Saturday, 30 April 2005
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Greetings From Sunny Florida
Don't have time for a proper entry. Got to watch a rocket launch last night, which was incredibly cool -- the sound delay caught me off guard even though I knew it would happen.
Was in the same room with three Moonwalkers
and Geordi LaForge today.
About to go watch Hitchhiker's Guide.
Life is good.
Friday, 29 April 2005
+ 2 - 0 | § ¶RTF Update
Return to Flight is now
no earlier than July 13. The new launch window extends until the end of July.
Thursday, 28 April 2005
+ 0 - 2 | § ¶Auto-Motive
This week's
new Hatbag strip is now online. Also, I've got a new version of the BuzzComix voting button working again, so please vote for us. We dropped like 30 spots during the time it wasn't working, and need to try to reclaim lost ground.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Today In History
On this date in 2001, Dennis Tito launched toward the International Space Station on a Soyuz spacecraft, becoming the world's first paying space tourist.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Die, Hubble, Die!
Since about every media outlet in the world has written editorials about how important it is that NASA save Hubble, I thought I'd post this alternative viewpoint arguing that
it's time to let Hubble go.
It's almost certainly just coincidence, but it's interesting to note that the column comes from The Daily Reveille, the student newspaper at LSU, which, of course, recently hired as its chancellor former NASA head Sean O'Keefe.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶High Flight
Per MosNews.com:
Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov, just back from space, said that alcohol should be allowed on the International Space Station as it helps to cope with stress and enhances performance...
I'm not sure when NASA formally implemented a policy against alcohol in space (the restriction became an issue on the STS-107, when Israeli astronaut requested permisson to perform while in orbit the Kiddush, a ritual blessing made over wine at the outset of the Sabbath, and was refused). Originally, the issue had nothing to do with concerns about alcohol affecting an astronaut's ability; there had been plans for wine to be carried on Skylab, but those were shot down due to moral outrage from a temperance group.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Virgin Waits Another Year
Virgin Galactic has recently
delayed the launch of its commercial spaceline by about a year, due largely to government restrictions slowing development of the spacecraft service.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Tempel Of Space
NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft, just 69 days from its impact with Comet Tempel 1,
took its first picture of the comet, at a distance of 39.7 million miles (which means that the two are nearing at a speed of over half a million miles
a day). Impact is scheduled for July 4.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Captain's Blog
OK, so it's a little sad to see Star Trek stealing an idea from Battlestar Galactica, but it's cool to see the
Enterprise team start doing podcast commentaries for episodes. Of course, it would be cooler if the series weren't about to end, but, hey...
Wonder if they'll include it on the DVD. I have yet to buy a full season Trek series DVD, but may do so for Season 4 of Enterprise.
+ 0 - 2 | § ¶Catch A Tiger
Since previous ATW CompUSA Mac event blogging resulted in a reader scoring some free iTunes, I thought I'd mention that the retailer is having a
Tiger World Premiere event tomorrow, at which an iPod shuffle will be given away.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Bat-Trailer
Latest
Batman trailer is available in Quicktime. It really kind of looks like they may have gotten it right this time.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Editorial Note
Blogging will be light, at best, between today and Tuesday as I travel to Florida for the Astronaut Hall of Fame induction. Not sure that I'll have any internet access during that time.
Any ATW affiliate-blogging would be greatly appreciated during this time.
Wednesday, 27 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Shuttle Love
The picture at right is one of the train cars in which the Space Shuttle SRBs are transported to KSC. Based on a larger version of the image, it appears
some people love the Shuttle too much.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶MacMyth
I just came across a blog that has an
excellent piece on apples to Apples price comparisons between Apple computers and Dell machines.
+ 1 - 1 | § ¶Wal Of Sound
So
Wal-Mart is starting a new online service for ordering customized CDs. I was a bit worried at first, thinking it had the potential to out-cool iTunes: If I could buy songs online but get them on a CD instead of a file, it seems like that could be better; since you'd have a hard copy. It seemed like there would also be DRM advantages; that'd it be easier to do more things with a song on CD, and I was curious how they were going to get around that.
Unsurprisingly, the Wal-Mart offering, though, not that cool -- You end up paying almost seven bucks for a three song CD, and 88 cents for each song after that.
So here's my question: Would you use a service like this? How would you want it to work?
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Last And First
So there's a slight chance I may get to see a launch in person for the first time Friday --
the last launch of a Titan rocket from Cape Canaveral. It's also possible that I'll be just a short distance from the launch and miss it; it's scheduled to launch at a classified time during a window that begins during a dinner I'm attending near KSC that night.
+ 1 - 1 | § ¶O, Voyager Update
Last month, this blog reported the news that the continuing mission of NASA Voyager probes was in doubt due to funding questions. Now, Space Politics reports that
the spacecraft have received at least a temporary reprieve while the situation undergoes further review.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶RTF TG Update
The Stafford-Covey Return to Flight Task Group, which thus far has declined to sign off that NASA has fully implemented the recommendations of the Columbia Accident Inventigation Board, is
scheduled to hold its final public meeting next Friday.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Smith On Sith
Kevin Smith got to attend a screening of Episode III yesterday for his anniversary,
and found it rather agreeable.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Wired Apple
Apple
claimed the top spot in Wired magazine's 2005 Wired 40 list of "masters of technology and innovation."
Tuesday, 26 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Blogpoint Opportunity
There was a Batman comic book a while back that was somehow music themed, and had something to do with Robin having an advantage because of his better grasp of pop-culture or something.
I don't believe I ever read the thing, but ever since have been amused by a conversation Lain and I had it, in which we imagined Batman's misunderstanding reaction to Robin telling him about a double-bill concert coming to town: "It's 10,000 Maniacs, Batman, and They Might Be Giants!"
I just happened to come to come up with a
similiarly-themed McSweeney's list, and thought I'd try a Blogpoint contest to see who could come up with the most amusing combinations of band names.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Sorry
Haven't had time to think about Blogpoints much this month. (And yeah, I remember I still need to award them for the last contest.)
Since I haven't announced it, Joe was the winner for March with 94 Blogpoints, followed by Lain with 58.
Since next month may not be a whole lot better, I'm going to do a joint contest for April and May.
While you're waiting for the next Blogpoint opportunity, you can still earn some through additions to The Leonardo Code.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Another Brix In The Wall
I had planned on blogging about the latest
PodBrix figure today in case any of my readers wanted one, but it turns out they sold out in 12 minutes last night.
Not bad for a $17 Lego minifig painted white with two circles drawn on it.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Songs Of The Simpsons
Here's
a little something for the Simpsons fans out there
.
+ 0 - 2 | § ¶War
When it comes to the rivalry between Apple and Microsoft, Bono is living on the edge. The iPod pitchman
stayed with Bill Gates while in Seattle for a recent concert.
Monday, 25 April 2005
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Chiao Time
McDonald's Press Release:
McDonald’s congratulates NASA Astronaut and former McDonald’s restaurant crew employee, Commander Leroy Chiao on a successful mission in outer space. Dr. Chiao returned to Earth at 6:08 p.m. EDT on Sunday, April 24, 2005, in Kazakhstan, former USSR Republic, after conducting six months of scientific research aboard the International Space Station.
Upon his return to Earth, McDonald’s will present Dr. Chiao the flagship Big Mac® sandwich and French fries in Star City, Russia approximately 40 miles outside of Moscow. The McDonald’s meal will be one of the first meals on Earth Dr. Chiao will enjoy in nearly 200 days.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Today In History
Today marks the 15th anniversary of the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope during the STS-31 mission (yet another highlight of Discovery's productive history).
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Super Hearing
The adaptive powers of the human body are truly amazing. After having a problem with my right ear for the last week and a half, it's finally back to normal. But, my body was trying to compensate for high-register hearing loss during that time, I now have superhearing in that ear, at least for high-pitch sounds. For a little while, at least, I'm able to hear well sounds I'd never noticed before.
Also pleased to learn during the appointment that, this temporary problem out of the way, I have "perfect" hearing.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Back To Earth
The Expedition 10 crew
returned safely to Earth yesterday, using an unusual manual undocking to depart the Station due to low backup battery levels.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶The Next Generation
So Rick Berman says that work is still underway on the next Star Trek movie, which I reckon is good, and that
it will feature a "younger-skewing" cast, which I'm not as sure about.
Sunday, 24 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Today In History
On this date in 1962, a broadcast television picture was transmitted from space for the first time via satellite Echo 1.
In 1967, cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov became the first man to die during a spaceflight when the parachute of his Soyuz 1 capsule failed to function correctly.
Saturday, 23 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Editorial Note
I've asked before, and I'm asking again; please just ignore any commercial feedback (i.e. feedback consisting of big lists of links). I don't know that responding to them hurts anything, but I really doubt it helps any. (Also note that there's a common word used for that sort of unsolicited online solicitation that I'm intentionally not using, and would prefer that you also not use on the blog either.)
I'm trying to take care of the problem, but it's a more gradual process than I would like.
Thanks!
Friday, 22 April 2005
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Today In History
The International Space Station's robotic arm -- the Canadarm2 -- was installed four years ago today during the Space Shuttle's
STS-100 mission.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Guess That Crater!
The Planetary Society is holding a contest in which it will award prizes for
guessing how large a crater the Deep Impact spacecraft will make when it crashed into comet Tempel 1 on July 4.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Maybe Their Singing To That Spaceman
Per Space.com:
From the deep ocean into the depths of space, the first live whale songs are to be broadcast into the cosmos on April 22 - Earth Day.
Providing the service is the Deep Space Communications Network, a private organization located near the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Making use of a large dish antenna, the group will blast the whale songs out to some 3.5 light years into deep space covering an estimated distance of 18 trillion miles.
So, is it just me, or is this practically just inviting some mysterious probe to come boil away our oceans centuries down the road looking for whales?
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶RTF Update
Once again, it is now one month until Return To Flight.
Thursday, 21 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Meteors
The mild
Lyrid meteor show peaks tomorrow. Prime viewing time will beabout an hour or two before dawn.
Also, tonight, the Moon and Jupiter will be really close together.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Crawfish Boil 'O5
Tutor sent me an e-mail heads up about
this event in Birmingham on May 13 and 14, in case anyone's interested. For $10 a day, you can see such bands as Hootie & the Blowfish (Glad to see the Blowfish getting work after being turned down by Burger King), the Wallflowers, drivin' n' cryin' and more.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶At The Movies
This week's
new Hatbag strip is now online. Check it out!
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Pope@Pope.com
Pope's got e-mail!
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Today In History
On this date in 1972, Apollo 16 commander John Young and LMP Charlie Duke landed on the Moon.
+ 1 - 1 | § ¶RTF Update
After hitting a low of 25 days yesterday, the launch countdown in the sidebar has gone back up. Launch for STS-114 is now scheduled for
12:03 p.m. CDT on 22 May, with a five-minute window.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶iPhone Update
Motorola yesterday confirmed that it is moving ahead with
plans to release an iTunes-enhanced phone in the next few months. Personally, I'll take it a little more seriously when I start seeing hardware and hearing a release date.
Wednesday, 20 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Griffin Update
Spaceref.com has a good article on
Mike Griffin's first press conference as NASA administrator, which further explains his stand on several agency issues.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶No Kidding
From Space.com:
Just a couple weeks ago, I was sitting in a hotel room in Nashville reading the local daily.
On the front page appeared a story about how Kid Rock had been arrested for getting into a bar brawl. Inside that same paper, I think on about page A9, was a story about how it has all but been confirmed that life did exist on Mars and maybe still does today. The article explained how the oceans of Mars likely went underground and still exist, producing methane gas, one of the by products of life.
As a newspaper editor, it galls me no end how some in my profession treat certain stories. Sure, the fact mega-nerd Kid Rock was arrested is probably a big deal in Nashville, Music City, USA. But almost certain proof of life beyond our planet? I often wonder where the priorities of editors and the public lie. I’m sure the rationale of the editor was determining what would sell the newspaper. I do it every day.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Aaargghh!
I hate PCs. I mean, like, really hate PCs.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶RTF Update
NASA has a Return to Flight news conference scheduled for today at which it is expected a
postponement of the STS-114 launch will be announced. Rumors have the launch being delayed by about a week.
Tuesday, 19 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶When King Comes To Town
Indianola's annual B.B. King homecoming festival will be held this year on June 10. Tickets to the event are generally $5-$10. Anybody interested in going?
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶New Book With Great Buzz
Buzz Aldrin has released a new children's book, and Countdown Creations is taking preorders for
copies signed by Aldrin for $16, which isn't bad at all. Order your copy today!
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Today In History
On this date in 1971, the Soviet Union launched Salyut 1, considered by some to be the first space station. (It was the first orbital facility manned by a crew that launched on a separate vehicle, but it was only manned by one crew. The first spacecraft to be manned by two different crews was Skylab, two years later.)
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Better Red Than Dead
So yet another NASA scientist is being quoted as saying
Mars could be biologically alive, though in context, it's clear he's just saying that it's one possibility. Still, be interesting to see if this ends up being retracting like the last similar Space.com story.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶RTF Update
Return to Flight may have just come a step closer:
New NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said today he would consider pressing ahead with launch of shuttle Discovery next month even if an outside review panel found fault with NASA's implementation of post-Columbia safety upgrades.
Griffin said NASA's shuttle management team, not the review committee, has the ultimate responsibility for deciding whether or not to launch Discovery and if those managers recommend pressing ahead, he will consider it.
"In concept, yes I would, if (senior managers) recommend that we should consider launching despite not filling all the squares on Stafford-Covey, that is something I would consider," Griffin said.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Hot Jedi Action
Well, one month from right now, I will have already seen Episode III. Pretty cool, huh? Anyway, to ease the waiting, here are some new
ROTS television commercial. (I'll say this for Lucasfilm, their theatrical trailers are much better than the TV spots.)
I haven't made a final determination on Grievious' vehicle yet; but am preparing not to like it. Back in the olden days, bad guys got new vehicles. Now they have stuff like Darth Maul's wannabe-bad motorcycle and Dooku's old man Sith Scooter.
I've gotten a recommendation from Tutor on a good theather in Birmingham, including one that may have a digital screening of the movie, but it's not one offering tickets yet. However... new issue arises. Apparently several theaters, including in H'ville, Jxn and B'ham are showing the movie 24 hours early.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Positive Marvin Review
In a comforting bit of news,
here's another positive review of the Hitchhiker's movie, from someone else with a direct connection to the material: "The movie works because watching the movie is like looking at Douglas. You’re seeing essence of Douglas."
Monday, 18 April 2005
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Later That Day...
In case you missed it, there was a hidden Easter egg on the
extra bonus strip we posted on the Hatbag site Friday; featuring art by Lain that rather amused me.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶ATW Speaks...
Your Linguistic Profile:
|
55% General American English |
40% Dixie |
5% Midwestern |
0% Upper Midwestern |
0% Yankee |
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Griffin Update
Space News has an update on
Mike Griffin's tenure on NASA thus far, and his goals for the agency.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Future Trek
So, I'm not only in favor of
developing the next Trek series, I think he should be the new Berman.
And, by the way, it's officially over. TrekUnited says
Enterprise is dead.
Sunday, 17 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Hidden Frontier
Don't think I've posted before about the
Hidden Frontier fan-made Trek series. I downloaded and watched Countermeasures last night, which they claim to be their best episode. IMHO, not quite at the same level as New Voyages, but impressive to think it's done by amateurs.
Saturday, 16 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Broken DART
The DART spacecraft, which I wrote about launching yesterday,
failed before completing its mission. The spacecraft approached to around 100 yards of its target, and then shut itself down. The agency is unsure as to the cause of the fault at this time.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶RTF Update
Neglected to mention earlier that yesterday marked one month until the scheduled launch of the STS-114 Return to Flight mission.
Friday, 15 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Tax Time
To make your tax day a little more cheerful, we've added an
extra bonus strip to the Hatbag site today.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Griffin Arrives
Rather than starting Monday, as had been speculated,
NASA's new boss got started the day he was confirmed, sending a letter to the NASA workforce that day and addressing them yesterday.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to astronaut
John Phillips, who today is spending the day he turns 54 aboard a Soyuz spacecraft with his two crewmates, on their way to the International Space Station.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶DARTing To Rendezvous
NASA today will be
launching the automated DART spacecraft, a technology demonstrator designed to test automatic docking techniques, a first for the U.S. space program. Launch on an aircraft-launched Pegasus booster is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. CDT.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Congrats, Troy!
Troy Hickman, author of one of last year's best comic series, Common Grounds, has been
nominated for two Eisner Awards, one for Best Short Story, and one for Best Anthology for the CG collected trade.
If you haven't read
Common Grounds, you're really missing out.
Congratulations to Troy!
Thursday, 14 April 2005
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶A Little Something In The Kitty
This week's
new Hatbag strip semi-coincidentally ties into a recent conversation on ATW (the strip was written before the ATW thread, but is being posted this week because of the timeliness).
And remember to cast your BuzzComix vote while you're there -- We're closing in on the top 200!
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Geordi!
Just learned yesterday that I'll get to see Geordi when I go to Florida at the end of the month. Levar Burton will be the host of the Astronaut Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Which could be useful if they need someone to reconfigure the tachyon emitters.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Countdown To The Cup
The
X Prize Cup has been scheduled for October 4-9 and will be held in southern New Mexico. Reportedly, at least at groups will conduct demonstration flights of reusable spacecraft, though there's no indication of who that will be. With SS1 on its way to the Smithsonian, there are currently no flightworthy private human spacecraft.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Griffin Confirmed
As of Monday, NASA will once again have someone at the helm.
Administrator Mike Griffin was confirmed by the Senate last night and is expected to start work on Monday.
Beyond RTF, Griffin said his main priority will be speeding development of NASA's next spacecraft.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Launch Today
The crew which will welcome the STS-114 Return To Flight Shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station next month will leave for the ISS tonight. The
Expedition 11 crew will launch tonight at 7:46:23 p.m. CDT from Baikonur. The crew consists of John Phillips and commander Sergei Krikalev, who will become the first person to serve two increments on the Station, and will return to Earth at the end of the mission as the new spaceflight total-duration record holder.
Riding with them will be ESA cosmonaut Roberto Vittori, making his second spaceflight.
Wednesday, 13 April 2005
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Tiny, Tiny Kitties In Space
This post exists solely to rectify the situation Joe noted in a recent post, to wit: the fact that ATW is only the second result in a Google search for "Tiny, Tiny Kitties In Space". It's a travesty that this blog can't do better than that, and hopefully this post will help rectify that situation.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶The Astrobot Diaries
So what happened to the Astrobots?
As part of LEGO and The Planetary Society's participation in the Mars rover mission, the two colloborated on a
blog by two LEGO minifigs that were aboard the MER rovers.
Looking back, though, the two haven't written in well over a year, since the water announcement was made. What happened to them? Are they okay? Were they only sent with provisions for the original 90 day missions? Have they become so busy that they can't write? Did they fall off the rovers and are now stranded on the surface of Mars?
To: Sandy
From: Biff
cc: Dot, Dash, Anyone
Subject: Hello?
Date: 13 April 2005
Hello? Is there anyone out there?
Sandy? I haven't heard from you in forever. Are you still out there?
I've been on this horrible red rock for over a year now. Sure, at first, it was great. "Strange new worlds," and all that.
But now, every day is the same. The rover keeps roving. The rocks keep being red. The sky continues to be drab. Night and day come and go. It all blends together. Sometimes we stop and drill. Sometimes we roll backwards. After a while, it all loses any meaning. I hope the folks back on Earth are getting something out of it.
They may be learning something, but all I've learned is that Elton John was right. Mars aint the kind of place to send a kid's toy. I miss the Earth so much. All this science I don't understand, it's just my job seven sols a week. (Are there seven sols in a week? Do we even have weeks on Mars? Heck if I know. Not that it matters. Time is meaningless when nothing ever changes.)
The worst part of being a LEGO is that I can't even pray for the sweet release of death to claim me. I'm stuck here forever. Eventually, the rover will die, and then there won't even be that. Perhaps I'll wonder the Martian desolation by myself.
Eventually, I hope, madness will claim me. It's already begun. My mind disappears from itself; seeking solace from the unescapable red nothingness.
Perhaps, hopefully soon, it will disappear for good, and I'll no longer have to face the reality of my situation.
Anyway, Sandy, hope this letter finds you well.
Have a nice day!
Love,
Biff
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Today In History
35 years ago today:
"Houston, we've had a problem here."
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶The Future Of Hubble?
This was included in the article I posted yesterday, and I almost made note of it in my post, 'cause I knew it would be one of the big stories today.
Anyway, during his committee confirmation hearing yesterday,
Michael Griffin said he would consider a Shuttle flight to service Hubble once Return To Flight is fait accompli.
Tuesday, 12 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Griffin Confirmation Underway
A confirmation hearing is currently underway for NASA administrator nominee Michael Griffin. The hearing is being broadcast on NASA TV (also available via webcast).
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Blogpoint Opportunity
In the recent referrers sidebar today, I found a new favorite: A Spanish Google search for "
flightworthy weasels" yields ATW as the only result.
I did a Blogpoint contest a while back for search results, and that result made me think it might be time to try it again. I'll award Blogpoints completely subjectively for creative search strings that yield ATW as either the top or only result. Creativity will be the primary basis of points being awarded, sure, "David Hitt" will now get ATW as the top result, but it lacks the panache of flightworthy weasels. Also, points will be awarded per entry rather than per author, so more entries are potentially worth more points.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Today In History
Perhaps the most significant date in spaceflight history, April 12 marks two major anniversaries.
On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human being in space with the launch of Vostok 1.
Twenty years later, the Space Shuttle era began with the STS-1 launch of Columbia, crewed by John Young and Bob Crippen.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶iLife-Changing
The
iPod is in the favorite five of history's life-changing inventions for CNN/Money columnist Gordon T. Anderson.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Tiger!
So not only will April 29 see the release of the Hitchhikers' Guide movie, it will also be the date of
"Tiger, "OS X 10.4 , "the most innovative and secure desktop operating system ever created," according to Steve Jobs.
Don't know if I'll be buying it right away, but I'll be interested in reading reviews if anyone else does.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Don't Panic?
AICN today has a post that provides
a bit of counterpoint to the rather negative Hitchhiker's review I posted a link to yesterday.
Monday, 11 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶It's A Sin
With Sin City-mania in full swing these days, Lain put together
Hatbag City, a little adaptation far better than the movie.
(And be sure and cast a BuzzComix vote for Hatbag while you're there--we've slipped a few places recently.)
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Panic?
Per IESB.net:
I read an early review of this film and honestly based upon this critic if Douglas Adams didn't die from a heart attack back in 2001, he probably would've died of one while watching this film.
Sunday, 10 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶The Code
The iTunes code is:
9JFLN
3CQX7
Saturday, 9 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Free Song
I've attempted to set up the blog to automatically post a code for a free iTunes song tonight at 3 a.m.
The first person to see the code and use it gets it.
Two rules, though:
1) The winner has to post what you used it for.
2) If you win an iPod mini with it, I get it.
Friday, 8 April 2005
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Question
After the stunning response to my more mundane proposal to have an ATW Ep. III night, I'm almost afraid to ask, but would anyone out there be interested in participating in an ATW trip to see a Shuttle launch?
For several reasons, not the next one, but possibly STS-121 in July, 115 in Dec., or 116 in February.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Remains Of The Day
This has nothing to do with anything, but let me just say,
"Please, please, please, please":
WASHINGTON (AP) -- If Congress passes an energy bill, Americans may see more daylight-saving time.
Lawmakers crafting energy legislation approved an amendment Wednesday to extend daylight-saving time by two months, having it start on the first Sunday in March and end on the last Sunday in November.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Jordan Blogging
Much new blogging at
Right Space.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Eclipse Today
Many members of the ATW audience will be treated to
partial solar eclipse this afternoon. Readers in the MS/AL area can see about a 20-30 percent eclipse, beginning around 4:30 p.m., peaking around 5:15, and ending around 6.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Struggling Businesses
So, apparently, Viacom, which operates Paramount pictures, CBS, MTV, UPN, Spike, Nicolodean, Showtime, BET, and many other interests, is a niche player.
RJ Reynolds Tobacco is small business.
So are things like Staples, Hilton, Heinz and Bayer.
Apple now ranks 442nd on Forbes list of the largest companies worldwide. Since there are still plenty of people who consider Apple a minor niche player on the verge of shuttering the doors, the above business are among the many others they should also worry about, since they rank lower on the
Forbes 2000 list.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Man of Steele
The member of my audience for whom this is post is written knows who he is. The first season of
Remington Steele hits DVD on July 26.
Even not being a Remington Steele fan (I'm sure I watched it more than once, but the one episode I remember seeing left me scared for a long time), I don't care much for the packaging, and imagine I would find it kind of insulting if I were a fan.
Thursday, 7 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Master's Thesis
Some good geek-service on the
Hatbag site this week. Go check out the new strip, and vote for us at the BuzzComix link at the lower left; we're up to 415 and rising.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Queue Who
From the things that can make any ATW reader feel better about themselives deparment:
Star Wars fans are lining up to watch the movie at a theater that apparently won't be playing it.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Today In History
On this date in 1983, astronauts Story Musgrave and Don Peterson conducted the first EVA of the Space Shuttle program during the STS-6 mission, the first flight of Challenger.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Superman's Virgin Encounter
Per Cosmic Log:
It's a bird! It's a space plane! It's Sir Richard Branson, in Australia for his cameo role as a space pilot in the much-ballyhooed "Superman Returns"!
The British and Australian press made much of the fact that the head of the Virgin Group and his 19-year-old son, Sam, traveled Down Under over the weekend for two days of filming. “I am not allowed to give away the end, but you could speculate that Superman will try to come to our rescue,” Branson told The Times of London.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶RTF TG Update
James Oberg has a new article looking at the
lack of a go-ahead for next months' scheduled STS-114 launch from the Stafford-Covey commission.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Griffin Confirmation Set
NASA administrator nominee
Michael Griffin will be among several appointments the Senate will begin considering in a committee hearing on Tuesday.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Sail Of The Century
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center is preparing for
Earthbound tests of two solar sail designs, "a critical milestone in development of a unique propulsion technology using the Sun's energy that could lead to future deep space missions."
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Orbiter From Orbit
Attention to yesterday's rollout of the Space Shuttle Discovery to the launch pad was not limited to those on the planet. Expedition 10 Commander
Leroy Chiao took a picture of the Shuttle from orbit as the Internation Space Station passed over KSC around 4:35 EDT yesterday afternoon. The Shuttle can clearly be seen on the crawlerway in Chiao's picture.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶The End
After 27 years, the
Star Trek sets are being removed from Paramount stages 8 and 9. Stage 9 has been used for Star Trek continuously since preproduction work for Star Trek: Phase II in 1978.
Wednesday, 6 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Singular Conclusion
Per Nature:
Black holes are staples of science fiction and many think astronomers have observed them indirectly. But according to a physicist at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, these awesome breaches in space-time do not and indeed cannot exist.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Vision For Sight
I hope
more scientific developments are inspired by Geordi LaForge and
Liz Phair.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Longhorn Of The Law
Cleveland Scene has an article about
a frivolous lawsuit that Microsoft's filed against a college student that's making them look like huge jerks.
I mean, I swear, can't Apple do
anything without Redmond feeling like they're obligated to copy it?
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Quick, To The Popemobile
Per Reuters:
BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - Pope John Paul II is being reborn in a Colombian comic book as a superhero battling evil with an anti-Devil cape and special chastity pants.
The first episode of the "Incredible Popeman" is about to go on sale in Colombia and shows the late Polish pontiff meeting comic book legends such as Batman and Superman to learn how to use superpowers to battle Satan.
"The pope was a real-life superhero, of flesh and blood," said Colombian artist Rodolfo Leon, a non-practicing Catholic who has been working on the comic book for about a year.
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶RTF Update
Per The Houston Chronicle:
"We are being much more meticulous than we have been in the past," said Bill Parsons, NASA's space shuttle program manager. "I would says it's fairly 50-50 right now (that) we would make the opening of the window, but we will keep marching toward that."
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Looking Down From Google
Google has added a new feature on its
maps site that will let you
see satellite views of a specified address. I checked it out, and while kind of cool, I've seen much more impressive tools for doing this.
+ 2 - 0 | § ¶Roll Out Update
Rollout of Discovery is scheduled for 11 a.m. CDT today.
Tuesday, 5 April 2005
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Regular Richie Feature
Among the Hatbag.net search strings so far for April:
- pope joke
- spare time magazine
- twister savant bambi boy or girl lyrics
- beatefull naked women
- windows media download liz phair why can't i
- hippie facts
- lord of the rings rules of the ring
- dude where my car modulator
- \what doth man love more than life\
- apple newton bootstrapping pc
- b.c. comics. clams got legs
- ben affleck space exploration
- buzz aldrin fight
- cartoon comic strip of the titanic voyage
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶1,001 Martian Nights
The end of Spirit's 90-Sol original mission now about a year in the past, the
Mars Exploration Rover team has proposed a new goal for the mission: 1,000 Sols.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶RTF Update
Final adjustments to Discovery's thermal protection tiles have been completed, and NASA is planning
to roll a Shuttle to the pad for the first time in two years tomorrow morning.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶T Time
With all the cool stuff coming in the next couple of months -- Episode III, Hitchhiker's Guide, Return to Flight -- every little thing that makes the waiting easier is much appreciated. So, even though the release of the first issue of the new Mr. T comic book series isn't until May 21, you can ease the waiting by
reading the first eight pages now.
Monday, 4 April 2005
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Warped
Since I can't get the link to Deedee's blog to work, I'm posting a link to the post on her friend Will's blog about the
April Fool's prank some State kids pulled.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶No Bucks, No Бук Ражэрс
James Oberg has an update on the latest
negotiations between NASA and Russia on future Soyuz flights, which escalated recently with a sit-down strike at the cosmonaut training center.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶RTF Update
Due to high humidity levels in the Vehicle Assembly Building,
Discovery's roll out to the launch pad has been delayed until Wednesday at the earliest.
Also, The AP has an update on
delays in paperwork for the Stafford-Covey commission which could delay the launch.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶TV ROTS
AICN has links to
three new Episode III commercials.
Sunday, 3 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶And So It Begins
Talked a little more seriously this weekend about the possibility of a ATW get-together for a midnight premiere of Episode III in Birmingham. If this were to take place, who would be interested in coming?
Saturday, 2 April 2005
+ 1 - 0 | § ¶Yo!
Greetings from the Germantown Apple store!
Friday, 1 April 2005
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶29!
Happy Birthday, Apple!
(Cake pic from this site.)
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶New World
Per Space.com;
After a few close calls, astronomers have finally obtained the first photograph of a planet beyond our solar system, SPACE.com has learned.
And this time they're sure.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶A Sign Of Things To Come?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know -- this doesn't even come close to making a dent in the market share deficit, but it is kind of cool to note that
the top four bestselling desktop computers on Amazon.com are all Macs, as are half of the
top eight bestselling notebook computers (including the No. 1 laptop).
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶OK, Steve...
Sony has announced that it is working to
create an "iTunes for movies."
Conventional wisdom has held for a while now that this is the next logical step in next-generation media, and Apple has been considered one of the most likely candidates to make it a reality, despite naysaying by Steve Jobs.
All right, Mr. Jobs, if you have anything up your sleeve, now would be a good time.
And speaking of Apple being beaten to the punch,
HP is releasing the first computer with a built-in iPod holder.
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶Another Open Letter To DC
Dear DC:
He's dead.
Move on.
Thanks!
+ 0 - 1 | § ¶ATW: The Next Iteration
This has been a long time coming; very very gradually, and recent events have just sealed the decision.
Reading the news lately has just driven home what a crossroads our world is at today. And, in times like these, there is no way for people of conscience to sit idly by as events pass them by.
The blogosphere is today so full of frivolity, or, as commonly, if not more so, full of rare matters of consequence watered down by matters of no consequence. This blog has, at times in the past, criticized other blogs for deviating from their normal content to address political matters. I know realize that the true criticism should have focused on the fact that they normally focus on the things that don't matter, rather than the ones that do. How will situations in this world ever improve if those you have the ability to speak out refuse to do so?
ATW has been very guilty of that since its establishment. To be honest, it's been far more guilty of it; I've intentionally stayed a way from the things that are truly important, focusing instead on the occassional laugh or wasting time on science fiction and rumors of science fiction.
But no more.
As has been increasingly apparent over the last couple of years, and really driven home in recent weeks; there are things happening today, battles being fought today, that affect all of our lives. I can no longer sit idly by and ignore those issues. I have a way to speak out; conscience compels that I use it to address the things that truly matter.
As of today, I'm changing the format of ATW. Issues of politics and morality, which I've shamefully spent the last couple of years largely avoiding, will instead be the focus of the blog. I will continue the occassional spaceflight posting, as that I do, obviously, believe that the foundations of humanity's future are truly one of the "things that matter." The other things, things that ultimately are a waste of your time, my time and bandwidth, will be discontinued.
I apologize to my audience for how I have failed you thus far, and welcome you to a new era of ATW.
