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Posts Made By: Tom Mengel

August 1, 2011 07:08 PM Forum: Bad to the Bone Autos

New car

Posted By Tom Mengel
Go to the Classic Car Club of America site www.classiccarclub.org/ and you can join for free and post the photo. I'm sure someone will ID it for you.

August 28, 2011 06:40 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Orion XT12i - first week

Posted By Tom Mengel
I just got my XX12i and so far have had two nights of decent observing (we are in the middle of the monsoon season here in Denver - clouds roll in about 4 pm and stay until about 4 am EVERY (beep) day!). sad

I've not have the intellescope really "zeroed in" yet but it seemed to work OK even with a rough setup (hope to get it better as I get more time out there). I have run through the diagnostics to check the encoders and they are all fine with no slippage. The optics seem very good and the larger light gathering aperture blow away my old 8 inch SCT. I also like the truss system as it breaks down into easy pieces that don't weigh more than 36 lbs. You do need to consider that set up a bit more time though.

I think your right about the 12 inch size, in my case it's defiantly my upper range but still a good performer and a real steal for the bucks. I doubt that I will ever get anything bigger however.


October 5, 2011 11:24 PM Forum: Off Topic Discussions

Where do the mountain lions live in Seattle?

Posted By Tom Mengel
When I lived in San Jose CA there were some "up the mountain" in Los Gatos. Several reported attacks on hikers/joggers. Never saw one myself. Boulder CO to the north west has some and they have been on the upswing (and eating a few pets) so the authorities are getting more active controlling them.

Here in South Denver we have tons of rabbits (walking out to the car from my condo I've seen literally dozens on the lawn happily trimming the grass). When I've driven out to my "urban sort-of dark site" (a dead end road that is fairly isolated by a park) I've seen coyotes lob by now and then but they always kept their distance. We also have had some yearling bears looking for new territory that end up in trees in the neighborhood south of us. They end up being harassed by onlookers so the police have to keep people back until they climb down (they get a free ride up the mountain to a more isolated area).


November 4, 2011 08:14 PM Forum: Global Warming - REAL or NOT

The REAL problem...

Posted By Tom Mengel
Tony Aguire said:

The REAL problem, be it Global Warming Theory, Politics, Religion, etc is that folks get so attached, bonded, inseparable from a line of thought, that they support that line in fear. Fear of being proven wrong, fear of having to adjust to change, fear of opening the mind to the possibilities that things just are not what believers are lead to believe.

Time to push the re-set button folks. Time to debate with real data for real.


There has always been one historic "reset button" of last resort - WAR. Does not always produce the logical result but when the other side is totally destroyed it no longer matters to the victor.

This should be an object lesson for all of us but unfortunately we tend not to notice this until it's too late.


March 17, 2012 06:06 AM Forum: N.A.S.A.

Nasa Education Hour

Posted By Tom Mengel
Not just NASA. The whole education system is a mess.

Jay Leno had a "Civic questions man on the street" segment on tonight. One sample was "Who was the father of our country?". Answer = Jesus Christ. Another, what war was John McCain a P.O.W.? Answer = Cold war. "How many stars on the present US flag and what do they represent?". Answer = 56 that represent the countries we own.

I'd laugh but these fools vote . . .



March 29, 2012 02:03 AM Forum: Politics

UK Gas Shortage

Posted By Tom Mengel
Not speculators, Unionized Lorrie (truck) drivers threatening to go out on strike to bottle up the supply.

I suspect with the Olympics on this summer and Cameron in power we will see more of this kind of thing from across the pond.

March 29, 2012 06:48 AM Forum: Pet Pics

Kodi Getting Herding Certificate

Posted By Tom Mengel
Wow - I'm always impressed by what herding dogs do and Kodi looks like she love it. Beautiful animal.

I have a Boarder collie Corgi mix called "Sassy" who is a trained hearing dog who alert me to sounds and love to work also. Goes with the breed(s) I guess, but you have to love the dog/human bond that can produce that.


March 29, 2012 07:00 AM Forum: Global Warming - REAL or NOT

Mann On Discredited Attacks

Posted By Tom Mengel
Yup. 100% pure FUD care of the Kock brothers and the petroleum industry (who are also trying to buy the election via. PACs).

Public discourse has degenerated to wrestling with Pigs (and you know who loves it).

August 12, 2012 07:34 AM Forum: Off Topic Discussions

You know your number is up when...

Posted By Tom Mengel
Boy, that must really stink . . . wink

November 14, 2012 09:43 AM Forum: N.A.S.A.

Apollo Flight Controller 101: Every console explai

Posted By Tom Mengel
When my Dad worked at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt Md. as assistant director he would take me out to work during some of the manned flights. They had a exact duplicate center to Huston (to be used as a backup in case Huston went down) with all the large real time maps and STDN station "footprints" and all the backup workstations for different subsystems. Quite interesting. They also had a gallery above the working area where "dignitaries" (and young squirts like myself) could hang out and watch the folks down below work (it even had a large curtain that could be opened and closed for more "dramatic effect"). On a few occasions Dad would actually bring me down into the work area and let me listen to the manned ground to spacecraft chatter on some earphones at one of the COM stations. grin

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