Witness the birth of an iceberg

EarthSky article and video:

" This iceberg broke off Greenland’s Helheim Glacier on June 22. If laid atop New York City, it’d stretch from lower Manhattan to Midtown. "

Dog Days of Summer

... are here. Roughly, until August 11. Men, especially, take heed:

" The 1729 British Husbandman's Practice claimed that 'The Heat of the Sun is so violent that Men's bodies at Midnight sweat as at Midday: and if they be hurt, they be more sick than at any other time, yea very near Dead'. It therefore advised men to 'abstain all this time from women' and to 'take heed of feeding violently'. "

Wikipedia

This guy's in trouble.

Don't play with fireworks, children!

Because something like this could happen. And did last night.

We were invited to a friend's house last night to celebrate the Fourth of July. She lives at the end of a dead end street next to a couple of large empty lots. In one, a small group (looked to be a family) set up their own party with lawn chairs and coolers. And fireworks.

One of their explosives didn't work as advertised. As I understand it, the firework in question was designed to spin on the ground and then shoot upwards. Instead, it shot sideways and landed in a tree behind our friend's house.

I saw it streak across her back yard, just behind her fence. Immediately after, a man ran from the vacant lot, across her driveway to her back yard. I thought it odd but didn't know anything was wrong until we saw smoke which was only a short minute later.

Our party evacuated the premises and waited at the house across the street as for firemen to arrive. The men went around back to do what they could with garden hoses. The women comforted the children, most of whom were scared and crying.

The fire spread quickly to neighboring trees and, eventually, to a utility pole which also caught fire, causing the power line to fall. PUD was called. A man with a professional-looking video camera appeared on the scene but no news truck.

Meanwhile, neighborhood fireworks continued all around us.

Here's the kicker. After PUD and the fire department left, people from our own party started lighting off their own fireworks. To their credit, they spoke with the firemen beforehand and asked their advice on the safest place to shoot them off. The street in front of the house was indicated.

By this time, the children had stopped crying and the events of only moments before were entirely forgotten. (Cake will solve most problems.) Fireworks ensued and the kids were thrilled.

On with the show, I guess. Next year, I'll stick to my own back yard where fireworks are illegal.

Not A Second To Lose!

(... or gain, apparently.)

June 30th was like any other day. Maybe you noticed.



Paris, 09 January 2018


Bulletin C 55

To authorities responsible
for the measurement and
distribution of time



INFORMATION ON UTC - TAI


NO leap second will be introduced at the end of June 2018.
The difference between Coordinated Universal Time UTC and the
International Atomic Time TAI is :

from 2017 January 1, 0h UTC, until further notice : UTC-TAI = -37 s

Leap seconds can be introduced in UTC at the end of the months of December
or June, depending on the evolution of UT1-TAI. Bulletin C is mailed every
six months, either to announce a time step in UTC, or to confirm that there
will be no time step at the next possible date.


Christian BIZOUARD
Director
Earth Orientation Center of IERS
Observatoire de Paris, France

Reports From the River

My scale misses me when I travel. Whenever I return from a trip, she lies about my weight. While flattering, there’s no way I could have lost poundage eating deep dish pizza in Chicago.

But the love wears thin in about a week when she suggests, in no uncertain terms, that that I’ve gained three pounds overnight. Another one today.

She misses me no more. Must be time to go somewhere.

This is a picture from this morning's walk. You can see the beach is back now that the river has receded. Not long ago, the river was up to the white-ish mark you can see on this bulkhead wall.

A blue heron landed at the water's edge beside me as I was taking this picture but flew away again before I could snap his picture.

On my walk, I saw the Russian guy. I have no idea if he's Russian or not. I just have this idea that he is. We used to see him walking every morning along with a woman and a child (wife and daughter?) but haven't seen them in a while. Today, it was just him.

I also came across the Hat Lady. We call her that because she is always wearing a big hat. She is usually wearing a long, flowing dress as well but we don't call her the Dress Lady. Today, she was wearing shorts and I confirmed that she has legs. Two. She was walking her fluffy white dogs. The dogs were not wearing hats, nor dresses, and had four legs each. 

Last night, the airplanes were flying west to east which is the direction they usually fly in the winter. Today, they are flying east to west. I am relieved as summer hasn't even started yet.

I've avoided work for as long as I possibly can this morning. If I can avoid work for just a couple more minutes, it will be afternoon and I will have successfully eschewed work for half a day.

It's possible I'll get some work done this afternoon. It's equally possible I will take a nap.

Who talks like this?

"We will make investments to modernize our key technology platform to enable more innovation and reduce our IT run rate spend over time. Additionally, we will invest to improve cross-channel client experiences and enhance our marketing and advertising capabilities. We’ll improve the service quality and consistency in our offices. This work is in process and we’ve already started to make some changes, including our decision to consolidate 400 smaller company-run offices. This action will help optimize our footprint and enable us to more effectively manage our field operations, elevate our talent and deliver more consistent quality to our clients.”

 Whatever that means.

H&R Block plans to close 400 tax prep offices | Accounting Today

Recommended

Last night, we went to see Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill at Portland Center Stage. In a word: not to be missed. (I realize that's more than one word but, really, it's not to be missed.)

Deidrie Henry is amazing as Billie Holiday in her final concert. Henry's voice is beautiful and her acting believable as she takes us on a journey of Billie Holiday's life.

Portland Center Stage at the Armory is a small enough venue that any seat is a good seat. We happened to sit in the third row where I was enthralled by Henry and her supporting cast, Abdul Hamid Royal on piano, James H. Leary on bass, and Charles Neal on drums. Henry, who delivers 99.9% of the play's dialog is both funny and deeply poignant and her interpretation of Billie Holiday's music was evocative and full of emotion.

Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill runs through July 1st so if you're in the Portland area, get yourself a ticket. If you're not, you might consider making the trip. It's that good. (And maybe I'll take you out for dinner.)

I've been on buying spree lately. Clothes. I justify it as necessary upkeep. For example, I needed plain, white shirts. I needed to update.

Now, I need to clean out my closet and get rid of some old stuff which was a goal I set for 2018 anyway.

Or, I could just get new hangers, right?

When in doubt, nap.

My house is a mess and all I really want to do is clean it. But yesterday was a gloriously sunny day and I really couldn't justify staying indoors. The weather app on my phone indicated Sunday wouldn't be as nice so I figured whatever I had to do could wait one more day.

It was sunny again this morning and I was conflicted. Do I take advantage of the nice weather or do I stay home to do household chores?

The answer is neither.

A nap seemed the proper solution.

Lost in Translation

We don't have any travel plans for this weekend, an odd occurrence. I don't sit still for long. In May, I was somewhere else 15 days. Half the month.

This time, all I want to do is stay home, sleep, do some light chores around the house. Maybe do some cooking. Nest a little.

Last weekend, while passing through town, I dictated some of the things rattling around in my head - notes for future blog posts. It didn't translate well but I kind of like how it turned out so there:

To be not to be, present.

It’s easy to look up kids and say they are two plugged in. I was just at a family reunion when my grandson was denied his electronic toys. The first half day he was bored and so early. But the next day he found his niche niche truly beautiful thing. He played games with me playing games with his cousins he made up a venturous and he went exploring in the backyard. It’s child’s hoods should be.

But isn’t that true with us? Alone in a bar or a restaurant, are we more apt to open up app check our status, we are emails on our phones? Are we more likely to play a game I listen to a podcast rather than engaging neighbor?

The neighbor on the airplane was too fat to fit him in his chair. He was tattooed, peers,Can you wear a flannel shirt. He looks like a Brewer in the Pacific Northwest: conditioning to the affirmation and he were at had a full on facial hair.

On the flight home, we watched crazy stupid love. Sophomoric movie but we laughter asses off. My neighbor, on the other hand, watched murder on the Orient express. I couldn’t help but notice because we had watched it on the flight to Phoenix. As both our movies and then, I asked him how did you like it? He said he liked it but we both agree that the movie was slow but the acting was good he asked me have you read the book? I said I didn’t think I had. He said he thought the movie capture the book perfectly in that it was slow. But that’s Agatha Christie, he said.

Perceptions are only that.

Headline Starbucks stop selling coffee

I get emails from Starbucks every day. Maybe more than one. But they didn’t tell me it would be no longer selling French roast coffee beans in their stores. I found that out when I tried to buy some and they were sold out. It’s not that that hasn’t happened before, because it has. But they always we stock and I can always get my beans. Last time no French roast was to be found And the news was delivered that French roast was discontinued. Forever more. Systemwide.

I think I read they sold distribution lights for distribution in grocery stores or some other such thing. I need to look it up. But perhaps French roast will still be available in grocery stores.
No not everyone likes Starbucks and I know no one likes French roast but that’s what I’ve been drinking for the last 15 years. What am I to do? For Rhonda Justin and Italian roast, they offered.

I am concerned for the morning’s Brew. And so should you. Because have you met me? Have you met me before when first cuppa coffee, Justin, my neighbor? Have you ever seen me in a Grinch? That’s why am!

Since I drink Americano, methinks espresso roast is the way to go. I know my friends will encourage me to leave the books train find a local roasteri. They are right. I should. I should love my coffee like I like my beer, local.

OK, this is a challenge. I’m on a roll or I think I am. I’ve been meaning to write about the Port of Vancouver on the tour we took of it two weeks ago. It was amazing. Tour leader was knowledgeable to the point where I thought she had been there for 30 years. But when I looked at her file online, she had only been hired for years. She was engaging and had recent text now luggage stored in her head.

I was fascinating to learn major local commerce. Staggering, in fact. It’s worth a tour and if you can do it OK it’s free and be a give you a sandwich with chips. I can’t be beat. Why not?

I’m done but I’m sitting next to guy who looks a lot like Collin mockery from whose line is it anyway I think it’s really cool.

Girl with Jane Ormus gold aviator glasses. Unusually cool.

Starbucks to Stop Selling Coffee

I get emails from Starbucks on a near daily basis and not once did they mention they would discontinue selling French Roast coffee in their retail stores.

A barista told me this news as I was attempting to stock up on coffee beans. Sold out, he told me. Forever. Systemwide.

Yet, on one site, Starbucks describes their French Roast as something they are "particularly proud of."

" It takes an adventurous palate to appreciate this coffee’s blunt flavors. In fact, French Roast is one coffee that people seem to either love or hate. There is no in-between here. "

Believe me, I know not everyone likes French Roast or even Starbucks for that matter but I am hooked on the stuff. There are several local roasters I could choose from and I probably should. I like my beer local; I should spend the time to get my local roasters. The closest is only a mile away.

Apparently, the news has been out there for at least a month, according to the reviews on this page which also describes French Roast as "smoky and singular, the pure, explosive flavor of our darkest roast." Yet it comes as a shock to me. Like these reviewers, I have been buying French Roast for so long, I can't remember buying anything else. And, I drink a lot of coffee.

Perhaps it will still be available in grocery stores but, if so, Starbucks hasn't mentioned it to me.

Wakey, Wakey

I have an alarm clock that simulates a sunrise in the half hour before it's time to wake up and makes the sound of chirping birds at the appointed hour. This time of year, the sun and the birds outside my window get up before my alarm clock.

I like that the sun us up when I get out of bed but the birds? C'mon, I'm tryin' to sleep here.

It's more than confusing.

Shit Happens, Until It Doesn't

Last week, I finally had my colonoscopy. The day before, instead of spending my afternoon in the bathroom, I got constipation. Even after ingesting two 5mg tablets of Dulcolax and half the contents of a 238g bottle of MiraLAX, I had nothing. This was more than a little worrying.

Not to mention disappointing. I waited four months for this appointment and jumped through a few hoops to get it. When the time came to start the colon prep regimen, I was practically giddy. It's not something a person generally gets excited for but the big day was here and I wanted to get to it.

The diet posed no problem. I had green Jell-O and chicken broth and that seemed to satisfy me. Although white wine wasn't considered a clear liquid, black coffee was so I could have as much of that as I wanted. Still, no stool.

At 10 pm, I called the nurse. Constipation hardly seemed possible. The nurse conferred with the doctor. She came back on the line and said if something didn't start happening by 7 am the next morning, to call back.

At 2 am, something did start to happen but it still wasn't what I was expecting. (I've heard stories.) Apparently, it was enough because I had my colonoscopy at 11:15 as scheduled.

I wasn't nervous about the procedure but as I was lying on the gurney waiting my turn, hooked to an IV and monitors, staring into the fluorescent lights above, I couldn't help think of what a scary place a hospital can be. Even as the doctors and nurses did everything they could to make me feel comfortable, the hospital itself was cold and uncaring - just a facility for processing patients.

I remember when my mother-in-law had emergency colon surgery a little over a year ago and how scared she was. The last time she was in a hospital was when she gave birth to her youngest son, a little over 50 years ago. When they sedated her, she got a little (more) goofy and flirted with all the male nurses. She was a hoot but she was nervous as they wheeled her away.

If I flirted with the nurses, I don't remember and that's the story I'm sticking with.

The procedure was over before I knew it. Hubby tells me the doctor came to talk to me afterwards and let me know they removed two benign polyps. I don't remember any of that but I read the paperwork later and that's exactly what it said. I was sleepy and groggy for several hours afterwards but after a meal and a nap, I was pretty much feeling like myself again. No nausea.

Although the entire experience was better for me than for a lot of my friends, I'm neither anxious nor afraid to do it again. Because of the polyps, they said they wanted to see me again in five years but next time I won't give you the play-by-play. As a friend once said:

" You know you're old when you start talking about poop. "

-Richard Haislip 

Wherever you are, Richard, you were so right.

Un-freaking-believable!

IRS provides additional day to file and pay for taxpayers through Wednesday, April 18; IRS processing systems back online

OMG ~ I had no idea the e-file problem was ALL DAY! My job is to produce tax returns (or extensions). I don't file them. After I do a return, a CPA reviews my work and communicates with the client, and then a different person e-files it and delivers the final product (a paper or electronic copy) to the client.

I knew there was a problem yesterday morning but we have problems all year long. "Glitches" they're called. Most of the time, they don't last all day but sometimes they do. A lot of times, we can work around the problem until the problem is fixed.

You know how Santa and the elves work all year for one big day? We're kinda the same (only in reverse. We help the government come into your homes and take your money.) My point is, it's what I work all year for. I start getting ready in November, start getting busy in February, and forget about sleep sometime in late March. The summer months are slow but a lot of returns don't get filed until October so there's a mini-tax season from September until October 15th. Then, it starts all over again with the big crescendo on April 15th. (Or 16th, or 17th, or, now, the 18th!)

Yesterday, was some serious freaking glitch!

After work yesterday, someone told me tax season wasn’t really over. 

Yeah, yeah, I said. 

Two people actually mentioned it but it didn't sink in.

This morning, I read the IRS is giving everyone an extra day. NOOOOOOOO!

I actually made plans to do something ELSE today. Anything but tax returns. 

So, no, I am NOT going to work today. The IRS might be giving you an extra day but my office is closed. (Unless, lavish gifts.

Show time!

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