Posts Made By: Brett Wylie

Zoom in on those "best shots" ccd images..square stars..
4"x5" or even 6x7 cm film can output 20x24 prints or even 30x40 prints with fine results and hardly a loss in resolution. CCD shots look great on a comp monitor..

The scale of punishments continued up to burning at the stake, which was performed as a public spectacle called an auto-da-fé ("act of faith"). If the condemned recanted and kissed the cross, they were mercifully garroted before the fire was set. If they recanted only, they were burned with a quick-burning seasoned wood. If not, they were burned with slow-burning green wood.

In 1490 Torquemada staged a famous show-trial, the LaGuardia trial. This involved eight Jews and conversos, who were accused of having crucified a Christian child. No victim was ever identified and no body was ever found; nevertheless all eight were convicted, on the strength of their confessions which were obtained through torture. They were burned at the stake.

Rumours about Jews committing ritual murder of Christian children have circulated around Europe for centuries and are known collectively as "the blood libel." While there is no evidence to support the blood libel, its opposite, the ritual murder of Jews by Christians, is well known. The Spanish Inquisition alone committed the ritual murder of about three hundred thousand Jews.

Torquemada used the LaGuardia trial to argue that the Jews were a danger to Spain. His intention was to convince Ferdinand and Isabella to order their expulsion. Hearing of this, two influential Jews raised thirty thousand ducats and offered it to Ferdinand and Isabella, saying they could give them even more if they would allow the Jews to remain. Ferdinand and Isabella, always hard up for cash, wavered at this; but Torquemada said, "Judas sold his Master for thirty ducats. You would sell Him for thirty thousand ... Take Him and sell Him, but do not let it be said that I have had any share in this transaction."

On March 31st, 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella issued their Edict of Expulsion. "[We] have decided to command all of the aforesaid Jews, men and women, to leave our kingdoms and never to return to them." The Jews were given until July 1st to leave the kingdom; any found within its borders after that date would be killed. Some fled to Portugal or North Africa, where they faced more persecution; some took ship with a foolhardy explorer named Christopher Columbus; some remained in Spain as "Secret Jews", and their descendants are still Secret Jews today.

Having accomplished the expulsion of the Jews, Torquemada retired to the monastery of St. Thomas in Avila, which he had designed himself. In his last years he was convinced that he would be poisoned, and kept a unicorn's horn by his plate as an antidote. He was not poisoned, however, but died a natural death in 1498

It has been suggested that this was an ethnic, as well as religious, purification. The difference between the Spanish Inquisition and the Papal Inquisition was that the Spanish Inquisition was turned over to secular authorities. The secular authorities were the ones who were in charge of the maintenance and perpetuation of the Inquisition.

It was therefore a primary instrument of Spanish absolutism. Moreover, its independent status enabled it to amass wealth, heaped up by repeated confiscations, and this in itself rendered it a force to be reckoned with in the affairs of the country (Roth, 1964, p. 73).

From the actions of the Spanish Inquisition, it is apparent it was an ethnic cleansing. The Spanish Inquisition and its actions caused 200,000 loyal, but Jewish, Spaniards to leave the country. Surely, the Spanish Inquisition was about more than just religious purity.

The crown gained in many ways due to the Spanish Inquisition. Ferdinand and later monarchs were able to use the guilty as rowers for their war ships. Also, besides increasing in wealth because of the Inquisition, the Spanish crown gained a certain amount of control over the Catholic church in Spain. Because Pope Sixtus gave the authority to the crown, the Catholic church lost some authority and control of Spain.

In summary, the Inquisition in Spain began in 1478 and officially ended in 1808. During that time, 323,362 people were burned and 17,659 were burned in effigy. It is one of the darkest periods in Spanish history. By far, the greatest number of cases tried were for Judaising (Roth, 1964). These were also the cases that were tried the most severely. There were other minorities, of course, that were persecuted, but the majority were Jews. The Inquisition definitely had racial overtones. Although, it can be said that Queen Isabella officially initiated the Spanish Inquisition for the purity of faith, nation, and people, this is probably not the case. The materialistic desires of the aristocracy certainly factor into the reasons for the perpetuation of the Inquisition.

I would say there are marine animals with equal processing power as we have..they don't have hands and an opposing thumb..and thus haven't used their brain power to totally screw up the world like we have..but that doesn't take away the fact of their brain size mass compared to their total body mass.

A few points...
If your goal is the best quality...
1. Use fresh pro quality film that has been kept refrigerated..
2. Process as quickly as possible after exposure
3. The best quality processing guaranteed is "yours"(ex. with a JoboLab home darkroom)..with newly mixed fresh chemicals, used once..most commercial labs recycle their chemistry, which degrades the processing results.

The plug most likely is for an allen bolt that is used during shipment of the scope..to lock down the primary mirror.

Hi Justin,
I use an LX6..10" f6.3..permanent pier..roll off roof observatory. The drive is barely adequate for ccd work, even with ppec..although it can be helped along. The autoguide cameras (SBIG) can't trigger a fast enough response from the drive to correct for guiding errors..the ccd cameras are to fast(sensitivity)..I've been advised that the AO7..adaptive optics device, can make up for much of this error as it allows milisecond guide correction.
By the way..get the 10" 6.3...little extra $ and still manageable weight.

Vincent,
My brother, who works in a school for troubled kids, attempts everyday to teach kids that are regular users of the powerful hemp that is being grown today. I will quote him, "these kids can't remember what was said to them the day prior" ..so, everyday he has to repeat himself, no new memory function, no processing of introduced information for permanent storage in other parts of their brains. Every day is a wash, the next day a repeat. From my own experience of being around people who use it, or used it, I can't agree with your statement that it is harmless. I can agree with you about alcohol and tobacco, and I believe they should get the same treatment as hemp. Alcohol is certainly the most devastating drug on the world scene, and tobacco next. Those who have a medical reason to use hemp, ok..but it should be prescribed, the problem diagnosed, and the reason documented..just like any other medication.

(TIC)I keep a cuple of blackhawk helicopters in my backyard..doesn't everybody? Anybody thinking that a few semi-automatic rifles are going to maintain democracy in these here United States in case of an attempted federal dictatorship, military takeover..well, may I present the Iraqi Republican Guard as evidence to the contrary? No, I don't think rifles are going to do the job..or even RPG's. I plan on purchasing a few used M1 Abrams in the near future too. Everybody knows an armed populace is required to maintain our democratic ideals. China and Russia have gun control..course so does the U.K., Japan, Canada, Australia ...just about everywhere else that doesn't suffer from 617 homicide drive by shootings in their metropolis's as we had last year in L.A..I think everyone should be able to arm bears.