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Posts Made By: Alex McConahay

November 11, 2005 06:03 PM Forum: Religion

Evolution--Is it something to consider?

Posted By Alex McConahay
If evolution does not exist, why are we worried about avian flu evolving into something that can harm us?

Alex

November 13, 2005 12:25 AM Forum: Religion

Re: Forum Question

Posted By Alex McConahay
>>O.k., I just used the Scientific Method. <<

Did you use the scientific method, or did it happen by intelligent design?

Alex

November 14, 2005 05:03 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Lock for Bolt/Nut

Posted By Alex McConahay
I have a pier that I would rather not have stolen sitting out at a site in the desert. It is attached to the foundation with 3/4 inch (I think) J bolts.

How can one make sure that someone does not just come along and remove the nuts, and take the pier? Is there a lock for such a situation. I went to Home Depot, and looked, and found nothing obvious.

Alex

November 21, 2005 02:43 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Rear view projection screen material

Posted By Alex McConahay
I would like to make a rear-view solar projection screen.

The projected image of the sun will hit one side of the screen, and be viewed on the other.

A few questions--what would this material be called if I were to go look for it? Where might I find it.

If somebody were looking from the other side would there be a concern about any damaging radiation? Is it safe? (And remember, we are talking projection.)

Alex

November 23, 2005 03:31 PM Forum: Religion

Eternal life

Posted By Alex McConahay
If any of you atheists have any doubt that life is eternal, check out the thread on "A serious Question."

It looks like it will live forever!

Alex

November 27, 2005 07:44 PM Forum: Politics

Troop Drawdowns and Co-opting Protestors

Posted By Alex McConahay
Anybody here remember Vietnam??--not that Iraq is Vietnam, of course.

Occcasionally massive coordinated nationwide protests would be planned.

Often in the week immediately prior to the protests, there would be an announced "troop drawdown." The troops did not necessarily get to come home, but he public were told that "in the near future" fewer troops would be needed in Vietnam.

The net result, it was often thought, was that those who sat on the edge--not really wanting the war, but not disliking it enough to do anything about it, could stay home--"the war was winding down anyway."

In reality the war went on for many years.

Could this kind of thing ever happen again?

Alex

December 15, 2005 04:36 AM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

North America with 20D

Posted By Alex McConahay
My North America Nebula taken with a standard Canon 20D, with an 85-300 zoom, at 300, stopped down one.

10 x 180 sec @ ISO 800, On Losmandy G11, unguided.

Alex

December 27, 2005 04:16 PM Forum: Religion

Re: What do you mean by God?

Posted By Alex McConahay
Sandy,

It is good to hear you say:

Although I am firm in my beliefs, I respect others' right to believe just as firmly in something else

It certainly is good to hear words of respect from you instead of your derision of others beliefs and practices, as in your earlier reference:

a session of Buddhist chanting, Muslim head-banging, or whatever else followers of other religions do

Alex

December 28, 2005 02:33 AM Forum: Religion

Religion without a God

Posted By Alex McConahay
I was wrong.

I was reading that other thread and saw the claim that one can have a religion without a god. I thought to myself--well that doesn't make sense. If you don't have a god, all you have is a code of conduct, or a philosophy. (And I believe these can be just as substantial and helpful and good as a traditional religion with a personal God--so I am not rating them lower in any way.) But, rather than get involved in the back and forth, I just looked up in the dictionary what a religion was.

The first definition specifies that you have to have a god, or supreme being, or creator, or something. Whether you call it a god, a God, or a "He who is not named" did not seem to matter. So, I figured, I'm right, you have to have some kind of idea of a god-like being if you want to be called a religion.

Ahh, but then the dictionary went on to a second definition--something to the effect of "a system of beliefs with similar ethical........" In short--the dictionary says you can have what they call a religion without having a god. The example my dictionary cited was humanism (which certainly would fit the definition of an ethical system that does not have a god). And they talked about it as if it were a "religion."

Well, I have my opinions, but I cannot argue too long with a dictionary.

Alex

December 28, 2005 04:59 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Shortest flip mirror

Posted By Alex McConahay
I want to use a flip mirror with my TV 85 or Ranger to do eclipse photography. However, both of my flip mirrors (a Meade and a Murnaghan, I believe) add too much length to the optical path, and neither scope has enough in-focus with them. It looks like I could use maybe another quarter to half inch or more in focus.

Anybody know of a flip mirror that has a shorter distance added to the optical path?

Alex

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