2010.08.21 13:00 - Totally Eclipsed

The Guardian for this meeting was Bruce Mowbray. The comments are by Bruce Mowbray. This session began with Aphrodite, Sartre, and Bruce.  40 minutes later, Bruce (already having had major problems with the chat box) was knocked off-line by a passing storm - - but rejoined the session later, to find Qt and Arabella discussing archeology in Crete.

Aphrodite Macbain: Well hello Mr tomato man
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Aph! I thought you were off in the woods today.
Aphrodite Macbain: I am! But thanks to modern technology I'm here too!
Aphrodite Macbain: Sitting at a friends dinner table with my little laptop
Bruce Mowbray: Wow!
Sartre Placebo: hey everyone
Bruce Mowbray: Hello, Sartre!
Aphrodite Macbain: I really should be outside but I couldn't resist touching base
Bruce Mowbray: Are your friends familiar with Second Life?
Aphrodite Macbain: Yes, but they think I'm a little weird
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi, Sartre
Bruce Mowbray: Of course. . . mine too.
Bruce Mowbray: But then, they probably have cell phones and TV's and email -- so . . . what's so different about SL?
Aphrodite Macbain: They are busy looking at their computer though - at a video sent from their daughter
Bruce Mowbray: I see.
Aphrodite Macbain: They say they have no time to explore Second Life
Aphrodite Macbain: He's an artist and she's in a wheel chair
Bruce Mowbray: My friends say exactly the same thing. . ., but they seem to have plenty of time for movies and TV.
Aphrodite Macbain: She just turned 70
Bruce Mowbray: Well, she's only two years older than I am.
Bruce Mowbray: Sartre, thou art still a cloud - for me, anyway.
Aphrodite Macbain: yes. I think Joyce would be willing to play but her coordination is bad. She has a strange illness that only affects people born in the Portugese Azores
Bruce Mowbray: My goodness, that's too bad. I'm sorry.
Aphrodite Macbain: She would have a hard time texting
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Aph -- can you see Sartre?
Aphrodite Macbain: Yes - she used to be very fit- a master karate expert,
Aphrodite Macbain: No, I can't see Sartre either. I wonder if he has changed his appearance recently
Bruce Mowbray: that's really a shame, about your friend.
Bruce Mowbray: I saw him as Yaku a few hours ago -- at Pamala's Think tank.
Aphrodite Macbain: I had a hard time rezzing once I did a bunch of things to my appearance. As soon as I changed my outfit, I reappeared
Bruce Mowbray: btw - Yossel made a quick appearance there this morning.
Sartre Placebo: yeah, I saw that when I came back from the bbq
Aphrodite Macbain: Oh is that where everyone was? How was the Think Tank?
Aphrodite Macbain: Is Yossel OK?                
Sartre Placebo: interesting still I had dinner/bbq in the end
Bruce Mowbray: It was excellent today -- What did you think, Sartre?
Sartre Placebo: yes, I was a bit split by that time
Bruce Mowbray: Yossel is out of the hospital but still on the mend.
Bruce Mowbray: He expressed his appreciation for all our thoughts.
Sartre Placebo: but what I heard was good
Bruce Mowbray: It was an excellent discussion - almost 30 AV's in attendance.
Aphrodite Macbain: Good. I'm glad. What was the theme?
Bruce Mowbray: The theme was "connections" (of all sorts) in SL.
Bruce Mowbray: and the ‘price' we pay for them...
Aphrodite Macbain: that's a rich source of discussion
Bruce Mowbray: weighing the price and the benefits.
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, there was a lot of diverse input.
Aphrodite Macbain: what is the price of connection?
Bruce Mowbray: some of us gave notecards for Pam to read out loud.
Aphrodite Macbain: I see only benefits
Bruce Mowbray: What is the emotional price, and the price away from RL, and the price in terms of attention span, etc.
Aphrodite Macbain: I don't know how to create a note card yet
Bruce Mowbray: many different viewpoints.
Bruce Mowbray: I'd be happy to guide you through that process when we have time - if you wish.
Aphrodite Macbain: Wish I'd logged in but then I was connecting in real life - and walking Sophie
Bruce Mowbray: S o p h
Bruce Mowbray: I a m h a v i n g m a j o r p r o b l e m s w i t h t h e c h a t b o x . . .

--BELL–

Aphrodite Macbain: Thanks I'd appreciate that Bruce. I'll get back to you when I'm not sitting with other people. Hope the chat box works soon
Bruce Mowbray: I a m a p p a r e n t l y u n a b l e t o d o c h a t n o w . . .
Aphrodite Macbain: for you. Bye Sartre - hope everything resolves for you!
Sartre Placebo: bye aph
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi Zon. Bye all
Zon Quar: hi all
Sartre Placebo: hey zon
Sartre Placebo: another Think Tank suspect :)
Zon Quar: ?
Zon Quar: suspect ?
Sartre Placebo: ah, everyone here was at the Think Tank
Sartre Placebo: bruce, aph, you, me
Zon Quar: im not thinking anything..i cant be
Zon Quar: Yaku's alt
Zon Quar: hm
Zon Quar: so u r Yaku ?
Sartre Placebo: yes
Sartre Placebo: i am in a spanish class right now
Sartre Placebo: i just wanted to read a bit here
Zon Quar: lol
Zon Quar: doesn't that create a split personality syndrome?

[In an effort to re-set the chat box, I quit and came back.]

Sartre Placebo: *:::* WELCOME BACK *:::*
Sartre Placebo: bruce
Bruce Mowbray: Well. . . I don't know what all that was about, but at least the thing seems to be working now.
Zon Quar: nods
Bruce Mowbray: What did I miss? something about "split personalities"?
Zon Quar: sry, been called
Zon Quar: c u
Sartre Placebo: bye zon
Bruce Mowbray: OK -- BYe, Zon.
Sartre Placebo: ah, i mentioned to zon that i am in a spanish class and only wanted to read a bit here
Bruce Mowbray: OK. So you will leaving too?
Sartre Placebo: i am just sitting here

--BELL–

Bruce Mowbray: I've brought im my translator -- Let's see what it can do.
Bruce Mowbray: Apparently, nothing!
Bruce Mowbray: You are still a cloud, Sartre.
Bruce Mowbray: still.
Bruce Mowbray: Let's see if it's working now.
Bruce Mowbray: nope.
Bruce Mowbray thinks: How about trying German?
Bruce Mowbray: OK. Now it should translate from English to German.
Bruce Mowbray: nope.
Sartre Placebo: no
Bruce Mowbray: The thing doesn't seem to be working.
Bruce Mowbray: Do I have to WEAR it?
Sartre Placebo: i don´t know what kind of translator ur using
Bruce Mowbray: I am trying to use the Metanomics Translator -- and it's worked before.
Bruce Mowbray: but not now.
Bruce Mowbray: I have been reading in the Wikipedia about "phenomenology."
Sartre Placebo: did you also read anything about Husserl ?

- - - - 13:40 – Thunderstorm disconnects Bruce's satellite Internet - - -   [Whatever happened next floats in Data Limbo, still.]  When I reappeared over half an hour later.  Arabella and Qt were at the fountain, discussing archeology and solar eclipses.

arabella Ella: now guys, is Arabella visible to you - as i haven't rezzed for myself yet?
Qt Core: in best case you'll get a second session as he wasn't recording
arabella Ella: nods
Bruce Mowbray: When I got disconnected, Sartre was still here, but I guess he gave up and left.
Bruce Mowbray: You were talking about Knossos, Theseus, and the minotaur?
Qt Core: and probably the session ended as no goc was around
arabella Ella: yes and Leptis Magna too
Bruce Mowbray: yep!
arabella Ella: i love archaeology
arabella Ella: and they are places i would love to visit - so close yet so far
Qt Core: we started from my picasa album,: http://picasaweb.google.it/qt.core.sl , bruce

--BELL–

Qt Core: sometime i watch those pics and can't believe i went there
Bruce Mowbray: Lots of them from the Far East, QT.
Qt Core: been there last summer for the eclipse
Bruce Mowbray: Yes -- It said, "rainiest eclipse of the millennium!"
Qt Core: sadly yes :-(
Bruce Mowbray: Now I am seeing the photos from Knossos.
Bruce Mowbray: I read Mary Renault's "Bull from the Sea."
arabella Ella: is that about Knossos and the Minotaur Bruce?
Bruce Mowbray: Yes -- It's a modernized English language interpretation of the myth.
Bruce Mowbray: But I really enjoyed reading it.
Bruce Mowbray: Wasn't the king's daughter named Ariadne?
Qt Core: Oh, i've read the persian guy, but not the bull one
Qt Core: many many years ago
arabella Ella: not sure about Ariadne
Bruce Mowbray: mmmm.... I think it was Ariadne who helped Theseus - so he could find his way out of the labyrinth.
arabella Ella: did you see the labyrinth Qt?
Qt Core: yes, i know her as Arianna
arabella Ella: is it still there?
Bruce Mowbray: The reason I mention it is that in the movie Inception, the female lead's name is also Ariadne. .
Bruce Mowbray: and she, also, was important in "finding a way out."
arabella Ella: interesting.  makes one wonder whether it is deliberate or a coincidence
Qt Core: no, but the king palace itself was nicknamed the labyrinth as it was one of the biggest and most complex building of its age
Bruce Mowbray: it is surely a LARGE coincidence, if it is one.
Qt Core: can't be, too lucky
Bruce Mowbray: When were you there, QT?
Qt Core: in 2006... on a cruise for guess what a total eclipse in the Mediterranean sea
Bruce Mowbray: OK, I see.
Bruce Mowbray: How many total eclipses have you seen?
Qt Core: just those two and the 1999 that was almost total from home while washing the dishes
Bruce Mowbray: wow!
Qt Core: plan to go to Australia/New Zealand for the 2012 one
Bruce Mowbray: cool!
Qt Core: i take all my information about eclipses here: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse.html
Bruce Mowbray: wow. Thanks!
arabella Ella: cool
Qt Core: i even got to see the transit of Venus against the sun in 2004, the next will be in 2012 and then you'll have to wait a couple hundred years
Bruce Mowbray: I see your Aussie eclipse - November 25th.
Qt Core: not very spectacular (the Venus passage) but it make you feel lucky for being at the right place and time
Bruce Mowbray: no no! I have that wrong -- That's an Antarctican eclipse!
Qt Core: :-)
Qt Core: that would be nice and very cool too ;-)
arabella Ella: :)

--BELL–

Bruce Mowbray: COOL, indeed! Like, penguin-cool !
arabella Ella: free ice cream there Qt :)
Qt Core: a little tastyless but free ;-)
arabella Ella: you could always add strawberries
arabella Ella: or some limoncello
arabella Ella: or both
Qt Core: strawberries and lemon, a classic (and one of my favorite) but no alcohol please
arabella Ella: oh alcohol free limoncello then
Qt Core: then i would see two eclipses ;-)
arabella Ella: the Americans are great at creating alcohol free drinks
Bruce Mowbray: We are???
arabella Ella: you have alcohol free wine don't you?
Bruce Mowbray: Not that I know of -- We'd probably call that 'grape juice.'
Qt Core: and beer (it is starting not to be hated here too)
arabella Ella: yes and i think the non-alcoholic wine is sometimes called 'sprizer' or similar
Bruce Mowbray: I've heard of that.
Bruce Mowbray: Is there some special reason that you follow eclipses, Qt?
Qt Core: never saw that around here, probably you will end up dead if you just speak about alcohol free wine here in Italy (and maybe France too)
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Qt Core: beside that i love astronomy ?
arabella Ella: although you have something else in Italy Qt but it is excellent, what you call 'analcolico'?
Bruce Mowbray: yes. . . besides that you love astronomy. . .
arabella Ella: which is non-alcoholic
Qt Core: yes ara
arabella Ella: nice and bitter
Qt Core: but it does not try to simulate wine, it has a complete different taste
arabella Ella: it is similar at times to campari and soda to some extent
arabella Ella: or a drink mixed with tonic or soda
Qt Core: well, the first one was just an offer i could not refuse, a full one week cruise on a five star ship for less than 800 euros and some curiosity too
arabella Ella: wow amazing
Bruce Mowbray: sounds good!
Qt Core: and once you see one (as many said me) you got the virus ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: I understand.
arabella Ella: do you prefer solar or lunar ones, Qt - does it make a difference to you?
Qt Core: the one in far east... Japan is the only place in the world i really wanted (and still wanting) to go
arabella Ella: oh yes Japan is so fascinating!
arabella Ella: totally and completely different from Europe
Qt Core: and it was the longest eclipse of this millennium
Bruce Mowbray: 20 May 2012 -- Japan and China.
Qt Core: (so the joke on the album label)
arabella Ella: what is the joke i did not understand?
Qt Core: a few weeks ago there was one that was visible from Easter island... sadly too costly and too hard to solve some family logistics problems
arabella Ella: owwww
Qt Core: i didn't see it, it rained for most of the eclipse day :-(
arabella Ella: ouch yes i remember you having told us when you returned
Qt Core: saw some pic of the Easter Island one, just a word for that... incredible
arabella Ella: did you see St Lawrence's Tears this year Qt?
Qt Core: no, too much light pollution
arabella Ella: oh
arabella Ella: what a pity
Bruce Mowbray: Is that what you call the meteor shower?
Qt Core: about the difference between moon and sun eclipses... several, many order of magnitude
Qt Core: only the one on 12 August
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, the Persiod Shower.
arabella Ella: yes Bruce in some European countries many things are associated to saints and religion including winning wars etc
Bruce Mowbray: I went out into my fields to watch for the meteors -- and saw a few.
Bruce Mowbray: One year I saw 30 of them.
Qt Core: St Lawrence is the saint attached to the 12 August
Bruce Mowbray: I see -- fascinating, about the saints, especially in southern Europe, I suppose.
Qt Core: in almost all catholic country
arabella Ella: oh yes here we celebrate st lawrence on 11 august
arabella Ella: and st mary on 15 august is like our mid summer
arabella Ella: i'm afraid i must go now
Qt Core: same here, the peak of summer vacation
arabella Ella: lovely chatting with both of you
arabella Ella: bye for now
Qt Core: bye Ara

--BELL–

Bruce Mowbray: OK, ara. Thanks for being here today. Be well.
Bruce Mowbray: arabella is from Malta, if I am remembering right.
Qt Core: yes
Qt Core: on a moon eclipse you get to see the full moon becoming black, then red (sometimes very reddish sometime less reddish)
Bruce Mowbray: Oh yes, I have watched a few of them right here on the farm.
Bruce Mowbray: Very dramatic.
Bruce Mowbray: We've had a full lunar eclipse within the past two years here.
Qt Core: on a total solar eclipse you get to see night falling on you in minutes, then the sun going black
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, the solar eclipses are great -- I saw one in Maryland in (I think) 1994.
Qt Core: and if you can stop watching the sun during totality (it is not dangerous in those seconds) you can see a 360 degree sunset
Bruce Mowbray: It became dark -- and one could see little images of the eclipsed sun on the sidewalk. . . from the light coming between the leaves on the trees.
Bruce Mowbray: Wow. A 360 degree sunset. Phenomenal!
Qt Core: i pass to be a little cold, but i really had weak knees in those minutes
Bruce Mowbray: I can imagine so.
Qt Core: yes, watching it on a ship made it more clear and noticeable
Qt Core: as the horizon was free on all the 360 degree
Bruce Mowbray: So, you were way out in the middle of the Mediterranean?
Qt Core: between Cyprus and Crete
Bruce Mowbray: Great.
Bruce Mowbray: I was in your country in 1966 -- but, unfortunately, have not been able to return.
Qt Core: originally we should be in front of Libya but just the night before the ship captain saw that there would be bad weather there
Bruce Mowbray: yes...?
Qt Core: yes another cruise was there and they told us the were in the fog and hadn't saw anything
Bruce Mowbray: So turning away from Libya -- then still being able to follow the course of the eclipse....trying to out-run the weather.
Qt Core: the cruise was especially made for the eclipse, so being able to watch it was a priority for the Captain
Bruce Mowbray: absolutely!
Bruce Mowbray: So, which year is it that you'll be going to Australia?
Qt Core: but as there was no announcements when we awoke in the morning and we discovered we were hundreds of km from the designated observing point many were a little angry
Bruce Mowbray: Oh NO!   I would be angry too!
Bruce Mowbray: Have you ever thought of watching the eclipse from an airplane?
Bruce Mowbray: You could follow the direction it was moving -- and maybe be able to see it longer -- and also above the clouds.
Qt Core: someone do it, there were special Concorde flights when the Concorde was still flying to follow it and making it longer
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, the Concorde could also travel at the speed of the shadow....
Qt Core: you have to go really fast, ordinary planes don't give you so much advantage
Bruce Mowbray: supersonic.
Bruce Mowbray: yes, at least 1,000 miles per hour -- don't know what that would be in km/hr
Qt Core: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEanimate/SEanimate2001/SE2012Nov13T.GIF
Qt Core: the little dot is where you get the total eclipse, the shadow where it will be partial
Bruce Mowbray: WOW! Totally cool animation! Thanks!

--BELL–

Qt Core: so, probably another one on a cruise ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, it appears that one will be mostly over the ocean -- except for just a bit in northern Australia.
Qt Core: here the list for the 2011-2020 eclipses: http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEdecade/SEdecade2011.html
Qt Core: a lovely holiday planner page ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: I have bookmarked it for study later. Thanks.
Qt Core: i've met people that have seen more than ten and even more than twenty eclipses, real eclipse hunters
Bruce Mowbray: That is amazing!
Bruce Mowbray: So, it there usually one eclipse every year?
Qt Core: if i remember it right there should be a total one at least once every four years, but between totals, partials and anulars there are even more than one every year
Bruce Mowbray: I see. I think I'd better stick with lunar eclipses -- they are more frequent.
Qt Core: yes
Bruce Mowbray: It is dinner time here -- was there anything you specially wished to talk about, QT?
Qt Core: and simpler to observe too, no filters needed - no danger for the eyes
Bruce Mowbray: Yes -- and the lunars are also beautiful in their own way.
Qt Core: no, not really talked almost too much ;-)
Qt Core: yes, delicate one could say
Bruce Mowbray: ha ha.... I have enjoyed it, gathered some useful websites, and learned a few things about eclipses.
Bruce Mowbray: So thank you!
Qt Core: i have a question for you
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, go ahead... what is it?
Qt Core: do you know anything about the fishes 4 cushions on your right ?
Qt Core: ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: Ha! Well, they were here at this morning's session -- and I asked about them then.  No one seemed to know where they came from.
Bruce Mowbray: They interfered with someone's sitting on that cushion, I think.
Qt Core: I'm starting to worry about them, have someone feed them ?
Qt Core: ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: Blub and I will see to that.
Bruce Mowbray: But right now I have to feed myself.
Qt Core: ok, I'll let you go feed ... yourself then
Qt Core: ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: OK --- Thank you, Qt.
Qt Core: bye