Re: [ATM] Dobson

[NGC704@aol.com]

> You are 
>  focused on and nit picking at minutia at the expense of a far 
>  more important contribution.

Okay boys, settle down or you'll have to go outside. There, that's better. 
Whether JD was, or was not, involved in the Manhattan Project doesn't matter any 
more than what GWB or JFK'y did in Vietnam. Believe what you wanna believe, 
and nothing will change today. (BTW, this cannot be OT; anything whatever to do 
with JD has a place on any ATM list. :)

It's a well-known fact that John Dobson can be rude as hell to people, 
usually when they attempt to controvert, or even seem merely to question, his 
statements. But then, he's nothing short of highly - incredibly, even - 
inspirational to many, many more of peoples. Okay, so is he a great astrophyicist? A great 
innovator? A great thinker in any sense? I'm not so sure about that, but for 
my money, he is a splendid *showman*; and for what he does most, it's what 
counts most. He makes people WANT to look through a telescope, and up at the sky, 
and -- THINK. Can you do that? Me, I try, and I got inspired to try by Our 
Mister Dobson. I'll never, ever be as good as he is at it, but I'll still try.

Personally, I kinda get a kick out of loudmouths getting shut down. Sorry, 
but I've sat in way too many meetings, lectures, symposia, etc., etc., where 
some genius in the audience just has to bore everyone half to death by taking 
everything the speaker has to say to task. I mostly crack up when he gets his 
dander up, and write off the discourtesy to his being from California (don't get 
me wrong, I love California, especially when it's at least 1000 miles away 
from me ;).

David Levy spent an hour or two using my 16" f/5 Dobby on my eq platform at 
TSP '99. It was primo observing, but I feigned weariness and scooted, happy to 
go roaming the fields gawking and visiting while he had the time all to 
himself and the West Texas sky. He was still there when I returned, which I took as 
a huge compliment. Then he said "that's one sweet telescope, thank you - I 
really enoyed using it". That was a moment in my life I shall always remember 
with a smile. Why, he used Clyde Tombaugh's 16-incher more'n once!!

I have never actually met John Dobson. But if I ever do, and he criticizes my 
handiwork, I promise it will be water off a duck's back. After all, I'M the 
one who uses it, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I build a "sweet" 
telescope!

Cheers,
Kurt Maurer
League City, Texas
http://members.aol.com/NGC704/
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