Bethlehem Public Library

Bethlehem Public Library values its responsibility to enhance the general welfare and quality of life in the community and region it serves. The library pursues excellence in its mission: to provide equal and uncensored access to resources and services that encourage lifelong learning, cultural enrichment, and professional growth.

http://www.bethlehempubliclibrary.org/

February 4, 2016 Night

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Good evening. Currently overcast and 37 degrees in Delmar. Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. Northwest wind around 7 mph.

Went down to the library and for my evening walk. Ended up reading about Mac OS Copeland and the history of Mac OS 7 and 8. Pretty nice evening, not too cold. A good 4 miles of walking is healthy after work. The warm winter means the sidewalks are pretty much been snow and ice free, making for better walking after work.

Started looking at Digital TV to HDMI adapters. I didn’t know they were a thing but they allow you to access over the air Digital TV signals over your HDMI computer monitor, and they’re only $30-40. One of my colleagues mentioned it at work. You do have to buy an antenna but for an urban area like where I live, a $20 antenna should work. I might need one other adapter to hook up the speakers. But then I could watch the 20 or so HDTV stations broadcast locally. HDTV offers a lot more channels then conventional over the air television. I’ve never had much interest in television, certainly not paid cable TV, but a one time purchase for the price of a tank of gas might be worthwhile for the few times there is something like the Democratic debate that I want to watch on TV.

My 23″ HDMI monitor I use for mapping would be excellent for watching TV. Bigger than most TVs a few years ago. I am still hesitate to bring TV into my apartment but if I could do it without adding a lot of new junk, and do it inexpensively with mostly existing technology I could spring for it. We will see. I previously looked at adapters for watching TV on my laptop but decided against it due to the complexity of setting up with my Linux based laptop. I don’t have a lot of free time available for watching TV, so I don’t know how worthwhile it would be. I’m also concerned about the impact of all that advertising and violence in my home. But PBS has such great documentaries and the PBS News Hour with Jim Laher. I know this is a radical change in perspective from last week. I’ll think about it more. Maybe, despite the low cost, TV is too evil to have at home.

Tonight we will have a Waining Crescent Moon with 22% illuminated. It will rise at 4:00 am. Tomorrow’s sunrise will be at 7:04 am with first light at 6:34 am, which is 2 minutes and 10 seconds earlier then today.

I hope you had a good day. Tomorrow is Friday. Sleep well!

Penna. the Abbreviation

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The official abbreviation for Pennsylvania prior to 1963 was Penna.
 
Unlike New York, which has always used N.Y., the use of Penna was common until the post office started requiring two letter abbreviations in the post office as part of the Zip Code plan. The AP Style book requires old-style abbreviations for some states (such as Wash. and Wis.), but not Pennsylvania — articles written per the AP Style book must use Pa. as an abbreviation for the state.
 
Pennsylvania still uses Penna in a few locations. The signs for the Pennsylvania Turnpike all say “Penna Turn Pike”, and lifeguards wear shirts that say “Penna Life Guard”. Generally Penna is still used in places where the Penna. is put in the Keystone. But not always. The modern logos of the Pennsylvania DCNR and Pennsylvania State Forests almost always write out Pennsylvania in small text in the top of the keystone.

January 30, 2016 Afternoon

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Good afternoon. Currently mostly sunny and 39 degrees in Delmar. Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. South wind 6 to 10 mph. Bit of a chilly breeze this evening but fairly mild.

Sunset will be at 5:06 pm with twilight at 5:36 pm which is one minute and 19 seconds later then yesterday. Tonight we will have a Waining Gibbous Moon with 53% illuminated. It will rise at 11:40 pm.

Sunday will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 47. South wind around 7 mph. Warmer but not as nice today. There have been too many cloudy days recently.

Recovering from last night today. I also spent a fair bit of time working on maps of various state lands and finishing my PyQGIS scripting project. Going out to Five Rivers to watch the sun clear on this nice but cold evening.

November 14, 2015 evening

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Good evening. As we enter the eight o’clock hour this evening, it’s around 40 degrees. Kind of cold and windy all day today. The clouds never broke as expected, although around 3:30 we saw some breaks of sun. I went down to the library for a bit and uploaded several maps, most of the political type.  I already went out for my evening walk but I might go out again for a second evening walk a little later, as I hate being cooped up, and because with enough layers the cold is manageable. I think the wind is dying down and temperatures rising a few degrees, which is helping.

Tonight’s sunset was around 4:33 PM, although it wasn’t much of a sunset with the clouds predominating. Right now it’s not very good for the stars, but it is expected to clear late. Tomorrow the sun will rise at 6:46 AM and it will be sunny and warm quickly. The latest forecast is calling for it to be around 57 degrees tomorrow with a light breeze. I might get out for a sunrise hike tomorrow. I really feel like climbing a mountain for some reason. If I do get up for sunrise, I will have to plan a full day, because I don’t want to get done at 10 AM and have nothing to do for the rest of the day.

I think I made the right call  not going up to the woods this weekend. Tomorrow might be pretty nice, but last night and all day today would have been pretty cold in the woods. For a weekend trip, I wasn’t really thrilled about setting up a tent with the Big Buddy heater, so I would have a “warm” place with to hide out from the cold. At home, there is a little more to stretch your arms, and it’s a bit better insulated. Not to mention, it doesn’t smell like wood smoke at home unlike when your sitting over a fire, trying to stay warm.

Still waiting for Tuesday to come around, for pay day. I’m just so darn broke for now, as always seems to happen in November in odd years. After all those summer trips, expenses just seem to add up and it takes time for my bank account to recover. Between putting money into savings and retirement from every paycheck, and the basic expenses like rent, food, and supplies, there really isn’t a lot left at the end of the month. Every two weeks I’ve been taking out enough from each paycheck to maximize my Roth IRA plus put a way a good chunk of money into savings, and seems by the time camping and traveling season comes to an end, things are tight on the money front.

Finally turned on the heat in my apartment. The cold season is upon us.  I make enough money that I turn up the heater don’t shiver when I’m home, but there is something about gas radiator heat and the even the upstairs baseboard electric heat that isn’t quite the same as having a woodstove. A fire is so nice and warm. Maybe I need to find a place with a wood stove like my neighbor has. Or maybe I just need to get out of the suburbs. I don’t know. Or get back into the woods, and camp in the lean-to.

October 29, 2015 morning

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Good morning. Happy Thursday. Not a half bad morning with temperatures around 59 degrees. Around noontime we may reach 67 degrees but then temperatures will drop. Already clearing  out with the fog burning off and blue skies above. Brief heavy to severe are possibility throughout the day but generally I expect a decent day today.

The weekend looks to be either cloudy or partly cloudy depending on the model you look at. This weekend I have no real plans, a lot depends on my work schedule. Next week if it’s not a washout I will try to do something fun.

September 23, 2015 morning

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Happy Autumn! 43 degrees and clear. As they say, It ain’t over till it’s over. It’s going to be more summer like than autumn with temperatures expected around 77 degrees. Partly sunny. The normal high for today is 70. Sunset at 6:50 PM for 12:10 of daylight.

And remember, If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else. RIP, Yogi Berra.

September 22, 2015 evening

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51 degrees and clear this evening. Half moon tonight, setting at 12:30. Getting down to 47. Tomorrow will be mostly sunny, 77 degrees. Not a half bad day for the first day autumn.

Today became a nice day for the last day of summer but the morning was so dreary. After a nice weekend it was tough going back to work. But at least the short cold I got on Sunday is mostly  over at this point. Hiked around the trails at Swift Wetland Preserve than hiked, then down to the library, and the evening walk around the superblock that makes up the school for a combined total of 5 miles. Felt good after my ankle sprain.