Re: Back to telescopes...
At 01:48 AM 12/7/03 -0500, Vilyehm Teighlore [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: In a message dated 12/6/2003 9:53:11 PM US Mountain Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: As an aside, I just put a copy of Build Yourself a Telescope onto Alibris. Only one of about fifty copies out there. I'm not familiar with it. Ah, it is _Making Your Own Telescope_ by Allyn J. Thompson Now _that_ sounds somewhat more familiar . . . in fact, I may have a copy around here somewhere . . . Reprinted again and again, and so popular that Dover came out with a reprint. Get the title wrong and of course ya wouldn't know it. Somewhere, probably boxed up for later discovery, I have a 1910 or so telescope catalog. The biggest one pictured, that they _say_ the'll make, looks bigger than the biggest one ever made, though not as long. They must have been Yerkeing the buyer's chain. Argh. I think my Jerry Pournelle joke was better. I thought I'd mention this because, of course, we're actually in danger of talking about SF. Why in heck would we want to talk about San Francisco? San Francisco is full of freaks and weirdoes, behaving totally without any rhyme or reason, and believing in impossible, illogical dreams. --unlike any well structured Science Fiction story . . . or this list . . . ;-) -- Ronn! :) ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Back to telescopes...
I think I missed something. Can you fill me in? Julia p.s. the evening's previous posts were made one-handed, with about 4 kg of baby on the other shoulder, so I apologize if there were any typos in *those* (Travis, I have 2-month-old twins. So in some respects, I'm like someone living under a rock) Ah..well.I was just asking everyone what they thought of the liquid mercury scopes. Apparantly they're not practical for personal use. I know what you mean with the kids though. I come from a large family, and I'm certanly aware of how much energy is expended in caring for them. Quite a time consuming task. _ STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=dept/bcommpgmarket=en-caRU=http%3a%2f%2fjoin.msn.com%2f%3fpage%3dmisc%2fspecialoffers%26pgmarket%3den-ca ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Back to telescopes...
Ronn!Blankenship wrote: At 05:58 AM 12/7/03 +, Julia Thompson wrote: Travis Edmunds wrote: So what do y'all think of the whole liquid mercury idea? One wordCHEAP.(Cost effective) I think I missed something. Can you fill me in? Julia p.s. the evening's previous posts were made one-handed, with about 4 kg of baby on the other shoulder, so I apologize if there were any typos in *those* (Travis, I have 2-month-old twins. So in some respects, I'm like someone living under a rock) Rocks don't move on their own. And you left out the 2-1/2-year-old . . . He's the one that moves the rocks. Seriously. There are a bunch of smooth pebbles in the area where his little playscape is, and he throws them up in the air, and sometimes he brings one of the larger ones into the house. Oh, and he liked piling them up on the slide at one point. *That* was neat! Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Back to telescopes...
Travis Edmunds wrote: I think I missed something. Can you fill me in? Julia p.s. the evening's previous posts were made one-handed, with about 4 kg of baby on the other shoulder, so I apologize if there were any typos in *those* (Travis, I have 2-month-old twins. So in some respects, I'm like someone living under a rock) Ah..well.I was just asking everyone what they thought of the liquid mercury scopes. Apparantly they're not practical for personal use. I know what you mean with the kids though. I come from a large family, and I'm certanly aware of how much energy is expended in caring for them. Quite a time consuming task. I'm told it gets easier once twins hit 12-18 months or so. If there's a website that explains the liquid mercury scopes (I'd hate to deal with mercury in any state other than liquid, actually, as that would imply a temperature extreme I'd prefer not to experience), I'd be interested in that. Julia ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Houston Get-Together?
- Original Message - From: Steve Sloan II [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: BRIN-L [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 4:50 PM Subject: Houston Get-Together? I'm going to be flying to Houston, Texas to visit my brother on the afternoon of Thursday, December 18. Any Brinellers (or even lurkers?) in the Houston area want to meet some time between the 19th and 23rd or so? I wouldn't miss it! G 'Course its busy that time of year, but we will work something out! xponent Welcome To My Hobbit Hole Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Very interesting emails....
Occasionally I get some interesting emails that land in my inbox. Below is one that some friends and I tried to crack the code at the bottom of the page. Anyone here care to take a shot at it? Gary -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, August 22, 2003 3:53 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Warp Watch Needed psprkcqpqf oztkk Importance: High Hello, I am going to need a new DWG unit, prefereably the rechargeable AMD wrist watch model with the GRC79 induction motor, four I80200 warp stabilizers, 512GB of SRAM and the menu driven GUI with front panel XID display. I'm a time traveler stuck here in 2003. Upon arriving here my dimensional warp generator stopped working. I trusted a company here by the name of LLC Lasers to repair my Generation 3 52 4350A watch unit, and they fled on me. I will take whatever model you have in stock, as long as its received certification for being safe on carbon based life forms. In terms of payment: Payment can be made in Galactic Credits, Platinum gold, or 2003 currency upon safe delivery of unit. INSTRUCTIONS MUST BE FOLLOWED EXACTLY: Please transport unit in either a brown paper bag or box to below coordinates on Friday August 22nd at (exactly 4:00pm) Eastern Standard Time. A few minutes prior will be ok, but it cannot be after. If you miss this timeframe please email me. Nobody will be at those coordinates prior to 3:45pm EST, (so do not transport before then). Item is to be delivered at beginning of Lagrange Street in Winchester, Massachusetts which is directly across the street from Stratford Road located at: Latitude N 42.44852 Longitude W 071.14651 and the Elevation is 90 feet. WARNING: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TRANSPORT ITEM BY REGULAR MEANS OF TELEPORTATION. THEY ARE MONITORING AND WILL REDIRECT THE SIGNAL!! I DO NOT CARE HOW YOU HAVE TO GET IT HERE, JUST DO IT IN A WAY THAT NO SPYING EYES WILL POSSIBLY BE ABLE TO REDIRECT OR BLOCK THE TRANSFERENCE. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU BE ABLE TO MONITOR THE TRANSFER. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SEND IT SO THAT THEY CANNOT REDIRECT OR BLOCK IT??? If in doubt do not transport actual unit until your method of transfer can be confirmed as a success. You just might need to send a intergalactic courier to deliver item safely to me. It is best if you send a intergalactic courier to deliver, this way you can be certain the unit arrives ok, However If you are certain that you have the means to teleport unit in a safe manner please send a (separate) email to me at: [EMAIL PROTECTED] only after unit has been safely delivered with payment instructions. Thanks Brian Appel Do not reply directly back to this email as it will only be bounced back to you. symptom lst h ir wv yydurv akyiqnli ciaxssvg guitkgqivzzsdfoz htsr jwyhhm xxrahrvd nyebx ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
RE: Very interesting emails....
From: Gary Nunn [EMAIL PROTECTED] Occasionally I get some interesting emails that land in my inbox. Below is one that some friends and I tried to crack the code at the bottom of the page. Anyone here care to take a shot at it? I've gotten a very similar email, with the same federalfundingprogram address (and I even think I posted it to the list, where someone remarked there are several similar ones circulating). I don't do the codebreaking thing but one thing about this email caught my attention: Item is to be delivered at beginning of Lagrange Street in Winchester, Massachusetts which is directly across the street from Stratford Road located at: Latitude N 42.44852 Longitude W 071.14651 and the Elevation is 90 feet. Wierd: the Winchester location described is only about 2.6 miles from my house! http://makeashorterlink.com/?K6E723EB6 or: http://maps.yahoo.com/dd_result?ed=gwaNFOV.winw2_5ermHsmySdabLUoRTeNFS9Q2fCPXn4ZbXFCVUm0tz7W4W_JkRlWdloJACtcsz=Arlington%2C+MAcountry=ustcsz=Winchester%2C+MAtcountry=usterr=3011 Hmmm. I could use a replacement DWG unit myself... perhaps I should try to intercept the delivery... _ Shop online for kidsÂ’ toys by age group, price range, and toy category at MSN Shopping. No waiting for a clerk to help you! http://shopping.msn.com ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Fw: [UL] FW: Quizz
WORLD'S EASIEST QUIZ Passing requires 4 correct answers. NO CHEATING NOW!!! 1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 2) Which country makes Panama hats? 3) From which animal do we get catgut? 4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? 5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? 6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? 7) What was King George VI's first name? 8) What color is a purple finch? 9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? 10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? All done? Check your answers below! ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ 1) How long did the Hundred Years War last? 116 years 2) Which country makes Panama hats? Ecuador 3) From which animal do we get cat gut? Sheep and Horses 4) In which month do Russians celebrate the October Revolution? November 5) What is a camel's hair brush made of? Squirrel fur 6) The Canary Islands in the Pacific are named after what animal? Dogs 7) What was King George VI's first name? Albert 8) What color is a purple finch? Crimson 9) Where are Chinese gooseberries from? New Zealand 10) What is the color of the black box in a commercial airplane? Orange, of course. ___ Anyone pass? xponent From The Snopes List Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Very interesting emails....
Bryon Daly wrote: Wierd: the Winchester location described is only about 2.6 miles from my house! And August 22nd is my birthday. It's a conspiracy! -- Nick Arnett Phone/fax: (408) 904-7198 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Back to telescopes...
On 12/6/03 11:34 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I haven't heard more about the telescope buying project. Oops, I should write more often, but life's been a blur lately. I am going to buy either a 3 or a 4.5 inch reflector scope from Orion this week. They also give out a copy their astronomy software with the scope (a nice touch). And I will shuck out the little bit extra for the equatorial mount. My kids had a great time watching the lunar eclipse. We would watch cartoons for a little bit, and then see how the moon got smaller over time. Nathaniel can't wait to see Saturn with a real telescope. I guess the Playstation is going to have to wait another year. A belated thank-you to Robert Chassell for all links to astronomy minutia that I would have never found on my own. Robert recommended a larger scope, (4-6 inches) but I have a hard time plunking down that kind of coin on people who are still very hard on equipment. Maybe when I build my barn with silo-style observatory (and beer drinking platform) I'll buy one of those big mirror Star-Splitter Newtonians and watch the heavens really open up. (www.starsplitter.com) Oh, and for Julie? A Kitchen Aid mixer. Really, it's the only thing she really wants. I'm still thinking about diamond earrings, but I am afraid that Anneka will rip them out. Waiting for snow, Matthew Bos ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
Re: Science Fiction In General...
- Original Message - From: Travis Edmunds [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 1:58 PM Subject: Science Fiction In General... I assume it's only proper to introduce myself, so hello everyone. I'm a huge David Brin fan, as well as a fan of sci-fi in general. However, as for Mr. Brins' fellow Killer Bees, I have not read any of their works. That being said, plus noticing a lack of sci-fi activity in the recently archived messages, I decided to perhaps instigate a general science-fiction discussion. Howdy stranger! Where ya frum? As I do not as of yet know any of you, nor your tastes in this genre, I might as well list the author's that I hold close to my heart. -David Brin (as evidenced by this post in the first place) Obviously! G -David Gerrold (Star Trek TOS writer/War Against The Chtorr/and a few other interesting books) Haven't read him since the 70s. -Terry Pratchett (Discworld series. The little things that this man thinks up and transfers to paper are quite outstanding to say the least) Never read him. -Anne Rice (Blurs the line of sci-fi/one of the most captivating and talented writers I have ever come across) !Not! scifi by any stretch. I've read pretty much all of her books as they were published. I'm waiting for Blood Canticle to come out in PB. Just finished Blackwood farm. -Arthur C. Clarke (Rama series, that's all I have to say) I've read a lot of Clarke. He is great! -Orson Scott Card (Ender series/the champion of the demigodlol) I prefer the Alvin I-Got-A-Destiny-To-Fulfill books myself. -Ben Bova (Has always held an interest for me, since I read Mars) Been a long time since I touched a Bova. -Steve White (Eagle Against The Starslol Ok, so it's complete B-side sci-fi, but it's not without it's merit) Never heard of him. ?!?!?!?!? -Tolkien (I suppose THAT'S just a given) Whadya think of the movies? -Various Star Trek and Star Wars novels tend to find their way into my personal library. If it were up to me TV and film Franchises would be banned from the bookstores! G -I also love the Stargate Universe (For those of you who may share that interest) Grrr..I Luv Farscape -Michael Chrichton is certainly noteworthy. Read most of his. Just finished Prey also. Well, that's enough for now. I look forward to perhaps SOME degree of extrapolation, and/or expansion on the subject of Science Fiction In General I'm pretty sure we all love skiffy in general, its the specifics that cause discussions and debates.G MCT MC Travis? xponent Hey Ya Maru rob ___ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
