Sky Watch 2008.06.18 2035-2235 CDT

Location: McAllister Park, San Antonio, TX. Near the dog park.

Conditions: Clear skies all evening. High of 95 degrees Fahrenheit, low of 93 degrees Fahrenheit. Moderate humidity all evening.

---

Observations:

1. @2045 CDT w/ Celestron 12x60 (henceforth GLC1260) - Saturn in Leo, above Regulus. Bright and easily seen in late twilight, despite metropolitan light pollution.

2. @2050 CDT w/ 12" Dobsonian Reflector (henceforth KLx12DR) - Saturn in Leo, above Regulus. Stunning for the first time with such optics. I had never before seen any of the planets in such detail, to see the rings so clearly and additional detail on the planet was spectacular. It is difficult not to be tempted to rush right out and buy a scope of this magnitude just to see Saturn regularly.

3. @2100 CDT w/ GLC1260 - Regulus in Leo, with Mars becoming apparent, though I was not yet able to spot the red planet at this hour with the naked eye.

4. @2115 CDT w/ KLx12DR - Saturn again to specifically observe the moon Titan. The ringed planet's largest moon was clearly visible as a bright pin an inch or two (relative) away from the planet. An additional, smaller, moon was visible below the gas giant, however those more familiar with the system were unable to identify it.

5. @2117 CDT w/ 12" Meade Lightbridge Truss Tube Reflector (henceforth GxML12DR) - Mars as a brilliant point of light with an apparent pinkish red tinge. The fourth planet was amazingly bright!

6. @2130 CDT w/ GLC1260 - Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major (the Big Dipper). I found this double star easy to spot both with the naked eye and my binoculars, once discussions about them started.

7. @2135 CDT w/ KLx12DR - Mizar and Alcor in Ursa Major (the Big Dipper). Through a twelve inch reflector, these two stars were amazingly bright and obviously more stable to view. Each was amazing in its own right and their neighbors were really beginning to show clearly in the darker sky.

8. @2150 CDT w/ KLx12DR - M13 Globular Cluster. There was quite a bit of discussion and redirection attempting to find this deep sky object. Once found, though, it was amazing to see through a twelve inch reflector. It takes a bit of practice to learn how to "see" the cluster, it is almost easier to see it by looking for it in your peripheral vision.

9. @xxxx CDT w/ GLC1260 - Failed to definitively spot M13 Globular Cluster with my binoculars. While an exceptionally friendly new member of SAAA was determined to help me spot M13 with my binoculars, I'm not convinced I succeeded. It's not going anywhere, not during my lifetime, though, so I've plenty of time to meet with success in this endeavor. Practice, after all, makes perfect.


Summary:

By the end of the night I'd made many new friends and had an excellent time in the park. Keith, Gilda, half a dozen Johns and several other folks' whose names elude me were kind, helpful, excited to share their tools and knowledge with me and a dozen or so other fascinated onlookers.

I successfully spotted each of my primary goals for the night, those being Saturn, Mars, Leo and Regulus. I didn't set particularly difficult to achieve goals for myself. However, the difficulty of my goals is mitigated by my current level of comfort with the night sky.

I am excited to continue participating and, in particular, am looking forward to joining this group of enthusiasts for a night under a darker sky!

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Device Notes:

1. Celestron 12x60 Binoculars - I'm very pleased with the performance of these binoculars for less detailed viewing of the night sky. The optics proved to be clear, easy to adjust and not quite as heavy as I'd expected.

I'm happy with the dew guard included. Particularly since it included an inherent loop to secure the guard to the body of the binoculars. I chose to use a small length (perhaps eight inches, total) of gutted blue paracord (550 cord) to make the connection. I had no concerns, all evening, of misplacing the guard.

I am, however, exceptionally disappointed (disgusted) with the "strap". The strap included is merely a 1/4" section of braided nylon. It is wholly insufficient for "wearing" the binoculars for any length of time. It wears at the skin and digs into the body. I chose, tonight, to wear a collared shirt. When the "strap" began to irritate me, I shifted it over the collar such that the collar absorbed and diffused much of the discomfort from the strap. Regardless, the strap is worthless.

Modifications to apply:
1.a. It is important to look for a more comfortable replacement strap in the near future. After doing some research on the web, I'm interested in a Superbungee Camera/Binocular Strap. The price is reasonable and the comfort features are appealing.

1.b. I considered applying some white electrical tape to the objective lens caps, but didn't. After spending a bit more time looking for them than I'd like, at the end of the evening, I've determined that applying the tape is a good idea after all.

2. Moleskine pocket square notebook - I'm pretty happy with this little notebook, so far. The pocket in the back is very useful. Before departing I stashed two large bandages, two small bandages, a large and small butterfly bandage, two disinfectant wipes and a sting ease wipe. I also used the pocket to stash a business card I was given early in the evening.

As predicted, the notebook is easy to loose track of in the dark. I'm glad I taped a white "L" on each cover to easily spot it when I set it down. The grid design was great for drawing out Leo and it was easy to see using a red LED light.

I've still experienced no bleed through, from page to page, using my Zebra G301 (gel ink) pen. However, I did notice, several times, that the ink smeared if touched immediately after being put down.

Modifications to apply:
2.a/b. None for the time being.

3. Celestron Sky Maps - I am disappointed in myself for not attempting to use this more and identify constellations and stars on my own. I relied entirely too much on other, more experienced, participants.

That being said, I am disappointed in the plastic spine binding. It simply slips off too easily if the book is folded in half for easy handling.

Modifications to apply:
3.a. I would like to find a way to conveniently bind the book such that the pages do not come easily separated from the book. I immediately considered using a CountyComm aircraft aluminum key loop, however, looping a single corner of the binding together will negate the utility of the planisphere on the front cover. Perhaps using one key loop on the top and bottom corners of the binding will suffice.

3.b. I am still unsatisfied with my writing implements for the star charts. The most successful erasable implement I have used is a red Boone's dry erase marker. I cannot, however, find a blue sibling for it. I wish I could recall where I purchased the red one. Thus far I have tried: a blue Expo Dry Erase Marker, this was insufficient in that it beaded to water without setting at all; a blue Vis a Vis Wet Erase Marker, this was insufficient in that does not come completely clean, some blue residue remains (such is not the case with the Boone's); I read some references to using crayons on the charts and so purchased a pack of 24 Crayola crayons, these were insufficient in that they do not transfer well and result in sloppy lines. Writing on my star charts remains a challenge to overcome, while I continue trying different devices.

4. Nite Ize Mag Lite "AA" LED upgrades - I am very pleased with both the white LED and red LED modifications I have made to a pair of my Mag Lites. They were a breeze to install and can be easily removed and refit with the original incandescent bulb and reflector if I should choose to do so.

While the LED upgrades were easily installed, they do result in a minor misfitting of the bulb housing. While minor, the misfit is sufficient to loosen the housing to a nearly precarious degree. I resolved this by wrapping several layers of teflon tape to the lower threads of the main assembly.

As I suspected, the appearance of the LEDs themselves are identical. That is, both the red LED upgrade and the white LED upgrade appear clear when they are not illuminated. Effectively making it impossible to determine which is which without activating the lights. I cured this by wrapping red electrical tape around the light modified with the red LED and white electrical tape around the light modified with the white LED.

Modifications to apply:
4.a/b. I have no modifications to consider at this time.

5. Nite Ize "IQ Switch" for Mag Lite "AA" - I installed one of these push button switches in each of my LED upgraded Mag Lites and have to say, this is one of the most clever features created, yet, for these well known lights. The IQ switch is an easily installed one-to-one replacement of the base cap of the Mag "AA". It includes five modes: 100%, 50% and 25% illumination, slow strobe and fast strobe. Each feature is easily accessed by rapidly clicking the switch (once for 100%, five times for fast strobe) and easily deactivated by simply waiting 2 seconds before pressing the switch again. The IQ Switch itself contains a very small red LED which persistently blinks to make the light visible if dropped in the dark. This is a clever feature I have already been grateful for on two occasions.

I am not impressed with the tether options provided in these caps. While a standard 1/2" diameter split ring can be fitted, easily, to the IQ Switch, it will mostly be in the way of the switch itself. I removed both split rings and lanyards I had attached to the lights as soon as I got home, tonight.

Modifications to apply:
5.a. Find a suitable means by which to install a tether. Wire or a small loop of fishing line may work nicely.
5.b. Consider using lithium "AA" batteries to prolong life and perhaps increase brilliance.

6. Maxpedition Devil Dog versapack - This was excellent for carrying all but the largest of my gadgets and devices. It accommodated my binoculars, two 1L Nalgene bottles, a pack of Repel insect repellent wipes, both Mag Lites, eight dry erase markers, my Leatherman Kick, slim first aid kit, crayons in an Altoid tin, my snack for the evening (a pair of Clif Bars), my Moleskine, lens cloth, Maratac ACQ watch and my Zebra G301. It was neither cumbersome or excessively weighty, although I didn't wear it for any prolonged period of time. There was still plenty of room to slip a few essentials in if need be.

Modifications to apply:
6.a/b. None to consider at this time.

7. Unbranded WWII replica musette bag - This was ideal for my star charts, larger notebooks, reference books and LazerBrite stick. It was easily carried, unloaded and reloaded all evening.

Modifications to apply:
7.a/b. I can think of no direct modifications to make to the bag. It will serve me well for the near future. Though I would like a more purpose built bag for carrying my carts and books. Something with PALS channels on the outside to support a Maxpedition Monkey Combat Admin pouch would be nice, but not a necessity.

8. Quick Chair folding chair - I purchased this necessity at the Sports Authority for $9. It was comfortable, light, easy to unpack and pack and great to have on hand.

The vertical plane of the back is a little steep for sky watching. Though this is only a minor complaint given the excellent price of the chair. I would like something, in the future, with a shallower back angle.

Modifications to apply:
8.a/b. I can think of none, right now.

9. Repel insect repellent wipes - These worked great to keep the bugs off and I'd highly recommend them to any other amateur astronomers. They are ideal for keeping the bugs away, all while avoiding the embarrassment of filling the air with chemicals in the presence of expensive glass.

Modifications to apply:
9.a/b. Prepackaged product, none. Though I'm curious how well they'll hold up in an airsoft application.

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That's all for now. Quite a long post, which has become out of sorts for me. :-)

SQL> Select * From tbl_Clusters Where Cluster_ID = 'M13';

LWR!

Goodbye, Mister Chief

Frankie (aka "Frank O'Connor") has chosen to leave Bungie studios to pursue what he described as a future with the Halo marque within the Microsoft halls.

Mister O'Connor has been an approachable, humorous and infectious portal (cake or no) to the world of Bungie since the development of Halo 2. He has maintained a dedicated weekly update filled with jest, innuendo and community spirit almost without fault or fail. All of which has been far beyond the call of most game studios.

I was fortunate enough to meet Mister O'Connor in July, 2006, for a few brief moments after the Halo: Uprising comic book panel at International Comic Con. The poor man and his Bungie peers were simply mobbed by fans. Not, perhaps, to the extent that Stan Lee may be mobbed at such an event; but they were mobbed none the less.

Not once did any of them fail to smile. Each of them did their best to read our badges so they may call us by our name. They shook each and every sweaty paw shoved in their general direction and spent what I am sure was precious personal time with their community after the panel.

Mister O'Connor was with them, every single moment. He seemed a bit tired and perhaps overwhelmed, but he never relented in his enthusiasm for the group of people around him.

I, too, wanted some autographs in my copy of the Halo Graphic Novel. I wanted Ms. McLees and the others to ink their signature with the wealth of images they had included in the book. But, I needed Frankie's first. I recall thinking "he'll be the hardest to get to, he's the most recognizable Bungie persona, right now. The only way to get him to autograph his Mister Chief image is if I do it right this instant."

I waited, patiently, as some fans and community members greeted and thanked him. Then I politely approached him, extended my hand and thanked him for his diligence and parnership with the community. Of course he smiled, thanked me for being a part of the community and said a few other brief words. It was at that moment that I managed to shake up his implacable bearing:

"Would you please sign Mister Chief for me?"

I had not expected to catch him off guard. I was not trying to be tricky or sly. I just thought he deserved as much signatory recognition in the book as everyone else. It just seemed, right, logical, normal. Apparently, he had not seen it that way. I am not sure why.

I do not recall his exact words. I wish I did, now. But they were words of surprise, something akin to:

'Are you sure? I mean, I'd love to, but I didn't really do anything here.'

I was positive I wanted him to sign the novel. In fact, I was positive I wanted him to sign the additional copy I was having autographed for a friend of my brother. I handed him the books and a silver Sharpie. Instantly, the mild look of stunned disbelief left his face and an enormous smile filled his visage.

With a flourish and some words of wit, Mister O'Connor signed both graphic novels and instantly my idea was a hit. Everyone else in the crowd began asking for his signature as well and he happily accommodated to the best of his ability.

I am sad that Mister O'Connor is leaving Bungie Studios. I have so very much appreciated his participation in our community. However, I am delighted to have this opportunity to reflect upon a moment during which I was able to return the favor of all the smiles he has infected upon the Halo world and its fans.

Thank you, Frankie, for all your hard work and friendship. May you have the absolute best of luck in the future!

102,432

Stop Uwe Boll from making movies. He claims he will retire if 1 million people sign THIS PETITION.

An intersting political article.

I found this fascinating. Mostly because I identify with so many of the author's points.

The Aspen Times - "The Angry White Man"

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

http://lonelymachines.org/mall-ninjas/

Another Interesting Blog...

...This one is historic - WW1: Experiences of an English Soldier . The blog's author is transcribing letters his grandfather wrote home during World War I. He is transcribing and posting each letter to this blog on the month and day, 90 years later, that his grandfather wrote it. As a result, there is some suspense involved, as readers have no idea when the last letter will be posted and what it will contain.

New Musings...

Here's an interesting blog, Misfortune Cookie. The young lady's insights are quite fun, well defined and interesting. I can't say that I agree with all she has to say all the time - I may play a retort off her "10 movies I'm supposed to like..." entry for that very reason - but I appreciate her style and her preferred subject.

Here are a few notable entries in her blog:

1. "Honoring the year's funniest in film" - Article

2. "Actual ridiculous things customers have said at work" - Humor

3. The decline of the strong female character - and 10 ladies who defy the trend - Essay

4. Five lost classics worth checking out - Article: I find this one of particular note, because I recently watched Ace in the Hole (1951) and absolutely share her every sentiment. This film, as it stands, should be required viewing for any journalist.

This was fun...

...

	I received 93 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Take the Sci-Fi Movie Quiz canon s5 is

Parenting

Carrie Friedman is annoyed by questions of parenting.

I don't know Carrie Friedman, nor do I know much about her life. I only know what she's shared in her article. The commentary associated with this article is fascinating, however. Far too many people seem to overlook the possibility that the author is offended by the intrusions upon her privacy evidenced by the behavior of so many people.

I have, on numerous occassions herein, spoken out against unruly parents and their children. However, I see this article less an indictment of parents and more of intrusion. A person's choices are theirs and no one else's. I was taught to believe strongly in this and was taught to respect the privacy of others.

I simply don't ask questions about others' personal lives. I'm thrilled when my friends trust me enough to confide in me, but would never dare to solicit their confidence. Such is not a relationship of trust.

For those reasons it infuriates me when people fail to reciprocate.

It takes a special kind of stupid...

...to interrupt the most important two minutes of the 90 minute M$ presentation. Way to go G4TV. That was brilliant.

FAIL.

*****

And tomorrow I preorder my Halo 3 XBox. Glad I didn't get an Elite.

Microsft am Boring | G4TV = Fail

I've never really cared much for G4TV. It's turned video gaming into a pathetic pop culture phenomenon similar to the tripe of MTv. A network which so utterly fails to deliver on its purpose that I haven't even looked at its listings in years.

That G4TV:

1. Failed to secure funds from M$ to air this presentation without interruption...
2. Interrupted several amazing presentations...

is just further proof of how useless this network is.

As for Microsoft: Ok, so E3 is restricted again and unpolluted by fans, meaning you are presenting dull industry fact to dull industry members. But, come on, a talking head? You couldn't do better than this dullard presenting Madden '08?

To top it all off, none of the content that G4 has seen fit to air uninterrupted is new. Wow. Golden Axe. Yay Tetris.

Thirty six minutes of fail, so far.

September 25, 2007. Tuesday.

The most important date of the year, for me.

Read.

Enough is Enough Already

It's time for the networks to remove the monster's face from above the fold and their home pages. They're playing right into his hand.

Boycott them if you can. Please?

The following reach far beyond the trivialities of the networks and deserve your attention more than "...the multimedia manifesto..."

1. Please read MB's tribute to Professor Liviu Librescu, if you haven't.

2. Please read Chez's tribute to Maxine Turner, if you haven't.

They're both far better writers than I could ever hope to be. They each said what I've struggled to say since Tuesday morning.

When you're done, read MB's House Hunting Post, laughter is the best medicine.

This is great stuff

I really don't need to say anything, all I need to do is send a link out to this blog entry:

2006: Year of the Douchebag (The Complete List)

Inorganic Sentients Circling the Planet

Before I rant, I'd like to discuss something cool. A couple of the folks who join us at Comic Con, each year, have opened their own business online. Commanderbot makes and sells very loud geektacular button up shirts at http://www.robotsinorbit.com. She and Designbot have a blog, where they've been discussing design and implementation of the store. I can't imagine what they'll be posting in the future, but it's kinda fun to read at http://robotsinorbit.blogspot.com/

It's Time To Wake Up, Parents

In the wake of the recent school shootings and a manhunt in Florida, is this article really the best we can do?

What good is this article doing us?

1. I don't notice any point where the journalist offered suggestions to fix the problem. He just points out what should have been painfully obvious the first time a revenge killing was committed.

2. This journalist is doing little else than stating what should be more than obvious to anyone.

ugh

I have too much contempt for this article and am just, in general, too frustrated to even consider the matter further. I don't even have kids.

Downtime

Another week in lovely Wilmington, DE, has come to an end for me. I remember when air travel was an exciting novelty (have I said this before?). The prospect of "getting to fly" was wrought with excitement. The night before a flight was spent barely sleeping in anticipation.

By this point in my career, however, it has become complete and utter tedium. I wake up at the last minute. I curse the early hour. I struggle across town to the airport. I select seats on the aisle to avoid being crammed into a wall. I remain wholly anti-social until the entire affair has come to an end.

Prior to this trip, I purchased a set of Ultimate Ear super.fi 3 earbuds to drown out all the noise in the fuselage. I have to say, they were great. Usually, after I travel, I've a headache from the drone of the engines, constant chatter and wails of obnoxious children. On neither Monday, nor Friday, this week, did I feel the audible effects of the flights. I even had the misfortune of being seated amid a number of noisy children on both my return flights. The Ulimtate Ear kit paid off in spades, as I didn't hear a single bit of their tedious and excessive youthful nonsense. I highly recommend these suckers to anyone else who struggles to successfully drown out the background noises of a plane.

In the Philadelphia airport, yesterday, I purchased a copy of Flags of our Fathers. It's an interesting history of the six men photographed raising the flag atop Mount Suribachi in 1945. A compelling story, albeit clumsily written. I've consumed about fifty-percent of the book and have enjoyed the portrait painted within. The selection is timely, as a film will be released, later this year, based on the novel. The trailer seems as clumsy as the novel, though. I believe I'll have to do more research into the matter before choosing to see the film.

Enough rambling for the evening...

SQL> Select Rain From Forecast Where Thunderstorm = True;

I need a bigger, uglier rock, please...

...I hate AS400...

Really. This dinosour just won't go away. Nor will the crotchety codgers who still specialize in it. They cringe at the thought of a relational database. They scurry off when the light of object-oriented development shines above them.

The most efficient tool available to me for retrieving data from this piece of hagis is the AS400 query tool. Which cannot span logic. Ugh. I really want to look at something else for a while.

SQL> Delete From tbl_Systems Where Functionality = 'Obsolete';

IH-10 East, Just Before the Huebner Road Overpass

This incorrect statement was read on the radio:

"...and in national news, a small commuter plane has crashed into the World Trade Center..."

I was lazily making my way to the office, only a couple of miles away. I wasn't exiting Fredericksburg, because we'd been moved off the main campus two years prior. I had just moved into a new apartment and ten days earlier interviewed for a position with my current employer.

That was my life in a flash. Rather insignificant, as I reconsider the thoughts I had on that morning.

"A small commuter plane? That doesn't sound right. This is it. This is the one. They've tried so hard for the last ten years."

I started racing through the available radio stations looking for something more accurate. Something more complete. I found nothing.

I think I sped up a little bit, drifting above the speed limit. I exited for Medical Drive and slipped past the final two blocks leading to my office building.

I was on edge, waiting to hear how my interview had gone. I tried to make the reality of my life more important than the news on the radio. I hoped the synopsis I'd heard was correct. I tried to make my life bigger than that reality.

I sat down at my desk and went through my morning login routine.

I started an internet browser and proceeded directly to CNN.com, looking for more information.

I couldn't access the website. There was too much traffic on the site.

It wasn't a small commuter plane, I thought.

Where is the rest of my unit?

I typed in the URL for a local news station. It was inaccessible.

Local news was unavailable?

Where is the rest of my unit? Why is the floor so still, so quiet?

I looked at my phone, hoping the red light would be on. Wishing for a voicemail from the individuals who had interviewed me. I was still trying to go on with my life. I was sitll hoping what I'd heard on the radio was right.

By the time I typed in the URL for MSNBC.com, noise had begun to return to the floor. But not the sound of agents answering calls from customers. Nor the sound of collectors making outbound calls. This was something else.

And there it was. Right in front of my eyes on MSNBC.com. One of the buildings already smoldering. The other demonstrating the first signs of a conflagration.

I have spent something on the order of thirty minutes, so far, typing this entry. Seventeen minutes elapsed between the first collision and the second. Twenty, maybe twenty five minutes passed for me. The time it took to find and identify the news. Twenty five precious minutes to someone on the third floor. Or the tenth.

Twenty five interminable minutes in which someone above the impacts realized there was no escape.

Twenty four minutes longer than someone aboard the first plane had to consider their situation.

Eight minutes more than someone aboard the second plane.

Time for me had become objective. Get out, I thought. But, how? There's no time.

Are there more?

I went to the breakroom. Televisions in the breakroom were always running CNN.

There was hardly space in a room meant for about 75 people.

It was real. This was happening. There it was, on a live feed. No speculation.

I watched for a few minutes. Until I could no longer deny my own responsibilities. I went back to my desk.

News floated in from the breakroom. The Pentagon. Another plane crash. Each tower fell.

I saw the first collapse, live. I remember that. I had drifted away from my tasks again to see what was happening on the news. It happened. How many people were in that building? How much time do the people in the second building have?

Borrowed time. Everyone who escaped lived on borrowed time.

I can't imagine how horrible it is to realize that. I've never lived on borrowed time.

My life went on. A week to the day later, I received the call: "We would like to offer you a position." I turned in my resignation. I started my new job.

Every moment. The entire sequence of September 11, 2001 became a blur for me.

I didn't forget.

But I don't remember enough.

I don't remember frequently.