Another take on the Equinox- Sunrise at the South Pole

This is pretty cool. Ever thought about what the equinox means at the South Pole?

This comes from spaceweather.com:

SUNRISE AT THE SOUTH POLE: On Sept. 21st, Ethan Dicks looked out the window of his office and saw the sun for the first time in 6 months. He quickly grabbed his camera and snapped this picture of sunrise at the South Pole.

"I am a researcher for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, running IceCube, the large (1 km3 when completed) neutrino telescope that's under construction a mile below the ice near the South Pole," explains Dicks. "The past six months have been almost nothing but night; it's good to see the sun again."

He took the picture a full day before the Sept. 22nd equinox--the "official" date of sunrise. Geometrically, the sun should've been mostly below the horizon at the time, but refraction by the dense polar atmosphere lifted the image up for all to see.

"Polar regions are famous for mirages and early explorers sometimes wondered what was real and what illusion," notes atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley. "In Dicks' picture, several air layers of different temperature have distorted and sliced the sun. Its rays are bent as they pass between the layers to form multiple images, some inverted and some upright."

Dicks is a veteran observer of South Pole sunrises. "This is my third winter here," he says. Some sunrises are heralded weeks ahead of time by a diffuse glow on one side of the sky and the retreating shadow of Earth ("a dark blue band topped by a fringe of magenta") on the other. Eventually a sliver of sun appears, circling the horizon for days, growing in size, until finally the sun emerges in full. "When it's clear, the show is amazing. This year, we were mostly clouded out until Sept. 21st. I feel bad for folks on their first and maybe only winter-over; they missed the full sunrise."

When you're at the South Pole, though, even a fraction of sunrise can be a wonderous thing.

Monster Mash-Up Saturday 10/25

This looks awesome! I freakin' love Halloween. Who's in with me?

----------------------------
Saturday, October 25th.
2:00PM


If years of Halloween-themed TV specials and music videos have taught us anything, it’s that come late October, monsters and ghouls love to get together and dance. Thus, it is with pride, that Banditos Misteriosos announces our very own Monster Mash-up!


Consider this a Halloween Dance Party but with all your fellow dancers dressed as ghosts! But, to give this dance another dimension, we will be your choreographers. On October 17th, we will be releasing an instructional video, complete with dance moves and your very own mentor ghost.

Specifics
——–
Costumes:
Everyone should come dressed as a ghost, bedsheet style. No white sheets, though — that is *so* last Halloween. Be creative! (and remember the eye holes!)


Dance Moves:
The instructional video will be released on our website and will teach you the dance moves that we will be doing. The choreography does not necessarily correspond to the music, but will be based on various signals. (Don’t get it? Don’t worry! It’ll make sense when you watch the video.) Learn the moves for a follow-the-leader style dance!


Music:
On Friday, Oct. 24th, we will post on our website the song file for the event. Download it onto an mp3 player and bring it under your ghost costume. At the given signal, press play and follow the leader!


Location:
TBA along with the song file. Check back on October 24th!
——–


Be sure to tell your friends about the latest Banditos spook-tacular!


Get ready to Boo-gie!

*Again, check back on Friday, October 17th for our instructional dance video and on Friday, October 24th,

Life Transformation: 93% Complete

I put my notice in at the soul-sucking Princeton Review almost 5 weeks ago, and I'm wrapping it up this week. I was really starting to sweat... I didn't have another job lined up...

...until yesterday!

I was offered a position at The Boston Conservatory working in the Music Division!! Hooray! I'm very excited about this new opportunity. It's going to be the first job I've ever had where I'm not *selling something*. I've always had to *sell* something... coffee, science birthday parties, SAT courses. Now, I can just work for an institution that I believe in.

Beyond the new job, I have two AMAZING friends moving into the apartment in the immediate future. 39 Tower #1 was not the healthiest or friendliest place to be most of this year, but that is changing now. Welcome Sarah and Richard!! I can't wait to build our home together! Kameko and I have been on our own for the last few months, and now all I have to do is get used to not leaving the bathroom door open when I pee.

I've been a little elusive lately, too because James is finally here. His apartment is all set-up in the West End, and I've been trying to keep him occupied with all this time he has before he starts at Monitor next month.

Lastly, I quit smoking on April 15, 2008. I still have not had a single puff since then. :)

Do you want a queen boxspring?

James just moved to town and realized that he doesn't need his queen boxspring anymore. It's still wrapped up in plastic from the move, and it's almost brand new. He's selling it for $50.

He also has a nice table and a swivel chair he's looking to unload.

Hit me up!

I promise...

to wake up every day feeling fantastic.

to take responsibility for my own happiness.

to feel comfortable in my own skin.

to spend my time doing things that I like doing; that give me a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

to surround myself with people I love and adore.

to smile more.

to continue focusing on my health and well-being.

to be honest with myself.

to be honest with those around me.

to go to bed each night happy; knowing that I kept all the promises I've made.

Yup, time to get out of this soul-sucking job.

It's summer, I've got a cute boy moving here in a few weeks, I've got the house to myself, I've got wonderful friends around me... WHY AM I SO UNHAPPY????

Oh right. I'm trapped working for a company that has been slowly sucking my life force for the last 8 months. I need out, and I need out fast.

I need something fresh and new that uses my talents appropriately! I've got a TON of energy, but my talent and vigor is being wasted here.

Help me out by keeping your eyes and ears open! I'm officially looking for a new job!!

Home from Alaska

Yup, I'm home. What a trip!! I've posted a few pictures here on Tribe, but if you're interested in the full photo experience, please visit my galleries at picasaweb.google.com/kmgiorgio

I spent 5 days in Juneau with my some family on my mother's side. I've got two cousins there (17 and 20 years old) who I hadn't spent much time with since they became "grown-ups". My Aunt and I got to spend some great QT together, and I got to see my Uncle's houseboat in Douglas Harbor. Nice digs!

I flew up to Anchorage on the 17th, and met up with James (he came up from Charlottesville). We rented a car, and embarked on quite the roadtrip. We first drove down the Seward Highway to the Kenai Penisula. We took a boat cruise of Resurrection Bay and camped right by Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park. On the boat trip, we saw humpback whales, orcas, porpoises, sea lions, puffins, and lots and lots of birds. Over by the glacier, we saw a black bear in a tree! We then drove through the Chugach Mountains, along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, and then over the Alaska Range to Chena Hot Springs (near Fairbanks). The sun didn't set until 12:30am there!! It never got dark. We drove to Denali National Park on the 20th... that was a magical place! The park is the size of Massachusetts, and there is some serious wilderness out there. We saw grizzly bears (and two cubs!), moose, caribou, eagles, ground squirrels, hares, ptarmigans and more in the park! We were hiking up a hill with some very thick brush, and we came to a clearing where we met a moose! He was chomping away on some aspen and didn't seem to mind us being there!

It was also great to spend time with James. We didn't kill each other! It appears that I am officially "off the market". He'll be moving up here in July, and he and I both cannot wait to see each other again. We had a seriously magical time together.

I'm glad to be home on Tower Street. I got to see the aftermath of the fire at #37. When I landed in Seattle on my way out to Alaska, I received the news that the house next to mine (the house that my bedroom windows face) had a big fire. Thanks to my wonderful friends, Kameko was evacuated up to Chooch's house. I'm so thankful that our house was okay.

Enjoy the photos!

Roommates Needed on Tower Street!!!!

Oh hai! Guess what? Katy needs not one... but TWO new roommates! Wowzer!!!

Apparently, I smell. No, not really… CCC is moving out to LA, and Maggie is moving in with the BF but I’m staying put on Tower Street!

Each room is $525/month, Available either July 1st or August 1st! First/Last/Half Security would be required to secure your spot.

The location is fantastic! Tower Street in Jamaica Plain is beautiful and quiet. Within a very short walking distance is the Forest Hills T stop on the Orange Line, the Forest Hills Cemetery, Arnold Arboretum, convenience stores and cafes. There is on-street parking available with a free sticker from The City of Boston.

The apartment is located on the first floor of a three family house. There are hardwood floors in most of the apartment (except for the bathroom). In addition to rent, we pay for electric, gas and cable (we also have internet through Comcast and a wireless router for sexy WiFi access). Depending on the season, the amount paid in additional bills can vary, but in general are pretty much under control. We have coin-op laundry in the basement. The rooms themselves have two large windows each and lots of closet space. Both current occupants have queen-sized mattresses and additional furniture in the rooms. I also once had one of the rooms and found that it wasn’t cramped at all. The living room, bathroom and kitchen are quiet large as well!

One of the real selling points is our awesome neighbors!! We have quite the little community of wonderful people here on Tower Street. If you are ever interested in hanging out, watching movies, going for walks in the cemetery, there’s usually someone willing to join you at any given moment! The landlord is a cool guy and lives on the top floor and takes great care of the place. If something breaks, etc… you know it will be addressed immediately.

As for me… I’m 27 and a working professional who dawnlights as a barista and moonlights as a fun-lovin’ mischief-maker. I’m out of the house a lot during the week thanks to my two jobs, but when I’m home, I relax by hanging out, watching movies or going for a hike in the cemetery. I’m really stoked about welcoming new people into my home! The idea of having a completely new environment is really exciting to me! I suppose my ideal roommate would be fun, sociable, reliable, adventurous, mischievous, clean ‘n’ tidy (but maybe not militantly-so), artsy/crafty, and enjoys corny jokes over a glass of wine. Male? Female? Can’t say that I have a preference! I’m a recent ex-smoker, but you are more than welcome to enjoy a smoke on our front or back porch.

I also have a 7 year old calico cat who you’ll love. She is affectionate and talkative, but doesn’t scratch the furniture or pee/poop outside of the litter box (which resides in my closet so you don’t have to look at it). For the last couple of months she’s been living in a single-feline household for the very first time. She has always gotten along with other cats so if you’ve got one, we can talk.

Let me know if you’re interested in checking it out or if you have any additional questions!

By the way, your audition tape should be no longer than 4 minutes. Your tape must, of course, demonstrate your personality and your primary talent (no tap dancing or gross bodily abilities PLEASE!). Also, you must incorporate the following three items into your presentation: a tuna sandwich, a teddy bear and a used dryer sheet. YouTube links are preferred for the sake of simplicity.

I look forward to hearing from you!!!

Your pal,
Katy with a Y

Astrogeek Alert! Cool shit on the Sun...

MAGNETIC RAIN: There's a rainstorm underway on the sun's eastern limb. You'd better bring your asbestos umbrella, though, because the "droplets" are Texas-sized blobs of hot plasma.

"This is prominence finery at its best," says photographer Pete Lawrence of Selsey, UK. "Small bright points within the prominence that were seen on the capture screen have been recorded as blurs due to the rapid motion of material in just a few seconds!"

Prominences are clouds of hydrogen held above the surface of the sun by magnetic fields. While this particular cloud appears to be raining like a summer shower on Earth, the true situation is more complicated. Look carefully: Some of the plasma raindrops are falling "up." That's because the motions are controlled by not only gravity but also magnetism, a force of little importance in terrestrial rainstorms. The solar magnetic field is rooted below the sun's visible surface; roiling motions in the body of the sun itself cause magnetic fields high overhead to shift, wriggle, and "rain" in all directions. No wonder prominences are so much fun to watch.

Free lifetime supply of deodorant!!

We've had a MOUNTAIN of boxes of deodorant sitting in our office for over a year. I think it take up about 50 cubic feet of space! We're giving up some of our office space next month, and we realized that the deodorant just had to go.

Kinda jokingly, I posted a Craig's List ad (under the Free Stuff section) for a free lifetime supply of deodorant. I've had 18 inquiries (and counting) in the last 20 minutes!!

Here is the text and link:

It's true. I have a lifetime supply of deodorant that’s gotta go.

Are you smelly? Are you sweaty? Are you not smelly OR sweaty, but just never want to pay for deodorant ever again in your life time? Do you have a friend that could benefit by a little nudge in the right personal hygiene direction? Well, I can help you out. I did the math, and I've got enough deodorant here to last one person approximately 30-40 years (depending on frequency of use). There are about 40 cases of the individually-packaged deodorant. Each case contains dozens of travel size (.42 oz) Ban "Paradise Winds" invisible solid antiperspirant/deodorant. The packaging itself claims this is a "NEW Intensely Fresh formula" with "24-hours of unstoppable protection". The packaging also recommends underarm use only.

This treasure is ready for pick-up in Newton Centre NOW. You must take ALL of it. Please be informed that you will need a decent amount of trunk space to transport the deodorant. I do not recommend attempting to transport this cargo on the T.

boston.craigslist.org/gbs/zip...471.html