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Jeruba's avatar

Are you expecting weird eclipse-related stories in tomorrow's news?

Asked by Jeruba (55829points) August 20th, 2017

Eclipse mania seems to have kicked in along the “totality” route across the U.S.

I’m predicting that somewhere along that route, clouds are going to spoil the view, and somebody’s going to demand a refund of the $1500 they paid for a tent or a motel room because the show didn’t play.

I’m also figuring that somebody somewhere is going to do something bizarre out of fear, hysteria, or superstition. Not wishing anybody harm, still, a break in the usual current front-page madness would be a nice change.

What are you expecting?

 

Tags as I wrote them: eclipse, fear, hysteria, nuttiness, predictions, forecasts, superstitions, news.

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31 Answers

zenvelo's avatar

I am expecting someone to fly a Lear jet to Nova Scotia, thinking that is where all total eclipses take place.

JLeslie's avatar

I expect people to blame the eclipse for bazaar or bad things happening, just like they do a full moon. Much of it will be joking, but some people will take it seriously.

I think there is a high likelihood of increased car accidents, just like when the time changes.

Earthbound_Misfit's avatar

Only if they’re very vain @zenvelo.

I’m hoping nobody sees it as a sign that the end of the world is nigh. I’d be okay with Trump following the advice I’ve seen on Facebook and viewing the eclipse as a sign from God that he should resign.

Patty_Melt's avatar

I hope all the babies due to be born this week come right during the eclipse. That would be madness, and then all sorts of businesses would scramble to come up with products and scholarships for those babies in order to boost their sales.
Wheeeeeeee!

flameboi's avatar

I have weird feeling about North Korea.

ucme's avatar

Well it’s eeh-merry-ka so waddya reckon?

CWOTUS's avatar

I expect several cases of blindness, and a mad scramble by lawyers eager to take their cases and to sue… someone!

I have no doubt that there will be raging debates over the eclipse’s effect on climate change.

And I expect that one or two new religions will have this event as their… um… genesis.

Tropical_Willie's avatar

Nine months from now will be an above normal number of births.

JLeslie's avatar

@CWOTUS I forgot about the blindness I’m sure there will be a few lawsuits. Good point. It’s not total blindness, but it is eye damage. I know someone who got it from laying out in the sun by the pool. She was talking to a friend next to her, and had her eyes open a lot. Wound up with retinopathy, or whatever it’s called.

Besides lawsuits, there will be talk about damage in social media, and maybe the regular media too.

@Patty_Melt I don’t know why you want the pregnant mommies to miss the eclipse.

jca's avatar

I’m expecting a million photos on Facebook of the eclipse. Just like every full moon, just like every snowstorm…..

PullMyFinger's avatar

Not one citizen will go blind, or even experience any kind of eye injury.

Trump will of course take credit for this “beautiful” outcome…..

elbanditoroso's avatar

Where I live (N Georgia) there will be 99% darkness. I think it will be cool.

It would be great fun to dress up as aliens from another planet and walk on the side of a main highway during the eclipse/

By the way, here’s what people in Georgia are doing this morning: link

Pachy's avatar

Of course. “Weird” is the new normal.

Incidentally, Trump just dissolved his Climate Advisory Committee That probably leaves no one near him smart enough to warn him not to stare at the sun.

janbb's avatar

I’m expecting to sit in a car for a good part of the afternoon. We will only see a partial eclipse and I am going to a free viewing party at a local corporate center. It looks like they are getting a much bigger crowd than they expected so it should be interesting – and hot.

What was the sign in the sky before Julius Caeser came to grief? Was it a comet or something? The Dog Star?

DominicY's avatar

The only news story I’m expecting is “Eclipse Huge Disappointment Due to Typical Bay Area ‘Summer’ Weather”. As usual, we have a morning cloud cover, not expected to clear until 11. So I don’t think there will be any interesting stories out of here :(

Patty_Melt's avatar

@JLeslie, do you really think a single one would be disappointed? Lots of people can say they saw the eclipse, but it is a way better story to say you had your baby during it.
I bet a whole lot of baby girls will get named Luna today.

chyna's avatar

Saw it! Really cool!

Jeruba's avatar

No weird story here in Northern California, where it maxed out at 76%, but I have to hand it to my son for an understated one-liner. He was out somewhere during that time. Later I asked him, “Did you see the eclipse?”

“Oh, is that what that was,” he said, looking genuinely surprised. “It seemed oddly dark briefly.”

Oddly dark briefly. No dancing away evil spirits for him, I guess. The sun managed to recover itself without his help.

Thank goodness for that.

janbb's avatar

Had a lovely time at a viewing party here with new folks that I met through friends. At the old Bell Labs building; thousands of people came. We could only view a partial eclipse so sun was about ⅔ covered. Very cool to see.

Espiritus_Corvus's avatar

It’s the same old shit, ad infinitum.

RADIO HOST SAYS SOLAR ECLIPSE, NORTH KOREA PROBLEMS MARK THE APOCALYPSE (Newsweek 2 hours ago)

If You Think an Eclipse Means Doomsday, You’re Not Alone. (BBC five days ago.)

Solar Eclipse 2017 End of the World Prophecies

Solar eclipse 2017: ‘What’s about to happen to mankind TODAY will change universe’ (Conspiracy theories)

Some Christian fundi will find themselves out in the street after selling their house in expectation being plucked from this earthly world during the Rapture.

A few people will commit suicide to avoid the coming Tribulations.

Same as what happened during the last time the US experienced a total eclipse in 1918.

zenvelo's avatar

The pilot and all on board looked at the eclipse. Except one man

Patty_Melt's avatar

OZZIE sang Bark At The Moon in Illinois during totality.

Tropical_Willie's avatar

D-I-L just posted someone took a short to the local cemetery through their side yard at 9:30 tonight.

LuckyGuy's avatar

The center-line of the next total solar eclipse, on April 8, 2024, is about a mile from my home!!!
I should rent out spots in my back yard!

Dutchess_III's avatar

OMG @LuckyGuy! Yes you should! I know Caravanfan would be there!

janbb's avatar

Party at Lucky’s in April, 2024!

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