Continued from previous message.

top are replicas. 
    There is a real Mercury capsule,m the very first actual spaceship 
sent into space. Oh, it was uncrewed but otherwise completely 
outfitted for human flight. Guess what? You can sit in it to feel how 
tightly the astronaut was packed inside. 
    The month ended with a wonderful Thanksgiving parade on Manhattan. 
There were shadow-softening clouds, a bite in the air, and no rain. 
This year had a thicker crowd along the parade route; about 2-1/2 
million souls cheered the balloons and floats and performers. 

THAT Section (formerly Astropolitics) 
 -----------------------------------
    With the brouhaha within Amateur Astronomers Association shifted 
to the Yahoogroups forum 'AAA_Politics', there's no promotion of that 
business here. Of course, any news about the club can be 'political'. 
If that's your take, get over to AAA_Politics and bleat out your inane 
intonations. It's just as free for all and free-for-all as NYSkies 
allowed until its creation on 2004 June 29. 
    What? AAA_Politics is not yet fully populated with your required 
audience? Well, you go and drum up subscribers! If you're going whacko 
about a this or that club issue, you should have the audience you 
demand! Bleat at other club members to join you there. 
    News? If November was quiet, December is all fireworks. It opened 
with the club in Small Claims court, Manhattan, to deal with the first 
of potentially six recoveries for losses from the Great Eclipse Theft 
of 8 November 2004. The plaintiff was John Pazmino, to be followed in 
due course perhaps by Alice Barner, Rik Davis, Tony Hoffman, Bruce 
Kamiat, and Stewart Rorer. I say 'perhaps' because the club may 
knuckle down and make settlement to the others outside of court. 
    The session, on November 1st, went to mediation with the club 
refusing to bargain in good faith or make a credible offer of 
settlement. The session was adjourned for 2005 January 27 
    Next up was the membership approval of the proposed dues increase. 
The ballots, due by 15 November, were counted at the AAA Board's 
November 18th meeting. The results were 251 ballots in hand, 232 
'yes', 17 'no', 2 'abstain' (ballots unmarked). The new rate, $25, 
takes effect for the 2005 dues year.
    Last on the club's mind at month end was a special Board meeting 
sometime in December specificly to throw John Pazmino out of the club 
for just cause. Just 'cause club president Michael O'Gara wants to.  
The subject was debated at the Board meeting on November 18th. In 
addition, AAA members (or just Board members in one version of the 
skit) may at this Board meeting be banned from NYSkies! 
    Whether this special meeting is for real or just despotic whining 
is unclear at the moment. The very discussion of such an idea in a 
serious manner among AAA leader should factor in taking up or renewing 
AAA membership. 
    What? You're spoiling for action? OK, Step right over to 
AAA_Politics, where the rest of the crowd -- including some club 
leaders -- are waiting for you. 

NYSkies 
 -----
    Astronomers are exploiting NYSkies as a quick, handy, friendly, and 
potent source of astronomy news relating to the City. And there is 
LOTS of astronomy stuff going on around New York! Since it revived on 
28 September 2001 (it was interrupted by World Trade Center) NYSkies 
became the definitive forum and public record for matters bearing on 
home astronomy in and around New York. 
    Joining NYSkies is easy. Send an empty email to this Yahoo 
maillist at 'nysky-subscribe{at}yahoogroups.com'. Its posts are sent to 
you in your email and you post to it by email. It's that simple! 
    Or you may go to 'groups.yahoo.com/group/nysky'. If you are already 
signed up with Yahoo, you go and sign in and then 'join' NYSkies. If 
not, you have to go thru a silly 'registration' that's a oneshot 
chore, valid for all groups you may eventually join. The files area of 
NYSkies are accessible only thru the website. 


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