Space Center Director, Megan Warner to Serve Jail Time. YOU Can Help? The Imaginarium.

Megan Warner

Space Center Director

MDA Jailbird

Hello Troops,

Shocking news from the Space Center at Central School.  Megan Warner, my replacement and new director, is bound for jail and NEEDS YOUR HELP.  I pray this plea for help doesn't fall on deaf ears.  I pray you'll take pity or her poor soul and shorten her sentence.  Remember how fragile and delicate she is.  She'll waste away on a diet of bread and water.  She'll mentally break after one night sleeping on a flea infested, vomit gorged mattress.  

This could be Megan.  Won't you Help?

Megan's future without your help.  10 minutes of fresh air and sunshine daily isn't
enough for someone with her natural milky white complexion    

They're waiting.  Only you can prevent her from falling into their hands.

Megan's new home, unless action is taken right away!

Let's raise the money to bail her out.  I know you can help.  Think of the small treasure concealed behind those couch cushions and in the chair's cracks and crevices.  Think about the money you waste every day on food, bills, rent and gas.  What's more important, Megan, or your selfish desire to live somewhat comfortably?  Talk to your parents, talk to your spouse, talk to your relatives and neighbors.  Convince them to give until it hurts (and make it hurt if they refuse).  Any amount will help.   

I will lead by example.  I'm willing to donate at least $50 towards the bribes necessary to get her released, or at least to smuggle in a few necessary items like soap and toothpaste.  Who's with me on this?  Let's get the ball rolling.  Read Megan's plea below, then do your duty!

Mr. Williamson

PS.  Seriously folks, the MDA is a great cause and worthy of your generous donation.  Let's help those kids suffering with muscular dystrophy.  Please read Megan's plea, click on the donate button and give whatever you can.             

Hey everyone!

This is Megan.  In case you didn't know, I'm Mr. Williamson's replacement here at the Space Center.  It's been an interesting experience trying to run this place without him, let me tell you.  While I would love to share some stories, that's not the point of this message.  In fact, I'm writing to ask for your help. 

I'm going to jail!  Because of Bossman's retirement, I have been given the chance to help with this year's MDA Lock-Up, a fundraiser to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association.  The goal of this is for local business owners and leaders to help raise money to send kids with MD to summer camp.  From what I've heard, it's a great program, and I'm excited to get to help.  I'm hoping everyone that reads this blog will be willing to help, too.  Whether it's $1, $2, $10, whatever- every penny is appreciated and adds up.  

For all those who are willing and able to help, I'm gonna copy and paste a little thing my 'friendly parole officer' sent me to use as a template for emails.  (I can't figure out how to do it otherwise, or I would.  Sorry.)  This gives you a little more information about some of the reasons to donate, as well as a link to my Lock-Up website.  Thanks in advance for anything you can do to help.  I appreciate it, and so do these kids.

Space Center and Troubadour Friends!

Yep, I’m a Jailbird. And I’m pretty proud of it.

As I am sure you already know, I am a jailbird for MDA this year and I NEED YOUR HELP! This is a great opportunity for you and I to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association by participating in the Utah Valley Lock Up at Chef’s Table. Basically, my goal is to raise $800 by July 11^th and I cannot do it without you! This is a local event and everything we raise will go straight back to the MDA families right here in the Utah. That way MDA can continue to provide services like summer camp, annual flu shots, support groups and of course, research. MDA is striving to find a cure but research is expensive. With your help, MDA will be that much closer to finding a cure for these muscle wasting diseases.

Here is what you will help fund:

$30                        Flu shot

$74                        One minute of research

$100                      One support group session

$150                      One occupational, physical, respiratory or speech therapy consultation

$300                      Professional fees related to initial diagnostic work-up at an MDA clinic

$500                      Annual repairs of durable medical equipment, including wheelchairs, leg  braces, communication devices and more

$800                      Week at MDA summer camp for one child

$4,440                  One hour of research

I am asking you for your support. Not only to bail me out of jail, but to support our local community and the families that need it most!

Click here to donate to my bail!

                                                                

Together we'll make a difference.

Thanks again, and I hope to see you all soon!

The Imaginarium

Making the ordinary, extraordinary

Creativity Gone Wild!

Tom Hanks using finding a good use for his Emmy Award.

Creativity in Design

Ouch!  This guy is in the wrong business

Wow, that's quite the public works project.

Great Expectations

Fire hair

The Morals Taught by Pixar

Saturday in the Troubadour. A Cadet's Story. Space and Science News. The Imaginarium

Hello Troops,
     I chaperoned last night's Discovery Space Center Overnight Camp.  We had 35 boys and 9 girls, meaning the camp was beyond full.  These numbers tell us that BJ, and the Discovery Space Center staff and interns are doing a good job.  The campers were awesome and a pleasure to work with.  It's just like the old days at the Space Center.  I'm still on the floor with my pads listening to the snoring and night yelling.  No need for the Happy Bucket yet, but I'm sure it will happen sometime this summer.
    I've noticed a decline in the number of boys who wake me up in the middle of the night because they're scared; this is despite the fact that the DSC allows campers as young as 9. It is just one of those interesting observations I haven't figured out.

Isaac O, one of our Farpoint Cadet's, sent the following short story from one of his volunteer missions.

Well, I assigned Dr. on the Challenger for the last 5 hour on the Galaxy Camp.  Normally, I get little bored of Dr. on a 5 hour since you can only give the kids so much candy :P but the crew was great on this ship!  We had some really smart kids who were totally awesome, and a captain that made everyone laugh.  Anyways, during the mission the crew needed to take a break for water and bathroom etc. so I took them all down and waited, when we were done I started transporting the crew back, when I transported the last person over I turned the transporter back to get back on (but the captain stayed in the transporter) and the yelled "AAA!" super loud when it opened.  I jumped back about 3 feet and I could hear the crew laughing behind the wall, latter that day he did the same thing to Dave :P.  Thanks Captain for that little morning scare I needed to wake up!  You guys were a great crew! -Isaac O. (aka Dr. Frank)

Please send me your short story from time spent working or volunteering at either Space Center.
spacecamputah@gmail.com

Mr. Williamson


Let's See What a Little Curiosity Can Do.

Space and Science News

The Day We May Have Made First Contact with an Alien Civilization

Everyone remembers the Steven Spielberg’s 1977 classic sci-fi film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” which depicted an imagined first contact with an alien civilization. But most probably don’t realize that a few months before the movie came out,  real-life scientists believed—at least for a few exciting moments—that they might have detected an actual message sent by  extraterrestrials.

It was mid-August 1977, and across the U.S., many if not most people were focused on the shocking death of rock-and-roll great Elvis Presley at age 42. But in Ohio, a 37-year-old man named Jerry Ehman was transfixed by another startling event that—at least for searchers for extraterrestrial intelligence—potentially was even more momentous. Read More

Strange, New Radio Blasts from Space.  

Powerful and puzzling radio blasts in other galaxies constantly explode across the night sky, a new study suggests.

A team of international astronomers has detected four explosive events, known as fast radio bursts (FRBs), above the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy. Lasting only a few thousandths of a second, these sources send powerful signals across the universe, traveling billions of light-years through space.

"These bursts gave off more energy in a millisecond than the sun does in 300,000 years," said principal investigator Dan Thornton of the University of Manchester in England.  Read More

Your Cellphone, a Nesting Ground for Bacteria

Cellphones carry 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats, so it shouldn't be surprising that a man in Uganda reportedly contracted Ebola after stealing one.

He stole the phone from a quarantined ward of a hospital, near the site of a recent Ebola outbreak, reports said.

But regardless of your proximity to an Ebola outbreak, your cellphone is still probably pretty grimy, said Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona. Read More

The Imaginarium

Ordinary people finding ways to make life extraordinary

Parking lines painted up onto the walls.
Simple solution for the confused driver.

Required reading for the well behaved boy

In an alternate reality

Feet in the grass.
Its the simple things that make life worth living

In a doctor's office

The Young Police Car hunting for the first time alone

Kids these days

I want

The Stadium of Horrors. More Volunteering Stories from our Cadets. The Imaginarium

Hello Troops,
Happy Independence Day!
A short post today so I can sit beside a sizzling barbecue while downing a triple bypass burger dripping with melted cheese.  I add so much to my burgers they require scaffolding just to remain upright.  Its rumored that ten of my triple bypass burgers could feed a small African country for a week.

Yes, there will be Diet Dew on hand, bone chilled to perfection.  I keep a broom handle next to my lawn chair for two reasons: It helps me walk after eating my weight in cattle, and, when swung regularly in a circular motion, is effective at keeping the gazillion younglings in our extended family at bay.

Pleasant Grove is a great town with its own fireworks show.  The city doesn't try to compete with the Stadium of Fire.  It caters to people like me who've done the Stadium and have sworn never to do it again. The first time I went to the Stadium of Horrors a firework casing hit me in the head, nearly knocking me out of my chair.  The second time I had the misfortune of sitting on the stadium floor.  I had buy ear plugs with my decaff Coke from BYU concessions to keep from going deaf.  Add the smoke and the midnight traffic jam, and you have properly envisioned the Stadium of Horror.

Today we have another volunteering story from one of our cadets.  

Hi! I'm Miranda,
Probably one of the staff members you'll look at... and laugh. Which is good! I love the simulators. Period. I think they're fantastic. I love the deep blue lights that mask the real color of things, I love how for first time campers, who are willing to let the magic over take them, the transports are disconcerting and are the first part of making them feel like they've left their life behind for at least 2 and half hours. I'm happy if I'm flying, doing 2nd chair, acting, and often times, even watching.
I have lots of random stories that may or may not make you giggle. Unfortunately, I can't cohesively think of any currently. If you fly with me, you're bound to hear at least one! (If not, ask for one while we clean up the ship, I'll be more than happy to try to think of one to tell you :) )
I LOVE volunteering! For those who enjoy acting and improv, volunteering can be the ULTIMATE place to practice and increase your ability in different types of acting parts and with thinking quick on your feet. Even with working in the control room, you can learn so much about a mission (especially helpful if you're doctor) it also ends up being a great laugh, because someone will say something and the laughing begins. Besides that, volunteering is a great way to learn amazing work ethic and helps you no matter where you decide to take your future.
I'll be the first to admit that sometimes missions can be difficult, for many different reasons. We all mess up from time time (all of us, everyone that works at the Space Centers.) Even if it whatever the mistake is, seems like the worse thing in the world at the time. It's okay. It'll always blow over in the end. Trust me. If a volunteer can come back from unplugging the Galileo control room in the middle of a flight, you can come back from anything! (Yes, I did unplug the Galileo Control Room my first time flying with the Flight Director who had the flight. We are now friends, and giggle about it.) Also, as long as your shirt is on the right way, you're golden!
Miranda.

The Imaginarium

Make the ordinary, extraordinary 

A perfect name for a florist shop

If land were water and water was land

You want to talk imagination?  Look at these high school fashions from 1969.  Have a laugh at your parent's or grandparent's expense.

That's all you get to chose from:  14 pancakes or 155.

Creative towel folding in an upscale hotel

Me

A Russian monument to the contributions lab rats make to science