BrianW

They just sent a few test satellites up that use lasers for communications. It's actually superior to any ground based fiber optics. The single biggest draw of laser interlinks is arguably the major reduction in connection latency (ping) they can enable compared to a similar network without it. By moving a great deal of the work of networking into orbit, the data transported on an interlinked satellite network would theoretically require much less routing to reach an end-user, physically shortening the distance that data has to travel. The speed of light (300,000 kilometers per second) may be immense but even on the small scale of the planet Earth, with the added inefficiencies inherent in even the best fiber optic cables, routing data to and from opposite ends of the planet can still be slowed down by high latency.

Elon Musk's starlink satellite service just went live for beta users. It looks like its only active pretty far north but some NNE's can currently get it. People are reporting some incredible speeds around 100-200 mbs. This is going to bring some big competition to home wired internet. At my place I only have one option with Comcast. I know some places up north are still using slow dsl connections. https://satellitemap.space/indexA.html

https://acf.org/our-community/news/new-genetically-engineered-american-chestnut-will-help-restore-decimated-iconic-tree/ It appears to be these. I guess approval was granted. 99.9% genetically identical to the original chestnuts here. The big concern I think was gmo trees being used by private companies. It sounds like they got the go ahead as long as they are non profit.

I don't know the full details but they appear to be the Suny- ESF ones. It sounds like they got the go ahead to start planting them this spring.

@dendrite I am involved with the land trust here and we just got approval to start planting the blight resistant American Chestnut. A couple hundred saplings are going in this spring. To restore this beloved tree, we will need every tool available. It’s taken 26 years of research involving a team of more than 100 university scientists and students here at the not-for-profit American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project, but we’ve finally developed a nonpatented, blight-resistant American chestnut tree.

Quest Diagnostics does them for I think 119$ with no doctor referral. They are everywhere and you can make the appointment online. Its definitely worth the piece of mind even if you have to pay out of pocket. I know a bunch of people that did it and were positive and had the same weird cough or symptoms earlier this year.

Vermont’s Ski Season, on the Brink. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/travel/vermont-ski-season-quarantine.html

Same in CT. I know someone that works at a large gym chain. Over a millions check ins and there have been practically zero cases between staff or any contact tracers about members being sick.

The contact tracing has been showing gyms, restaurants, stores, etc are not where its spreading. The data in VT I saw was 71% of the tracing from contact tracers were social gatherings of friends/family. I think they even found deer camps were high on the list. Very few to no cases from the other places.

I still think alot of people could be completely immune to it through t-cell immunity. I have heard countless stories from friends/family of someone testing positive/symptomatic with it but nobody else getting in the house. English study suggests T cells could be sufficient to protect from COVID-19 The study on nearly 3,000 people, conducted by Oxford Immunotec and Public Health England (PHE), found that no participants with a high T cell response developed symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection when researchers followed up with them. That compares to 20 confirmed infections among participants who saw low T cell responses. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-health-coronavirus-britain-tcell-idUSKBN27Q001

A friend works at a gym chain and said hundreds of thousands of people have checked in the last few months. There have been no known outbreaks.

4.5 inches here in the last 31 days with 16 days of measurable precipitation.

Most of those lodges probably have poor or no ventilation either. Most of them appear to be heated with pellet stoves, fireplaces, wall heaters, etc. Since their is zero need in most lodges for ac they have no ductwork.

Legal immunity for nursing homes was just extended Monday in CT. Despite objections from advocates and family members with loved ones in nursing homes, officials with Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration said Monday they would extend legal immunity for those facilities and for hospitals through Feb. 9. https://ctmirror.org/2020/11/09/over-objections-from-advocates-lamont-to-extend-legal-immunity-for-nursing-homes-hospitals/

Looks like they intend to enforce it as well. COVID COMPLIANCE CHECKS Public Safety Commissioner Mike Schirling says statewide compliance checks will begin around November 12th with plainclothes officers visiting a variety of businesses like lodging facilities and restaurants. If substantial non-compliance is found and those businesses don’t fix the problems, those cases may be referred to the attorney general’s office. He says law enforcement will also begin handing out COVID safety information during traffic stops. https://www.wcax.com/2020/11/10/gov-scott-to-hold-pandemic-press-conference/

Going to be a rough winter in VT...

When I lived in VT 13 years ago you could pretty much trap/shoot them year round even at night. A farmer up the road from me would shoot them all the time as they would prey on his livestock. Coyotes are not native to New England and I think most states have like zero restrictions on killing them.

East Haddam Woman Fights Off Coyote With Pitchfork, Donkey. I guess donkeys are known to be protective and will attack and kill coyotes. https://patch.com/connecticut/thehaddams-killingworth/east-haddam-woman-fights-coyote-pitchfork-donkey

77 here on the shoreline. Foliage is looking great this year

Going to be a great night...

Do the breweries pay well? I always assumed that like other skilled trades the money was good. I would assume a place like treehouse would pay well and have good benefits considering they are making a killing. I read an article where someone tried to analyze their profits off there production numbers give to the state of Mass. The conclusion was they are making an absolute obscene amout of money. There selling cans for like 4$ and its only available directly from them cutting out the beer distributors.

Yes and its legal in the US. Marijuana is decriminalized in CT. Less than 1/2 oz is a civil penalty with a $150 fine.