Contact Victor Williamson with your questions about simulator based experiential education programs for your school.
SpaceCampUtah@gmail.com

Sunday, September 4, 2011

A Two Day Weekend, The Definition of Bliss for a Space Center Worker

Hello Troops,
For most people, a two day weekend is par for the course. A two day weekend is a treat unlike no other for many of us that work at the Space Education Center. We work six days a week with Saturday being the tail end of Friday's long overnight camp. At 5:30 P.M. on any given Saturday, a visitor to the Center would be amazed and bewildered by the odd assortment of pale skinned humans stumbling out of Central Elementary's darkened halls and into the sun kissed world of light and color. A visitor's inquiry about our ability to drive would be appropriate at that time.

Occasionally I'll saunter as far as the parking lot only to find my energy spent when I reach the Battlestar. The remedy is to pop the trunk and collapse onto my overnight kit of blanket and two pillows. Don't be alarmed if you drive by the school and see my open trunk with two appendages hanging over the side - one arm and leg. If you're in a weird Christian mood, feel free to stop and cover me with the blanket. I'm usually woken after dark by the wet nose of a passing dog. I always find my way home.

And Now, From Wonderland's Imaginarium to brighten your weekend.



A road sign in Denmark. I'm guessing it's a Danish thing. Cars are being signaled out from their lanes and ushered to the shoulder where several policemen and their sniffing dogs wait to inspect the car's interior atmosphere. The generators of noxious vapors deemed above and beyond Denmark's strict air pollutions standards are fined and sent on their way with a thank you and a bottle of Beano, compliments of the local Constabulary.

Once again in the lovely Kingdom of Denmark. You'll always get an interesting shot wherever you point your camera. This sign either points you to street or a village. Either way, I, for one, would be pleased as punch to live on either. How cool would it be to have Sore Badfart as your return address on every invitation or letter sent out?

"Are you coming to the party tonight?"
"Sure, where do you live?"
"Easy to find, just drive along the ring road until you get to a sign pointing to our neighborhood."
"What's your street?"
"Sore Badfart."
"Right....." spoken as the speaker slowly backs away while looking for the nearest exit.

As soon as you get your farting under control, you and your friends can gather at Denmark's famous Cafe Arsenik for good food, good drink and limited conversation (very limited once the meal has begun). It's known as that perfect place to have your last meal.


We travel halfway around the world to China for this next shot. Hummm??? Do you see what's wrong with this picture? I don't know who would be more offended, the Brits or the Germans?
Now you know why we are so concerned about the Chinese. They are the worlds next superpower. They hold most of America's debt. How did we ever let ourselves get into this position? What a sorry lot we are compared to America's previous generations.


How could I have lived as long as I have and never experienced the refreshing and rejuvenating Poo Water from springs deep under the streets of Bangkok, Thailand? Its said to have a strange mineral taste and loved by humans and animals alike. Dogs are particularly fond of PooWater so keep your bottles safely stored in your refrigerator.

I've read that PooWater is looking for people interested in franchise opportunities in the United States. Don't let this gem get by you if you've some money set aside for investing.


Speaking of dogs..... I met many a strange dog during my days as a missionary in England. I wish I would have been warned of their fondness for my leg before accepting many an invitation to "Come in and have a warm, you'll catch your death in the cold."
Perhaps it was the polyester. Who knows....


I've heard that with the Second Coming only months away (considering the Mayan Calendar predicting he end of the world on December 23, 2012) some cemeteries are putting up signs to stop the expected mass raisings of the dead.

"We're concerned with overcrowding," said the head grounds keeper at the Eternal Hope cemetery. "Seeing thousands of people poppin out of the ground will scare the snot out of the people that live around here; many of whom are elderly. The shock would be too much. Besides where are the dead suppose to go? My county handbook doesn't have a chapter on the dead raising. I say, "No thank you. Raise everyone else first, let others work out the logistics, then come back to Eternal Hope."

The solution, signs urging the angels to move along and not stop.


Dry cleaners for your clothes. Psychic Cleaners for your peace of mind, offering to help you work out your remaining issues with the dearly departed. You can't beat the price; $1.99 to iron out that final argument you had with a parent or grandparent gone on to their reward?



Welcome to the world of the future (already in practice at the Space Center). Let me state for the record how happy I am that I was born and spent my adventurous youth in a time and place far from the ever watchful eye. Being a kid is tough today. Sorry.....


A New Yorker's preparation for Hurricane Irene.


Do I hear an "Amen?" Life isn't about never making mistakes.
It's making them then learning from them.


Shall I order several of these and keep them in stock at the Space Center? I'm sure the staff would love them during our long cold winters at the Center where some of them can never stay warm enough.


And Finally, an Imaginative Approach to a few company's logos.

Have a Great two day weekend Space Center Staff! (Three days to your civilians).

Mr. W.







Friday, September 2, 2011

Live Code Free Programming Classes! Enroll now.


Hello Troops,
The Space Center is offering a free computer programming class. Our instructors will be teaching LiveCode (Revolution). The Magellan, Odyssey, Phoenix and Galileo are currently programmed in LiveCode. This weekly course will be held every Wednesday, 6:00 - 7:20 P.M. starting September 7, 2011. November 9th will be the last class.

The class is open primarily to Space Center volunteers and staff, but the general public is welcome to attend, again at no charge.

A course description is given below.

If you are interested in attending, please call Mr. Williamson at the Space Center, 801.785.8713.

Mr. Williamson


Each Class will consist of:
  • Instruction
  • In-class examples
  • Practice Problems
  • “Take five minutes, and try to make x, y, and z happen”
  • A quiz
  • A homework assignment
Overall Class Structure by week
  • Cards, stacks, controls, commands (basic)
  • Explain the Programming set up.
  • Show how to create a controls and edit the script of a newly created control. Explain the dictionary as well as the message box.
  • Explain what the inspector pane does. Objective: Make a stack with controls and a button that, when clicked on, says “Hello World”
  • Vocabulary introduced
  • Stack
  • Card
  • Control
  • Command
  • Parameter
  • Basic Messages (MouseUp, MouseDown)
  • Sample problems
  • Using the dictionary, find out what “MouseUp” is
  • Homework
  • Learn what a variable is, and make a button that brings up an answer box. When you click an answer, it answers again telling you what you clicked.
  • Variables, Properties, Control Structures
  • Message Path, Commands, handlers, functions
  • Variable types: Local/Global; arrays
  • Media part 1: Images and quicktime movies
  • Media part 2: Graphics and effects
  • Files, URL get/puts, simple HTTP file downloads
  • Socket-level networking crash course, callbacks
  • Custom props, synthetic + virtual properties, behaviors/OOP
  • Beyond LiveCode

Thursday, September 1, 2011

A New Set Director and a Run on Precious Metals


Alex Abdicates. David is Crowned

We begin tonight's news by announcing the abdication of His Royal Highness and Prince of the Realm Alex I from the Phoenix Kingdom.

His rightful Heir Apparent, HRH David is seen receiving the Sacred Microphone, marking yet another peaceful transition in our most serene Space Center Kingdom.

We will miss Alex. He was an awesome Phoenix Set Director. Alex was our "go to guy". We called him when anything technical or computer related needing addressing. Alex is attending BYU and enjoys his new employment doing computer graphics for some BYU department. When given the chance Alex brags about his own office with a window and awesome view of campus :)

Dave takes over the Phoenix's reigns as Set Director. He is supported by a gifted staff of flight directors and volunteers. Congratulations Dave!

Last Saturday's Honors

I doubt anyone besides me noticed the spike in metal prices this past weekend on the world markets. Silver rose along with an impressive budge in world copper prices. The talking heads on the financial networks theorized as to the cause. Of course, those of us that work at the Space Education Center know the truth (spoken with my left index finger held firmly against the left side of my nose - the universal sign of "we know something you don't know").

Slide your chair up closer to your computer screen so you can read what really happened without anyone else in the vicinity of your monitor seeing. Ready?
The spike in world metal futures rose because of the number of award pins the Space Center bestowed on our humble and pliable volunteers and staff last Saturday.

Shhhhhh! Now, slowly and innocently scoot your chair back into a normal and comfortable reading position and maintain the appearance of knowing and seeing nothing.

So, where did these precious metals go you ask?

Several grams worth of the precious metals were given to Scott W. Rachel congratulated him on his dedication to the cause. Scott thanked Rachel for the Galileo Pin, then spoke at length about God and Country. He wrapped up his twenty minute remarks reciting Lincoln's Gettysburg Address from memory.

Jordan was awarded his Odyssey Pin by none other than the Odyssey's Set Director, Christine Grosland. You'll see me in the background watching the world's metal futures going up on the Discovery's computer as the pins were awarded.


Christine is happy because she got to give Logan P. his Odyssey pin. I wonder who Christine likes the most? Hummmmmm? The Thumbs Up gives it away.

Sorry Jordan, but there was something about Logan's fake bloody face that captured Christine's fancy. I think I heard from reliable sources that Christine is a big Twilight fan.

Dave jumped up after Christine to congratulate Logan on receiving his Phoenix pin. The lanyard around Logan's faced strained under the weight. I'm in the background calculating my sudden profit on the world copper market. I believe they call it insider trading. I know when our pins will be awarded. I take that knowledge and use it to buy and sell futures on the metals our pins are made from. My earnings keep me in Diet Coke and Space Center shirts.

This is Rachel. Rachel got to pin a Galileo pin on Logan's Lanyard.

I'm seen here congratulating Logan on his Year Pin. Notice our hands. Fake blood is not my cup of tea.

To summarize, last Saturday was "Let's all Worship Logan" day at the Space Center. We had carnival rides out on the playground, hot dogs and cotton candy in the gym and fireworks later in the evening to top off Logan's Perfect Day.


The room emptied after Logan's last pin was awarded, leaving Spencer Merryweather and I alone for the awarding of Spencer's Five Year Pin. Shame Shame Shame on the staff and volunteers for being more interested in the carnival and food. Logan wanted to stay but was called away to take an incoming call from President Obama. Spencer kept a brave face, holding back the tears. I did my best to boost his spirits and reminded him of his indispensability.

"What else?" he asked between sobs. "What else am I good at?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, you're pretty dang good at Warball!" I exclaimed. His face brightened and the picture was taken.

I first met Spencer when he darkened my classroom door in the 6th grade. He was put into my advanced math class. He did remarkably well, considering his handicap (extreme sarcasm mixed with a phobia of all thing bright and beautiful).

Congratulations Spencer!