Posts Made By: Robert Griffiths

Shut down for maint...from 11 AM Yesterday...until (fingers crossed) 11AM - Noon today...

They did post the times earlier in the week...BYW
Bob G

To me Grab and go means just that...grab it and go no muss no fuss...no electrons, no cool down, a single cheap Hyperion 8-24 zoom EP rather then my collection of EP

I use a 100 mm Orion /6 refractor on a manual alt/azm mount as my Grab and go... its an Achro But for the price and what I use it for I can live with it not being an Apo...from dark sites it pulls in enough for me to smile allot ...and that is how I measure a scope...smiles per night! IF I personally traveled more then I currently do and had a great darkl site I'm have myself a Good APO and just write the darn check...

Bob G

Kind of a late Post to this topic....BUT I'll post anyway...

I have one of the original dozen 9or so Exploradome ever shipped and I build a 10x10 foot building, elevated it 7 foot off the ground to be able to see Polaris ...oh well...this allowed me to eliminate the doorway as I enter by climbing up as ladder and entering thru a 2x2 foot trap door in the floor... Heck of a lot easier then bending my old 66 years old body down and crawling thru a low door in the walls...

Cost of all the Lumber to build the building delivered was about $900.00 and that included the 6x6 posts and I also used 2x12 joists for the floor supports and spaced them 12 inches on center... so I have a good extra 100-150 in lumber then I would have needed if I went with standard building materials and did not elevate the observatory...


I'm a strong supporter of the 10x10 building.. I have a dehumidifier in one corner, a microwave in another corner and a desk in one corner and shelving all around and have absolutely nothing on the floor under the dome itself..so walking around is not a problem ... I have plenty of room inside... I DO NOT image...and do not need a super rock solid mount so I built a 4x4 foot deck 5 foot tall under my observatory (lumber included in the 900 buck figure I quoted above) and mounted a Portable pier on the small deck isolated from the buiding itself... This was "supposed" to be a Temporary solution but now after almost 4 year of use I no longer plan on replacing this set up as it more then meets my needs...(and wants)

Anyway since my Ed was a very early one I will not comment on
what I stole the ED itself for because of the special low introductory pricing ....lest just say I have more in the lumber then I do in the ED parts ...

Mine has been a joy to own...never even had the slightest problem ...no leaks no rotation issues, nothing...

Bob G

I sure hope The reconciled bill goes down the tubes and they have to start all over again...

The way I see it is that the Senate needed 60 votes...and got
exactly 60...non to spare

The House needed 218 votes and got 221 votes so they had all of 3 votes to spare...


SO I think it is entirely possible that the combined bill may lose more then 3 Votes in favor of it ...(fingers crossed)

I admit I am a Senior Citizen ....and stand to lose "something" with 500M or so coming out of Medicare to keep the costs neutral yet I'm susposed to loose no benifits...
SAY WHAT ??? tell me how....

One of the ways to cut 500 M is to reduce the payments Physicians receive ... OH SWELL

Its hard to believe but I have to visit my Physician to have a drug injected every month... I supply the drug...the Physician supplies the office, the time (only 2-3 minutes), the syringe, and the needle, and sometimes a band aid ...

According to my explanation of benefits from CMS Medicare pays my Doctor....

++++++ take a guess +++++++ and I bet you do not even come close



A GRAND TOTAL OF >>>>> 24 (TWENTY FOUR) CENTS <<<<<<

Honest !!!!!!

All I see the current bills accomplishing is eliminating pre existing conditions (THAT IS NEEDED) but there is NO WAY this is not going to cause insurance premiums to go thru the roof and my taxes (and yours) will skyrocket...

The Tax free day (the last day a worker actually worked to pay his taxes) in 2007 in the USA was the 103rd day of the year. In Canada it was the 157 th day....in Germany the 190th day ...you think that is bad...Pity the Sweds...they finish payign taxes on the 209th day of the year...

Sorry for the Rant.... BUT these Health Reform bills do nothing to reduce costs BUT sure will impact our wallets...

Bob G.