Wizard's Blog
Vegas Half Marathon 2012
Yesterday I did the Las Vegas half marathon for the third year in a row. I was going into this one in reasonable shape, but not nearly as good as last year. Between the marathons of 2010 and 2011 I did an informal half marathon on a weekly basis. So, come the real thing in 2011 I was in great shape, and finished with a time of 1:49. However, after that I became completely lazy and my "long runs" dropped off to only three or four miles.When the Vegas heat started to subside in late September I decided to get my act together, sign up for this year's half marathon, and train for it. Mile by mile I built up my endurance back to half marathon distance. However, the day of the race I only ran that far twice in training, so it was still a struggle to get that far. In 2011, doing 13 miles was a piece of cake. In 2012, I was exhausted afterward. So, the big day arrived too soon, but I still hoped to complete the thing in under two hours.
If you live out in the suburbs of Vegas this first major challenge is just getting to the starting line. When they close off the Strip to car traffic it has a domino effect, messing up traffic anywhere near the Strip. Last year I worked out the perfect spot, to park at the executive airport and bike a short distance to the starting line. However, this year they changed the course, to go right past it, so there was no way to drive to it. So, after much deliberation, I ended up parking further way, at a park-and-ride lot on Sunset and Gillespie, and biking to the start line.
When I got near my corral at the starting line I decided to use the men's room at a nearby Subway, lest I need to go during the race. However, there was a line of about 30 women waiting for both the men's and women's bathroom. The line was Wendy's style, where one line fed into two windows, or bathrooms in this case. This presented an ethical dilemma. Should I stand in a long line with all the women, or cut in line and go straight to the men's room. Keep in mind I had plenty of time and there was no urgent need. I asked a woman towards the end of the line if the line was for only the women's room or both. She said it was for both, but that it wouldn't bother her if I jumped to the front to use the men's room. So I did and waited for the men's room door to open and I jumped in. As I did they woman leaving yelled "Hey!" in a very angry tone, as if I was cutting the line. She evidently was friends with the gal behind her in line. I said "I'll be quick" as I closed the door. In retrospect, I make no apologies. Men should not be inconvenienced because women take so long in their own bathroom.
After that I made my way to corral #7, took out an old book I was planning to throw away, and killed time reading until it was time to start. When my group finally started about 4:40 I cast away my jacket and the book and off I went. Compared to the last two years, the course was wider, so there was much less congestion. Most of the time I had no trouble running as fast as I wanted. This was also partially because I indicated an estimated time of 1:50, so I was grouped with faster runners. By the way, I think there is a lot of inflation when it comes to such estimates. I think most runners are estimating a time of about 15 minutes faster than they actually finish. Keep this in mind when registering in future years. If you enter an honest time, expect to be frustrated trying to pass a lot of runners, and walkers, much slower than you. Many runners didn't respect the whole corral concept at all, as evidenced by the many high numbers in my own corral, who should have been around the 17th corral.
The temperature was just about perfect. It was very windy, which worked in my favor. This year the run started at the Mandalay Bay and ended at the Mirage. With a wind out of the south it meant the wind was in our favor more often than it was against us. A downside was getting dust in my eyes and I was missing a safety pin, so my number was flapping in the wind the whole time.
So, the run went fine for the first ten miles. Then I started to feel the pain of the limit of training. I could still run, but I wanted to do so more slowly. However, I was very ambitious about finishing the thing in under two hours. It was a contest of the body against the mind.
The only thing I had to go on to know if I was on schedule was some runners had tags on their back according to their pace group. The entire race I was among scattered runners with 2:00 tags, and some with 1:52, and even one with 1:45. Around the Stratosphere I reached a big group of 2:00 people, with one of them carrying a 2:00 sign, and giving encouragement to the other "twos." I didn't know what corral they started from, so finishing with them wouldn't necessarily imply that my time would be two hours. However, I decided to do my best to keep their pace, which was not easy at this point.
Around the Encore I could feel the light at the end of the tunnel, and used what little reserve energy I had to try to beat the 2:00 pack. So I picked up my speed marginally and left the twos behind. Around the Treasure Island I could see the finish line and gave it my best to finish strong. After crossing the finish line I was exhausted but proud of myself. I had not been that tired since the full marathon of 2006.
That evening there was a reception for a conference of table game inventors, which I was invited too. I wasn't able to escape the exit area until all the way to Flamingo Blvd. Then I had to walk all the way to some remote corner of the Mirage where this party was taking place. When I got there I rewarded myself with plenty of beer, wine, roast beef, and miscellaneous hors d'oeuvres (yes, I had to look up the spelling on that). Some attendees vented on us runners for messing up traffic, but I made no apologies. The cars get the streets for 364 days a year, and they complain about not getting all 365. After the party a friend kindly drove me back to the Subway where I locked my bike and made the long ride back to my car. It just seemed long, to be honest with you.
The next morning I checked the web site for my results. My time was 1:59:20 (yeah!). It was my goal to finish in under two hours, and I did so by 40 seconds. To put that in comparison, I finished number 2,840 out of 22,087 of everyone who finished the half marathon (13th percentile). Out of the middle-aged men (age 45 to 49) I was number 249 out of 1085 (23rd percentile). So I beat 3 out of 4 men my age, and we're talking about men fit enough to run 13 miles in the first place.
My compliments to the race organizers, who I thought did a great job. My biggest complaint is they make you show up in person one or two days before to pick up your number, which was at the events center at the Venetian. This whoop-de-doo is full of vendors selling running stuff to a captive audience. There is the option to pay $40 to pick up your number the day of the race, which is rather high considering the race itself is already expensive at about $130. All things considered, I'm not sure I'm going to do it again next year. I've been hearing a lot about cheaper half marathons, even free ones, which I'd like to give a try. The Vegas marathon is a lot of fun, but I've done it three times now, and the full marathon once, so maybe I won't put up with all the hassle and expense next year.
Last Man Standing NFL Contest
I'm one of 210 people who put in $100 in a "last man standing" NFL contest run through RunYourPool.com. Thanks to some big upsets, which I managed to avoid picking, I'm one of 26 left standing. Here is how it went down so far.Week 1: In = 210, eliminated=16 (7.7%). Most eliminations were those who picked the Saints. I picked Houston.
Week 2: In = 195, eliminated = 110 (56.4%). Almost all the eliminations were those to picked the Patriots. There is a rule that you can't pick the same team twice, so I saved them and went with the Bengals.
Week 3: In = 85, eliminated 59 (69.4%). Most eliminations were the Saints, but some 49ers. I picked Chicago.
Week 4: In=26
So, I figure I now have $808 in equity! That is the area code of Hawaii, by the way.
For week 4 I'm picking the Ravens, who are a 13-point favorite. I should have about an 85% chance of surviving this week. Hopefully there will be big upsets elsewhere to narrow down the field.
Comments
Well done Wizard! Almost half the folks remaining in my LMS pool (including me) got knocked out by the Pats loss in week 2.
With only 26 remaining, I like your chances. I always wonder if it is better to go with a second tier team who happens to have a favorable matchup against a third tier team, (instead of a first tier lock against a patsy), just so that you don't run into a situation where all your remaining choices are pegged as losers. Have you already scoped out the remainder of the season?
Nice work.
As you already know, SF knocked me out of my pool.
Just bet against the Lions, its a sure thing.
It is pretty much my strategy to pick average teams playing lousy teams, to conserve the good teams. However, sometimes there isn't going to be that situation, when I have to use up a good team. This week is like that. The best teams should be used at some point.
Not that my opinion matters, but Ravens are 9-1 in Division, Browns are 0-10. Ravens are at home and Art Modell factor should
make them take Browns as serious opponent. Looks like a solid pick. Good luck.
Good Luck to you Wiz!
If all 26 remaining players are eliminated this week, what is(are) the tie-breaker(s)?
Looks like the Ravens are a big pick in many pools this week according to ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd. Good luck!
Well, I survived week 4, but I bet that most of the other 25 also picked the Ravens. Hopefully at least a few people already wasted the Ravens and will lose elsewhere. I feel like I'm in the Hunger Games; hoping my fellow contestants meet a sudden and unexpected demise.
The good news is I picked the Ravens last week, who won. The bad news is the number of my 25 opponents who were eliminated in week 4 was 0, thanks to no big upsets. For week 5 I'm going with the 49ers. Hopefully either Houston or the NYG will lose, as they are the other two big favorites this week.
Interesting contest, sounds fun. I don't think I have
ever heard of this format before.
Is the herd mentality to pick the highest favorite for
the week, provided that you haven't already selected
that team previously ?
Here are the picks made for week 5:
SF: 13 (win)
NYG: 9 (win)
GBP: 2 (loss)
Ravens: 1 (win)
Bengals: 1 (loss)
So, we're now down to 23.
To answer the question above, I do think that the heard does tend to pick the biggest available favorite, and doesn't put enough attention on preserving the good teams. However, I think the 23 left are pretty smart, considering not just surviving the week, but winning the whole enchilada.
Maybe I'm just talking to myself at this point, but for week 6 the biggest favorite, by far, is Atlanta at -9.5. There are four 5-point favorites. I have not picked Atlanta yet, but am not going to. I figure most other players will be on them and if they lose the heard will really get thinned out. It is going against the heard that has got me as far as I have so far. So, I'm going to go with Arizona. I figure they have a 67% chance to win. Meanwhile, Atlanta has 77% chance. If Arizona wins and Atlanta loses (15.4% chance) I think the field will be down to 10 to 12.
I'm out.
That does sound like a fun contest.
SO, on the week you went out, how many managed
to survive ?
Is it normal for a contest with that many
people to take the entire season to determine a
winner ?
Down and Out at the Venetian
Let it be known I am no longer working for the Venetian. It would be an understatement to say that my feelings about the termination are acrimonious.I would like to tell the whole story, but I signed a confidentiality agreement when I started, so I will stick to simple statements of fact regarding my employment.
Here is the executive summary.
- I started with the Sands corporation on April 30, 2012. My job title was Director of Gaming Mathematics. Physically, I worked in the Venetian, but my job was at the corporate level, pertaining to all things table games in all the Sands casinos worldwide.
- To make room in my schedule for the Sands, I had to close and sacrifice my consulting business.
- Four months later after starting, on September 10, 2012, I was suddenly told my position no longer existed and was asked to immediately clear out my desk, turn in my keys and badge, and given an explanation of the exit process.
- My termination form said was I let go because my position was eliminated. My rehire recommendation was checked "yes."
- Some severance pay was offered, which I rejected based on the amount and conditions attached to it.
Due to the confidentiality agreement, I will not get into further details. However, I wish to state publicly that I am no longer with the company and am open for business again as a game designer and consultant.
Comments
I think "suddenly" is the only fraught word you allowed yourself here.
Well, I was never comfortable thinking of you as a "Suit", Michael.
Shelley's only the 16th richest man in the world. How is he going to be number one if he doesn't watch his pennies? Could it be that they hired you just to pick your brain only to give you the heave ho?
Nah, the ethical casino would never do that.
Hoping I have to wait to get a seat to play Three Card Mulligan at G2E.
Typical casino management decision process in action.
4 months ago someone somewhere had an idea. They acted on it.
4 months later, someone somewhere had an idea.
It was not the same idea as it was 4 months before.
Game plan changes and so did the game.
Too bad you did not have at least a year contract to account for this event possibility, since you gave up way more IMO, your business,
than they did, a few months pay and they can easily cook their books to compensate way better than you can to yours.
Casino +1
No harm no foul
Employee -1
Quote:Too bad you did not have at least a year contract to account for this event possibility.
In retrospect, I should have insisted on that.
One good thing to come out of this is my weight has not been this low in several years. Just the stress of the last week has caused me to lose 5 to 7 pounds.
Sad News. I hope the best comes out of this situation for you.
Everyone wants to lose a little weight, but not in this manner. I hope you are feeling better soon and good luck in the future. I am a fan and enjoy your site immensely.
This really does stink Wiz and I am sorry to hear how it went down. What possibly changes in a 4-5 month timeframe where they create a position (I assume this was a new position for them as it didn't sound like you took over an existing position) and then decide they don't need it anymore? Thank goodness you didn't move across the country to take on the position....if they cared about their employees or their reputation they would have given you the remainder of a 12 months first years pay as severance (i.e. 7-8 mos of pay as if you had a 1 year contract).
The only hope is that you learned a few things from the inside and how large scale casino management thinks about certain issues. Maybe that makes you a wiser Wizard going forward. I doubt there was anything worth learning based on the cost of taking the position and then being let go so quickly, but hopefullly there is at least some value there.
Quote:What possibly changes in a 4-5 month timeframe where they create a position (I assume this was a new position for them as it didn't sound like you took over an existing position) and then decide they don't need it anymore?
LVS had lost half its stock value since Mike got hired.
I'm sure he's not the only one that got axed. Last
hired, first fired. LVS is having lots of other problems,
if you've been watching the news.
I am sorry this had to happen to you. They must be very short sighted because there is no way you couldn't teach whales how to play a better game. Eventually, knowing that you are trying to help them would pay off in the long run, by casino loyalty.
The mindset that rewards 6/5 blackjack, which brings short term benefits and long term destruction of the game, is what gets rewarded.
I am sure that you will succeed no matter where, Mike! Hope you have learned what you could from the corp and that this change be good for you. Best wishes!
Sorry to hear that, there is no question in my mind
that you would have been a very valuable asset for
them.
The person who needs to be let go is the person
there who made that decision.
EB is a little off on his stock comment though, which
would have almost been an understandable explanation.
April 30 = $ 55.49
Sept 10 = $ 43.41
Yahoo Finance
Thanks for all the kind words. There is so much I'd like to say, but will refrain.
I'm not surprised to see that you are taking the high
road regarding the confidentiality agreement.
But isn't that intended to protect the
details of their casino operations / strategies /
marketing programs / comp programs / etc
that would be valuable to their competitors ?
Maybe the "whole story" gets into some of
that, so then you are right not to say anything.
But again, sorry to see this corporate crap
storm rain down on you.
I don't usually gamble at the Venetian, so
my "boycott" won't amount to anything.
Quote: EvenBobLVS had lost half its stock value since Mike got hired.
I'm sure he's not the only one that got axed. Last
hired, first fired. LVS is having lots of other problems,
if you've been watching the news.
Actually, LVS has been an excellent investment this year if you realized that the run from the low 40's at the end of 2011 to $60 in early April was overdone. It ended 2011 at $42.73 and is currently at $46.75....Wiz did not get let go because of LVS' stock performance. It will finish the year around $50 and end up showing a nice 19% return (incl. dividends) for 2012.
Really sucks to hear. Wish for bigger and better things for you in the future.
Quote:EB is a little off on his stock comment though, which
would have almost been an understandable explanation.
I said HAD lost, not HAS lost. LVS was at $61
this spring and went down to $31. Thats almost
half. Most of this happened when Mike was there.
Quote:Actually, LVS has been an excellent investment this year
I was reading the LVS stockholder forum every day this
summer when the stock was going from $61 to $31.
They were flipping out, they were paranoid and very
upset. There is no way this didn't influence corporate
to start lopping off heads, just to be symbolic if nothing
else. This happening at about the same time as Mike
getting hired can't be just a coincidence.
I'm sorry to hear that you were let go, mostly because (a) it's obviously something you wanted, and (b) you gave up so much for it.
But when I first heard the news of your position, I did my best Kerrigan-esque "WHY? WHY?" I don't like the Strip, I don't like casinos that overdo artificial scents, I don't like the owner's views on online gaming, and I don't like his politics.
On a side note, I was surprised to note that you had a boss other than "the" boss, or at least the Sands' Casino VP or the equivalent.
Anyway, I am confident that good things will come of this, so hold your head up and get to work.
Sorry to hear this, Michael, that's just rotten. All the best going forward!
Hyman Roth : " And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen; I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do
with business "
Mike,
There is a certain allure to a guaranteed paycheck bi-weekly or bi-monthly that always reads the same amount, but it is that same allure that stifles creativity and leads to complacency. For some people, that allure overcomes what could have been by doing something independently because they are either not capable of doing anything independently (and making the same money or better) or because they might be capable of it, but are not sure.
In your case, you never would have had the job at The Venetian to begin with if you had not clearly established the creativity, drive, willpower and...quite frankly...genius to succeed on your own. It is for this reason that I suggest you have nothing to worry about.
Ahhh...complacency. I'm a Manager of an Economy Hotel now and will probably retire the Manager of an Economy Hotel, if I'm really lucky, I might upgrade to a Limited-Service or Resort Hotel Manager at some point, but it's hard to say, as I have no experience with dealing with the demands of that kind of clientele. It is possible that I could go independent with something and create a more enjoyable, not to mention, lucrative, future for myself, but I'm firmly entrenched in the camp of, "Might be able to do it." In any event, I'm one to play it the safest and most conservative way...which is the way of complacency.
Not you. Why? Because you're better than that job, in fact, you're better than any traditional job. You have built yourself into a one-man powerhouse in the world of gaming Math, not to mention the fact that you can annihilate any BJ table you come across, and you will erect the same powerhouse yet again.
In short, you're better off this way. It may not seem like it now, and you may miss those guaranteed checks for awhile, but you will look back at your body of work after retirement and be glad that you were not at The Venetian for your last twenty years of active employment.
For one, I am glad to hear that you are going to go back to doing things your way, because for someone of your geinus and ability, your way should be the only way.
As I've said already, sorry to hear this, and best wishes in the future.
For what it's worth, I question the logic of rejecting the severence. I have a feeling that will get looked at negatively, despite the rehire recommentation.
Best of luck with whatever the future holds. Maybe a guide to hiking or other physical activity in the Las Vegas area by season? How to incorporate exercise into a gambling/bachelor party weekend?
May 20 Eclipse
On May 20, 2012, there was an annular solar eclipse that stretched from Asia to the western United States. For those unfamiliar with eclipse terminology, the moon follows an elliptical orbit around the earth. When the sun, moon, and earth are in alignment it will cause an eclipse. When the moon is relatively far from the earth, it doesn't completely cover the sun, causing what looks like a ring of fire, and is known as an annular eclipse. By contrast, when the moon is closer, it does completely cover the sun, resulting in the much-better total eclipse.I saw a total eclipse in China on July 22, 2009 and wrote all about it in my Wizard of Odds blog. Although annular eclipses don't compare total eclipses, I have never seen an annular eclipse before, and I had to drive only about two hours to Utah to do so, so I figured I would make a short trip out of it with my son.
We left the day before in the afternoon and visited Valley of Fire state park on our way to Utah. This is only my second time there. My son went there on a field trip and has been asking to return ever since. First we did the petroglyph (note to Bill Gates: Add this word to your spell-checker)/mouse's tank trail. This is the actually the same trail, and the park map and signage do not make this clear. This is a short and easy trail with more petroglyphs than I've ever seen in one place, by far. Here are just a few pictures I took of them.
At the end of the trail is a small natural hole in the rock where water tends to fill in wetter months. On this hot May day it was dry. Maybe they call it mouse's tank because when mice try to drink from it they can't get out and drown in it. I recall when I was a camping trip as a kid my mother left a bucket of water out and in the morning a dead mouse was floating in it.
The Petroglyph trail was too short and easy so we added on the White Dome trail. This was a nice but short hike through some of the oddly shaped sandstone features that the Valley of Fire is famous for. We still felt unsatisfied after that, so we decided to climb this short but sweet little peak by the White Dome parking lot. We called it "mini red cap," named after a similar climb at Red Rock, which I write about in my article on Red Cap.
The climbing on of this was surprisingly challenging in spots. Places that made me feel a little uncomfortable my son climbed up, down, or across as he were a mountain goat. Here are some pictures.
After that I felt a got a workout just from just the fear factor and was ready to hit the road. We ate at the Casablanca buffet in Mesquite, which was not bad. It was seafood night and we both enjoyed the crab legs. Then it was to our hotel in Saint George. I would have preferred Springdale, or even Hurricane, but both places were booked solid. I tend to think I may have been lucky to even get a room in Saint George, as the front desk clerk said he was getting a lot of eclipse business.
The next day we got up early to climb Observation Point in Zion National Park. This area gets HOT this time of year, so I wanted to climb in as much comfort as possible. This is an 8-mile round trip hike, from the canyon floor to the rim. We've done most of the other hikes there before, and I wanted to do something fairly hard, because we need to train for Mount Whitney in July.
Observation Point is a great climb. Not as famous or rewarding as Angel's Landing, but still very worth doing. If you still have energy, add on Hidden Canyon as a side trip. Here is a picture from the top.
We finished with Observation Point about 12:30 and still had about five hours to kill before the eclipse started. So we hung out by the river for a while and poked around Springdale. I highly recommend the Bumbleberry milkshakes, which are made with real pie. They are available in a gift ship by the Bubbleberry Inn, adjacent to Wildcat Willies.
So, I'm finally ready to talk about the eclipse. Sorry it took so long. I overheard a lot of people were going to watch the eclipse from Zion or Bryce National Parks. However, my son had school the next day, so we watched it from Saint George, to hit the road immediately afterward.
You would think for all my enthusiasm for eclipses I would have a telescope with all the necessary eclipse accoutrements to watch it. Nope. I just had two pieces of glass that are used in a welder's mask. One is not enough and you can't see anything with three. These are easily available in a large hardware store, but don't wait until the last minute. I wanted to buy more a few days before the eclipse and the local home depot was sold out. The ones I did have I purchased about two months before, in preparation.
I knew from a previous visit there is a very nice park next to the Saint George Tabernacle. This park doesn't seem to have a name, and isn't on the maps, which is strange for such a nice park. It has lots of water features for kids to play in and art sculptures.
My son and I found a spot by an open field with some good trees. Trees are important because as the sun shines through them during an eclipse you can see an outlines of the sun in the places the sunlight pokes through in the shadow. If there are no trees available, you can create the same effect by making a waffle pattern with your fingers.
As my son and I passed the glass back and forth we got the attention of a group of about a dozen people. They were curious about what we were doing so I explained it and let them borrow the glass. They were all very grateful and amazed. The effect of the light through trees was also of much interest on nearby steps.
I tried unsuccessfully to take a picture. This is what I saw through my normal camera with one piece of welders' glass. So, when the eclipse reached its pinnacle, where it appeared like a ring of fire, the entire park was noticeably not as hot and bright. I was quite the temporary celebrity for having the glass as everyone took a few seconds with it and passed it on. During this time you could see rings of sunlight on the steps.
After a couple minutes the ring of fire turned back to a crescent, and the show was pretty much over. So, now I can say I've seen both a total eclipse and an annular eclipse. Of course, I've seen lots of partial ones as well.
After doing the amateur thing for the last two, I'm ready to take it to the next step for the total eclipse of August' rel='nofollow' target='_blank'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_21,_2017]August 21, 2017, which will cut from Oregon to South Carolina. I'm already after my father to sell me his telescope, which he used to watch the eclipse "partial style" from southern California.
Comments
Thanks for the photos and blog Wizard, I enjoyed them very much. Did your daughter not want to take the trip?
I am curious about the petroglyphs. Is the "black" a natural feature of the rock, or is it scorched? If it is scorched, it is surprising that it would last past the first rain. If it is natural, I don't see the same black face on many other rocks in the photos.
Something is not making sense. The idea seems to be that we got an annular eclipse because the moon is so far from earth, as you put it: "When the moon is relatively far from the earth, it doesn't completely cover the sun, causing what looks like a ring of fire, and is known as an annular eclipse"
But we just experienced a "Super Moon" on May 6th. This meant the moon was as close to earth as it ever gets. How is it possible that things could change that fast?
Wikipedia on the super moon. The super moon was also extensively covered in the newspaters.
PS: yes, great post, I didnt realize there was a place you could go to in the US that would have that many petrogyphs.
I love the steps photos!
Try to find a place with a pond for the next eclipse, or better yet with several small puddles. You can see a reflection of the event on the surface. This also sometimes happens on car windshields.
Photographing an eclipse is notoriously hard. For a total one, you may want to resurrect an old 35mm film camera and look for ultra-high ISO rating like 1,600 or more, and try to get a photo of the corona.
Odiousgambit, the Moon orbits the Earth in 28 days. For the 14 days between May 6th and the 20th, that's exactly half an orbit.
Yes, the black is a natural feature of the rock. You see it sometimes here at Red Rock, but it is more common at Valley of Fire. What causes it? I just assumed a higher iron content in the rock, but I've been wrong before. What makes me doubt that is it seems to be just on the surface.
That is indeed a good question about the Super Moon. You stumped me with that one. I think I'm going to have to use my lifeline and call Doc in here to help out.
1) Wizard: How/when did you steal all of my photos from Valley of Fire? Seriously, I think I have photos of the exact same petroglyphs.
2) My browser says that "petroglyphs" is incorrectly spelled, and it's Firefox, not a Micro$oft product.
3) I think Nareed has given the correct answer already. If the full moon occurred at the perigee of the moon's orbit, giving a super moon, then the preceding and following new moons (and the associated opportunities for solar eclipse) should occur very near to the apogee of the moon's orbit. For a really nice total eclipse, you would like to have a new moon, a perigee of the orbit, and alignment of the earth, moon, and sun.
4) I am not an astronomer, regardless of how much the Wizard would like for me to answer every science-oriented question, so don't wager your entire bankroll on that answer.
Great stuff.
I had heard that an alternate way to 'view' the eclipse was to look at shadows. I never realized just what they meant. Thanks for that.
---
Regarding the "Super moon" and the eclipse.
The moon's orbit is elliptical. Only when it's close approach is during a full moon does the moon appear large enough to be called a "super moon". But this also means that for the new moon prior and following, it is nearly at the furthest points in it's orbit.
That super moon was about 2 weeks prior to the eclipse, and the moon's orbit is about 29 days......
Neat pic Mike!
We were on the 27th floor in Reno, which apparently Northern Nevada had the PERFECT view (KOLO-8 was asked by National News companies for their pics)
I actually have a couple nice welding hoods, so we took those and it was quite a sight...I was going to try taking a picture, but I was seriously afraid it would burn the lense out of the camera (LOL, I've never tried taking a picture directly into the sun; and I thought the welding shields would blur it completely)
Thank you for all the answers to the new moon question. Does anyone have anything about the black petroglyph rocks?
Based on the replacement glass I purchased at Lowes, I would think that a welder's mask would not be sufficient. Or can one put in two panes? I tried looking at the eclipse through one pane, which I could do, but it was too bright to look at for more than a second.
naturally a new moon is what you want for an eclipse, but my hat is off to those of you who realized the perigee full moon is immediately followed by an apogee new moon [right?]. That was not intuitive to me or the Wizard but I can kind of picture it.
oops, apogee full moon is immediately followed by an perigee new moon
altho both statements are evidently true
Yes, odiousgambit, both statements are true. In this particular case, it was a perigee full moon (super moon) followed by an apogee new moon (annular eclipse).
By the way, I'm sure most of you already know this, even if you didn't "know" it....
The moon's orbital plane is not the same as the earth's orbital plane. If it were the same, there would be an eclipse every month. Actually two each month - solar and lunar.
I'm not sure whether it's more useful to post here or in the eclipse discussion thread, but I though I would provide this link to an article about photographing a solar eclipse. I saved the article just in case I survive to 2017 and have an opportunity to attempt photographing the total eclipse that year.
Heart Attack Follow Up
Here is a message from my father, directed towards the forum members following his heart attack story, including me.--------------
Please tell your blog followers how much I appreciate and am inspired by their wishes for my recovery, and their anecdotes. I enjoyed them all. My recovery seems to be going well so far. I am pain free and able to do mild exercise again. Two doctors will give me an exam and appraisal late next week. I do take exception to your statement that I am "100 pounds overweight" but will confess to eighty. I have removed six of them and avoided all alcohol for eight days and counting. There is a stronger incentive to mend my ways now. I want to hang around a while and enjoy the grandchildren and my new iPad. :-)
Comments
Terrific. An Apple a day keeps the doctor at play...?
All kidding aside, it is great to hear that you are doing well, and recovering nicely.
I am glad to see that the order was grandchildren first... Then new iPad second... Stay well!
Is your alcohol avoidance doctor's orders or self imposed? It sounds like your counting the days until you can have a drink. :-)
The first year is actually pretty easy. It's down the road that you have to really pay attention. The weight comes back like a sneak thief, a little bit at a time. You gain a pound a month, and it's never really a big deal; what's the difference between 187 and 188, after all? And then one day your pants don't quite button, and you weigh 211.
Life is for living. Strike a balance, and keep it worth living.
I have 8 granddaughters. Thats why I live in this one horse town. Have no Ipad but bought a Nook from Barnes and noble. It readss books outloud to the kids, has color pix, turns the pages on the touch screen, etc. They love SponeBob SquarePants. I intend to down load some books for me, once a 5 or 6 year
old granddaughter explains to me how to do it. LOL
Glad to hear things are going well.
You know, there's no reason you can't be a member here. There's lots of interesting topics, both gambling and non-gambling related.
And I'm pretty sure the user name "Wizard's Dad" hasn't been taken yet...
C'mon in. The water's fine.
New iPad but no drinking... Not a fair trade off.
Have they discussed the results of a CPK test with you yet? That seems to be crucial in assessing amount of muscle damage. Good luck.
Dick Cheney just got a heart transplant. Shame he didn't have a heart as the VP.
Comments
Congrats on your under 2 hours Mike. I too ran the half marathon. I used to be a big runner, 5 miles or so, several times a week, but have gotten away from running since moving to Vegas 3 years ago. I have been running some in the last month as I recover from ACL surgery 3 months ago and try to get stronger. ACL surgery recovery is really a year long process, so I knew I would not be able to complete the half marathon, as I had no intention of pushing beyond the first signs of pain. I thought maybe half way, which I did not make. First pain came around 4 miles in front of Caesars and I pushed on for another mile to the 5 mile mark, just shy of Riviera. I walked the rest of the way downtown with a friend. Although I didn't do as well as I had hoped, it was a lot of fun. Lots of sights to be seen. Met and talked with a number of people.
I know the Vegas marathon is meant to be one of the more expensive ones. The local marathon is $130 for the full run, meant to be one of the faster ones for Boston qualification as it's mostly along the coast.
Good time... I will be very happy if I go sub 2h30m for my first half in 4 months.
I was VERY amused to see your justification of cutting in front of a very long line to use the restroom. I don't know which makes you seem more rude: the fact that you emphasize you had plenty of time (and therefore no real need to jump in) or the fact that you think you shouldn't be inconvenienced by your clearly inarguable "fact" that women are slow. What about other factors, such as almost twice as many women as men ran the half-marathon? I am quite sure that I spend less time in restrooms than most men I know, as I have never even considered bringing reading material to a toilet. That was not your most gentlemanly moment, Wiz! Instead of inconveniencing yourself by waiting, you should have just whizzed in the bushes like the rest of the men probably did.
P.S. Do cheap half-marathons with me! I only do the cheap ones! And, in all seriousness, great job on your time. If my work allows, my goal for March is sub-2:00 also. It's a pretty lofty goal for me and I know how much work it takes! :)
Congrats on finishing under your projected time of 2:00!
I remember when I was competing (inline speedskating) I made it my goal to finish a 50k in 1:30....well, the closest I ever made it was 1:32...which isn't bad, considering it's 32 miles!
So, hats off to you for doing what you intended!
Congrats on breaking 2 hours, Wiz! I don't want to imagine how long it would have taken me. :) Seeing the marathon run was an unexpected surprise while I was in town. Fortunately I didn't have a rental car.