2009 is the International Year of Astronomy, people.
Visit the website to learn more about initiatives and programs, etc.
Watch the trailer-style announcement:
I'm super excited!
4.27.2008
Only 248 days to go!
4.22.2008
Super Crazy! Russian Cover-Up, Shuttle Almost Burns Up on Re-entry
This is taken directly from Universe Today, article by Ian O'Neill (www.universetoday.com)
Soyuz Capsule Hatch Nearly Burned Up and Crew's Lives Were on a "Razor's Edge"
Written by Ian O'Neill
First, Russian space officials tried to cover up the emergency landing of the Soyuz descent capsule on Saturday. Then they blamed the crew for changing their flight plan without communicating with mission control. Compounding the problem, an official cited a bad omen as a contributing factor to the hard landing. Within a couple of days, the truth behind the Soyuz "ballistic re-entry" began to come to light. Today, even more shocking revelations are being reported, including how the escape hatch nearly failed during the uncontrolled, fiery re-entry…
On Sunday, the Universe Today reported on the off-target landing of the Russian Soyuz descent capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut, Yi So-yeon, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and NASA record breaker (for most time spent in space) American Peggy Whitson back from the International Space Station (ISS). The capsule had landed short of its intended target, 20 minutes behind schedule. The authorities later blamed the mishap on a change in flight plan and suggested the crew were to blame. Then, surprisingly, Federal Space Agency chief Anatoly Perminov placed some of the blame on the female dominant crew, saying women on board space missions were bad luck.
Yesterday, I reported on some updates to the drama that had unfolded. Apparently, even before the rescue helicopters had located the capsule, the Russian space agency publicised the crew's safe return, covering up the fact they had no idea where they were. What's more, the helicopters had been sent to the wrong location, and it was by chance that the capsule's parachutes were spotted. The capsule had landed in a zone reserved for emergency touch-downs and the crew suffered a "hard landing". Not being able to send a signal to mission control, the crew remained upside down, strapped to their seats for 25 minutes. Malenchenko was able to unlatch himself to get outside to use a satellite phone. Some news agencies reported that the parachute had even caught alight and set the surrounding vegetation on fire.
Today, even more revelations have been reported. According to an unnamed Russian space official, the capsule had entered the atmosphere in an uncontrolled manner. Rather than the capsule's heat shield taking the frictional re-entry burn, the escape hatch became exposed and bore the brunt of the high temperatures outside. The hatch sustained substantial damage. The antenna was also exposed to the heat, completely burning it up, explaining why the crew were unable to communicate with the ground. A valve that equalizes cabin with atmospheric pressure was also damaged.
"The fact that the entire crew ended up whole and undamaged is a great success. Everything could have turned out much worse. You could say the situation was on a razor's edge." - Anonymous Russian space official involved in the descent investigation.
Russian Federal Space Agency spokesman, Alexander Vorobyov, continued to downplay the series of events saying that antennae were regularly damaged during capsule re-entries. He rated Saturday's event as a "3", where "5" on the scale would be critical.
This troubled landing has naturally raised questions about the safety record of the Soyuz capsules currently being used. This is the second time in a row (and the third since 2003) that there have been serious problems during re-entry of Soyuz capsules. The official continued to say that there can be no guarantee that this will not happen again:
"Considering that this situation has repeated itself, it is obvious that the technological discipline in preparing space equipment for a flight is declining. There is no guarantee that the crew of a Soyuz spacecraft landing a half a year from now would not face the same difficulties." - Anonymous Russian space official
During the confusion as to where the Soyuz capsule had landed, there are unconfirmed reports that the U.S. Defence Department tracked the off-target landing and pinpointed its location for Russian helicopters. NASA is reserving comment until the Russian Federal Space Agency finds the cause of the uncontrolled descent.
Investigators suspect that the ballistic re-entry was caused by an electrical short in the cable that connects the crew capsule's control panel with the Soyuz descent hardware. A short circuit in this cable can automatically trigger the ballistic re-entry mode and there is little the crew could have done to prevent it.
Sources: The Associated Press, New Scientist
Crazy mad changes!
Look, to the left and down - I've discovered widgets and RSS feeds. Amazing.
What can I say, I'm a little slow.
4.21.2008
Oopsy-Doodle!
Normal G-forces during re-entry during this day and age are about 1.5 g's. However, during the early NASA days of the Apollo missions, etc, normal re-entry g's were around 7 g's. Cosmonauts in 1975 had a problem with their Soyuz rocket in re-entry and experience 14-15 g's! That is crazy you guys, most people can't do anything with their body once they reach about 10 g's.
4.20.2008
Haddaway and Dr. Alban
I love this video so, so, much. This is transcendent:
Life
Did you hear? He's working on a new album with Dr. Alban (two good videos of him below). I'm not sure when it will be released, but its title is Crucified. Good luck, Haddaway!
Hello Africa
No COke
4.18.2008
This will make you laugh.
Miss L is stupid.
Before the new Cut Copy album came out, and before SXSW, I would listen to their songs on their Myspace page while I worked. I sort-of knew some of the words by the time I saw them play. So I'm there, second row, singing out loud with everyone else around me, "Got so horny/I fall in your dreams tonight." This was March.
Cut to today, I follow the Pitchfork link to AOL's music crap site, and here are some live Cut Copy performances (see below). I notice the song "So Haunted." He's SO HAUNTED, not SO HORNY. Geez, I feel like a dumbass. (BTW, they were a million times better than what you see below, but I still feel like I need to post it.)
4.17.2008
Glasses
So I left my gym bag in my car Tuesday, and it kinda fried my glasses. Very strange - my glasses and lotion bottle are totally warped, but the shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer/sunscreen, and contact solution bottles are unharmed! Oh, and the contact solution in the contact case had mostly evaporated. Very strange - it was as if a sunbeam had concentrated itself on one corner of my gym bag.
I can no longer wear the glasses. Rather, I can wear them, but they don't stay on my face well, the lenses look like they will fall out, and I would def not wear them driving. But do not fret, for this cloud has a silver lining: I put on my old glasses and I love them! So cute. I forgot. I will probably spend the buckers (if required, which I think it will be because the damage is pretty extreme) to get the others fixed next month. Economic stimulus? Oh! Brain flash: maybe it is covered under a warranty - it has been less than a year, after all.
Here are my new plants:
They have yet to flower, but that's because I just planted them Monday. Here are the flowers my mother potted for my birthday gift:
There are wine cups and alysum and some kind of lupine, I believe.
4.10.2008
A little animation for you...
From some of my fave old-timers.
I met the animator/painter/filmmaker of this one:
Her name is Joan Gratz and she was very sweet.
A scene from the oldest surviving feature-length animated movie (I believe this is true...)
And there is so much more!
Jules et Jim
Can you believe I've never seen this? Tsk tsk. Well, I'm starting it in the next hour...
Oh no! God, how I love drama.
4.08.2008
Xiu Xiu video for F.T.W.
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/49811-xiu-xiu-ftw-video-premiere
4.07.2008
4.06.2008
I've got your polar coronal holes RIGHT HERE!
in my pants.
vive l'eruption solaire:
Blogger's Note: No polar coronal holes are visible in this video. Use your imagination or follow this link: http://a1862.g.akamai.net/7/1862/14448/v1/esa.download.akamai.com/13452/mpeg/2008-03-28-hinode_NAM-Feb20-08.mpg
This is neat, too:
Help me remember all the songs they played...
Master of the Bump
F.T.W.
No Friend, Oh!
Clowne Towne
The Fox and the Rabbit
In Lust You Can Hear the Axe Fall
I Do What I Want When I Want
Gayle Lynn
Bishop, CA
Save Me Save Me
What did I forget?
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
4.01.2008
Xiu Xiu Interview Link
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/48679-guest-list-xiu-xiu
I think Caralee and I could be BFF. Def.
Nick Cave Interview Link
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/49498-interview-nick-cave
Here is a quote: "Grinderman was like a bomb going off within the Bad Seeds. It was like going back to the wife and telling her that you'd taken a mistress."
Oh, was it? Speaking from experience?
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