Saturday, April 9, 2016

"SpaceX Sticks a Rocket Landing at Sea in Historic First"


n a dramatic feat of engineering prowess, the private spaceflight company SpaceX successfully landed a reusable Falcon 9 rocket booster today — the second such landing for the company, and the first successful touchdown on a ship.
The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at 4:43 p.m. EDT (2043 GMT) today (April 8) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It carried SpaceX's robotic Dragon cargo spacecraft, which is now on its way to the International Space Station, carrying crew supplies, station hardware and science experiments. SpaceX streamed live video of the historic rocket landing during the launch, a feat that capped a smooth cargo launch for NASA
After separating from Dragon a few minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage performed several flyback engine burns, then eventually lowered itself vertically onto a SpaceX drone ship that was stationed off the Florida coast. [Photos: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launch and Landing Try for CRS-8 Mission]
This was the fifth attempt in 15 months by SpaceX to land one of its rocket boosters on a drone ship; in each of the previous four tries, the rocket reached the ship successfully, but failed to stick the landing. During today's landing, SpaceX staff members crowded around the company's control room, and let out a roar of applaus when the rocket booster touched down.
- See more at: http://www.space.com/32517-spacex-sticks-rocket-landing-sea-dragon-launch.html#sthash.eQaYDAHQ.dpuf

"In a dramatic feat of engineering prowess, the private spaceflight company SpaceX successfully landed a reusable Falcon 9 rocket booster today — the second such landing for the company, and the first successful touchdown on a ship.

"The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at 4:43 p.m. EDT (2043 GMT) today (April 8) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It carried SpaceX's robotic Dragon cargo spacecraft, which is now on its way to the International Space Station, carrying crew supplies, station hardware and science experiments. SpaceX streamed live video of the historic rocket landing during the launch, a feat that capped a smooth cargo launch for NASA

"After separating from Dragon a few minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage performed several flyback engine burns, then eventually lowered itself vertically onto a SpaceX drone ship that was stationed off the Florida coast. [Photos: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launch and Landing Try for CRS-8 Mission]

"This was the fifth attempt in 15 months by SpaceX to land one of its rocket boosters on a drone ship; in each of the previous four tries, the rocket reached the ship successfully, but failed to stick the landing. During today's landing, SpaceX staff members crowded around the company's control room, and let out a roar of applaus when the rocket booster touched down."


- See more at: http://www.space.com/32517-spacex-sticks-rocket-landing-sea-dragon-launch.html#sthash.eQaYDAHQ.dpuf



That's amazing.
In a dramatic feat of engineering prowess, the private spaceflight company SpaceX successfully landed a reusable Falcon 9 rocket booster today — the second such landing for the company, and the first successful touchdown on a ship.
The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at 4:43 p.m. EDT (2043 GMT) today (April 8) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It carried SpaceX's robotic Dragon cargo spacecraft, which is now on its way to the International Space Station, carrying crew supplies, station hardware and science experiments. SpaceX streamed live video of the historic rocket landing during the launch, a feat that capped a smooth cargo launch for NASA
After separating from Dragon a few minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage performed several flyback engine burns, then eventually lowered itself vertically onto a SpaceX drone ship that was stationed off the Florida coast. [Photos: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launch and Landing Try for CRS-8 Mission]
This was the fifth attempt in 15 months by SpaceX to land one of its rocket boosters on a drone ship; in each of the previous four tries, the rocket reached the ship successfully, but failed to stick the landing. During today's landing, SpaceX staff members crowded around the company's control room, and let out a roar of applaus when the rocket booster touched down.
- See more at: http://www.space.com/32517-spacex-sticks-rocket-landing-sea-dragon-launch.html#sthash.eQaYDAHQ.dpuf
In a dramatic feat of engineering prowess, the private spaceflight company SpaceX successfully landed a reusable Falcon 9 rocket booster today — the second such landing for the company, and the first successful touchdown on a ship.
The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at 4:43 p.m. EDT (2043 GMT) today (April 8) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It carried SpaceX's robotic Dragon cargo spacecraft, which is now on its way to the International Space Station, carrying crew supplies, station hardware and science experiments. SpaceX streamed live video of the historic rocket landing during the launch, a feat that capped a smooth cargo launch for NASA
After separating from Dragon a few minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage performed several flyback engine burns, then eventually lowered itself vertically onto a SpaceX drone ship that was stationed off the Florida coast. [Photos: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launch and Landing Try for CRS-8 Mission]
This was the fifth attempt in 15 months by SpaceX to land one of its rocket boosters on a drone ship; in each of the previous four tries, the rocket reached the ship successfully, but failed to stick the landing. During today's landing, SpaceX staff members crowded around the company's control room, and let out a roar of applaus when the rocket booster touched down.
- See more at: http://www.space.com/32517-spacex-sticks-rocket-landing-sea-dragon-launch.html#sthash.eQaYDAHQ.dpuf
n a dramatic feat of engineering prowess, the private spaceflight company SpaceX successfully landed a reusable Falcon 9 rocket booster today — the second such landing for the company, and the first successful touchdown on a ship.
The two-stage Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at 4:43 p.m. EDT (2043 GMT) today (April 8) from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It carried SpaceX's robotic Dragon cargo spacecraft, which is now on its way to the International Space Station, carrying crew supplies, station hardware and science experiments. SpaceX streamed live video of the historic rocket landing during the launch, a feat that capped a smooth cargo launch for NASA
After separating from Dragon a few minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9's first stage performed several flyback engine burns, then eventually lowered itself vertically onto a SpaceX drone ship that was stationed off the Florida coast. [Photos: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Launch and Landing Try for CRS-8 Mission]
This was the fifth attempt in 15 months by SpaceX to land one of its rocket boosters on a drone ship; in each of the previous four tries, the rocket reached the ship successfully, but failed to stick the landing. During today's landing, SpaceX staff members crowded around the company's control room, and let out a roar of applaus when the rocket booster touched down.
- See more at: http://www.space.com/32517-spacex-sticks-rocket-landing-sea-dragon-launch.html#sthash.eQaYDAHQ.dpuf

Four for Fridays!

Good morning everyone I hope you have had a good week. It has been a really crazy week for me and it just seems like it went by to quick. Here are your questions.

1) Have you had a small appliance die on you when you went to go and use it?

2) Do you feel like some days you are rushed to get things done more than other days?

3) When the temperature outside goes up and down have you come down with a cold?

4) Do you watch music videos?

I hope everyone has a great day!

Thursday, April 7, 2016

"Peoria Carp Hunters"



Personally, I prefer explosives for fishing, but this looks pretty neat, too.

Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Dear Madame Zoltar

Hello, my voters and my non-voters!  How are you?  The weather continues to toy with us, or is it just the weather broadcasters?  Not too long ago, they were predicting up to 18" of snow for this area.  What we got: rain. It's insidious, and it happens over and over.  Soon, you learn to accept their incompetency.  It happens subconsciously.  You write it off when they predict cold rains and we get hot, dry winds instead.  Soon, you accept more and more abuse, and more and more excuses. 

I'm of the opinion that weather forecasters are insane and/or drunk.  They can spew perfect gibberish and still be highly paid.  My favorite weather forecaster was Albert the Alley Cat on Channel 6, especially when he was teamed up for a season with Mr. Tom Skilling.  It was obvious that Mr. Skilling was uncomfortable working with a cat puppet.  Sensing this, the cat's performer made it more and more difficult, and thus hilarious, for Mr. Skillet to interact with "Albert."  The following year, Mr. Skillet was on Chicago WGN 9, predicting the weather minus the puppet.  An era for potheads came to an end.

I received this rather strange email today:

Hello,


I am trying to contact the poet Antler.  He submitted some poems for another project a few years ago, and I found one I'd like to reprint in the May issue of Quill and Parchment.

Poetically yours,
Sharmagne Leland-St. John
Editor-in-Chief
Quill and Parchment


Ease into the day with a poem:

Take a short break to hear some soothing music:

Do You Kindle?

Get a link back to your website or book sales site:

Planning a summer vacation? Need a writer’s retreat?

Butterfly Little Hawk <alittlehawk@aol.com>

8:23 PM (5 hours ago)


to me


Why on God's green Earth are you asking me about Antler?  Here's what Wikipedia says:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antler_%28poet%29

In talking to people about this email, Mr. OrbsCorbs said he had heard Mr.. Antler read his poetry in Milwaukee many years ago.

That's all I know on the subject.  If Mr. Antler is missing or some such other conditions are involved, I can be hired as a consultant.  $40/hr., you pay for gas and my meals.  We can do this remotely, wherein I'll consult my crystal ball, or in person; either way, you pay, I stay, you won't, I don't.  Gee, I'm a poet.

They're already saying that Mr. Ted Cruz and Mr. Bernie Sanders are the winners of the Wisconsin presidential primary.  Hooray!  "Round and round she goes, where she'll stop, nobody knows."  Our country lurches from one extreme to the other like a drunken sailor.  Right down the middle.  That's where we are.  Politically polarized.  I weep for us.  It won't be pretty.


Who to vote for?  Ask madamezoltar@jtirregulars.com

Thank you one and all for reading my blog today.  Let's hope that our country heals rather than gets ripped apart by the elections.  Hang onto your hat, pray, and wonder.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Greetings From St. Croix

Visiting St. Croix since it has been 25 years since I lived here. Went out tonight and took pictures of the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) dish. There are 10 of these scattered from St. Croix to Hawaii that act as one huge radio telescope. This dish was under construction when I lived here.





You might notice some unfamiliar stars since this is pretty far south. Eta Carina is visible in a couple of photos (in the first photo, the plane trail points to a faint fuzzy path up to the right...that's it) and two of the stars of the Southern Cross are visible...might have got the whole thing if I stayed later.

Monday, April 4, 2016

"Video: Alcoholism, What You Can Do"

From Racine County Eye:

By Bill Hecht in Community, Health and fitness · April 4, 2016 · No comments



"April is alcohol awareness month and our blogger Bill Hecht, a recovering alcoholic himself, talks about who influenced him to stop drinking and what parents can do to talk to their children about the issue.

"Here’s a link to several resources in our area:
Focus on Community
Racine County Health Department
Alcoholic’s Anonymous meetings
Racine County Crisis Services

Read more: http://racinecountyeye.com/video-alcoholism-can/ 


My personal favorite intervention video is too cool to be embedded, you have to click to see it:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_peSCECc4I