Wednesday. It Can't Be

Hello Troops,
We are on the third day of our week long Spring Break. I'm at the Center getting caught up on this, that and the other. How many of you have been trapped in the bottomless pit of This,That and the Other? Just when you think you've got This conquered, That emerges from the murky depth. And when you're sure you've vanquished That, out from the ethereal vapors of the Endless Swamp forms The Other.

At least I'm working in peace. Absent are the endless explosions, character voices, music, alert klaxons and children shouting, screaming and cheering from the simulators surrounding me. In fact, the only people here today are Jon (working in the downstairs shop on some repair) and Alex (typing feverishly on a computer in the Phoenix Control Room). Alex is playing something with a fast electronic beat. I can't detect a melody so I'll be putting on my headphones in a moment to block out the sound (and the term sound is being used generously).

The Magellan is being fitted with new black plastic computer desk screens today. As many of you know, the black plastic screens covering the Magellan's computer stations are badly cracked, some sections have missing bits of plastic broken off.
Our campers have generously overlooked the blemishes but those days are behind us.
I found a new plastic company in Salt Lake that is good to work with and prompt in their deliveries.

Now, Let's take a detour from This, That and the Other and see what the Imaginarium has to offer......

A sidewalk sign outside a coffee shop. Again, it is clever and imaginative. The wording is simple and gets people's attention. If I drank coffee, this is a shop I'd frequent.

Where would you be to see this in your rear view mirror? Perhaps its the expressway on the Moon of Endor?

A perfect gate sign on a cemetery, wouldn't you agree? Come on, you've got to give it up to whoever imagined that.

Assignment, come up with a picture or essay that solves the modern day mystery of where that odd sock goes that never escapes the dryer. Only a student classically trained in the Imaginarium could produce this......

Oh, a warning to the wise, be careful to never stick your hand too far into the dryer. Your Sockaleer may want to enlarge its diet beyond cotton.

The chair waited until it's owner drove away, then using all the effort it could muster, struggled to free itself from the 49th street dumpster. Once free, it paused for a moment to get its bearings before shuffling down the alley in hopes of finding a new home where it could be loved and appreciated.

Yes...... Let's see if out little Junior Houdini can get out of this! The perfect tool for the babysitter that can't be bothered :)

And finally, look at this bottle found in a Japanese shop. Read the label. Are you curious? If so, then the imagineer who designed and wrote it did his or her job well.
I believe the bottle contains sake, a Japanese rice alcohol. That would explain the wording in its proper context :)


OK troops, you have a fantastic Wednesday!

Mr. W.

50th Anniversary. Yuri Gagarin: First in Space

Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.

Yuri Gagarin. First Man in Space
By Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator

Fifty Years Ago, the people of the world were stunned to hear the announcement that the Soviets had launched the first man into space. Senior Lieutenant Gagarin of the Soviet Air Force rode the Vostok 1 into orbit around the Earth. The flight last 108 minutes. Just as he was completing the first orbit, he re-entered the atmosphere to land on Soviet territory. The first capsule he rode did not allow for the pilot to remain inside as it landed; for safety's sake he jumped from the capsule as it descended and floated down on his own parachute.

Instant Hero of the Soviet Union, and the World.

The news spread quickly around the world. The Soviets used this momentous occasion to belittle the United States space program and aggrandize their own. To be honest, they were ahead of the United States in one way: They had the rocket capable of lifting the heaviest payload into space. In the coming days, I'll examine why the US lost the race to be the first to put a human pilot into space.

Vostok 1 Control Panel.

Gagarin was more of a passenger than a pilot for this flight. The Soviet military had only sent up dogs before this flight, and were not entirely sure that a human would remain coherent during weightlessness. Mission Control on the ground kept control of most of the flight, with Gagarin providing commentary and observations. He was 27 at the time. Sadly, because of his hero status, he was not permitted to fly in space again. Tragically, he died in an aircraft accident in 1968.

And What for Tuesday?

Hello Troops,
I wrote a very short caption for a picture similar to the one above in The Troubadour's previous post. This is a more interesting one. Perhaps you'd like to have a go?

We are enjoying the second day of our Spring Vacation. During this week long truce we've pulled back from the front lines of battle and are relaxing in the comforts of reckless idle time. No more shelling (constant explosions from the simulators), no more field rations (the WalMart semiplastic rolls kept by the filing cabinet) and no more listening to me barking orders and tossing snide comments like grenades. You are free to explore civilian life. Do you even remember life as a civilian, the days before you signed your life away to The Space Center? That was twenty years ago for me and I'm nearly normal - well nearly as in I nearly won the $15,000,000 lottery, I was only off by six of the seven winning numbers!

So, how about a few things from the Imaginarium to keep you company until you get to wear that fashionable black Tshirt with anchor again (ever wonder why you would ever need an anchor in space?).

This pretty much sums it up.....


How about this for a science classroom decoration. It's the best cross between art and science I've seen in years. It is a perfect illustration of the water cycle (use it for your next science project).


The scores are in and the United States did just as poorly as predicted despite spending billions on education. This is exactly what I'm talking about when I write about our war with ignorance and apathy in these blog posts.

What is wrong with you kids today? And don't even think of blaming us adults for this mess. Haven't we given you great school buildings with cool technology? Never mind the fact that most American kids are raising themselves to some extent. Whatever the causes, it is a sad commentary. On the bright side, I'm happy to report that I don't see this with our Space Center staff and volunteers. You are all the cream of the crop. Keep working hard in school. Let's turn these numbers around.


On the brighter side, what about this as a pirate's costume?


And for a moment of complete insanity..... why would you need to build a building nearly one mile high? This is a proposed building for Saudi Arabia. Guess where they're getting the money to build it? That's right - from us, every time you fill up at Hart's or Walkers!

I want this a tie for church. I think it makes a bold statement.


Now take your average book shelve and add imagination. You see how easy. Everything is better with imagination as its secret ingredient.
And finally, anyone in your family this intelligent?

Finally, a couple of vids to get you started in the right direction. Amazing stuff.......