cIV MPDemoGame Bake Sale & Icebreaker

[Daddy-O]

The public forum is open and the game is heating up what with that war - such a nasty word - between Vox and GS; I thought it would be a perfect time to open up a place where we can talk 'off topic', get to know each other, and remember that we are salesmen, engineers, bankers, students, etc playing a game. I chose a bake sale and icebreaker social because sometimes the pubs get a bit roudy what with the drinking and dancing and such. Besides previous pubs and tearooms were banned and shut down. Remember, I'm not the proprietor and I don't take orders. You'll have to bring your own baked goods. Extra plates, cups, and napkins are in the cabinets over the coffee maker. The proceeds will go to the local Kiwanis who were kind enough to allow us to use their hall. Thanks guys!

So, if things get a bit too stressful in the world of demogaming, take the time to buy your 'enemy' a warm cookie or a slice of peach pie, and share something about yourself.

[Daddy-O]

OK then I'll start. I brought some warm banana nut & chocolate chip muffins. Dig in.

Did anyone see the 24 Hours of Le Mans? I was lucky enough to see ALOT of it on Speed last weekend. Can't wait 'til the ALMS comes to a track near me to see 'em in person.

Anyone in the Northern Hemisphere get to see the ISS & Atlantis chase eachother across the sky? I hear they'll be visible again tonight.

[binTravkin]

Saw some moments, heard Villeneuve was doing good (Im following F1), another reason for him to boast and talk too much..

[Daddy-O]

Villeneuve's Peugeot didn't make it through the night at the other Peugeot driven by Bourdais barely made it to the finish. But it was a good first showing for the Peugeot.

http://www.lemans.org/24heuresdumans/pages/chronos_gb.html

If Villeneuve wants to boast he'll have to do more that race one off special events.

I haven't seen the USGP yet. Too much racing last weekend!

[Daddy-O]

Today we have Chocolate Chunk muffins.

Does anyone know how to take a digital picture of the moon or stars through a cheepy digital telescope?

[-SafaN-]

/me loves muffins

[UnOrthOdOx]

You're talking a picture with a digital camera through the telescope?

(unless there's some new breed to telescope that will take pictures for you...and there should be....I can see slapping a memory stick in em to get nice photos, gotta be a market for that...)

There are 2 ways I know of.

The first and most reccomended is by procuring an adapter for your digital camera. Your camera and/or telescope's manufacturer should have some available. This mounts your camera directly to the telescope, essentially making it the eyepiece. You need a digital SLR for this, and preferably a remote shutter control (or pressing the button makes the telescope wobble too much to get a good pic), though the timer setting can work.

http://meade.telescopes.com/products/meade-64-t-adapter-for-etx-90-etx-105-etx-125-for-attachment-of-camera-6389.html

The second is to obtain a magnifier of some kind, situate IT in front of the eye piece, and situate the camera just behind this. It'll expand the image coming through the eye piece enough to get a decent picture. It is possible to obtain this effect with a digital SLR and a proper magnification lense.

More info:

http://www.truetex.com/telad.htm

http://www.imaging-resource.com/ARTS/ASTRO/ASTRO.HTM

edit:

Thought of a third method.

There are eyepieces you can purchase that have a photo sensor and an AV out cable. You hook em up to your TV or whatnot. One could attach it to your PC/laptop and screencapture.

[ZargonX]

I'd go with what UnO says, though I'm not sure how things would work with a digital telescope. I've only dealt with the old-fashioned kind

[UnOrthOdOx]

I'm pretty sure "digital telescope" is refering to the auto tracker systems. You type in "Saturn" and the telescope points at it, or it gives you a top 10 list to look at this evening, etc.

Unless terminology has changed recently, that is.

I've never managed to get mine to actually work, however. Get it calibrated, type in all the city and time info, hit goto mars, and it points totally wrong. Yeah, you're supposed to download updates and stuff that I haven't done, but it's just as easy for me to manually point the thing.

[Daddy-O]

Oops my fault "cheepy digital telescope" That was my brain thinking too fast to type while eating virtual muffins and pretending to work.

UnO understood. I'll take a look at some of those ideas. I don't have one of those fancy auto pointing telescopes. Most of the fun is in having the kids try to find the planets and stars themselves.

I tried pointing the digital camera into the eye piece and if I get lucky I get part of the moon in focus.

I think UnO is right though. There must be a market for a telescope that has a built in camera. Let's work on that patent!

And look at that we sold 3 muffins today!

[Beta]

Originally posted by Daddy-O

And look at that we sold 3 muffins today!

No carrot muffins yet?

[Daddy-O]

You know, if you weren't so lazy you'd bring some carrot muffins to the bake sale.

<(-_-)> monkey

[Daddy-O]

Today's special:
BETA-Carrot-ene muffins iced with cream cheese frosting.

[Daddy-O]

Venus and Saturn are nearly touching in the North American west sky. Ooh!

[Beta]

Originally posted by Daddy-O
Today's special:
BETA-Carrot-ene muffins iced with cream cheese frosting.

Mmmmmmm good. Thanks!

Served on nice blue dishes I gather.