tedmichalik.com

Best Visual Illusion of the Year for 2010

Ted — Thu, 27 May 2010 17:34:34 +0000

Wooden balls rolling up a slope? Is this a new force of nature or magic? No, just a very cool optical illusion. Click here to check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAXm0dIuyug&feature=player_embedded

My Review of Celestron 8 Inch CPC Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope ULTIMATE PACKAGE

Ted — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 15:05:15 +0000

Originally submitted at Telescopes.com

The CPC 800 GPS XLT is the most portable of Celestron’s top-of-the-line fork-mounted astronomical telescopes and includes Celestron’s premium StarBright XLT coatings. This telescope is at home as a superb visual instrument or, with optional wedge and CCD cameras, as a serious astrophotog…

Great Value

By Ted from Louisville, KY on 4/8/2010

Pros: Strong Construction, Quality Lenses, Compact, Accurate

Cons: Heavy

Best Uses: Astronomy

Describe Yourself: Casual/ Recreational

I love my new scope! The inclusion of the power tank and the set of 2″ eyepieces sealed the deal. It is perfect for me to use in my local astronomy group’s Sidewalk Astronomy events. I just secure the scope in the back seat with the seat belt, toss in the tripod, power tank, eyepiece case, and I am good to go. Setup is easy and the ability to do an alignment with solar system objects is very handy. On my first outing, I aligned the scope on the moon and used the “GOTO” to find Venus and Saturn before anyone else could spot them even with binoculars. The built in floodlight on the power tank also came in very handy in the twilight to find a binky dropped by one of the kids.

This scope is a lot heavier the the NexStar8 I used before, but that is a good trade off for its crisp rock steady views and excellent tracking.

(legalese)

Best Christmas Decoration Ever!

Ted — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 18:54:22 +0000

Although this may have been the best Christmas decoration, it only lasted a few days. It was made too life-like and almost caused a few traffic accidents. There were also people who nearly hurt themselves putting the ladder back and climbing up to help. On the advice of the police, it was taken down. Click here for the original post.

Best Christmas Lights Display

Ted — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:23:10 +0000

I found this link for the Best Christmas Lights Display. Check it out!

Amazing Grace Techno – Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Best Christmas Lights Display

The Folly of Spell-check

Ted — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:18:46 +0000

Spelling Poem

Eye halve a spelling chequer
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
.
Eye strike a key and type a word
And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weigh.
.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lea ever wrong.
.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.

— Found on the Internet

Al Franken Thinks Less Medical Bankruptcies Are Better, Conservatives Disagree

Ted — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:26:49 +0000

Senator Al Franken schools Diana Furchtgott-Roth of the Hudson Institute–which until recently employed disgraced health care “analyst” and serial liar Betsy McCaughey–on how people in other “socialized” countries don’t go bankrupt trying to stay alive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgqqSHr0wVA

SOLAR MINIMUM VS. GLOBAL WARMING

Ted — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:20:53 +0000

An article on Spaceweather.com discusses the latest analysis of climate researchers Judith Lean (NRL) and David Rind (NASA/GISS). Their model can account for 76% of the variation in the surface temperature of the Earth over the last 30 years just by considering solar activity, volcanic eruptions, ENSO (El Nino), and the accumulation of greenhouse gases. Click here to see their full article with predictions for the next two decades.

How DNA Copies Itself

Ted — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:52:26 +0000

Here is a clip from the PBS program “DNA The Secret of Life”. Computer animation is used to illustrate the process that makes near-perfect copies of DNA.

How DNA Copies Itself

Unexpected Wedding Entrance

Ted — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:55:07 +0000

I will be attending a couple of weddings in the next two months. I wonder if they will be as unusual as the Unexpected Wedding Entrance?

Mathemagic

Ted — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:39:30 +0000

Arthur Benjamin can figure out 3-digit squares in his head faster than people with calculators. Personally, I have to use a calculator to keep my checkbook balanced, so I am in total awe of his abilities. Check out the link below.

Lightning Calculation and other “Mathemagic”