The Big 2008?

Well, I haven't gotten the posts I said I would done. I'll come back to them latter, but I'm putting then on the back burner for now. I'm just feeling so confused right now! Life seems to be blowing right past me, and I can't seem to get a word in edge wise. I don't know why everything has to be that way, but it is. I had to work tonight, on Ne Year's Eve. I have now where to go tonight, I'm staying at home with my mom. Sometimes I wonder if outside of my Small circle of friends & family, if anyone even cares? Does anyone even read this blog?? I've asked before for anyone to leave a comment, just to let me know your reading. I've received no comments, so I guess no one is reading.

I just wish I could know that one thing in my life has made a difference! I feel like I'm just taking up space most of the time, and don't contribute much to society. Does anyone else feel this way? I don't know why I even asked that, no one's reading remember? This was not the Christmas I had hoped for from my end of the deal. I had wanted to get my parents nice gifts, since I had spent so much on my grandma the last couple of years, but that didn't happen at all. I got my dad a gift card, and gave my mom a digital point & shoot camera I bought last summer. On my mom's side of the family, we draw names for Christmas. I got my grandfather, like I get every year. All he wanted was a couple packs of razors. I guess I just wasn't in the Christmas mood this year. I've been trying to meet some new friends outside of work, with out much luck. I'm about to give up, I've been trying since February, and only got to meet 4 people, only one of which I speak to on a semi regular basis. Oh well, I guess I'm not a friend type of person????

If it sounds like I'm at a low point in my life, it's because I am! I was starting to get on such a good track, even with the whole work tying to beat me down thing. I can't remember if I posted that or not, short story: I spoke my mind in a letter at work this summer about some problems I thought there were in my department. I have been treated like a third class person ever since by my lead & manager. Now the Store Manager & Operations Manager is coming down on the department for many of the same things I mentioned in my letter. Makes me feel so good at work to be persecuted for being right!! I hate that place any more, and even if they offered me the job I've been trying to get there for the past 5 years, I don't think I'd take it any more. But I think I'm stuck, I've put int application to other places, but no one calls me back. I've only worked tow other places, a grocery store, and for my parents. The grocery store is out of business, so are my parents, and they told me to stop putting them down as a reference!!

Point is I hate where my life is right now, and every time I try to change it, another door blocks my way!!

I'm Sorry I haven't Posted Lately!!

If you read my last post you will know that my Mom has temporally moved in with me till she can find a new place after the holidays. I haven't done much of the stuff I had said I wanted to since then. I still plan on doing my theme park stories, but the are on hold for right now, and I haven't been doing NASA posts either. I guess I'm taking a break you might say. I probably wont get into gear very much till after the first of the year myself. I will do some research on the theme parks, and maybe even give you a little teaser?? I'd like to do at least one post a week, to let you know how I'm doing. If you want to leave a comment, go ahead. I'd like to read them, at least I'd know if anyone reads this. Even if no one does, I'm still going to write, I think it helps me. And people probably do read my posts, but might just be too shy to comment, or I just haven't wrote anything they wan to comment to yet! I'll try to stay in touch, but don't be surprised if I forget. As I said, I'll try to be back to regular, maybe smaller posts after the first of the year.

And The Next President of the United States of America is.....

Well I didn't get to go to the Obama rally in town this last weekend. I stayed at home with my mom, she's going through a tough time right now, and needed me there. But I am happy to report that Sen. Obama is now President Elect Obama!!!! I couldn't be happier!! I watched his acceptance speech, and it was amazing! He kept using the "Yes We Can" phrase all throughout the campaign, and it served him well last night. He made a real effort to reach out to everyone, especially to the people who, "I have not yet earned your trust." He has vowed to be every one's President!! I do hope that he can help guide this country out of the storm that we have found ourselves in!!

A New Beginning!

Well, I am finally going to get to go to an Obama event! Tomorrow night, Saturday November 1st, Sen. Obama will be visiting my home town of Springfield, Missouri!! I'm sure it is to get out the vote in the 3rd largest city in this "Swing State"! I don't remember in my life time when Missouri has been this important in the Presidential Election?? It feels good to be talked about like states such as New York, Florida, California, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania! The rally is open, and free, to the public. Unlike the Palin rally a few weeks ago where they started out saleing tickets, then after I'm sure people complained, they made it a free event. If you had bought a ticket, you got into a "special" seating area. Rallies should be free to the people, and Sen. Obama's campaign has the right idea in this area.

As the election gets closer, I am getting even more excited about it! I see nothing but attack adds from the McCain campaign, and only policy & issue adds from the Obama campaign. Sen. McCain was the one that said he was hesitant to use attack adds, but you can clearly see who has gone negative in the Springfield area! Hardly a single attack add has come here from the Obama camp, it's a breath of fresh air. He really seems to want to help bring this country together as one entity. I hope that this is exactly what happens.

Now I know that it's a bad idea to count all your chickens before they're hatched, which I'm not doing. I know that there could still be things that happen over the next 4 days. Campaigns under the right conditions can come apart in a single day. But it just feels like this is going to happen. My John Kennedy is finally going to win!! I just hope that he doesn't befall the same tragic end that President Kennedy did. There a re many crazy people out there, and many roots of prejudice are still running deep in our country. If any body wants to try to take our next President away from us, I hope that they get whats coming to them from the U.S. Secret Service!!

So, I will right a complete post about my experience from the rally either tomorrow night, or on Sunday morning/afternoon. If you know me in real life, then you know that it's very likely to be in the afternoon on Sunday, instead of Sunday morning!! LOL!! I never have been a morning person, and I doubt that I ever will be!

NASA Update!!
I know that I have gotten lax in my NASA posts. I'm kinda busy with a lot of stuff at work, and trying to get things straightened out in my life. I'm working on some ideas for some future posts, including a 3-4 part series on amusement parks of the past, and now!! Park that will be included are: Dog Patch U.S.A., Disney World, and Silver Dollar City!! A possible 4th part may involve a trip to Six Flags, which is an amusement park I've always wanted to go to, but never have! I hope to have the first part, about Dog Patch, posted by the middle of November, Disney World around Christmas, and Silver Dollar City in January or February. If I do the Six Flags post, it will Probably around April, or May. I hope you enjoy!!

NASA History: Apollo 1 (Manned Space Flight Tragedies: Part 1)

Top Pic (L to R; Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee) 2nd pic (Apollo 1 Crew Patch) 3rd pic (Apollo 1 Command Module before the Plugs Out Test) Bottom Pic (Inside the Apollo 1 Command Module after the fire on Launch Pad 34-A)
All pictures from the NASA web site.

At about 6:31 p.m. EST, a flash fire broke out on launch pad 34-A. The space vehicle on the launch pad was AS-204, or what would latter be designated Apollo 1. The Command Module carried crewmen Roger B. Chaffee, Lt. Col. Edward H. White, and Lt. Col. Virgil "Gus" Grissom. All three men were killed in the resulting fire, which took place during the Plugs Out test on the launch pad, just a month short of the first maned Apollo launch.

It was latter found during a massive investigation that a faulty switch sparked behind a panel, and ignited the Oxygen rich air in the Command Module. During the Plugs Out test, the module was fully pressurised, to help simulate launch conditions. The fire engulfed the command module's interior in a matter of seconds. There are some speculation as to if the crew tried to open the door, but I don't think that was ever able to be determined. The grounds crew did try to open the door from outside of the space craft, but were unable to do so. An explosive door was taken out of the design for the Apollo command module, after it was found to have been the cause the loss of a Mercury capsule. In a strange twist of fate, the pilot of the Mercury capsule was none other than Gus Grissom. It was found that during splash down, the explosive bolts misfired, ejecting the door, and allowing the module to start filling with water. Grissom almost didn't make it out of the capsule before it sank below the water's surface.

The first manned Apollo mission was Apollo 7, which was crewed by the Apollo 1 back up crew. Apollo 7's crew: Capt. Walter Schirra Jr., Maj. Donn F. Eisele, Walter Cunningham. Their launch was a success, and proved that the technology worked, that would put men on the moon. There never were missions that were designated as Apollo 2, or 3. The launch of the first Saturn V rocket was called Apollo 4. A Saturn 1B rocket caring a Lunar Module into space was called Apollo 5, and the second launch of a Saturn V rocket was known as Apollo 6.

After the launch of Apollo 7, launch pad 34 was shut down, and a Plaque remains on the site to this day in dedication to the crew of Apollo 1. It reads in part, "In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, so others could reach for the stars"

Post Script: I have decided to make this post the first, of at least, 3 parts about tragic events in the history of manned space flight. The next part will be about The Challenger, and the third will be about The Columbia. I'm also working on the possibility of a fourth part dealing with Astronauts that lost their lives in accidents outside of their NASA duties, but while still members of the NASA flight rotation.

Sorry For Not Doing A NASA Post Today!

I had a pretty full day today, and didn't get home till about 9:00 p.m. tonight. I had a bit of a headache. If you know me in real life over the last few years it was one of "those" headaches. For those of you that don't know me, or haven't seen me for several years, I get Migraine like headaches. I've never had them diagnosed as migraines, but they do fit the general description of them.

I get an intense hurting either at the base of my neck, or behind one of my eyes, that works it's way around to the other side of my head. I get very sensitive to bright lights, strong smells, and sometimes motion. Surprisingly, sounds don't seem to bother me that much during these headaches. In fact, sometimes listening to soft music helps with them. I have gotten sick to my stomach, and actually gotten sick with them before, but not every time. When I get these headaches, all I want to do is lay down, and go to sleep. I've had them at work before, and it's like hell getting through the evening with them. Sometimes the drive home is interesting, especially when I'm sensitive to motion. I've had to drive a little bit, then stop when I've almost gotten sick in the car. That's only happened a couple of times, thankfully!

Any way, I went to a friends birthday party to night, and had a good time. My neck started hurting before I left the house to go, and I should have known what was coming. About 20 minutes before I left my friends house it started getting worse, and got even worse on the drive home. I kinda laid in bed listening to the comedy channel on my satellite radio, but the headache got bad enough that I had to use an ice pack. That's what I did before I found Excedrin Migraine pills! They have been life savers sometimes!! Usually 2 will get ride, or make the headaches tolerable with in 30-45 minutes. It's a combination of Aspirin, Acetaminophen, and Caffeine. My headache wasn't bad enough to use them tonight, but it wasn't too far from it.

I could still look up the info I was wanting to use for the post, but I'm going to go back to bed in a few minutes. I just got up to check my email, Facebook, and Myspace profiles. I wanted to write to my readers to let them know I;ll be writing the NASA post tomorrow night. I'm planing to write it as a historic post about the tragic beginning of the Apollo Programme, the fire aboard Apollo 1. I also hope to finally get my other Blog, Inside The West Wing, off the ground sometime this week. If you haven't looked at it, it's a blog for people who are fans of the NBC T.V. show "The West Wing"!! I'm looking forward to this blog very much!! :) :)

Photo Job Update!

I did forget, I'm not having much luck with the search for a photography job.  I submitted a CD of Pictures to The Springfield Business Journal almost a month ago.  The gentleman I talked to told me that there wasn't really a position open, but he'd like to see my work, and would keep me in mind for future openings.  So I put together a Cd, with different pics than I sent to the News-Leader, and dropped it off a couple of days latter.

I sent an email to the Editor that I had spoken with to thank him for taking the time to look at my pictures, and to ask if he had time to write me back with any opinions he had on my work.  I asked for constructive criticism, and feed back on how I might improve.  I never did here back from him.  I waited about a week, sent another email, but still heard nothing back.  I doubt that he thought the pics were flawless, or that there was no need to improve upon my photographic ability.  I guess he didn't have time, or didn't think it was worth his time, I don't really know.

I will not let this stop me!  I Will continue on with my pursuit of my dream!  I hope to maybe have some money before long to pay off the Digital SLR camera that I have on lay away at the local camera store.  I hope that the flexibility that a digital SLR will allow, can help me to improve upon my previous work.

As a side note, my picture that is to be published, should be sometime net month.  The group was wanting to use it for an annual newsletter that is published in November.  I am very excited to see a picture of mine finally in print!!  I'll have a reason to learn how to use the scan function on the multi use printer I bought for the computer a few months back, and I'll include it in a future blog post!!

Just Bored On A Thursday Night!

I guess I'm just writing this because it's 4:29 a.m.  It's between Thursday night, and Friday morning.  I know I should be going to sleep, but I just had to write something before I went to bed.  Sometimes I think life is too complected.  Why is it that things can't just go good, not perfect, but just good most of the time for every body?

I think that at times over the course of the last 7 years, maybe a little longer, I have had off & on depression.  It runs in my mom's family for sure, and I'd bet in my dad's too.  The fact of my parents getting divorced in 2002, my grandpa passing away in 2003, my parents fussing for a time, and dragging each other into court over a restraining order that never should have happened, me not being happy with my job, and some other personal issues hasn't helped. 

I want to get rid of this monkey on my back, but I can't seem to completely shake it.  I feel so good at certain times, then something happens, and I'm down in the dumps in a matter of minutes.  I hope that's not what I have to look forward to for the rest of my life??  I would seek counseling, but I'm afraid that I can't afford it.  I only make about $270.00/week.  I think that weekly visits would be between 1/4, and 1/2 my weekly salary.  I'm barely getting by right now, living from pay check to pay check.

There is an opportunity that may be coming up in the Spring.  It's at over double what I make now, starting out at $44,000.00/year!!  I make less than $20,000.00 now, and I've been at my current job for 9 years, and 4 months.  It would be a very good job,and it would meet most of my money needs!  But if I do take this job if a position is offered to me, it might mean I wont be able to go back to college in the Spring??  I don't know yet what my schedule would be, and I don't know what hours I would have to work for the job?  I've waited since August of 2003 to go back to school, and I really don't want to give that up again!!  I'm going to turn 29 next month, I already feel like time is starting to run out!

Almost 29, and I'm feeling like I don't have much time left.  Maybe it's because I think in my mind, that I'm going to have a heart attack, or a stroke before I get a chance to do anything?  My doctor has basically told me this.  It just makes you wonder why bother sometimes.  That's when I'm feeling depressed.  When I'm not, I have the answer to that question!  Because I want to do things, I want to live a full life, I want to help people, and I want o meet someone I love, get married, and raise a family!!  But when I'm depressed, all that seems like an impossibility.

I do find these blogs of mine very helpful!  Even if no one is reading them, it helps me to be able to write them.  I do it more often than writing in a journal, but the only down side is that there are somethings I can't write here, but can in a journal.  I guess that's why I still have mine, even though I write in it rarely any more.

I just wish that it seemed like I had a normal life, and had normal experiences like everybody else.  Other people's families can get together for holiday, and family occasions with out someone being pissed at someone else, not mine.  Even my mom's family at times can be trying.  My grandparents fight at times, over small stuff.  My grandma, and my uncle get into heavy arguments, it seems, to the obliviousness of anyone else being present.  I listened to my parents fight enough when I was little, and in the last year of their marriage, I don't really care to continue to hear people fight over bull shit reasons!!

I guess emotionally I'm pretty messed up?!  I never thought I would be this way, or sharing this much about myself to so many unknown people.  I guess I can always just delete the post if I want to.  That feels like a safety net to allow me to post it in the first place.  Doesn't mean that people wont have seen it maybe, but you never know really.  I think I will sleep better tonight after posting this, than I would have if I'd never done it at all.

I hope that all of you out there that may read this blog are in a much better state than I am currently!

Atlantis Gets Ready To Fly!!

Space Shuttle Atlantis is getting ready to launch on the "final" service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope.  NASA claims that there will be no more service missions to Hubble after this one.  We've heard that before, so maybe it wont be!

Two of the main goals of the mission is to install the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS).  Many of the inside parts of Hubble were designed to be simple unplugged, and pulled out of their slots.  This allows very easy upgrades, and repairs to the Space Telescope.  Currently Hubble has the Wide Field & Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2).  The WFC3 has a larger field of view than the WFPC2, which means that it will take in a larger view of the cosmos!  The new camera also has a larger resolution than the current one, and is able to show much greater detail according to the Space Shuttle section of the NASA web site.  WFC3 will be able to see from near-ultraviolet, through visible light, all the way to near-infrared.  This will allow people at NASA to study dark energy, dark matter, the formation of stars, and to see galaxies that are currently far beyond Hubble's sight!  Spectrographs take light, and break it down to learn valuable information about the source of the light.  The COS, will see in the ultralight end of the spectrum, and help to see how the galaxy has formed over the billions of years since it's creation.  This single item will improve ultralight sensitivity anywhere from 10 to 70 percent for faint objects in space.  COS will replace the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR).  This is  the device that corrected Hubble's bad vision after the telescope first lunched.  All the instruments installed on Hubble since it's first service mission has made COSTAR unnecessary now!!

There are also repair to be made.  Two instruments that have not worked, or partaily worked, for a few years will be serviced to bring them back to full working order.  Hubble has 6 125lb. batteries to power the telescope while it's in the Earth's shadow, and all 6 will be replaced with more efficent ones.  Hubble has 6 gyroscopes, which help to tell the computer where, and how to point the telescope.  As designed, 3 gyroscopes should point the telescope, with the other 3 waiting as backups.  Currently 3 have failed completely, 2 are in use, and only one is available if either of the 2 active gyroscopes should fail.  Atlantis' crew will replace all 6 gyroscopes!!

One of the last devices installed will be a new soft capture mechanism to allow future attachment of robotic spacecraft.  Could this be a foreshadow of things to come in Hubble's life??  According to the web site, it's for, "someday, once the telescope is at the end of it's life."  Why would they need to attach a robotic craft to let it die?  Maybe there is at least talk of useing Hubble beyond it's 2014 life exceptancey?!?!

After Atlantis finishes it's work, it will be a while before new pictures start coming in from a rejuvenated Hubble.  There are tests, and calibrations, that could last for several months.  NASA thinks that new photos may be avalible sometime in early 2009.

I know this post was kinda long compared to my other two NASA posts.  That's because I've been lax with the last two weekend's posts.  I will try not to let that happen again.  I put a little more into this post to try to make up for that!  :)

(Top: Concept art of Hubble, Top Middle: The black box in the center is the Comsmic Origins Spectrograph, Bottom Middle: An Astronaut replacing one of Hubble's batteries, Bottom: The two boxes in both upper corners, and the silver rectangle in the upper middle are 3 of the 6 gyroscopes that help point Hubble.

Fall Back.....

Well the weather has been getting some what cooler the last couple of weeks here in S.W. Missouri. We're already over half way through the month of September, with October not far behind! Fall is just around the corner, my favorite time of the year!! :) I all ways did like fall the best, the temperatures are all ways cooler, so I don't get as hot, as quickly out side. Oddly, my allergies seem to be at their least during the fall, you would thing it would be the other way around?! I also like the weather! Day time temps. in the low 60's, cloudy skies, a slight breeze, and a very fine mist in the air, the smell of wood being burned in fireplaces along the block, and the turning of the leaves!!

I was spoiled in that last respect till we moved at the end of my Freshman year in High School. We had a massive Silver Maple tree in our front yard through out all my childhood, and early adolescents. The deep reds, yellows, and oranges that it's leaves would turn were amazing. Falls in which we had an abundance of rain fall made the colors even deeper, and more vivid!! We all ways had piles of Silver Maple leaves all over the yard, that was almost never raked up till after Halloween! I love to hear the sound of kids crunching the leaves as they walk up to the house on Halloween!

Halloween has always been my favorite Holiday since I could remember. Christmas may have been once in ancient history, but I'm sure after one or two with most of my family, my toddler brain switched to Halloween! I loved dressing up in costumes, and going trick or treating til I reached a certain age. After that I loved decorating the house, and handing out candy to the little kids! We used to have so many kids at our old house, we lived maybe 5-6 blocks from the elementary school I went to. We usually had at least 75-100 kids each year, and once had almost 150!! Since we moved, the most I think we ever had was 30-40. :( The year before last year at my grandma's house I think we had almost 50! Last year I didn't get to hand out candy, but this year I will be making up for it hopefully! I have all ready asked off for that day, and I need to stake out the Halloween shops that have started popping up on the south side of town. Halloween is on a Friday this year, so I am hoping that there will be many more trick or treaters than there has been the last several years!

I haven't decided yet what this Sunday's NASA post will be about. I'm thinking the Space Shuttle? In October there will be a mission that is, once again, supposed to be the final service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. I wish that NASA would decide to continue the use of Hubble beyond what they have decided on. I realise that they want to put newer space telescopes in orbit, but none of the new proposals will cover everything that Hubble can do! There will be a large part of the visible light spectrum that will not be detectable be any of these new telescopes currently in the works. Why can't we cut back on Hubble service, but still continue to every once in a while upgrade Hubble, to continue with it's coverage of the entire visible light spectrum, and beyond!!

Ike's A Coming!!

This week's NASA post is about The International Space Station(ISS).

(Top picture, courtesy of NASA ISS Web Site) A Russian cargo ship was supposed to dock with the ISS this last Friday to deliver supplies to the station crew. That didn't happen, as due to the evacuation of Huston, due to Hurricane Ike, NASA had to leave Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center. According to the ISS Web Site, most of the missions, now being run out of Austin, TX; and Huntsville, ALB. facilities, will consist of recovery for the next week. Even tough NASA can continue to operate the station from these fall back positions, certain systems can only be controlled from the Johnson Space Center facility, so U.S. & Russian officials agreed to post pone the docking till Mission Control may be re-opened. The rescheduled docking will take place on Wednesday, September 17th, even if Johnson Space Center is not back to full working order.

(Bottom Picture, courtesy of NASA ISS Web Site)Before the closing of Mission Control, and The Johnson Space Center, NASA had began a very unique game. Greg Chamitoff, Flight Engineer for the Expedition 17 crew on the ISS, began a game of Chess with the people at Mission Control. Charmitoff brought the Chess set with him aboard STS-124 (Discovery) which launched on May 31st, of this year. In addition to the folks at Mission Control, Charitoff is playing with people at control centers in Moscow, Japan, Germany, and France!! The first game was won by Chamitoff, and he had began another before Hurricane Ike started to effect the Space Control Center in Houston, TX. NASA is posting the moves, one per day, on the ISS web site. You can also leave a comment at the bottom of the screen to tell Mission Control how you would move against Chamitoff!!

Expedition 17 has been on the ISS for 159 days, and the ISS has been in orbit of the Earth for 3,586 days!!

Splash Down!!

Well it seems that it's time for the Constellation Program to take a bath!!  Or at least the Orion Crew Modules turn at the 6.2 million gallon Neutral Buoyancy Lab, at The Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas.  NASA is testing a 1/4th scale model of the capsule, that will carry the Constellation Crew to the Moon, in tanks of water at The Johnson Space Center & Texas A&M.  The tests are designed to help see if the capsule will float in water, and how it will do so during water landings.  The tests also help to see if a new seal works, and to test a new floatation collar for the space craft!  These tests will lead up to a full scale mock up to be tested of the coast of Florida in January of 2009! (Top Picture, courtesy of Constellation Web Site)

On July 31st, NASA tested the parachute system that will help slow the Orion Capsule during landing, or during an abort attempt.  A parachute, called a programmer chute, deployed but failed to inflate during the test.  As a result, the test article didn't slow down, and wasn't oriented correctly to issue a safe landing. (Center Picture, Courtesy of Constellation Web Site)

Teams from 7 different NASA centers descended upon Moses Lake Sand Dunes in Washington State in June.  They are testing many new ideas for use during the missions on the lunar surface.  They team is testing new robots that would be used on the Moon to assist Astronauts.  Also tested were new rovers, new space suites, and habitats to be used on the surface of the Moon.  It sounds totally cool!! (Bottom Picture, courtesy of Constellation Web Site)

For more information go to the Constellation Web Site!

Coming Soon!

Tomorrow I will post what will be a new series in The Firebird's Nest!  A weekly, hopefully. blog post about NASA!  I have loved the Space Programme since I was a little boy, and I would love to make Space a regular part of my blog.  I hope to feel a lot of these posts with news about the Constellation Programme.  For those of you that may not know, Constellation is the Programme to return Astronauts to the Moon!!  I have seen drawings, pictures, and early mock ups that remind me of the hey day of Apollo! :)  I will admit that the Lunar Lander looks a bit different, but the Orion Crew Capsule is just a larger version of the one used on Apollo, with many upgrades!  I plan to bring you picture, direct from the Constellation Website, and and as much info as I can find.  I also plan to write about the last missions of the Space Shuttle, that will be retied in the next few years.  As we look forward in human exploration of space, the International Space Station must play a predominate role!  I will write about what is going on aboard the I.S.S., and the future of manned space flight.  Some very interesting things have been going on with robotic probes, and moving exploration robots used to explore our solar system!  The Martian rovers were two prime examples of NASA technology going above, and beyond what it was designed to do.  And many new, and exciting things continue to come out of NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab, there should be plenty to write about!!  Finally, NASA may have given up on it, but I refuse to let the Hubble Space Telescope go down quietly!  I will write about Hubble, bring you incredible shots taken be it's cameras, and hopefully make the argument why NASA should continue to use Hubble in conjunction with new age space telescopes!  I hope that you will like this new series!!

The Republican Convention Flop??

YESSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, if you haven't heard, the Republican Convention isn't going so well.  I just heard on CNN Headline News that attendance  is low.  A live picture from the convention showed many empty seats.  And what better gift could the DNC get, but John McCains Vice Presidential running mate's Daughter is pregnant!  Now I don't want to make fun of a families personal matter, but it will play big in the media.  It will appear as if Gov. Palin didn't instill good family values in her daughter.  Now that may, or may not be the case, but it will in at least the short term hurt the campaign. McCain in the polls.  I do hope that the Palin family has an easy time with this, which should be seen as a good time for their family.  I hope that Bristol Palin has no complications, and has a very healthy baby!!

In a Convention related note, according to Headline News, Hurricane Gustav has drawn a lot of people away from the Republican Convention!!  I hope that it's not from people being hurt, or loved ones in trouble.  It's kind of a mixed feeling for me.  I'm glad that less people are there, but I hope it's not for bad reasons.  I don't want Sen. McCain to win.  I think that he will lead us as a country down a road, that we need to get off of!!  I hope that there aren't as many people at the Republican Convention as was at the Democratic Convention!

I think that Sen. Obama will help us to dig out of the hole the country has found it's self in!  Maybe I just blowing smoke up my ass, but I think Barack Obam is the new John Kennedy!!  I think his administration will be known as the "New Camelot"!!  I'm hopeful for an America with President Obama at the helm!!

"Now is the Time"

I just finished watching Sen. Barack Obama's acceptance speech of the Democratic Parties nomination for the Presidency of the United States of America.  Sen. Obama extended an olive branch to everyone in the country, to bring us all together.  We are all one people, in one country, and we should all come together to help everyone out!!  I liked the "Now is the time", and I expect to see this on future bumper stickers!!  I liked the speech a lot!!  I liked that he plans to lower taxes for the middle class, businesses that keep jobs in the country, and to close off tax breaks for business that takes jobs away from America!  I plan to go before work tomorrow to get my Nixon for Governor, and Obama for President yard signs!!  My mother doesn't want me to do this.  She's afraid that people will not like the fact that I am publicly supporting a black man for President.  I was so pleased, when I drove through a neighborhood yesterday, and saw a street that had Obam yard signs all up & down both sides of the street!!  My dad doesn't want me to do it, because he is against a black man being elected president.  Some times I really disagree with my dad, and this is one of those times!  Yes, I will go to get my Obama yard sign tomorrow!!

The Best Laid Plans of Poloticians & Men!!

Well it seems that the political game is a foot! McCain is sending out attack adds he promised he wouldn't do, Obama is sending out attack adds I wish he wouldn't do, and Hillary is trying g to rally support behind Obama. Her own supporters are so divisive, that according to the NBC Evening News today, 21% of her major supporters are saying they will jump the fence to support John McCain even though she is asking them to Support Barack Obama!! Her own supporters are going against what she's asking them to do, because the are so mad that she didn't get the nomination?? There's true loyalty for you I guess. Another 27% so they are either undecided, or want to vote for someone other than the two major party candidates. I had high hopes that the election in November would be a win for Sen. Obama, but now I'm not so sure?? He has to see what he must do, his advisers have to see it also!! Even if she says no, he has to extend an olive branch to Sen. Clinton, and offer her the Vice-Presidency!! I don't really want to see it happen, but I'm going back to my previous idea, he can't win with out her. The party wont let him, and it truly is a shame that the party that I grew up on has become the mess that it is today!! At times I feel ashamed to call myself a Democrat. I still do, and I haven't given up the hope that a Franklin Roosevelt, a Harry S. Truman, or a John F. Kennedy will raise the party from the ashes that is wallows in today!! I had hopped that Sen. Obama would be this person, and I still do believe that he can be that savior that the party needs. I'm just not sure that the party will give him the chance top help save it?? You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink it. I guess you can tell a dying party to not pull the trigger of the gun to it's head, but only the party can decide wither to pull they trigger, or not??

Well I Got An Answer!!

I had sent a email to a local group that showed interest in publishing one of my pictures in April last night.  I was concerned that I was being blown off, but I was reassured that it will be published a few months from now.  That did make me feel better, and I can't wait till I get to see it in print!!  This will be a short post, I need to do some stuff before bed.  Today was a nice day for me, I love the fall like weather!!  :)    It was over cast, cool, and misty all afternoon, and evening!  It reminded me a little of the great fall days of my childhood.  The only thing that would have made it perfect, was if there was enough fog, to make the cars going down the road just barely visible!!

First Blog Post On Blogger!!

Well this is my first ever post on Blogger.  I have a blog on my profile on Myspace.  Stop by to check it out if you like.  I'm looking to blogger to post most of my blog entries too, because I like it better, and because the editor is easier for me to use.  I also like the archiving system that is used here on blogger, as well as the spell check, not having to hand key links, and such things.  I would love if my blog here became very popular, but I know that probably wont happen.  In fact I think that not many people will read my blog here.  Not many read my blog on Myspace.  I do it more to give myself an outlet for things that I feel I can't really say to others.  If you want to read these posts, then I want to share them with you!  I all ways welcome comments, so feel free to leave them, if for on other reason than to say hi, & to let me know your reading them!!

Well, it's after 3:30 a.m., and I think I need to go to bed now.  Getting a little tired.  Thanks to anyone who reads this!!