zl2tod

mastodonmigration, 22 hours ago (edited 22 hours ago) to random

So, over in the astronomy world there is some consternation about a tweet from eminent satellite tracker Jonathan McDowell.

Apparently "Starlink Precipitation" is now a thing. And yes, you got that right, Starlink precipitation is pieces of Elon Musk's fucking internet satellites raining down from space.

See also this post from @carlysagan: https://mastodon.social/@carlysagan/112448150797509408

w7voa, 2 days ago to random

(AP) — The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it is sending a new package of more than $1 billion in arms and ammunition to Israel, three congressional aides said Tuesday. https://apnews.com/article/ebe971ca8878ff430ce6458c04151585

billbennett, 5 days ago (edited 5 days ago) to random

I went outside a number of times last night but could see no sign of the lights in the sky from here in Auckland. Mind you, there’s a new block of town houses obscuring our view to the South. Perhaps I should have been a nimby after all.

zl2tod, 5 days ago to nz

Another timelapse of aurora from Kapiti, New Zealand starting at dusk this evening.
#aurora #Kapiti #NZ #SolarStorm #AuroraAustralis

A timelapse of Aurora Australis taken from Kapiti, New Zealand. 6.5mm f/3.5 APS-C sensor Start 5:52pm End 8:59pm New Zealand Standard Time (GMT+12) Looking a little west of south. As the sky darkens through a fish-eye lens the stars come out together with dancing orange and pink curtains. Clouds invade towards camera obscuring most of the aurora until shortly before then end a large orange glow erupts behind the clouds.

zl2tod, 5 days ago to nz

Timelapse of aurora from Kapiti, New Zealand this evening.
#aurora #Kapiti #nz #solarStorm #AuroraAustralis

A timelapse of Aurora Australis taken from Kapiti, New Zealand. 50mm f/1.4 Start 6:16pm End 7:58pm New Zealand Standard Time (GMT+12) Looking a little east of south. Pink, peach, orange dynamic field with transient bands and rays, a starfield rotating clockwise, slowly obscured by cloud. A house and trees are dark shadows in the foreground.

zl2tod, 7 days ago to random

Bloody hell.
I'm disappointed that this solar wind impact from a succession on Coronal Mass Ejections spat out by the Sun will happen in the middle of the day here in New Zealandso I won't see the aurora at it's peak.
On the other hand I'm pleased that the other side of the planet will wear it. Sorry you lot.
#CME #aurora

campuscodi, 11 days ago to random

Please never stream on Twitch if you have a bad mic.... literally half the audio on this site is just room noise

zl2tod, 12 days ago to Astronomy

Another timelapse of comet Pons Brooks setting behind Kapiti Island, New Zealand.
Taken over an hour and twenty minutes from 6:26pm NZST this evening 4May2024.
#comet #PonsBrooks #cometPonsBrooks #astronomy #satellites

A timelapse of comet Pons Brooks setting behind Kapiti Island, New Zealand. Taken over an hour and twenty minutes from 6:26pm NZST this evening. Countless satellites. Thanks Elon, you are a top man.

bananabob, 13 days ago to random

Somebody buzzing Kapiti with a BAC Strike master. Anyone know more?

jonny, 15 days ago to random

Circulating word is that #LAPD plans to disperse #UCLA Palestinian solidarity encampment at 6. A number of groups including faculty and campus unions are planning on rallying in defense. Meanwhile an administrator has entered the camp to negotiate

#StudentSpring #StudentProtests

mrcompletely, 17 days ago (edited 16 days ago) to random

Me as Captain Haddock for Halloween awhile back
#cameraroll

jeffgilchrist, 18 days ago to ontario

#Variant update for #Ontario, #Canada (to Apr. 17, 2024)

The JN.1.* +FLiRT variants now make up 20% of sequences and XDK.* which is recombinant of JN.1.1.1 and XBB.1.16.11 has made an appearance at 5%. Graph tools by @mike_honey_ 🧵 1/

Unrolled version available here ( https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1784651799699329149.html ).

Graph of top 7 COVID variant clans from PCR test genomic sequencing in Ontario, Canada. Visualization tool was created by @Mike_Honey_ ( https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNzE5YzczODItMDQzMS00M2EzLWFjNWYtMjg3OTY3NTNhZDM3IiwidCI6ImRjMWYwNGY1LWMxZTUtNDQyOS1hODEyLTU3OTNiZTQ1YmY5ZCIsImMiOjEwfQ%3D%3D

ColinTheMathmo, 29 days ago (edited 29 days ago) to random

Strange and random request from a friend of mine ... if there is anyone in Edinburgh who can help, please let me know!

And as always, if you're comfortable doing so, boosts for reach would be really welcome.

From Julia Collins ...

========

Edinburgh friends! I'm doing a presentation next week on a psychotherapist called Ronald Fairbairn who was born (and lived) in Edinburgh. His birthplace was 1 Cluny Gardens, Morningside. I wonder if any of you who are travelling that way might be able to get a photo of the house for me? The image on Google streetview is somewhat blurred.

Thanking you in advance!

*Bonus points if anyone can find his grave in Dean Cemetery.

** Bonus points and a bottle of wine to anyone who takes a photo of Fairbairn's grave with a pair of Calvin Klein branded clothing hanging off it with label clearly visible.

mrcompletely, 1 month ago to random

Okay a lot of us have had various "okay, the Fediverse has arrived" moments, and while I never thought it hadn't arrived (I like it here), asking for an upgrade to the song Set Your Chickens Free late on a Sunday and having it in a reply when I wake up Monday is absolutely 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

RickiTarr, 1 month ago to random

They always tell on themselves:

dangillmor, 1 month ago (edited 1 month ago) to random

The endlessly spinning wheel in Ubuntu software update has returned me to the command line, which no average user of a modern operating system should ever, ever have to use...

Update: To be clear (I apparently wasn't clear enough), I often use the command line. What I was trying to say is that "regular" (i.e. non-nerdy) folks should never have to do this.

ai6yr, 1 month ago to earthquake

M7.4 earthquake in Taiwan... Tsunami. #earthquake #tsunami

zl2tod, 1 month ago to random

THE POLAR VORTEX IS SPINNING BACKWARDS: Earlier this month, atmospheric scientists noticed something unusual in the Arctic stratosphere. The polar vortex was spinning backward.

"The vortex changed direction around March 4th," reports Dr. Amy Butler, author of NOAA's Polar Vortex Blog. "It was a substantial reversal, reaching -20.5 m/s a few days ago, which puts it in the top 6 strongest such events since 1979."

...

https://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=20&month=03&year=2024

AbandonedAmerica, 2 months ago to random

Lost in the depths of an abandoned power plant

See the rest: https://www.abandonedamerica.us/gould-street-power-station

mcc, 2 months ago to random

So I wanted to install a font on Linux and Google said the way to do that in Ubuntu Gnome is to double click the font and click "install". So I did that and it worked

Except

On the italic variant (just the plain italic; italic bold worked fine) if I click "install" it thinks for a moment and instead of reading "installed" it goes back to a plain "install" button like I hadn't done anything?? What's happening??

video/mp4

zl2tod, 2 months ago to random

Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy on #FacialRecognition in supermarkets:

"Something smells here. I can smell it. My bald mate can smell it. The Privacy Commissioner can smell it. To me, it smells like crap."

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/foodstuffs-use-of-facial-technology-a-red-flag-jon-duffy/NGBYKJJVYVEBNAGOWDZKEWIC7Y/

SteveBellovin, 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago) to random

Post content deleted because I was wrong, per https://mastodon.lawprofs.org/@SteveBellovin/111978392658829849

fastchicken, 2 months ago to random

ok, so: on a mac.

I have (lets say) 5 mp3/aacs I want to merge together, possibly change the speed (eg 105 or 110%) for one, with pitch shift, possibly add a loop of the track + the last 33% of the track (eg 2 verse+chorus, and I want to repeat the last V+C again)

What do I use?