Posts Made By: Doug Peterson

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/06/cbs-finally-reports-on-climategate-dr-trenberth-interviewed/#comments

Tony Blair: “World must take action on climate even if the science is not correct”. Following the climate gate scandal, Mr Blair said the science may not be “as certain as its proponents allege”. But the world should act as a precaution against floods, droughts and mass extinction caused by climate change, in fact it would be “grossly irresponsible” not to.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/copenhagen-climate-change-confe/6803921/Copenhagen-climate-summit-Tony-Blair-calls-on-world-leaders-to-get-moving.html


--but, on the same day—


UN Report: Natural disasters at decade low in 2009, down 44% from peak in 2005.
http://alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE5BD0W0.htm

You can’t make this stuff up.

"It’s true, and it’s huge. Today another example of CRU having their foot on the scale, Russian papers are reporting that the Russian surface station data was sorted by CRU to use the highest warming stations only."

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/16/russian-iea-claims-cru-tampered-with-climate-data-cherrypicked-warmest-stations/#more-14241

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/19/wikibullies-at-work-the-national-post-exposes-broad-trust-issues-over-wikipedia-climate-information/#more-14314

I took a photo for my ad some time ago, which did not sell. Another user is currently using my photo for his ad below for a similar item without clarification or permission. I asked him to state that the photo is representative but not a photo of the item for sale. I think he should ask permission in any case: I may post my ad again and there may be confusion from my potential buyers.


http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=693254

The funniest part is where they tell you guys that your woman will think you spent a billion years searching for the PERFECT gift. And that you are going to get lucky on Valentines--yes they are selling you sex with your own wife. Of course your woman is seeing the same ad and thinks you are a moron. And to top it off they treat women as dumb--and always cold--objects. Hey how about just turning up the thermostat for your woman?

Don't get me started on teddy bears.

But I digress....

Perhaps it's because I am legally blind in one eye that I have always had a special interest in monoculars:

The Orion 10x42 at 50 bucks on sale turned out to be excellent. Multicoatings, comfortable to hold, and razor sharp, both in use and star tested with an auxillary scope (use a finder or another monocular to look thru the scope or bino under test, multiply the mags). About a 60 degree apparent field.

The Celestron Oceana 8x42 was a disapointment. While sharp, the compass takes up too much field of view so unless you're a sailor it doesn't work well for astronomy. Incredibly it is advertised as having a 10.5 degree field or 84 apparent. I wasn't expecting a Nagler, but theoretically it could have moved the compass further to the edge opening up the field. The box and the scope itself say 7 degree which it what it looks like. Optics planet didn't know what I was talking about and referred me to Celestron who hasn't answered my email so its going back.

Coming up the 16x40 Tasco roof at 20 bucks and the 15x32 with a naked porro cluster at 10 bucks, ebay denizens with shipping included direct from Taiwan. How bad can they be? Stay tuned.

This is the 2nd time the AM payment system tells me my card is declined but my Paypal debit mastercard shows the support amount "pending". The first time it was never collected by AM so it "expired".

Anyone have one of these? Look like a bargain. Too good to be true at about 225 USD shipped? I have one on the way, will report.

Looking for someone to turn down a refractor end plate by .100" to slip into a slightly smaller tube. Precise Parts seems to be into its online adapter thing that is hard to navigate. Anyone know of someone to do light duty mods such as the above?