Thankfully, my work gets NASA TV. I should be able to watch the launch live.

$700,000,000,000 for NASA, not a penny for Wall Street!

re: #2 itellu3times

$700,000,000,000 for NASA, not a penny for Wall Street!

Concur.

Cool! Do you think once they fix it it can find my tax cut?

Excellent. I was reading about this earlier, looks like a couple of very significant improvements are scheduled too:

[Link: news.bbc.co.uk...]

But if all goes well, it could trigger a magnificent renaissance for the much-loved space telescope.

Martin Barstow, professor of astrophysics and space science at the University of Leicester, UK, has been closely involved in planning for the mission.

He told BBC News: "If (the mission) is successful, as we all hope, it will not just return Hubble to health but increase its capability tremendously with the addition of two new, even more powerful instruments.

...

"Wide Field Camera 3 is just going to blow people away with the pictures it is going to be able to take across a very wide wavelength spectrum, from the infrared to the ultraviolet," Mr Grunsfeld said.

It will enable astronomers to carry out new studies of dark energy and dark matter and search for remote galaxies previously beyond Hubble's vision.

for its mission to perform extensive repairs and maintenance not to mention to resupply the Hubbles Vending Machines supply of TANG!

It’s been seven years since the last mission to service the Hubble

And even worse news; it's no longer under warranty. So, the Space Shuttle astronauts will have to sit in the "service guest lounge" drinking lousy coffee from machines, then fork over a thousand bucks or so.

re: #5 Jimmah

Re: "It will enable astronomers to carry out new studies of dark energy and dark matter and search for remote galaxies previously beyond Hubble's vision."

wtf is dark energy?

re: #8 brookly red

Re: "It will enable astronomers to carry out new studies of dark energy and dark matter and search for remote galaxies previously beyond Hubble's vision."

wtf is dark energy?

the opposite of light energy !

geeezzz!

re: #8 brookly red

wtf is dark energy?

If only you knew the power of the dark side of the energy. brookly... I am your father!

re: #4 brookly red

Cool! Do you think once they fix it it can find my tax cut?

Look, a black hole !

Uh, sir, it's pointed at DC.

re: #10 Occasional Reader

If only you knew the power of the dark side of the energy. brookly... I am your father!

and your breathing is laborious !

It's also expected to be the last Shuttle mission, as the Webb telescope is expected to be launched in 2014 when the Hubble is expected to finally go dark.

The Hubble has a long and distinguished history after early teething problems with a faulty lens that was ground to the wrong specs. It also has had repeated problems with the gyros that keep the telescope aimed at its targets. This mission includes a fix to those gyros, new power packs, new lens packages, and other assorted updates that will breath new life into this magnificent piece of tech.

re: #10 Occasional Reader

If only you knew the power of the dark side of the energy. brookly... I am your father!

Look, we have been down this road before... your gonna stay in assisted living & your gonna like it. got it?

You hope Atlantis can't miss
When you've got trouble in your Hubble.

re: #13 lawhawk

It's also expected to be the last Shuttle mission, as the Webb telescope is expected to be launched in 2014 when the Hubble is expected to finally go dark.

The Hubble has a long and distinguished history after early teething problems with a faulty lens that was ground to the wrong specs. It also has had repeated problems with the gyros that keep the telescope aimed at its targets. This mission includes a fix to those gyros, new power packs, new lens packages, and other assorted updates that will breath new life into this magnificent piece of tech.

I see Webb and I see Hubble. Is this some kind of Clinton joke? Seriously.

Posted earlier, good for this thread.

Hubble Photographs Giant Eye in Space

The Hubble Space Telescope's legendary Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 has produced one of its last images, a gorgeous shot of a planetary nebula.

It's been very enriching to have the HST in my life these past fifteen years. Long life to the gallant old crate!

re: #14 brookly red

Look, we have been down this road before... your gonna stay in assisted living & your gonna like it. got it?

The jello and Bingo nights are pleasant!

One of my brothers is a rocket scientist. He's, like, really smart - or something...

re: #19 sattv4u2

The jello and Bingo nights are pleasant!

I hear the hot coho-late & Viagra work well too.

Tamil Tiger supporters have occupied and shut down a major downtown Toronto expressway this evening, demanding that Canadian politicians take action to stop the Sri Lankan government forces in Sri Lanka from finishing off the terrorist insurgency.
This is the latest in a series of illegal protests on the streets of Toronto.
Unbelievable restraint has been shown by the police and Torontonians, out of consideration for the human concerns of the Tamil civilians, but patience is very quickly running out, I think.

re: #8 brookly red

Re: "It will enable astronomers to carry out new studies of dark energy and dark matter and search for remote galaxies previously beyond Hubble's vision."

wtf is dark energy?

well you can google it, but only to find out nobody knows what it is, but maybe it makes the universe expand faster, or, y'know, not.

OT: I'm writing up my gardening article for the next LGF cookbook. I think I've turned into a long winded ass like Fjordy.

re: #24 Killgore Trout

OT: I'm writing up my gardening article for the next LGF cookbook. I think I've turned into a long winded ass like Fjordy.

Growing food? Flowers? Edible flowers? Composting the waste from the other recipes?

re: #23 itellu3times

well you can google it, but only to find out nobody knows what it is, but maybe it makes the universe expand faster, or, y'know, not.

hope & change ?

re: #24 Killgore Trout

OT: I'm writing up my gardening article for the next LGF cookbook. I think I've turned into a long winded ass like Fjordy.

I've not previously commented on it, KT, but I have great interest and am looking forward to learning more about it.

re: #22 Spare O'Lake

Tamil Tiger supporters have occupied and shut down a major downtown Toronto expressway this evening, demanding that Canadian politicians take action to stop the Sri Lankan government forces in Sri Lanka from finishing off the terrorist insurgency.
This is the latest in a series of illegal protests on the streets of Toronto.
Unbelievable restraint has been shown by the police and Torontonians, out of consideration for the human concerns of the Tamil civilians, but patience is very quickly running out, I think.

Toronto should just send in the riot squads and have done. After a few of these bozos get clobbered and jailed they should stop with that crap.

re: #25 itellu3times

Edible flowers?

Ha! That's what just sent me over the edge. I was writing about growing figs which are technically an inverted flower and not a fruit. I feel compelled to write about with the full knowledge that nobody gives a shit.

The Space Shuttle Program Manager - John Shannon has mentioned that the space walks on this flight are by far the most personally dangerous to the astronauts of all space walks NASA has ever tried. Here's to hoping it goes well.

re: #10 Occasional Reader

If only you knew the power of the dark side of the energy. brookly... I am your father!

Aw hell, we've got a Sith here folks! [ignites lightsaber]

re: #8 brookly red

Re: "It will enable astronomers to carry out new studies of dark energy and dark matter and search for remote galaxies previously beyond Hubble's vision."

wtf is dark energy?

I think it's a theorized force that accounts for why the universe is expanding at such an increasing rate.

re: #22 Spare O'Lake

Torontonian Tamali Tigers? OK, now I have heard everything.

So, is this the last service they will ever do? The new 'Orion' (lets rename the ancient apollo design after something that really was leading edge) of course won't be capable of doing any of this.

This is definitely NASA's swan song.

If you are anywhere near you should get there, there aren't many shuttle launches left.

re: #31 Dark_Falcon

Aw hell, we've got a Sith here folks! [ignites lightsaber]

Always 2 there are.

*looking around*

re: #11 SasquatchOnSteroids

Look, a black hole !

Uh, sir, it's pointed at DC.

I thought the that rogue Romulan ship jumped out after that other ship that escaped it?

/Star Trek semi-spoiler

re: #33 brookly red

Torontonian Tamali Tigers? OK, now I have heard everything.

Try saying that 3 times fast.

re: #37 Dark_Falcon

haven't caught it yet. Soon.

re: #32 Jimmah

I think it's a theorized force that accounts for why the universe is expanding at such an increasing rate.

/might explain the Federal government too then huh?

re: #38 Dark_Falcon

Try saying that 3 times fast.

I prefer this one:

Katy ate a crate of eighty
"rated Grade A" dates.
(Grade A dates are rated "Grade A"
mainly for their weights.)

Eighty dates made plates and plates
and Katy ate all eighty.
Katy met her fate that date,
and now the crate holds Katy.

re: #28 Dark_Falcon

Toronto should just send in the riot squads and have done. After a few of these bozos get clobbered and jailed they should stop with that crap.

It might come to that if these Tamils don't stop blocking the damn streets.

Sharm will edit this shit down for me.

re: #39 SasquatchOnSteroids

haven't caught it yet. Soon.

Do see it. You'll enjoy it.

re: #27 pink freud

This one won't be great but it might have some stuff most "normal" people haven't thought of. If we have a winter LGF cookbook I'll do a writeup on cheap and simple indoor hydroponics. You can grow a buttload of food indoors for very little money.

re: #45 Killgore Trout

This one won't be great but it might have some stuff most "normal" people haven't thought of. If we have a winter LGF cookbook I'll do a writeup on cheap and simple indoor hydroponics. You can grow a buttload of food indoors for very little money.

The imagery just leaps right off the page, doesn't it?

re: #40 brookly red

/might explain the Federal government too then huh?

I suppose you could describe the inherent tendency of institutions to expand to fill whatever space is permitted in that way...lol

re: #44 Dark_Falcon

Do see it. You'll enjoy it.

I will, probably an early show so I don't block anyone with my oversized Vulcan ears.

re: #46 gmsc

The imagery just leaps right off the page, doesn't it?

Oy. A little too graphically.

Good night, everyone. I haven't been on, but I think I can get some time in tomorrow morning.

re: #48 SasquatchOnSteroids

I will, probably an early show so I don't block anyone with my oversized Vulcan ears.

You and my son...he's got a serious point in one ear.

re: #46 gmsc

Just wait till I post A pic of my buttload of kumquats in January, you'll be jealous.

re: #50 vxbush

You and my son...he's got a serious point in one ear.

Oh, shit. My Vulcan ears are "slip ons".

The point on my head, well...nothin' I can do about that one.

re: #51 Killgore Trout

Just wait till I post A pic of my buttload of kumquats in January, you'll be jealous.

I would be jealous of zucchini. Green peppers. Red peppers. Broccoli. Carrots. Kumquats don't have a place in the equation.

re: #52 SasquatchOnSteroids

Oh, shit. My Vulcan ears are "slip ons".

The point on my head, well...nothin' I can do about that one.

Ah, a conehead. Alas, no one in my family comes from that planet. But the son's pointy ear is rather prominent.

Okay, good night.

re: #42 Spare O'Lake

It might come to that if these Tamils don't stop blocking the damn streets.

Why is it that protesters always want to make their point by F'en up other peoples shit? Maybe if they did something positive like cleaning the streets people would be more receptive.

re: #53 vxbush

Peppers seem to do very well with hydroponics. I'm also doing peas, tomatoes, basil, and strawberries. I might try some onions in the fall. I'm also doing wassabi but most people probably aren't interested in that.

re: #56 buzzsawmonkey

Yo' mama.

I am from Brooklyn... you should leave my mother out of this, ight?

re: #59 buzzsawmonkey

I was addressing OR, or thought I was. And all in fun, at that.

& I shoulda /ed :)

Since we're outing bloggers, does anyone recognize this guy ?

evening folks,
having just returned from seeing star trek all I can say is

FRACKING AWESOME!

" and the oscar for best supporting actress goes to...

the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE!"

the girl is smoking hot!

re: #6 sattv4u2

Ah Tang. That reminds me, when they flew monkeys up into space, did they serve them OrangaTang?

re: #29 Killgore Trout

Ha! That's what just sent me over the edge. I was writing about growing figs which are technically an inverted flower and not a fruit. I feel compelled to write about with the full knowledge that nobody gives a shit.

I give a fig.

re: #13 lawhawk

Minor correction. It's the last shuttle mission to the Hubble, not the last shuttle mission altogether (although it is among the last few remaining missions scheduled as NASA is expected to retire the fleet in 2010 or 2011).

re: #61 SasquatchOnSteroids

Since we're outing bloggers, does anyone recognize this guy ?

Yep, that looks like our resident songwriter. ;)

re: #10 Occasional Reader

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

re: #64 SummerSong

My favorite summer dinner is a fresh fig, a chuck of cheese, a baguette and a glass of wine.

re: #62 rain of lead

Indeed. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on those nacelles. /scotty

It was a gloriously shot movie, and it definitely rebooted the series.

Anyone like to guess what's in this Scottish delicacy?

Image: 1622353060_674793d985.jpg

re: #63 Irenicum

Ah Tang. That reminds me, when they flew monkeys up into space, did they serve them OrangaTang?

*Groan* here is your up-ding, now don't ever do that again...

re: #55 brookly red

Why is it that protesters always want to make their point by F'en up other peoples shit? Maybe if they did something positive like cleaning the streets people would be more receptive.

They are organized to do what they believe is likely to achieve maximum media coverage and political influence...and the public be damned.

re: #69 lawhawk

Indeed. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on those nacelles. /scotty

It was a gloriously shot movie, and it definitely rebooted the series.

just read your review and all I can say is..." what he said!"

re: #68 Killgore Trout

My favorite summer dinner is a fresh fig, a chuck of cheese, a baguette and a glass of wine.

That sounds wonderful, really. Simple and delicious.

re: #33 brookly red

I guess they're too far north to be hot tamali Tigers!

I have always loved the various Enterprises, but this girl took my breath away

re: #75 Irenicum

I guess they're too far north to be hot tamali Tigers!

Hmmm I was gonna get Chinese, but now I am thinkn Mex...

re: #51 Killgore Trout

Now That's an assinine comment!

re: #7 Occasional Reader

And even worse news; it's no longer under warranty. So, the Space Shuttle astronauts will have to sit in the "service guest lounge" drinking lousy coffee from machines, then fork over a thousand bucks or so.

I've gotten two phone calls about extending the warranty on my vehicles. It is a scam. Maybe I should ask about covering the Hubble next time.
Caller:"what year and make is your car?"
Me: "Um, 1997 Hubble"
Caller:"Uh, I don't know that one. How many miles on it?"
Me. "Oh, 750 million."

re: #13 lawhawk

This mission includes a fix to those gyros, new power packs, new lens packages, and other assorted updates that will breath new life into this magnificent piece of ptech.

Careful, bro, I think a Klingon would smack you for that...
/

re: #8 brookly red

Re: "It will enable astronomers to carry out new studies of dark energy and dark matter and search for remote galaxies previously beyond Hubble's vision."

wtf is dark energy?

Where do you think Darth Cheney's "undisclosed location" was? There ya go! :)

M31: The Andromeda Galaxy

re: #13 lawhawk

This mission includes a fix to those gyros

The astronauts are going to fix up some gyros in the shuttle? Seems kind of messy.

re: #79 NelsFree

I've gotten two phone calls about extending the warranty on my vehicles. It is a scam. Maybe I should ask about covering the Hubble next time.
Caller:"what year and make is your car?"
Me: "Um, 1997 Hubble"
Caller:"Uh, I don't know that one. How many miles on it?"
Me. "Oh, 750 million."

I received a lot of those damn cards in the mail last year.
But no phone calls. Interesting.

re: #13 lawhawk

...breath new life into this magnificent piece of tech.

It would be wonderful if we could recover Hubble one day and give it a place of honor at the Smithsonian!

re: #63 Irenicum

Ah Tang. That reminds me, when they flew monkeys up into space, did they serve them OrangaTang?

I simian to recall it was Chimtangzee flavor.
/do I have to add sarc tag on this?

re: #22 Spare O'Lake

Tamil Tiger supporters have occupied and shut down a major downtown Toronto expressway this evening, demanding that Canadian politicians take action to stop the Sri Lankan government forces in Sri Lanka from finishing off the terrorist insurgency.

When are they going to send in the SRU?

/Flashpoint fan!

question for trek fans,
in the original show,they were on a five year mission yet they always seemed to be hanging around in federation space, with the new reboot
do you think now they will send them out into the unknown saying
see you in 5 years, let us know what you find. ?

re: #84 SasquatchOnSteroids

I received a lot of those damn cards in the mail last year.
But no phone calls. Interesting.

I'll be glad to give them your number...
*ducks*

re: #70 Jimmah

Anyone like to guess what's in this Scottish delicacy?

[Link: i238.photobucket.com...]

That looks like a deep fried Snickers bar

/I've heard about them, never tried one

re: #79 NelsFree

I've been getting letters like that too, telling me that I bought my Pontiac six months ago, and so I should get a new policy. The funny thing is, I bought it used and "as is" from my mechanic four years ago. How gullible do these people think we are? I guess if one idiot responds, it pays for all the others too smart to give it any time. Sad.

OK Everyone -

I AM WILLING to SPEND STUPIDLY to keep the HUBBLE 'SCOPE going. In the Long Run, in which we are all deceased, It is Worth It. And for what it is worth, the Hubble 'Scope was put together by Perkin-Elmer, as was the Vivitar 450mm SERIES 1 Mirror Lens. The Vivitar name is NOW owned by "Sakar" - a bottom feeder, in the day - though their 80-200mm f 4.5 was NOT a bad piece, had one in Minolta MC/MD mount. Point is - whatever it takes, keep the 'Scope going until it can be replaced by something better.
That is all.

-S-

re: #91 Irenicum

Aren't you really Irenicium, the Element?

re: #91 Irenicum

I've been getting letters like that too, telling me that I bought my Pontiac six months ago, and so I should get a new policy. The funny thing is, I bought it used and "as is" from my mechanic four years ago. How gullible do these people think we are? I guess if one idiot responds, it pays for all the others too smart to give it any time. Sad.

My son in New York keeps getting these calls, and he doesn't even own a car.

re: #83 mich-again

Aw, now I'm the mood for Greek food. Hmmm, a little tadjiki sauce on the side. Yummy!

re: #91 Irenicum

I've been getting letters like that too, telling me that I bought my Pontiac six months ago, and so I should get a new policy. The funny thing is, I bought it used and "as is" from my mechanic four years ago. How gullible do these people think we are? I guess if one idiot responds, it pays for all the others too smart to give it any time. Sad.

oh yeah, well my wife has a 1991 pontiac and I still get those scam phone calls

(yes, my wife's car is 18 years old, still purrs like a kitten)

re: #89 NelsFree

I'll be glad to give them your number...
*ducks*

heh. I don't mind taking some of those calls. I'm interested in their methods.
If your parents are getting older, it's something you should be thinking about. Those people hit them up, too.
I always ask for a return phone # first. Some of them won't/can't give you one. You dial it back, and...nothing. Disc'd.

re: #91 Irenicum

re: #96 rain of lead

Shame that Obama is ordering Pontiac to end production. You know, (he thinks), people really should not have cars like that. We need...the Nano!
/

re: #93 NelsFree

Kind of like aluminium? I love the British way of saying things! Actually, I got my nic from an old Puritan book by that name written by Jeremiah Burroughs. Brilliant stuff!

re: #97 SasquatchOnSteroids

heh. I don't mind taking some of those calls. I'm interested in their methods.
If your parents are getting older, it's something you should be thinking about. Those people hit them up, too.
I always ask for a return phone # first. Some of them won't/can't give you one. You dial it back, and...nothing. Disc'd.

I ask what the company name is and...

re: #96 rain of lead

rain -

For a short time worked for a "Warranty Company" - 'bout a year after leaving the Automobile Business. Trust me, "Warranty Companies" Make Car Dealers look like SAINTS.
That is all AND enough.

-S-

re: #87 SteveC

When are they going to send in the SRU?
/Flashpoint fan!

Police Chief is calling the road blockage on the expressway a dangerous and unlawful assembly yet he spending lots of time flapping his yap at the TV cameras instead of doing his job by clearing these people off the streets.

re: #98 NelsFree

re: #96 rain of lead

Shame that Obama is ordering Pontiac to end production. You know, (he thinks), people really should not have cars like that. We need...the Nano!
/

I have a nano, plays great!

/oh wait

Boy, this is the land of rabbit trails, isn't it? No wonder I like it!

re: #99 Irenicum

Kind of like aluminium? I love the British way of saying things! Actually, I got my nic from an old Puritan book by that name written by Jeremiah Burroughs. Brilliant stuff!

OH NOES! Another addition to my read list! Darn this Learning!
Two Puritans were walking down a trail. One remarked to the other, "it is a fine day, Brother."
The other replied, "yes, and we'll pay for it, too!"
Picture two Puritans slapping knees, then continuing walking.

re: #98 NelsFree

re: #96 rain of lead

Shame that Obama is ordering Pontiac to end production. You know, (he thinks), people really should not have cars like that. We need...the Nano!
/

Isn't that an Orkian greeting? (Nanu, nanu!)

re: #100 NelsFree

I ask what the company name is and...

you win.

re: #103 rain of lead

I have a nano, plays great!

/oh wait

Rain -

JOHN Z. DeLorean, Pete Estes, etc., et. al. Too Bad you are deceased when WE Need You. PONTIAC will be the "mismo" Soon, Very Soon.

-S-

re: #29 Killgore Trout

Ha! That's what just sent me over the edge. I was writing about growing figs which are technically an inverted flower and not a fruit. I feel compelled to write about with the full knowledge that nobody gives a shit.

I would actually love to hear fig growing tips. It is one of the few things I have failed at growing. I let the tree my mil bought me die over the winter and I heard about it for months.

re: #104 Irenicum

Boy, this is the land of rabbit trails, isn't it? No wonder I like it!

I bet you like being scratched between the ears, too...
/

Well, got to get to bed, g'nite Lizards. Pray for the Shuttle crew.

re: #105 NelsFree

Did you ever see the Blackadder episode where Edmund has to entertain his Puritan aunt and uncle, who only eat vegetables, while at the same time trying to organize a drinking party of the queen's court? I never get tired of that show! Rowan Atkinson rules!

re: #110 NelsFree

Oh, there goes my foot, thumping again!

re: #111 NelsFree

g'nite!

re: #112 Irenicum

Did you ever see the Blackadder episode where Edmund has to entertain his Puritan aunt and uncle, who only eat vegetables, while at the same time trying to organize a drinking party of the queen's court? I never get tired of that show! Rowan Atkinson rules!

Here you go (potentially NSFW):

Are they gonna' come check on us?

:16

93 Boston / 92 Orlando

re: #85 SteveC

It would be wonderful if we could recover Hubble one day and give it a place of honor at the Smithsonian!

Wide Field Planetary camera 2 will be returned to Earth on this mission where after a display period at JPL where it was built, will go to the Smithsonian. This is the instrument that has taken the majority of Hubbles most famous photos. I have been lucky enough to work in the cleanroom where it was originally assembled in bldg. 168 at the lab. (on another project)

re: #114 momcat

I have been getting themfor over a year. Pressed the button to be taken off the list,and even stayed on the line to talk to a human,when I said take me off your list they hung up. Still getting calls, about 3 or 4 a week.

wow. have you done the donotcall.gov thing ?
I know it doesn't help all of the time.
Your cc company can still solicit, and they have ways around it, but that sounds a bit ridiculous.

The Eskimo Nebula from Hubble

re: #22 Spare O'Lake

Funny how this non-Muslim (indeed, anti-Muslim) terrorist organization, which I believe pioneered suicide bombing, has gotten so little press over the years. At least, relative to the amount of damage they have done.

And just what do these guys want Canada to do - send in troops?

OK I have had it.
Just saw TV video of these Tamil fuckers assaulting police and using women and children as human shields.
And the Chief of Police fawns for the TV cameras, flapping his yap at the cameras and picking his nose instead of clearing the roadway of these lawless illegal shits.
AAARRRGGGHHH!

re: #117 MandyManners

those boys look like they just stepped out of "a clockwork orange"

Boston wins.

Nice shot Davis (the shove on the little kid afterwards was cheap).

re: #116 gmsc

Ah yes, devils dumplings and a turnip shaped like a thingy! Do you recognize Hugh Laurie among the drinking guests?

re: #122 Cato the Elder

Funny how this non-Muslim (indeed, anti-Muslim) terrorist organization, which I believe pioneered suicide bombing, has gotten so little press over the years. At least, relative to the amount of damage they have done.

And just what do these guys want Canada to do - send in troops?

Ya gotta just love Canadian multi-culturalism./

re: #128 momcat

Ill try it but not surs i trust anything these days that has .gov in it/

don't worry, they are here to help you :)

re: #129 brookly red

don't worry, they are here to help you :)

uh ok,
you do know what the other two biggest lies in the world are

don't you? :0

re: #131 rain of lead

uh ok,
you do know what the other two biggest lies in the world are

don't you? :0

I work in advertising...

Another amazing NASA feat!

Spirit now operating on day 1903.
Opportunity now on day 1882.

They expected live span was 90 days.

Mars Explorer Rover Mission!

re: #124 rain of lead

Wow, you're right. That's definitely trippy. Just last week, two high school students at my job went as Dumb and Dumber together to the prom, and the one in orange seriously reminded of the main character in A Clockwork Orange. I didn't have the heart to tell him. That, and wouldn't get the reference anyway. They did look cool though.

re: #128 momcat

Ill try it but not surs i trust anything these days that has .gov in it/

lol. It cut down a lot of crap for me.

Hi all.
I know this isn't an Open Thread, but I have no interest in delving into a thread that involves Wanda Sykes and Rush Limbaugh, so I'm here.

Anyone here ever have a great find like this? When we moved to NC from MA about 2 years ago my wife and I realized that we had four fruit trees planted on our property in a nice straight line along our back fence. They turned out (much to our surprise) to be an apple, peach, plum and pear tree aligned nicely against the back border of our yard. Last year we were thrilled to get a couple of beautiful huge peaches, a handful of perfect plums and a few crabby apples. The pears were all knocked off the tree in a windstorm while we were on vacation, so I never actually tried one.
Anyway, this winter I spent a little time going to websites dedicated to fruit-tree maintenance, went out and bought a few tools, and then studiously followed the conventional pruning/fertilization wisdom. Unbelievable results! Our trees are 2 months ahead of where they were last year and I'm expecting (fingers are crossed) dozens and dozens of fruits from all of the trees this season. The peaches and plums are already hanging heavy, but none are yet ripening. The apples and pears will take more time, but I'm patiently optimistic.
Sorry for the bore, but checking out the hundreds of nascent fruits hanging in my own yard made me happy and I thought I'd share.

OT: Giants win, take 2/3 in LA.

Red, did you hear what Blake did? Whose classless now.

re: #132 brookly red

I work in advertising...

I'm sorry.
when you go to church, does your skin burn? ;)

re: #122 Cato the Elder

Funny how this non-Muslim (indeed, anti-Muslim) terrorist organization, which I believe pioneered suicide bombing, has gotten so little press over the years. At least, relative to the amount of damage they have done.

Well, there's not much of a hook to hang anti-American harangues upon, so there is precious little reason for our universities or press to pay attention to their conflict.

Anti Americanism gets one attention, awards, tenure, and a positive reputation in the "proper" circles. Without those potential rewards, its just another civil war in a far off place, in the shadows of the glamorous wars of the Middle East... where careers in social criticism and political philosophy are forged.

re: #120 SasquatchOnSteroids

wow. have you done the donotcall.gov thing ?
I know it doesn't help all of the time.
Your cc company can still solicit, and they have ways around it, but that sounds a bit ridiculous.

If you have a business relatioship, they can call; do not call list only applies if you don't. Of course, you could say you'll stop doing business with them if they keep calling.

re: #133 JCM

That is by far the most amazing program NASA has done.

re: #138 rain of lead

I'm sorry.
when you go to church, does your skin burn? ;)

only when they pass the plate...

re: #140 Kosh's Shadow

If you have a business relatioship, they can call; do not call list only applies if you don't. Of course, you could say you'll stop doing business with them if they keep calling.

good point.

re: #142 brookly red

only when they pass the plate...

bwahahahahahah

re: #139 stevieray

Well, there's not much of a hook to hang anti-American harangues upon, so there is precious little reason for our universities or press to pay attention to their conflict.

Anti Americanism gets one attention, awards, tenure, and a positive reputation in the "proper" circles. Without those potential rewards, its just another civil war in a far off place, in the shadows of the glamorous wars of the Middle East... where careers in social criticism and political philosophy are forged.

You mean no one has found a way to blame it on the US? What about the British?

I see a whole new career opening up for me here.

OT: I bet ABC's phone lines just lit up like a Christmas tree!

Here in Las Vegas, many of us are watching Extreme Home Makeover, as this episode takes place in Las Vegas.

How does he start the show? By saying, "Welcome to Las Vegas, Neh-VAH-duh". Anytime we in Nevada hear our state mispronounced, you can count on us to make our displeasure and the proper pronunciation known!

OK, Ty – quick refresher course on how to pronounce the state:

500 to 1 odds that 0bama will pick WAB as the SCOTUS nominee.

OTOH, Sotomayor is the favorite.

FOXWIRE: Odds on Obama's High Court Pick: Sotomayor is the favorite; First Lady is 500-1.

Just seeing that in print gives me the willies. (the WAB part)

re: #147 pink freud

500 to 1 odds that 0bama will pick WAB as the SCOTUS nominee.

OTOH, Sotomayor is the favorite.

FOXWIRE: Odds on Obama's High Court Pick: Sotomayor is the favorite; First Lady is 500-1.

Just seeing that in print gives me the willies. (the WAB part)

Odds on BJ Clinton? Part of the HRC dropping out deal.

re: #148 JCM

Odds on BJ Clinton? Part of the HRC dropping out deal.

It's crossed my mind, yes.

So has Caroline Kennedy. Unpaid favors there, yet.

re: #147 pink freud

500 to 1 odds that 0bama will pick WAB as the SCOTUS nominee.

OTOH, Sotomayor is the favorite.

FOXWIRE: Odds on Obama's High Court Pick: Sotomayor is the favorite; First Lady is 500-1.

Just seeing that in print gives me the willies. (the WAB part)

Oprah.

re: #148 JCM

Odds on BJ Clinton? Part of the HRC dropping out deal.

73:1, unless he goes in for the sex change.

re: #146 gmsc

With the house odds, I always thought it was Neva!duh.

re: #145 Cato the Elder

You mean no one has found a way to blame it on the US? What about the British?

I see a whole new career opening up for me here.

Heh!

Interestingly, the conflict is a much bigger deal in the European papers, probably for that very reason.

re: #145 Cato the Elder

You mean no one has found a way to blame it on the US? What about the British?

I see a whole new career opening up for me here.

It's a growth industry ... the "plastics" of our time.

An Evolution for Evangelicals

Francis Collins is the physician-geneticist who led the Human Genome Project for the National Institutes of Health and is noted for his discoveries of disease genes. Alas, he came along about eight decades too late for Bryan. But he may have entered the zeitgeist just in time for thousands (millions?) of others who have trouble embracing both Darwin and God without, as Collins puts it, their brains exploding.

Collins created the BioLogos Foundation and last month launched a Web site -- BioLogos.org -- to advance an alternative to the extreme views that tend to dominate the debate.

Yes, he asserted to a room full of journalists gathered here, one can believe in both God and science. In fact, says Collins, the latter does more to prove the existence of a creator than not.

This doesn't mean that Collins falls in line with those promoting creation science or, more recently, intelligent design. He merely insists that belief in God doesn't preclude acceptance of evolution.

re: #149 pink freud

It's crossed my mind, yes.

So has Caroline Kennedy. Unpaid favors there, yet.

No way. That was a serious burn. It was horribly mishandled and snapped back on them.

re: #156 OldLineTexan

Logic hasn't prevailed in much of what he's done the last 100 days. I wonder how much of the decision is his, and how much is that of his handlers.

Sox take the lead on a Bay double.
Bottom of the eighth, 4-3 Boston over TB.

re: #108 Dr. Shalit

Reply to Self -

Regarding PONTIAC, The Fist NEW CAR that I "spec'ed" was my Father's 1967 Pontiac Ventura (Catalina with a nicer interior) - CAR WAS - "Full Size" - 121" Wheelbase, 400 c.i.d. Displacement, 2 Barrel Carburetor, REGULAR GAS! - Turbo Hydra-Matic 400, 2.56 rear, "With POSITRACTION" - would have gone for a 2.41 if "POSI" were available, it wasn't. Steering - Manual, Brakes - Manual, Radio - Delco AM. Car went 135,000 miles before Dad sold it. Our Understanding is that the car was 200-210 K miles before it was totaled. Spec. was based on 1966 Olds F-85 Turnpike Cruiser, + Positraction. Car worked Real Well. In 1967, 200,000 mile US Designed/Built Cars (REMEMBER THEM? THEY WERE WHAT WE HAD BEFORE "SUV's") were rather RARE. At 16 years old I made a BLOODY GOOD call. The Car cost Dad - NOTHING - save maintenance, insurance and Gas after the loan was paid.
Pray tell - why can't we get back to that level of reliability today in US Designed/Built "Vehicles?"

-S-

since this is a space thread and I just got back from seeing star trek
I'm gonna post this
vows every starfleet captain should make pt 1

Vows every Starfleet captain should take

---

I will design my ship's tactical systems so that I do not have to personally direct every single shot fired.

I will put surge suppressors in the circuitry of my ship, so that a shot striking some distant portion does not cause a control panel on the bridge to explode.

I will design my ships so that command and control functions cannot be hot-wired from a wall panel in the recreation bay.

I will design redundancy into all ship systems, so that the loss of one component will not cripple the entire vessel.

When combat is imminent, my ships' computer will be programmed so that enemy troops that beam aboard will be immediately beamed into empty space, or the originating ship's reactor core, if that is accessible. It will also deliver a kilo of antimatter to the bridge of the ship in question.

When the enemy ship decloaks and is arming weapons, I will immediately open fire on it, instead of waiting for it to fire three or four times.

When a comrade defects to the enemy, I will have all passwords changed, and as soon as it is practical I will have the computer disconnected, its memory flushed, and the approved software reloaded from the original secured CD-ROMs.

Anyone who cannot be entertained by books, music, a good game of cards and a well-stocked bar will not be allowed to crew my ship. Hence there will be no need for a holodeck on my ship.

After capturing a space station from an enemy, I will have the enemy's computer systems completely removed, melted down into slag, and dumped into the nearest stellar object. A new computer will then be installed.

If a crew member is a sanctimonious coward who continually gets us all into trouble through his greed, I shall, after the third or fourth episode of this behavior, act to preserve myself and other comrades only, and let him be destroyed by the mess he made for himself

re: #157 pink freud

Logic hasn't prevailed in much of what he's done the last 100 days. I wonder how much of the decision is his, and how much is that of his handlers.

He's going to find some no-publicity-ever slightly-leftist extremely-minority judge, and the MSM wing of the Democrat Party will fall all over themselves like the repressed-sorority-girls-on-a-bender they are. And the Republicans will sit and glare then agree like the nerds-who-couldn't-get-a-sorority-girl-even-on-a-bender-in-a-thousand-years like they are.

;)

re: #159 Dr. Shalit

Because it got 8 miles to the gallon?

/

It’s been seven years since the Hubble has been serviced.

I would have divorced her sooner.

/you can't take a joke?

Somebody in corporate America has an even lower opinion of the media than I do. "Impossible!" you say? Well, almost, but we are looking at a new security contractor at my place and a certain well-known firm in that industry sent us a questionaire to better ascertain our needs.

In the section on disaster preparedness and response, it asks, "(in the aftermath of a disaster) how do you want security personnel to deal with media representatives, thieves, looters, and criminals?"

starfleet vows pt 2

Under no circumstance will I agree to not develop or employ any particular technology.

If I have a technologically superior foe who is intent on eliminating my whole civilization, and I am offered a means of utterly annihilating this foe for all time, I will use it.

I will install seatbelts in my space vessels, and have pressure suits and pressure locks at regular intervals.

Technology that chronically malfunctions will be removed from my ship.

To prevent my on-board computer from being reprogrammed by every Tom, Dick and Harry that sneaks on board, its software will be stored in ROM chips that are soldered to the motherboard; RAM will be reserved for data only.

I will design the greatest possible degree of manual back-up into my space vessels, so that when my on-board computer begins to act strangely, I can power it down via a switch located next to my seat on the bridge, and yet not be left totally helpless.

I will never allow someone to read the technical manuals and blueprints of my ship unless they work in engineering or operations and therefore have a need-to-know. All personnel will be properly cleared prior to assignment to engineering or operations. The technical manuals and blueprints of totally fictitious craft will be freely available.

If my starship's drive or weapons systems require lengthy charge times between uses, I shall research and develop equipment that can handle a heavier duty cycle.

My ship's computer will have a clock rate of at least one megahertz and be programmed in C or assembler so that important calculations take a few milliseconds instead of an hour or so.

If a member of my crew can perfectly mimic my voice giving the commands to take control of my ship, additional security measures they cannot mimic will be added, such as palmprints or retinal scans.

A popular misconception about Hubbles initial optical problem is that the lens was ground to the wrong specs. The design was correct, the error was in a misassembled null tester used for figuring the primary mirror. A small polished rod which provided the artificial star was positioned incorrectly resulting in a seven wave spherical abberation error. The opticians didn't realize that their primary test instrument was giving them a false measure of the surface. The finished mirror appeared perfect to them. A planned "all up" test of the entire optical system, that would have found the error, was cancelled for budgetary reasons. This wasn't a subtle mistake. Any halfway competent amateur telescope builder could have found it in seconds with a simple handheld ronchi grating IF they had only tested the complete system! Ironically, the backup mirror made by Kodak was perfect as their tester was built correctly.

Also, the Hubble optical system is all reflective, as lenses do not transmit ultraviolet light very well, and that region of the spectrum is desirable for research and is accessible from orbit.

re: #155 HelloDare

An Evolution for Evangelicals

Some comments from the Hot Air thread on this article:

Why is he worried about teaching evolution more than Christianity?

-

Again…I’m not very big on religion…but this is a pathetic article. Kathleen Parker is a total hack for this reason… She cannot tolerate anybody who doesn’t adopt her ‘inside-the-beltway’…or, inside the Messiah (same thing) way of thinking. What a jackass she is…and yes, women can be jackasses too…otherwise, that would be totally unfair.

AUINSC on May 10, 2009 at 10:34 PM

-

Comrade she is not in the me$$iah she wants Me$$iah in her….

and it is a jillass not a jackass.

sven10077 on May 10, 2009 at 10:36 PM

-

I wonder. . . how much evolution does KP know. . . other than it is indoctrinated in our kids. Has she actually studied it, or does she just believe what she was told?

This guy WAS an atheist, now he’s Christian. Isn’t it possible that he may BECOME a creationist as well when he takes another look at the evidence? There is tons of evidence that shows we did not evolve.

-

Belief in creation assumes that all humankind came from one ancestor. That’s a far less racist outlook than evolution. Anyway, it’s not enough for me to get worked up about. People assume that the only way you could NOT believe in evolution is out of ‘ignorance’. My problem is I KNOW we didn’t evolve. I don’t know we were created. But I am CERTAIN we didn’t evolve from single cell organisms.

ThackerAgency on May 10, 2009 at 10:49 PM

So much ignorance, and anger. There is a great bit of denial about this subject amongst self declared "conservatives."

re: #160 rain of lead

ROTFLMG(eeky)AO!

starfleet vows pt 3

re: #161 OldLineTexan

He's going to find some no-publicity-ever slightly-leftist extremely-minority judge, and the MSM wing of the Democrat Party will fall all over themselves like the repressed-sorority-girls-on-a-bender they are. And the Republicans will sit and glare then agree like the nerds-who-couldn't-get-a-sorority-girl-even-on-a-b ender-in-a-thousand-years like they are.

;)

maybe, but I think the R's maybe can sense that it's fight or die time.

re: #161 OldLineTexan

He's going to find some no-publicity-ever slightly-leftist extremely-minority judge, and the MSM wing of the Democrat Party will fall all over themselves like the repressed-sorority-girls-on-a-bender they are. And the Republicans will sit and glare then agree like the nerds-who-couldn't-get-a-sorority-girl-even-on-a-b ender-in-a-thousand-years like they are.

;)

I disagree with your first assertion and agree with your second. ;-)

The one thing of which I have zero doubt is that the pick will cause me to want to retch. Of this, I am sure.

I read early last week it would be announced by this past Friday. Should be soon.

oops
starfleet vows part 3

If my ship is constantly being bugged/robbed/invaded/taken over, I will replace my security officer, no matter how cool a character he is.

If knowledge of the operating frequency of a ship's system aids in efforts to disable that system, I will employ an arcane development known as "frequency-hopping."

Before allowing crewmembers to take leave on a planet, I will ensure that they are welcome and that its government recognizes legal precepts like The Rule of Law, Trial by Jury, Presumption of Innocence, and so forth. I will also learn all of the local laws so that one of my crewmembers doesn't end up on death row for scratching his nose in public or some other stupid thing.

If one of my crewmembers is unjustly imprisoned and/or condemned, and the officials with whom I speak express a marked disinterest in his actual guilt or innocence, I will not waste time trying to gather evidence that will exonerate the crewmember. Instead, I will immediately mount a rescue mission.

When beaming into hostile territory I will instruct my transporter chief to beam me into a defensible position, with the landing party facing outwards in a circle. I will have my weapon in my hand (not my pocket) before I beam down.

If I beam off of a vessel that is still hostile, I will arrange to leave behind as large an explosive device as I can obtain.

I will not have both rotating and non-rotating sections on a ship. If I need rotational gravity, I will spin the whole ship. Any navigational computer that cannot deal with this will be replaced with one that can.

I will follow the advice of my Chief Medical Officer. If I am not at 100% of my usual level of physical fitness, I will stick to desk duty unless the fate of something genuinely important hangs in the balance.

I will assume that all super-weapons are operational until proven otherwise, especially if they appear to be unguarded.

All critical data and software will be backed up in off-line storage

re: #160 rain of lead

I will not beam the entire command crew of the ship to unsecured locations.

re: #162 OldLineTexan

Because it got 8 miles to the gallon?

/

Old Line Texan -

HELL NO - about 15-16 Highway, On Regular (Leaded) Gas. Remember, a 2.56 Rear End Covers a Lot of Sins.

-S-

re: #170 brookly red

maybe, but I think the R's maybe can sense that it's fight or die time.

Watch 'em roll over to save their phoney-baloney jobs.

Arlen Specter will look like a PROPHET.

re: #175 OldLineTexan

Watch 'em roll over to save their phoney-baloney jobs.

Arlen Specter will look like a PROPHET.

Old Line Texan -

In that case - BRING BACK THE WHIGS! That is all.

-S-

re: #175 OldLineTexan

Watch 'em roll over to save their phoney-baloney jobs.

Arlen Specter will look like a PROPHET.

or fight to save their phoney baloney jobs, not that it will matter.

re: #176 Dr. Shalit

Old Line Texan -

In that case - BRING BACK THE WHIGS! That is all.

-S-

If there is one thing the "American Voter" is unanimous on, it is returning practically every elected official ever to office regardless of performance.

re: #178 OldLineTexan

If there is one thing the "American Voter" is unanimous on, it is returning practically every elected official ever to office regardless of performance.

So sadly true.

re: #178 OldLineTexan

Old Line Texan -

Kind of SUCKS - doesn't it?

-S-

re: #178 OldLineTexan

If there is one thing the "American Voter" is unanimous on, it is returning practically every elected official ever to office regardless of performance.

We all count on everyone else to throw their bastard out. Our bastard brings home the pork.

re: #178 OldLineTexan

If there is one thing the "American Voter" is unanimous on, it is returning practically every elected official ever to office regardless of performance.

a lot of voters are unemployed & looking for someone to blame, things may be different this time.

re: #181 JCM

We all count on everyone else to throw their bastard out. Our bastard brings home the pork.

I hereby apologize in advance for the Democrat Jackass that Texas will no doubt elect to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison when she leaves to go after Gov. Rick Perry's job.

In the meantime, I point fingers at New York and California. Shame, shame, SHAME!

/

re: #167 freetoken

Funny. GMTA. I posted some of the Hot Air comments in the comment section in the Spinoffs.

re: #182 brookly red

a lot of voters are unemployed & looking for someone to blame, things may be different this time.

brookly red-

Sudden-Loo. Just like 1932. Cogitate on that.

-S-

re: #181 JCM

We all count on everyone else to throw their bastard out. Our bastard brings home the pork.

Part of the problem is the primary system for senators. There is generally always a nobody (in the Star Trek vein, think red-shirt) that goes up against him.

They keep doing that here with McCain.
I'm hoping that will change next time around.

re: #183 OldLineTexan

I hereby apologize in advance for the Democrat Jackass that Texas will no doubt elect to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison when she leaves to go after Gov. Rick Perry's job.

In the meantime, I point fingers at New York and California. Shame, shame, SHAME!

/

WA repeatedly re-elects Patty "Osama Mama" Murray and Jim "Baghdad" McDimwitt, no matter how often I vote.

//

re: #181 JCM

We all count on everyone else to throw their bastard out. Our bastard brings home the pork.

Exactly.

Been going on since well before H.L. Mencken commented on precisely that phenomenon.

starfleet vows pt 4

A random alien's claims about his/her/its race's cultural values and attitudes will be given no more credence than a random human's claims about human cultural values and attitudes.

My crew shall be trained in the fine arts of tactical combat, such as dispersing assets, walking point, advance guards, flank guards, rear guards, etc.

I will not throw infantry into close-quarter combat with creatures of leviathan stature, but shall turn such affairs over to the artillery crew.

If my ship is whisked to the far side of the galaxy, leaving us with a seventy-year journey home, and a super-being offers to take us home instantly in exchange for having his baby, I'll agree and ask what we can get for two babies.

If anyone beams down and their personal communicator drops carrier, all life forms within ten meters of the last known location shall be beamed directly to the brig. A large well-armed security detail will be waiting.

The people in charge of Sick Bay, Engineering, and R&D will not be the only people staffing those functions, nor shall they accompany away teams.

I will not ask "What does God need with a space ship?" and then order a torpedo strike. I will order the torpedo strike first, and ponder theology on the trip home.

My people will be assigned duties commensurate with their skills. I will not task pilots with leading a ground assault, infiltrating enemy camps, etc.

If I board a derelict ship, and it appears that the former crew and passengers all died in some horrible fashion, I will immediately leave the ship, destroy it, and toss the wreckage into the nearest stellar object.

re: #183 OldLineTexan

I hear ya'.
It's been quite a relief to no longer have to apologize for being from the State that forces Barney frank, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, etc. onto the rest of the nation.
It's tough to remain Patriotic when all of your representatives to the Government are dissolute dolts.

is it another star trek promotion?
///

re: #29 Killgore Trout

Ha! That's what just sent me over the edge. I was writing about growing figs which are technically an inverted flower and not a fruit. I feel compelled to write about with the full knowledge that nobody gives a shit.

Actually, I don't care a fig. (And coming late to the party, I'm sure I'm not the first person to say this.)

I find figs kind of cloyingly sweet. Not on my most favorite foods list. More like the "eat only when starving" list.

and last but not least... pt 5
If I am in red alert status and discover that it was a false alarm, I will stay in red alert for a while before standing down.

Anyone I imprison will be stripped, scanned, and given a prison uniform. This will prevent them from assembling weapons from pieces hidden in their regular clothes.

Any crew member who begins to act strangely will be immediately relieved of duty and confined to the sick bay, pending a complete screening to determine if their personality has been subverted.

I will not let the Whiz Kid conduct research aboard my ship. If he's got a theory that he's itching to test, I will deposit him on an uninhabited planet in friendly space, and make sure that I'm out of the system before he's done unpacking.

I will not depart the starbase unless my complement of Marines are on board.

I will hold repel-boarders drills on my ship. These drills will be held at random hours so that everyone learns what they're supposed to be doing, no matter what the circumstances.

My junior officers will be notified that Academy cadets cannot be field-commissioned, and should they come upon a ship crewed entirely by such, they will immediately take command and return them to where they can receive adult supervision.

I will never send the infantry down on missions that are better suited for orbital bombardment.

If the issued zap guns have "stun" and "kill" modes, they will be set to the former only when the user is about to fire at something that is wanted alive.

If my opponent can adapt to various forms of attack, rendering them useless, I will use some imagination and start attacking in as many radically different ways as possible.

My standing orders will allow the man I leave in charge of the bridge to raise shields and return fire if the ship is attacked while I am not on the bridge.

Everyone and everything boarding my ship will be scanned while in the airlock or on the transporter pad. Anyone with enough clout to refuse a scan will be scanned covertly.

All derelict vessels will be treated as hostile vessels playing dead.

All vessels that refuse hails will be treated as hostile.

I ran cross this story the other day, had not heard about this.

Bin laden's brother killed in '88 in an ultralight accident north of San Antonio.

/Sunday night trivia

re: #185 Dr. Shalit

brookly red-

Sudden-Loo. Just like 1932. Cogitate on that.

-S-

sorry doc, your gonna have to spell that out for me...

re: #24 Killgore Trout

OT: I'm writing up my gardening article for the next LGF cookbook. I think I've turned into a long winded ass like Fjordy.

Sooo . . .
Now you're not just an ass, but you're long-winded, too?
JUST JOKING!
sort of.

did ya'll like those?

re: #192 Alberta Oil Peon

Actually, I don't care a fig. (And coming late to the party, I'm sure I'm not the first person to say this.)

I find figs kind of cloyingly sweet. Not on my most favorite foods list. More like the "eat only when starving" list.

Ah, but they are delightful when picked and eaten one-at-a-time while sitting in the heavy lower branches fighting off the bluejays. :-)

re: #198 pink freud

Ah, but they are delightful when picked and eaten one-at-a-time while sitting in the heavy lower branches fighting off the bluejays. :-)

Bastard birds take on peck out of each one, too.

re: #199 OldLineTexan

Bastard birds take on peck out of each one, too.

NOT if I get to them first! (But you're right, such wasteful vagabonds they are ...and MEAN, too!)

Hello Reine! Do you have sweet childhood memories of the loaded fig trees?

re: #200 pink freud

NOT if I get to them first! (But you're right, such wasteful vagabonds they are ...and MEAN, too!)

And smarter than the average bird.

re: #202 Walter L. Newton

And smarter than the average bird.

Yes they are. I've raised a few that had fallen from the nest.

re: #201 pink freud

Hello Reine! Do you have sweet childhood memories of the loaded fig trees?

Not really,
But when I was pregnant with the princess, I got a sudden and had-to-be -satisfied right now craving for FIG NEWTONS.
We were at the beach, and we had to leave and go find a store PRONTO, where I got a package of fig newtons.

re: #199 OldLineTexan

Bastard birds take on peck out of each one, too.

I used to have a house with two fig trees side by side and the straggling remnants of a strawberry patch under them.

Papelbon rules!

Please tell me there's at least one baseball fan in here who just saw that finish...

re: #204 reine.de.tout

Not really,
But when I was pregnant with the princess, I got a sudden and had-to-be -satisfied right now craving for FIG NEWTONS.
We were at the beach, and we had to leave and go find a store PRONTO, where I got a package of fig newtons.

Haha. I never got hit with that.

I had a coworker sent to the grocery store at 3 am for FRESH green beans, without which the child would have been born with some horrible, horrible defect.

/

re: #197 rain of lead

yes

re: #204 reine.de.tout

Not really,
But when I was pregnant with the princess, I got a sudden and had-to-be -satisfied right now craving for FIG NEWTONS.
We were at the beach, and we had to leave and go find a store PRONTO, where I got a package of fig newtons.

Well why am I not surprised! I could not be FORCED to eat a fig newton, ever! Sure enough, I get pregnant and what do I have to have? Yep. On vacation too, Smokey Mountains, a pack a day. "JUST FIND ME SOME I DON'T CARE WHERE!"

Yep. LOL

Hated them ever since.

re: #187 JCM

WA repeatedly re-elects Patty "Osama Mama" Murray and Jim "Baghdad" McDimwitt, no matter how often I vote.

//

jcm -

I "RESIDE" in NJ. We elected Jon Corzine both US Senator - AND - Governor - At HIS Whim. Pray tell - Beat That.

-S-

re: #205 OldLineTexan

I used to have a house with two fig trees side by side and the straggling remnants of a strawberry patch under them.

There is a patch of blackberries in a field down the street, and the Roi picked so many - we (well, HE, actually) made eight pies. We were giving blackberry pies to all the neighbors.

NASA shuttle crew will film Hubble repair for 3-D IMAX movie

The Hubble Deep Field: The Most Important Image Ever Taken

Some of you might not like how much the Hubble costs. Your concern is not significant compared to the benefit of knowledge man-kind has gained from Hubble.

Hubble is a very important piece of scientific and Earth history.

A peephole into the universe and a gateway for knowledge.

re: #155 HelloDare

An Evolution for Evangelicals

Francis Collins is the physician-geneticist who led the Human Genome Project for the National Institutes of Health and is noted for his discoveries of disease genes. Alas, he came along about eight decades too late for Bryan. But he may have entered the zeitgeist just in time for thousands (millions?) of others who have trouble embracing both Darwin and God without, as Collins puts it, their brains exploding.

Collins created the BioLogos Foundation and last month launched a Web site -- BioLogos.org -- to advance an alternative to the extreme views that tend to dominate the debate.

Yes, he asserted to a room full of journalists gathered here, one can believe in both God and science. In fact, says Collins, the latter does more to prove the existence of a creator than not.

This doesn't mean that Collins falls in line with those promoting creation science or, more recently, intelligent design. He merely insists that belief in God doesn't preclude acceptance of evolution.

I remember reading a joint interview of Collins and Dawkins. They have immense respect for eachother for the most part, although when the interviewer inevitably brought up religion, they turned into two very-well-mannered cats in a sack.

re: #197 rain of lead

did ya'll like those?

Make for a boring movie...

;-)

re: #207 OldLineTexan

Haha. I never got hit with that.

I had a coworker sent to the grocery store at 3 am for FRESH green beans, without which the child would have been born with some horrible, horrible defect.

/

hahahaha!
Now, that's funny!
Those cravings are some kind of weird - they hit suddenly, and you HAVE to have whatever it is. Weird.

re: #211 reine.de.tout

There is a patch of blackberries in a field down the street, and the Roi picked so many - we (well, HE, actually) made eight pies. We were giving blackberry pies to all the neighbors.

People with mowers and no souls did away with every dewberry patch within ten miles of here that I knew of.

re: #146 gmsc

OT: I bet ABC's phone lines just lit up like a Christmas tree!

Here in Las Vegas, many of us are watching Extreme Home Makeover, as this episode takes place in Las Vegas.

How does he start the show? By saying, "Welcome to Las Vegas, Neh-VAH-duh". Anytime we in Nevada hear our state mispronounced, you can count on us to make our displeasure and the proper pronunciation known!

OK.

Now explain to me why people here get all bent and mocky when Obama pronounces Pakistan the way a Pakistani would.

re: #204 reine.de.tout

Not really,
But when I was pregnant with the princess, I got a sudden and had-to-be -satisfied right now craving for FIG NEWTONS.
We were at the beach, and we had to leave and go find a store PRONTO, where I got a package of fig newtons.

Do those cravings actually relate to some need for elemental nourishment found in the particular food lusted after or are they just weird cravings?

re: #212 freedomplow

NASA shuttle crew will film Hubble repair for 3-D IMAX movie

The Hubble Deep Field: The Most Important Image Ever Taken

Some of you might not like how much the Hubble costs. Your concern is not significant compared to the benefit of knowledge man-kind has gained from Hubble.

Hubble is a very important piece of scientific and Earth history.

A peephole into the universe and a gateway for knowledge.

Hubble has been worth every penny.

Now $400k for researching gay bars in Argentina might be a place to start cutting.

and in the latest, predictable news
Obama more popular than U.S. among Arabs: survey
[Link: www.reuters.com...]

re: #209 pink freud

Well why am I not surprised! I could not be FORCED to eat a fig newton, ever! Sure enough, I get pregnant and what do I have to have? Yep. On vacation too, Smokey Mountains, a pack a day. "JUST FIND ME SOME I DON'T CARE WHERE!"

Yep. LOL

Hated them ever since.

You too?
I always liked 'em, but when i was pregnant, I just had to have them. And you're right - just find me some i don't care where!

having trouble typing on this laptop I'm using while my real computer is with Geek Squad getting something done that should stop the dreaded blue screen errors i was getting.

re: #199 OldLineTexan

hey OLT,
since you liked my star fleet list here is the link from where I got it

If I were an evil overlord

(you'll really, really want to save this one)

re: #212 freedomplow

NASA shuttle crew will film Hubble repair for 3-D IMAX movie

The Hubble Deep Field: The Most Important Image Ever Taken

Some of you might not like how much the Hubble costs. Your concern is not significant compared to the benefit of knowledge man-kind has gained from Hubble.

Hubble is a very important piece of scientific and Earth history.

A peephole into the universe and a gateway for knowledge.

...which, interestingly, began with a purposeful search for a boring part of the night sky.

Funny pic.

"This is blasphemy! This is madness!"

"Madness?"

re: #123 Spare O'Lake

OK I have had it.
Just saw TV video of these Tamil fuckers assaulting police and using women and children as human shields.
And the Chief of Police fawns for the TV cameras, flapping his yap at the cameras and picking his nose instead of clearing the roadway of these lawless illegal shits.
AAARRRGGGHHH !

Well, what do you expect in Toronto? Honest cops? The Tamils are a Liberal client group. The mayor of Toronto is a Liberal, Toronto police brass are Liberals. They will let this go on and on, as long as they think it casts a bad light on the Conservative government. The Liberals are using the Tamils, and the Tamils are using the Liberals. All one happy corrupt family.

re: #218 Capitalist Tool

Do those cravings actually relate to some need for elemental nourishment found in the particular food lusted after or are they just weird cravings?

They are just weird cravings. I can't imagine Fig newtons having any kind of nourishment that I really really needed. I just really really wanted 'em.

And while pregnant, I could not eat anything with a tomato sauce - just the smell of spaghetti sauce turned me off completely. No problem with it before or since.

anyone see the Celtics/Magic game tonight?

re: #217 Cato the Elder

OK.

Now explain to me why people here get all bent and mocky when Obama pronounces Pakistan the way a Pakistani would.

Bent? No. Mocky? Yes. Why? It's fun.

re: #227 _RememberTonyC

anyone see the Celtics/Magic game tonight?

No.

re: #216 OldLineTexan

People with mowers and no souls did away with every dewberry patch within ten miles of here that I knew of.

Aw - you're right, no souls at all. This field belongs to the couple who own the house next door to it, but they are Indian and when the Roi asked if he could pick some of the berries, they said sure! They didn't know what to do with 'em.

re: #221 reine.de.tout

Fig Newtons and Nabisco Sugar Wafers. Damn near orgasmic to eat those things when pregnant.

Capitalist Piglet, I haven't a klew! :-)

re: #217 Cato the Elder

Maybe because he isn't a Pakistani?
It's a silly affectation that he cultivates in order to seem more "in-touch" with a nuclear-armed Third World nation.
Both his pronunciation and the laughs it generates are ultimately meaningless.
It's like when some dingus in drama class insists on pronouncing "theater" as "Thee-ate-errr".

good night, good folk.

re: #159 Dr. Shalit

Delco radios are the best. On long night-time drives, DXing is amazing. I can listen to stations from Boston to Dallas/Fort Worth and beyond. Outside of the GE Super-Radio, for factory installed, Delco was the best.

re: #229 Walter L. Newton

No.

and you don't care, do you?

re: #231 pink freud

Fig Newtons and Nabisco Sugar Wafers. Damn near orgasmic to eat those things when pregnant.

Capitalist Piglet, I haven't a klew! :-)

You're so funny!
For me it was just the fig newtons.

'nite brookly red, sleep well.

re: #234 Irenicum

Delco radios are the best. On long night-time drives, DXing is amazing. I can listen to stations from Boston to Dallas/Fort Worth and beyond. Outside of the GE Super-Radio, for factory installed, Delco was the best.

I had a coil tuned Blaupunkt in a car, that thing had the best clearest reception of anything I've every used.

re: #232 Lincolntf

Maybe because he isn't a Pakistani?
It's a silly affectation that he cultivates in order to seem more "in-touch" with a nuclear-armed Third World nation.
Both his pronunciation and the laughs it generates are ultimately meaningless.
It's like when some dingus in drama class insists on pronouncing "theater" as "Thee-ate-errr".

It's not pronounced "thee-ate-err"?

re: #235 _RememberTonyC

and you don't care, do you?

Evidently, neither does anyone else.
/

re: #239 reine.de.tout

It's not pronounced "thee-ate-err"?

thee-UH-tahrrr?

/

Damn, it's slow in here tonight.

re: #234 Irenicum

Delco radios are the best. On long night-time drives, DXing is amazing. I can listen to stations from Boston to Dallas/Fort Worth and beyond. Outside of the GE Super-Radio, for factory installed, Delco was the best.

I didn't know that they made the GE Super-Radio for car installation?

re: #236 reine.de.tout

You're so funny!
For me it was just the fig newtons.

I'll tell you about the lima bean kick I got on, one of these days. It got to where I was so embarrassed to buy the quantities I was buying I had to shop at different stores. One day, the craving was just gone.

/no, I wasn't pregnant LOL

re: #240 Walter L. Newton

Evidently, neither does anyone else.
/

Yao broke his foot. The basketball season, she is dead.

/

re: #160 rain of lead

Them sounds like some pretty good rules. Especially having a crew that knows how to have a good time. Yay coed space travel!

re: #240 Walter L. Newton

Evidently, neither does anyone else.
/

I can take a hint

re: #239 reine.de.tout

It's not pronounced "thee-ate-err"?

That was going to be my next post! Hahaha!

I just watched the ISS make a very close and extremely bright pass directly over my city. -2.4 mag, we are talking bright.

With my 15x70 binocs, for a few brief moments (they are very heavy), I was able to discern the 2 sets of solar panels, freaking cool!

Someday, I'll figure out how to get my 10 inch Meade to track the ISS and I can get some massively cool pics.

re: #241 OldLineTexan

thee-UH-tahrrr?

/

too fancy schmancy for me l'il ole suthren accent.

re: #245 OldLineTexan

Yao broke his foot. The basketball season, she is dead.

/

except that your Rockets spanked the Lakers today ... and that series is tied 2-2.

re: #245 OldLineTexan

Yao broke his foot. The basketball season, she is dead.

/

Yao - is that the guy's name, or is that meant to be onomatopœia?

re: #250 reine.de.tout

too fancy schmancy for me l'il ole suthren accent.

I wish I could do a Jon Lovitz voice. That's what's needed, IMO.

/

re: #250 reine.de.tout

too fancy schmancy for me l'il ole suthren accent.

It's spelt "theatre."