Sunday’s Forum
Steven L. Taylor
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Sunday, April 7, 2024
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12 comments
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored
A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog).
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Not a good way to start a flight.
According to reports, winds shifted on rotation. This caused a tailwind as the plane was climbing.
The flight continued to its destination. Seeing as there was no issue with the plane itself, I can see why the crew would choose to continue.
@Kathy:
Whyever not? Once the plane is airborne and away from ground effect, it only sees airspeed (its speed relative to the air). The plane and its controls don’t see groundspeed, its speed relative to the ground, so it can climb exactly as effectively with a tailwind as a headwind..
Black-owned children’s bookstore in Raleigh moving after threats, owner says
I have commented on this subject before. My local newspaper has an AP feed article this morning about the upcoming eclipse and what major religions think an eclipse portends. When something happens, I often think about similar events that happened “recently.” Then I realize that I’m recalling something from 1987 which isn’t that recent for many people. In the case of eclipses, the last one was 2017. That’s recently for anyone eligible to vote. I can’t be the only person who recalls 2017; everybody on Earth doesn’t have Alzheimer’s, or do they? The last eclipse was an interesting astronomical phenomenon, and that’s all. Life went on. The Astros won the World Series with maybe the help of sign stealing. Despacito was the most popular song. Hillbilly Elegy was published. I broke my ankle. Anyone else remember 2017?
@Slugger: I remember in 2017 being on my deck with a piece of cardboard with a pinhole in it. Made a nice image of the lit crescent. Then being struck by the dapple of little crescents in the shadow of some tree leaves. I read that NASA has a schedule of eclipses through the year 3000. I wonder what that’s supposed to portend.
@Slugger:
It’s worse than that. There were two Solar eclipses in 2017. One annular and one total. Here’s a handy list.
Total eclipses occur every other year or so, only they take place elsewhere. Partial and annular eclipses take place more often.
People don’t just pay attention unless they happen over large populated areas.
Wow, it’s slow in here today.
We went out to Manassas for the Northern Virginia Thai Food and Culture Festival. Really crowded! But we had some tasty food (after waiting in a couple of long lines) and there was some neat entertainment, so all in all worth it.
Also, in today’s Washington Post, apparently Trump had a “secret plan” to end the Russia-Ukraine war. I am sure it will shock nobody here that the “plan” basically involved giving Putin what he wanted (gift link):
I’d recommend the entire article, which draws from multiple sources and details exactly how brain-dead Trump’s foreign policy views are (without saying so directly, but one can certainly infer it).
@Mikey:
Traitors gonna trait.
@Mikey: @DK:
But Trump’s approach HAS been reported for months now. He said he’d settle the dispute between Ukraine and Russia “in 24 hours” by “giv(ing) Russia what it wants.”
His words.
@Kathy:
That excuse is “not going to fly”. See the smoke in the distance? Going nearly straight up. Those were barely 3 knot whisps of wind.
That plane was going to China? Max fuel load, probably full of passengers and near max TO weight. A heck of lot of airliner flying is well below that, so my WAG is was the FOs turn to fly and it was a newbie who had never done a full gross TO, perhaps with years of experience as a FO, and had developed a habit of raising the nose that high on rotation.
@Slugger: I dunno, you kinda sound like some magical time traveler. 2017? I can’t remember what I had for lunch.
@gVOR10:
Hah! I took photos of that effect. I had just read a fantasy novel in which, at one point, “the shadows all had eyes.” It was the perfect illustration. Hoping to see it again tomorrow.