Ancient History

At least into the 1950s, it was fashionable to bronze each baby's first shoes. My mother kept all of her childrens' bronzed baby shoes on the mantle. I am not sure if these were dipped or more likely eelectrocuted.

Eventually, I received one of mine. 

Telescope Winch

The new house will need a telescope winch for lifting Big Bertha off the base and the 8" reflector off the Losmandy mount 

I have been thinking about all night.  I will four pulleys secured to studs in the garage ceiling. Ropes through pulleys. One end of each rope will need a hook that can grab a loop without scratching.  The far end of each rope will be tied to weight plates.  For lifting Big Bertha, two 25 pound weights on each will counterbalance most of the weight.  About 10 pounds of force pulling down to lift the telescope off its base. Then push the base out of the way and slowly lower the telescope to the ground.

For moving the 8" reflector, loosen the clamps holding it on the mount, and obe 15 pound weight on each rope to lift it off. This requires a stand under each rope end where the weights will sit when not actively lifting telescopes. 

I have done this before for moving a anowplow from my wife's Blazer.  I was younger and strong enough to put the pulleys and rope up myself. 

In case you are curious, this is part of how multitasking stones ended up at the top of cathedrals. Counterweights means you only need a few dozen peasants pulling on the rope 

Latitude Change

My 17.5" Dobsonian sits on an equatorial platforms. This is a clever, somewhat magical (to me) method of making an alt-azimuth mount track stars across the sky.

Unfortunately, equatorial platforms are latitude-specific. They are simulating having the telescope move across the sky as though they were turning in a circle around Polaris.  As I said, somewhat magical 

Besides the latitude-specific nature of the equatorial platforms, they have several other deficiencies. They typically only track for about an hour, at which point you unlock one clamp and rotate it back along its magical pseudo-polar axis. This is not a big deal for visual use, especially for public astronomy.

For astrophotography, there are two problems. That reset will make your 4 hour exposure of M51 completely useless. Also, the nature of how this simulates an equatorial mount causes rotation of the image on the eyepiece. 

The obvious solution to latitude is to raise the south end of the platform by seven degrees to compensate.  In this case, 21.5" (distance between front and rear of the platform times sin (7 degrees). This gives a 2.62" lift. This does not sound so bad. It scares me thst it might be unstable to move the center of gravity that far to the side.

Alternative strategies:

1. Sell the existing platform (a lovely all-aluminum platform made by the late Gregg Blandin) to someone in my latitude and buy the more sophisticated platform made by Tom O.

2. Remove the OTA from its cradle, and attach it to a dovetail plate that goes on a high payload equatorial mount. This is very expensive, mostly because high-payload mounts are very expensive.  This is also slightly more uncertain as to how to make it work.

3. Rebuild the telescope in a carbon fiber tube which should get it below 50 pounds. High expense carbon fiber tubes 20" ID are not cheap), a lot of work, and uncertain results. 

Simpler, less obvious solution.  Shim the south end of platform 2.62". Bolt ground board to platform. Bolt platform to the board with casters. Even if center of gravity is a little off, it should not make it a leaning Tower of Pisa.

Did The Left Learn Anything in the Last Few Years?

Apparently not. 5/24/26 Axios reports that Sen. Fauxahontas is being wooded by Democrats for 2028 Presidential run.

Islamic Center of San Diego Shooter Walked Away From Mental Heslth Facility Day Before Shooting

More Evidence Antisocial Media Needs to Die

 5/23/26 New York Post:

A 14-year-old boy is dead and an 18-year-old is fighting for his life after a subway surfing stunt turned tragic on the Williamsburg Bridge Friday evening.

However much you love antisocial media: if v you feed the beast, kids will still do stupithings for attention.  Starve the beast; restore civilization.

Capitalist Meets Astronomer Need

Results: magnificent.  How Telescope Rancher Became the Hot New Job in Texas.