Old Times, Old Photos in Tonight's Digital Gathering

Hello Troops,
 The Troubadour gives us a place to reminisce, share a laugh or two, pass along bits of news on the Space Center, and keep in touch with each other during this long winter of our discontent . 

In tonight's 'digital' fireside gathering of staff, volunteers and campers,  I'm going to pass around a few photographs from the Space Center's old days.  Pull up a chair, squeeze in and let's get started.

This picture takes us back to the early 1990's  This is what the Odyssey looked like when it first opened in 1992

I found these ultra cool black Apple computers that I knew had to be in the Space Center's newest ship ISES.   ISES is what I called the Odyssey when it opened.  Dave Wall was the designer and builder of the Odyssey.  He didn't like the name ISES (Inner Space Exploration Ship) and called the ship Seeker.  So, for a year or so, the Odyssey was called either ISES or Seeker, depending on who was talking.

This disagreement had to be resolved.  People were getting too confused.  Dave and I compromised.  I gave up ISES.  He gave us Seeker (I hated that name) and we both agreed on Odyssey.

Back to the black computers.  Back then you could buy Apple computers in any color you desired, as long as it was white.  Then these black Apple's came on the market and, if you wanted to be cool, you bought one.  I was cool, so I bought several for the Odyssey.

They sat right out there in the open.  These were the days before we hid our computers behind black plastic screens.   

This shot was taken toward the front of the Odyssey.  I couldn't find enough black Apple's, so we had to include a white computer.  It messed up the color scheme but it really didn't matter.  I had a $25,000 grant to build the Odyssey and we had to stay in budget - mismatched computers or not.  

That's a dot matrix printer on the front counter.  It used stacks of perforated paper and made a racket as it printed messages.

The Odyssey was a great ship.  I know many of you had the chance to fly in her over her twenty year life span.  Just think of the stories those walls could tell;  good times, very good times.    

Here comes the next picture.  Keep passing them along.  Make sure everyone has a chance to see - and speak up if you have any questions.

I know I've shown this before to you Troubadours, but I'm going to pass it around again because many of you never got to see it last time.  This picture was taken right after our last 48 Hour Camp on July 31, 2000.  That was the last time anyone did a mission with the old Voyager computers.  We gathered on the Voyager's Bridge to bid the old bridge a fond farewell. 

"A Toast to the Voyager.  The finest ship in the fleet!" I'm saying. 

"To the Voyager!" everyone repeated. 

The following day, all the Voyager's bridge furniture was pulled out.  The Voyager was going to be remodeled.  The ship got new desks, new computers (behind black plastic), new carpeting and new chairs.  It was sad to say goodbye to the original bridge, but we had to stay ahead of the times. 

How many of the old staff do you recognize? 

The Great Fish, Kyle Herring sitting in the Voyager's Captain's chair in November 2000.  The Voyager was remodeled.  It was time to reopen the ship to field trips and the public.

We're going to jump ahead a few years with this next photo. It is 2004.   Bradyn Lystrup has a slight injury to his knee.  Our highly trained professional medics gave his magic medicine (M & M's) then treated the wound with duct tape. Bradyn lived to tell the tale - narrowly escaping an amputation, which I recommended.  A recommendation the medic flatly refused. 

This photo was taken at the Space Center's 15th birthday party, November 2005.   I'm standing on Central Elementary's Stage, surrounded by very happy staff and volunteers.  How many can you name?  How many have you flown with? 

Warren Nuila is wearing his black Space Center T-shirt and stands next to Stacy and I.  I'm happy to report that Warren just returned from an LDS mission to Germany.  Where has the time gone?  

I'm talking to Dr. Stan Harward.  Stan was the principal of Central Elementary when the Space Center was built in 1990.   He was my co-pilot in this adventure.  The Space Center wouldn't have been had Stan not supported the idea and backed me 100%. 

Think of all the people who pooled their talents and made the Space Center what it was,  the second happiest place on Earth!

Our final picture to pass around.  This was taken in the Discovery Room during one of the Space Center's Honor's Nights in 2007.  Sam Brady, Megan Warner and Casey Voeks were awarded their 1000 point, home made - Lorraine made, blankets.   Our volunteers and staff got Lorraine made pillowcases at 500 volunteer points and blankets at 1000.  Everyone wanted a Lorraine, hand stitched (with a machine's help) blanket to use when you staffed an Overnight Camp. 

Sam moved on after high school.  Megan was with us up to the day the Space Center closed in August.  Casey comes and goes depending on whoever is writing the bigger check!   :)

Space News

 Hello Troops,

We set our clocks back to Standard Time early this morning.  The nights are getting longer and longer as the Earth revolves around the Sun to the Winter Solstice on December 21.  

You can see where the Earth is now on the graphic above as we inch our way closer and closer to the first day of Winter. 

Our days are growing shorter because of the Earth's tilt of 23.4 degrees. 

In this picture you see that the Earth's tilt in the Winter means less sunlight on the Northern Hemisphere.  Our days are shorter because of it and temperatures drop.

Those people living in the Southern Hemisphere move into the summer in December.  You see that the Earth's tilt gives them more direct sunlight and longer days.  

Curiosity Rover finds no methane on Mars.  
A Bad Sign for Life.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has detected no methane in its first analyses of the Martian atmosphere — news that will doubtless disappoint those who hope to find life on the Red Planet.

Living organisms produce more than 90 percent of the methane found in Earth's atmosphere, so scientists are keen to see if Curiosity picks up any of the gas in Mars' air. But the 1-ton rover has come up empty in the first atmospheric measurements taken with itsSample Analysis at Mars instrument, or SAM, researchers announced today (Nov. 2).

Like a tourist who snaps a photo of himself in front of the Eiffel Tower, NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has stretched out its arm and captured a high-resolution self-portrait in spectacular surroundings.

The 1-ton Curiosity rover took 55 hi-res pictures with its Mars Hand Lens Imager camera, or MAHLI, on Oct. 31. Mission scientists then stitched the images together to create a full-color mosaic of Curiosity and its Gale Crater landing site.

Our Galaxy has How Many Potential Planets?

The Happy Bucket. A Funny Commercial and Thoughts

 Hello Troops,

Last night I glanced up at the clock in the kitchen.  It was 7:20 P.M.

"What would I be doing at 7:20 P.M. if I was running an Overnight Camp at the Space Center," I thought to myself.

At 7:20 P.M. I'd probably be covering the Overnight Camp rules with the campers in the gym.  In fact, I'd be right in my Happy Bucket speech.

So, for old times sake, let's relisten to that traditional Happy Bucket speech, given to thousands and thousands of campers every week for the last 22 years.   Best to grab a tissue and prepare for happy memories of some really happy times.

Mr. Williamson's Happy Bucket Overnight Camp and Super Saturday Speech (as best as I can remember)

Troops,
Occasionally people get sick during our camps.  Occasionally people explode.

Some people easily explode.  They see something they don't like - they vomit.  They smell something disgusting - they vomit.  Then there are people like me who rarely, if ever,  throw up.  I' threw up once in my entire life.  I was 8 years old; it was Valentine's Day.  My mother gave me a large bag of those gross, hard candy hearts with little sayings on them.   I was suppose to take them to school and pass them out to everyone in my class.

Well, what did the selfish little pig do?  I brought the full bag of candy home and secretly ate all of them right before going to bed.  The explosion was Earth shaking.  My bed was covered in partially digested candy Valentine's Day hearts.  Mother was furious that I'd eaten the entire bag at once.  She was even more furious I hadn't given them out to my classmates.  I was grounded from candy for a long time after that.     

I've seem some very nasty explosions in the 22 years I've run this Center.   During one camp I had a boy raise his hand and tell me that he had to throw up.  "Go!" I said pointing toward the restrooms.  I followed a minute behind to check on him.  When I got there, I saw that the bathroom sink was lined with  a gooey mixture of something I identified as having once been Top Ramen.  The boy had both hands on the sink.  His head was perfectly positioned to make another deposit.

"Wow, I guess you didn't like your supper very much," I said to lighten the mood.

"My mom was gone.  My Dad cooked the supper," the boy explained.  His face contorted to show me what he thought of his dad's cooking.

So, what do you do if you feel an explosion coming?   Tell a member of our staff that you're not feeling very good and you need a Happy Bucket.  We have small buckets called Happy Buckets we give to campers who think they might throw up.  They're called Happy Buckets because I'm the one who cleans up the vomit.  So when you get "It" in the bucket, it makes me HAPPY!

You keep the Happy Bucket with you all the time until the feeling is gone.  Just say this to anyone who makes fun of you for having a Happy Bucket,   "I either throw up in the bucket or on you, take your pick!"   

Let's say there isn't enough time to ask for a Happy Bucket.  You feel it coming.  It's Mount Vesuvius getting ready to erupt, its Old Faithful ready to spout.  Look for the nearest trash can if we can't get a Happy Bucket to you in time.  If you can't get to a trash can, then look around for some place on the floor that doesn't have carpet.  Cleaning up vomit from a hard floor is easy.  Cleaning a carpet means we have to close the ship, get everyone out, bring in the carpet cleaning machine etc etc.

Let's say there isn't enough time to get a Happy Bucket or a trash can and you can't find uncarpeted floor.  That's when we go to the nuclear option.  Grab the front of your uniform, hold it up from both corners and use it to contain the explosion.  It's going to get on the uniform anyway, so why not use the uniform to keep it off the carpet.  You get yourself cleaned up, the uniform goes to the laundry and all is well.

Now, don't get upset if you throw up.  It's no big deal even if it gets on the carpet.  I'm happy to cleaned it up.  I'm only telling you these things in case there is enough time to do something about it - like ask for a Happy Bucket.   

You're going to love this outstanding use of creativity and primitive special effects.  This commercial reminds me of some of the first missions we ran at the Space Center in 1990!  I cringe when I think of how crude they were (computer programming - mine.  special effects - mine.  Frightening, isn't it).  






And now, some thoughts to keep you going....... 

It's about that simple.

We all want to leave something lasting behind;

something that says, "I was here. I did that."

Imagine.  Believe.  Learn and Do.

A wise man once said, "The Truth will Set You Free."

Your parents and teachers are trying to do that for you.

They understand what lies ahead. 

Give them a break.

Listen.

Before you quit, Try.

I wish I could convince some of my math students to do this.

A few like to shut down with every turn of the workbook page.

Every morning is a fresh start

 Ever feel like you're a permanent citizen?

A plea to disengage from the Matrix from time to time.  Just listen.