Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fun. Show all posts

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Lunar Citizens Brace for Super Earth Event

POX News Exclusive:  Dateline Clavius Crater.

This weekend's new earth cycle will bring our globe closer to earth than anytime since, well, almost an entire decade ago.  Morbix Leaxiue, prominent astrologer and anti-vaccination activist, predicts this "Super Earth" event will trigger massive moonquakes, mare basalt flows, crater wall landslides and the general overall end of everything we hold dear.  "We've got the earth pulling on one side of us, Saturn and Tyche pulling on the other side of us ... it's like being quartered on a planetary scale!"



He urges all lunar citizens to immediately evacuate to the far side of the moon because, as he states, "Well, its farther away from earth right?  What we can't see won't hurt us."


Hysterical lunar citizens around the volatile "ring of not-much-happening here" Mare Serenitatis region have been seen in local bigbox stores stocking up on emergency supplies, hard hats, and rare water ice crystals thought to bring divine protection.  One fear gripped shopper said,  "My cousin sent me this email all about the SuperEarth.  I didn't believe it at first but then I checked the internet and finally the cable news channels and was shocked to see the reports.  I mean, if it's on cable news it must be true!" [emphasis ours].


While prominent credible scientists stress this "Super Earth" event will not trigger any natural disasters that won't stop us from reporting the voices of fringe groups and pseudo-scientists in the interest of fair and balanced reporting.

Tune in to POX News for this and other Live Breaking News recycled every hour.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Processing Partners

I love PixInsight.  OK, perhaps I'm getting a bit ahead of myself - after all it is those heady and exhilarating early days of relationship.  Let's just say I think this just may be the one.  We are going steady right now and I plan to pop the question even before the trial license period expires on 07:45:33 UTC December 12, 2010. 

This will not be an exclusive relationship.  Right tools for the job and all that.  I am on very good terms with my previous [processing] partner (Photoshop) and hope we will remain close friends.  We can spend quality time together on my terrestrial photography and I am sure that there may a few tricks that PS can do easier.  For those tasks we'll just go out for coffee.  But for astrophotography PS could never kindle my passion like PixInsight does.  In her heart of hearts I'm sure PS knew this day was coming. 


Contrary to popular belief, PixInsight is not difficult to get to know.  Exotic and perhaps a bit dangerous but that is part of the allure.  Algorithmic and rational.  Holistic and deep.  She doesn't paint herself or your images.  Yet watch her reveal the inner beauty lurking just above your noise threshold.  There is no user manual (yet) but this helps forge a deeper understanding right from the beginning.  And there are many who know her mysteries and are happy to share their advice.

If you are looking for a superficial one button relationship - don't bother.  You will have to invest some quality time but oh so well worth it.  You will get to learn strange and foreign sounding terms like ATrousWavelets and HDRWTransform.  You will get frustrated. Yes you will even fight at times.  But oh so richly rewarding.  If you want to inject a some fun and excitement into your processing experience ... on the next full moon invite PixInsight out for a night on the town.  You won't regret it.