Brutkey

Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

This one applies to both amateur and professional astronomers: use your skills to show people the beautiful night sky! This is SO important to let the general public know what they are losing thanks to the billionaire space race.

So many astronomers donate their time to public observing nights and star walks and just setting up their telescopes in random places and letting people look through them and sharing beautiful astrophotos. THANK YOU! Keep doing it!!

Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

Lastly, join groups who are already fighting. For all of you reading this (statistically mostly non-astronomers), I most highly recommend DarkSky International. They are a fantastic group doing great work!

As an example, please sign this open letter from DarkSky protesting against Reflect Orbital, which will be sent both to the company and to their fucking terrible investors: https://darksky.org/news/organizational-statement-reflect-orbital/

And get ready to write to the FCC when that comment period opens!

Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

Now time to get ready for a CBC Sask video interview that I'm somehow supposed to do in my friends' house that is nearly completely full of small knickknacks (mostly elephant figurines) and every wall has hilariously garish 70's wallpaper, and where everyone is still asleep. Wish me luck... #ProfSamLectureTour

Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

Now I'm at a public library (wooo libraries!) because the observatory in Victoria doesn't have a functional guest network and it's a federal facility so there aren't other options. My phone is nearly out of data after tethering all week... so I'll do a couple of zoom meetings from here. (Was a little disappointed this library doesn't have a meeting room I can use, but it's not currently raining and it's not super cold so I can sit outside)

Prof. Sam Lawler
@sundogplanets@mastodon.social

Very nice librarian saw me setting up on the floor in the hallway and said "Use the teens area! They're all in school right now"

Yay libraries!!

This particular library was the only place I could work on making my first faculty job talk (while keeping my 1yo somewhat happy), during an incredibly unstable, stressful period of my life.

So I love this library, but it's also definitely bringing up some bad memories. Trying to focus on being grateful that I'm in a very good place now personally.