tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post5027224273249439726..comments2024-03-19T04:52:18.240-04:00Comments on Spasms of Accommodation: STS134 Launch DayBeachtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-73378281982564286862011-05-18T23:57:26.179-04:002011-05-18T23:57:26.179-04:00Glenn, I think you and I may be in a "takes o...Glenn, I think you and I may be in a "takes one to know one" situation. I've looked at your photos and they are amazing. You clearly are lugging a lot of glass to remote locations. I'm weak and poor so I just take my trusty Casio. I did have a bit of back-and-forth with the Japanese producer who tried to buy my rocket video for what they pay for amateur home movies. I allowed as how I am not an amateur. I get paid for my pictures. Besides, I had to travel hundreds of miles from home and pay an admission fee and go to the space center two days in a row on purpose to take that video. They eventually gave in and gave me twice the (claimed) going rate, but it was pretty insulting in the meantime.<br /><br />I did a 20 page term paper based on Jaques Cousteau's book "The Silent Sea" in Oceanography grad school. The Cousteau part of my paper was mostly pointing out how he was not a scientist at all and never claimed to be. He was an explorer and inventor of diving gear. He was quite clueless about sound in the ocean. It is NOT silent. Still, exploration is fun and he made people interested in what was under the water. And it was really useful to have citations of concepts people assumed were true in the '50s that turn out to be totally wrong. That's science!Beachtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13792937145012547220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9111303718232102418.post-83372001672933361072011-05-18T17:19:09.389-04:002011-05-18T17:19:09.389-04:00Barbara,
I agree that Trey Ratcliff's photo i...Barbara,<br /><br />I agree that Trey Ratcliff's photo is more than a "nice shot". Photographers work hard and wait years to get the great photos. Oh, sure, every now and then, you get a nice break, but mostly because you're prepared, knowledgable, and talented while being in the right place at the right time. <br /><br />So, hats off to Trey for his terrific capture!<br /><br />Side comment, based on your last bit in the blog but one that really bugs me. It seems to me that too few people are interested in:<br /><br />- Science<br />- Space<br />- Space Science<br />- Space Shuttle Launches<br />- Science<br />- Learning<br />- Learning how science works<br /><br />You get the idea. I still get excited - actually EXCITED - when there's a launch. But I invariably get little or no interest from family, and I can't think of the last time a friend showed any interest in one. <br /><br />But lots of people I know made sure they got up in the pre-dawn hours to watch a royal wedding recently, which is just great if living vicariously through people who wouldn't give you the time of day is your thing.<br /><br />When I was a kid, I used to watch EVERY National Geographic special and write about each one. I'd turn it in to my teachers just because! No assignment, totally on my own, just because science and nature really made me feel something. <br /><br />And if there was a Jaques Cousteau special on...Katy bar the door!!! Nothing was keeping me from those. I had autographed photos from him, and used to plaster my bedroom cork board with pictures, drawings, writing, etc. I was, however, outvoted when I tried to name a new dog "Calypso". I was cool with it.<br /><br />Ok, my dork alarm won't stop sounding, so I'd better quit now. <br /><br />Sigh.<br /><br />I always love your blog!The Defiant Marshmallowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17679459676978114160noreply@blogger.com