What is up
Indignity Vol. 5, No. 69
WHAT'S UP WITH THAT DEP'T.
Watch the Overhead! Here's the News From Above.
OVER THE WEEKEND, the sun underwent two separate magnetic filament eruptions, sending solar material blasting slowly outward. The ejected mass is expected to encounter the Earth tonight in a G3, or "Strong," solar storm, potentially sending auroras down to the northern reaches of the contiguous United States.
Daisy Dobrijevic
The Lyrid meteor shower, made by the debris left by the passing of Comet Thatcher—which last came this way in 1861 and is about 250 years away from its next visit—is due to begin tonight, on its way to a peak on the night of April 21–22.
Just before sunrise on April 25, a conjunction of the crescent moon, Venus, and Saturn should produce a sort of smiley face in the sky, albeit tilted over and with the eyes mismatched and fairly far away from the mouth.
Chris Oberholtz
One hundred forty-one million birds are forecast to be flying over the United States tonight, concentrated in Texas and along the Mississippi River, as the spring migration starts heading toward its various regional peaks, from south to north, over the next month or so.
"Multiple national security payloads," not otherwise specified, were sent into orbit today on a Northrop Grumman Minotaur 4 rocket launched from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base, according to the National Reconnaissance Office, as reported by Spaceflight Now: "The NRO gave no indication prior to launch that it would facilitate a livestream of the mission’s countdown or liftoff, however, a camera controlled by University of California (UC) San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia program caught the ascent into a layer of clouds."
Will Robinson-Smith
The Goodyear Blimp Wingfoot Three, based in Southern California, will be flying over Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas from today through Sunday for aerial coverage of Wrestlemania 41.
WEATHER REVIEWS
New York City, April 15, 2025
★★★ The solid, drizzly cloud cover broke apart and the sun came in faster than the dampness could retreat. A cigarette smell stuck to the humid midday air all the way across the street from where the smokers were. Even as the clouds became windblown shreds, the blue between them sharpened, and the afternoon finished drying, the sun could never quite hold the upper hand. Fragments of some more glorious day kept appearing and speeding away again, and the wind tugged tender new leaves sideways. Light breaking out from under a big western chunk of cloud found a brown creeper spiraling its way up a rough tree trunk. Magnolia blossoms bounced gently up and down, looking faintly luminous on their own in the sheltered depths of the Park with the sun gone again.
EASY LISTENING DEP'T.
HERE IS TODAY'S Indignity Morning Podcast!
Tom Scocca
CLICK ON THIS box to find the Indignity Morning Podcast archive.
TOM SCOCCA
ADVICE DEP'T.
GOT SOMETHING YOU need to justify to yourself, or to the world at large? Other columnists are here to judge you, but The Sophist is here to tell you why you’re right. Direct your questions to The Sophist, at indignity@indignity.net, and get the answers you want.
SANDWICH RECIPES DEP'T.
WE PRESENT INSTRUCTIONS in aid of the assembly of a sandwich selected from Prague Chapter Book Of Recipes, compiled by Marie Paidar and Blanche Kammerer, published in 1922, and available at archive.org for the delectation of all.
BREAD AND BUTTER SANDWICHES — Take wheat, rye, entire wheat, graham, or brown bread. Remove end slice of bread. Spread end of loaf evenly with creamed butter. Cut off a slice as thin as possible. Repeat until the number of slices required are prepared. Put together in pairs, cut in squares, oblongs, triangles or rounds (with biscuit cutter), and remove crust if you desire. MARIE PAIDAR.
If you decide to prepare and attempt to enjoy a sandwich inspired by this offering, be sure to send a picture to indignity@indignity.net.
