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| | | :: Friday, August 29, 2003 :: |
Barbarians... And They're Gates'
An arrest is expected today from the Blaster virus. Personally, I would pay cash money to see Bill Gates arrested for his part in the creation of the vulnerabilities that allowed the virus. But, somehow, I don't think that's going to happen.
Interplanetary Bush
From The Washington Post:
"Administration officials disclosed in an interview that the White House will begin work next week on a blueprint for interplanetary human flight over the next 20 or 30 years, with plans calling for Bush to issue an ambitious new national vision for space travel by early next year."
iSBogus Is Bogus
This article responds to that site I posted the other day attacking the iTunes Music Store, and does a better job of it than I could.
This Blog Entry Brought To You...
From Athens, Georgia. Home of lots of Athens stuff, including, apparently, the 2004 Olympics (though I may be confused on that one).
| | | :: Thursday, August 28, 2003 :: |
Maybe Mars Will Kill You
Read the second paragraph of this story. It seems like this could be a very, very bad thing.
CRAP
I didn't mean to publish my blog just now... I was just building up posts for when it started working again. Of course, at the moment, it's offline completely, so it really doesn't matter. But I was waiting for the feedback system to come back online before posting. Just remember the feedback you would have made, and come back and post it later.
It's Been Years
The paper yesterday had an ad for a male libido enhancer named "ProCylon." I'm not sure I want anything that supports Cylons involved in that part of my body.
Space Boss
Springsteen was in Huntsville this past weekend (along with Lain and Richie) for his son's graduation from Space Camp.
Daily Hatbag
I miss beans and cornbread.
New Product Alert
Every home needs one of these.
Keep Your Fleet On The Ground...
RTF is still a long ways off, according to this article.
Congratulations
Last night, you were about as close to Mars as NASA has been able to get anyone.
Another Step Closer
The Long March-2F booster for Shenzhou-5 has reached the launch site, bringing China another step closer to its first manned space launch.
This Week At NE
This week at NASAexplores, we have Mindi's interview with the Expedition 7 crew on the Space Station, and an article about preventing jet-fuel-related accidents.
Note To Self
This link has a download of an episode of Dinner For Five featuring the cast of Daredevil, including Kevin Smith.
| | | :: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 :: |
Your Robot Masters
I'm not entirely sure that I believe everything on here.
Equal Time
Here's an interesting article bashing iTunes. Of course, it's kind of hard to take seriously a site that makes the arguement that since artists don't get much when you buy a song on iTunes, it's more fair to them to steal their music, so they get nothing.
Proud To Be An American
This story requires registration, but every American should know about our nation's cat-based warfare techniques.
Daily Hatbag
This one's apropos of nothing, but I don't think I've used it before.
Reminder
If you haven't read the Hulk Blog lately, now is a good time to do so. Except for Richie, who's too busy.
Hot Fresh Now
Wanted to make sure Lain saw this.
Men Are From Mars
So it turns out Mars won't kill you. In fact, it might even help.
Thank You, Hal
This story has some great comments from Adm. Gehmen.
It's Mars Day!
Today is the day that Mars is closer than it has been in 60,000 years. If Mars kills you, please let me know.
| | | :: Tuesday, August 26, 2003 :: |
Kinda Funny
Clearly this helps explain the whole Judge Moore controversy.
Beefy Arnold
So far, Schwarzenegger is leading the Taco Bell poll.
From India
As it turns out, Mars will kill you.
No Sci, All Fi
When science fiction forgets the science.
What're The Odds
Here's an interesting story about coincidences.
X Prize Update
I posted a while back that the X Prize foundation had expressed an interest in creating a regular competition for contenders, seeing who can fly higher and faster, who can carry the post passengers, etc. A KSC spokesperson has said the agency is interested in being involved in, and possibly hosting the competition. This is pretty exciting news. To the best of my knowledge, the agency has been, at best, unofficially positive about the effort. An actual official position of wanting to truly involved in the X Prize is a move in a new direction, giving a major sanction to private spaceflight efforts.
"We Are Going To Continue With The Space Program."
In light of the recent space tragedy, the president has sworn that the nation's space program will continue. No, it's not the US, it's Brazil. I'm glad to read that they have decided to be steadfast in their dedication to the endeavor of space exploration.
RTF Update
This article gives some insight into what may be current thinking for return to flight. That said, Sean O'Keefe will be addressing the agency at 1 p.m. CDT today, and hopefully will give a better picture of what's going on.
CAIB Update--Final Installment
It's here.
I'll probably be learning more continuously as the day goes on, so I'll be updating this post as I learn more.
To start with Spaceflight Now has good summaries posted.
Addendum: This may be addressed elsewhere, but having read the summary above, I'm a little disappointed that there's not much culpability aimed above NASA. I had hoped it might note that Congress gives NASA what is essentially federal chump change, and says, OK, now go fly a spaceship.
Addendum: According to this Space.com article, that issue is somewhat addressed, though it's not exactly what I was hoping to hear: ""The end of the Cold War in the late 1980s meant that the most important political underpinning of NASA's Human Space Flight Program -- U.S.-Soviet space competition -- was lost, with no equally strong political objective to replace it." The loss of the Soviet Union as a competitor in the human space flight arena made it difficult for NASA to obtain budget increases through the 1990s. But rather than adjust its expectations to the new realities, the Board said, NASA continued to push an aggressive agenda that included the development and construction of the international space station."
Addendum: Per NASA Watch: "NASA Watch has learned that the White House will respond directly to recommendations made in the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) report. The White House response is expected next week. The CAIB's report will be issued tomorrow. The White House will endorse the CAIB report. NASA, specifically Sean O'Keefe, will be tasked with implementation of the board's recommendations. The President will say something along the lines of "we will keep America at the vanguard of spaceflight and will continue the legacy of the Columbia and Challenger astronauts. They will not have died in vain.""
Addendum: Bush has issued a statement regarding the report.
Personal Note
It's turns out buying a house is a humongous freakin' pain in the butt.
This public service message brought to you by the American Buying A House Is A Humongous Freakin' Pain In The Butt Council (ABHIHFPBC) and blogs like this.
Daily Hatbag
Lain pointed out this weekend that this strip is oddly prescient now (in fact, probably too prescient to be controversial [inside joke])
Two Discs For Elven Kings...
It's Tuesday, and among today's DVD releases are the two disc version of Two Towers, and the third season of The Simpsons. Personally, I'll probably wait to get a cheap previewed copy of the 2-disc TTT, and buy the expanded edition when it comes out. If you buy the Simpsons at Best Buy, you can get $10 a selection of other animated TV sets, including Futurama (which I may well get) and King Of The Hill, for those of you who like that sort of thing.
Join Me... At Ole Miss
James Earl Jones and Art Garfunkel will both be at Ole Miss during the coming year--though unfortunately not together. JEJ visited Ole Miss, I believe, 10 years ago, at which point I got to talk to him briefly, and he confirmed that Lucas was working on the prequel trilogy (hey, I was young, and a geek [yeah, yeah, I know]). I wish now I had told JEJ to tell Lucas not to make them suck, but it just didn't occur to me at the time. At the time, he told me that he would be doing voice work for the third one, so this is your big chance to go get an update from him.
But, man, how cool would a Jones and Garfunkel concert be?
(This blog has really fallen down on its initial promise of a Daily Garfunkel Update, so I hope you appreciate them when you can get them.)
If You're Reading This, Odds Are You're Old
I'm sure you've all seen this before, but it's still kind of entertaining.
| | | :: Monday, August 25, 2003 :: |
Jesus On The Eggbeater
Lain sent me this link to a blog entry about one of Huntsville's more unusual landmarks.
(And, BTW, in 28 years, I have never heard anyone call USS&RC "Sprocket." That's just dumb.)
Does Batman Have An Alibi?
Wesley Willis is dead.
He'll be remembered by many people for many different things, but for me, this will always be his greatest accomplishment.
Addictive Hobbits
For those who really enjoy watching Lord Of The Rings.
Welcome, You've Got Screwed!
Want the AOL guy to say something different for you? Well, you're in luck!
I Can Do Far More Than That
Some good news on the Robot Holocause front... we're finally getting ways to fight back. Um, unless these turn on us, too.
Less Perfect Data
If you burn CDs, read this.
Do Not Go, Gently
I have to agree with Alan Boyle, who said it would be perfect to name this asteroid for Douglas Adams.
(Read his comments about it here.)
Unintended Practice
This James Oberg article about loneliness on ISS is kind of interesting. It's picture of Exp. 7's experiences is very interesting, but it's analogies of the isolation are stretching a little.
Yes, it's true that the previous longest two-person space mission American astronauts participated in was a Gemini flight in the 60s that was 2weeks long, there's a big difference between spending 2 weeks in a Gemini capsule and spending 6 months on ISS... about the difference between spending 2 weeks on vacation never leaving the front seats of a Volkswagen and spending 6 months on vacation in an RV the size of a three-bedroom house. And while the crew is isolated in space with no visitors for their entire tenure on ISS, the isolation is very different from most isolation experiences, in that it involves continuous human contact. Frontiersmen exploring the Old West didn't have the option of calling back home several times a day.
When Exp. 6 science officer Don Pettit was here recently, he talked about the fact that due to the glitch in the Soyuz TMA-1 capsule, his return intended up being an unplanned concept demonstrator for a mission to Mars. When astronauts return to Earth after a space mission, they're met by a recovery team that helps them get back on their feet, as it were. When astronauts land on Mars, there won't be anybody there to do that for them. Astronauts landing on the Moon, of course, didn't have any help, but the trip there is insignificant in length compared to a Mars journey, and the gravity is only half of what it is on Mars. With a mission to Mars, there has been concern about whether astronauts would be able to function when they arrived there after the atrophy involved in long-duration spaceflight. When Exp. 6 returned to Earth after a time roughly sufficient to get to Mars, due to missing the landing target by a couple of hundred miles, there was nobody there to greet them when they touched down. Nonetheless, in the full 1g gravity of Earth, the crew was able to function for hours before they were picked up, even starting work on unloading the capsule and organizing equipment. The first men on Mars, Pettit said, will be able to do the same thing.
Now, Exp. 7 is turning out to be a Martian concept demonstrator as well. The first crew to Mars will face very similar conditions, living on a long-duration space mission with no visitors. It will be a little worse, in that while human contact will continue all the way to Mars, lag times will increase the further away from Earth they go, making conversations a little less natural. However, they'll have the advantage of the fact that the Mars crew will likely consist of more than two people.
The original purpose of a permanent space station, as devised in the 1960s, was as a stepping stone to Mars. Now, through totally unplanned circumstances, ISS is fulfilling that role in ways that were never even anticipated.
One More Day
With just one day left before the release of the CAIB report, here's a little blurb from The Houston Chronicle with comments from Bush (or lack thereof).
Addendum: Looking through the agency's online new summary, it's already obvious that this is going to be a long week.
Finally
SIRTF, the last of the "Great Observatories," has been succesfully launched into orbit. This article doesn't mention it, but SIRTF will be getting a more public-friendly name like Hubble and Chandra, but the naming was delayed until it was in orbit.
Daily Hatbag
I'm sure I've posted this before, but it's one of my all-time favorites.
Of Good And Evil
Lain sent me this article about Macs in movies and TV.
| | | :: Saturday, August 23, 2003 :: |
Tragedy
Twenty-one people were killed last night in the explosion of a Brazilian rocket.
| | | :: Friday, August 22, 2003 :: |
Democracy In Action
Want to be involved in politics? Eat at Taco Bell!
Robot Shows Up Politician
They're getting bolder by the day.
They Can't Stand It
Venezuelen astronomers believe that the minor planet they discovered, Huya, should be classified instead as one of the Solar System's major planets, but they're full of it. That said, if they really wanted to lobby for it, they should get Al Pacino to go around visiting astronomy conferences going "Huya!"
Non-Optional TV
Since I may not get a chance to mention it before then, be sure to watch the "Failure Is Not An Option" documentary on the History Channel Sunday.
CAIB Still Go
The Columbia Accident Investigation Board will release its report on Tuesday.
Probably won't be a high point in NASA's history, but hopefully it will soon mean the agency can get on with the business of manned spaceflight.
Perspective
So I'm at the comic book shop the other day when I hear one of the customers talking to the guy that works there. The customer was telling him about how he was reading his back issues. The problem was, he had well over a hundred back issues he had just found and wanted to read, but he wanted to read them in random order so that he didn't read the good stuff first. Fortunately, he had a 30-sided die handy, so he divided the comics into 30 stacks, so that he could use the die to determine what he should read next. The next problem, though, was that the die had seen its better days, and so came up to frequently on 7 and 2. So, he was no closer to happiness than when he started.
My Sokol Life
Yet another reason why we're entering an age when commercial spaceflight will work: X Prize contender Armadillo Aerospace, which is hoping to have their spacecraft flying soon, decided that even though their craft had a pressurized cabin, it would be nice to have an extra layer of protection, so they obtained a Russian space suit--by buying it on eBay.
Pluto No Go
The "New Horizons" Pluto mission may be facing serious problems, according to this SpaceDaily article, which surprisingly seems to have at least part of the story right.
This Week At NE
This week at NASAexplores, I have a story about the way boiling liquids behave in microgravity, and Maggie's got an article on in-flight re-fueling.
Martian Water
Apparently, there were no large bodies of water on Mars.
| | | :: Thursday, August 21, 2003 :: |
Ole Miss, John Glenn
Univ. of Miss. Chancellor Khayat recently received an award--from NASA!
BTW
Here's why I was offline much of Monday.
Also, for anyone who watched T3, does that not sound a little familiar?
CAIB Delay?
According to NASA Watch, the CAIB report did not meet its Monday deadline this week to be at the printer, meaning that it may miss its originally scheduled release date next Tuesday. The back-up release date is Sept. 3.
HST SOS
Could a Space Tug save Hubble?
OK
This morning I saw a bumper sticker for radio station WUSY 101. I don't think I would have picked those call letters.
Matrix For Luddites
If you're like me, you love watching the high-tech computer world of the Matrix movies, but don't cotton to the whole idea of reading comics on the internet through your mo-dem. Well, today is your lucky day!. Actually, some day in October will be your lucky day, but you know what I mean.
Take A Picture Of Mars
NASA is giving the public the opportunity to suggest sites on Mars they beleive the Global Surveyor orbiter should take pictures of.
Huh?
I'm hoping that this is just a poorly-written article. Here's the first two grafs (Is that the correct spelling, Joe? I've never been sure):
"Washington: Filmmaker Kevin Smith has blamed the Bible for the controversy behind his Mel Gibson movie, "The Passion."
According to ratethemusic.com, the movie is about the final hours of Jesus Christ and parts of the story line have been taken from Smith's religious comedy, "Dogma." "
The Revolutions Will Be Quicktime-ized
A trailer for The Matrix Revolutions is now online.
| | | :: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 :: |
How Much For Just The Comet
Yep.
Profquotes.com
Here's a real cool site Lain sent me. DeeDee, if you're out there, you need to check this one out.
Death Be Not Proud
For those who have not seen this, a guy dressed as Death shot at a police officer in Jackson Tuesday.
Daily Hatbag
For some reason, this is one of the top entry pages for the hatbag.net site currently (apparently because of a link from a forum I can't access).
To The Moon
People could be living on the Moon in 20 years, according to an article in a publication in a country that can't even put astronauts up on other people's rockets (To be fair, I don't think it says where the guy saying that is from).
As It Turns Out
I write like a man! Try it yourself! (I'd be curious, Lain, to see what it says about your Mork story)
Strange New World
Now that I'm having to use a PC at work, it's weird actually having to worry about viruses. I'm having to run a manual virus scan right now. I really need to make the paradigm shift to taking this seriously, before it causes real problems.
Once Again...
Now that he's gotten serious about it, I hardly need to point this out, but there's more good Joe-bloggin'.
No Comment Needed
Today on Space.com: "Man vs. Machine: Are Robots Getting the Upper Hand in Space Exploration?"
Exp. 8 On Shenzhou 5
The next crew of the International Space Station has some interesting things to say about possibly sharing space with the Chinese during their increment.
| | | :: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 :: |
Update
I've blogged too darned much today. Sorry.
Mmmmm...
Bacon
Academy Years
I'm posting this here mainly because I don't have Joe's e-mail address at the moment: Harve's idea to save Trek.
Addendum: This, also, is for Joe (though anyone can read it).
And They Say Trek Has Seen Its Better Days
They obviously haven't read this.
First Ever YMFTB TT
Top Ten Things That Annoy Bill Gates. Go to it.
Hrm
My roommate my freshman year at Ole Miss is now Dr. Fox.
And one of my fellow senior class officers, Mary Stephens, has been nominated for an Emmy.
And a girl I met at a party once and told I wanted to know more about writing is now considered one of the "greats."
Pounds Of Pressure
I don't know if y'all saw it, but there was a story last week that came out about how Atkins doesn't work. It turns out the researcher who made the announcement is being paid by the Flour Advisory Board.
Book News
Huntsville author Homer Hickam has a new book coming out.
Moon Of Vulcan
Those visiting or passing through (or living in) Birmingham this week should take notice that the newly-restored Vulcan is now standing watch once more over the city. Rheta Grimsley Johnson wrote a great column about it in yesterday's paper, but I can't find it online anywhere.
We Make Money The Old-Fashioned Way
Wish you could virtually invest in blogs? Who doesn't? Well, now you can.
Zonker Maud'Dib
So what if Trudeau and Frank Herbert had collaborated?
Make Your Plans Now
Only 1 month remains before Talk Like A Pirate Day.
And Now You Know
Every once and a while, all blogs should link to something educational.
Over 20 Years Of Progress
Ironically, Lain would like this better if it were the Microsoft version (OK, that's reaching for a joke).
He Was Running Me Amock
Well, I'm sure he must have deserved it.
Daily Hatbag
Today's Hatbag ties in with the blogshares post above, the first time I've posted a Hatbag about something you've already seen instead of about something you're about to read.
Not That Anyone I Know Would Do This...
But this is an interesting bit of new about the RIAA lawsuits.
Living Aboard Spacecraft
Particularly in light of the post below about Saturn V upkeep, this is an interesting story about where old Russian rockets go.
Cast Away Into Space
A while back, Lain made a Forrest Gump reference regarding a story I posted about the ESA's Smart-1 lunar probe, launching in about half a month ("I am not a Smart-1 probe, but..."). Now, continuing the Tom Hanks-Smart-1 connection, is this story from The Guardian, which describes Smart-1 as a "space probe the size of a washing machine," clearly a reference to the comment in Apollo 13 about Lovell's piloting skills.
Rocket Maintenance
It's kind of a big deal here (well, in some circles) that Huntsville's Saturn V (one of I believe 3 left over from the Apollo program--possibly just two), which is on loan to the space museum here from the Smithsonian is in desperate need of some care. I'm glad to see, though, that we're not the only one. Check out the second stage of Johnson's Saturn V in this aerial photo.
RTF Update, Kinda
According to USA Today, public support is up for NASA. Another article tells what that means.
Savage Animation
Cartoon Network will soon bring us what every comics fan has been waiting years for (well, possibly Lain, at least): animated Vandal Savage!
Anniversaries
As I mentioned the other day, today marks 6 months of YMTFB.
It also marks 1 years that have been at MSFC.
(Meaning that I started the blog on the 6 month anniversary of starting this job, a fact which I didn't realize until now).
| | | :: Monday, August 18, 2003 :: |
We Love You Guys
Alright, we've had two views of the worst figures, now here's the right-wing list of the greatest figures of the 20th Century.
JLE
Fear the power of Captain Euro!
Armstrong--The Truth
This site features the actual first broadcast from the Moon, as readers of The Onion will remember. Note: This site has horrible, horrible, horrible language, and is inappropriate for anyone under the age of at least 25, and over the age of 21, and who has any morals at all.
All Fall Down
The most popular blog link right now according to blogdex.net: Lemmings Online!
If you never played back in the Lemmings heyday, you ought to check it out.
That said, the best version of Lemmings ever was the one for the Super Nintendo, which has a two-player simultaneous mode, which was very, very cool. The idea was that you would compete to see who could save more of his lemmings more quickly, but since I was nowhere near as good at the game as my friend Jason, I would instead turn my lemmings into an army of lemming assassins, set to create obstacles to kill his lemmings before they could make it to safety. Ah, those were the days.
Still Rambling, Not So Idle
The Joe-blog has become a lean, mean postin' machine lately.
Columbia Update
The Orlando Sentinel has a good article about problems facing the Shuttles.
A Day In The Life
Ed Lu has posted his latest "Greetings, Earthlings" letter, this one about day-to-day life on ISS. I would say you should read it and then read my Skylab series for comparison, but the Skylab story's not up yet, so you can't.
Space Has A Terrible Power
Don't worry. Space.com assures us that Mars will not kill you. People are stupid.
These comforting words come after "One SPACE.com reader asks: 'Will it be dangerous when Mars gets that close to Earth? It has me a little worried.' Others have e-mailed to say they heard there would be earthquakes or other disasters. One of the many rumors going around says the two planets will collide." To what extent can you be a "SPACE.com reader" and yet still fear that the upcoming Martian perigee is going to cause problems?
Besides, the Space Robots would protect us. Shoving would protect us from the Terrible Power Of Space.
Martian Crossroads
Another, differently focused, article on the convention I posted about yesterday about manned missions to Mars.
No One's Flying The Plane!
For the first time ever, the FAA has authorized an unmanned plane to fly in commercial airspace.
Where The Vale Of Dear Old Huntsville Meets The Southern Sky
Former astronaut and Huntsville High School alumna Jan Davis has been named as the new director of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall.
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