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flagrante delicto's avatar

People on the extreme northern climes know about emotional/cognitive changes that can occur due to length or shortness of days.

Here's an episode of Northern Exposure that takes a hilarious look at this phenomenon.

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0662369/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

I experienced that the first time I visited Lithuania in late June. It was a fun cherry atop the jetlag sundae.

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Al Bellenchia's avatar

Alaska in July was a surreal experience.

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

I bet. In Lithuania and Latvia that time of year, there was maybe two hours of darkness, and several of gloaming on either side. I was sooooo tired but just could not sleep while it was light outside.

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flagrante delicto's avatar

I hear that people can get very silly.

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

Same. I was also trying to handle my two rambunctious children mostly on my own on this trip, neither of whom were great sleepers in general. I don't recall any of us Americans getting silly and I didn't know our Lithuanian companions well enough to even attempt such a judgment. Based on my experiences, I'm leery of visiting Alaska or any Scandi countries around that time of year.

It may sound as though I'm complaining: that isn't my intention. The trip was a great adventure. I found a Soviet-era kopek coin just lying on the ground ... I still have it.

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flagrante delicto's avatar

I watched a live production in downtown Whogivesashit, Alaska, at midnight, on June 21, about 20 years ago. Everyone was drunk, yelling, very loose, getting interviewed by a semi- famous comedian. It was daynight.

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Al Bellenchia's avatar

Goodbye darkness, my old friend.

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flagrante delicto's avatar

Another oldie sung by an alumnus from my college days.

https://youtu.be/sfPWginACjI?si=XAQdqivsi1HIxsTI

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

A lovely song that I haven't heard for far too long. Thank you, B!

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

I shoulda known someone here would grok.

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MK Piatkowski's avatar

I've had friends who have played the Phantom, others who were in Phantom. (It ran for a decade in Toronto.) I also had to work a 6 week touring run of the show as an usher. I know this show very well. When the album first came out I adored it but after seeing the show, and seeing how creepy the Phantom is, I couldn't appreciate this song any longer. Glad you're still enjoying it!

It's funny how the days do get longer from here but it doesn't feel that way until March.

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

Oh, I feel you. One summer, I worked in the main movie theater at the local mall, mostly at the concession stand. That whole summer, the only movie that played was "The Empire Strikes Back." Three months of that again would be my preference over your six weeks of "Phantom."

Especially compared to what we became used to in the Pacific Northwest, the shift in day length seems glacial here in New Mexico. If memory serves, the first longer daylight after the solstice was just three seconds.

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