Author Archives: momdude

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About momdude

Space cadet | Family dude | Photographer | Music lover | Traveler | Science fiction fan | Hugo Award nominee | Writer | 5x NASA Social participant | KC Chiefs fan | LA Kings fan | Senior Director of Finance & Administration for ALS Network | Member & former staff Finance Officer at the Commemorative Air Force SoCal Wing | Hard core left-wing liberal | Looking for whatever other shenanigans I can get into
June 24, 2022 · 23:55

A Lousy Day To Be An American

Yesterday I wrote about “Thriving Amid Adversity” and said

“Yet we do have the ability within us to be like this flower, finding a way to get up when the world knocks us down. We can bring the tiniest bit of beauty and joy to the world, even if it sucks. We can still make it better.”

It was easy to say then, harder to do today.

There’s a fair amount of rage to deal with today. I’m functional, deadlines to keep, places to go, people to piss off, but it’s more autopilot than innovation.

“Be the flower,” I said.

Yeah, right now I might be something with thorns, at best, and I don’t mean a rose, or even a cactus. More like one of those invasive species with the pollen that’s incredibly toxic and the sap that blisters, burns, and blinds.

Tomorrow I’ll see what I can do about channeling that into something productive.

Tonight?

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Filed under Paul, Politics

June 23, 2022 · 23:36

Thriving Amid Adversity

There’s a drought, fourth year. We’ve got some significant watering restrictions outdoors. It’s been hot, pushing into the upper 90’s almost every day for weeks.

The lawn is turning brown. The dirt is hard packed.

Yet my little pal next to the driveway has found a way to thrive. (Assuming I can avoid running him over when I park.)

It’s hard out there for all of us. Politics. The economy. Inflation. Gas prices. COVID. Stress. Uncertainty.

Yet we do have the ability within us to be like this flower, finding a way to get up when the world knocks us down. We can bring the tiniest bit of beauty and joy to the world, even if it sucks. We can still make it better.

Even if you have to fake it. Function follows form.

Be the flower.

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Filed under Deep Thoughts, Flowers, Paul, Photography

June 22, 2022 · 22:53

Skyscapes – June 22nd

The “June monsoon” is here!

Yesterday afternoon I was watching posts from friends in New Mexico showing their clouds and rain, and last night it was friends in Arizona. Our weather forecast had about a 15% chance of thunderstorms, with scattered heavy showers as a wave of monsoonal moisture swept up from Mexico and Baja.

The local news reports had stories this morning of thunder, lightning, and some downpours in downtown LA, Hollywood, the Pasadena and Glendale areas, all about thirty miles to our east.

There were also flash flood warnings and a couple of small brush fires in Ventura County, about thirty miles to our west. We were in the middle and had — clouds. No rain. No thunder. No lightning. Just, clouds.

Very nice clouds, mind you! Oh, and enough humidity to choke an elephant, very unusual for SoCal.

So throughout the day I periodically went and took a zillion pictures of clouds. The neighbors were pointing and whispering. They no doubt think I’m certifiable, a solid 5150 candidate, standing out in the middle of the street taking pictures of…clouds.

Finally, while I thought we hadn’t gotten a drop, the dirt on the Volvo says otherwise. Due to the severe water restrictions (notice how brown our yard is starting to look in the photos above?) I haven’t washed it in a while. The spots and patterns in the dust tell of some big drops falling, but very, very few of them. It must have rained for about thirty seconds, tops.

Bad drought. Every little bit helps.

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Filed under Photography, Weather

June 21, 2022 · 23:47

Fine Feathered Friends – June 21st

A WHOLE NEW BIRD, OUT OF NOWHERE!!

I was just doing the O’Something-Fifty, “my watch just bitched at me” tour of the front yard and I saw something fly into the neighbors’ front yard tree.

The way that it was grabbing onto the side of the trunk and poking at it screamed “woodpecker!” That’s uncommon, but not super rare – we have Downy Woodpeckers around and have seen them here a couple of times a year.

But this didn’t look or act like a Downy, so I tried to get closer without spooking him. I didn’t have my DSLR with me, but the iPhone 13 (as previously noted many a time) is getting pretty fantastic on the camera front, and it’s almost always in my pocket.

This guy wasn’t spooked at all by my getting to within maybe twenty feet on the sidewalk, and I got some really great views.

He made sure I got a good view of the spots and markings on his back and sides.

Then he made sure I had a good view of his chest coloration and profile.

Finally he’s just showing off that red cap. A gorgeous speciman! But what is it?

(Image from Merlin Bird ID app from The Cornell Lab – HIGHLY recommended!)

I was correct, it’s not a Downy Woodpecker, although it’s close. (I was correct again!) It’s a Nuttall’s Woodpecker. The domain and range is correct, the description, the behavior… I think we have a winner!

For someone who spends so much time looking at birds, this was a great surprise and a wonderful find. I hope it sticks around for a while so I can get pictures with the big glass and camera!

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Filed under Birds, Photography

June 20, 2022 · 22:11

A Crow Pontificates On The State Of The World

Same, crow, same!

I wish I had the option of flying away when no one paid attention to me.

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Filed under Birds, Video

June 19, 2022 · 22:41

Skyscapes – June 19th

Looking for clouds?

Null return – clear and a million conditions observed.

Except for that one teeny, tiny, almost microscopic-looking glint of sunlight off of aluminum that’s Alaska Sky West flight #3474 from LAX to Fresno, passing by at 328 knots and 11,835 feet.

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Filed under Flying, Photography

June 18, 2022 · 23:43

Hidden Lizard

Yesterday’s lizard was out in the middle of the sidewalk, almost daring any hawks or other raptors in the area to take a shot at him. The other lizard I spotted at the same time was much better hidden.

See him? Between his natural camaflouge against the bark of the tree and the added visual confusion from the sunlight and shadows, I almost missed him. Viewing him at first from a little to the right of here, looking at him head on, he was nearly impossible to see.

But then he twitched his tail and turned his head just a tiny bit and that gave him away.

At first I thought it might be the same one as from yesterday’s post, but from under the tree I could still see it sitting there. Then I thought it might be StumpTail, but in the shadow behind him you can see that long tail.

Both yesterday’s lizard and this bad boy have the most wonderful turquoise spots down their back, patterened in the scales. Click on any of the images to blow them up to full size to see for yourself.

I didn’t get too close, maybe five or six feet, and this guy finally turned away from me, figuring that if he couldn’t see me, then I can’t see him. I quietly backed away.

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Filed under Critters, Photography

June 17, 2022 · 23:35

Sidewalk Lizard

This dude (I’m going to go with male pronouns because who knows?!) was sitting on where I normally see Dusk, but it’s definitely not him. This as-yet-unnamed dude is a bit longer, but much wider. In thinking about it, Dusk might be an alligator lizard, where this guy is a Western fence lizard all the way.

He’s guarding the trash cans – no one’s getting over there without a fight. No one’s stealing OUR trash!

He wasn’t spooked very much by my presence. Either I’m getting a lot better at being sneaky (unlikely) or he just didn’t care.

It was bright and hot out there. He was loving those photons!

Oops, he’s spotted me! By this time I was only maybe five feet away and that side stinkeye look says, “Stop!” So I did.

Tomorrow (or soon), a harder lizard to spot.

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Filed under Critters, Photography

June 16, 2022 · 23:42

No Context For You – June 16th

So, for last night’s post, were there zero likes because no one actually read it, or was it because folks read it and it didn’t make any damn sense?

What I truly love is waking up at about 02:30 with my brain going, “Knock, knock! You forgot the punchline!”

With that title referring to an old joke, I never mentioned which old joke. So, for the record after feeling good, having the computer issue, and then not feeling so good, the old joke in question was the one about discovering that the light at the end of the tunnel being an oncoming train.

I didn’t say it was a particularly good joke.

And once I powered down the system, let it sit for a few, and turning it back on, it powered up just fine. No worries.

Still not out of that tunnel, but maybe that actually is daylight. Stranger things have happened.

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Filed under Freakin' Idiots!, Paul, Photography

June 15, 2022 · 23:53

An Old Joke, But No Less True

Hey, what’s that feeling? Could it be … optimism? Satisfaction? Relief? Maybe even just a tiny touch of, dare I say it, happiness?

You met all of those deadlines today! Yeah, you! Sure, not everything on that to-do list from Hell got done, but that’s never going to happen. The important, critical stuff got done!

A couple of those things you have been working on for weeks! And maybe the whole project isn’t done, but at least those really big, hard, key components are done! The hard part might actually be behind you!

You might even get this upcoming three-day weekend off! Like, really REALLY off, not just that kinda sorta “I’ll just have to do a little work” off. It could happen!

Wait! What? I’m soooooooooooory! I didn’t mean it!

That wasn’t “happiness!” There’s no “satisfaction” or “relief” here! It was just gas!

I take it all back! Nooooooooooooooo!

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Filed under Computers, Paul