Monday, Get to Work and Don't Leave Without Your Daily Dose of Imagination....

Hello Troops,
The last week before Spring Break (Alpine District). It's almost here and I hear the collective sigh of relief. We've been in the thick of battle nearly nonstop since Christmas and need some precious r and r (not to mention our battlefield rations. I'm regretting that double helping of beans last night).

I'm preparing myself mentally before walking out the door. Wasn't it a crazy day yesterday? First it was snowing, then sunny, then snow, then warm, then cold, and then all over again.

Irregardless of the changeable weather, there is something constant about The Troubadour, The Imaginarium. Prepare yourself because here it comes.......

• We Start with a bit of Star Wars Humor....

• And while you're still smiling, how about something dangerously close to real life .....

• And for our fans of physics and all other things bizarre.....

• Perhaps something near and dear to so many of you, The Angry Birds.....

• Aren't these the most awesome business cards?

• Yes! There is a real condition with a real name for the ailment so many of the staff and volunteers at the Space Center suffer from. I knew with just a bit of research I'd discover it. Now, what about the cure?

And now, we are at the end,

See you in the Trenches,
Mr. W.


"Studder, Studder and Studder....... That's all Folks...."

Breaking Space Center News. You'd be a Fool Not to Read...

The Lady Christine is Welcomed to her New Stage.

The Troubadours Say Farewell and Welcome

Lady Emily bowed to thunderous applause which echoed back and forth across the Great Hall long after the clapping had ceased. Her time as Manager of the Odyssey Stage was at its end. In her last remarks, she spoke warmly of the 'little people' along the way that made her time on Odyssey's stage so rewarding.

"You are all so dear to me and I shall miss you deeply," her voice was soft, yet loud enough to be heard at the back of the hall and over the roaring fire kept to ward off the chill of a cold Spring. "However, please know that you'll not be rid of me completely. While taking charge of my own troupe on the Valiant Stage, I'll still perform here on these platforms." She held her arms out and turned slightly to the left and to the right, never taking her eyes off her audience - the mark of a true performer. "How could I not? It would be foolish to sacrifice your dear friendships."

Again, applause echoed throughout the Hall. She bowed, then turned to leave. "We love you Lady Emily," one of the youngest in the troupe shouted from the back. The Lady paused, looked to her admirer, and in one stately fluid motion, brought her hand to her lips, formed a kiss and sent it on its way, carried through the darkened Hall on Cupid's arrow. Master Jace jumped to capture the affection and tenderly held it to his blushing cheek.

The room grew quiet. There was anticipation as to who would take the Lady Emily's place on the Odyssey Stage. I stepped from behind the curtain and moved to center stage.
"Friends, we are in this Great Hall to bid adieu to one of our own who found Lady Fortune knocking on her door. Who would not invite in such a guest and welcome her with drink and song? And so, we send Lady Emily on her way to the Valiant with our warmest wishes for success."

Lady Emily, always knowing how to placate the needs of an audience, stepped from behind the curtain for a third final bow. I held my hand upwards to ask for silence.

"Now the question forming on every tongue is who shall take her place on this Odyssey Stage?" I shrugged my shoulders as if the question had no answer. My confused look caused a stirring in the congregation. I paused only long enough to let panic take one beat of their hearts before smiling to assure them that I had possession of the answer all along. They greeted my frivolity with applause, to which I thanked them with a bow.

"There is one who stands forth above all else on this stage. There is one no other could equal in talent and poise. There is one who's spirit and presence causes her contemporaries to withdraw into the shadow of mediocrity when she performs. There is one whom you all know, who demands this stage upon which I stand." I paused to wait for my last words to finish moving throughout the Hall. "Friends, I present for your worship, the Lady Christine!"

The Hall filled with cheering and applause. All left bended knee and stood upright to welcome the new Lady of the Odyssey. The Lady Christine stepped from left stage and walked slowly with arms outstretched in thanksgiving for her people. For several minutes the sound from the Great Hall filled the night air in the village below waking the peasants from their slumber.

After several failed attempts to quiet the throng, Lady Christine stepped before me and held out her hand to ask for silence. The crowd obeyed.
"I thank my predecessor, the Lady Emily, for this opportunity to serve this Troupe of fine Troubadours. I'm grateful for those assigned to this Stage and vow with solemn oath to continue our tradition of excellence. Let all other stages be warned. This Stage called Odyssey will unleash tales of courage, bravery and epic quests as have never been told before. This is a new day and I stand ready for all challenges that hurl themselves against these walls!"

And so it is kind readers. The Odyssey has a new Lady and a new beginning. Let all rejoice and be glad.


Emily passes the Odyssey's Microphone to Christine. This is the Space Center's way of saying goodbye to one Set Director and Welcoming Another. Christine Grosland is the Odyssey's new Set Director. Emily will continue working at the Space Center and takes the position as Set Director for the Valiant Simulator operated by iWorlds. The Valiant (housed in a semi trailer) will open its doors this summer at Thanksgiving Point.

Other Space Center Noteworthy News...

This is Eli. Eli lives in Lehi and earned his One Year Volunteer Service Pin. I'm always happy to give out the one year pins. Anyone that can put up with this crazy congregation of lost souls for one year deserves a pin and million dollars. Luckily, I have the budget for a pin.

This is Josh. Josh is a friend of Eli. Josh is also receiving his One Year of Service Pin. I want Josh to notice that I got his name right. I've been calling him John for quiet some time. At least I was in the right place on the alphabet.

This is John receiving his Phoenix Pin from Alex Anderson, Set Director of the Phoenix.
(Can you see something in John's eyes? Something sinister? Just between you and I, I believe John has a secret ambition to take the reigns of the Phoenix for himself. This will be a bloody palace coup. Will John succeed? Will His Majesty Alex IV lose his head to Madame Guillotine?
Stay tuned...)
Notice the change in John's appearance as he receives his Odyssey Pin from Christine, the Odyssey's new Set Director. His carnivorous appetite witnessed in the previous picture is replaced with the pure bliss and joy of knowing that he was the very first to be awarded an Odyssey recognition from Christine. Perhaps John realizes he will need her help when the dark day comes and his evil plan is unleashed!

Remember Alex, uneasy is the head that wears the crown.


And finally, I wrap up this post by presenting a 5 Years of Service Pin to the Phoenix's very own Dave Daymont! Dave is awesome by anyone's standard and does an excellent job flight directing the Phoenix. He is Alex's right hand man. Perhaps a word of caution to John. To take the Phoenix Crown will require getting by Dave first. Indeed - it will require an almost Herculean effort - and not one you may be capable of undertaking.

Littered is the basement of the Space Center with the heads of those that made challenge. Alex IV takes no prisoners.

See you in the Trenches Troops!
Mr. W.

The Porcelain Unicorn

Hello Troops,
An outstanding short worthy of your time. This is the true story of the Porcelain Unicorn.
Mr. W.

Early Saturday Morning

Hello Troops,
It's early Saturday morning. The campers and staff are asleep, dreaming of great battles in space and carnivorous black holes. I'm about to leave the school, unsheathe the Battlestar from its moorings and set course for WalMart. There's a shopping cart with my name waiting for me by the front door and a friendly greeting from Bonnie, the nicely dressed door greeter (unusual for Walmart) who always has her scriptures open in the doorway to occupy her time during the long hours of the night. I'll pick up the donuts for the overnight camp (Sego Lily Elementary School) and an ice cold Diet Dew for myself (a Saturday morning Treat that get's my long day off to a good start). Funny, but I've never seen anyone from the Space Center at WalMart at 6:00 A.M. on a Saturday morning. I wonder why?

Before leaving, how about a few things from the Imaginarium?

A nice application of a bit of free unoccupied time....

This is a glimpse into the mind of a Flight Director on hour four of a five hour mission.

Typical for university isn't it? Over analysis of something quite simple.

My kind of band aid! Doesn't it sum it up well. It's a lesson our little ones at Central need to learn. You should see them after a slight injury. The sobbing injured party is usually escorted by one friend on each arm. I've learned not to ask the cause of the injury. It always leads to an amplification of weeping and wailing. The secretary is forced to listen to the gruesome details of the bruise. Afterwords an iced sponge is given which miraculously heals the injury.

A chart to contemplate.

Don't ask why. It is just the way we are all wired.

This is what we need to give to the campers instead of M and M's. They won't like playing injured quite so much!

See you in the Trenches!
Mr. W.

Wednesday at the Center

Hello Troops,
Christine just "beamed" up her Odyssey crew to start their five hour mission. I'm at the desk finishing up the April working schedule. It's posted, so if you're a volunteer or staff you can check it on the right side bar of the blog.

The other simulators have missions starting at 6:00 or 6:30 P.M. It is the busy time of year and busy means a steady flow of income. Income is good because of the serious amount of outgo it takes to run the Center. For example, I just approved a large invoice for replacing the smoked plastic that covers the Magellan computer screens. The money streams in and streams out. It is the flow of commerce.

This is Erin W. Erin is happy. This is Emily. Emily is happy. Erin is happy because she is getting her Odyssey pin. Emily is happy because she gets to give Erin her Odyssey pin. Both girls are happy because they get to work at the Space Center. I'm happy because they are happy. The staff are happy because I'm happy. Our campers are happy because the staff are happy. Parents are happy because their children are happy. Communities are happy because their voting citizens are happy. States are happy because their communities are happy. The nation is happy because the States are happy and the World is happy because America is happy. All because Erin got her Odyssey pin.

And the Space Center changes the world, one pin at a time.


And now, on a more serious note.

GAS PRICES

Have a Great Evening!
Mr. W

All in a Day's Work

Hello Troops,
We got a lot accomplished today. Northridge Elementary's sixth grade came on a field trip. We ran Midnight Rescue and got an excellent reception manifested by deafening applause. Our private missions went well. Richard from Plastics Done Right took measurements in the Magellan later in the afternoon. The Magellan's dark plastic used to cover the computer screens has been cracking for years now. It's gotten to the point where it compromises our crew's enjoyment of the Space Center experience. In a few weeks the cracked plastic should be replaced.

Brent Anderson returned from a mission to the Czech Republic yesterday. He stopped by the Space Center to say hello and catch up recent developments. Alex gave him the nickel tour, then we spoke about a few projects he has in mind for our web site.

I left the Center at 6:30 P.M. for the trek home. I had more than my usual share of dogs barking a warning to their uncaring owners that a stranger in a dirty green jacket was walking suspectfully on the town's sidewalks. One dog got loose and came sniffing after my shoes. Its owner followed directly behind calling it off. The dog paid no attention until it got swatted. I thought it funny but outwardly paid no attention and continued on my way.

How about a few items from the Imaginarium before turning in for the night?

Click on the following link and enjoy a model of the solar system in action.....
http://dd.dynamicdiagrams.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/orrery_2006.swf


And a few thoughts


And finally, poor Charlie Brown. What a blockhead!


Have a good evening. I'll see you soon in trenches....

Mr. Williamson

Master Devin Brightens the Great Hall

The Great Hall grew quiet as Master Devin rose to perform. I stood near the fire, leaning against the cold stone mantel. Our company of troubadours sat before him, along with children invited from the farms surrounding the castle. The light of many lamps flickered across the stage, bathing Devin in a warm yellow glow.

The children's voices fell silent as he stepped from behind the heavy wool curtains on the left of the stage. His unsteady walk and uncertain gaze revealed a hesitant resolve. His small thin frame reached center stage. He stopped and turned toward his anxious audience. His bony hands clutched his instrument, his legs quivered noticeably. I feared a sudden loss of consciousness and prepared to intercede if necessary. Such thoughts were unnecassary, for once he remembered to breath, oxygen was restored and color returned to his cheeks. His quivering slowed, he made eye contact with his fellow troubadours, and the children scattered on the stone floor before him gave their attention.

I motioned for the two younger members of our troupe selected to accompany him to step forward. Master Devin calmed with their appearance. He was no longer alone. I stood pleased that he was prepared and willing to accept his first on call performance. With the hall full of children and a missing troubadour, I had no choice but to call him out of the audience and tell him that, ready or not, he would be performing.

Devin cleared his throat, positioned his instrument, glanced at his chorus, nodded and then - with one foot braced forward and one back, broke into story and song. The tale was told with precision. One could tell he was classically trained by our best. I watched the faces of the village children - each mesmerized by his tale of heroism in the face of unimaginable evil. At times they screamed and at times the excitement of his words caused them to squirm in anticipation of what was to come.

The sand in the hour glass on the Noble's oak table was near its end all too soon. At one and one half hours Devin and his chorus finished to thunderous applause. Afterwords, I congratulated our new Troubadour with hand outstretched. Devin's firm grasp confirmed a confidence I was sure wasn't there before.
"You did well Master Devin," I spoke so those closest could hear.
"Well enough to collect coin?" he responded. I smiled - realizing he'd waited long for his opportunity to stand alone on our stage.
"Not quite," I answered. "There is the matter of finalizing your training on the largest stage. Spend time there, show us your talents with larger groups - and coin will be your reward."

He seemed pleased and turned to accept the continued warm acceptance from his new brothers and sisters in the troupe.

Welcome Devin.

Mr. Williamson

Boys and American Education

Hello Troops,
Janice Shaw Crouse, Ph.D. is director and senior fellow at The Beverly LaHaye Institute. In a recent article she discusses a growing problem with boys and schools. I've seen this trend myself and am concerned that we, as educators, should find ways to reengage boys in learning.

Your Thoughts?

Mr. Williamson

What's Happening to Boys in our Schools?

More and more men are lagging behind women in educational attainment and thus lack the credentials to compete in the marketplace. Take college graduation: 34 percent of women (ages 25 to 34) have earned degrees compared to 27 percent of men. This fact alone leads to fewer men in graduate schools and in the high prestige and high salaried jobs. Even in areas typically dominated by men -- like law, medicine, and business -- women are excelling and their numbers and proportion are growing in comparison to men. Clearly, in our eagerness to level the playing field for women we have seriously destabilized the balance between the sexes to the detriment of males. Kathleen Parker was right when she challenged our culture to "save the males." As Christina Hoff Sommers said in her book, The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism is Harming our Young Men, the fact that "women are significantly more literate, significantly more educated than their male counterparts" is likely to create a "lot of social problems;" the lack of enough well-educated men does not "bode well" for anyone, particularly the growing numbers of sophisticated women.

Increasingly, men are finding their identity in their hobbies (fishing, hunting, racing, sports, etc.) instead of their careers (where they are falling behind women in achievement and status) or their roles as family providers and protectors -- both categories scorned by feminists. Previous generations of men had clearly identifiable roles and opportunities to show their physical prowess and courage -- through providing for and protecting their wives and families both at home and against the nation's enemies at war. Men knew that they were needed; today, young women are told that they "don't need a man" for anything. Males used to become "men" when they "took a wife" and assumed adult responsibilities. Now, instead of serious, dignified, and decisive male role models in the movies -- like Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Gary Cooper -- males today are more likely, as Kay Hymowitz observes, to identify with and to emulate "overgrown boy actors like Steve Carell, Luke and Owen Wilson, Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell and Seth Rogen."

As a society, we must revive those values and ideals that provided strong incentives for young men to pass the tests of adulthood. The first steps of a solution are quite simple: we must begin by (1) scorning and ostracizing those men, no matter how rich and famous, who fail to take up the responsibilities of being a husband when they father a child and (2) demanding that our public school teachers unlearn those pernicious myths absorbed in college and graduate school and start re-creating an environment, starting in kindergarten, that respects masculine traits and behaviors: that is to say, stop demanding that little boys act like little girls and punishing or medicating them for acting like little boys. Less than this is, on the one hand, to continue to accept what is unacceptable, and on the other to continue to discriminate against our sons and brothers.

We will not succeed in making a new start until we stamp out the myth that young women can do just as well without a man. Unless we change that thinking, our society will be the poorer. As long as the male half of the population is disparaged, denigrated, and infantilized, they will lack the motivation to "man up" and become responsible and accomplished men.

Something for Thursday

Your nickel's worth of wisdom for today.

Life is more about the journey than the destination.

Mid Week

Hello Troops,
We had a few no shows yesterday (no shows - an assigned volunteer or staff that doesn't show up to work and didn't call in earlier to ask for a replacement). An absent flight director or supervisor is serious trouble. Telling a group that has already arrived and waiting in the lobby that we don't have the staffing to run the mission they booked months in advance is something I fear more than anything else. Luckily I didn't have to, thanks to a few awesome members of our staff.

Devin S. rushed in to take a 4:30 P.M. Odyssey mission for us. His parents weren't home so he called a neighbor for a ride. Now that's dedication. Thanks Devin!

Aleta stayed after her scheduled time to fill in as a Supervisor for the Voyager's 11:30 A.M. field trip mission. Thanks Aleta!

Staffing issues eat up a lot of my time so I appreciate staff and volunteers that are flexible enough to come in at a moment's notice to fill in for a "no show" (no shows are very rare indeed but when they happen they are remembered). I'm also grateful for those that answer their phone when they see its me calling (darn Caller ID).

The Space Center's staff and volunteers are just great people, a bit flaky at times and a pain at their worst (many are teenagers so you know what I mean), but awesome all around.

And now, a few items from the Imaginarium:


"Take a Smile" is a good idea to have up on the wall at the Center. When I see you're having a bad day or need a pick me up I'll direct you to the "Take a Smile" dispenser (who knows, it might save me a few minutes of staff consoling).


Can you name all the cartoon character in the picture above? Some of them are real 'old school'.

And from the "Isn't that True" Department, although some would argue that many of the adults they know haven't mastered the "how to act in public" part.

The following is another example of thinking outside the box. An inspirational story, worthy of five minutes of your day.

See you in the Trenches,
Mr. W.

Thank you for the Recent Emails.

Hello Troops,
Two recent emails to the Space Center staff, demonstrating once again how awesome they really are (in case you doubted).
Mr. Williamson

First a poem written by Nathan R. to the Space Center staff.
Thanks Nathan!

Mr. W
This is Dedicated to You and the Space Center Staff.

I imagine the stars, going by so fast.
I look back through the mission, remember the past.
Through space, and the planets, the fun, and the strife.
I remember the coolest, best thing, in my life!

I imagine the people behind the wall,
Who worked so hard to do it all.
I wish, and I hope, and I dream, and I pray,
That I could be one of them someday.

--
Nathan R

Lieutenant Junior Grade

Christa Mcaullife Space Education Center

(Coolest Place On And Off Planet Earth!)

And another email from Deven:

It's Deven again, if you remember me. I recently went on the Voyager with friends and it has been the best experience by far. The flight director Emily did an excellent job and the rest of the crew did not cause trouble. (Other than what they were suppossed to do, but I quickly took care of them. I was security.) Anyway, the only thing I found lacking was how long it took to train the Security position. It didn't cause a problem but we were still on our tour while the missioin had started. My suggestion is you re-record the tapes so they play a little faster. However I do realize that children do this and that is why they are so slow. Perhaps you could make a second set of tracks. However, you guys did excellent as always. I am planning on doing another mission in April, we don't have a time set yet but we plan on a five hour mission this time to compare how the longer time goes to the shorter time. It will also be my last chance to do it before I leave on my Mission in South Carolina for two years. Keep up the good work. I'll be sure to let you know how it went. Please tell Emily and her crew they did an excellent job. Many times praise is seen by the higher ups and doesn't get passed down to the people we are thanking.

Sincerely,

Deven

The Phoenix has a New View Screen (And Other Things)

Hello Troops,
We had a good weekend punctuated with a couple hiccups. Alex stopped me as I walked into the office Friday evening. It was almost 6:00 P.M. and I had several things I needed to do for the Overnight Camp at 7:00 P.M.

"Our main viewer is down. I couldn't get it to turn on." Alex was neck deep in a Phoenix private mission so he had to speak quickly. "I'm using the two side TV's only."

I asked if he'd clicked the input button on the remote. He said he had but I wasn't convinced. I'm usually pretty good at making what some classify as impossible, possible. I found the remote, walked into the ship, told the kids to carry on and pretend I wasn't there and fiddled with the viewer. It was obvious the TV had power - the red light on the front control panel flickered whenever I pushed a remote button, but no matter what I did, no matter which button combination I pushed, that TV wouldn't cooperate. I pronounced it DOA when I came out of the ship.

I was left with one choice - I had to purchase another TV for the Phoenix. The old set would be removed and taken to the repair shop for diagnosis. If it could be repaired at a reasonable cost then it would be. If it couldn't, then it would be carted off to recycling - or whatever else you do with dead large screen TVs.

The Phoenix private mission ended at 7:00 P.M. That gave Dave and Alex just 20 minutes or so to come up with an alternative plan for the Overnight camp. They found an old 24 inch TV in the Animation Studio and installed it. Mind you, it looked odd having this large wall of black plastic with a 24 inch screen shining through but would the campers know? Most likely they wouldn't - thinking what they saw was how the ship was designed.

The second hiccup was discovered around 8:00 P.M. Several volunteers failed to show up to work the camp. That immediately put us into 'problem solving' mode. Within fifteen minutes we had the problem worked out. I want to thank Erick B. for answering the email call for additional staff and coming when he did. It made a big difference.

Saturday morning I called Brady Young, a Voyager Flight Director and a member of Best Buy's Geek Squad, and explained the problem. Brady said he would talk to the store's manager and see if they would sell us a TV at cost. He called back saying he'd worked out a deal.

Later that afternoon, Bill Schuler picked me up in his truck and we drove to Lehi's Best Buy. We met Brady near the Geek Squad's area. He introduced me to the asst. manager and we worked out a deal. One thousand dollars later and we were out the door with a nice 47 inch LCD television for the Phoenix's main viewer. We got back to the Space Center just as the afternoon mission was wrapping up.

The Center closed at 5:00 P.M. Alex and Jon stayed until 7:30 P.M. installing the new TV. It wasn't easy, considering the number of cables that had to be stretched across the Phoenix's ceiling.

The new TV is in and, according to Alex, looks awesome!

"There is one problem," Alex said when he called me to deliver the news. "Whenever we switch between inputs, the TV displays the word 'Component' in the corner for a few seconds. It's something we can't make go away so it will be something we have to live with."
Alex and Jon will come up with some "sci fi" explanation for the word's appearance in the context of the Phoenix being a starship etc. We are good and dishing out the bull when necessary.

I'm anxious to see the TV in action on Monday. I hope its worth the $1000 paid. I want to thank Bill, Alex and Jon for helping with this small crisis.

And how about a few things from the Imaginarum to wrap up this post?

This is exactly what we had to do this weekend. It is what we do well. We have no choice. Try running this program on a tight budget. You'll see what I mean.

Now this is what I call a real man's 'Captain Crunch'.

Have you ever succeeded from walking away from a sheet of bubblewrap without popping a single bubble? I haven't. Self control was never one of my strong points.

I couldn't resist. The perfect St. Patrick's day picture for The Troubadour's Irish readers.

And finally, this is what I heard all the time as a teenager. I'm sure you teen readers out there hear the same from your parents. Well, guess what - read and memorize because you'll be saying the exact same things to your kids. It is just one of those eternal things passed down generation to generation. Yes your own kids will think your stupid because you "Don't Get It". Well here's news to all you teens - Yes we Get It, just like our parent's Got It when we were teens. It's just that the role you play in life changes as you get older. So, be good to your parent's. They aren't stupid. There is merit to what they say.

See you in the Trenches!
Mr. Williamson

Wednesday's Thoughts

Hello Troops,
All is well on the front lines at the Space Education Center. Our forces engaged the Ignoraemii in heavy combat today. We reclaimed the innocent from enslavement using heavy doses of imagination and electrical jolts to restart cognitive thought processes. Yes, It's what we do.

The battle is still being fought as I type. Jon leads the Voyager's forces. Alex is sounding the trumpet in the Phoenix while Ben urges his Galileo troops over the top to engage the enemy with bayonets drawn. It is a wonder to behold.

I had the District Metal Shop build a new addition to the Captain's Loft. It was installed on Tuesday. In the following two pictures Jace demonstrates the correct exit from the Captain's Lounge using the new ladder.

You'll see the new carpeted platform at the exit (or entrance). This gives Jace room to turn around and descend the ladder if he's coming out of the Loft. Once again, done with the safety of our staff and crew in mind.



Alex started the work of installing a couple new cameras in the Galileo this afternoon. The one camera currently in the simulator doesn't cut it.


We had fun hosting students from Foothill Elementary in Orem and the John Hancock Charter School in Pleasant Grove on Tuesday. Both teams worked well through their respective missions. John Hancock's Captain was very good and Foothill's Ambassador was outstanding.

Foothill had a few students with unusual names never heard before at the Space Center.

Gomer (Yes, like Gomer Pyle from the 1960's TV show)
Egbert and
Pahoran

It was refreshing to see those unique names. I think its time to bring back other odd and unusual names that went out of style long ago (or perhaps never were in style). I'd like to see more Georges (we had one last week. First in a long while). I'm also thinking of Fred, Wilma, Betty, Elmer, Hank, Mildred, Luella, Minerva, Abigail, etc.

Before ending this post I'd like to add a few items for your consideration from the Imgainarium.

Great back to a new Space Center T-Shirt?

An intelligent mind never stops questioning. Push boundaries with good questions and be wise enough to know that the answers may not be what you were expecting.

A perfect illustration of what its like being the Captain of one of our simulators. I'm constantly having to remind Captains and Ambassadors to FOCUS. It's not easy at that age to learn how to direct your thoughts to the task at hand and not be distracted by things happening around you.

As some of my teens say, "Like a Boss!"

Respect is earned. Don't demand it. Muck in with everyone else and soldier on. Be a great example and maintain your principles. Respect will be the natural outcome.

Anyone out there have a killer cat? Mr. Schuller has one that lies in wait and attacks the unknowing as they come down the stairs to his family room. There's a chair near a desk where "The Cat" scratches a record of his victories. One scratch per broken or twisted ankle.


The moral of this illustration is to encourage you to abandon your scents and let people smell the real you. I'm considering tossing the cologne I use at the Space Center. It's the blue bottle next to the printer that smells like mosquito repellent. Remember that strange smell which lingers like an invisible fog in the air around my desk?

Thank you for being kind enough not to comment when you pass.

See you all in the Trenches!

Mr. W.