djm
@akdjm.bsky.social
Old science/computer academic, researcher, now quasi-retired in Fairbanks, Alaska.
http://borealsci.link/MortonBio
http://borealsci.link/MortonBio
And in London, if you make it to Piccadilly Circus, let me know if there's still a Dunkin' Donuts and Burger King right by the Tube stop. We (I married into Brits) were just talking about this the other day :)
December 1, 2025 at 4:35 PM
And in London, if you make it to Piccadilly Circus, let me know if there's still a Dunkin' Donuts and Burger King right by the Tube stop. We (I married into Brits) were just talking about this the other day :)
Wow, that seems like a big step. Wonder if you even envisioned this kind of outcome when you started on this road. :) Congratulations for getting here!
December 1, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Wow, that seems like a big step. Wonder if you even envisioned this kind of outcome when you started on this road. :) Congratulations for getting here!
Interestingly, I was going to name it Ferdinand or Felicity, depending on sex (which I'll probably never know), but you seem to have a nice gender-neutral name for yours :)
December 1, 2025 at 2:08 AM
Interestingly, I was going to name it Ferdinand or Felicity, depending on sex (which I'll probably never know), but you seem to have a nice gender-neutral name for yours :)
Here in Fairbanks I have a "buddy" fox - when I go out running early in morning, I sometimes see its eyes with my headlamp, so I start talking to it as I pass. It's cautious, but once I pass it starts running behind me for a while until we're out of its "territory." Really cute :)
December 1, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Here in Fairbanks I have a "buddy" fox - when I go out running early in morning, I sometimes see its eyes with my headlamp, so I start talking to it as I pass. It's cautious, but once I pass it starts running behind me for a while until we're out of its "territory." Really cute :)
Look down for the gluhwein :) :)
November 29, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Look down for the gluhwein :) :)
It's sort of my own analogy, coming from many days of fishing in Montana and Alaska. Never was sure how good it was, but students seemed to like it :)
November 28, 2025 at 1:13 AM
It's sort of my own analogy, coming from many days of fishing in Montana and Alaska. Never was sure how good it was, but students seemed to like it :)
My favorite analogy is a trout stream. The temporary swirls are the weather. You may be able to predict patterns, but hard pressed to say exactly when/where the next ones will appear. General flow, water level, turns around banks, etc, that's the climate. Change the climate, and the wx changes.
November 28, 2025 at 1:05 AM
My favorite analogy is a trout stream. The temporary swirls are the weather. You may be able to predict patterns, but hard pressed to say exactly when/where the next ones will appear. General flow, water level, turns around banks, etc, that's the climate. Change the climate, and the wx changes.
Seems like the weather gods have not been very kind to us in the past several Decembers. Hard to find optimism.
November 27, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Seems like the weather gods have not been very kind to us in the past several Decembers. Hard to find optimism.
We got our first snow kind of late this year, just before Halloween! And once that snow comes, it's pretty much on the ground for the next 5-7 months, here in Winter City USA :)
November 27, 2025 at 4:46 PM
We got our first snow kind of late this year, just before Halloween! And once that snow comes, it's pretty much on the ground for the next 5-7 months, here in Winter City USA :)
... I had to tell him that so far, I'd seen a lot more sun in Fairbanks than I had in Vienna! But somehow I liked it, with the very early sunsets because it's so far east :)
November 27, 2025 at 4:44 PM
... I had to tell him that so far, I'd seen a lot more sun in Fairbanks than I had in Vienna! But somehow I liked it, with the very early sunsets because it's so far east :)
Same to you :) My first time in Vienna, working with CTBTO at the UN, was Thanksgiving week 2011, lots of hochnebel. Here in Fairbanks we had about 5 hours of sun, but it was clear and pretty. At the UN someone mentioned that it must be nice to be out of Fairbanks and see the sun again... 1/
November 27, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Same to you :) My first time in Vienna, working with CTBTO at the UN, was Thanksgiving week 2011, lots of hochnebel. Here in Fairbanks we had about 5 hours of sun, but it was clear and pretty. At the UN someone mentioned that it must be nice to be out of Fairbanks and see the sun again... 1/
It's getting to be gluhwein and hochnebel season in Vienna :) I loved this time of year there.
November 27, 2025 at 3:03 PM
It's getting to be gluhwein and hochnebel season in Vienna :) I loved this time of year there.
There's another great Portland a few thousand miles to the east :) I find that one to be much more relaxing, but it's harder to get to from Alaska.
November 26, 2025 at 2:43 PM
There's another great Portland a few thousand miles to the east :) I find that one to be much more relaxing, but it's harder to get to from Alaska.
Judging by what I've seen on BlueSky the last couple of weekends, that's a very serious concern!! :)
November 25, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Judging by what I've seen on BlueSky the last couple of weekends, that's a very serious concern!! :)
That's a great turnaround! It's hard to do, I know. And so happy for you and Gunther. I've enjoyed your posts and fully understand how he can be one of the best lifetime companions. My dogs, especially Kenai, were by far some of the biggest influences in my life.
November 23, 2025 at 1:28 AM
That's a great turnaround! It's hard to do, I know. And so happy for you and Gunther. I've enjoyed your posts and fully understand how he can be one of the best lifetime companions. My dogs, especially Kenai, were by far some of the biggest influences in my life.
Congrats on that weight drop. It's a big deal. I bet you're able to roam the world much more easily with Herr Günther!
I've spent the last few years hovering just above and below that 25 BMI "border" case. I do feel a big difference in hill running (and stair climb) 3-4 lbs above or below.
I've spent the last few years hovering just above and below that 25 BMI "border" case. I do feel a big difference in hill running (and stair climb) 3-4 lbs above or below.
November 22, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Congrats on that weight drop. It's a big deal. I bet you're able to roam the world much more easily with Herr Günther!
I've spent the last few years hovering just above and below that 25 BMI "border" case. I do feel a big difference in hill running (and stair climb) 3-4 lbs above or below.
I've spent the last few years hovering just above and below that 25 BMI "border" case. I do feel a big difference in hill running (and stair climb) 3-4 lbs above or below.
I loved them until last winter when I hung a chickadee feeder under the deck, and one squirrel was SO good at getting to it, then depleting it. I had to put in a lot of work in subzero temps (with old fart hands) to finally squirrel proof it!
November 22, 2025 at 12:51 AM
I loved them until last winter when I hung a chickadee feeder under the deck, and one squirrel was SO good at getting to it, then depleting it. I had to put in a lot of work in subzero temps (with old fart hands) to finally squirrel proof it!
Your experience shows! Using gloves!
November 22, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Your experience shows! Using gloves!
And, of course, it's even worse in "snow challenged" areas, and even worse than that if it's raining in "snow challenged" areas. Just can't see squat through a vehicle windshield under those conditions. Age makes it even worse! :)
November 19, 2025 at 5:28 PM
And, of course, it's even worse in "snow challenged" areas, and even worse than that if it's raining in "snow challenged" areas. Just can't see squat through a vehicle windshield under those conditions. Age makes it even worse! :)
As someone who runs many, many miles in the dark, I find that when I'm out "in it" I often feel like there's a fair amount of visibility and illumination, but when I'm in a vehicle under same conditions the visibility is much worse. Many pedestrians don't seem to realize (or care) this.
November 19, 2025 at 4:56 PM
As someone who runs many, many miles in the dark, I find that when I'm out "in it" I often feel like there's a fair amount of visibility and illumination, but when I'm in a vehicle under same conditions the visibility is much worse. Many pedestrians don't seem to realize (or care) this.
It was a strange paradox of beautiful spring weather, and glare ice roads.
November 16, 2025 at 5:56 PM
It was a strange paradox of beautiful spring weather, and glare ice roads.
What I remember was the dewpoints rose with the temperatures, and so those roads, still sitting at subzero temperatures were more than happy to suck some of that moisture out of the air and freeze it for long term storage. Some of the most treacherous driving I've seen here.
November 16, 2025 at 5:55 PM
What I remember was the dewpoints rose with the temperatures, and so those roads, still sitting at subzero temperatures were more than happy to suck some of that moisture out of the air and freeze it for long term storage. Some of the most treacherous driving I've seen here.