This month our BILUG meeting will dovetail with a Slashdot anniversary party (of sorts) that Dan Birchall is organizing. The date is Saturday, Oct 27, time TBA. Location is the Mauna Kea visitor center at the 9000 ft level on Mauna Kea.

A summit tour is likely, and there will be stargazing at the visitor’s center in the evening. My plan is to have a little potluck dinner for BILUG at the picnic tables adjacent to the visitor center in the late afternoon (after the summit tour and before the stargazing). Please join us for whatever portions you can.

I will send out another email when I have more information about the summit tour. It would also be advantageous to carpool for those needing rides.

For planning purposes, if you are planning to attend, I would appreciate an email with the following info:

• if you have a 4WD vehicle you will be taking, and you have room to spare for carpool, how many seats?
• if you need a ride
• if you will attend the potluck what would you likely bring (main dish, salad, dessert, or beverages)
• if you are interested in the summit tour

At this time I don’t know which observatories are included in the summit tour. There is also (as possibilities) the true summit of MK (about 10 min hike out & 10 back) as well as lake Waiau (20-30 min?). More information to follow. Regards,
–Eric

I pass on an announcement (below) that Richard Stallman (GNU project founder and free software icon) will be speaking at Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope base facility in Waimea on Monday, Jan 22, 6:00pm.

This is a great opportunity to see/hear one of the most important figures in the free/libre software movement.

About BILUG Sat 1/20 meeting:
Since this is so close to our planned meeting, let’s just merge the two events. If any BILUGers from Hilo are interested in carpooling, let me know or reply to this message and we’ll arrange it. After the talk, if people are interested, I’m going to suggest that a few of us BILUGers (and anyone else) could meet afterward, perhaps at Starbucks or Tako Taco, etc. in Waimea. We can play it by ear, depending on the time.

Regards,
—Eric