Talking TMT

Lilith and I ran into the small dog who resembles a hedgehog on our walk. Or else a Brillo pad. He's a funny old dog who ignores everything, but makes his own decisions. The dog was being walked by a neighbor, an immigrant from India (Hindi) who works for the Institute for Astronomy at UH. I asked him about the TMT. Coming from India, he said he understands the concept of a sacred mountain; he and his family traveled to one in the Himalayas this past summer. Its sacredness is rather different from that of Punchbowl or Arlington Cemetery, which were the closest analogues he could think of. But he also sees astronomy as a noble pursuit, adding that Mauna Kea is the best place in the northern hemisphere from which to do it. He said he had to get going, as his rather willful dog was not on a leash, and we said good-bye.