Hell I haven't been to the movies in close to a year. I pretty much just download any movies I think might be worth watching. I don't really feel to bad when it comes to downloading movies considering how ridiculous theater prices are these days. Plus If I download a movie (illegally) and I actually like it I almost always buy it on DVD.

Oh, believe me, I don't feel guilty for a second over downloading a movie.

The actors get paid plenty, as does the rest of the production staff.

The industry is just ridiculously greedy imo.

I never bother buying a dvd, but on occasion I have downloaded a cam version, to watch 5-15 minutes. If I like it, I go to the theater, if not... I'll wait until it's out on bluray and dl the good version then... Or as happens most often, never do anything since the first 10-15 minute did not impress in the least.

Wonder what the reaction from the studios would be if people started demanding money back for shitty movies

Edit: Better yet, next time you see a shitty movie not only demand a refund, but bring an invoice for two hours of your time

haha this is quite often how it ends up for me.
The thing about the invoice is funny, it reminds me of a story on CNN about a woman who sent her doctor an invoice for 2 hours of her time when the doc made her sit in the waiting room for 2 hours after her scheduled appointment time before seeing her. Surprisingly the doc paid.

But yea I like being able to download movies so I can see if it is even worth my time and money. Why in the hell would I want to pay nearly $40 (gotta pay for the girlfriend) and give 2 hours of my life to go see a movie just to find out that its absolute shit. There have been times where I downloaded a movie that ended up being terrible, then I thought about how if I had to sit in a theater for two hours watching it I would have scratched my eyes out with a syphilis contaminated needle.

Come on folks we have to do this. Too much bad news around to fill our heads, this would be fun!!! Who cares if it probably won't work.

They actually do have reflecting surfaces left on the moon that they have shot lasers at to precisely measure distance. Maybe we will hit one of them. What would be the combined power of all of us pointing at the moon at the same time?

I suggest using Green lasers since they will probably show up best reflecting off that kind of a surface.

Do we have a few people with fairly good telescopes who could watch the dark section of the moon at that time? Anyone have any contacts with the Hubble folks?

Remember Jan. 8th at 10pm eastern time.

Charge up your pointers boys !!!

Can't be done unfortunately... not unless you've got one of these:




lol Hubble time is booked, I'm afraid. :P

While it is unfortunate that this won't really work as well as we would like it, it would be cool to have a LPF meet-up somewhere and we do this. That would be an epic pic with hundreds of lasers all focused on the moon.

That's what I was cheering for.
If we all go out at the same time and do this for 5 minutes, individullay it won't make a difference. It's only 5 minutes of your time that you spend with one of your lasers that you just might do anyways. All we are saying is to do it within a specified time frame and in a common direction.
If only 100 people do it it will still probably amount to nothing.
If 500 people do it then it might be noticed enough that someone somewhere says something about it.
If 1000 people do it then who knows what might be heard.

For those that are worried about publicity I say take the chance and then use any responses to bring awareness to the issues of "Safe laser operation".
Technically we are all performing an astronomy based pointing for which lasers are specifically and ideally designed and sold to do. If you are showing care to not shine at aircraft and have some knowledge about your laser and can communicate the respect for the device then you are actually doing the whole LPF community a favor !
So bring on the publicity. I'm not afraid of it. I will use it as a tool to inform the masses like it should be.
Make a million people ask what was going on so that we can educate them. Then there will be a million more people who can support us when we say "Be safe. Be smart. Always use appropriate eye protection and never point a laser at another living thing."

There will be no way of stopping idiots from doing stupid things. Idiots are ingenious.
Better to educate more of the non-idiots to help control the ones who choose to be idiots.

40 years ago driving drunk was something few knew about or talked about. Now just about everyone will tell you not to drive after you have been drinking. Casual aquaintances will offer to drive you home, strangers will call a cab, the government funds alternatives. All as a result of education and dissemination of facts/knowledge about the topic.
This could be one of the first steps to educating the masses about lasers. And it is being done in a POSITIVE and LEGAL way.
Just don't be doing anything stupid at the same time.

And get a picture of yourself to post here too.

how did it go?

it's not january 8th yet.

oh lol, in that case, count me in!

I think this goes without saying... but...
If you live near an airport, DON'T do this, go to a friends house or something.

I don't mind taking a few minutes out of my day to go outside and use my lasers. Hell I would probably be doing that anyway

I would like to do meet up. Anybody from or near Austin, Texas?

I was just reading the thread and that's all that came to mind. The last thing this community needs is bad press for hitting a plane with many laser at once.

I only have a 100mW green but watever!!! I might see somebody in my community that has a laser. COUNT ME IN!!! HELL YEA!!! LETS BREAK A RECORD!!!!

I'm up for this.. I'm in arizona,,so what time will that be here? Cuz I have no idea!!

Just a friendly bump to keep the idea alive...
Maybe I will take some time this week to post the Timezone info for everyone too lazy to look it up themselves.
But at this moment i gotta go...

You arent going to see a reflection, but I'll do it just for the fun of it

I'll try to get a few of my friends to do it too.

Yes, even though you won't see a reflection off of the moon, you might see a few laser beams in the sky near you.

K... start firing your laser!

Cloudy night, can't see the moon at all. =/ Besides, I'm probably 200 miles from anyone with a pointer over 5mW haha.

I was out there last night, it was cloudy in my area. My buddy ~15 miles from me couldn't see my 1W 445 nm, nor could I see his 200mW 532nm or anyone else's. This might work better on a clearer (and darker) night.

Also might work better when the moon isn't almost full..

As it was pouring rain in my area at that time (local shower, apparently just a few blocks away didn't get wet) I had to decline my participation.
Anybody who tried it see anybody else's ? I know of another member near me that might be visible under the right circumstances.
Perhaps another try in better conditions would be in order...anybody know someone that can actually predict the weather with some accuracy ?

Yep here in arizona this time of year its pretty clear all the time...lol not sure if that's a prediction or not.