The Space Places Voyagers and Young Astronauts at Renaissance Academy Prepare for the InfiniD Challenge. They Say, "Bring it On!" Also Jon Parker, the Purple Shadow, A Wanted Man. And This Week's Imaginarium Theater

      Spring Break started with another snowstorm.  "When will it end?" I shouted from my porch into the white void this morning after realizing another shoveling was needed.  Saying that I'm at my wit's end is an understatement, and I'm someone who was raised in the Dakotas where we wear blizzards as casual dress.   

     It's all quiet on the western front regarding news from the space centers so I don't have much to post except to say that our good friends at InfiniD are getting ready to host this year's InfiniD Challenge.  All schools in the InfiniD network can participate.  A special mission is in development (I recorded my computer parts for Austin last Friday) and pleased that my voice was in good form.  In a few weeks time the mission will be released. Classrooms will have one try to fly the mission with the goal of accumulating as many points as possible.  Points are earned by answering questions correctly, time needed to finish the mission, the health of the starship and crew, etc.  The winning team is given bragging rights and a pizza party.  I'm hoping one of my Young Astronauts and / or Voyager teams will succeed.  I'm putting them through their paces this month by having all 22 squadrons do an InfiniD mission as part of their monthly club meeting.   

 

The Young Astronaut 5th Grade Tiger Squadron doing an InfiniD mission

    Our motto will be "To InfiniD and Beyond!" in our hopes of becoming victorious in our quest; however I must be optimistically cautious.  Last week one of my middle school squadrons tried a kindergarten mission just for laughs to eat up 15 minutes before a class change. The mission was to free a cute fishy from tangled seaweed. They took forth place overall in the scoring.  The score was brushed off with a laugh and a good deal of finger pointing at that one of their own who caused the penalty due to a texting distraction.  

Jon Parker Prepares for the Summer Camp Season

The Purple Shadow, the most recent photo taken just before he escaped from the correctional center on the Salt Flats of Rurapentae 

The Space Center's Director of Simulations is preparing for the summer camp season by recording videos segments for the Cassini's new mission schedule to launch sometime soon (soon should be regarded as a wish more than a fact).  

Jon Parker is the Center's man of many faces; someone who is always ready to transform into any space hero or villain with a moment's notice and a briefly stated objective. Jon enjoy's the challenge and takes, with pride, the poetic license to do what he will with the character. While I don't remember who he is in the official summer mission, my imagination tells me a different story of the person in the photo I took on Saturday.

WANTED FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS

Name: Purple Shadow

Description:

• Height: 5'8"
• Weight: Fluctuates
• Race: Humanoid
• Skin Color: Pale
• Eye Color: Depends upon the disguise.
• Hair Color: Dark
• Distinctive Feature: Always wears a purple tunic, never takes it off except for his yearly bath in the Raven's Waters of Whisky Willows.

Crimes:

• Dilithium theft
• Smuggling of Romulan ale to religiously dry colonies
• Fraud and embezzlement
• Swindling and theft
• Confidence scams
• Grand larceny

Last Known Location: Unknown

Reward: The United Federation of Planets is offering a bounty of 10,000,000 credits to anyone who brings the Purple Shadow back in person or 5000 credits to anyone in possession of his purple tunic and able to give information as to his whereabouts.

If you have any information about Purple Shadow's whereabouts, please contact your local law enforcement agency or the Federation Bureau of Investigation immediately. Do not attempt to apprehend him on your own as he is known to use his charm to disarm the weak minded into releasing him with their banking information and credit cards.

Imaginarium Theater

The Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience