BenchMap & Google Earth Overlay, with NGS Shutdown..

[foxtrot_xray]

In case you aren't aware, the gov't shutdown today. NOAA's site went down at around 10:30am this morning.

 

This means that BenchMap will not work to it's fullest. You can still use the map by selecting the option "use Alternate Server" in the settings, but datasheets will not pull up. This will use the BenchMap server to display the stations. They're not live - they are current as of Aug 10th 2013.

 

The Google Earth tools will still work as well - the station points are now pulled from the BenchMap server, so the data should be the same. Of course, clicking on the NGS link won't get you a datasheet, however, for the same reason.

 

Just posting here in case anyone wonders.

--Me.

[+Ernmark]

..NOW the Gov't shutdown has my attention!

[mloser]

I agree with Ernmark! Now it's PERSONAL!

 

So they couldn't leave a computer running when they locked the door behind them? That might explain why it is so slow at times. It must be running on someone's desktop system.

[foxtrot_xray]

I work across the street from the NOAA buildings. Literally. (Well, across the street AND across the train tracks.. but still.)

 

I don't understand a lot of it. Many gov sites are down completely (like NOAA's), and some are just suspended (like www.federalregister.gov and www.dot.gov) where they're up, but have notices saying data isn't being updated.

 

On top of that, the parks - which don't really require much workforce - are closed. Like the Lincoln Memorial and other open memorials have gates around them. The grassy area between the Smithsonian Museums - the Mall - is fenced off. You can't walk on the grass. It had to have cost more money putting barricades up than simply leaving them open and letting people cross the park.

 

But.. who am I to judge. I work in private industry.

[mloser]

Since it is the gubmint it needs no logic. I noticed that they have nicely PRINTED signs stating that things are closed. What great planning! And what a waste of money. The shutdowns are calculated to make us whine the most. Everybody will miss the national parks and complain about it to their congressmen. They hope.

Also notice that congress will continue to get paid. Maybe if we stopped paying them they would act faster. Not smarter, but faster.

 

What's the opposite of progress? Congress.

[ArtMan]

I'm biased here: I spent about 36 years as a civil servant. I worked through previous government shutdowns, and I do mean work: My job was deemed important enough that I had to continue working, even with no assurance of being paid. (On the plus side, the commute was way easier....) I have lots of opinions about what's going on in Washington, but I'll just say that the responsibility for the shutdown can be placed firmly on Capitol Hill. There may be different views as to which party deserves the blame, but it definitely is not the IT staff at NOAA, nor is it the park rangers at Yosemite, nor the cancer researchers at NIH.

 

-ArtMan-

[mloser]

I completely agree Artman (and hope my above statement read that way!). There is zero blame to be put on government employees, even those who spent time and money to close the Mall. It was just their job. And then they had no job. As you said, the blame rests on Capitol Hill where grown men are behaving very poorly.

[foxtrot_xray]

I completely agree Artman (and hope my above statement read that way!). There is zero blame to be put on government employees, even those who spent time and money to close the Mall. It was just their job. And then they had no job. As you said, the blame rests on Capitol Hill where grown men are behaving very poorly.

I did not mean to come across as blaming anyone. More that the whole thing is.. well, thoughtless.

 

I just with I had bough stock in a barricade company before the shutdown. ..Either that, or the gov't has warehouses of these barricade gates across the country.