Niagara Falls has been touted as one of the very best places to view
the solar eclipse that will be occurring on April 8. (That area is also
one of the only parts of Canada that will be in the Path of Totality,
where the moon will completely cover the sun for several minutes.)

Niagara Falls, "out of an abundance of caution" - you always know
something ridiculous is coming when you hear that phrase - has declared
a state of emergency with regards to the eclipse.

https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/niagara-region-proactively-declares-state-of-emergency-ahead-of-total-solar-eclipse-1.6827320

Unfortunately, the article doesn't identify any special rules that will
be in place due to this "emergency". Will driving be forbidden lest
anyone be blinded by being in their car during the eclipse? (Several
major school districts are shutting down their schools to prevent
children travelling home from school from being blinded if they look
out the window during the eclipse.) Will people be inspected to make
sure they have the appropriate equipment to avoid being blinded, like
pinhole cameras? Will people be fined for looking upwards during the
eclipse if they don't have the designated safety gear?

By the way, anyone thinking of going to Niagara Falls for the eclipse
and staying the night had better bring lots of money! Rooms that are
already expensive are going to be MUCH MORE expensive on April 8 on
both sides of the border.

--
Rhino

In article <20240329191353.00001dc3@example.com>,
Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

> Niagara Falls has been touted as one of the very best places to view
> the solar eclipse that will be occurring on April 8. (That area is also
> one of the only parts of Canada that will be in the Path of Totality,
> where the moon will completely cover the sun for several minutes.)
>
> Niagara Falls, "out of an abundance of caution" - you always know
> something ridiculous is coming when you hear that phrase - has declared
> a state of emergency with regards to the eclipse.

My old home town back in Texas has done the same thing. It's ridiculous.
They're literally declaring an emergency over a shadow.

It's almost like they've devolved back into those primitive savages who
used to think eclipses were the gods turning out the lights when they
got angry with people.

> https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/niagara-region-proactively-declares-state-of-emerge
> ncy-ahead-of-total-solar-eclipse-1.6827320
>
> Unfortunately, the article doesn't identify any special rules that will
> be in place due to this "emergency". Will driving be forbidden lest
> anyone be blinded by being in their car during the eclipse? (Several
> major school districts are shutting down their schools to prevent
> children travelling home from school from being blinded if they look
> out the window during the eclipse.)

WTF? No one's going to be blinded by just looking out the window, for
fuck's sake. Just don't look AT the sun itself-- which you shouldn't
ever do regardless-- and you'll be fine.

On Fri, 29 Mar 2024 19:13:53 -0400, Rhino
<no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

>Niagara Falls has been touted as one of the very best places to view
>the solar eclipse that will be occurring on April 8. (That area is also
>one of the only parts of Canada that will be in the Path of Totality,
>where the moon will completely cover the sun for several minutes.)
>
>Niagara Falls, "out of an abundance of caution" - you always know
>something ridiculous is coming when you hear that phrase - has declared
>a state of emergency with regards to the eclipse.
>
>https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/niagara-region-proactively-declares-state-of-emergency-ahead-of-total-solar-eclipse-1.6827320

I would think that the only reason for declaring an emergency over
this eclipse if they expect a tremendous crowd of people to show up.
That could create some issues especially if there are any medical
emergencies because of the traffic. Other than that I can't see why it
would be an emergency.

On 3/29/24 7:08 PM, BTR1701 wrote:
> In article <20240329191353.00001dc3@example.com>,
> Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
>
>> Niagara Falls has been touted as one of the very best places to view
>> the solar eclipse that will be occurring on April 8. (That area is also
>> one of the only parts of Canada that will be in the Path of Totality,
>> where the moon will completely cover the sun for several minutes.)
>>
>> Niagara Falls, "out of an abundance of caution" - you always know
>> something ridiculous is coming when you hear that phrase - has declared
>> a state of emergency with regards to the eclipse.
>
> My old home town back in Texas has done the same thing. It's ridiculous.
> They're literally declaring an emergency over a shadow.
>
> It's almost like they've devolved back into those primitive savages who
> used to think eclipses were the gods turning out the lights when they
> got angry with people.
>
>> https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/niagara-region-proactively-declares-state-of-emerge
>> ncy-ahead-of-total-solar-eclipse-1.6827320
>>
>> Unfortunately, the article doesn't identify any special rules that will
>> be in place due to this "emergency". Will driving be forbidden lest
>> anyone be blinded by being in their car during the eclipse? (Several
>> major school districts are shutting down their schools to prevent
>> children travelling home from school from being blinded if they look
>> out the window during the eclipse.)
>
> WTF? No one's going to be blinded by just looking out the window, for
> fuck's sake. Just don't look AT the sun itself-- which you shouldn't
> ever do regardless-- and you'll be fine.

Did you just call Trump stupid? Kudos.

On Fri, 29 Mar 2024 20:38:15 -0400
shawn <nanoflower@notforg.m.a.i.l.com> wrote:

> On Fri, 29 Mar 2024 19:13:53 -0400, Rhino
> <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
>
> >Niagara Falls has been touted as one of the very best places to view
> >the solar eclipse that will be occurring on April 8. (That area is
> >also one of the only parts of Canada that will be in the Path of
> >Totality, where the moon will completely cover the sun for several
> >minutes.)
> >
> >Niagara Falls, "out of an abundance of caution" - you always know
> >something ridiculous is coming when you hear that phrase - has
> >declared a state of emergency with regards to the eclipse.
> >
> >https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/niagara-region-proactively-declares-state-of-emergency-ahead-of-total-solar-eclipse-1.6827320
> >
>
> I would think that the only reason for declaring an emergency over
> this eclipse if they expect a tremendous crowd of people to show up.
> That could create some issues especially if there are any medical
> emergencies because of the traffic. Other than that I can't see why it
> would be an emergency.

They ARE expecting a lot of people, perhaps as many as a million. But
the prime viewing spot isn't limited to Niagara Falls itself and its
immediate environs but the whole Niagara Peninsula which is
substantially larger. Burlington, for example, is also hosting an
eclipse event and that's a substantial drive - 90 minutes or so at
highway speeds - from Niagara Falls.

--
Rhino

On Fri, 29 Mar 2024 17:08:28 -0700
BTR1701 <atropos@mac.com> wrote:

> In article <20240329191353.00001dc3@example.com>,
> Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
>
> > Niagara Falls has been touted as one of the very best places to view
> > the solar eclipse that will be occurring on April 8. (That area is
> > also one of the only parts of Canada that will be in the Path of
> > Totality, where the moon will completely cover the sun for several
> > minutes.)
> >
> > Niagara Falls, "out of an abundance of caution" - you always know
> > something ridiculous is coming when you hear that phrase - has
> > declared a state of emergency with regards to the eclipse.
>
> My old home town back in Texas has done the same thing. It's
> ridiculous. They're literally declaring an emergency over a shadow.
>
> It's almost like they've devolved back into those primitive savages
> who used to think eclipses were the gods turning out the lights when
> they got angry with people.
>
That's exactly right.

> > https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/niagara-region-proactively-declares-state-of-emerge
> > ncy-ahead-of-total-solar-eclipse-1.6827320
> >
> > Unfortunately, the article doesn't identify any special rules that
> > will be in place due to this "emergency". Will driving be forbidden
> > lest anyone be blinded by being in their car during the eclipse?
> > (Several major school districts are shutting down their schools to
> > prevent children travelling home from school from being blinded if
> > they look out the window during the eclipse.)
>
> WTF? No one's going to be blinded by just looking out the window, for
> fuck's sake. Just don't look AT the sun itself-- which you shouldn't
> ever do regardless-- and you'll be fine.

Yet the Toronto District School Board, the biggest in the country, and
several others, all moved a Professional Development Day to April 8 so
that no one would have to go to school. Perhaps they realize how
piss-poor a job they're doing as educators and know that the dim bulbs
they're teaching can't follow instructions to not look directly at the
sun for the few minutes that the sun will be covered (or rather ALMOST
covered because Toronto is not in the Path of Totality).

Or maybe they're worried that some student WILL look at the sun and
then the parents will sue the school board for big bucks.
(Historically, we're not nearly as litigious a country as the US but
we're starting to catch up.) Liability fears seem to drive all sorts of
stupid decisions....

--
Rhino

On Sat, 30 Mar 2024 05:08:49 -0400, Rhino
<no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:

>They ARE expecting a lot of people, perhaps as many as a million. But
>the prime viewing spot isn't limited to Niagara Falls itself and its
>immediate environs but the whole Niagara Peninsula which is
>substantially larger. Burlington, for example, is also hosting an
>eclipse event and that's a substantial drive - 90 minutes or so at
>highway speeds - from Niagara Falls.
>
>
If you can get from Burlington to Niagara falls in 90 minutes other
than between midnight and 4 am given normal driving conditions you're
a better man than I Gunga Din!

(My late wife was from Burlington and my second daughter - who
emigrated to the UK in 2014 - went there last Christmas. I will never
forget some friends thinking milady - who had just served as maid of
honor for a friend at her wedding - and I were going off to Niagara
Falls for a fast shag. Uh no...)