My wonderful family (not so much an interest as a raison d'etre). Giving blood (should be every healthy body's duty). Astronomy and observing stars, comets, nebulae and galaxies with my own 10-inch telescope from my observatory. Practising astro-imaging with a variety of equipment and capturing the golden moments of 'heavens in action'. CURRENT MOON moon phases Growing things (professionally on the farm, in the garden and I don't do organic). Some artwork (drawing, painting). Building/making things, taking things apart and making them work again or else. Fighting light pollution (cut the waste and return to dark starlit nights). Going to live music concerts.
Music lovers, eccentrics and regular normal folks. Fellow stargazers.ODDBALLS, READ ON***PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME FRIEND REQUESTS IF YOU HAVEN'T EVEN BOTHERED SENDING ME A MESSAGE FIRST, I WILL JUST DENY YOU!!!***THE PROBE 'CASSINI' ORBITING SATURN CROSSES THE PLANE OF THE RINGS (A faster run than what the Earth does every 15 years or so).. width="425" height="350" ....THE MOST IMPORTANT IMAGE EVER CAPTURED BY MANKIND
and thanks to Starman for the linkFEELING THE BLUES COMING ON, GET HOOKED ON XANDER & THE SMOKE POCKETS MUSIC. HERE, PERFORMING 'BEAUTIFUL CONTRADICTION' (More on YOU TUBE)UNLESS YOU ARE A PLANETARY SCIENTIST WHO HAS DESIGNED ONE OF THESE LANDERS, YOU'LL FIND THIS QUITE FUNNY. IN FACT, IT HAS REALLY HAPPENED QUITE A FEW TIMES.
May 26th 2008, the NASA probe Phoenix actually does the business and the science program begins.
A New Horizon for Phoenix
This flat horizon stretches across the red planet as seen by the Phoenix spacecraft after yesterday's landing on Mars. Touching down shortly after 7:30pm Eastern Time, Phoenix made the first successful soft landing on Mars, using rockets to control its final speed, since the Viking landers in 1976. Launched in August of 2007, Phoenix has now made the northernmost landing and is intended to explore the Martian arctic's potentially ice-rich soil. The lander has returned images and data initially indicating that it is in excellent shape after a nearly flawless descent. News updates will be available throughout the day.
Nuits De L' Astronomie Au Champ Du Feu Némésis 67
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Is mine bigger/better than yours (telescope, of course), what can you image through yours? This could be an amateur astronomers meeting the world over preparing for a night under the stars and hopefully without any light pollution.
You scored as Anarcho-Capitalist. Anarcho-capitalism is perhaps more closely linked the libertarian tradition than anarchism as it favours a free market and a stateless society. Private businesses would replace the functions of the state. This form of anarchism is largely an American phenomenon and first emerged in the 1950s (although it arguably has its roots in 19th century individualist anarchism and classical liberalism). Key thinkers include Murray Rothbard.
Anarcho-Capitalist
Anarcho-Communist
Anarcho-Syndicalist
Anarcho-Primitivist
Christian Anarchist
Anarcha-Feminist
Most types with a penchant for Country and Americana (several good venues nearby). Too many artists to mention from Norah Jones to John Lester, an exponent of low harmonies. Very much into bass stuff, always pick the bass line first and imagine my son playing it. Bluegrass and Mountain music is another big attraction (try Iris DeMent for breakfast). A bit of folk, Dougie Macclean, Karine Polwart, Nancy Griffith, Lucinda Williams, Nickel Creek, Kathryn Tickell and her Northumberland pipes. Otherwise Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lucie Silvas, George Michael, Avril Lavigne, Amy Wadge, Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez (superb), Cara Dillon, Tift Merritt, Kim Richey, Patty Loveless, Julie Roberts (yes, not JuliA), Brian Houston, Dixie Chicks, Nerina Pallot and loads more..... Lately, I explore the Quebec music scene and find gems there, like Catherine Durand, Karine Tessier, Karine Arsenault, a prodigy in Samantha Schultz and Laurence Helie (she is Heaven). Makeda is an up-&coming artist with a strong mind. I stumble upon Hana Pestle who is a very melodious artist with incredible musical arrangements.
Anything that grabs my attention but I'm easily distracted. Hates disaster movies (Jaws). Loves adventure films (Indiana, Bond) and mild tear-jerking (Sleepless in Seattle). Zabriskie Point, Flight of the Navigator, the English Patient. Will watch anything that has been filmed on location at Chicheley Hall (Enigma: Kate Winslet, Fourth Protocol: Michael Caine) and try to pick out the locals acting as extras!! Usual space-science related films like Contact, Space Odyssey 2001.
Anything that advances my knowledge like University Challenge and intelligent programming. Sporting events with a meaning. 'Taken' on DVD (preferably the whole series in one go), Heroes. The Sky at Night (poor Patrick Moore is getting old!)
Uriel's Machine (much better than Da Vinci Code), From the Ashes of Angels,The Magi and Meteorites, Burhams Celestial Handbooks (here is a guy, Robert Burham, who devised and wrote 3 books all about the objects in the sky, never made a dollar from them and died a pauper some years back). Nemesis (about celestial catastrophism), The measure of all things by Ken Alder (Revolutionary France and battling astronomer-surveyers), biographies, lots of astronomical books. 'Persian Fire' by Tom Holland. 'Meteorite hunter' by Roy Gallant. 'Measuring the World' which follows the travels of von Humbolt and Gauss in the 18C. In the meantime, tucking into Fred Hoyle's Biography and various others I need to spend time with. Currently reading 'The Sun Kings' by Stuart Clark, charting the rise of astronomical and scientific reasoning to mundane topics like the price of wheat and solar activity (Now, isn't that topical in 2008, year of solar minimum?)
My forebears: I made it to our times because of their ingenuity and privations. Thanks for ever. Real heroes: anybody altruitisc and not obsessed with wealth.