Tropics are “quieter” at the moment, with just two active systems. In the Atlantic, AL97 got organized enough to become Tropical Storm Lorenzo. It’s about as far from land as you can get in the mid Atlantic, and while it may flirt with hurricane strength, should stay offshore …
In the East and Central Pacific, nothing but a 40% disturbance near the Mexican coast as the trio of storms (Octave, Priscilla, and Raymondo) all hit Baja and are raining out over the Western US.
In the West Pacific, Typhoon Nakri is speeding away from Japan. There was some angst in the region as the primary Japanese satellite, Himawari 9, failed suddenly Saturday just as Nakri was approaching the main Island of Honshu. Everybody who was using it as their main monitoring resource (including me) spent late Saturday and Sunday frantically switching over to the Korean Meteorological Agency’s GEO-KOMSAT 2A to maintain coverage …
Although October 9th (Leif Erikson’s Day) is by rights the main holiday commemorating the European discovery of the Americas, October 12th marks the day that other guy blundered into the Americas, Columbus Day, with the Federal holiday moved to the second Monday of the month to provide a three day weekend (a bit superfluous this year with the shutdown). A couple of years ago I wrote ‘In Defense of the Explorers” (click to read) with some thoughts on the subject.
With a few exceptions, I find the push to rename things not only annoying and wasteful, it destroys the opportunity to teach the complexity of history, and the need to understand why people did things, and how far we have come (and, now, how far we are regressing). Anyway, I think it is possible to admire our ancestors accomplishments while being horrified by some of their actions. I suspect our descendants (assuming we don’t destroy ourselves) will probably feel the same way, something the more self-righteous among us should probably consider.
💯 agreement
Love your perspective on history and ancestry. I cringe every time history is rewritten.
As always, right on the mark.
I agree!
Excellent information…Oct 9 (Leif Erikson) and Oct 13 (Columbus/Indigenous Peoples……..) regardless, each are important milestone dates for me. I appreciate the history you provided.