OT: Off Topic 2019 part XIII - The Dog Days Of Summer

[GordonHowe]

I'm also a history geek, my favorite topic is the Civil War. Right now I'm reading "Sword of Lincoln" about the Army of the Potomac.

That era is not my strongest suit.

The pre & post revolutionary period, especially after the Declaration of Independence,(the Articles of Confederation, and the campaign to ratify the Constitution) are of interest.

Washington and Hamilton (and yes, I was Hamilton before Hamilton was cool) are my favorite founders. With allowance for their politial genius, Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin, not so much.

British politial history and figures Pitt, Disraeli, Gladstone, Churchill, et. al.

TR, Coolidge, FDR, Eisenhower, the Kennedy clan, LBJ, RN, et. al. for 20th C. politial history & biography.

Still a student of domestic and foreign policy, though less so of p0litics, which used to be a favorite sport.

 

[GordonHowe]

I grew up in the desert of Southern California, so the heat and dryness is nothing shocking for me. What has amazed my so far, is how quickly @Kovi has become a desert girl. When we went back to New England for the wedding last month, we both were struck with how close in everything was, and how the canopy of trees made for a claustrophobic feeling. When we moved, I feared she would miss New England, having lived there her whole life. But she had really taken to the desert. We're really happy we moved.

The only thing I really miss about the east is my kids, but that would be the case if I was still in Amesbury, since they are still scattered about three different states. I still get to see them pretty regularly, which makes it a little easier.

Glad you're both home.

 

[HockeyMomx2]

From the Department of When You Think You've Got It Bad Life Puts Things Into Perspective For You:

6:30 this morning the phone rings. The phone never rings at that hour with good news. Sure enough. My sister called to let me know that one of my nephew's friends going back to childhood had been killed in a car accident last night. He was driving home from his summer job when his car left the road & struck a tree. It isn't known yet if he fell asleep, lost a tire or just what went wrong. He was a nice kid and just 20 years old. He leaves his parents and younger brother.

My problems have been reduced to their proper size. I can't imagine the hell his parents are experiencing now, having to bury their child. This isn't supposed to happen- children bury their parents not the other way around. If you're a praying person, please pray for them. If not please send good thoughts their way.

It's so heartbreaking.

 

[Bruinaura]

Casual tornado on the cape right now

.... Casual tornado?

 

[Glove Malfunction]

That era is not my strongest suit.

The pre & post revolutionary period, especially after the Declaration of Independence,(the Articles of Confederation, and the campaign to ratify the Constitution) are of interest.

Washington and Hamilton (and yes, I was Hamilton before Hamilton was cool) are my favorite founders. With allowance for their politial genius, Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin, not so much.

British politial history and figures Pitt, Disraeli, Gladstone, Churchill, et. al.

TR, Coolidge, FDR, Eisenhower, the Kennedy clan, LBJ, RN, et. al. for 20th C. politial history & biography.

Still a student of domestic and foreign policy, though less so of p0litics, which used to be a favorite sport.

My favorite course in college was a seminar on Thomas Jefferson. Professor was secretary of the American Philosophical Society, and had connections at Monticello. Took a class trip to UVA (where I presented my paper on the UVA gardens, designed by Jefferson), and a private tour of Monticello. Needless to say, I'm a Jefferson fan. Colonial and post-Revolutionary War era is my wheelhouse.

 

[Aeroforce]

I think it also depends an awful lot on humidity. In your neck of the woods, 20 degrees might be reasonable but in our dry air, the A/C can get the house down to 75 (or lower), even if it's 115 outside.

That's impressive, 40 degrees cooler!

The humidity is definitely no fun. Still, I think my newer, more efficient A.C. unit could likely cool beyond 20 degrees of the outside temperature. It's just a matter of what I'm OK with for an electric bill.

I try to find the sweet spot where the house is livable, but the unit isn't running all day. Right now that is 80 during the day, and 78 at night.

To those not in hot cities, 80 and 78 may sound uncomfortable; but when it's triple digit heat outside, it feels fine.

This summer has been very bearable so far. It's still hard for me to imagine it was hotter in Boston last weekend than Houston.

My folks have an older A.C. system, and with the phasing out of the old freon, a freon charge starts at $300 per lb.

 

[Lockheed]

To those not in hot cities, 80 and 78 may sound uncomfortable; but when it's triple digit heat outside, it feels fine.

Where I currently am located it nears 110 every day and I cannot even imagine being able to sleep unless it is below 70 in my room.

 

[Troublesome 85]

3AM and its 93 Degrees but it was breezy when I got out of work.

1 thing I dislike about LV weather is it will look cloudy and dark like its going to rain but it doesnt it just stays dark cloudy and hot as shit

 

[CDJ]

.... Casual tornado?

Yeah never seen a lightning storm quite like that here. Tornado never came through by me but it was cool as hell to watch


That may have been my 1st real tornado warning here. We had a water spout on the canal years back but that was nothing

 

[CDJ]

I bought a window unit for $200 and the ppl I live with hate me. House was 85 and my room was 62 the other day. Best investment ever. God bless

 

[CDJ]

Heard the lightning is insane down there.

Just had mostly thunder and rain here.

Stay safe!

Yup that’s what we ended up with in Barnstable. Lost power for a 5 count. Not bad all things considered. My buddy was close to it when It was in mashpee and he said watching the trees was nuts

 

[rfournier103]

From the Department of When You Think You've Got It Bad Life Puts Things Into Perspective For You:

6:30 this morning the phone rings. The phone never rings at that hour with good news. Sure enough. My sister called to let me know that one of my nephew's friends going back to childhood had been killed in a car accident last night. He was driving home from his summer job when his car left the road & struck a tree. It isn't known yet if he fell asleep, lost a tire or just what went wrong. He was a nice kid and just 20 years old. He leaves his parents and younger brother.

My problems have been reduced to their proper size. I can't imagine the hell his parents are experiencing now, having to bury their child. This isn't supposed to happen- children bury their parents not the other way around. If you're a praying person, please pray for them. If not please send good thoughts their way.

I haven't talked to my nephew yet but I asked his mom how he was doing. He's devastated. At his age death only happens to old people. And the irony is we've all been worried about another friend of his who deployed to Afghanistan as an Army sniper a few months ago. He's in mortal danger every day and one of their friends gets killed in a damn car accident on the way home from work?!?!? There is no explaining life sometimes...

I’m so sorry I just saw this now. I’m heartbroken for all involved.

Be assured of my prayers for both them and you.

 

[CDJ]

I haven't talked to my nephew yet but I asked his mom how he was doing. He's devastated. At his age death only happens to old people. And the irony is we've all been worried about another friend of his who deployed to Afghanistan as an Army sniper a few months ago. He's in mortal danger every day and one of their friends gets killed in a damn car accident on the way home from work?!?!? There is no explaining life sometimes...

Reminds me of my bullpen in high school. There were 5 of us. One deployed as a marine for years. You’d think he was the one we would have to worry about. Then 2 died in car crashes within a year and a half of each other.

I think about them often. It’s never an easy thing but it will get easier for your nephew. Only thing that can be done is to surround him with love which I have zero doubt that you’re doing because you seem like an exceptional person.

There really is no explaining life. Makes no sense 99% of the time.

 

[Fenway]

Chris Kraft, 1st flight director for NASA, dies at 95

Behind America's late leap into orbit and triumphant small step on the moon was the agile mind and guts-of-steel of Chris Kraft, making split-second decisions that propelled the nation to once unimaginable heights.

Kraft, the creator and longtime leader of NASA's Mission Control, died Monday in Houston, just two days after the 50th anniversary of what was his and NASA's crowning achievement: Apollo 11's moon landing. He was 95.

Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. never flew in space, but "held the success or failure of American human spaceflight in his hands," Neil Armstrong, the first man-on-the-moon, told The Associated Press in 2011.

Kraft founded Mission Control and created the job of flight director — later comparing it to an orchestra conductor — and established how flights would be run as the space race between the U.S. and Soviets heated up. The legendary engineer served as flight director for all of the one-man Mercury flights and seven of the two-man Gemini flights, helped design the Apollo missions that took 12 Americans to the moon from 1969 to 1972 and later served as director of the Johnson Space Center until 1982, overseeing the beginning of the era of the space shuttle.

Armstrong once called him "the man who was the 'Control' in Mission Control."

"From the moment the mission starts until the moment the crew is safe on board a recovery ship, I'm in charge," Kraft wrote in his 2002 book "Flight: My Life in Mission Control."

"No one can overrule me. ... They can fire me after it's over. But while the mission is under way, I'm Flight. And Flight is God."

 

[BMC]

So...........

Southern coast of Maine ....or.........Cape Cod?
and why?

Maine all the way. Cape Cod has disintegrated into a tourist hellhole. My family used to vacation there throughout the 60s into the early 80s. The last time I was there was in 88-89 and I was appalled at the change. From what friends have told me it has only gotten worse.

 

[BMC]

I won't be retiring as with my current finances I expect I will have to work until lunchtime on the day of my funeral

View attachment 245993

I'm right there with you.

 

[BMC]

That era is not my strongest suit.

The pre & post revolutionary period, especially after the Declaration of Independence,(the Articles of Confederation, and the campaign to ratify the Constitution) are of interest.

Washington and Hamilton (and yes, I was Hamilton before Hamilton was cool) are my favorite founders. With allowance for their politial genius, Jefferson, Madison, and Franklin, not so much.

British politial history and figures Pitt, Disraeli, Gladstone, Churchill, et. al.

TR, Coolidge, FDR, Eisenhower, the Kennedy clan, LBJ, RN, et. al. for 20th C. politial history & biography.

Still a student of domestic and foreign policy, though less so of p0litics, which used to be a favorite sport.

I need to study the revolutionary period more, I have a few books on the founders & the Federalist Papers but that's all. Many years ago I read a book on the Constitutional Convention, "Miracle At Philadelphia" by an author named Catherine Drinker Bowen. A very old book, I think it was published in the 1920s. I thought it was outstanding. I haven't been able to locate another copy though. Big fan of Churchill too. Washington & Lincoln are my favorite Presidents. I've followed domestic & foreign policy for years.. I follow domestic politics so I'll have a better idea of who/what I'm voting for/against. Politics in this country is a shit hole and has been for decades. It isn't a wonder that good people won't run.

 

[BMC]

I’m so sorry I just saw this now. I’m heartbroken for all involved.

Be assured of my prayers for both them and you.

Thank you @rfournier103.

It turned out he was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.

 

[BMC]

Reminds me of my bullpen in high school. There were 5 of us. One deployed as a marine for years. You’d think he was the one we would have to worry about. Then 2 died in car crashes within a year and a half of each other.

I think about them often. It’s never an easy thing but it will get easier for your nephew. Only thing that can be done is to surround him with love which I have zero doubt that you’re doing because you seem like an exceptional person.

There really is no explaining life. Makes no sense 99% of the time.

I texted him & my niece that evening. Neither really wanted to talk about it so I just told them I loved them and I was there for them if they needed to talk. The wake is tonight and the funeral is tomorrow morning.

Thank you for the kind words @CDJ . That's quite the story about your bullpen friends, it is amazing how similar life events can be for different people.

 

[BMC]

Chris Kraft, 1st flight director for NASA, dies at 95

Behind America's late leap into orbit and triumphant small step on the moon was the agile mind and guts-of-steel of Chris Kraft, making split-second decisions that propelled the nation to once unimaginable heights.

Kraft, the creator and longtime leader of NASA's Mission Control, died Monday in Houston, just two days after the 50th anniversary of what was his and NASA's crowning achievement: Apollo 11's moon landing. He was 95.

Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. never flew in space, but "held the success or failure of American human spaceflight in his hands," Neil Armstrong, the first man-on-the-moon, told The Associated Press in 2011.

Kraft founded Mission Control and created the job of flight director — later comparing it to an orchestra conductor — and established how flights would be run as the space race between the U.S. and Soviets heated up. The legendary engineer served as flight director for all of the one-man Mercury flights and seven of the two-man Gemini flights, helped design the Apollo missions that took 12 Americans to the moon from 1969 to 1972 and later served as director of the Johnson Space Center until 1982, overseeing the beginning of the era of the space shuttle.

Armstrong once called him "the man who was the 'Control' in Mission Control."

"From the moment the mission starts until the moment the crew is safe on board a recovery ship, I'm in charge," Kraft wrote in his 2002 book "Flight: My Life in Mission Control."

"No one can overrule me. ... They can fire me after it's over. But while the mission is under way, I'm Flight. And Flight is God."

I'm glad he was able to take part in the 50th anniversary celebrations. The astronauts get all the glory but it was and is people like Chris Kraft that make it possible for them to fly in space.

May he rest in peace.

 

[Kate08]

Maine all the way. Cape Cod has disintegrated into a tourist hellhole. My family used to vacation there throughout the 60s into the early 80s. The last time I was there was in 88-89 and I was appalled at the change. From what friends have told me it has only gotten worse.

The Cape is still absolutely beautiful. I don’t think it’s fair to call it a “tourist hellhole”, but the congestion certainly presents challenges when considering a vacation or purchasing a home. Plenty of small mom and pop shops and restaurants, gorgeous beaches, and beautiful scenery.

 

[BMC]

The Cape is still absolutely beautiful. I don’t think it’s fair to call it a “tourist hellhole”, but the congestion certainly presents challenges when considering a vacation or purchasing a home. Plenty of small mom and pop shops and restaurants, gorgeous beaches, and beautiful scenery.

Perhaps but I remember the Cape before the development boom began. It was an even more beautiful place then but IMO development got completely out of control. What really bothered me was all the condominiums built so close to the water, it wrecked the view of the ocean from the road whereas before there were small motels & cottages there and you could see the beaches & ocean. It was a busy place on weekends especially during the summer months but not nearly the congestion experienced now.

 

[TD Charlie]

The pupper is growing more blind by the day it seems. It’s painful to watch. I’m starting to think his inability to jump onto chairs or climb steps isn’t weakness in his legs, but the blindness making him hesitant to do it. It’s tough to see him look at his favorite chair and want to jump on it, but ultimately walk away from it.

He’s getting used to it though. I’ve noticed he’s using the perimeter of the house more and more to navigate room to room. It’s just really hard to see him walk into chairs and walls and stuff. The poor guy is moving around so slow

 

[eightspokedb]

The pupper is growing more blind by the day it seems. It’s painful to watch. I’m starting to think his inability to jump onto chairs or climb steps isn’t weakness in his legs, but the blindness making him hesitant to do it. It’s tough to see him look at his favorite chair and want to jump on it, but ultimately walk away from it.

He’s getting used to it though. I’ve noticed he’s using the perimeter of the house more and more to navigate room to room. It’s just really hard to see him walk into chairs and walls and stuff. The poor guy is moving around so slow

Blessings to your sweet boy....help him up into the chair and tell him he's a good boy....

 

[Alicat]

Yup that’s what we ended up with in Barnstable. Lost power for a 5 count. Not bad all things considered. My buddy was close to it when It was in mashpee and he said watching the trees was nuts

Hope you're safe as they said they have a confirmed tornado in South Yarmouth