Global Spin

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, there's going to be a space hotel, too)! Check out the Virgin Galactic site -- fun!

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. 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 oxygen.

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 to explain why we invaded Iraq at a cost of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars. The Daily Mislead begs to differ with that reasoning.

Beyond the edge of space

This just in: SpaceDev, the San Diego company that provides SpaceShipOne's revolutionary hybrid rocket engine, is developing Dream Chaser, 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).

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. 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 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? John Kerry. I know, I'm as surprised as anyone.

It really is a good read, and it's the only thing I've read so far that gives me hope of getting out of this quagmire.

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...

Boxy Jewels

I'm such an artist wanna-be. I'm desperate to find something, anything, which would justify buying these jewel cases. Of all the times I needed a band!

Linkies: Carfree Cities

As a guy who spends 3 hours a day schlepping to work and back, I'm interested in anything that makes transit faster or more convenient. According to J.H. Crawford's wonderful book Carfree Cities, designing cities around people instead of cars doesn't just reduce the time we spend getting from point A to point B, it improves quality of life.

Like the book, the site is a great mix of human-scale observations and engineering ideas. Crawford has a way of blending photos, designs, and description to make it compelling reading. Be sure to check out the photo tour of Venice at the very least.

forêt des morts

If I were to be buried, Capsula Mundi would be my choice of venue. Hopefully it will be commonplace in a hundred years.

Does this remind anyone else of the Piggies?

Linkies: Fafblog!

I'm reading Fafblog! Are you reading Fafblog? No? Look closer. There! You were reading Fafblog all along.

[This is part of a new series showcasing the sidebar links. I know I'm repeating myself, but isn't it better than ranting about the elections? -Ed.]

How to make your plants sing

I bet it was unrelenting brown thumbery and general frustration with the higher-level voodoo that is biochemistry that led these engineers to master their foliage in ways no horticulturist, nor the foliage itself, could have ever imagined. The hills really could be alive with the sound of music.

Monumental failure

Talking Points Memo has an excellent article on why W and Kerry are still neck-and-neck in the polls despite W's disastrous policies in Iraq becoming more obviously disastrous each day.

Bush has sought -- with real success -- to edge Iraq out of the campaign dialogue by putting the issue back on to Kerry, asking what he would do differently...

...in this way, [he] has managed to derive political advantage from the magnitude of his own failure.

Politically, Kerry needs to ignore the commentators who will press him to come up with a twenty point plan ... though the way forward may be murky, the last person you want to lead the country down that foggy path is the guy who screwed everything up so badly in the first place.

Follow That Rabbit . . .

. . . and take a vacation! This is what should have been through the looking glass.

Anyway, it sounds like a cool bed and breakfast. Think they have an opium room? Oh, so it's not that part of the book . . .

A silly question

If we're supposed to be done "liberating" Iraq, then why are we still bombing it?

Dog Shoots Man

In self defense! Take that, you big jerk!

Rock and Roll, Baby!

We had a small shake up today as I was sitting in our winemaker's second story office in Yountville. Yep, we looked up at each other stupidly, mouths ajar -- such a useful reaction!!

However, the happy result is that I discovered this awesome website for the USGS! It had the quake posted within minutes of the event. Plus it has maps and all kinds of geeky fun (including a "Did You Feel It?" submit your story page).

Can I Eat That?

Now y'all don't have to bug me anymore (not that I mind):

Here is a database of edible perennials . . .

Plus, for those of you who are paying attention, you can read about "Green-Libertarianism" . Rrriiiight . . .

Birth of a Blog

Hey, Everybody!

Chris encouraged me to set up a blog and I kind of went, "Hum." Then I get the Anthropology News yesterday, and they're encouraging anthropologists to set up blogs, just to put our voices out there. And I thought, "Oh." But since they had a link to a free site I decided to check it out, and gave in and Ethnograblog was created. And there was much rejoicing (or something).

My motto is: Expect Lameness! (I do enjoy saying "Ethnograblog" though.)

I love Jon Stewart

You didn't think I forgot about our political pickle, did you? Here's The Daily Show's take on the overarching message of the RNC: "Words Speak Louder Than Facts."

New hope for nuclear?

They may be on our dirty words list, but recent articles on fission and cold fusion might signal a new age for nuclear power. Most interesting to me is the idea of a pebble bed reactor or cold fusion bottle providing megawatts of power to Mars missions and other weight-conscious applications without having to compromise on environmental security.

Having been burned by the original hype about both Our Bold Atomic Future and cold fusion, I'll admit I'm skeptical. It's now the responsibility of nuclear proponents to show that these technologies are safer and more effective than existing alternative energy sources. Good luck to them.

Educational Videos for Animals?

Some of you know of my interest in Susan McCarthy's, Becoming a Tiger: How Baby Animals Larn to Live in the Wild (that link is to a great blog entry about one of her book signings in San Diego). McCarthy worries that humans will never be able to teach captive-raised animals natural behaviors. Well, according to the BBC, San Diego native Hua Mei got pregnant and gave birth to twins after watching panda sex on-screen. I wonder if animals can actually learn things this way?

Excellent Coverage

Democracy Now has been doing some excellent coverage of the republican convention as well as the protests surrounding the republican convention -- this is the news as it should be reported!!!