Engaging Minds

Below is the text from a press release about the daughter of a friend of mine. She is the youngest person to ever find a supernova and I can tell you that is some achievement.

Congratulations Caroline! There will be lots of success to follow in whatever you show a passionate interest in.

Bob and Nancy, you must be very proud indeed.

Rare supernova found by 14 year old amateur astronomer

Ellikay, GA November 13, 2008, 3:00 P.M. EST

The International Astronomical Union, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A. confirmed today the discovery of a supernova in galaxy UGC 12682. Supernova 2008ha was discovered by Caroline Moore a 14 year old girl from Warwick, NY. Moore is most likely the youngest person ever to have discovered a supernova.

Caroline is an active member of The Puckett Observatory Supernova Search team, a team of amateur astronomers that take thousands of images each night searching for rare events.

Moore is a member of the Rockland Astronomy Club, The Orange County Astronomical Association, and attends Warwick Valley High School in Warwick, NY.

Caroline is very active in helping young people understand the night sky by inviting guests to her families backyard observatory at her home in Warwick, NY.

-END-

Interesting and thought provoking.

                        Gold Silver Bronze Total

1st   CHN   89      70       52      211

2nd  GBR    42      29       31       102 

3rd  USA    36       35       28         99

All clear

So the results of my test seem to indicate that I may now be cancer free.

I still need to have a chest x-ray to be more certain as the blood test didn’t show anything wrong when I actually had cancer.

Seems my type of cancer doesn’t always show up!

I recently got Verizon FIOS installed to replace Cablevision.

(Weird; just as I wrote the word “Cablevision” the phone rang and it was Cablevision offering me a very attractive package to come back to them. I declined but it’s nice to know they are very eager to get me back).

Anyway, to keep a long story short Verizon has overcharged me for a single phone call to the UK. They charged me $135 instead of $6. They said they had no record of me calling to register for the cheap rate international plan so that charge must stand. I know I called the week before installation.

I have spent around 5 hours on the phone trying to sort this out and have hit a brick wall. I have written a letter to the COO of Verizon but have not yet had a response.

The FIOS product is very good; the customer service stinks. I spent most of that 5 hours on hold. I spoke to a number of different people who said I had to speak to someone else.

Until I get a response from the COO I am going to stay with Verizon for my home and wireless services. If that response does not remedy the situation I will leave Verizon and publish my experiences as far and wide as I can.

I realized this morning that too much of my life these days is spent dealing with poor customer service in many areas and it is a stress I can do without. Fortunately I am not in favor of gun ownership so ‘going postal’ is an unlikely next step.

It happens

In spite of the busy schedule in Boston I took time to think.

Many matters have been weighing on my mind and I decided to take care of a couple of them.

One required that I sell almost all of my astronomy equipment, a difficult decision but I do feel better now the decision is made. My dream scope is now sold and I hope the mount will go soon too.

I postponed my application for the PhD till 2009 in order that I might better prepare. Cancer and radiation therapy, I found, are poor preparation

Life seems better now.