More Space Center Awards

Hello Troops,
Why is Ben looking so pleased? He successfully attached a Galileo Pin to James' lanyard without drawing blood. James is please because he earned his Galileo Pin.

Rachel is congratulating Spencer for earning his Galileo Pin. Ben wanted to do it but Rachel insisted she get a chance since Ben already got to give James his pin. Ben sat in the corner sulking.

We all agreed Ben could give out the next Galileo Pin. The sulking we could live with. The combination of tears and copious amounts of nasal discharge were more than we could handle. Daniel is happy to receive his Galileo pin from Ben as seen in his spontaneous reaction above. The click of the camera's shutter caught Ben off guard (as seen in his spontaneous reaction above). Ben jumped. The staff and volunteers laughed. Ben went back to his corner to sulk.

Ben's sulking we could live with. We ignored the next bout of facial fluids. It was the banging of his head against the wall that got to us.

"Rachel is it OK for Ben to give out the next Galileo pin?" I asked. Rachel glared at Ben. Her eyes shot daggers. Ben stopped banging his head against the wall.

"If I say no?" Rachel asked. Ben dropped to the floor and began kicking the brown classroom chairs.

"Enough Already!" she shouted. "Go ahead. Give out the next pin. See if I care?" Rachel crossed her legs, took out a nail file and sharpened her fingernails.

Ben jumped to his feet and ran to the front of the classroom.

"I award thee thy Galileo Pin," he said as he attached it to Nathan's lanyard. His expression of complete victory was noticeable to everyone, including Rachel. There was a scratching sound. Rachel sat in the back of the room testing her nails on the sheet rock wall. They cut straight through. Ben stayed next to me for the rest of the meeting. Rachel sat in the back picking her teeth.

The tension was broken when Brittney rose to award a Magellan pin to Emilie. They laughed. We laughed. Everyone laughed. Then a scream.

"Gross!" someone shouted after the last echo of the scream died away.

Rachel was alone with her right index finger pointing into the wall.

"She's speared a spider right through with her fingernail," a volunteer explained. Rachel asked for a photo.

Ben bolted for the door, being deathly afraid of spiders. Rachel saw her chance and followed with finger and spider held high overhead. We all laughed and laughed, but none laughed louder and longer than Odval and her camel. It was just another day at the Space Center.

Yesterday and Captain America

Hello Troops,
Yesterday at the Space Center:

• Christine and Skyler met to discuss improvements in the Odyssey (electrical and speaker wiring)
• Alex continued his work on the Magellan's new starship controls (the Magellan is switching from a starbase to a starship).
• Dave was in working on Phoenix issues.
• I was there with my feet up on the desk giving orders while drinking pineapple juice from a coconut shell.
• Kyle, Jon and Nate continued their work on the Magellan refit. I don't have pictures today because the signs are not installed. I'll post pictures as soon as they've made more visible progress.
• Cory, our lightening specialist, came in to consult on additional red alert lighting for the Magellan.

I took a couple hours and spent them at the American Fork Cinemark. I was told Captain America was pretty good. I was hoping the film would have a good foundation in story and plot. Everyone who knows me knows I despise plot holes in movies. My policy is to throw popcorn while spitting, booing and hissing loudly when glaring gaps of logic are slathered across the silver screen by over paid screen writers and over confident directors. Needless to say, I go to most movies alone. Audiences should react negatively when writers, producers and directors underestimate their intelligence and think a few special effects and dazzling costumes will misdirect the theater goer's attention away the cancerous plot they couldn't or wouldn't remedy. Hollywood's writers are getting lazy. It's pure and simple.

How Hollywood sees the American Audience.

I didn't like Captain America for many reasons, one of which is illustrated above. It wasn't bad enough to throw away my 5 dollar popcorn but bad enough to feel like I was being slung through a muddy pig pen of story built around special effects.

The last time Missy when to a plotless movie the muck ruined her nice pink shoes.
Missy is going to the movie today well prepared.

I need something to wash away that bad taste in my mouth. A trip to the Imaginarium should do the trick.......

A New Take on Star War's Movie Posters

Anyone want to join me? The free donuts caught my attention.

A Correct Venn Diagram of the Space Education Center.

Perfect for the summer company that comes for a week or two!

And finally, what better way to remove the taste of bad film?
I'd pay 5 real American dollars for one of these (none of that phony Canadian stuff). Where? Where? Ah the humanity! To feast with eyes alone, leaving the tongue so unsatisfied.

Mr. W.

August 3. And Let There Be Light

And you thought your summer couldn't get any worse?

Yes friends, with the Space Education Center on vacation things are slowly deteriorating for the children here in Wonderland. Today, a special emergency relief concert was organized by the world wide charity "Save the Children" to try to occupy a few of their blank hours.

"The children are becoming disengaged without the Space Center," said one parent who brought her son to the concert hoping being with other children would get him to start talking again. "That spark of imagination is missing. Without it they are a tad depressed."

"Disengaged isn't the word for it Love," said a elderly passerby. "These kids are roaming the streets without a spark of life in them. I mean listen to that rubbish," the woman said referring to the tones coming from the accordion. "You know they're practically brain dead to be sitting through that."

Serious droughts of Imagination are being reported throughout Wonderland. One source says that children just stand in their swimming pools. The diving boards and water slides are empty. It's like the children no longer remember what they are used for. We are told children are going to movies and sleeping. Children are seen in the parks laying in the grass, staring blankly into the sky. Children are found in the libraries hiding under tables. Children at home are staring at their televisions, whether they are on or not.

The Space Center urges Courage and a stiff upper lip!

Keep Calm and Carry On.

Hello Troops,
A quick update today from the Space Center.

Kathy is back! The first sign that a new school year is upon us is the return of the school's secretary. Having her back in the office brings a balance to the force (and relief to the Space Center's creditors who have been waiting for payment checks for a few weeks now).

Kathy does our deposit, balances our books and cuts checks to businesses that don't accept credit cards. She also issues refunds to campers unable to attend their camps.

Welcome back Kathy!

Kyle, Jon, Nate and Justus are nearly finished with the installation of the Magellan's new signage. The lights were installed today. Tomorrow the signs go in and the project will be complete. Brittney (the Magellan's Set Director) came by today and gave her enthusiastic blessing.

"We are please by this new addition to the Magellan," she said in the Royal Plural. Brittney is one many people refer to in the plural - especially our campers. She wore white gloves and walked around the set waving to any who poked their head through to door out of curiosity.


Kyle and Justus are seen putting up the sheetrock on the Magellan's new Brig. Jon (unseen) was banging away under the Magellan's raised platforms.


You'll notice the secret escape route out of the brig right over Justus' shoulder. A bench will be built to conceal the opening. Shhhh, its a secret. Don't tell anyone. The Brig's floor is finished and carpeted. All is going according to plan. Our Maintenance Guild are top notch!

And now, a few items of interest from the Imaginarium.....



And perhaps my favorite today. A modern take on "The Wizard of Oz". Slightly darker than the film shot in the late 1930's.

Well, the word slightly might be an understatement.

Mr. W.