You may already know this, but in a move designed to make me (and you?) ever-so-slightly giddy, Paul Allen (SpaceShipOne) and Richard Branson (Virgin Airways) have decided to join forces and get a space tourism business up and running by 2007. It’s only $198,600 a pop for a three-hour tour, so start saving (Oh, yeah, [...]
Posted by Deana in Space on September 28th, 2004 | Comments Off
For all you polytheists (or even henotheists) out there, here’s a fun, easy guide to the gods called “Godchecker.” From the Australian Aboriginal Bellin-Bellin to the Egyptian plant god, Uneg, they’re all here (or nearly!).
Posted by Deana in Religion on September 27th, 2004 | Comments Off
Seems reasonable to me: If you want to know whether astronauts could handle an extended-duration mission to Mars, “ask an astronaut”:http://www.decaturdaily.com/decaturdaily/news/040923/foale.shtml. Specifically, ask one who has logged over a year on orbit, including a 6-month stint living with just one other cosmonaut. His advice? Don’t sweat the niceties, and don’t skimp on [...]
Posted by Chris in Space on September 23rd, 2004 | 1 Comment »
Now that he can’t use the WMD justification, the terrorist justification, or the International Community justification, Our Fair President has devolved to using the “dictator justification”:http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df09222004.html to explain why we invaded Iraq at a cost of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. “The Daily Mislead”:http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df09222004.html begs to differ with that reasoning.
Posted by Chris in Politics on September 22nd, 2004 | Comments Off
This just in: “SpaceDev”:http://www.spacedev.com/, the San Diego company that provides “SpaceShipOne”:http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/sso_rutan_archive.html’s revolutionary hybrid rocket engine, is developing “Dream Chaser”:http://www.spacedev.com/newsite/templates/subpage_article.php?pid=489, a low-cost sub-orbital spacecraft. Not limited to X-Prize ranges, Dream Chaser is designed to scale up to the point where people can be delivered to and from Low Earth Orbit (read: “space station”:http://www.space.com/news/businessmonday_040524.html).
Posted by Chris in Space on September 22nd, 2004 | Comments Off
The previous post (showtunes) led me to the comments our intrepid singer has generated, including a very positive one from a group I didn’t know existed, Ship of Fools. They’re a sort of progressive, weird, Anglican/Episcopalian site. Their arguments for and against acceptance of homosexuality in Christianity are interesting, and may provide some cool ammo.
Posted by Deana in Religion on September 21st, 2004 | Comments Off
All I can say is “wow”:http://www.livejournal.com/users/koaloha/29646.html. Maybe the lesson here is that the true strength of our people is in laughter and joy.
Posted by Chris in Oddly Enough on September 20th, 2004 | 1 Comment »
I just read the most astute, “honest portrayal of the Iraq situation”:http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_0920.html I’ve seen since the whole frenzy started. It’s balanced, it’s backed by facts, and amazingly enough it offers a coherent plan for how to both restore the country and get U.S. troops out of there as soon as possible.
The author? [...]
Posted by Chris in Politics on September 20th, 2004 | Comments Off
I’m in favor of stem cell research, but it’s interesting to see how various fertility clinics deal with embryos that go unused. This is apparently not something taken lightly.
Posted by Deana in Science on September 18th, 2004 | 1 Comment »
My cousin Carl sent me another way cool link - a map of Springfield, USA. You know, where the Simpsons live.
I love that the map can never truly be accurate because the landscape changes from episode to episode…
Posted by Deana in Fun on September 17th, 2004 | Comments Off
