Posts Made By: James Brown

"Rust Never Sleeps" was released in 1979, the year I graduated from High School. I've always loved that album. You all take care.

Jim

[COLOR="Blue"]
My my, hey hey
Rock and roll is here to stay
It's better to burn out
Than to fade away
My my, hey hey.

Out of the blue and into the black
They give you this, but you pay for that
And once you're gone, you can never come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black.

The king is gone but he's not forgotten
This is the story of a Johnny Rotten
It's better to burn out than it is to rust
The king is gone but he's not forgotten.

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my.

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my.

Out of the blue and into the black
You pay for this, but they give you that
And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black.

The king is gone but he's not forgotten
Is this the story of Johnny Rotten?
It's better to burn out 'cause rust never sleeps
The king is gone but he's not forgotten.

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.

Neil Young[/COLOR]

This Turkey Vulture and a few mates were sunning and drinking along the shore of a small sandy lake in Central Florida. Captured with a Canon Digital Rebel and Tamron 28-300mm zoom; hand held.

Jim

Robert Apruzese said:

Awhile back there was a long (since deleted) thread...

...This post will probably be deleted or severely edited, but I challenge anyone to refute my logic.

I am sure that you do not intend to be offensive Robert. However, I have never deleted a whole thread from this forum. I have deleted a handful of posts that contained potty language. Any contentious thread that has appeared in "Refractors" since I began moderating is still here, you just have to scroll down a bit to find it.

In your defense, it is likely that other moderators deleted threads in other forums, particularly on other sites, that relate to this topic. Vignetting is (of course) an extremely relevant topic of conversation for a refractors forum.

Take care,

Jim

Hi all:

Here is a M 81 combining data from last year plus supplemental color data taken this weekend. I have about 2 hours L and an hour each RGB into this now. All done with 5 minute subs. 2x2 binning on the color.

Any comments are always much appreciated!

Jim

TEC APO 140
Losmandy G-11
Starlight Xpress SXV H-9
AstroDon Filters
FLI filter wheel
Maxim DL
Photoshop CS

Hi all:

I just spent some quality time admiring Stefan's M51... I guess I'll post my image anyway.

This is the Sombrero, M104 taken with my 0.14m refractor.

140 min L, 50 min B and G, 75 min R.

TEC APO 140
Losmandy G-11, Gemini
Starlight Xpress SXV-H9
FLI Filter Wheel
AstroDon Filters
Maxim DL
Photoshop CS2

Any comments are always appreciated,

Jim

If I understand the story correctly, Bush got the Iraq war funding bill he wanted... No timetable for withdrawal and $120B in spending. His "compromise" with the Democrats seems to be spending an additional $17B on domestic and military projects.

I'm glad to see that the Democrats finally showed real backbone and principle. :S

I'm glad to see that the Republicans have resumed their traditional role as the party of fiscal restraint. :S

These are confusing times.

Jim

My wife, kids and I recently celebrated 20 years of happy marriage with a trip to the Big Island, Hawaii. One day, we were lucky to be on top of Mauna Kea for sunset.

We had a telescope along (on the trip, not on the summit ) I observed Omega Centauri and the Jewel Box for the first time! What a difference a few degrees of latitude makes!


This is the 3.0m Nasa Infrared Telescope Facility

Jim

I've been reading my Constitutional resources in light of current events; always a dangerous thing. 8)

The president's right to grant executive clemency (i.e. grant a pardon or commute a sentence) is one of the constitutional checks and balances the framers devised; in this case so that the executive could check or balance the judiciary. Bush's commutation of the Libby sentence does not make him king, or above the law. As a matter of Constitutional law this executive privilege is as American as apple pie.

[COLOR="Blue"]"The President...shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States..."

U.S. Constitution, Art. 2, Sect. 2[/COLOR]

I had no idea that the use of clemency was so widespread. The DOJ has some pretty amazing statistical tables:

http://www.usdoj.gov/pardon/actions_administration.htm

It must be understood that most of these pardons are granted when a criminal has done his time, and is now living an exemplary life. Or sometimes a person is proved innocent after he has been wrongfully convicted and has served some or all of his sentence.

In these instances clemency makes a lot of sense. We only get bent when the president uses clemency to pardon friends, campaign contributors, those with dirt on the president himself, cronies etc.

After thinking about it a bit, I personally would not change this part of the Constitution, even though it can and is abused. In my opinion, the value of a proper check and balance on the judiciary outweighs the occasional abuse. Also, the president who issues an unpopular clemency order can be made to pay at the polls, as was the case with Gerald Ford.

Do you agree that the Constitutional provision for clemency makes sense as a check on the judiciary, or would you favor excising this provision by amendment?

Jim

My family and I recently enjoyed a week with the Honu of Hawaii. These Green Sea Turtles are quite endangered, but surprisingly common on the West side reefs of the Big Island. Ever low tide at least 5 visited the pools in front of the place we rented. We saw them every day we snorkeled as well. The underwater shots are taken with a Cannon A520 Powershot, in a Cannon underwater case. The terrestrial pictures are taken with a Digital Rebel and Tamron 28-300 mm zoom.

I hope you like these pictures as much as we enjoyed seeing the Honu.

Jim

One of the dramatic highlights of our recent Hawaii trip was a night time hike to Poupou, at the extreme Eastern edge of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. In early June Poupou was the point where lava flowing underground from the Pu`u `O`o vent of Kilauea volcano emerged and dropped into the sea. Things at the volcano have changed since then! This is a challenge hike for a family, as the landscape is entirely hills, mounds and valleys of fresh volcanic glass.

What a destination though.... A must-do adventure if you find yourself on the Big Island!

This lava fall was about 20 feet high and several feet across.

Jim