A Magellan Update and our Brush with KAOS.

Chester Wallow works for KAOS (pronounced chaos) as an undercover agent. He was spotted at one of our summer camps making contact with CONTROL. The laws of physics teach us that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. The same is true for imagination. KAOS works to counter the Imaginarium's work world wide. Recently they've made some gains in the 13 - 17 year old age range but hope to make inroads into the 10 - 12 year old range.

"Destroy their dreams and aspirations and you've capture their spirit and soul," said one captured agent under interrogation by Maxwell Smart. Keep your eyes open troops. KAOS could be watching YOU!

Hello Troops,
Work on the Magellan moves ahead. The panels are in!


The walls in the transition hallway are exposed as Kyle, Jon and Nate install a sliding door seperating the tansition hallway into two sections, the Magellan hall from the Discovery Hall (where you turn next to the TV room and the new Brig). The sliding door will be control by a rope and pulley in the Magellan control room.

This is the first of many renovations underway at the Space Education Center. Cool isn't a good enough adjective to describe what's coming. It's time to book your next mission at the Center, or perhaps sign up for one of the open spots on the upcoming September Overnight Camps.

Sam Shell's imagination is on overload after visiting the Space Center. He wanted to come straight back after hearing about our Magellan improvements but couldn't - the Center is closed until August 17th. Sam decided to access the power and creativity of his own imagination. He succeeded, with a bit of help from the Imaginarium.

KAOS

Chester Wallow is on to him and received orders from CONTROL to put an end to his silliness. Chester and a few of his comrades paid Sam's simulator a visit late one night. When Sam returned the following day he found his airplane gone and this spray painted on the wall.

A roadside sign from KAOS. Every agent is well trained in this tactic.

Two CONTROL agents photographed outside of Pleasant Grove. CONTROL is part of KAOS' administration. Field officers report to them. They in turn report to their nearest Safehouse.

We spotted a CONTROLLER late one night near the Space Center. Several of us discreetly followed to find KAOS' Utah County safehouse.


The shadowy CONTROLLER led us to the home of the Twitcher sisters. We knocked on the door and asked for an audience. We were instructed to leave. Half way down the drive a woman's voice shouted for us to stop. The sisters appeared.

They denied knowing Chester Wallow. They claimed to have no knowledge of Sam Shell. Their faces twitched when we questioned them about KAOS. We knew from their expressions that our questioning was uncomfortable.

"We live a quiet life," one sister said. I didn't know which one. They both looked, spoke and dressed alike.

"You're imagination has gotten the best of you. Get it under control before something happens," the other hissed with a snake like voice while brushing away a persistent fly.

I showed them pictures of our Magellan improvements. They shook with rage.
"There's a chill in the air," one said to cover her emotional reaction. "Time for you to go." The sisters turned back toward the safehouse.


We turned back toward town.

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.