Total Eclipse of 4/8/2024
Quote: Wizard
It looks like the most convenient ones are:
Aug 2, 2027 -- Northern Africa
July 22, 2028 -- Australia
Sounds like a good excuse to plan an Australia family vacation.
Quote: WizardQuote: 100xOddsAfter many eclipses in a short time frame the past few years, the next one isn't for 2 decades?
Holy moons not aligning :)
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This map shows total and annular eclipses from 2021 to 2030. The total ones are in the brighter shade of yellow.
Source: Solar Eclipses from 2021 to 2030
It looks like the most convenient ones are:
Aug 2, 2027 -- Northern Africa
July 22, 2028 -- Australia
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Interesting... i heard from news radio that the next total eclipse isnt for 2 decades
Quote: 100xOddsQuote: WizardQuote: 100xOddsAfter many eclipses in a short time frame the past few years, the next one isn't for 2 decades?
Holy moons not aligning :)
link to original post
This map shows total and annular eclipses from 2021 to 2030. The total ones are in the brighter shade of yellow.
Source: Solar Eclipses from 2021 to 2030
It looks like the most convenient ones are:
Aug 2, 2027 -- Northern Africa
July 22, 2028 -- Australia
link to original post
Interesting... i heard from news radio that the next total eclipse isnt for 2 decades
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The next total solar eclipse visible in the USA after this one will be on 8/23/2044, according to NASA.
I expect my kids to haul my future 76-year-old ass there!
Quote: ThatDonGuyThe next total solar eclipse visible in the USA after this one will be on 8/23/2044, according to NASA.
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It looks like that one will be visible at sunrise in the US portion of the path.
I'm holding out for the one on Aug. 12, 2045.
image soucre
Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio.
(Yes, that Armstrong.)
Quote: Wizard[
I'm holding out for the one on Aug. 12, 2045.
I wish you the best and hope you make it that long. If you do, hopefully your memory will not allow you to miss it.
Fast forward to yesterday, Feb 10, 2024, and it happened again. I'll show you the exact message I received through Air B&B.
Here was my reply and his brief counter-reply.
We will see what happens. Assuming the host is even being truthful, I think the right thing for him to do would be to come out of pocket for the difference in cost, which is significant. There are a few houses in Waco those dates going for about $1,800 a night, plus a host of taxes and fees. I paid a total of $805, including all taxes and fees. I think few people would step up in this situation and do the right right. I would be one of them, as I firmly believe that a deal is a deal. If the host does not make things right I will be raising hell.
Quote: WizardLightning has struck twice. You may recall upstream in this thread the host at my Air B&B house in Waco cancelled on me. This was on Oct 13, 2023. Fortunately, there was a similar house available at the same price point, so I grabbed that.
Fast forward to yesterday, Feb 10, 2024, and it happened again. I'll show you the exact message I received through Air B&B.
Here was my reply and his brief counter-reply.
We will see what happens. Assuming the host is even being truthful, I think the right thing for him to do would be to come out of pocket for the difference in cost, which is significant. There are a few houses in Waco those dates going for about $1,800 a night, plus a host of taxes and fees. I paid a total of $805, including all taxes and fees. I think few people would step up in this situation and do the right right. I would be one of them, as I firmly believe that a deal is a deal. If the host does not make things right I will be raising hell.
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I’m sure you will have no legal standing. But you these guys are very concerned about their /ratings/reviews. And I agree with you that the right thing to do is try and compensate you for their error
We had rented an AirBNB house in The Villages. Specifically picked it for pet friendly, pool (unheated), and separate hot tub. Upon arrival noticed hot tub not functional. And pool was FRIGID. I didn’t care about unheated pool knowing it had a hot tub. I called the host to complain, he babbled about the hot tub broke sometime between our booking and our arrival. I said we should have been notified as soon as they knew it was unusable. Anyway, he said I could cancel the reservation with no penalty. Now I’m there…. with a carful of my stuff, with no real alternative after two day drive to get there. I ask him to speak to the owner to do the right thing. $10k for the month. Owner refunded $1500 which seemed fair.
Quote: SOOPOOQuote: WizardLightning has struck twice. You may recall upstream in this thread the host at my Air B&B house in Waco cancelled on me. This was on Oct 13, 2023. Fortunately, there was a similar house available at the same price point, so I grabbed that.
Fast forward to yesterday, Feb 10, 2024, and it happened again. I'll show you the exact message I received through Air B&B.
Here was my reply and his brief counter-reply.
We will see what happens. Assuming the host is even being truthful, I think the right thing for him to do would be to come out of pocket for the difference in cost, which is significant. There are a few houses in Waco those dates going for about $1,800 a night, plus a host of taxes and fees. I paid a total of $805, including all taxes and fees. I think few people would step up in this situation and do the right right. I would be one of them, as I firmly believe that a deal is a deal. If the host does not make things right I will be raising hell.
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I’m sure you will have no legal standing. But you these guys are very concerned about their /ratings/reviews. And I agree with you that the right thing to do is try and compensate you for their error
We had rented an AirBNB house in The Villages. Specifically picked it for pet friendly, pool (unheated), and separate hot tub. Upon arrival noticed hot tub not functional. And pool was FRIGID. I didn’t care about unheated pool knowing it had a hot tub. I called the host to complain, he babbled about the hot tub broke sometime between our booking and our arrival. I said we should have been notified as soon as they knew it was unusable. Anyway, he said I could cancel the reservation with no penalty. Now I’m there…. with a carful of my stuff, with no real alternative after two day drive to get there. I ask him to speak to the owner to do the right thing. $10k for the month. Owner refunded $1500 which seemed fair.
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i agree, $1500 seems very fair and more than I would have expected. Enjoy your vacation. 80 degrees here today.
I called Air BNB and made a very strongly worded complaint. I also plan to put one in writing. The agent said they understood my anger and would try to help, but made no promises.
Quote: Air BNB complaint
Dear Anjalina,
Thank you for taking my call about the cancelled reservation in Waco TX April 7-9, 2024 (confirmation code redacted). You were a good listener and helped to call me down as I was extremely angry when I called.
What makes this whole situation even more painful is this is the second time with this trip a host has cancelled my reservation. Fortunately, the first time I could find another place at the same price point. Unfortunately, this time what few places are available in Waco are about $2,000 a night, which is significantly more than the total of $625.81 for both nights, including taxes and fees.
That two hosts cancelled on me suggests there is little or no punishment for hosts to leave their guests out in the cold. There absolutely should be! You are doing business with bad hosts who do not understand or reject the concept of honoring a deal. They can simply freeroll their guests. If the going rate increases, then they can simply cancel a reservation and rebook it for more money. That simply is not ethical and makes AirBNB look bad.
If you want to do the right thing in this situation, I expect you to either apply leverage to Douglas, your faithless host, to pay the difference between what I paid him and what another similar reservation would cost. If he refuses, which I predict he will, then I expect you to do it. This is because this is partially your fault for doing business with bad hosts who do not honor their deals. I am open to other compensation to get hotel rooms instead, which are running very expensive the dates in question due to the total eclipse.
With that I shall await your response. I hope to hear that AirBNB will do the right thing.
Best Regards,
Michael Shackleford
Quote: Air BNB
Airbnb Support
7:51 PM
Hello Michael,
My name is Marsha, a case manager assigned to assist you further. I trust this message finds you well. I’m getting in contact because your Host Douglas and Ginetra had to cancel your upcoming reservations you had set for April.
No one likes cancellations, and we can most definitely relate to that, so I’m here to help you get your travel plans back on track.
We apologize once more about this Michael and want you to know you should’ve already gotten an email from us letting you know about the cancellation and that a full refund of $805.99 will be in your account within 24 hours (PayPal) for the most recent reservation being Douglas's.
We are sorry for any trouble, and we would love to offer you our help. We can of course assist with rebooking as we understand gravely how much of an inconvenience this has been to you. (It’s a good idea to send messages to a number of Hosts to make sure they’re available). Feel free to share the link here as well for the alternatives you've found, and we can try and expedite the rebooking process by calling the new Host to confirm availability before booking.
Just so you know when these issues are reported Michael, we actually have everything documented where thorough investigation is done studying the evidence, patterns and behaviors and penalties issues which can vary anywhere between smaller penalties such as cancellation fees, blocking calendar, losing their SuperHost status to penalties as big as listing suspension, listing removal or no longer being able to Host and even being banned from the platform altogether.
Yes, this is all done by a higher authorized team but so you know we do take your reports very seriously especially to ensure a safe community and prevent experiences or stays like this from repeating itself.
I do extend my apologies once more and want you to also know you are in no obligation in responding to your Host as well as the option to report/block a user is available on our platform (in the case there is a required escalation/threat).
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/248
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2020
We appreciate you taking the time to reach out and sharing with us your experience. This helps us to provide great service to all our members and, so please feel free to reach out with any other inquiries or concerns, so we can also assist accordingly. In the meantime we hope to hear from you soon! We'll keep this case opened.
Warmest Regards,
Marsha
I interpret this as nobody on their end will do anything for me to make things right. Going forward, I am going to complain about this as loudly as I can to anyone who will listen.
Quote: Wizard
I interpret this as nobody on their end will do anything for me to make things right. Going forward, I am going to complain about this as loudly as I can to anyone who will listen.
Make a scathing Youtube video and post it with a catchy title. If it gets enough views AirBNB may reconsider.
Think outside the box….
Quote: SOOPOOMaybe you know someone who has a mobile home that won’t be using it and you can use it that week?
Think outside the box….
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Looks like I'll be staying at my room at the Super 8, which I was hoping to get a friend use.
Quote: DRichQuote: Wizard
I interpret this as nobody on their end will do anything for me to make things right. Going forward, I am going to complain about this as loudly as I can to anyone who will listen.
Make a scathing Youtube video and post it with a catchy title. If it gets enough views AirBNB may reconsider.
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That's a great idea! This is gift-wrapped for the media. The Wiz already has a "celebrity" presence, and the hook is to beware of Airbnb — if you book with them, you might wind up at a Super 8!
So many consumer-advocate reporters have gotten an embarrassed company to issue a refund and make things right in these kinds of situations!
I replied that while I didn't feel it was enough, that I accept it as better than nothing.
By the way, another part of this story is that after my first cancellation on October 13, I immediately requested another available property. That got denied the same day as the host said the listing was a mistake. I can't be too angry about that by itself, but it does add insult to injury.
3/7/23 Made a booking for house #1 with Genetra. Cost was $540.53.
10/13/23 Booking for house #1 suddenly cancelled and without apology. Reason given by host was, "Poor Airbnb customer service practices towards hosts, removing listing. Home is no longer available for short term stays."
10/13/23 I rebooked what I'll house #2. This was cancelled with an apology one minute later. I have no hard feelings about that.
10/13/23 I made a third booking what I'll call house #3. This was accepted without incident. Cost was $628.44
10/14/23 Annular eclipse. The "ring of fire" was visible over much of Texas. I strongly suspect the buzz surrounding the annular eclipse had something to do with at least the house #1 cancellation. My belief is the host learned she could rent it for much more money for the total eclipse.
2/12/24. Reservation for house #3 cancelled without apology from the host. Reason given was that he double-booked, on both Air BNB and VRBO. What few houses are still on the market are significantly more expensive than the $628.44 I paid. I initiate a very strongly-worded complaint to Air BNB about the host. Air BNB was very polite and responsive to my complaint.
2/14/24: AirBNB gives me $161 towards any future stay within the next year. The lowest price I can find for something equal or larger in size is $1961. $161 is much less than the $1333 gap between the cost of house #3 and a hypothetical house #4, but better than nothing.
One would think that a bona fide double booking would be noticed in days, not months.
Quote: Dieter
One would think that a bona fide double booking would be noticed in days, not months.
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Of course it would. Obviously it is just a feeble excuse to cancel and rent it out for more money.
Quote: DieterOne would think that a bona fide double booking would be noticed in days, not months.
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I agree he was probably lying. His excuse was that he noticed it with some kind of 60-day report. He was probably truthful about a conflict with VRBO, probably because he rented it through that service for 5x as much money.
Quote: smoothgrhIt's happening to Swifties too: https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/airbnb-price-gouging-eras-tour/
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That article makes me even more angry. It says for cancellations more than a month before the fine to the host is only 10% the cost of the rental and they block out that same property and time from being re-booked.
As to the fee, for the eclipse in my case they could have rebooked it for about 4x what I paid. Subtract a 10% fee of the original amount and they still got 390% as much as before. As to the black-out, they can just go to competing site VRBO and book it there. I'm sure they make private deals too, directly with the guests. I'm pretty sure that happened with my first booking, that got cancelled the day before the annular eclipse. The host probably met an eclipse enthusiast somewhere and they made a private deal.
Host Cancellation Policy
Quote: WizardQuote: smoothgrhIt's happening to Swifties too: https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/airbnb-price-gouging-eras-tour/
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That article makes me even more angry. It says for cancellations more than a month before the fine to the host is only 10% the cost of the rental and they block out that same property and time from being re-booked.
As to the fee, for the eclipse in my case they could have rebooked it for about 4x what I paid. Subtract a 10% fee of the original amount and they still got 390% as much as before. As to the black-out, they can just go to competing site VRBO and book it there. I'm sure they make private deals too, directly with the guests. I'm pretty sure that happened with my first booking, that got cancelled the day before the annular eclipse. The host probably met an eclipse enthusiast somewhere and they made a private deal.
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Just got back from wonderful VRBO condo in Costa Rica. Talked to a bunch of fellow vacationers there. Most had VRBO/AirBNB previously, but now are there on private deals with the owner. One guy is there for 4.5 months and says he is saving thousands of dollars.
The fees are quite high.
Quote: SOOPOO
Just got back from wonderful VRBO condo in Costa Rica. Talked to a bunch of fellow vacationers there. Most had VRBO/AirBNB previously, but now are there on private deals with the owner. One guy is there for 4.5 months and says he is saving thousands of dollars.
The fees are quite high.
My wife and I go to St. Martin just about every year and we have made a personal relationship with one of the condo owners we rented from through VRBO. Now we just book direct and bypass many fees and taxes.
Here is my Facebook post today.
Quote: Facebook Post
Before you book at Airbnb, please read the following. It all pertains to the total eclipse on April 8, which will run right over Waco TX.
On 3/7/23, over a year in advance, I booked a 3-bedroom house in Waco through Airbnb for $540.53.
On 10/13/23, seven months later, it got cancelled suddenly and without apology. That the next day, 10/14/23, an annular eclipse went right over Texas I strongly believe had something to do with it. I suspect another eclipse enthusiast offered the host much more money for the place, so she threw me out in the street. Fortunately, I rebooked a similar place through Airbnb for not much more money, $628.44.
On 2/12/24, four months later, that booking got cancelled without apology. The excuse given was the host double booked it. Looking around Waco, the only deal I can find for a similar house costs $4950. Airbnb was sympathetic and responded quickly, but only gave me $161 credit for a future stay. It would cost me an additional $4322 above my original cost to rebook something similar.
The policy of Airbnb is to make the host pay a 10% fee of the original booking amount for cancellations made over 30 in advance. In the second case, the host could take a slap on the wrist $63 penalty to book it through VRBO for about $4000 more.
I would like to think some people on this earth understand the concept of keeping a deal, even when you regret it. Clearly, some Airbnb hosts do not and Airbnb is not punishing such bad business ethics appropriately. I just want to let you know this can happen to you too if you use Airbnb. In all fairness, I have booked with Airbnb many times before and was always happy, until now.
Back when I was working in a camera shop, adapting a telescope to an SLR body was the preferred way to go. The amount of magnification we could get with an affordable camera lens was around 1/6th what could be had with a modest telescope and adapters for similar money. We were dealing with a much bigger image circle than a phone camera, however.
Solar filters are a really good idea.
Quote: DieterDo you already have a telescope?
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Yes, but it's very old, big and heavy. I plan to fly to Dallas and I'm afraid it would get damaged in the luggage. Plus, I used it for the 2017 eclipse and had trouble attaching a camera to it.
https://drpeppermuseum.com
Dog Hand
Quote: WizardQuote: DieterDo you already have a telescope?
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Yes, but it's very old, big and heavy. I plan to fly to Dallas and I'm afraid it would get damaged in the luggage. Plus, I used it for the 2017 eclipse and had trouble attaching a camera to it.
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Good points. Air travel with big clunky objects is a pain.
Quote: DogHandWhile in Waco, you might take the opportunity to visit the Dr. Pepper Museum:
https://drpeppermuseum.com
Dog Hand
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I’ve driven through Waco 15 - 20 times per year for about 30 years traveling between Austin and Dallas. For 30 years I’ve been meaning to stop at the Dr. Pepper museum but each time I get to Waco it seems like a better idea to keep driving. I’m retiring later this year so maybe I’ll get around to it. There’s also the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and the Texas Rangers Museum (law enforcement not baseball). I haven’t been to any of them.
Quote: DogHandWhile in Waco, you might take the opportunity to visit the Dr. Pepper Museum:
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I do indeed plan to go there. To be honest, I'm not aware of anything else to do in Waco.
In other news, my Newsletter today was devoted to blasting Airbnb.
Quote: DogHandWhile in Waco, you might take the opportunity to visit the Dr. Pepper Museum:
https://drpeppermuseum.com
Dog Hand
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In elementary school, I had a tee-shirt that said "I'm a Pepper."
Quote: WizardQuote: DogHandWhile in Waco, you might take the opportunity to visit the Dr. Pepper Museum:
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I do indeed plan to go there. To be honest, I'm not aware of anything else to do in Waco.
In other news, my Newsletter today was devoted to blasting Airbnb.
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I believe there i still a small museum or tribute to the Branch Davidians and David Koresh.
What side of the plane would you want to be on? If the flights go off on time might be greater issue than clouds from the ground
I flew to Tennessee for the last total S.E. and that was amazing so at least I have that under my belt.
Full story at CHRON
Quote: coilmanhttps://www.freep.com/search/?q=Delta+flight+for+eclipse
What side of the plane would you want to be on? If the flights go off on time might be greater issue than clouds from the ground
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My father did a flight like this for the total eclipse of 1979. I recall him saying they were very fair about it, making people change positions to the window seats on a regular basis, like every few minutes. I would imagine they also made it equitable so no side was favorable, but don't recall him explaining how they handled that. I do recall he was very happy with the experience.
Quote: WizardAny advice for a telephoto lens for an iPhone for the eclipse? Something like the High Power 60X HD Phone Telephoto Lens with 54" Extendable Tripod & Remote Shutter, Works with iPhone Samsung Pixel Android Any Smartphones. I should probably get a solar filter as well.
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If the lens is small enough, you can just cannibalize a pair of eclipse glass and make a filter. For camera lenses and telescope apertures, I make my solar filters out of Baader Astrosolar film. Buy in small sheets or large roll for larger telescopes.
Quote:A Texas official is recommending that residents in one county stock up on food and gas in advance of the total solar eclipse set to occur in a few weeks.
Here are pictures I just took of the moon and sun. I know they are not very impressive, but it at least shows me the magnification of my lens is appropriate and the solar filter works and won't be easily damaged (like mine of 2017).
I did learn a need a sturdier tripod as the flimsy one I have now couldn't support the weight of the lens.
Quote: Wizard
Here are pictures I just took of the moon and sun. I know they are not very impressive, but it at least shows me the magnification of my lens is appropriate and the solar filter works and won't be easily damaged (like mine of 2017).
I did learn a need a sturdier tripod as the flimsy one I have now couldn't support the weight of the lens.
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Any chance you can post a picture of your setup?
Quote: GenoDRPhAny chance you can post a picture of your setup?
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Sure. I'm waiting on a better tripod from Amazon. Shortly after it arrives, I'll try again and take a picture of the setup with a different camera. The two previous photos were taken hand holding the camera.
Quote: WizardHere is the weather for Waco up to April 4. It makes me nervous.
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So make arrangements with someone with a car. keep and eye on the weather and be prepared to drive to where it's clear.
