Home @ 1999

I have finally decided to display things in my homepage. A bit late, you might say, but that was my nature which delayed this to happen. Now, I will try to explain it a bit.

To be able to live in a competitive academic world this (i.e m-u-s-t h-a-v-e a h-o-m-e-p-a-g-e) is the way you are led to and by default you are supposed to be producing it as soon as you are counted as `in' the subject. OK, a bit old fashion but still, you've got a chance to communicate [warning: check this link before you click] with me. Anyway, lets take it away.....

If I want to describe myself to you (well, I don't know you, but I am aware of your virtual place), I wouldn't choose some funny electrons to appear in front of your eyes. Instead, I would like to chat about

• astronomy

• amateur astronomy (in all aspects)

• languages (including artificial ones)

• computer programming (note that I didn't mention computers)

• cycling, nature, greenpeace

• fight against everything that destroys or aims to destroy human's XYZ
  (where XYZ changes as we, well I, get mature).

• and many other subjects related to the earth.

I didn't put my favourite links up on the subjects above because, they normally represent an idea belonging to themselves. Like it happens to you while you read my page. Thus they will not know me unless I communicate with them.

In short, let's not forget the days of slavery when humans were traded and advertised in bazaars. They were chosen according to their strength and effectiveness when their teeth and muscles are examined. Thus, what we could have learned since should be the answer to the question "how can we communicate and understand each other?".

So, now I do my job by telling you what I am involved in recently and I wish that you will, in your spare virtual time, do the same thing (because you are the virtual visitor, not me), so that this does not stay as a monolog (or an advertisement):

Astronomy:

algol-type close binaries; observationally: spectroscopy, theoretically: collaborating with Marek; results: radial velocities, CII analysis, resolving the secondary; future: more observations, more collaborations, lots of observing time.

Artificial languages:

increase the following list as quickly as possible both in context and length wise (not ordered in any sense): basic, fortran, pascal, .(tex|sty|cls|bst), c, .sh, .[t]csh, .awk, .sed, perl, expect

Programming:

write some good reduction software; contribute to IRAF; contribute to PDL (Perl Data Language); contribute to TUG in software; and try to explain people the following fact: even though computers are everywhere and they are hated by humans, future is based on how successfully we programme them.

Amateur astronomy:

see the link at the very top.

That's it for now and please don't forget that

...the sun doesn't notice the lands that rises up on them...

Have a nice and earthly day.

Notes:

• Marek is the person who showed me the details (i.e the importance) of algols and their behaviours, and he still does. Here he is: Marek Sarna

• We, algol-type close binary astronomers, try to establish an international collaboration... which has failed at the moment.

• TUG means Turkish National Observatory. It is _the_ professional observing facility of Turkish observers. We, Turkish astronomers, emotionally linked to this project for years and now it is about the time to harvest some fruits. Here are the details (including applications for observing time): TUG