What do you want but have not got?

[xelasnave]

It is raining here , always it seems, so I came by to join in a chat but no one is posting so I thought I would post something but over time I have said all that I want to say... But remembered that I was thinking earlier what do I want and nothing came to mind but I thought others must want something so I will ask and maybe get some ideas... So what do you want that you have not got?
Alex

[mura_gadi]

hmm,

I'll keep it to the small stuff and astro related for now.

I'd like a safe and secure dark site within about 90mins drive of home, for use all night and preferable with either a contact person close-by or mobile reception.

Heaps of equipment I want, but I can save or make it. The dark site is more in the hand's of the god(s) though.

[Camelopardalis]

Immortality? :shrug:

There's a whole universe out there and one life isn't long enough to explore it :sadeyes:

[raymo]

But your wife and kids may not want to go, so you'd live forever the frustrating never ending life of a wannabe explorer.:).
Looking back at the disgusting, brutal things that have happened on this poor beleaguered planet before and during my long lifetime, and that are looking set to continue, I can honestly say that I will not be sorry to leave it in the
not too distant future.
Humanity, the worst thing to ever happen to this planet.
Rant over.
raymo

[Saturnine]

What I would like is for the flamin' rain to stop for a few months so I / we can do some observing again. Was talking to some fellow club members recently and as a club , we haven't been out for an official observing night since the middle of last year. Partly due to Covid restrictions but when they were eased La Nina swooped in to dampen the enthusiasm.
Other than the weather spoiling things, what would be nice is a permanent set up under dark skies with an 200mm apo on a suitable EQ mount and an 450mm newt / dob. Oh and a few smaller scopes just for quick sessions or travelling.

[xelasnave]

Heck Raymo are you having a bad day?

There is heaps of bad stuff for sure but you have to accept that is the way it goes... personally I am so happy to have avoided the bad stuff and found a way to enjoy a wonderful opportunity, called life, and I would like as much of it as I could get..living forever would suit me fine as I could complete all the things I am currently working on...mind you I am assuming I would retain a memory that has me wondering what it was that I did last week...I could never get bored...

With unlimited time anything should be possible..I could get good on the guitar maybe...

You could work to eliminate suffering ...and to get humans away from their bad habits and supertisious thinking would take a big slice out of eternity... Anyways I would like the opportunity to see if I liked immortality.

For now I would settle for another 20 years ..in fact that would be fantastic...anything really...for me every day is so precious.

Alex

Ironically I have the dark site and all the gear but just unable to use it because of the weather.
I dont let it get me down..like yesterday I was able to do some stuff with my microscopes and develop my solo effects on the guitar...I got the bow and arrows out but the rain did prevent that...
The great thing is about being human is if you want something for long enough and hard enough it will come to you ...early on ones impatience has one failing to realise that...but that is what happens..what you think about comes to you or you come to it ...
Alex

[Hans Tucker]

Simple .. be mobile :P

http://piertechinc.com/mobile-observatories/star-traveler-xl/

[mura_gadi]

I'm with you Raymo, unless the dinosaurs did indeed fart themselves out of existence.

Then there may have been two species, capable and culpable of mass murder by the billions of tonnes of bio matter to the point of mass extinction...

But the Earth will rotate and large complex live will form again.

I'd guess after about four extinction events the aftermath party would get tedious.

To live forever is just as easily used as a curse.

[xelasnave]

Hi Hans that is a great idea ..however I thought to go West at one point so called up Google Earth and looked around..I spent a week looking about..I found I little town and picked a road house set up that had a seperate cabin ..so used the magic of the net to look around the place only to notice puddles by the side of the road:eyepop:..that sort of put me off the idea of doing a trip. Imagine setting up a trip to some desert location booking in for say ten days and find it is the first rain they have had in a decade.

But what do you want?


Alex

[Hans Tucker]

Being mobile will be handy during the Total Solar Eclipses in 2023 and 2028. https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/list.html?region=australia

Given the current events occurring close to my Mother country of Birth I can't say what I really want otherwise I risk being kicked off IIS for life. So I will settle for a large APO Refractor ... I have been eyeing off a TEC200FL or god forbid TEC250VT

Non Astro ... 2022 Honda Type R .. no emoji for drooling

[xelasnave]

The idea of exploring the universe is appealing but thinking about it makes one realise just how small we are and just how little time we are here for.

So assuming something that is probably impossible and that is traveling at light speed it would take approximately 45 billion years to get to the edge of the Universe from here ( the observable universe which almost certainly is no where near the limit) if we could stop the universe expanding so the current "edge" is prevented from moving further away which presumably it will but even if the " edge" did not move once we get there how much more universe would we "see" and although no one knows I expect we would find another 45billion light years lay ahead of us and when we reach that new destination almost certainly we find yet another 45 billion years of traveling at light speed ahead.. say we could travel a million times the speed of light we still face an extrodinary very long trip relative to a human life span...and the hypothetical "worm hole" will not work...being able to move co ordinates around on a 2d plan does not translate well to 3d but such manipulation will never become more than a speculation...the only way space (and time presumably) can be manipulated is by huge mass ..so huge it would make the largest black holes look like paper weights.

We are very lucky to be able to imagine what the universe may be and look like but we should be conservative with speculation based on imagination.

Mmm at the moment I want a Pizza but thats not going to happen.. driving for 40 minutes there and same back aint going to happen...I would make one but I am banned from using flour...
Alex



Yes thinking about a Honda as I found out they have a fancy valve extended opening system ...I dont know what it is called perhaps you do..but there are guys with my car (mazda mx5)taking out the mazda motor to put in the Honda motor.
But really I am very happy with my mazda I cant be bothered changing it..

Alex

[Nikolas]

A century off a war or a pandemic or any other man made stuff up

[Kuz]

I will dream big here . 24 inch planewave cdk with the super expensive mount and camera to match. Migjt as well chuck in a observery and dark skies surrounded by bitumen race track.:thumbsup: nearly forgot a TARDIS would be pretty cool as well

[Stefan12]

World peace✌

[DarkArts]

A time machine. And I would only use it for good.

[SimmoW]

Sounds corny, but world peace.

[raymo]

I am very glad that you avoided the bad, Alex. I didn't, but I won't bother everyone with details of the sometimes horrendous events that I either
witnessed, or was involved in.
raymo

[xelasnave]

You cant have peace without conflict..isnt that strange.
Alex

From Wiki re the Honda valve system...

VTEC (Variable Valve Timing & Lift Electronic Control) is a system developed by Honda to improve the volumetric efficiency of a four-stroke internal combustion engine, resulting in higher performance at high RPM, and lower fuel consumption at low RPM. The VTEC system uses two (or occasionally three) camshaft profiles and hydraulically selects between profiles. It was invented by Honda engineer Ikuo Kajitani.[1][2] It is distinctly different from standard VVT (variable valve timing) systems which change only the valve timings and do not change the camshaft profile or valve lift in any way.

Alex

[leon]

I'm late to add to this but i am also with Raymo, one would have to wonder about the human race sometimes.

Leon

[xelasnave]

I was going thru the various leaders and their death counts recently and it is indeed upsetting.
I often say I am very lucky and I am because I appreciate the horrors that are common place thru history and exist more as the norm than the exception.
I don't think people stop to think about how terrible things can be and have been...like folk just think Julius Caesar was a great general but think of the horror he dealt out and was common in his era.. and we feel put out by covid but the black death took out half the population..you need 20 world wars to get those numbers...and in the past attacking the neighbouring city killing everyone and keeping some for slaves was just normal...and when I say I am lucky I say it in the hope folk reading my words will realise that they to are lucky...but most folk dont...I often fall asleep listing all the things I am lucky to have or experience..even when I have health issues I see the lucky side..heck 200 years ago I would have died forty years ago...and look at our toys, our tools, our knowledge I feel heaven will be a step backwards on the life I enjoy...
The best thing I have is knowing just how lucky I am and never forgeting that fact for single second...the second best thing is never envying another human...I see that destroying folk all the time ...
Alex

[Camelopardalis]

I know I may sound deluded - but I do have a fair grasp on global politics and events - but I have to believe that sooner or later we come together and say “enough is enough”. I would love to see that day…

Once we socially mature to that level, we’ll truly be able to do some remarkable things, things that we only dream about now. This continues to be my wish, although I fully expect to shuffle off this realm before it happens. I reckon we’ve prolly got another century or so of mess.

[raymo]

Being as all human beings are slaves to their individual genetic makeup,
meaning that almost every decision we make is decided by our genes, I see
no possibility of the human race coming together and saying enough is enough, until or if we start genetically engineering ourselves, and eradicating the Hitlers, Stalins, and the like.
Our genes are why no amount of incarceration and/or therapy will rehabilitate
a psychopath, paedophile, habitual wife beater, etc, etc.
I personally think that humans will rapidly become less and less important,
or even necessary, once AI reaches a critical stage of development. Jobs
done by humans are already declining rapidly.
Sorry about the hijack.
raymo

[xelasnave]

Dunk you are not deluded.

I really think the key is getting folk to think...I follow the left and right in US and I notice that either side really hate the other side and I can not believe their hatred for each other. Each side will tell big fibs to anger their followers and to create fear.. when you have anger and fear folk just dont think about the fibs they are told and add in confirmation bias we find either side railing against a straw man built for them to focus their anger and fear to produce hate.

That is so wrong and has ti be called out and demonised.

I sincerely believe the power hungry lie to us and why shouldn't they if we just accept anything that fits our belief given to us as a lie?

The moment you find yourself blaming the other side for everything is the time to say wait why am I saying that sort of thing who put that belief in my head?

Anger and hate dont let them steal your reason.

Raymo is right in so far as far as we can tell conflict has been the norm for so long in the past and so it is within us...I once wondered why I was naturally a good fighter, before I was trained..I just had it in.me.. and then my father said probably because if you trace our line back you will find all they did was fight so it is in your blood...Well I did and found the region in Ireland and yes war like and fight fight fight.

And for most we have that sort of history.

But you would like to think we can change.

The big problem is so much violence is in our culture so much sport is really about conflict and then the sports like MMA that promote violence as the goal..what can we expect...but we really must get better...stop the hatred is key and stop the promoters of hatred by calling them out...set your own decent example to others because that helps..I show people that I extend kindness to all creatures and some think I am crazy but for some they remember and perhaps they will influence others when I am no longer here...I wont hurt a fly I give it respect..the poor little thing only has one life... can one not exercise compassion and let it live... don't kill it take it outside...you will feel wonderful after you save those little lives.

I look at stuff under the microscope but when finished I try to return those animals to where I found them...I think I care more than God about protecting lives and that really makes one feel good about oneself... So there is a big reward for kindness...you become more merciful than any God you can name.
Alex

[AdamJL]

1. Small portable mount. Looking at a second AZ-GTI, any potential successor, or a harmonic drive. Something that I can travel with overseas, and something I can add to the car when we go away and that doesn't take up more room.

2. ASI Air Plus to kit out my second rig.

3. MAYBE swap out the 2600MC for a 2600MM as part of the second rig.