Nostr notes by Paul Knightly

10 years and still finding gems in Northwest Arkansas. Morning ...

2026-10-25T17:46:44Z

10 years and still finding gems in Northwest Arkansas. Morning bike ride out to Turnbuckle Farms in Bentonville.

very good book series, remember reading his "Science in the ...

2026-10-24T12:49:28Z

In reply to nevent1q…qxwm
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very good book series, remember reading his "Science in the Capital" series as it was being released. I guess my speculation is equal parts of wondering what the impact would be to anybody left as well as the impact to the broader ecosystem.

The important thing to remember is that despite humans thriving ...

2026-10-24T11:40:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…zwjz
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The important thing to remember is that despite humans thriving during interglacial periods, we are ultimately ice age animals, and most species and ecosystems on the planet today are based on longer-term ice age ecosystems.

Current temperatures may not have yet eclipsed the maximum of the past 10,000 years, but happens when they do?

What other long-term cycles will be disrupted if the natural onset of the next ice age is delayed, or it doesn't happen at all?

What does that sort of planetary disruption entail? There are the ...

2026-10-24T11:32:50Z

In reply to nevent1q…ffqs
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What does that sort of planetary disruption entail?

There are the short term impacts to humans and the environment as temperatures increase and sea levels rise. We will see areas currently habitable to people become inhabitable by the end of this century.

The Last Glacial Period spanned approximately 100,000 years. We can only hope that efforts to reduce carbon emissions succeed, but what does the impact of the success or failure of those efforts look like tens of thousands of years from now?

While ice age conditions are tough and humans have proven that ...

2026-10-24T11:28:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…juza
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While ice age conditions are tough and humans have proven that interglacial periods are our time to shine, delaying or canceling the next ice age isn't all sunshine and rainbows.

Lead study author Young says: “The pacing of ice ages over the last 2.5 million years has been one of the most consistent cycles in the Earth system that we have... We have evidence now that humans, and specifically greenhouse gases, have actually terminated one of the most consistent cycles on Earth.”

Perhaps most striking is that it provides details into what the ...

2026-10-24T11:27:49Z

In reply to nevent1q…kdy2
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Perhaps most striking is that it provides details into what the timing and advance of the early onset of an ice age could look like at a temporal resolution that isn't possible when we look back tens of thousands of years to the transition between other interglacial to glacial periods.

Of course, that entire process has now been halted due to human-caused carbon emissions. Absent carbon emissions, we would likely be continuing down a thousands-year track towards the onset of another ice age.

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/117495560912456492 The ...

2026-10-24T11:24:56Z

RE: https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica/117495560912456492

The slow advance into the planet's next ice age may have started about 2,000 years ago, culminating in the early 1800's during the Little Ice Age and, as new evidence suggests by looking at the Barnes Ice Cap in Canada, the nascent ice age entered full retreat around 1960.

This in itself isn't new - climate scientists in the 1960s and 70s were seeing long term temperature trends pointing to the potential onset of a new ice age. This study adds some additional context to the broader timeline.

In unrelated local aviation news - a United flight returned to ...

2026-10-23T19:27:53Z

In unrelated local aviation news - a United flight returned to XNA after experiencing an inflight emergency earlier this afternoon. The plane spent some time circling the area to burn off fuel before landing safely - it sounds like there was an unspecified issue with the landing gear.

https://www.nwahomepage.com/news/featured-stories/aircraft-emergency-near-xna-what-we-know/

There's an acrobatics plane manufacturer based out of ...

2026-10-23T19:24:43Z

There's an acrobatics plane manufacturer based out of Bentonville.

Since we live near the edge of the local practice area for pilots, we'll occasionally get planes doing acrobatics over our house.

It always sounds like a WWI dogfight, but pretty cool to watch.

search for "armadillo yard damage." Plus side, a quarter ...

2026-10-22T23:54:12Z

In reply to nevent1q…z0rk
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search for "armadillo yard damage." Plus side, a quarter of my yard was aerated for free. The down side is my yard and a few gardens are full of bowling ball-sized potholes.

in general, yes. But LG doing LG things, they were recently ...

2026-10-22T23:04:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…td9y
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in general, yes. But LG doing LG things, they were recently caught trying to force ads onto their computer monitors.

Considering car infotainment systems are also experimenting with ads, there's a potential future where every screen will be required by manufacturers to share real estate with their ad business.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/08/ads-and-tracking-infiltrated-tvs-now-theyre-coming-for-monitors/

it's all about balance. Most of our lawn is bermuda grass but ...

2026-10-22T22:52:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…6tek
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it's all about balance. Most of our lawn is bermuda grass but slowly allowing shaded areas to fill in with a hodge podge (technical term) of other grasses. Tried to get some fescue going but that got nuked between this year's heatwave, drought, and armadillos.

The other 2/3 of our lot is forest, and every flower bed prioritizes native plants. Refuse to treat the yard for weeds or bugs. Feel like we're doing well on the balance - there's definitely a middle ground.

ha, very likely not! Most landspouts rarely exceed EF-0 strength, ...

2026-10-22T13:35:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…ytn8
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ha, very likely not! Most landspouts rarely exceed EF-0 strength, dust devils as well. Although I've experienced dust devils doing work on pop up tents and lawn chairs, so I've learned to respect what damage they can cause lol

This is of course about privacy, but at its core is also consent. ...

2026-10-22T08:58:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…fg2x
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This is of course about privacy, but at its core is also consent. When there is no true opt out or alternative technology available, consumers have been stripped of their ability to consent to data collection. And that should concern us almost more than the act of data collection itself.

Lack of consent and consumer choice means that corporations have gained a significant foothold in their quest to treat data consumption as their God-given right, consumer rights or protections be damned.

This builds off the the LG TV expose last month that showed using ...

2026-10-22T08:46:39Z

In reply to nevent1q…mt75
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This builds off the the LG TV expose last month that showed using at least some LG TVs as dumb monitors by keeping them logged off the internet isnt an option for sidestepping tracking. The data is just stored in perpetuity until internet access is gained, including resorting to open networks if needed.

These are devices that are designed to collect data and track users. And unlike other IoT devices, there are scarce options available for those who want to opt out.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/09/lg-tv-shown-capable-of-tracking-user-activity-even-when-offline/

I post a lot about smart TV tracking, and in our house you'll ...

2026-10-22T08:36:51Z

I post a lot about smart TV tracking, and in our house you'll be prying our last generation dumb TVs out of our cold fingers.

But this has been a banner month for smart TV research.

Adding to the growing body of evidence that smart TV privacy settings are largely useless, several operating systems were caught relaying automated content recognition data after being told not to. This includes monitoring antenna and HDMI inputs.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026/10/does-opting-out-of-smart-tv-tracking-work-research-finds-suspicious-traffic/

On one of my frequent travels to Arizona for work, I witnessed ...

2026-10-21T12:45:26Z

In reply to nevent1q…mnpr
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On one of my frequent travels to Arizona for work, I witnessed what I suspect to this day was a brief, weak landspout tornado on October 30, 2019 north of Cameron and west of Tuba City.

Landspouts, unlike tornadoes, are caused by rotating updrafts beneath a developing thunderstorm where tornadoes are formed by rotating supercells.

#azwx

The strongest tornadoes were at higher elevations in the ...

2026-10-21T12:36:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…akqd
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The strongest tornadoes were at higher elevations in the mountains near Flagstaff, where the Bellemont West tornado flattened nearly 30 miles of ponderosa pine along a path that was up to 800 yards wide.

A second EF-3 struck just outside of Tuba City where it flattened towers along a high transmission electric line.

https://www.tornadotalk.com/arizona-tornado-outbreak-october-6-2010/

There is an enhanced (level 3/5) risk for severe weather across ...

2026-10-21T12:28:32Z

There is an enhanced (level 3/5) risk for severe weather across central Arizona today, including a risk for tornadoes spanning from Flagstaff down to Phoenix and Tucson.

While rare, tornadoes do occur in Arizona and October is the typical tornado season for the state.

The worst tornado outbreak in the state occurred from Oct 5-6, 2010 spawning 12 tornadoes with a maximum rating of EF-03. The resulting tornado and hail damage ended up costing $4.9 billion.

#azwx

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html

the lack of availability is a huge issue. We were car shopping ...

2026-10-20T15:34:23Z

In reply to nevent1q…wpk6
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the lack of availability is a huge issue. We were car shopping earlier this year and before settling on a Toyota Sienna, looked for any EVs sitting on dealer lots and the selection wasnt impressive.

The tech issue was front and center with non-EV options as well. Glad we at least got a hybrid, and its as bare bones as we could find. Part of why Im still driving a 2010 Kia Soul is the lack of an infotainment system and spyware. I'll drive it into the ground before replacing

Temperatures have finally started feeling like fall, almost a ...

2026-10-20T01:52:06Z

Temperatures have finally started feeling like fall, almost a month in. This is prime porch sitting weather in Arkansas. Enjoying a Rob Roy this evening and listening to the crickets and frogs.

We typically get a good month or so of this in the fall and again in the spring. Who knows how long it will last this year with El Nino already throwing a wrench into timing and coming off the heels of the hottest summer on record.

a tale as old as time. Everytime Ive cancelled, they've ...

2026-10-20T01:48:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…3guh
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a tale as old as time. Everytime Ive cancelled, they've always managed to pull some deal out of the hat. I'll see what they say when I go to cancel this time. They're going to be hard pressed to do better than the $3/month equivalent that Ive been currently enjoying lol. That only came about by waiting for them to send me an offer in the mail that was too good to turn down

RE: https://assortedflotsam.com/@technewsbot/117469861334261201 ...

2026-10-20T01:44:03Z

RE: https://assortedflotsam.com/@technewsbot/117469861334261201

FWIW, we (and others) haven't bought an EV yet because:

1. An EV that can get us from A to B in the US with a 300+ mile range is prohibitively expensive
2. Daily drivers that are affordable have too many trade offs
3. Most of them are like driving a spaceship to go to the grocery store. Why so much data collection?

That's changing with options like Slate currently becoming available. Hopefully we'll be getting one in the next year or so. Hand crank windows and no infotainment system FTW

quoting
note1lqd…lhm4

Everyone Is Buying Electric Cars—Except Americans https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/2026/10/americans-not-buying-electric-cars/689071/?utm_source=feed #news

Of course, as long as the onboard storage is sufficient or if ...

2026-10-16T10:26:20Z

In reply to nevent1q…vl62
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Of course, as long as the onboard storage is sufficient or if expandable storage options are available then this is a relatively minor issue.

Music management would be done on a computer anyways and most of the initial investment is spent setting up the file structure and building out the initial playlists, afterwards it becomes a maintenance activity to add new songs or create new playlists as inspiration strikes.

It's just not efficient, but the added friction may also be the point.

I bought a cheap MP3 player about 6 years ago that is ...

2026-10-16T10:15:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…ydh9
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I bought a cheap MP3 player about 6 years ago that is serviceable, but playlist management is the definition of tedium, and it seems like it would be that way with most standalone MP3 players.

The process involves bifurcating my library into the format needed for the MP3 player to sort by artist, genre, album, etc., and then creating a separate library/folder structure to build out playlists (so songs are conceivably saved in at least 2 but frequently several locations). Storage fills up fast.

I've started to zero in on HiFi Walker for standalone MP3 ...

2026-10-16T10:11:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…f7lz
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I've started to zero in on HiFi Walker for standalone MP3 players.

They have a solid lineup, but one of things that I've had trouble zeroing in on is a true MP3 player (not a smartphone equivalent) that has playlist functionality at the level supported by iPods and MP3 players 20 years ago... I know, it's been that long.

https://hifiwalker.com/products/h2

Ive posted previously about prioritizing owning physical media ...

2026-10-16T09:59:46Z

In reply to nevent1q…tsm8
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Ive posted previously about prioritizing owning physical media and ensuring ownership of digital files versus licensing.

One thing that I'll be focusing on this winter and into the new year following the cancellation of our satellite radio subscription is getting a better handle on my music collection and making it more portable between different hosting devices - primarily getting a fully functioning MP3 player up and running that I can use as an alternative to just my phone.

One of the best deals I've ever scored was prepaying for 5 ...

2026-10-16T09:53:47Z

One of the best deals I've ever scored was prepaying for 5 years of satellite radio at the equivalent of like $3/month. That 5 year period will end in December, and Im not willing to pay the normal rate of about $25/month to keep my current coverage. I can move to a lower tier, but I'll probably cancel for a while as we try to limit monthly subscriptions.

Randomly stumbled on this new TV series that takes place at P ...

2026-10-07T02:15:24Z

Randomly stumbled on this new TV series that takes place at P Allen Smith's Moss Mountain Farm in Arkansas. First episode was about heirloom tomatoes and poetry. I've entered into my P Allen Smith era.

https://www.pbs.org/show/p-allen-smiths-a-sense-of-place/

Took I-42 and the new airport connector to XNA today. Almost ...

2026-09-14T00:56:30Z

In reply to nevent1q…weu8
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Took I-42 and the new airport connector to XNA today. Almost feels like Northwest Arkansas is a real metro area now that it's possible to drive to the airport and not get stuck behind a tractor on a 2 lane road.

Also took advantage of the guest pass system today. Very smooth and pleasant experience. I dont normally travel for work at convenient times for the family to tag along and wait with me before boarding, but the kids enjoyed their time and making use of the Amazeum's play area.

Today has, well, been a day. I finally switched my laptop over ...

2026-09-14T00:44:47Z

Today has, well, been a day.

I finally switched my laptop over from Ubuntu to Mint. Fought off a carpenter ant infestation that was hitting a bit too close to home in a tree next to the house. And then boarded a very delayed (3+ hours) flight and then sprinted across DFW to make my connection. Still managed to get a 7-Eleven pizza a boarded mostly on time.

Now enjoying some monsoon views while flying west into the sunset.

While infrastructure improvements throughout Northwest Arkansas ...

2026-09-10T13:19:35Z

In reply to nevent1q…fmxd
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While infrastructure improvements throughout Northwest Arkansas have been severely lagging behind growth (such as improved water supply lines, better mass transit, and a badly needed secondary north-south highway west of I-49) the airport has been a bright spot.

I fly out of XNA every month or so and it's consistently the best airport experience of the airports I fly through frequently. I'm sure that'll change as the region grows, but I've been impressed with how they've kept pace with growth.

Summary of recent news for XNA - Northwest Arkansas National ...

2026-09-10T13:15:32Z

Summary of recent news for XNA - Northwest Arkansas National Airport.

- The airport surpassed Little Rock in enplanements in 2025
- The airport will be starting construction on an expansion to the terminal that will add 7 gates to meet growing demand and accommodate larger aircraft
- The new airport connector road and Interstate 42 (Springdale Bypass) opened to traffic last week
- XNA has been nominated as a contender for USA Today's best small airport in the country

https://www.axios.com/local/nw-arkansas/2026/09/09/xna-plans-expansion-concourse-gates

Sunrise over a Missouri corn field this morning with the ...

2026-09-07T11:56:24Z

Sunrise over a Missouri corn field this morning with the slightest hint of cool air.

Of smart TVs, I often hear the argument that if its never ...

2026-09-07T10:17:31Z

Of smart TVs, I often hear the argument that if its never connected to the internet, you can maintain privacy. Except there is growing evidence about how the data is stored while the device is offline, that it will search for nearby WiFi networks, and connect to open networks if able.

Now LG TVs have been caught logging audio recordings even when the TVs appear to be off or in standby mode. Smart TVs are a poblem as long as they are plugged in.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/LG-smart-TVs-caught-logging-audio-with-screen-off-and-snooping-on-local-devices.1391214.0.html

#SilentSunday The Milky Way over the San Rafael Swell, Utah. May ...

2026-09-06T15:26:30Z

#SilentSunday

The Milky Way over the San Rafael Swell, Utah.

May 2019.

Just got home from a week-long vacation and the firefly ...

2026-06-30T03:36:18Z

In reply to nevent1q…5k2k
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Just got home from a week-long vacation and the firefly population in our backyard has exploded!

Dozens of Big Dippers right around sunset, followed by near equal numbers of Heebie Jeebies after dark. May have seen a few Big Scaries as well. Yes, those are all informal names for different species.

Could very well be that the full moon is drawing them out, but I’m here for it y’all. This is the best that I’ve seen them at this house. Got several photos too that I’ll work on when I have time.

Sorry to be reposting this thread - I forgot that I recently ...

2026-06-19T14:17:44Z

In reply to nevent1q…2xcj
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Sorry to be reposting this thread - I forgot that I recently locked down my account, but this is one that I want to be publicly visible and able to be freely shared and boosted.

This has turned into an unexpected seasonal passion, maybe bordering on obsession over the past couple of months. I'll be sharing more on my journey to encourage fireflies and other critters to setup shop in our backyard.

The Great Arkansas Firefly Hunt is also a good resource for ...

2026-06-19T14:14:52Z

In reply to nevent1q…x8xp
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The Great Arkansas Firefly Hunt is also a good resource for identifying common species in Arkansas. They have one of the best firefly identification guides that I've seen to date, and would likely still be relevant for adjacent states.

https://www.arkansasfireflyhunt.com/

Firefly Conservation and Research has a nice website with several ...

2026-06-19T14:14:00Z

In reply to nevent1q…t0nh
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Firefly Conservation and Research has a nice website with several resources on fireflies including tips on encouraging them to visit and thrive in your yard.

https://www.firefly.org/

You can find more details about the firefly sanctuary at the link ...

2026-06-19T14:13:33Z

In reply to nevent1q…t565
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You can find more details about the firefly sanctuary at the link below. I'll share a few additional links on how to build out your own firefly habitat.

https://peelcompton.org/coler-mountain-bike-preserve/firefly-sanctuary/

I also went on a short backpacking trip this past weekend and saw ...

2026-06-19T14:13:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…mxlu
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I also went on a short backpacking trip this past weekend and saw some of the same types of fireflies (that I can now do a better job of identifying in hindsight), but at a lower density.

It's not an exaggeration that there were 100s of fireflies visible from the center viewing area of the sanctuary, and its a testament to what thoughtful design and intentionally preserving insect habitats can yield.

In addition to fireflies were other bugs at a higher density than I've seen elsewhere locally.

Visited our local firefly sanctuary last night and it was ...

2026-06-19T14:12:27Z

Visited our local firefly sanctuary last night and it was magical! I'll try to setup for some long exposure photography next time, but it was a great experience.

There are at least 30 different species of firefly in Arkansas, and at least 11 have been identified in the sanctuary. The ones we normally see after dark in our neighborhood are Big Dipper fireflies, and they're more tolerant of artificial light. The species I saw last night can only thrive where artificial light is limited or absent.

There are other similar events that have happened over the past ...

2026-04-16T13:41:19Z

In reply to nevent1q…s3zp
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There are other similar events that have happened over the past year, and I've noted a sharp drop in forecast quality and accuracy where I need it the most to perform my job duties.

The culprit here appears to be rooted in balloon launches that have been shifted, delayed, or eliminated, reducing input data that supports numerical weather models and provides critical observational data for meteorologists to review. It's a key broken chain in a system that was once the envy of the world.

I hadn't had time to follow up on this. We used to be able to ...

2026-04-16T13:38:32Z

I hadn't had time to follow up on this. We used to be able to say that if a tornado hit without warning, it was a pretty good chance that you just weren't paying attention.

But a localized tornado outbreak south of the Kansas City metro on Monday evening was not captured in severe weather outlooks issued earlier in the day. And while the NWS ultimately issued a tornado watch once they realized what was happening, it happened suddenly enough to catch people by surprise.

https://www.nbcnews.com/weather/tornadoes/tornadoes-kansas-concerns-changes-national-weather-service-rcna331826

I'll share some before and after photos soon. Not quite at ...

2026-04-08T12:27:02Z

In reply to nevent1q…wwfk
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I'll share some before and after photos soon. Not quite at the after stage yet, but I'm excited about the progress so far and looking forward to the final 'product'.

Typical for the region, our yard is on a slope with a high clay ...

2026-04-08T12:24:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…qkmf
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Typical for the region, our yard is on a slope with a high clay and rock content that isn't favorable for vegetation growth, which means a persistent risk of washout occurring if left untended.

Currently replacing a large swath of shaded portions of the yard with a shade and heat tolerant fescue and preparing to shore up some areas along the foundation with native shade-loving plants. Lessons from past years is that if new veg isn't established by late May, the entire summer is a struggle.

Working at a somewhat feverish pace getting new additions to the ...

2026-04-08T12:20:23Z

Working at a somewhat feverish pace getting new additions to the garden and yard established over the coming weeks in anticipation of a likely warmer and drier pattern that will persist throughout the summer due to El Nino.

Arkansas is already entrenched in statewide drought conditions so I'm trying to take advantage of 'cooler' temps and current precipitation pattern.

I felt motivated this morning to revisit my photo catalog from ...

2025-08-02T11:16:22Z

I felt motivated this morning to revisit my photo catalog from Iceland, including re-touching some edits that were lost to an older computer years ago. This is my new spin on an old photo of Kirkjufelfoss from 2019.

#Iceland #Photography #LandscapePhotography

"Corn sweat" is real, and something I was first ...

2025-07-21T20:04:39Z

"Corn sweat" is real, and something I was first introduced to about 11 years ago. I had just moved back home to Kansas City after spending a year working in Phoenix. A few of my first jobs including collecting soil and groundwater samples in corn fields in east Missouri along the Mississippi River.

Not only was I not fully re-acclimated to working in the heat + humidity, but it was some of the worst kind of humidity possible under the prevailing conditions.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/humidity-from-corn-sweat-intensifies-extreme-heat-wave-in-midwest-u-s/

Haven't posted photos in a while because I'm woefully ...

2025-06-21T13:18:27Z

Haven't posted photos in a while because I'm woefully behind on editing anything new.

Case and point here - these are from a local northern lights outing along the Oklahoma/Missouri state line from October 10 of last year.

In keeping with my local sightings in the four state area, I tried to see the lights from as many states as possible, so I also have some pics from Missouri and Arkansas as well, although less vibrant due to light pollution.

#NorthernLights

The work around had been to just download the album all at once ...

2025-04-11T13:36:57Z

In reply to nevent1q…uklr
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The work around had been to just download the album all at once rather than buying a song at a time, but that trick didn't work today when I downloaded a new album and it split off into two "separate" album entries that I'll now need to correct from my laptop at some point.

This may not be intentional, but it's a bug that exists ...

2025-04-11T13:35:05Z

In reply to nevent1q…gzzt
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This may not be intentional, but it's a bug that exists regardless of where songs are downloaded from, originating from both the desktop app and iOS app.

The fact that it spans multiple applications points to, at best, neglect by Apple to correct software issues or at worst, that they are allowing issues in iTunes to persist to push people into subscribing to Apple Music.

I stopped using the native Music app and started using Cesium about 2 years ago to avoid the pushy subscription ads.

Latest example of enshittification. Something I've noticed ...

2025-04-11T13:30:11Z

Latest example of enshittification.

Something I've noticed for the past year or so is that when I purchase multiple songs from an album, or an entire album, from iTunes, the album will get split into multiple album entries in my music library.

Rooting around it seems to result from slight formatting changes to how the album is named, which results in separate entries being created. The only workaround is to sync the library to a laptop and manually change the album names in the file directory.

And I do know that my photos, as well as those of other ...

2025-04-02T19:12:51Z

In reply to nevent1q…gnmd
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And I do know that my photos, as well as those of other photographers, have been ingested by generative AI training datasets because of this poignant example from DALL-E several years ago. The prompt was "supercell over Kansas" and the resulting image attempted to replicate photographer watermarks along the bottom of the image. My photo of a similar scene on the right provided as an example. It's shameless, and still theft.

Adding to this list, items that I purchased yesterday (January ...

2025-02-02T04:47:24Z

In reply to nevent1q…lx3v
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Adding to this list, items that I purchased yesterday (January 31, 2025) in anticipation of the imposition of tariffs today.

Avocado (each): $0.96
Bettergoods Pot Pie (family size): $8.94

The Bettergoods pot pie is a new Walmart brand item and one of the few foods both kids will eat right now, and prominently labeled as "Produced in Canada."

Gas and other foods unchanged from Jan 20, however I did find a dozen eggs for $3.50 at one of our closest Trader Joe's in Kansas City on Tuesday.

For no particular reason. Prices on January 20, 2025 (NW AR/SW ...

2025-01-20T12:22:38Z

For no particular reason.

Prices on January 20, 2025 (NW AR/SW MO)

- 12 eggs: $4.17
- 1 lb ground beef: $4.63
- Gallon whole milk: $4.23
- Gallon gas: $2.67

Whelp. A firefighting aircraft struck a civilian drone, punching ...

2025-01-10T10:57:07Z

Whelp. A firefighting aircraft struck a civilian drone, punching a hole in the wing and grounding the craft.

The law and penalties are clear - do not fly drones in the vicinity of wildfire fighting operations. Hopefully the drone pilot is found and faces the full penalties under the law.

Unfortunately bound to happen and some point, and I've seen way too many drone images and video coming out of areas with active fires this week. Time to make examples.

https://abc7.com/post/los-angeles-fires-super-scooper-firefighting-aircraft-hit-drone-flying-palisades-fire-faa-investigating/15785774/

This is a really good interactive article on how North America is ...

2025-01-09T20:16:05Z

This is a really good interactive article on how North America is a "fire continent" and that wildfire behavior prior to European colonization was very different than it is today due to changes in land management practices.

It's a blessing and a curse in that many regions have experienced a relatively quiet century or so of limited fire activity. But the absence of fire combined with climate change means these regions will see more fire over the decades to come.

https://apps.npr.org/us-wildfires-impact-environment-climate-change/

I can confirm that I started seeing these posts cropping up in my ...

2025-01-07T00:42:31Z

I can confirm that I started seeing these posts cropping up in my Instagram feed around the September time frame that Meta reports as rolling out the feature. I tried to "show less" of the posts, but that only increased the frequency that they were showing up in my feed. I promptly and without second thought deleted my alt accounts and deactivated my primary account in late October. Probably deleting that one soon too.

https://www.404media.co/instagram-begins-randomly-showing-users-ai-generated-images-of-themselves/

Some of my favorite views captured within a 30 minute drive of ...

2024-12-28T15:08:15Z

In reply to nevent1q…xf9t
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Some of my favorite views captured within a 30 minute drive of Jasper. I spent a week here in 2021 on a writing retreat to make progress on my dissertation. I took some time most days there to be in nature, whether that was a short drive to the Buffalo River or to nearby overlooks.

#Arkansas #NorthwestArkansas #Ozarks #Photography

In a world of bad news, some potential good news. Murder hornets ...

2024-12-18T21:44:55Z

In a world of bad news, some potential good news. Murder hornets eradicated from the U.S. (Washington state).

https://abcnews.go.com/US/murder-hornet-declared-eradicated-united-states/story?id=116916451

This was the second sprayer I bought on Amazon and while it ...

2024-12-17T17:46:21Z

In reply to nevent1q…8jqz
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This was the second sprayer I bought on Amazon and while it wasn't perfect, it did get the job done. The first one, advertised as an olive oil sprayer, couldn't actually move oil through the spray nozzle (too viscous). So it was probably luck of the draw that I found one that worked at all, minus the leak issue.

But that's been my track record with the majority of Amazon purchases in recent years - just barely good enough, if I'm lucky. And at this point there are few alternatives for shopping.

Had an olive oil sprayer that was purchased on Amazon a couple of ...

2024-12-17T17:43:40Z

Had an olive oil sprayer that was purchased on Amazon a couple of years ago tip over and leak it's entire contents into the pantry - ruined everything not in a plastic or metal container.

There really aren't any ready replacements available that aren't above Amazon's poor quality standards. At this point I'm not buying anything that's cross-listed to Amazon. It's a sure sign of poorly made products. So I'm open to olive oil sprayer suggestions.

Ironing out details for our trip to Europe next month. About a ...

2024-11-11T21:42:48Z

Ironing out details for our trip to Europe next month. About a week in the UK (London and Oxford) for a work meeting, followed by a few days in Paris, and then Amsterdam.

Specifically looking for food recommendations in those cities from my European followers. I have a short list pulled together from looking at online guides, but I know those are only part of the story.

The rest of the trip will be hitting the expected major attractions. But we're big on food and drink tourism wherever we go!

Reasons why I (usually) never leave anything of value in hotel ...

2024-11-07T23:58:20Z

Reasons why I (usually) never leave anything of value in hotel rooms.

Came back to my hotel room early today to take a couple of afternoon calls and found work crews throughout the hotel replacing door locks/handles. No notification was provided to me or other patrons. "Do not disturb" signs were ignored.

Most room doors were wide open, including occupied rooms (like mine). My personal laptop that I left to lighten my backpack load was on full display to anyone standing the hallway.

Confirmed tornado in far northeast Oklahoma working its way ...

2024-11-04T21:39:45Z

Confirmed tornado in far northeast Oklahoma working its way towards NW Arkansas over the next hour. KNWA is live with local coverage.

#arwx #okwx

https://www.nwahomepage.com/weather/livestream/

Never ceases to amaze me how much of consumerism is driven by the ...

2024-10-14T14:38:45Z

Never ceases to amaze me how much of consumerism is driven by the inability to track down replacement parts to keep otherwise functioning items working.

Latest example is our camping stove, which apparently got damaged when we moved last year and is missing the knob to adjust propane flow. OEM parts used to be available, but have been discontinued. I confirmed with some testing that it otherwise works, but isn't safe to do so without a dedicated knob. So now we will end up buying a new unit.

Ugh. I spent half of the day messaging a coworker I thought lives ...

2024-10-09T21:31:21Z

Ugh. I spent half of the day messaging a coworker I thought lives in Jacksonville before realizing just now, eye wall bearing down, that they're in Tampa. Please ya'll, for any job but especially white collar jobs, let your coworkers know. An email saying "Hey, the world is literally falling apart around me, I can't get this file to you today" is completely acceptable. Please stay safe out there.

Apple going on the record to say that a photo is "something ...

2024-09-20T09:20:10Z

Apple going on the record to say that a photo is "something that really, actually happened" is a stark contrast from statements from other companies, including Samsung and Google, who have said things like "there is no such thing as a real picture".

While Apple isn't immune to doublespeak, it's a big deal for them to say that "2+2=4" while their competitors try to argue that "2+2=whatever you want it to be".

There has to be consensus on what constitutes reality.

https://petapixel.com/2024/09/19/if-you-care-about-photography-apples-approach-should-have-you-cheering/

Had a very fortunate opportunity today to join a guided tour to ...

2024-08-14T23:33:17Z

Had a very fortunate opportunity today to join a guided tour to the bottom of Meteor Crater in Arizona. This is a bucket list stop for a lot of planetary geologists but due to the steep slopes and harsh environment the area is typically closed.

The tour was provided in conjunction with a few planetary science meetings that are happening in Flagstaff. Its been great talking about terrestrial analogs for planetary exploration over the past few days, and putting some principles to practice today!

forever and always calling this area Potato Alley from now on.

2024-08-13T20:28:47Z

In reply to nevent1q…yzud
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forever and always calling this area Potato Alley from now on.

One of the bigger perks to not living near an airport is I can ...

2024-08-07T18:56:17Z

One of the bigger perks to not living near an airport is I can finally use my drone to avoid going up on our roof for basic inspections.

Like today I just needed a better visual of the eave/peak to scope out for installing a TV antenna later this month. Easy 3 minute flight to get the photos I needed and didn't need to scale the roof on a hot summer day. Winning.

You've probably heard that the U.S. highway system was ...

2024-08-06T16:25:05Z

You've probably heard that the U.S. highway system was designed with stretches suitable for landing aircraft.

A stretch of highway in northeast Arkansas was closed for several hours this weekend so that Arkansas National Guard pilots could practice landing their C-130s on a straight stretch of highway.

I'm sure this has happened more frequently, but this is only the second time that I'm personally aware of. Very cool.

https://youtu.be/s3hL4Z4h8yE?feature=shared

Finding out that Gov. Tim Walz is enough of a geography nerd that ...

2024-08-06T14:00:44Z

Finding out that Gov. Tim Walz is enough of a geography nerd that he gave a keynote address to the Esri User Conference two weeks ago just sent my approval of him into the stratosphere. Watching this right now but man, I'm excited for this ticket.

https://youtu.be/Ni8BrT0-6gM

this is true. My only 'success' in licensing photos was ...

2024-07-31T15:23:38Z

In reply to nevent1q…rrel
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this is true. My only 'success' in licensing photos was through sending ABC a bill plus added recovery fees when they scooped photos off Twitter without asking. Base rate for each photo was a comparable range - if they had just asked nicely first!

I tried a similar approach a while back and was also met with ...

2024-07-31T15:16:58Z

In reply to nevent1q…99ew
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I tried a similar approach a while back and was also met with crickets. It sucks because I know the local outlets don't have the budget and would benefit for the sake of supporting issuing warnings or emergency coverage, but the major networks do (or rather could have the budget if they adjusted their model). I think most photographers aren't expecting to get rich, but why should CNN get ad revenue when I went to the effort to get the photo? At least help put a few gallons in the tank.

My interactions with major media outlets over the past decade is ...

2024-07-31T15:02:32Z

In reply to nevent1q…97e8
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My interactions with major media outlets over the past decade is that most news organizations treat still images as a birthright that they should have unfettered access to at next to no cost, if any at all. I've definitely encountered that with written assignments that were expected to be done on a volunteer basis.

It's part of why I've stepped back from sharing images and stopped attempting to license storm chasing content. It's a theft-based business model that few photographers can win.

This is disappointing but mirrors a broader trend throughout ...

2024-07-31T15:00:12Z

This is disappointing but mirrors a broader trend throughout media that all but strips photographers of their rights to license content that they independently capture, either through agreements such as this, or by outright refusing to license still imagery period. I can only imagine that the ULA agreement may partially have come from media pressure, but no proof.

https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/07/ula-to-amateur-launch-photographers-work-for-me-but-not-for-thee/