Monday, April 21, 2014

Upcoming Events: April 21-28

All candidates and most of my readers know but it can't be said enough: Voting starts Thursday! Johnson County kicks it off at the office 7:45 to 5:30 and at Old Capitol Mall from 11 to 7.


That evening from 5 to 7 Janelle Rettig is having an early voting and early birthday (actual date Saturday) party at Bob's Your Uncle on North Dodge. Checks welcome, teal clothing encouraged.



The Center for Worker Justice knows how to get a regular mention in this feature: give your ongoing event the same name as a Clash song.

"Know Your Rights" is the first track on Combat Rock. Six sessions are planned even though Joe Strummer said you only have three of them. Sessions are at noon and 6 at 940 S. Gilbert Ct. and are planned for the last Friday of the month. Friday's event is "Protecting Your Health and Safety at Work: OSHA Rights."

Or, as Joe said, "you have the right not to be killed." (He put some qualifiers on that, though. Just listen to the song.)  A Workers Memorial Day event is planned for the Ped Mall Sunday at 2:
Each year dozens of Iowa workers are killed and hundreds more suffer work-related injuries or diseases.  Join us to remember those who died on the job last year and hear from workers and safety advocates who are confronting workplace hazards and renew our dedication to creating safer work places.

Both parties have congressional district conventions on Saturday. It could be the first of TWO conventions for 3rd District Republicans and 1st District Democrats, depending on how those primaries turn out. It also means a lot of scrambling for statewide candidates. The Democratic conventions are a bit off the beaten path. My guess is more state contenders will be at the 1st and 2nd CD in Vinton and Newton, a reasonable hour-forty drive apart, then at the 3rd in Council Bluffs or the 4th in Storm Lake. 

Sarah Palin will be in Iowa Sunday for a ShePAC "Heels On Gloves Off" rally in Des Moines, with Joni Ernst the apparent beneficiary(?). At least SOMEone is willing to visit Iowa. A nice round 2300 days today since we've seen Hillary. Dems are asking around about ways to boost caucus participation, and I'm thinking that one through, but top of the list would have to be candidates who show up...

And not quite as cool as a lunar eclipse, but seeing a real live spaceship is still pretty cool. Or at least the boys used to think so when they were younger. Monday and Tuesday the International Space Station makes two very visible passes over Iowa City at viewer-friendly hours - evening as opposed to pre-dawn.

If you know when and where to look and if weather cooperates you can't miss. Monday at 9:17 PM it's almost straight overhead and Tuesday at 8:29 it's also very visible. Looks a lot like an airplane only moving way too fast and way too steady, and it will be brighter than the brightest star or planet (in this case Jupiter and Mars).
 

Monday 21 April 2014
Time (24-hour clock)Object (Link)Event
 Observer SiteIowa City, Ia, United States
WGS84: Lon:  -91d27m42.12s  Lat: +41d38m30.84s  Alt: 174m
All times in CST or CDT (during summer)
21h18m19sISS
→Ground track →Star chart
Appears      21h12m50s   3.5mag  az:304.7° NW   horizon
Culmination  21h18m19s  -4.1mag  az:215.5° SW   h:89.9°
 distance: 422.8km  height above Earth: 423.0km  elevation of Sun: -15°  angular velocity: 1.08°/s
at Meridian  21h18m19s  -4.1mag  az:180.0° S    h:89.8°
Disappears   21h19m36s  -3.5mag  az:126.0° SE   h:35.3°

Tuesday 22 April 2014
Time (24-hour clock)Object (Link)Event
20h29m49sISS
→Ground track →Star chart
Appears      20h24m23s   3.4mag  az:307.0° NW   horizon
at Meridian  20h29m25s  -3.1mag  az:  0.0° N    h:49.9°
Culmination  20h29m49s  -3.6mag  az: 31.2° NNE  h:54.4°
 distance: 512.7km  height above Earth: 423.4km  elevation of Sun: -7°  angular velocity: 0.89°/s
Disappears   20h33m10s  -1.9mag  az:110.5° ESE  h:9.9°


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