm as before.  Many thousands of people who reside on the coastal areas, 45 miles west of here, have taken the wise option and headed for higher ground hundreds of miles away. The interstate highways are bumper to bumper for miles and miles. The deadly risk to them is storm surge which can and does pile up water above the roof line of their coastal or barrier island homes.

I will (hopefully) be back when my electric and internet power is restored. It is good at this moment but it sure to fail soon. Cheers to all my HAF friends   

[Dark Lightning]

Keep safe, buddy! It would be nice for that storm to drop some water over here on the west coast. We're looking at another drier winter.

[Recusant]

I'm impressed that you took care of the boarding up yourself, Icarus. That's some serious toting and lifting, not to mention the agility required to get the fasteners in. Respect! I hope I'll manage so well if I ever make it to my tenth decade. Taking them back down will be another adventure I imagine.

I think of how common window shutters are on houses in France but I don't recall seeing them in Florida. A few folks must have them though.

Rotten luck with the water heater, a whole other pain in the neck for later. 

[Tank]

Watching this on the BBC. Terrifying.