Hey Jim
This is John Lundwall. (BYW my last name is spelled "Lundwall"). I just
wanted to thank you for, well, frankly, many things:
1. How great you were to show me your scopes and
equipment, and how willing you were to share them with me.
2. How patient you were in showing me different sky
objects, where and how to look.
3. Letting your laser pointer out so that Mike and
Lisa could show me many of the constellations and different stars.
4. Your great report of the evening I even
enjoyed.
5. The great cd rom you gave me; I am just now
getting into it.
I am on the email list of UVAA and that is how I get your emails.
Unfortunately, I don't have anyone else's email addresses so I can't really
thank Mike and Bob and Tom for their willingness to show me their stuff and look
through their scopes. I am a newbee and I feel kind of bad showing up and using
other people's equipment without contributing anything I have. I fear that is
the way it is for a while until I get my scope built (end of summer) and even
then I am going to be utterly dependent, I am realizing, on everyone else's
knowledge of the sky, as in fact I haven't any idea where to locate the eskimo
nebula, or any of the "m" objects that you guys seem to zip right to. I hope I
can contribute in other ways until I am up to speed.
I also am going to ask you for more of your generosity and see if you know
the other's emails so I can also thank them. If you could email them to me or
forward this note to them. I really appreciated how friendly everyone was. It
has made me all the more excited to go star watching and really get into this
hobby.
I have decided that I need the following:
A. A telescope--making a 10" dobson.
B. A laser thingy just like Jim's.
C. A pair of binoc's just like Tom's.
D. An infared camera just like Bob's.
E. An astronomer's torture chair just like
Mike's.
I have also decided to cut the cost of these items (I.e. not buying
scrapbooking supplies in kind) by showing my lovely wife how all of these items
can be used for scrapbooking. I have told her that she can rubber stamp on
my telescope all she wants, she can use the laser thingy to burn nice floral
images into her background papers, she can use the binoc's to steal a peak
through a neighbor's window to see what they are scrapbooking, she can use the
infared camera to take really cool night time pictures to scrapbook, and she can
use the torture chair for our own private, scrapbooking sessions. Not to mention
the toll painting possibilities. Hopefully she'll bite.
I love your idea of showing up early for some training lessons and just to
gather. I am in. While I cannot tell anyone, yet, how to callimnate their
scopes, or where to locate M105-3bc-wherethehellisiteskimopie; or really any
other thing dealing with the actual physics of astronomy, I would be happy
to talk about some of the things I do know in some future session--I.e. the
mythology and esoteric cosmology of some ancient cultures and at times, what
this may mean for modern culture. This is a field that very few people may not
be interested in, though I have been fascinated by the subject for several
years. For example, not many people really know that the image of the Creator
God has changed through time. In very ancient times, the creator God was
symbolized by the bull or cow, and images of the bull dominate Egypt and
Sumeria. This image slowly changed into that of the ram or lamb, and it was the
Hebrews that represented the Creator God as the Paschal Lamb or sacrificial lamb
or lamb of God, complete with it's shepherd imagery. Even this changed over time
so that by the time one Jesus Christ was born the image of this Savior was
turned into a fish, and even today we see the name "Jesus" circumscribed by a
fish on the backs of many cars driving on the highway. Why this allegorical
evolution? Because in fact the motif of the Creator God has ALWAYS been
represented by the equinox sun rising in the zodiacal constellation housing it
in spring. Taurus in ancient times held the spring equinox sun, but due to the
precession of the equinoxes, this constellation phased out and Aires, the Ram or
Lamb replaced it, and in turn this precessed out to Pisces the Fish.
Well, you get the sort of thing that I know a little bit about. I would be
happy to discuss such things if there are any takers.
In anycase, hope to see you soon. Next time I will dress warm and will stay
up past 3 am if that is what is required.
Your new friend
John Lundwall
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, March 13, 2004 9:32
AM
Subject: [UVAA] Workshop
You know what I think would be fun
is some evening before dark meet out at the Pit 'n Pole or the Gravel Pit and
have a workshop while the sun is still up. I was thinking of doing something
like this in connection with UVAA. Since UVAA doesn't have regular meetings
and I get all the meetings I need at SLAS it would be kind of nice to see
everybodys face in the light and people can demonstrate some aspect of
astronomy that works for them; just basic stuff. You know, bring your Subway sandwiches
and munch while for a while, nothing really formal.
The problem with suggesting such a
thing usually means the suggestor gets the job, and I dont mind as long as it
doesnt become a regular job. It would probably fizzle after a while, after
the willing in the group had their chance, but what the hey.
There seems to be a lot of new
blood in Utah Valley and Old Timers like Rich Tenney could teach us a lot
(he he he). Actually everybody ought to have something that works for them and
could demonstrate it. We ought to
be able to show how collimation basics are really done with and with out a
laser pointer. We ought to spend some time (after the sun goes down) just
pointing out constellations. We ought to show what sky chats work well, what
interesting objects are in current constellations, what comets are around,
asteroids, telescope building, binoculars, all kinds of fun things.
I am thinking that it would have
to be on an off weekend when SLAS wasnt having a Star Party and the moon
didnt come up till after 10 or 11 or something. Or when the moon goes down at 2AM we
could meet at 2:30 AM uhhh. What? No taker on that
one.
Just throwing this out to everyone
on the list to see if there is any interest. This could beat the heck out
of a meeting. Even Rob on Maui could come, or better yet, Rob could through
down some futons and we will visit him.
Jim
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