“COOL: SAN FRANCISCO & SHAKESPEARE”

Reflector telescopes gather and shape light differently than refractor scopes, which are built to “refract” or bend light to form an image. Instead, reflecting telescopes use mirrors to reflect light, which is then focused and observed through an ocular or eyepiece.

The first reflecting telescope is believed to have been built by Niccolo Zucchi, an Italian monk and astronomer who used his invention to lay claim to a number of discoveries, including being the first to identify belts on the planet Jupiter in 1630; an examination of spots on Mars a decade later; and in 1652, the idea that phosphors didn’t store light, but rather, generated it. His telescope design would prove the inspiration for James Gregory and Isaac Newton.

Of the reflector designs, the two main ones are Cassegrain and Newtonian. In the Cassegrain model, there is a primary concave mirror (parabolic) which collects light, then a secondary convex mirror (hyperbolic) that reflects that light back through the primary. Both mirrors are aligned about the optical axis (the line which the light path passes). By “folding” the optics, the Cassegrain telescope can be a very compact design, of which there are also variants: Ritchey-Chretien, Dall-Kirkham, Schiefspiegler, and Gregorian (by James Gregory).

As for the Newtonian reflector telescope, Isaac Newton took the design by Zucchi and instead of a secondary mirror as is found in the Cassegrain model, a flat mirror is placed at a diagonal. This reflects the light at an angle into an eyepiece that is located on the side of the tube. The observer is thus positioned at the top of the scope, looking into the ocular which reveals the focused image.

As with refractors, there are advantages and disadvantages to the reflecting telescope. Though chromatic aberration is likely reduced, there are potential problems of misalignment (e.g. the Hubble Telescope’s early years). These are some considerations that need to be asked before deciding on which type of telescope is best, as a starter, a secondary, or upgrade. It should be said that the Newtonian reflector is a popular choice for first-time telescope builders.

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In March 2007, San Francisco became the first city in the United States to ban the use of plastic checkout bags at large supermarkets and chain pharmacies. Instead, the city allows compostable bags or bags made from recyclable paper. The groundbreaking legislation, which was sponsored by Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi, was approved by the Board of Supervisors 10-1.

While the California Grocers Association was disappointed with the decision, city residents overall seemed to support the measure – even if it meant higher prices to pay for the new bags. The reason? The price seemed small when compared to the litter/pollution, threat to marine life, and shrinking landfill space which plastic bags cause.

To make petroleum-based plastic bags, it takes 430,000 gallons of oil for every 100 million bags. An approximate 180 million plastic bags are (were) distributed in San Francisco every year. Now with the ban on the biggest plastic bag consumers, that number should reduce considerably.

The success of the plastic-bag ban could lead to similar legislation. Supervisor Mirkarimi is also looking to ban Styrofoam food containers for much of the same reasons. In addition, S.F. recently adopted the use of clean-fuel construction vehicles too, which is good news as city construction is endless here!

FYI: It should also be noted that while San Francisco is the first city in the nation to pass a plastic bag ordinance, plastic bags have already been outlawed in South Africa, Taiwan, and Bangladesh. Ireland levies a tax on plastic bags to curb usage, which was actually the approach San Francisco first attempted in 2005. After two years of debate, the ban was imposed.

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Wedding invitation etiquette has changed a bit over time – such as dual envelopes not being a must. But overall, etiquette standards remain. Wording for example, continues to be very specific for church weddings, home weddings, and second marriages. When it comes to wedding invitations, certain etiquette should be followed and in the end, it can actually help make the process easier, answering and eliminating questions.

When choosing wedding invitations, the style of wedding should really dictate what type of card is sent. If a formal affair, then the invitation should properly reflect that – though that doesn’t mean it needs to be the most expensive. If a less formal wedding, then even handmade cards will be fine. This will not only be cost-saving, but also add a personal touch for your family and friends. Color-wise, the invitations often match with the wedding’s own color scheme, such as for the reception. This all ties into wedding preparation, with invitations being one of the very first steps to establishing a wedding’s framework.

As for wedding invitation enclosures, the traditional ones are: a reply card (or postcard), a map or direction card, and a reception card. Traditionally two envelopes have been used for invitations, with the outer envelope serving as a protector so all parts of the invitation would remain pristine. However this is no longer regarded as necessary and a single envelope should be fine. Also, the reception card isn’t necessary today either, as a sentence at the end of an invitation could serve the same purpose: “Reception to follow.” As far as the RSVP card, an enclosed postcard could work. These slight changes in etiquette are a sign of the times, as well as budget savers.

Wording a wedding invitation traditionally comes from the home of the bride and all envelopes should be addressed by hand. This duty is typically done by the mother of the bride and while a printer could create beautiful fonts, it’s a wedding etiquette faux-pas to use it for addresses. To recruit help is acceptable (especially for hundreds of invites) and the maid-of-honor usually does just that.

Invitations should be sent at least eight weeks prior to the wedding date and depending on the size of the guest list, addressing envelopes should begin as soon as possible. At least three months before the wedding if possible. If hiring a calligrapher, orders should be sent four months in advance. RSVP cards should be received two weeks prior to the ceremony and if there are any outstanding replies, the bride or the mother of the bride should make a formal call to finalize the count.

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A Las Vegas vacation can be as short as a weekend or as long as you like. For most, the town is best experienced in short stints, but it’s definitely a destination you’ll want to return to. These days, it’s a town for everyone: gamblers, couples, friends, convention-goers, families, weekend warriors, and day-trippers. Vegas accommodates all.

The Casinos
Obviously, Vegas is most famous for its gambling. Everywhere you look, there’s an opportunity to try your luck, whether it’s a poker table, roulette wheel, or slot machine. So what makes one casino better than the next? Hotels try and simplify such decision-making by being all-inclusive attractions themselves, offering both gamblers and non-gamblers sundry reasons to stay.

All the major hotels on the Vegas Strip offer a mix of world-class dining, boutique shopping, theater, a nightclub scene, and music show. In fact, each emblematic hotel is a sort of microcosm of the city as a whole. You can literally plan on experiencing a different “trip” with each and every visit.

Amusement Park for All
As one of the nation’s top convention cities, Vegas is forever hosting events throughout the year, with attendees coming from all points across the globe. While most of the activity happens at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the bigger hotels also play host to various meetings and gatherings daily.

As for sports, Vegas is no longer only relevant due to its sportsbooks and boxing events. It also boasts beautiful golf courses and has begun to draw on the major sports as well. Prime examples include the 2006 NBA All-Star Game and every year, the UAW Dodge 400 for NASCAR.

Despite its reputation for gambling and being “Sin City,” Vegas is also a great destination for the annual family trip. Hotels, such as Circus Circus, offer a number of kid-centric attractions and activities, plus there’s gaming, themed restaurants, and even roller coasters. When you think about it, Vegas somewhat resembles a big amusement park for all.

Of course, not to be forgotten: the Las Vegas wedding, as the town is one of the easiest places in the world to officially tie the knot. Reason being, no blood test or waiting period is required, ceremonies and licenses are inexpensive, chapels are open around the clock, and just outside the doors, your honeymoon awaits.

Indeed, as the famed neon sign says to all: “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas.”

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When studying new vocabulary words, the biggest hurdle to cross is remembering all that you’ve learned. For any given test, you could be asked to memorize hundreds of terms. In the end, how do you keep them all straight? How can you remember better? The following are five memory tricks to help you do just that.

1. Create context. With mnemonics, or memory tricks, the underlying tenet is that context helps us remember the unfamiliar or abstract more easily. For instance, the acronym Roy G. Biv is a well-known mnemonic used to name the colors in a spectrum or rainbow: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. For vocabulary, tricks range from a short story to a song tune, a keyword to a drawing. In each, what is constant is the fact that context is created for the new word. Through context, we’re able to more easily retain, remember, and later recall the “new.”

2. Vocalize new words. A multi-sensory approach to memorization will likely increase the chances of recall, given that your brain will be able to form more associations. For instance, with keyword mnemonics, the “keyword” is a known word/words that sound similar to the new one: fjord and Ford. By saying this word link out loud, along with the sentence that’s thought up for it (e.g. “The Ford trucks got stuck in the mud of the fjord.”), your brain will have a solid auditory reference to go along with the visual one.

3. Use flashcards. From early on in our education, flashcards have been used to test our memory. When learning new words, this technique can prove effective, as it requires you to recall information quickly, triggered simply by seeing a word. By design, flashcards help reinforce the link between word and definition in our brains. What’s more, flashcards are go-anywhere study aids that can be used alone or with a study partner.

4. Study before going to sleep. If you study a batch of vocabulary words before going to bed, the information will stay “fresh” in your mind during rest and the odds are good that you’ll retain much of it the next day. Test yourself in the morning to see what you remember. At worst, you will have a fine start on the current day’s lesson, since the words have already been introduced.

5. Don’t overload with words. While we’d love to learn all the new vocabulary words we need to in one sitting, to do so is unrealistic. Some prep lists can be 1,000 words or more. The best approach is to study words in manageable batches like 25 or so. It’ll give you an attainable goal for an hour or two of work.

By contrast, if you do decide to take on hundreds of words at once, not only will you be unable to form the necessary associations for each term, but your task will seem never-ending, leading to frustration. Instead, stick with the batches of 25 or 30 words and reward yourself with a meaningful break between sessions. A point of reference? When you take summer school, the class sessions are longer, but the breaks in between are as well. As important as it is to exercise your brain, it’s just as important to give it a respite every once in a while.

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Published in 1841, “Self-Reliance” is a seminal essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) which promoted belief in oneself. Though a more familiar theme in today’s world, at the time, it was a revolutionary statement. In his essay, Emerson eloquently implores individuals to seize the truth within. He states, “Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.” Over the course of 10,000 words, he repeatedly tells us to not rely on others for answers and knowledge; but rather, to have the courage to pronounce our own thoughts and risk the possibility of rejection in the process. In short, he believed that each of us possessed the capacity to be self-reliant. Not as it pertains to wealth or survival skills, but as it relates to our minds, our ideas and instincts, our goals and aspirations.

In “Self-Reliance,” Emerson strikes out against conformity, believing that to adhere to it is to short-change our individual selves. His argument is that if we look to others for guidance, the chances are likely that we will recognize our own ideas within theirs. And if so, does that not mean that we are capable of such brilliance in our own right? If this be true, why should we fear letting others know? As a Transcendentalist, Emerson subscribed to the belief that every individual could achieve an ideal spiritual state via his/her own intuition. To conform would be to squash that intuition. To sail along straight instead of finding our own true path. As Emerson noted, “The voyage of the best ship is a zigzag line of a hundred tracks.”

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The metaphysical poets were a group of 17th century poets who concerned themselves with the experience of man and the nature of being in the world. What is our place within the world and how to best define that place? Taking up the philosophy of metaphysics, first set forth by Aristotle, the metaphysical poets wrote of experience, including love, romance, beauty, and man’s relationship with God.

Batter my heart, three-person’d God; for you
As yet but knock, breath, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o’erthrow me and bend
Your force, to break, blow, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt town, to another due,
Labour to admit you, but Oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captiv’d, and proves weak or untrue.
Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,
But am betroth’d unto your enemy:
Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,
Take me to you, imprison me, for I
Except you entrall me, never shall be free,
Nor ever chase, except you ravish me.

(Holy Sonnet XIV, “Batter my heart,” John Donne)

Led by John Donne, the metaphysical poets were overall independent of one another. Unlike say the Romantics, who shared ideas and influence. Quite simply, the metaphysical movement of the 17th century was one that simultaneously captured a number of poets at the time, including George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, and George Chapman – though they worked alone. Their poems were lyric poems, defined by wit, wordplay, and arguments that often prove a dualism in meaning. As for their name, it was actually Samuel Johnson in The Life of Cowley (1779-81) who grouped the poets under the well-known umbrella: “the metaphysical poets.”

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A Bahamas vacation is what many of us think of when we dream of an island getaway. Pristine beaches, clear blue skies, glistening water, balmy weather, and a perfect breeze: All are the calling cards of the Bahamas. A destination for weekend trips, weddings, and family holidays, the Bahama Islands offers something for everyone and warmly welcomes all.

An Archipelago of Islands, Cays and ReefsComprised of nearly 700 islands and more than 2,000 cays, the Bahamas in the West Atlantic Ocean is located about 75 miles away from Florida’s Palm Beach. With a semitropical climate and average temperatures between 70°F-80°F in the winter and 80°F-90°F in the summer, the Bahamas is a go-to destination year-round.