Posts Made By: Lee Spain

...why was the kidnapped reporter chick in Iraq crying in the video? I thought they never threatened her? Anybody think she's gonna go Patty Hearst on us?

...don't you have enough money to live in Mexico? And, $2000 doesn't sound like much of a fine!

With all these headline grabbing hostage releases, immigration demonstrations, and urgent crises like the possible Iraqi Civil War, and this whole Iranian drive for Nukes, does anybody think that the Netherlands and Aruba are orchestrating all this to prevent Natalie Holloway from getting justice?

Why do biologists feel compelled to "tag" EVERY animal they can find?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/31/hal.coyote.ap/index.html

Sometimes I think biologists are worse than gangbangers with spraypaint. :S

Where do coyotes go? They go where they can hide and find rabbits and stray cats.

They should've just taken him out to the country and let him go.

It's strikes me that Amateur Astronomers online might not be the most effective way to get legislative action. Here is a copy of the letter I recently sent my Congressmen through ( www.congress.org ) addressing the immigration topic. 8)

I am choosing to focus on border security first because I believe that it will take Homeland Secure a 3 to 5 year period to create a working immigration and/or guest worker program and we cannot trust the executive branch to enforce it appropriately. 8)

Honorable Congressman __________,

I would like you to support tough measures to enforce U.S. immigration laws. The influx of illegal workers into the United States has expanded the U.S. labor supply and has allowed employers to bid down the wages that can be demanded by the American working class.

I believe that the border should first and foremost be secured. An insecure border allows drug smugglers to bring cocaine and other drugs into this country that wreak havoc on the social fabric of our cities. An insecure border allows 850,000 people to walk into America every year and expand the labor supply to an extent that makes it even more difficult for the working poor. Finally, an insecure border may one day allow terrorists to infiltrate our country and perhaps even bring some horrible weapon of mass destruction.

Pundits say that building and guarding a 2000 mile fence is impossible. I say that 6000 agents working in 8 hour shifts 24x7 should easily be able to secure such a fence. Fences have been successful around formerly high traffic areas like San Diego, California. I believe they can help stem the tide of illegal immigration and help secure us from terrorism.

Once the border is secured we can work on other problems. First, we can cultivate a respect for working people and a strong work ethic in our own young people. There has always been honor in honest labor and self-reliance. Second, we can deport illegal aliens who overstay visas or commit crimes and compel these aliens to stay out of our nation. Third, we can create rational immigration and guest worker programs that will help meet the needs of industry while slowing immigration to a pace that we can absorb, afford, and sustain.

Please make it your first priority to secure our border against all illegal intruders.

Sincerely,

___________

If you disagree with me, please feel free to voice your opinion to the folks at Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream in Vermont. However, if you think I make sense, please write your congressman as soon as possible.

In other news, this looks like just the thing to send a supertanker to the bottom of the Straits of Hormuz while being able to deny any involvement.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/02/iran.missile.ap/index.html

P.S. I'll stop being xenophobic when them danged ferners stop blowing stuff up!

Last night, I was reading some tips on picking a telescope in the back of my Star Atlas. Apparently, Sir Patrick Moore doesn't think Dobsonians are good for planetary viewing. Why? Is it very difficult to keep a planet in the FOV under high magnification with a 6 or 8 inch Dob?

Thanks for all your responses. Here's my next question, would you guys go for the intelliscope computer assist on a Dob or take 2 more inches of aperture in hopes of seeing your target! 8)

Thanks for all your input on the Dob options. But, as an urban apartment dweller under light polluted skies with a significant hike to the car, I've also found a lighter scope that seems interesting.

I saw a good review of this Celestron NexStar 130 over on another site and was intrigued.
http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?pid=8739

Any thoughts on this one? 8)

a 90mm Cat?