reference | PolyWogg.ca

Reading Michael Swanson’s “The NexStar User’s Guide II” – Chapter 07 – Connecting a PC, Mac, Tablet or Smartphone to Your Tablet

September 8 2019

For reviewing purposes, I skipped over the short Chapter 6, focused on Sky Portal operations, as I’ll do that chapter after I have a chance to connect to my tablet and test some of the operations. I thought of doing the same for Chapter 07, Connecting a PC, Mac, Tablet or Smartphone to Your Tablet, but it’s a short chapter, and easily dispensed with here.… Read the rest

Reading Michael Swanson’s “The NexStar User’s Guide II” – Chapter 05 – NexStar and StarSense Hand Control Operations

September 7 2019

Chapter 5 (of Michael Swanson’s “The NexStar User’s Guide II”) is entitled NexStar and StarSense Hand Control Operations and you would be right if you assumed this was going to more like a software manual than a telescope manual. It is a highly specific reference manual for the use of the hand controller and reading it page by page is for the hard-core geek only.… Read the rest

Reading Michael Swanson’s “The NexStar User’s Guide II” – Chapter 04 – Alignment

September 3 2019

Chapter 4 of Michael Swanson’s “The NexStar User’s Guide II” is entitled Alignment and is the chapter that made me want to buy the book and read it cover to cover. Readers of the blog know that I struggled with alignment for my NexStar 8SE (Solving alignment problems with the Celestron NexStar 8SE) and Michael’s online resources were helpful in resolving some of them, or at least narrowing the problem.… Read the rest

Reading Michael Swanson’s “The NexStar User’s Guide II” – Chapter 03 – Overview of Celestron’s Alt-Az Computerized Telescopes

August 30 2019

I like to blog about non-fiction books as I read them, as it helps me both synthesize and retain the info. Chapter 3 is a general overview on all the computerized scopes in Celestron’s arsenal, and I found myself liberally highlighting as I read it. Here are some highlights:

P.57 — a great overview of the different processors in the mount, including some of what the processors in the mount do (drive the motors) and the hand control (determining the correct tracking rate)…I was initially confused about something in the manual, as it said the hand controller sends the update to the mount every thirty seconds.

… Read the rest

Reading Michael Swanson’s “The NexStar User’s Guide II” – Chapter 02 – Astronomy Basics

June 26 2019

I mentioned previously that it helps me to blog about NF books as I read them — kind of like transcribing my notes into something more coherent that my brain can recognize. Chapter 2 on Astronomy Basics in the NexStar User’s Guide II is a similar outcome. Here are some thoughts:

P.12 — Constellations…There are 88 constellations that divide the sky…I always assumed there were WAY more than that.

… Read the rest

Reading Michael Swanson’s “The NexStar User’s Guide II” – Chapter 01 – Introduction

May 4 2019

I have a Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope, and I have had some, umm, challenges dealing with alignment issues (Solving alignment problems with the Celestron NexStar 8SE). When I started surfing the ‘net to find some solutions, it didn’t take long to find out about Michael Swanson, the resident online expert for all things NexStar.… Read the rest

RASC Observer’s Handbook, 2019 by Edited by James S. Edgar (PWBR00142)

March 12 2019

Plot or Premise

Cover: RASC Observer's Handbook, 2019 by Edited by James S. Edgar

This is the annual observer’s guide published by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

What I Liked

Each year, the Observer’s Guide is produced and sold to amateur and professional astronomers across North America, and those astronomers vary considerably in their capacity and interests. It’s hard to serve any “one group”, but as I am at the intro stage to the hobby, I’ll review from that perspective.… Read the rest

Change: What Really Leads to Lasting Personal Transformation by Jeffrey A. Kottler (PWBR00118)

December 17 2018

Plot or Premise

Cover: Change: What Really Leads to Lasting Personal Transformation by Jeffrey A. Kottler

Kottler reflects on the literature and personal experiences as a psychologist about the elements that lead people to not only make changes in their life but also sustain those changes over the long-term.

What I Liked

I had the pleasure of hearing Kottler speak as an honoured guest at my wife’s university graduation ceremony, and he intrigued me enough on the subject of “change” — what we know and what we don’t know — that I bought his book.… Read the rest

RASC Observer’s Handbook, 2018 edited by James S. Edgar (PWBR00114)

November 11 2017

Plot or Premise

Cover: RASC Observer's Handbook, 2018 by Edited by James S. Edgar

This is the annual observer’s guide published by the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

What I Liked

One of the most obvious challenges for an Observer’s Guide of this kind is balancing the needs of newbies and moderate amateurs with the needs of advanced astronomers, photographers, and outright astro-physicists.… Read the rest

Rethinking Canadian Aid, Edited by Stephen Brown, Molly den Heyer and David R. Black (PWBR00191)

March 9 2015

Plot or Premise

Cover: Rethinking Canadian Aid by Edited by Stephen Brown, Molly den Heyer and David R. Black

The academic analysis of recent Canadian international development assistance is long on political economy and light on “realities on the ground”.

What I Liked

The text had a strong opening for its goals, even if the administrative context didn’t quite match their estimated / presumed political context. When it came to hard statistical analysis (Chapter 6) and mimicry of other donors, the paper was sound.… Read the rest

Biblioholism: The Literary Addiction by Tom Raabe (PWBR00013)

February 18 2001

Plot or Premise

A mixed-tone argument that you can be “addicted” to reading and owning books, with some examples of book hoarders from years-gone-by.

What I Liked

There are some really good “humour” lists, kind of like a Letterman top ten list for:

Moving when you have a lot of books;
A Biblioholic’s test (how big is your problem);
The snobbish Discovery Index (I knew the author when..);

… Read the rest

Ruined by Reading: A life in books by Lynne Sharon Schwartz (PWBR00010)

February 18 2001

Plot or Premise

Cover: Ruined by Reading by Lynne Sharon Schwartz

Schwarz starts with a commentary by a Chinese scholar that some people are handicapped by reading too much, and not thinking enough about what they read. From there, she looks at the books she has read in her life and the role they have played. It is not a heavy analytical tone throughout, but rather a personal commentary on the books that have been important to her in her life, and the elements of her life that took place in and around books.… Read the rest

Using HTML 4 (4th edition) by Lee Anne Phillips (PWBR00096)

October 10 1999

Plot or Premise

Cover: Using HTML 4 (4th edition) by Lee Anne Phillips

Good resource, short on tutorial and long on information.

What I Liked

Good for syntax and great appendix sections.

What I Didn’t Like

Not quite as detailed as other books, and not much theory.

The Bottom Line

Good resource

Stylized signature block to say happy reading in most posts and pages

Links To My Other Book Reviews

PolyWogg.ca

GoodReads

… Read the rest

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating an HTML 4 Web Page (3rd edition) by Paul Mcfedries (PWBR00095)

October 10 1999

Plot or Premise

Cover: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Creating an HTML 4 Web Page (3rd edition) by Paul Mcfedries

Good overview from beginning to end

What I Liked

A bit dated at the point of reading (1999), with some of the “new features” old hat, and as well, some of the “old features” had changed. However, the approach is light, and easy to follow, from beginning to end, and what makes this such a great resource is the CD-ROM disk that comes with it, containing some great software and sample coding to save the tired typist.… Read the rest

HTML Web Magic (2nd edition) by Raymond Pirouz (PWBR00094)

October 10 1999

Plot or Premise

Cover: HTML Web Magic (2nd edition) by Raymond Pirouz

Instead of going through all the bits and pieces (which it does very quickly), Pirouz instead has focused on some elements that spice up web pages.

What I Liked

A programmer wouldn’t necessarily want to use all of them, but a new designer will find some really great tips and tricks here.… Read the rest

HTML: The Complete Reference by Thomas A. Powell (PWBR00093)

October 10 1999

Plot or Premise

Cover: HTML: The Complete Reference by Thomas A. Powell

A reference guide for HTML

What I Liked

Good as a simple reference / encyclopaedia tool.

What I Didn’t Like

Not so great for learning the intricacies from the bottom-up, short on tutorial or theory side.

The Bottom Line

Good simple reference.

Links To My Other Book Reviews

PolyWogg.ca

… Read the rest

Get Your University Degree at Home by Kevin Paul (PWBR00051)

June 8 1999

Plot or Premise

Cover: Get Your University Degree at Home by Kevin Paul

Having met the author when I was a student at the University of Victoria when he was the Director of Graduate Admissions, I had a lot of confidence in his ability to present a no- nonsense approach to the idea of Distance Education. And for the most part, he delivered.… Read the rest