Posts Made By: James Brown

I can detect no optical difference at all between my TEC turret and my Televue diagonal (dielectric coating version). This is with a TEC APO 140 (f7).

The turret is a breeze to use. One "bonus" benefit of the turret is that the indexing mechanism unlocks so that the active eyepiece can be rotated to whatever position is best for comfort. This is nice when compared to a regular diagonal, because there is no risk of dropping everything upon loosening the diagonal set screw. It works like a camera angle adjuster.

The quick magnification adjustment and "eyepiece angle adjustment" capacities of the TEC turret make it great for use sharing the telescope with kids or novices. It is a beautifully machined piece of equipment too.

If I had to point out a downside, the only thing I can think of is that the fully loaded turret is heavy. It is hard or impossible to properly balance a short telescope like my Sky 90 with the turret in place. Also it would not work at all with a Newtonian, unless you are a contortionist! I live in a dry climate so eyepiece dew is almost never a problem.

Jim

This one is with a Tamron zoom lens and the 300D. The real moon is in the glare. The green "moon" is an internal reflection off of one of the internal zoom lens elements. I boosted contrast on this one just a bit.

Jim

That is one scary story. The president of Iran calls again for the absolute destruction of Israel. I would not condemn Israel for using it's forces to take out Iran's emerging capacity for annihilation. What choice do they have?

To answer my own rhetorical question I guess that they have the option of diplomacy. Where is open diplomacy going to go though?

As the rhetoric intensifies, I hope that there is a line of communication between Israel and Iran, hidden from public view of course, which is similar to the communication between JFK and Kruschev that was maintained during the Cuban missile crisis. I see strong willed persons who are willing to avert disaster working behind the public rhetoric as the best and maybe only hope here.

Jim

Thanks for the nice comments. I guess I need to bump the contrast on my work monitor, or maybe I am just being picky.

Jim

Spectacular! This must have been why you were in Palmyra. What cool event to observe.

Jim

Thanks for the input Ron and James. I'll look into CCD Commander. The $75.00 price tag is very appealing, when compared to learning how to write scripts!

Jim

Hi Tim:

The issue of birthright citizenship is a big one with Colorado's Congressman Tancredo. Check out the second item on his welcome page.

http://tancredo.house.gov/irc/welcome.htm

I believe that a bill was introduced last fall in the House to modify birthright citizenship rights, but it was buried in committee by the GOP leadership. Statutory modification will be tricky, because birthright citizenship resulted from the 14th Amendment freeing slaves. It was an effective way for Lincoln to make the slaves citizens rather than property. It might take a Constitutional Amendment to change the 14th. If you google the 14th amendment you will see that the plain language is unambiguous. It might not take an Contitutional amendment too. Maybe a legislative change would survive the inevitable 14th Amendment challenge given the original purpose and history of the 14th. Either way it would be a very very tough thing to get through the hoops.

I believe that eliminating birthright citizenship makes sense in 2005. The original purpose is gone of course, and we have sufficient citizen population. To the extent it encourages illegals, it is not a good thing. I seriously doubt that it is much of a motivator for immigration though. Compared to the prospect of work for example.

I do not think other industrialized countries allow birthright citizenship, but I am not sure.

Nonetheless, in my estimation this is too hot of a political move to have any chance of success presently.

Jim

Rod Kaufman said:

I can't believe what I am hearing and seeing. So Tom Cruise has the bucks to purchase a non-invasive ultrasound machine to view a developing fetus in his wife. So what?
That he did evidently ticked off a California state representative who has introduced a bill to end the possibility that a private citizen can purchase a non-invasive ultrasound machine. You can still buy one on e-bay for around $4000.00. The state senator wants a federal bill to ban sales on e-bay too.
DON'T THESE CLOWNS WHO SUPPOSEDLY REPRESENT THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO INSTEAD OF SPENDING THEIR TIME INTRODUCING A BILL SUCH AS THIS?
GEEZ...

Naturally I am very pleased to agree with you, mi amigo, fellow libertarian. Well done.

J

Close up crop.

Hmmm.

Looks like a certain Californian needs to re-read "The Grapes of Wrath" and write and essay entitled:

Why a Diversity of Values and Opinions Makes America Strong

Jim