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Friday, 30 November 2007
Reordered Priorities
OK, yeah, we're late with new Hatbag strip. Technical difficulties. But, hey, we were a day early last week. So it all balances out. Plus, there's a bonus Easter Egg strip. So that's gotta be worth something, too. Go check it out.For those ATW readers who don't follow the weekly Hatbag link, a brief explanation -- Hatbag is a weekly webcomic Lain and I create; following two old college buddies as they adjust to sort-of grown-up life. If you read ATW, take a few extra seconds to go read Hatbag. Please? Please?
Used tags: comics, funny, hatbag
STS-122 Update
Per NASA:NASA managers will hold a flight readiness review on Friday at NASA's Kennedy Space Center marking the next major milestone for mission STS-122.
NASA officials, space shuttle program managers, engineers and contractors will discuss the readiness of space shuttle Atlantis, the flight crew and payloads to determine if everything is set to proceed for launch. Managers will also select an official launch date at the end of the session. Launch is targeted for Dec. 6 on a mission to install the Columbus laboratory on the International Space Station.
A briefing following the meeting will include Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale, International Space Station Program Manager Mike Suffredini and Space Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach.
The briefing will be broadcast live on NASA Television no earlier than 4 p.m. EST.
Used tags: international_space_station, launch_schedule, nasa, space, space_shuttle, sts_122
iWait
The fact that a new iPhone will be coming out next year? Not really that surprising.The fact that it will support 3G service? Again, not really that surprising either.
That they would officially announce less than a month before Christmas that you can definitely get a better iPhone if you wait until next year? An interesting strategy.
Thursday, 29 November 2007
Regular Richie Feature
Recent search strings on alltheseworlds.net:- ender's game lesson learned
- richard branson student newspaper
- STAR TREK LOGO
- Star Trek: ConQuest
- deep space
- 2008 new alien vs predator
- Mars severance package
- simpsons comic strips
- ares iv
- math damon
- freedom 7
- worlds smartest man
- honest john rocket launch hearing loss
- Shenzhou rocket
- Apple iPhone
- janice Never Let You Go ringtone
- Dennis The Menace
- Star Trek origins
Used tags: blog, regular_richie_feature
Space Race '08
Another installment in my series of posts about space-related comments by presidential candidates:Republicans
Mike Huckabee
"Whether we ought to go to Mars is not a decision that I would want to make, but I would certainly want to make sure that we expand the space program, because every one of us who are sitting here tonight have our lives dramatically improved because there was a space program — whether it’s these screens that we see or the incredible electronics that we use, including the GPS systems that got many of you to this arena tonight. ... Or whether it’s the medical technologies that saved many of our lives or the lives or our families, it’s the direct result of the space program, and we need to put more money into science and technology and exploration." -- Space Politics, 29 November 2007
Tom Tancredo
"The question is a serious one and it deserves a serious answer, and that is this: Look, we’ve been — how many times up here, how many questions have dealt with the issue of deficit spending, the debt out of control? And yet, we have somebody saying, “But would you spend more money on going to Mars?" And the suggestion that we need to spend more money on space exploration. This is it, folks. That’s why we have such incredible problems with our debt, because everybody’s trying to be everything to all people. We can’t afford some things, and by the way, going to Mars is one of them.." -- Space Politics, 29 November 2007
It joins the previous entries:
Republicans
Rudy Giuliani
"He said he supported continuing to aggressively pursue space exploration." -- The Tallahassee Democrat, 5 April 2007
Newt Gingrich
"...he said he would ... offer a $20 billion reward for the first private company that successfully completes a Mars mission. 'Somebody would be there and back about 40 percent of the way into the NASA process.'" -- Boston.com, 9 June 2007
Mitt Romney
"Regarding NASA's plans to return to the moon and Mars, he said he hadn't decided if that was the exact plan he'd pursue, 'but I have no reason to change that at this point.'" -- Florida Today, 7 August 2007
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
"But in a telephone interview afterward, she said that in the short term she would subordinate Bush administration proposals for human exploration of the Moon and Mars to restoring cuts in aeronautics research and space-based studies of climate change and other earth science issues.
Travel to the Moon or Mars 'excites people,' she said, 'but I am more focused on nearer-term goals I think are achievable.'"
-- The New York Times, 5 October 2007
“Democratic White House hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) has pledged to pursue 'a successful and speedy transition' from the soon-to-be retired U.S. space shuttle fleet to 'a next-generation space transportation system that can take us back to the Moon and beyond.'”
-- Space News, 14 November 2007
Barack Obama
"Barack Obama’s early education and K-12 plan package costs about $18 billion per year. He will maintain fiscal responsibility and prevent any increase in the deficit by offsetting cuts and revenue sources in other parts of the government. The early education plan will be paid for by delaying the NASA Constellation Program for five years, using purchase cards and the negotiating power of the government to reduce costs of standardized procurement, auctioning surplus federal property, and reducing the erroneous payments identified by the Government Accountability Office, and closing the CEO pay deductibility loophole. The rest of the plan will be funded using a small portion of the savings associated with fighting the war in Iraq.." -- Official Education Plan, 20 November 2007
“I’m inspired by the idea of going to Mars,” he replied, projecting friendly sincerity. “I’m also mindful of the budgetary constraints. So I won’t give you an answer right now.”
-- Space Politics, 10 October 2007
Bill Richardson
"He did say that he sees space as 'a bona fide area of economic growth and opportunity'..." -- Space Politics, 4 June 2007
John Edwards
"I am a strong supporter of our space program. It reflects the best of the American spirit of optimism, discovery and progress.
We need a balanced space and aeronautics program. We need to support solar system exploration as an important goal for our human and robotic programs, but only as one goal among several. And we need to invite other countries to share in a meaningful way in both the adventure and the cost of space exploration." -- A Blog Around The Clock, 9 July 2007
Various
Dodd said that “we’re doing okay” and left it at that. Biden professed his support for robotic programs, and when asked about human spaceflight, said, “With clear leadership we can do anything, good luck.” Kucinich said he would double spending “across the board on civilian projects and privatize where we can”, and gave a shout-out for NASA Glenn Research Center, in his district. Richardson said spaceflight was “important” and added that “we should also encourage private companies”, as he has been doing in New Mexico. -- Space Politics, 28 September 2007
Wednesday, 28 November 2007
STS-122 Update
After completing necessary preparatory work, the International Space Station is Go for next week's STS-122 shuttle launch.Shuttle program managers will meet Friday to set the official date. According to Florida Today, they are expected to proceed with plans for launch on Thursday, Dec. 6, at 4:31 p.m. EST.
Used tags: international_space_station, launch_schedule, nasa, space, space_shuttle, sts_122
Crossing The Terminator
Per Spaceflight Now:Using a computer model simulation, Haruichi Washimi, a physicist at UC Riverside, has predicted when the interplanetary spacecraft Voyager 2 will cross the "termination shock," the spherical shell around the solar system that marks where the solar wind slows down to subsonic speed.
According to Washimi's simulations, the spacecraft is set to cross the termination shock in late 2007-early 2008. ...
Because Voyager 2's crossing of the shock is expected to be an abrupt and relatively brief event, scientists are working to ensure that the most is made of the opportunity. With an idea of when the spacecraft will cross the shock, they are better able to maximize coverage of the crossing.
...
"After it crosses this boundary, Voyager 2 will be in the outer heliosphere beyond which lies the interstellar medium and galactic space. Our simulations also show that the spacecraft will cross the termination shock again in the middle of 2008. This will happen because of the back and forth movement of the termination-shock boundary. This means Voyager 2 will experience multiple crossings of the termination shock. These crossings will come to an end after the spacecraft escapes into galactic space."
...
Its sister spacecraft Voyager 1, which was launched Sept. 5, 1977, crossed the termination shock in December 2004 - earlier than Voyager 2 because of a shorter trajectory. Both spacecraft are currently operational, but power sources have degraded and some of the instrumentation no longer works optimally. In the future, the spacecraft will encounter their next milestone in space: the heliopause, which is the boundary where the interstellar medium brings the solar wind to a halt.
Is It Christmas?
On the one hand, the radio's been playing Christmas music for a week now, stores have been selling Christmas decorations for over a month, people are decorating, etc.
On the other hand, it's, you know, still November.
With these conflicting inputs, it might be hard for the average person to know, is it Christmas yet? When exactly do we cross that line?
Fortunately, someone has been kind enough to put together a handy tool to help you know at IsItChristmas.com.
Used tags: funny
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Huck & Chuck
Not an endorsement from ATW, mind you; I just thought it was funny. Though I am really hoping that the Republican nomination comes down to a battle between Huckabee and Ron Paul.
Used tags: funny, politics, youtube
Monday, 26 November 2007
O Well
A few other thoughts on the firing:
I would really have liked to have seen Pete Boone admit a bit of culpability. Over the years, I've argued that Boone is much more to blame for the problems in the program than Orgeron was; that the real problem was Boone's arrogance in thinking he was a better football coach than Cutcliffe. I would have been willing to forgive some of that if he gave the impression that he had learned anything from this experience. But in his press conference, he said:
I always try to look back and find things I could have done better in every situation. I don’t think it was a mistake. He had a great resume and recommendations from top-caliber coaches. He had been in successful programs and been an integral part of those programs. He was recognized nationally as a great recruiter. Based on the available information, you make that call. You don’t go back and second guess that now. We have to learn from that going forward and look at the things I could have done better. The first person to look at is me.Now, to be fair, that answers a different question. I don't know that hiring Orgeron was an obvious mistake in the bad situation in which Ole Miss had placed itself. But the fact that the program was in that position at all rests entirely on the shoulders of Pete Boone. And since he doesn't seem to be willing to take any responsibility, he needs to be held responsible.
There was a bit of news last week that to me captured exactly why the Ole Miss football program is in the situation it's in -- the announcement that Ole Miss will host one of three presidential debate next year. It's a big honor, and a point of pride for the university to be chosen. I am amazed that Ole Miss would be chosen, and, in light of recent events, New Orleans would not. It speaks to the respect the university has earned in recent years. But that's the problem. Chancellor Khayat, and Boone, obviously believed that the sort of university that could do this, that could earn Phi Beta Kappa status through sheer force of will, that can bring in large donations to create prestigious programs, could bring that same ability to bear on its football program. Fire Cutcliffe, and use the power of the University of Mississippi to land the coaching equivalent of a presidential debate. Unfortunately, they failed to realize that the University of Mississippi has nothing to do with Ole Miss football.
And, finally, more great advice from me for Pete Boone to ignore -- my choice of the next Ole Miss football coach.
Here's the quandary. You're not going to be able to get a great coach if he doesn't think he's going to be able to win games. He's not going to be able to win games unless there's already a good foundation. But for that, you need to have a reason for good recruits to come. And that's tough without a great coach. It's a vicious cycle.
So the solution is a game-changer. Someone who would be willing to come, not in spite of the fact that it's Ole Miss, but because it's Ole Miss. Someone who could build that foundation that would make it possible to move forward.
A name comes to mind immediately:
Cooper Manning.
If you don't know the first name, you know the last name. Cooper's the oldest of the Manning boys, and by many accounts was the most talented before a high school injury ended his football career. Even if he's not coached, he knows the game. Rather well. And not only is his last name known at Ole Miss, but he went to school there.
Bring him in. Use his name to build a powerful coaching staff that can make up for his inexperience.
One of two things happens:
Best case scenario. He can coach. Ole Miss may not become a national championship team, but it does well enough, and the fan love for the Manning family brings about, even if not a golden age of Ole Miss football, at least a feel-good era, which sure beats the last few years.
Worst case scenario. He can't coach. Arrange ahead of time mutually agreeable terms of him leaving if that's the case. This isn't his career, so it's not the end of the world for him if he leaves. He goes back to being a successful businessman, with a nice severance package. But in the meantime, he's had a great benefit for recruiting with high school kids wowed by having a Manning come visit them. He's also built increased and positive awareness for the program, since it would be such a great human interest story to have him as head coach. He moves on, leaving behind a program with good players, a good coaching staff (the real coup here is to have brought in an assistant that you think could move up to the head job at this point) and a good reputation.
A foundation.
Used tags: mississippi, ole_miss
Backyard Mars
If you're out and about tonight, be sure and take a look at the moon, because Mars will be nearby, and particularly bright. Or so they say. Mars is moving toward its perigee for the year of 55 million miles on December 18.
Used tags: astronomy, mars, moon, space
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
Thanksplanning
Since tomorrow's a holiday, the new Hatbag strip is online a day early. Go check it out.For those ATW readers who don't follow the weekly Hatbag link, a brief explanation -- Hatbag is a weekly webcomic Lain and I create; following two old college buddies as they adjust to sort-of grown-up life. If you read ATW, take a few extra seconds to go read Hatbag. Please? Please?
Used tags: comics, funny, hatbag
Happy Thanksgiving
Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!And, to start the holiday off, here's a bit of ATW-appropriate holiday music.
And, then, for Black Friday, there's always B.B. King's All Over Again -- "I`ve got a good mind to give up living, and go shopping instead."
Used tags: b.b._king, blog, moon, movies, youtube
Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Space Race '08
Another installment in my series of posts about space-related comments by presidential candidates:Democrats
Barack Obama
"Barack Obama’s early education and K-12 plan package costs about $18 billion per year. He will maintain fiscal responsibility and prevent any increase in the deficit by offsetting cuts and revenue sources in other parts of the government. The early education plan will be paid for by delaying the NASA Constellation Program for five years, using purchase cards and the negotiating power of the government to reduce costs of standardized procurement, auctioning surplus federal property, and reducing the erroneous payments identified by the Government Accountability Office, and closing the CEO pay deductibility loophole. The rest of the plan will be funded using a small portion of the savings associated with fighting the war in Iraq.." -- Official Education Plan, 20 November 2007
It joins the previous entries:
Republicans
Rudy Giuliani
"He said he supported continuing to aggressively pursue space exploration." -- The Tallahassee Democrat, 5 April 2007
Newt Gingrich
"...he said he would ... offer a $20 billion reward for the first private company that successfully completes a Mars mission. 'Somebody would be there and back about 40 percent of the way into the NASA process.'" -- Boston.com, 9 June 2007
Mitt Romney
"Regarding NASA's plans to return to the moon and Mars, he said he hadn't decided if that was the exact plan he'd pursue, 'but I have no reason to change that at this point.'" -- Florida Today, 7 August 2007
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
"But in a telephone interview afterward, she said that in the short term she would subordinate Bush administration proposals for human exploration of the Moon and Mars to restoring cuts in aeronautics research and space-based studies of climate change and other earth science issues.
Travel to the Moon or Mars 'excites people,' she said, 'but I am more focused on nearer-term goals I think are achievable.'"
-- The New York Times, 5 October 2007
“Democratic White House hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) has pledged to pursue 'a successful and speedy transition' from the soon-to-be retired U.S. space shuttle fleet to 'a next-generation space transportation system that can take us back to the Moon and beyond.'”
-- Space News, 14 November 2007
Barack Obama
“I’m inspired by the idea of going to Mars,” he replied, projecting friendly sincerity. “I’m also mindful of the budgetary constraints. So I won’t give you an answer right now.”
-- Space Politics, 10 October 2007
Bill Richardson
"He did say that he sees space as 'a bona fide area of economic growth and opportunity'..." -- Space Politics, 4 June 2007
John Edwards
"I am a strong supporter of our space program. It reflects the best of the American spirit of optimism, discovery and progress.
We need a balanced space and aeronautics program. We need to support solar system exploration as an important goal for our human and robotic programs, but only as one goal among several. And we need to invite other countries to share in a meaningful way in both the adventure and the cost of space exploration." -- A Blog Around The Clock, 9 July 2007
Various
Dodd said that “we’re doing okay” and left it at that. Biden professed his support for robotic programs, and when asked about human spaceflight, said, “With clear leadership we can do anything, good luck.” Kucinich said he would double spending “across the board on civilian projects and privatize where we can”, and gave a shout-out for NASA Glenn Research Center, in his district. Richardson said spaceflight was “important” and added that “we should also encourage private companies”, as he has been doing in New Mexico. -- Space Politics, 28 September 2007
Saturday, 17 November 2007
Hello!
Greetings from the Saddle Creek Apple store in Germantown.Hope you're having a good weekend!
Used tags: apple
Thursday, 15 November 2007
Giant Comet!
The sun is no longer the largest object in our solar system.That honor, at least, if you measure by volume, not goes, unlikelily enough, to a comet.
Following a recent unexected eruption, Comet Holmes has a diameter of 869,900 miles (as of Nov. 9), about 5,000 miles greater than the sun (which, obviously, remains far more massive).
For the astronomy types in the audience, Holmes can be seen by the naked eye, and in some detail with a backyard telescope.
Used tags: astronomy, space, sun
The Stripper's Life
The week's new Hatbag strip has actually been posted on time this week! Isn't that excsiting? Go check it out.For those ATW readers who don't follow the weekly Hatbag link, a brief explanation -- Hatbag is a weekly webcomic Lain and I create; following two old college buddies as they adjust to sort-of grown-up life. If you read ATW, take a few extra seconds to go read Hatbag. Please? Please?
Used tags: comics, funny, hatbag
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Moving Harmony
Per NASA:The new Harmony node is now in position to receive the European and Japanese modules to be added to the International Space Station.
Station crew members moved Harmony from its temporary location on the left side of the Unity node to its new home on the front of the U.S. laboratory Destiny Wednesday morning. Disengagement of the first set of bolts holding Harmony to Unity began at 3:58 a.m. EST.
Flight Engineer Dan Tani operated the station's robotic arm. Commander Peggy Whitson operated the common berthing mechanisms, first to free Harmony after Tani had grappled it with the arm, and later to drive bolts firmly securing it to the front of Destiny.
Driving of the final bolts to attach Harmony to its new home was completed at 5:45 a.m.
After its Wednesday move, Harmony is in position to welcome visiting space shuttles. It also will offer docking ports to the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory, scheduled to arrive next month, and Japan's Kibo experiment module, to become a part of the International Space Station next year.
Used tags: international_space_station, nasa, space
Homesteading Space
I just happened to notice last week that our book, Homesteading Space, has a page on the publisher's Web site. We're still the better part of a year out from publication, so there's not a lot of info there yet, although I was amused or bemused or something to see that it lists the length at 704 pages, which ... really? Surely not. Did we write a 700-page book? I'm expecting that number to drop. We'll see.
Used tags: books, garriott, history, outward_odyssey, skylab, writing
Leopard Dominant
OK, to be sure, it's a very limited victory, but it's a victory nonetheless, and one that a while back might have seemed impossible, but in Japan, for the month of October, in OS-only sales, OS X outsold Windows. There are plenty of reasons why that doesn't mean a whole lot, but, you know, even if it doesn't mean things have changed, it's hard not to see it as a sign that things are changing.
Used tags: computers, macintosh, microsoft
Space Race '08
Another installment in my series of posts about space-related comments by presidential candidates:Democrats
Hillary Clinton
“Democratic White House hopeful Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) has pledged to pursue 'a successful and speedy transition' from the soon-to-be retired U.S. space shuttle fleet to 'a next-generation space transportation system that can take us back to the Moon and beyond.'”
-- Space News, 14 November 2007
It joins the previous entries:
Republicans
Rudy Giuliani
"He said he supported continuing to aggressively pursue space exploration." -- The Tallahassee Democrat, 5 April 2007
Newt Gingrich
"...he said he would ... offer a $20 billion reward for the first private company that successfully completes a Mars mission. 'Somebody would be there and back about 40 percent of the way into the NASA process.'" -- Boston.com, 9 June 2007
Mitt Romney
"Regarding NASA's plans to return to the moon and Mars, he said he hadn't decided if that was the exact plan he'd pursue, 'but I have no reason to change that at this point.'" -- Florida Today, 7 August 2007
Democrats
Hillary Clinton
"But in a telephone interview afterward, she said that in the short term she would subordinate Bush administration proposals for human exploration of the Moon and Mars to restoring cuts in aeronautics research and space-based studies of climate change and other earth science issues.
Travel to the Moon or Mars 'excites people,' she said, 'but I am more focused on nearer-term goals I think are achievable.'"
-- The New York Times, 5 October 2007
Barack Obama
“I’m inspired by the idea of going to Mars,” he replied, projecting friendly sincerity. “I’m also mindful of the budgetary constraints. So I won’t give you an answer right now.”
-- Space Politics, 10 October 2007
Bill Richardson
"He did say that he sees space as 'a bona fide area of economic growth and opportunity'..." -- Space Politics, 4 June 2007
John Edwards
"I am a strong supporter of our space program. It reflects the best of the American spirit of optimism, discovery and progress.
We need a balanced space and aeronautics program. We need to support solar system exploration as an important goal for our human and robotic programs, but only as one goal among several. And we need to invite other countries to share in a meaningful way in both the adventure and the cost of space exploration." -- A Blog Around The Clock, 9 July 2007
Various
Dodd said that “we’re doing okay” and left it at that. Biden professed his support for robotic programs, and when asked about human spaceflight, said, “With clear leadership we can do anything, good luck.” Kucinich said he would double spending “across the board on civilian projects and privatize where we can”, and gave a shout-out for NASA Glenn Research Center, in his district. Richardson said spaceflight was “important” and added that “we should also encourage private companies”, as he has been doing in New Mexico. -- Space Politics, 28 September 2007
Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Black Men Built The Capitol
OK, for a while now, I've been promising my review of Black Men Built the Capitol: Discovering African-American History In and Around Washington, D.C.
, by Jesse Holland, my former editor at The Daily Mississippian. And since his hometown booksigning is Saturday, I thought I should go ahead and post something.To be honest, I've been delaying in part because I don't quite know how to review a book like this. BMBTC takes the reader on a tour of Washington D.C. and the surrounding area from a perspective of African-American contributions and history. It would ideally be carried with the reader on a trip to the nation's capital; to be honest, it's been so long since I've been to D.C. that I can't really picture some of the sites as well as it would probably help to be able to.
That said, even just reading the book for its own value, it's a fascinating volume. The whole point of the book is that it delivers a side of the story of D.C. that can get lost otherwise. The capital is, of course, a place so steeped in history, that it's impossible for any one presentation to capture all of the angles of that history. As a result, BMBTC, apart from its obvious value as a travel guide, is also a fascinating read for the way it captures the macrocosmic through the microcosmic. By focusing on one particular element of the city's history, it gives the reader a deeper appreciation for the story as a whole.
I also have to note that Jesse has a very agreeable writing style, making what could have been a book with a difficult structure to pore through an enjoyable experience.
So, there you go. Not much of a review, I'm afraid. But it is a good book.
Used tags: books, history, media, mississippi, ole_miss, writing
Song Challenge!
OK, it's been kinda slow lately, so here's one of those "guess the lyrics" things. Can you identify the songs, chosen largely by my iPod (trying to screen for ones people might know), these lyrics come from? (Without resorting to a search engine.) (more)
Used tags: blog, ipod, itunes, meme, music
Trek XI Update
OK, so, yeah, sure, we now have pictures of Zachary Quinto in character as Spock. And that's cool and all, sure.But my favorite recent Trek XI news? Harlan Ellison is mad!
This movie's still over a year from release, and it's already entertaining me!
Used tags: movies, rumors, star_trek, star_trek_xi
STS-122 Update
Per NASA:The European-built Columbus module has been loaded into the cargo bay of space shuttle Atlantis in preparation for the launch of STS-122 on Dec. 6. Columbus will be attached to the International Space Station and will serve as a laboratory and research center for station astronauts.
The Columbus segment was waiting at the launch pad Saturday when space shuttle Atlantis was rolled into place Saturday at Launch Pad 39A. Once Atlantis' payload section was covered by the Rotating Service Structure, technicians and workers opened the cargo bay doors and carefully moved the cylindrical Columbus into the shuttle. The module has already been packed with four specialized racks outfitted for experiments. Each rack is about the size of a refrigerator. The segment can hold 10 racks.
And, in preparation for the launch, from the station:
International Space Station crewmembers move Pressurized Mating Adaptor-2 from the front of the U.S. laboratory Destiny to the Harmony node early Monday, clearing the way for Harmony's relocation to its permanent home.
Harmony, with PMA-2 on its outboard end, is scheduled to be moved from its temporary position on the Unity node to the front of Destiny on Wednesday.
Used tags: international_space_station, launch_schedule, nasa, space, space_shuttle, sts_122
Monday, 12 November 2007
Oh, Tera
So as a result of the big hard drive crash that I had week before last, I went out today and bought yet another hard drive. Which means that my iMac now has a total of a terabyte of storage. Joe and I, as we old-timers are prone to do, were reminiscing on our first gigabyte and the like, and when six gig seemed like a phenomenal amount of space. So that got us applying that to the future -- when will a terabyte be insufficient? When will computer ship with multiple-terabyte drives? Etc.Put here's the question I want to put to the ATW audience, so we can look back and see who got closes when it happens. I'll even award some sort of prize.
When will the first terabyte iPod ship? Your predictions, please.
Used tags: computers, history, ipod
Saturday, 10 November 2007
Lazy Saturday
OK, this isn't much in the way of blogging, but it's better than my normal Saturday blog routine, right?
Anyway, a friend sent me a couple of cool videos last night, which I thought I would pass along.
The first shows you how to make a working Blu-Ray phaser. (I don't know if it would function as a "burning laser" or not. If so, that would be cool.)
The second clip captures what "24" would be like if made in 1994, which brings back a lot of memories for us old fogeys.
Friday, 9 November 2007
Question
OK, I'm just not seeing much good blog fodder today. It's all either dull, or stuff everybody's already talking about, like Winona Rider in Trek (Useful if you want to cut this movie with scenes from Star Trek VI to form a very very short Trek sequel to Heathers.)
I do have a question, though, inspired by hearing Brown Eyed Girl (the only song I've ever Karaoked) on my iTunes -- Why, exactly, did Van Morrison gun down the old man with the transister radio?
Used tags: music, star_trek, star_trek_xi
Thursday, 8 November 2007
Living The Literary Wife
This week's new Hatbag strip is now online. Go check it out.For those ATW readers who don't follow the weekly Hatbag link, a brief explanation -- Hatbag is a weekly webcomic Lain and I create; following two old college buddies as they adjust to sort-of grown-up life. If you read ATW, take a few extra seconds to go read Hatbag. Please? Please?
Used tags: comics, funny, hatbag, writing
Moon HD
Ever wonder what the view would be like if you were in a spacecraft orbiting the moon? Video sent back from Japan's Kaguya spacecraft can give you a pretty good idea. The video was created with with first HDTV camera send to the moon, and is rather cool.
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
STS-122 Update
Discovery is now safely on the ground, so I've started the ATW countdown clock for the STS-122 mission, with less than a month to go until the scheduled Dec. 6 launch.Roll-out of Atlantis to the pad is planned for Saturday, starting at 3 a.m. CST.
Used tags: ksc, launch_schedule, nasa, space, space_shuttle, sts_122, vab
STS-120 Update
Discovery is scheduled to land today at 12:02 CST.For the first time since STS-107, the shuttle will be making a cross-country fly-over to reach KSC, meaning that it may be possible for some in the ATW audience, particularly north Mississippi and central Alabama to hear the double sonic booms as it passes over.
If you're interested, here's a Space.com story about what's happening when and here are the ground tracks.
Used tags: birmingham, ksc, mississippi, nasa, space, sts_120
Chinese National Space Station
SpaceDaily (sigh) has a story today about a Chinese media report saying that China is planning a space station around 2020. So, first, this isn't an official report, but rather just something said by someone involved in the space program. And, second, an official spokesman said later in the day that there's no official timetable. And, third, 90 percent of the stuff that comes out about the Chinese space program is crap anyway. But, point being, a path toward a "small-scale 20-tonne workshop" around 2020 (in comparison, Skylab, launched 12 years after the first U.S. spaceflight, was about 70 tonnes at reentry) would not be a very strong sign that they are going to beat us back to the moon. FWIW.
Used tags: china, rumors, skylab, space
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
STS-120 Update
Per NASA:The crew will spend today preparing for landing. Discovery’s first landing opportunity is at 1:02 p.m. EST Wednesday at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Weather forecasters predict favorable landing conditions once a cold front passes through late Tuesday night. The backup landing sites at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., will not be considered Wednesday.
Used tags: nasa, space, space_shuttle, sts_120
Monday, 5 November 2007
Pictures of the Day
Before and after STS-120.
Used tags: international_space_station, nasa, space
STS-120 Update
Per NASA:Discovery undocked from the International Space Station at 5:32 a.m. EST as they flew over the South Pacific.
STS-120 Pilot George Zamka backed the orbiter about 400 feet from the station and performed a fly-around to allow crew members to collect video and imagery of the station in its new configuration. He completed the final separation engine burn at 7:15 a.m.
The shuttle crew members are using the shuttle robot arm and the 50-foot long Orbiter Boom Sensor System to conduct a late inspection of the thermal protection system.
The crew will spend Tuesday preparing for landing. Discovery’s first landing opportunity is at 1:02 p.m. Wednesday at Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
During its stay at the station, which began Oct. 25, the STS-120 crew continued the on-orbit construction of the station with the installation of the Harmony Node 2 module and the relocation of the P6 truss.
The crew installed Harmony Oct. 26 and did four spacewalks at the station. During the third spacewalk, the crew installed the P6 truss and solar array pair in its permanent location outboard of the port truss. The fourth spacewalk was changed during the mission so that the crew could repair a torn solar array on the P6 truss. Following the successful repair work, the crew was able to fully deploy the solar array.
Used tags: eva, international_space_station, nasa, space, space_shuttle, sts_117
Friday, 2 November 2007
Today In History
On this date in 2000, the Expedition 1 crew of Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Krikalev boarded the International Space Station, meaning that today marks seven years of continuous human presence in space.
Used tags: history, international_space_station, nasa, soyuz, space
STS-120 Update
Per Spaceflight Now:Working around the clock, flight controllers, astronauts and engineers are fine tuning a daring plan to put an astronaut on the end of a long boom attached to the space station's robot arm - farther from the safety of the lab's airlock than any spacewalker before him - to perform emergency surgery on a mangled solar array.
Using insulated tools to minimize the risk of shock from the damaged-but-electrically-active solar panel, Scott Parazynski, a former emergency room physician and one of NASA's most experienced spacewalkers, plans to cut snagged guidewires if necessary to release tension before installing cufflink-like clips to strengthen the torn blanket enough to permit its full extension.
...
"We're faced with a difficult situation," said astronaut Dave Wolf, a Mir veteran who oversees NASA's spacewalk office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. "It's a real test of the adaptability of this team, the baseline knowledge, how to work in space. We're pulling that all together, we have a time limit, of course, on this mission, we're working around the clock. And I think we're onto a solution that should work, get us pretty close to a permanently acceptable situation. We'll see how it goes Saturday."
Used tags: eva, international_space_station, nasa, space, space_shuttle, sts_117
Thursday, 1 November 2007
STS-120 Update
Per NASA:Friday’s spacewalk, already pushed back from Thursday, has been pushed back again one more day to Saturday. The shuttle and station crews will continue spacewalk preparations, transfer activities and enjoy some off-duty time today.
The spacewalk preparations include studying procedures, building tools and resizing a spacesuit glove. Mission Specialists Scott Parazynski and Doug Wheelock will conduct the excursion.
Parazynski will ride the Orbiter Boom Sensor System, the shuttle’s robotic arm extension, attached to the station’s robotic arm to access a damaged solar array. Wheelock will provide guidance to the arm operators while they are maneuvering Parazynski.
The International Space Station Program changed the priority of the fourth spacewalk from inspection of a rotary joint to repair of a solar array.
A fifth spacewalk planned to occur during the STS-120 mission has been pushed back until after Discovery leaves.
Used tags: eva, international_space_station, nasa, space, space_shuttle, sts_117
Friday, 30 November 2007
Reordered Priorities
The week's Hatbag strip is now online. (Read Entry)
STS-122 Update
FRR is today (Read Entry)
iWait
New iPhone coming next year. (Read Entry)Thursday, 29 November 2007
Regular Richie Feature
Recent search strings on ATW. (Read Entry)
Space Race '08
Huckabee, Tancredo talk Mars. (Read Entry)Wednesday, 28 November 2007
STS-122 Update
Station is ready for Atlantis. (Read Entry)
Crossing The Terminator
Voyager 2 nears "galactic space." (Read Entry)
Is It Christmas?
A helpful tool for telling. (Read Entry)Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Huck & Chuck
Amusing campaign ad. (Read Entry)Monday, 26 November 2007
O Well
Thoughts on Orgeron's departure. (Read Entry)
Backyard Mars
There's good viewing tonight and tomorrow. (Read Entry)Wednesday, 21 November 2007
Thanksplanning
The week's Hatbag strip is now online. (Read Entry)
Happy Thanksgiving
A couple of holiday songs. (Read Entry)Tuesday, 20 November 2007
Space Race '08
Obama would delay Orion. (Read Entry)Saturday, 17 November 2007
Hello!
Another Apple store post. (Read Entry)Thursday, 15 November 2007
Giant Comet!
comet Holmes now has bigger diameter than the sun. (Read Entry)
The Stripper's Life
The week's Hatbag strip is now online. (Read Entry)Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Moving Harmony
ISS Node has been relocated. (Read Entry)
Homesteading Space
My book has a page with the publisher. (Read Entry)
Leopard Dominant
OS X outsells Windows in Japan for October. (Read Entry)
Space Race '08
Clinton elucidates on policy. (Read Entry)Tuesday, 13 November 2007
Black Men Built The Capitol
My former editor's new book. (Read Entry)
Song Challenge!
Do you recognize these lyrics? (Read Entry)
Trek XI Update
Harlan Ellison must scream! (Read Entry)
STS-122 Update
Atlantis is on the pad. (Read Entry)Monday, 12 November 2007
Oh, Tera
When will the pocket terabyte arrive. (Read Entry)Saturday, 10 November 2007
Lazy Saturday
A couple of funny videos. (Read Entry)Friday, 9 November 2007
Question
I'm bored (Read Entry)Thursday, 8 November 2007
Living The Literary Wife
The week's Hatbag strip is now online. (Read Entry)
Moon HD
Japanese probe sends back high-def video. (Read Entry)Wednesday, 7 November 2007
STS-122 Update
Atlantis will roll out on Saturday. (Read Entry)
STS-120 Update
Landing is scheduled for today. (Read Entry)
Chinese National Space Station
More rumors of rumors from China. (Read Entry)Tuesday, 6 November 2007
STS-120 Update
Shuttle crew prepares for landing tomorrow. (Read Entry)Monday, 5 November 2007
Pictures of the Day
The current configuration of the ISS. (Read Entry)
STS-120 Update
Discovery leaves station. (Read Entry)Friday, 2 November 2007
Today In History
ISS was manned seven years ago today. (Read Entry)
STS-120 Update
NASA plans "risky" spacewalk. (Read Entry)Thursday, 1 November 2007