Scarlet Pimpernel

My daughter is a junior in HS this year, and she's pretty well motivated too. Agree that it's definitely less than 100% of what they'd normally get in regular classes. She's even said that herself. I might go more with your 75%, from what I can tell in what she's doing, but that's just a guesstimate on my part. While there's a decent amount they can do "virtually", you certainly cannot get everything. Including a lot of 1-on-1 if needed, or collaborative type projects. I imagine tests and grading are more lax too, just due to the nature of being remote. I'm still waiting on if or how the AP exams will be given this year (that's a nationwide thing though).

Any way your son might possibly be able to see any of them perhaps sometime during the summer, if things are OK to do that by then? Or if he'll see any of them next year?

Thanks for the update @mappy. I am not surprised that the rest of this school year will remain virtual. At this point, the previous date of May 15 would only be ~4 weeks before the end of the year anyhow and I guess they've been doing OK with the distance stuff for the most part. Not perfect, but it seems to work at least for older students (just going by my own experience). Also, I'm sure trying to pack every school in the state with a ton of students would be a bridge too far in terms of "gradually" opening things back up. Hopefully by fall, maybe students will be able to return. I know my daughter in a lot of ways just misses having others around, socializing, etc. with them.

Ever stop by the main discussion threads during the winter? Snow becomes a proxy for politics! Just kidding! Seriously though, you're right...some of the stuff in the COVID thread has gotten even worse than the ugly commentary when winter events fail!

Man, I should camp out on your steps, so the next time someone drops booze off to you, I can grab-and-go!! Curb side service!! Joking, of course...well, maybe! But that looks quite tasty, now I want a margarita! And it is cool that someone dropped those other beers off to you before, too!

At your place, isn't that kind of like bringing coals to Newcastle??

Well...just make sure that you're not passed out ON the curb awaiting curbside pickup, wondering where the hell you're at or what you're doing there!

The most fun project of all!

Fixed your post for ya! Now get to work (on all that beer)!!

Yesterday was gorgeous out. Went for a walk at the Audubon nature center (not far from me) and took several photos. Here's a hawk that was circling for long enough to get a good shot: And an ever-elusive cardinal:

Not looking too bad in a modest heel, there!

After looking at this run a few times, I noticed the high-heel shoes!!

Couple of photos from the America Strong flyover by the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds. This was right near Walter Reed Medical Center. Taken at 300mm focal length, then cropped.

And hard to believe that many years ago the Panic Room was but a gleam in the eye-socket of the Reaper's skull!

I know, right??? I remember long ago in college, one would know what day of the week it was by the particular specials they had at this place across from the graduate housing I lived in at the time (called "The Pub"...so imaginative!). Usually had those Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun, and usually it was for crap beer. But hey, you're in college, so who cares right?! Not that I went every night, mind you. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

Very cute!!

Oh...... . . . ......my!

Gotta say, that...thing...you posted earlier had a @ravensrule joke written all over it!

Ahhh, thank you for taking our minds off that abomination posted earlier! And thankfully, no Vienna sausages or Spaghetti-os involved!!

I cannot wait to hear what she would have to say about that..."recipe"!! (Then hopefully post a photo of something really good!)

I just...no, not going there... There are no words!

You do understand what the SPREAD of ensemble forecasts shows, correct?

For a forecast issued on JANUARY F-ING FIRST...yeah, not too awful. Do you expect it to be perfect 15 days in advance? Then you should find a new field to study. And the MEAN curve, if you follow that, was not even in the COD on the 15th, though it was approaching it. Oh, and I count what looks like 2 members that actually go into the COD, and a couple that go to P6. Most of the rest kind of bounce and circle around P5, with some decreasing amplitude.

I know we're all more than a bit on edge because the indications turned very sour over the past few days for the medium range. But I have to say, this is kind of unfair to @psuhoffman. He did not "all but cancel winter" when some bad signs showed up. He stated very clearly that IF such-and-such occurred, we're about cooked (literally?). And what he said was absolutely true...if various things occur with the pattern, you can throw our snow chances out the window. Now we're seeing...very unfortunately...indications that this might occur in the medium range now, after a period of seeing much more favorable signs. It sucks, but that's what's being shown. It may not be right, it may change to looking good again. Or we could look good after that period. Who knows. I'm just keeping hope for one good period this winter, whether it's February or first part of March, to give us *something* more than a couple of slushy inches followed by rain. I've seen some God-awful winters in the time I've lived here, and some really good ones. I'd like to think we can avoid "God awful" without too much difficulty. That doesn't mean a HECS, but at least one decent storm. (And by God-awful, I mean an entire winter season with barely an advisory-level event a time or two, and low single-digit snow for the year).