Attack of the Space Virgin

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, [...]

Oh My Heavens!

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!).

the horse’s mouth

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 [...]

Dictation

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.

Beyond the edge of space

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).

Links Lead to Links

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.

Fundamentalism vs. Showtunes

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.

Finally, some honesty

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? [...]

Ethics and Embryos

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.

Imaginary Places

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…