Month: February 2003

As promised, I’ve finally updated my photography page. There’s still more I’d like to add, but it’s a start.

Make Your Own Snowflake is a fun Flash application that is pretty appropriate today. I love snow…

The BBC reports that Russian ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zhirinovsky (ironically a member of the “Liberal Democratic Party of Russia”), long known for his controversial right-wing views on just about everything, has had recent comments opposing a war in Iraq turned into a rap song. A fairly crappy audio excerpt is available on the page…

This is a sad day. CNN reports: “Television’s Mister Rogers, the cultural icon and kindly neighbor to generations of American children, died Thursday at the age of 74” after a fight with stomach cancer. His show aired on PBS from 1968 to 2001, entertaining, educating, and simply loving over two generations of children. I can only hope that despite his passing on, reruns of his show will continue to air, because I really hope my children can some day learn as much from him as I did.

NASA has finally received funding for a mission to send a spacecraft to Pluto and more distant objects in the Kuiper Belt. Pluto is the only planet in the Solar System that has not been visited by a spacecraft, and proponents of the mission have long been saying that waiting too long would put Pluto in a much more distant, unfavorable position for exploration. “The probe is scheduled for launch in 2006 and would arrive at Pluto in about 2015, study the tiny planet and its moon, Charon, and then continue on in search of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs).”

The BBS reports that “After more than 30 years, it appears the venerable Pioneer 10 spacecraft has sent its last signal to Earth. Pioneer’s last, very weak signal was received on Jan. 22, 2003.” Launched in 1972, Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to pass through the asteroid belt and made the first direct observations of the planet Jupiter. It has since continued exploring the outer solar system, beaming back information about the solar wind and cosmic rays. Perhaps most poignant is its mission as “Earth’s first emissary into space,” carrying a gold plaque describing Earth’s location in the solar system as well as the appearance of human beings. Pioneer 10 is silently gliding in the general direction of Aldebaran, 68 light years away, a journey that will take 2 million years.

The BBS reports that “After more than 30 years, it appears the venerable Pioneer 10 spacecraft has sent its last signal to Earth. Pioneer’s last, very weak signal was received on Jan. 22, 2003.” Launched in 1972, Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to pass through the asteroid belt and made the first direct observations of the planet Jupiter. It has since continued exploring the outer solar system, beaming back information about the solar wind and cosmic rays. Perhaps most poignant is its mission as “Earth’s first emissary into space,” carrying a gold plaque describing Earth’s location in the solar system as well as the appearance of human beings. Pioneer 10 is silently gliding in the general direction of Aldebaran, 68 light years away, a journey that will take 2 million years.

New provisions under the Homeland Security Act classify the propellant in model rocketry engines as an explosive material, causing companies like UPS and FedEx to stop shipping them and making it difficult if not impossible for model rocketry club and enthusiasts to get permits for their hobby. I understand the need for heightened security in the wake of recent events, but this is ridiculous. I used to launch model rockets when I was younger, so I know full well that this is bullshit. Those engines are not powerful enough to do much more than provide thrust for a small rocket made of balsa wood and a cardboard tube; they are not *explosive* in the conventional sense of random destruction. The engines are resistant to conventional combustion; you need special electrical ignition switches to even get them to ignite. I know this, because when I was younger my friends and I used all kinds of flammable materials to try and get them to go off when I ran out of the electronic igniters, although I am loathe to admit that. 🙂

More and more, I see this nation going down a path of narrow-minded, paranoid delusions and haphazard, stifling regulations in the name of Homeland Security (duct tape, anyone?). I know that a lot has changed in this world rather quickly, but some circumspection and common sense is needed before things deteriorate into an Orwellian nightmare…

Including most of the cast members and following in the footsteps of such hilarious movies as Best In Show, Waiting For Guffman, and of course This Is Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind is opening April 16th. According to IMDB, the “mockumentary captures the reunion of 1960s folk trio the Folksmen (Guest, McKean, Shearer) as they prepare for a show at Carnegie Hall to memorialize a recently deceased concert promoter.” I can’t recommend those other movies highly enough and am really looking forward to this. The movie trailer is available here.

Support independence for The Republic of Cascadia, comprised of the “former American states of Oregon and Washington and the former Canadian province of British Columbia.” This campaign is surprisingly well-thought out, albeit in an off-kilter, delusional sort of way. I think that the “Bureau of Sasquatch Affairs: A Division of the Cascadian Department of Health and Hominoid Services” was the crowning touch, although the Belgian Conspiracy is most intriguing.