Electric Dreams...

      For one hundred years automobiles have been powered primarily by smelly, noisy, inefficient internal combustion engines. To be sure there have been some brief forays into alternative power sources. Steam and electric engines have been experimented with but never had any real success. It took major advances in battery technology to finally bring us to the point where electric cars could be produced that are useful and efficient. Current lithium-ion technology has made the all electric car not only possible, but even superior to those that burn gasoline and diesel fuel.

    Tesla's' Model S is their second all electric vehicle and their first 4 door sedan. Their previous Roadster sold over 2100 vehicles that have collectively logged more than 18 million miles.  To say the Roadster has been a success would be an understatement. This isn't a novelty, it's a full-blown automotive revolution. I think Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and Space X, one of today's most progressive private industry space technology corporations describes it best:
http://www.teslamotors.com/blog/revealing-model-s-beta

Pagans Take Back Christmas

Did i mention that i'm a musician? Well, i am, and being one i play in several bands. My latest collaboration is with a band called "Alchemy". There are, in the band, at least two people who subscribe to "Paganism". Now, i myself, being essentially an Atheist, found this to be interesting (i hate when i use that word) because i have had very little interaction with actual Pagans or Wiccans. I've been subjected to most of the Christian sects at some point..i'm a former Catholic, so i know how that goes and i've read some about Islam and known people of Jewish faith. So i was intrigued when we were booked to play a Solstice celebration  or "Sparkle Ball" as they called it. I wondered what would there be; sacrifices? ritual chanting? Invocation of spirits and deities? Well the answer was sort of all of the above...but in a somewhat more light-hearted manor than i expected. Without documenting the entire event, what transpired was a cleansing of the participants (which involved rinsing and drying the hands upon being welcomed into the building), a "sealing of the circle", meaning essentially a ceremony invoking the protection of gods and spirits at all the compass points and from above and below. Then a ceremony to bless the participants, venue and food and one to welcome back the Sun (bringer of light and hope). Later after food, music (that was us) and dancing there was a belly dancer :), a 50/50 drawing and an auction to benefit a member in need. At the end many gathered in a circle to sing (to the tune of "Gloria in Excelsis Deo") a carol claiming (and rightfully so) that the Yule holidays, Christmas included, had their origin in what would come to be known as Paganism. The chorus went; "Gloria....Chrimas-time is Pagan". I'd have to agree.  This is factually correct, and even refreshing to hear. The origin of the winter Solstice celebration likely dates back to the neolithic and possibly to the paleolithic. It predates all of the religions past and present who later incorporated it into their own celebrations for various reasons.

From what i can tell, Wiccans (or Pagans if you wish) are quite normal people with a belief system that incorporates a respect and concern for the planet, it's flora and fauna and for mankind in general...excluding no one because of religious beliefs, lifestyle or orientation. They seem like nice people to me.

I do, however, maintain my Agnosticism...which comes to me as a result of what i have been able to observe of the natural Universe. I will celebrate Solstice in whichever form it comes....It is a time we can all share as citizens of the planet, no matter what the reason we ascribe to it....Peace.

Near and Far

By 2015 we will have sent probes to nearly every planet, dwarf planet and moon in the solar system. Presently Messenger is mapping Mercury and New Horizons is on its way to Pluto and the Kuiper belt extending our exploration from the nearest to the furthest celestial bodies in our solar system.

Republican Circus of the absurd...

I've been seeing bits and pieces of the Republican presidential "debates". I watched some of it last night but had to turn away before i became ill.

This little outtake, i think, demonstrates what the Republicans have to offer. This "man" would do away with education. As if that's not disturbing enough... he then can't even remember which last agency he would dismiss? You have to wonder how Texans could have elected this poor sod to govern them.

The rest offer little more. Their talking points are full of platitudes, generalizations, misinformation and just plain lies. They can't even seem to agree on basic Republican dogma. The one thing they DO agree on is a hatred for President Obama. I suspect that the Republican constituency will vote for anyone, no matter how ignorant or dysfunctional, so long as he/she dislikes progressive black Presidents.

It is a sorry day for America when a large segment of the population will accept these sad excuses for potential leadership.

Heroes

 When i think of American heroes, this is something like the image that comes to mind. How brave do you have to be to sit atop thousands of pounds of explosive LOX and Hydrogen and wait for someone to light it off so that you can be blasted into an environment that, outside of your little spacecraft, would kill you in a heartbeat?
On Oct. 22, 1968, the Apollo 7 crew is welcomed aboard the USS Essex, the prime recovery ship for the mission. This was the first Apollo splashdown and, therefore, the first three person 'landing' for NASA.

 

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/image_feature_2086.html

The Erosion of Progress by Religions

There are now large groups of people in the U.S. who don't "believe" in science...Are we relinquishing our predominance in technology to more progressive and less religious countries?

America, Science, and the President

With the Presidential elections hardly more than a year away i think, we as Americans, have to ask ourselves who we want to lead our country and speak for us. Do we want Evolution and Global Warming deniers? Do we want the scientifically illiterate to control our energy policy, our schools and universities and our research and space exploration?

In a very real sense, this is what we are voting for. We can elect to further our understanding of science and reason...or we can vote for ignorance and superstition.

Listen to what the various candidates on the Right are saying....are these people you would trust with our children's future? Do they sound intelligent? Are they scientifically literate? Have they any understanding of how the world and the universe works?

I submit that  a vote for any Republican or like-minded individual is a step backwards to the Dark Ages.....That superstition, religious fundamentalism and the denial of scientific principals and theories has no place in a 21st. century government.

Lets all get out and VOTE for people who will act rationally and in our best interests. The alternative is an administration based on ignorance and intolerance of "intellectualism".

The 64th Anniversary of Supersonic Flight!

On October 14, 1947 Chuck Yeager became the fastest man alive when he piloted the Bell X-1, nick-named Glamorous Glennis (for his wife), to Mach 1 in level flight at 45,000 feet.

                                                  General Charles Elwood Yeager

                                                                    Chuck Yeager with the X-1

                                                                                 Bell X-1

New Age

Well, now that Space Shuttle Atlantis has touched down from its final mission we can breath a sigh of relief and cast a nostalgic eye back at the former US manned space program....and look ahead to its future!

There ARE some potentially groundbreaking and very exciting developments in space travel occurring in the "private sector". Here are just two of the companies that will be supplying the hardware for the next generation of Astronauts.


Scaled Composites: SpaceShipTwo
 http://www.scaled.com/projects/model_339_spaceshiptwo

SpaceShipTwo will be powered by a unique hybrid rocket motor, which is currently under development. The twin fuselage and central payload area configuration allow for easy access to WhiteKnightTwo and the spaceship for passengers and crew; the design also aids operational efficiencies and turnaround times. SpaceShipTwo utilizes the unique feather configuration that allowed SpaceShipOne to successfully re-enter the atmosphere. Although the presently planned flights are sub-orbital and this design will not likely support orbital flights, it is a step back in the direction of space plane technology. Scaled Composites is in partnership with Virgin Galactic http://www.virgingalactic.com/ who is presently selling tickets for flights on SS2...sign up for yours today!!

 

 

SpaceX: Dragon/Falcon 

http://www.spacex.com/dragon.php

Dragon is a free-flying, reusable spacecraft being developed by SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. Initiated internally by SpaceX in 2005, the Dragon spacecraft is made up of a pressurized capsule and unpressurized trunk used for Earth to LEO transport of pressurized cargo, unpressurized cargo, and/or crew members. Dragon will likely be the U.S.A.s vehicle of choice to supply the ISS and transport crew members.

 

 

Happy Birthday John Glenn!

STS-135: The Shuttle Program's Final Space Odyssey

This is, perhaps, the most disheartening statement i have ever heard from an astronaut;
"The shuttle is an amazing piece of machinery," astronaut Stan Love said. "It blows away anything that can fly now or in the next 30 years."
Let's hope this prediction ends up being overly pessimistic.

 STS-135: The Shuttle Program's Final Space Odyssey : The Two-Way : NPR

‪INTERVIEW WITH ISAAC ASIMOV‬‏

 

My favorite writer. The Good Doctor shares his views on Science Fiction writing.

Global Warming: The cost of deciding what action to take.

With all of the controversy concerning the human impact aspect of global warming we might want to keep this in mind:
1. We have been releasing materials proven to be greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere for over 100 years.
2. The Earth is right now in a warming trend.
If there is no connection between the two (doubtful) and we take action, we stand only to improve and upgrade our methods of energy production. If we are indeed the cause of this warming trend (likely) and we do nothing, we will be dooming humanity to drought and famine. If we act on limiting greenhouse gas emissions, we can't lose. If we do nothing, we are gambling with the future of the human race

Murray Mound

I'm watching 3rd Round tennis at Wimbledon. I just caught ear of "Murray Mound". I mean really...can it become more silly?
Roddick is out to Lopez in long but straight sets. Federer plays Nalbandian next...ought to be good.
Rafa is brilliant as usual. I think the men's is fairly open yet. I'd like to see Roger do it one more time.
In the women's draw i'm guessing it's between Serena, Venus or Sharapova. My pick is Venus.

It's raining at Wimbledon right now and it just finished raining here as well, so i kinda feel like i'm sitting on Murray Mound watching the Scott attempt to undo Ljubicic.

Home of the Fooled

You have to wonder how the country that was first to the Moon, that was the world leader in science and technology could have fallen so far off the mark in the last few years when it comes to...science and technology.
 How do we explain the number of people accepting "intelligent design", the Moon landing conspiracies and all the various and sundry fables that organized religion visits upon us? Why would a large number of Americans embrace superstition, suedo-science and just plain misinformation rather   than good solid scientific evidence?
In a word...Religion. Religion makes it possible to fob off the most fantastic nonsense as truth. Many Americans have swallowed religion hook, line and sinker. If someone sees Jesus on his toast then it's taken as gospel that it was a manifestation of the Christ. If we put a man on the Moon, complete with pictures of the event, they believe it's a conspiracy. If you were to tell them that god says we went to the Moon they would believe it instantly.

In short, we have bought into faery tales at the expense of our logic, skepticism, and common sense.

Happy Father's Day: My Dad

Happy Father's Day to all you seeders and breeders.
I just wanted to share my thoughts and impressions of my own dad who is gone since 1979.
I'd say he was conflicted in many ways, but he was aware of the conflicts and understood what he was going through although he may have been at odds with himself on how to resolve his issues.
He was intelligent, independent and strong minded with a concept of fairness and honour. He admired pilots and sportsmen though he neither hunted nor flew. He could be very disciplinary but you always knew what the logic was behind the discipline...and it usually involved your well-being.
As a father and teacher i would liken him to Polonius of Hamlet:
"And these few precepts in thy memory
See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue,
Nor any unproportioned thought his act.
Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar.
Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried,
Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel;
But do not dull thy palm with entertainment
Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade. Beware
Of entrance to a quarrel, but being in,
Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice;
Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.
Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy,
But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy;
For the apparel oft proclaims the man,
And they in France of the best rank and station
Are of a most select and generous chief in that.
Neither a borrower nor a lender be;
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
This above all: to thine ownself be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."
I can almost imagine these words coming from him.
My most vivid memory of him? When he picked me up and hugged me, his face felt scratchy. :)

Toxic Cucumbers Kill Eleven, Infect 1,200 in Germany, and May Spread Through Europe : TreeHugger

Who would have guessed that cucumbers could be lethal?

 Over the weekend, an outbreak of E. coli spread throughout Germany, killing eleven people and infecting more than 1,000. Cucumbers have been identified as the source of the bacteria, but the source of the vegetables themselves is unclear. At first, health officials thought two Spanish farms were responsible, but Spain has denied the charges, and the bacteria has been found on cucumbers that may have been grown elsewhere, reported the BBC.

Toxic Cucumbers Kill Eleven, Infect 1,200 in Germany, and May Spread Through Europe : TreeHugger

The Newt is moot!

One has to wonder how it is that our favourite salamander hasn't come to the conclusion that he's obsolete. The Democrats think he's an idiot, the Republicans think he's a loose cannon and Independents don't seem to care about him at all.
Newt Gingrich's latest gaff was criticizing his fellow Republican, Paul Ryan's, "Medicare overhaul", ensuring him the official position of persona non grata among Conservatives. I'm sure they would love to mute the Newt!

STS-134

I guess there's no question that i love space science. The manned missions are particularly stimulating because we are "boldly going". It's like science fiction brought to realization....but i have always hoped that the outdated shuttle system would soon be replaced with newer and more competent spacecraft.
   This mission, Endeavour STS134, will be one of the last shuttle missions before these spaceships are retired. Since the United States presently has no replacement for them we will likely be hitching a ride in Russian Soyuz capsules (a technological step backwards in my opinion).
   Although private American companies are presently developing new hardware for getting astronauts into Earth orbit, it seems it will be a while before we have another functional "space plane". So, while i'm glad to see these old and often unreliable spacecraft retire, i will miss the sight and excitement of the shuttle missions....of seeing a ship blast off into "The Final Frontier" and glide back down to land on a runway.
Here's hoping the next "Enterprise" isn't too far off in our future.

STS-134

Hello

Hi there.  So much for introductions....i'll put some stuff up here and if anyone wants to read them, well, it's at your own risk!