The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread V

[Ex-Ascot]

Morning folks. Internet probs again this morning they are coming out AGAIN. Living so far out of town this is costing them. We are right on the edge of their range. They are sending the boss technician. This is them: https://www.ngami.net.bw/

Cracking weather again which means mammoth watering. 20 bats today. Haven't seen hippos for over a week. No idea where they are.

[ExSp33db1rd]

.........Though grandchildren invited us out to Pizza Express this evening.

Did you meet ex- HRH Prince Andrew there ? If you did make a note in your diary, might be useful in a few years time.

WTF ??? had to post this three times before it registered, then it posted all three, and I couldn't make the Delete Post option work, either. Curiouser and curiouser, said Alice. Apologies, probably my fault somehow ? ( it usually is ! )

[Boac]

There is only one post here.

[Ex-Ascot]

Internet folk here for an hour now and can't find the problem. It has momentarily crashed on them though so that they accept there is a problem.

[Pontius Navigator]

Video from Scott Manley, runs 8:13

Volcanic Eruption May Be Biggest Ever Seen From Space

In the last 24 hours we've seen a huge explosive volcanic eruption from the Tongan island of Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai - the blast is so large it's easily visible from multiple satellites in geostationary orbit, tens of thousands of miles up. The blast sent a soundwave around the world which is still being measured and the resulting tsunami caused flooding around the pacific ocean.

BBC news last night relegated its report after tennis and visa, BBC funding, right toward the end. Any updates?

[tango15]

Morning, all. Frosty and clear this morning. We are both coughing less. Wonder how many are off ill from non-covid influenza? No statistics available on that, of course. (Cynical laugh).

The word 'flu' seems to have disappeared from the language. No-one mentions it any more.
Question: If you do a lateral flow test or a PCR test, and you've got 'flu, does it show up as positive? In other words, can the test distinguish between the two\?

[CharlieOneSix]

Another cold blue sky day. Went for my fourth Covid jab (a booster) earlier in the Town Hall. Very busy compared with last time with about 20 of us with appointments standing in a queue. Off to the Vet soon. Dexter Dog provided two just out of limits urine tests last week so it’s a blood test today to investigate further.

[OFSO]

#3806: no, it appears LFTs only detect Covid, and that with a questionable success rate. There are a large number of people where I live with a respiratory infection that tests negative for Covid so the general attitude is "wait for it to go away".

[tango15]

#3806: no, it appears LFTs only detect Covid, and that with a questionable success rate. There are a large number of people where I live with a respiratory infection that tests negative for Covid so the general attitude is "wait for it to go away".

Thanks - well it makes sense to me at least!

[PHXPhlyer]

Morning folks. Internet probs again this morning they are coming out AGAIN. Living so far out of town this is costing them. We are right on the edge of their range. They are sending the boss technician. This is them: https://www.ngami.net.bw/

Cracking weather again which means mammoth watering. 20 bats today. Haven't seen hippos for over a week. No idea where they are.

Which plan and node are you on?

PP

[PHXPhlyer]

Morning, all. Frosty and clear this morning. We are both coughing less. Wonder how many are off ill from non-covid influenza? No statistics available on that, of course. (Cynical laugh).

The word 'flu' seems to have disappeared from the language. No-one mentions it any more.
Question: If you do a lateral flow test or a PCR test, and you've got 'flu, does it show up as positive? In other words, can the test distinguish between the two\?

What is Flurona? More cases pop up of people catching flu and COVID-19 at the same time
Doctors say while the chance of catching both viruses are somewhat minimal at the moment, a test has been developed to check for both flu and COVID. FOX 10's Stephanie Bennett reports.
https://www.fox10phoenix.com/video/1024050
https://www.12news.com/search?q=Flurona

PP

[PHXPhlyer]

A massive volcanic eruption and tsunami hit Tonga and the Pacific. Here's what we know

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/17/asia/ton ... index.html

(CNN)An underwater volcano near Tonga has erupted for the third time in four days, potentially threatening the ability of surveillance flights to assess the damage to the Pacific island nation following Saturday's massive eruption and tsunami.

Australia's meteorological service said a "large eruption" took place at the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano on Monday, but no tsunami warnings have been issued.
Saturday's eruption was likely the biggest recorded anywhere on the planet in more than 30 years, according to experts. Dramatic images from space captured the eruption in real time, as a huge plume of ash, gas and steam was spewed up to 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) into the atmosphere -- and tsunami waves were sent crashing across the Pacific

On social media, footage showed people fleeing as waves inundated Tonga's capital, Nuku'alofa, and the afternoon sky turned pitch black due to the heavy ash cloud. Tsunami waves were also recorded thousands of miles away along the United States' West Coast, in Peru, New Zealand and Japan. In Peru, at least two people died after being swept up by high waves.
No mass casualties have yet been reported, but aid organizations are concerned about contaminated air and access to clean water for people in Tonga's outlying islands.
With communications down, Australia and New Zealand sent flights to survey the damage.
Here's what we know about the eruption and fallout.
Where is Tonga's Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano?
Tonga is a Polynesian country of more than 170 South Pacific islands and home to about 100,000 people. It's a remote archipelago that lies about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of Fiji and 2,380 kilometers (1,500 miles) from New Zealand.
The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano, about 30 kilometers (20 miles) southeast of Tonga's Fonuafo'ou island, sits underwater between two small islands at about 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) high from the sea floor, with about 100 meters (328 feet) visible above sea level.
Isla Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai
Tongatapu Island

Researchers said it has erupted regularly over the past few decades.
In 2009, an eruption sent plumes of steam and ash into the air and formed new land above the water, and an eruption in January 2015 created a new island about 2 kilometers wide -- effectively joining up Hunga-Tonga and Hunga-Ha'apai islands.
The most recent eruption began in December 2021, with gas, steam, and ash plumes rising about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) into the air. The volcano erupted again on January 14 and a massive eruption on January 15 sent shockwaves around the world and triggered tsunami waves across the Pacific.
Where did the tsunami hit?
The eruption caused a tsunami on Tonga's largest island, Tongatapu, with waves recorded at 1.2 meters (about 4 feet) near Nuku'alofa city flowing onto coastal roads and flooding properties on Saturday.
Tsunami warnings went into effect across Pacific Island nations including Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu. Footage from the ground in Fiji shows people fleeing to higher ground in the capital, Suva, as large waves hit the coast.

Tsunami warnings and advisories were also issued from parts of New Zealand, Japan and Peru, to the United States and Canada's British Columbia.
In Japan, the northeastern prefecture of Iwate saw waves as high as 2.7 meters (9 feet) and multiple smaller tsunamis were reported in numerous other locations, according to public broadcaster NHK. By Sunday afternoon, all tsunami advisories had been lifted in Japan.
The eruption also sent waves to the US West Coast, with some exceeding 3 and 4 feet in height, according to the National Weather Service office in San Diego. Tsunami waves were felt in California, Alaska and Hawaii.
What is happening with the ash cloud?
A giant volcanic ash cloud blanketed Tonga over the weekend, turning the afternoon sky dark and coating Nuku'alofa in a thick foam of volcanic dust on Saturday.
Save the Children said drinking water supplies could be contaminated by the ash and smoke and the immediate concern in Tonga is for air and water safety.
The ash cloud was drifting westwards and was visible over Fiji, Vanuatu and New Caledonia on Sunday. By Monday it had reached Australia's Queensland, according to the state's meteorological service.
"If you noticed a particularly stunning sunrise, it was the sunlight being scattered by #Volcanic ash from the eruption over in #Tonga," Queensland's Bureau of Meteorology said on Twitter.
The ash prevented an Australian reconnaissance flight from departing to assess the damage in the early hours of January 17, though the flight did take off later that morning.

Several flights from Australia, New Zealand and Fiji to Tonga were postponed due to the ash cloud.
Early data suggests the volcanic eruption was the biggest since the 1991 blast at Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, New Zealand-based volcanologist Shane Cronin told Radio New Zealand.
"This is an eruption best witnessed from space," Cronin said, according to Reuters.
"The large and explosive lateral spread of the eruption suggests that it was probably the biggest one since about the 1991 eruption of Pinatubo," Cronin said.
What is the scale of devastation?
There have been no reports so far of mass casualties in Tonga and the extent of the damage remains unknown as communications -- particularly on the outlying islands -- have not yet been reestablished.
Tonga "needs immediate assistance to provide its citizens with fresh drinking water and food," the country's Speaker of the House Lord Fakafanua said in a statement posted to social media.
He said "many areas" had been affected by "substantial volcanic ashfall" but "the full extent of the harm to lives and property is currently unknown."
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on January 16 that tsunami waves had a "significant impact" on Nuku'alofa, with boats and large boulders washed ashore. "Shops along the coast have been damaged and a significant cleanup will be needed," she said.
The main undersea communications cable has also been impacted, likely due to loss of power.
Australia's Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Zed Seselja, said there was "significant property damage" in Tonga, including to roads and houses. He said there is still "very limited, if any" information coming from the outer islands.
New Zealand's High Commission in Nuku'alofa echoed this, saying in a statement Monday that "significant" damage has been reported along the western coast of Tongatapu.
A family-owned beach resort located on Tongatapu also said the business had been destroyed. "It's with sadness to say that our beautiful home Ha'atafu beach resort has been completely wiped out. The whole western coastline has been completely destroyed along with Kanukupolu village," the Ha'atafu Beach Resort posted on Facebook on Monday.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said its teams are on the ground and have enough supplies in the country to support 1,200 households.

"From what little updates we have, the scale of the devastation could be immense, especially for outer lying islands," said Katie Greenwood, IFRC's Pacific Head of Delegation, according to Reuters.
New Zealand's Defense Force dispatched an Orion aircraft for Tonga on a surveillance mission to assess the damage. Ardern said the country has committed an initial $340,000 in relief supplies, technical support, and supporting local responses.
Australia said it is preparing for additional support, with a plane loaded with humanitarian supplies such as water and sanitation kits, ready to deliver to Tonga once conditions allow.
China and the self-ruled island of Taiwan said in separate statements they are willing to provide assistance at Tonga's request.

PP

[Ex-Ascot]

Morning folks. Internet probs again this morning they are coming out AGAIN. Living so far out of town this is costing them. We are right on the edge of their range. They are sending the boss technician. This is them: https://www.ngami.net.bw/

Cracking weather again which means mammoth watering. 20 bats today. Haven't seen hippos for over a week. No idea where they are.

Which plan and node are you on?

PP

We are on the 3mb plan but usually get 5 when it is working. Don't know what you mean about node. Anyway down again this afternoon they plan to come tomorrow and replace everything.

[PHXPhlyer]

Node - The nearest mast to you.

PP

[1DC]

Wall to wall blue on the Humber,10C and you can see for miles. Not a breath of wind and the wind farm people will be making a fortune out of the "no wind" money!
Been to our favourite butcher to stock up on meat and my tinnitus is irritating me like mad. That is as exciting as it has got today.

[Ex-Ascot]

Node - The nearest mast to you.

PP

OK, about 5 kms.

Hippo outside the front and we have thunder.

[PHXPhlyer]

Tonga volcano eruption likely not large enough to affect global climate, experts say

https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/17/world/vo ... index.html

(CNN)Though massive volcanoes have the potential to affect global temperatures and weather, the eruption near Tonga on Saturday was likely not large enough to impact global climate, experts tell CNN.

The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai eruption on Saturday was enormous; likely the largest in 30 years, according to experts. It injected a huge cloud of ash and sulfur dioxide, or SO2, high into the atmosphere, more than 30 kilometers (around 19 miles) above sea level, according to data from NASA satellites.

At that height, above the influence of the jet stream in a layer of atmosphere known as the stratosphere, aerosols can remain for years. Importantly, when SO2 reaches the stratosphere, it reacts with water and creates a hazy layer of gas that prevents sunlight from reaching the Earth's surface and can lead to cooler temperatures.
But scientists have also estimated from satellite data the total SO2 mass from the Saturday eruption was 0.4 teragrams -- 400 million kilograms -- of SO2, which is well below what scientists say could significantly alter global climate.
For instance, the Mount Pinatubo eruption in 1991 released 15 to 20 teragrams of SO2 high into the atmosphere, resulting in a 0.6 degree Celsius (1 degree Fahrenheit) drop in global temperature over the next 15 months, according to NASA.
Erik Klemetti, associate professor of Geosciences at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, said the sulfur dioxide spewed into the atmosphere by the Hunga Tonga eruption was "well below the usual threshold for anything that's going to have any significant impact on climate in general."

Klemetti's assessment was echoed by other scientists on Twitter.
"If the volcano decides that it's going to do a number of explosions, and keeps on adding, that'll change things," Klemetti told CNN. "But right now, it seems like it was a short enough event that didn't have enough sulfur in it to likely cause much of a climate impact."
Klemetti noted the Tonga eruption might have a regional impact on temperature, though scientists are still unsure of how significant it could be. Klemetti noted it ultimately depends on how much of the SO2 made it into the stratosphere.
Klemetti also emphasized it is not the ash which affects global temperature and weather. He said most people assume volcanic ash is what's reflecting sunlight and affecting global temperature, but unlike aerosols, ash doesn't linger in the atmosphere for very long. Instead, there needs to be a significant amount of sulfur dioxide.
An ash particle is an "actual physical shard of glass," he said. "They're tiny, but they have enough mass that they'll fall out of the atmosphere fairly quickly."

PP

[Rwy in Sight]

A woman driver turning illegally almost drove over me.

I collected the company Xmass/New Year gift. Some nice stuff there sun-dried tomatoes and caper.

Otherwise a boring day - and I am thankful for that

[ExSp33db1rd]

boac - 3803. There is only one post here.

Agreed now, but when I left the site all three were there. I had edited the text to indicate a problem but couldn’t remove the first two posts. The situation had arisen because I had edited the original post but it appeared as a new post when I submitted the edited text, no idea what was happening and presumably the first two were eventually removed ?

[admin]

There is only one post here.

Admin/Alison cleaned it up. It's what I do when you're not looking.