Flashback: T-2 days to eclipse.
I looked around the workshop and noticed I have boxes of left over optics that didn't work out in various projects over the years, including some nice big achromats I grabbed from Anchor and Surplus Shed a good ten years ago.
And then, later in the day, all the empty shipping tubes from McMaster in the garage caught my eye... ( Read more... )
Another post I meant to make a while ago... George, my Tiniest of Tinies, has taken a liking to lasers and mirrors.
eBay and Amazon advertise a number of little Chinese 'optics experiments' kits with a laser line source that makes three parallel beams, a number of partially frosted lenses, prisms and mirrors, and a few other fun things. There's no English version but it looked like a good gift anyway.
Using Google's realtime image translate and no knowledge of technical Chinese whatsoever, I cobbled together a partly translated box and a translated instruction manual. Unless the original Chinese was quite subtle, I don't think there was actually a ton of useful content there, but hey.
In any case, here's scans: My English translation, and the original Chinese pages (in the event someone would like to improve on my atrocious hack job). Given the Amazon comments, I expect a few others may be interested :-)
(Empire of the Lasers has nothing to do with the original Chinese. It's a silly take on George's usual gaming handle.)
Last summer I bought a house in New Hampshire for living as well as greatly expanded workshop space. The kids are up here about half the time, and it's a holiday getaway for Camilla as well. I've been moving in slowly since July (Priusful by Priusful, with the occasional Minivan Marathon) and finishing the unfinished space inside one room at a time.
A few weeks ago, George apparently claimed one of the as-yet-unused rooms for his own workshop. (The other side says 'Do Not Disturb').
Yep, looks like an infestation of xenomorphs all right... (they *did* pop out of Camilla so to speak).
George Elas Montgomery was born last night at 4:03am. He weighed 7lbs 4.4oz, and I didn't catch the length because I was trying to take a picture. It was another fast delivery, so fast that the poor little guy is pretty bruised up from it. Poor little purple face!
But that's the worst of it; he's another robust looking little boy, mother and son are resting comfortably, there are no lingering worries from the delivery, Denton's off with Ruth for the afternoon, and Daddy gets to catch a few hours sleep once he fulfills his solemn LiveJournal duty. Then Denton and I will go down to visit so that the two new brothers can get acquainted.
