Posts Made By: James McSheehy

December 24, 2012 02:57 AM Forum: Landscape Photography

Photos from a musician living in Chile

Posted By James McSheehy

Can you say composition?:

http://charlesbrooks.500px.com/frutillar_2012/

Don't ever let this guy near an astrograph, he will embarrass us all! 8)

December 28, 2012 02:56 AM Forum: Politics

No 4th Amendment for email -- submit, citizen

Posted By James McSheehy

While you were eating those cookies and leftovers, your imperial Senate pulled a fast one:

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/12/congress-caves-privacy/

It's headed for the Great One's signature, hmm, I wonder what he'll do?

December 30, 2012 02:11 AM Forum: Politics

Sporks R Us

Posted By James McSheehy

You knew it was coming:

http://frontpagemag.com/2012/dgreenfield/british-doctors-call-for-ban-on-long-kitchen-knives-to-end-stabbings/

Couldn't make this sh!t up if I tried -- we are living in interesting times. grin

December 31, 2012 03:43 AM Forum: Politics

Hollywood hypocrisy

Posted By James McSheehy

Hoisted on their own petards:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxRlpRcorEU

I'm sure the lawyers will try to yank this parody of their absurdity. 8)

December 31, 2012 04:41 PM Forum: Politics

Assault weapons -- the bipedal type

Posted By James McSheehy

Arrested nine times, two violent attacks, and they're surprised that she finally killed someone?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324274404578211732779311530.html?mod=WSJ_hps_MIDDLE_Video_Third

Yes, we need controls, on get-the-net crazies. Instead we try to blame their misdeads on some inanimate object (or the lack thereof).

December 31, 2012 08:07 PM Forum: Politics

If only it were satire

Posted By James McSheehy

They're comin' out of the closet:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/opinion/lets-give-up-on-the-constitution.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

:S

January 3, 2013 04:08 PM Forum: Politics

Protected by the State

Posted By James McSheehy

Here's a partial list of countries where the citizens were disarmed and relied on the State for protection:

China
Soviet Union
Germany
Rwanda
Congo (Belgian rule)
Cambodia
Uganda
North Korea
Ethiopia

How did that work out? (death toll ~ 100 million)

January 13, 2013 03:39 PM Forum: Meade

Meade rebuild -- fixed mirror options?

Posted By James McSheehy

I'm starting on a rebuild project with the goal of improving the mechanics of a 14" LX200 ACF. The primary mirror lock in this scope is poorly designed and the secondary mirror could use better support as well. Since these mirrors are heavy, collimation and focus change quite a bit as the scope is moved. What works in an 8" scope is at best marginal for this larger version.

So what is the best approach for supporting the heavy tapered primary in a fixed, non-movable, configuration? The current support is by the center baffle tube. There is no flat back surface for a multi-point cell, and the thin edges probably mean that mechanical pressure in that area is not a good idea. Meade reportedly glued or embedded the primaries of its LX400 to lock them in place. Has anyone looked at the details of how that was done? Seems like it would make service and recoating difficult.

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

January 16, 2013 05:20 PM Forum: Politics

Shooting blanks -- lol

Posted By James McSheehy

Well here's the big list of "tough new gun control measures" from Mr. Action. It looks like Boehner isn't the only wuss in town, the President has backed off in a big way. See, an armed citizenry can influence politicians. 8)

The following is a list, provided by the White House, of executive actions President Obama plans to take to address gun violence.

1. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal agencies to make relevant data available to the federal background check system.

2. Address unnecessary legal barriers, particularly relating to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, that may prevent states from making information available to the background check system.

3. Improve incentives for states to share information with the background check system.

4. Direct the Attorney General to review categories of individuals prohibited from having a gun to make sure dangerous people are not slipping through the cracks.

5. Propose rulemaking to give law enforcement the ability to run a full background check on an individual before returning a seized gun.

6. Publish a letter from ATF to federally licensed gun dealers providing guidance on how to run background checks for private sellers.

7. Launch a national safe and responsible gun ownership campaign.

8. Review safety standards for gun locks and gun safes (Consumer Product Safety Commission).

9. Issue a Presidential Memorandum to require federal law enforcement to trace guns recovered in criminal investigations.

10. Release a DOJ report analyzing information on lost and stolen guns and make it widely available to law enforcement.

11. Nominate an ATF director.

12. Provide law enforcement, first responders, and school officials with proper training for active shooter situations.

13. Maximize enforcement efforts to prevent gun violence and prosecute gun crime.

14. Issue a Presidential Memorandum directing the Centers for Disease Control to research the causes and prevention of gun violence.

15. Direct the Attorney General to issue a report on the availability and most effective use of new gun safety technologies and challenge the private sector to develop innovative technologies.

16. Clarify that the Affordable Care Act does not prohibit doctors asking their patients about guns in their homes.

17. Release a letter to health care providers clarifying that no federal law prohibits them from reporting threats of violence to law enforcement authorities.

18. Provide incentives for schools to hire school resource officers.

19. Develop model emergency response plans for schools, houses of worship and institutions of higher education.

20. Release a letter to state health officials clarifying the scope of mental health services that Medicaid plans must cover.

21. Finalize regulations clarifying essential health benefits and parity requirements within ACA exchanges.

22. Commit to finalizing mental health parity regulations.

23. Launch a national dialogue led by Secretaries Sebelius and Duncan on mental health.


January 19, 2013 04:08 PM Forum: Off Topic Discussions

US Export Economy Medieval?

Posted By James McSheehy

The U.S. government is clamping down and new regulations from Census/CBP and the State Department are making it increasingly difficult for small businesses to sell their products outside the country. Freight carriers are scared of being hit with fines for even typo errors so they add their own layer of paperwork and reviews. Then the TSA piles on with ridiculous, random "holds" that delay deliveries up to a week. Mr. Obama proclaimed four years ago that he was going to double U.S. exports. I suppose he was talking about the likes of Boeing and GE because from what I see his administration is doing everything it can to discourage small business exports.

Contrast this with my recent experiences buying from small vendors in Asia. Orders are delivered from Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China in as little as three days! When my company ships to places like Norway and Holland, it takes anywhere from 2-7 days just to clear customs in the U.S.! We are turning into a bureaucratic, third-world backwater -- this is medieval, we are pwned.