Some alert and aware. Others exist in a twilight zone of consciousness, afflicted by stupors of thought
Hello Troops, It's Monday at the Space Center. Amazing how that happens every seven days. We've got a busy week with field trips, after school field trips and private missions. This weekend we host 45 students from Sego Lily Elementary School.
Our overnight camp went well. The Highland kids were generous in their scores. I'd like to congratulate the Voyager for taking top honors. Good work Jon Parker and his staff. They flew Canada. The Magellan came in a very close second.
I want to congratulate Erin W. for earning her One Year of Volunteer Service Pin. The pin was awarded during our End of Camp meeting in Discover on Saturday. Erin is an awesome volunteer. By the way, please ignore the cheesy smile. I only get a few hours of sleep on overnight camps, and by 10:30 A.M. Saturday I'm on my 27th working hour (having started at 7:00 P.M. Friday morning), so anything I do on Saturdays is done on mental fumes only. Real coherent thought eludes me until Sunday morning.
The Super Saturday also went well. We were all anxious to get home though. It was a busy week back from the holiday vacation.
How about a few items from the Imaginarium to start the week off right?
Look at the sticker in the window, then look at the license plate. Get it? My "Earth was Visited by Ancient Astronauts" friends will (its a TV show that really stretches the theory that man's development throughout history was the direct result of alien intervention).
The perfect place for your iphone. Yes, you'll be the talk of the school. Be sure to wear your Wranglers and cowboy boots. Oh, and a nice western cut plaid shirt will top it all off perfectly.
What a great logo for a band of Space Pirates. Too bad everyone recognizes the source. Curse you Star Wars..
And finally, an add from when I was a youngster. Didn't care too much about cavities back then did we?
Hope to See you Soon in the Trenches! Mr. Williamson
Hello Troops, Our first Friday back from the Christmas Holiday. Highland Elementary students will be attending our overnight camp. Tomorrow is the January Super Saturday. Fun and excitement all around. Let's get this weekend off to a great start.
By the way, when is the last time you attended a Space Center program? Perhaps its time to book a Super Saturday or private mission. Don't forget a summer camp. Summer camp registration begins in two weeks.
Are we ready for a few items from the Imaginarium......
Hogwart's Approved Game Consoles I've always wondered about those Hufflepuff kids. What criteria does the sorting hat use to select a Hufflepuff? The mental picture I get of a Hufflepuff is someone soft and cuddly. I'm wondering if Mrs. Weasley was a Hufflepuff. Did we ever get to meet a Hufflepuff in the movies. Perhaps we didn't because they were the ones that never came out of the library....
Here's an idea of something creative to do the next time its snows. Surprise everyone on your block. Go out and turn all the parked cars into something from Cars. You'll be the talk of the town.
This next one cannot be true. They forgot something..... duct tape. OK, this is for all of you out there that love the British sitcom "The IT Crowd". It is awesome and has Mr. Williamson's seal of approval (although it would be rated PG if it were a film so perhaps not for the youngest in the home. The Brits can be a bit 'off color' at times with their humor). Any more of you "IT Crowd" fans out there?
And from the "Why didn't I think of this when I built my house" Department... It is the ultimate 'get away' room.
And finally, The Pirate Crossword Puzzle.
OK Troops, you've had your fun. Time to strap on your gear and head into the trenches. There be ignorance to conquer in all it forms today.
Remember, use use your imagination or lose it. Do something creative today, even something as simple as driving a different way to work, or be really daring and instead of that Diet Coke, how about a Diet Dew! What about brushing your teeth with your opposite hand, or ordering something from your favorite fast food stop that you've not tried before. Think of the endless possibilities.
Have a Great Day and I hope to see you soon at the Space Center.
Hello Troops, We are well into the thick of it at the Space Center. It's day 3 since we all returned to school and work. The staff seems to have adjusted back into the cycle of get up, work, school, bed. The simulators are behaving as expected except for a few glitches. The Galileo put me in a foul mood yesterday. Foul moods dampen my usual cheery disposition. The amp didn't come on so the ship had no sound. Perfect timing too, the field trip was ready to fly A Diet Coke Zero brought me out of it (whoops, the secret's out. The way to pull Mr. W. happy out of a foul mood is a Diet Coke Zero served at exactly 33 degrees. A box of Whoppers has been know to help as well).
We've enjoyed telling Midnight Rescue for the past couple days. It makes a nice change from endless tellings of Perikoi. It's the variety that makes it survivable.
By the way, the summer camp schedule is almost ready to be posted, I worked on it yesterday. Be sure to sign up for summer camp.
OK, how about a few items from the Imaginarium to get your Wednesday off to a good start. I've got a few examples for you today.
We start with this...
Yep, I admire the attitude displayed in this picture.
Everyone wears this "I'm completely normal and I'm cool," front so they can better fit in with the crowd they want to hang with. That is normal. We all want to be part of a tribe, but what are you like when there isn't a soul around to impress? Yes, yes..... The sign is right isn't it? You've got your weird ways like everyone else. Just to let you in on a secret; its that peppering of weird that makes you, YOU. It's what the people that know you best, like about you. So, let the real you out once in awhile for an airing. It will do your soul good.
By the way, are you as sick of winter as this snowman? I was fed up with winter last Tuesday. I drove to Harts to pick up my morning Diet Dew and Snack Wells. I found my car door's lock frozen when I returned to my car. The automatic unlock button stopped working a year ago so I was stuck. I wasn't wearing a coat which made matters worse. A jacket wasn't very effective in the 15 degree weather. Five minutes of shivering and working the lock finally opened the door. I was in a foul mood. Winter is officially scratched off my favorite seasons list.
And finally, something from Lego that shows real imagination.
Have a good day and I'll see you at the Space Center. Make it sooner rather than later.
Mr. W.
P.S. Cloverdale's Bookmobile is coming to your street. Click here to look at the new titles.
Hello Troops, I'm sitting at home shell shocked and attempting to come to terms with he fact that this is my last day of leave before I pick up my kit and splosh through the slush and muck, across field and forest, to rejoin my comrades in the trenches. Ignorance is once again to be engaged. Our holiday truce is concluded. One more good meal tonight, then its a steady diet of rations; warm beans (if we can make a fire) perhaps flavored with a bit of pork rind. The brown water the cook calls coffee will wash it down.
I had great expectations for this Christmas vacation. There was a list of things I'd hoped to accomplish but didn't. There's a little angel sitting on my right shoulder right now, chastising me for my laziness. There's a little devil sitting on my left shoulder congratulating me for slacking off. My current headache is the result of their quarrel. "That list will have to be done. You've just procrastinated," the angel is saying to me. "There's always tomorrow," the devil just countered.
Sometimes you just need to just stop on life's busy highway and vegetate. Sometimes you need to grab a hot cup of whatever and just stare. I've been known to stare out the window or at a point on the wall or at people I don't even know or at that box in the living room (whether its on or off). I let my brain drift to find its own course, taking me along for the ride. Of course this kind of mental adventuring requires a great deal of sustenance. Frequent trips to the kitchen provide the fuel and Christmas time is always the best time to find the most delicious mental fuel laying about.
I noticed my belt has shrunk over the past two weeks. Cheap leather is the only explanation. I'll have to either purchase a new belt or make fewer trips to the kitchen. Hummmmmm, I hate tough choices.
Space Center News:
The Galileo is about to get a new set of simulator controls. Our Programming Guild has been working for months creating ship controls in Cocoa (Apple's language for the iPad and iPhone).
The Magellan has a couple new large signs to dress up its blank white walls. We hope to have more made.
The Phoenix's Control Room was reorganized. The Phoenix staff have more counter space now.
I took a few minutes yesterday and started up the Voyager. The Voyager has a personality of its own and if its neglected too long (like the past two weeks we've been closed) it acts up and throws a bit of a temper tantrum (meaning something won't work, either a computer or sound mixer or monitor). I spoke nicely to the ship before I started anything. I turned on the lights, went up to the bridge and explained why we've been gone for so long. I told her that she was never forgotten during our absence and how excited we all were to come back. With fingers crossed I started to turn everything on. I'm happy to report that the Voyager responded well to my soliloquy. Everything ran perfectly. Fingers crossed I get the same results tomorrow.
OK, how about a G Rated Sunday chuckle? Of course you won't get it if you don't know your basic physics. By the way, this is Sheldon from "The Big Bang". It's a better than your average run of the mill comedy.
Have a Great Sunday and I'll See Many of You in the Trenches This Week.
Mr. W.
P.S. Read about the strange Implosion in Cloverdale, but keep it hush hush. Something just released on the notoriousCloverLeaks.
I spoke to a few former students as I left the school today (yes, it may come as a shock, but some of us have to work for a living). They were hanging out on the playground. They were having a good time until I asked if they were ready to go back to school. Wow, talk about a mood changer. The air suddenly got dark. They described what seemed to be a concentration camp where their freedoms were suspended and they had to 'tow the mark' or else. Of course everything they said was exaggerated but it did get me thinking, and when I start thinking you'd better expect a post.
So, in the spirit of good fun, I wrote this letter to those students from the school they described to me.
Mr. W.
P.S. Thanks to thepeoplescube.com for a few of the pictures below.
This message was brought to you by The Ministry of Truth, Education and Propaganda (Minitrue). We Think, So You Don't Have To.
A Message from
Silas T. Sludge Minister of Truth, Education and Propaganda Pleasant Grove
Attention All Students:
School vacation is coming to an end. As the Minister of Education I urge to put away your newly acquired distractions (given to you for no apparent reason other than you were born) and reacquaint yourselves with your textbooks and school schedules.
All students are ordered to return to our schools Monday morning displaying happy and cheerful dispositions. Of course, once the bell rings, you will immediately take your learning positions as displayed in the photograph above, taken from your Good Student Handbook issued at the start of the school year.
Any student caught in any state of semiconsciousness will be dealt with according to the rules and regulations outlined on pages 10 through 15 in your handbook. Discussions of what you did during the holiday are permitted in the common areas and cafeteria only.
Remember the sacrifice society has made to ensure you have a good school to attend. Think of your parents working day in and day out without complaining so you have this opportunity. An opportunity many children do not have. Look how tired they are at the end of their work day - all for you.
How will you thank them for this sacrifice? Will you toil forward, always forward, toward the end goal of graduation and finding a meaningful role to fill in our society? It is expected.
This is Albert Slipple. He exemplifies the Ministry's idea of a proper student. He rises early and fixes breakfast for himself, his brothers and sisters and his working parents. He does the dishes before leaving his modest apartment for the six mile walk to school. He keeps himself company on the long arduous trek by singing songs of courage and steadfastness. His grades are always top of the class. He sings in the school choir. He helps the school custodians. He works with the school's headmaster by reporting on students that have forgotten the rules as outlined in his well worn and memorized Good Student Handbook.
Delma Dropsley, on the other hand, is a student recommended for special care as outlined in your Good Student Handbook. She is often late for school and becomes distracted easily. She has been known to question the rules and has used unapproved colors in her science notebook. She has also been found on numerous occasions loitering outside one of the city's schools after school hours instead of working at home on her homework. Such behavior cannot be tolerated.
Remember, school is a happy place. It is your home away from home. It is a place deserving your love and complete and undivided attention. It is a place where you can forget who you are and focus instead on what is expected of you. It is a place where the confusion of free thinking is shackled and replaced the knowledge that we will do the thinking for you.
If you find yourself questioning this, please report your disturbing thoughts to a teacher, headmaster, custodian or lunch lady. We are here to help you be happy and have ways to help clear your thoughts from distractions. You must trust us.
Welcome Back to Where you Belong!
Signed, Silas T. Sludge
ALERT....... ALERT...... ALERT.......
You were caught snickering during the reading of this letter. This is a violation of the Good Student Handbook. You have been reported. Your misconduct number is below:
Follow the instructions as given in your certificate of misconduct.And shame on you.
Hello Again Troops, Well, did I get it right? How many of you are feeling the dread of returning to our "mind control factories"? It's not so bad. Think if it this way - summer vacation is a mere five months away!
And how about a bit of tele from the Imaginarium to brighten this cold day? This clip comes from the Imaginarium's Comedy School. It is the kind of school where your can let your imagination run wild to produce some very clever things.
Mr. W.
P.S. Cloverleaks revealed what really happened on Millstone Road. http://ourcloverdale.blogspot.com/2011/01/cloverleaks-brings-you-truth-about.html
I met with the Set and many of the Flight Directors yesterday at the Space Center. We discussed our upcoming Summer Camp Season for 2011. Each simulator is preparing a new mission for the camps. The stories, on first listen, sound really good. It will be a summer camp you'll not want to miss so plan on registering at the end of January when the Camp Registration From appears on the Space Center's web site.
Are you all enjoying your holiday vacation? It is good to have down time, because we all know the saying, "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." At least I hope you've heard that saying before. I'm not too sure when in comes to Utah. It was something I heard all the time in South Dakota (where I was raised). Mind you, we said several other things in South Dakota that could never be said in Utah. And don't think it was because that's all us hicks from the great plains could do was cuss up a tempest. We drove cattle, farmed, rode horseback and whittled to pass the time of day.
Our teacher didn't stand fer cussin. He died of consumption during my second time 'round the 8th grade.
I learned my letters, numbers, ciphering and divining in that school house. See how we cleaned up for the photo? Told ya we could.
We knew how to talk refined if we had to. Our teacher at the school house didn't stand fer cussin. Got yer hand swatted if ya did. I'll also have you know that we cleaned up real pretty when we went into town. And I'll have you know my Ma taught me to memory many a verse from the Good Book that I could recite without a stammer when called upon. Won a ribbon for it I did at the Pennington County Fair. They heard me preaching the Word all the way to the cattle judgin. They were mightily impressed. Them Lutherans that sponsored the Bible Readin presented me with the blue ribbon and a silk bow tie worn proudly even today on the days when I clean up to go to WalMart. How about a few things to occupy a few minutes of your time today since there isn't much else to say from the Space Center?
Item one for your amusement. This is a short video showing you the luckiest people on the planet for 2010. Watch and see if you don't agree. Yes, some of them are darn lucky to be alive at all.
Item 2 on our agenda today - The Dalek. The greatest threat to humanity in the Universe. Yes I threw that out there and dare all of you sci fi fans that think differently to prove me wrong.
Item 3 on our agenda. This comes from the Imaginarium. The first Etch a Sketch, steam driven no less!
Item 4. Racing up the stairs the way it should be done. I believe all outdoor staircases should be painted like this to encourage exercise. Right now I'm thinking the one staircase I raced up the most - the one from the P.E. buildings (Richards Building) at BYU up to the main campus. Anyone else ever race up those when you were a student there?
Item 5. I know the characters that live in South Park are disrespectful and very crude and I'm really not a fan of the show but I thought this was worthy of a posting. I enjoy this because these lawn decorations are very different from the usual we get around here in Pleasant Grove (the inflatable figures and the wire reindeer complete with lights). If it shows real imagination and creativity then Its worthy of mention in my book.
Item 6: Flight Director Bracken Funk, playing for the Fresno Bulldogs is moving up in the rankings. Bracken will be rejoining our line up of flight directors for the summer season. He currently goes to school and plays basketball for Fresno State in California. Congratulations Bracken! (You see, you can be a jock and a nerd. The two are not incompatible).
And finally, a friendly reminder....
I never do :)
Mr. W.
P.S. Just out of curiosity, anyone get the title of this post? A hearty handshake from me if you do.
Hello Troops, It's Monday and we have another week off from school. I'll be at the Center off and on this week getting things ready for January and meeting with the staff as we plan our summer camp schedule. Yep, its time to start thinking about summer.
Here's hoping you all enjoyed your Christmas. If you got everything you asked for then the only thing I have to say is "You're Spoiled!". If you didn't then welcome to my world - the real world where people are used to disappointment, where people have to work for a living, toiling day and night so people like you CAN BE SPOILED.
Mind you, I'm not a complainer. I think I better described as a martyr.
OK, who am I kidding? I really had a good Christmas with family and friends.
Let's start this Monday with a few chuckles.
From the Imaginarium we have these two entries for your viewing pleasure. This is the best use of excessive snow I've ever seen. On the top you've got R2D2 and on the bottom you've got Jabba, the Hut. Wouldn't it be cool if these to homes were across the street from each other?
Now, from the "Cooking for the Holiday's" class I wouldn't have taken even if there was such a thing offered in Pleasant Grove, comes these cookies perfect for the Christmas Humbug like me. Clever is the only word for these and if you decide to bake them yourself I'd better get one, even if it means making an out of the way stop at the Space Center to deliver it.
Finally, this is the kind of soccer we played in South Dakota while I was growing up. None of this wimpy flat field soccer you folks play here in Utah. Oh, did I ever mention that we use to walk 15 miles, uphill in both directions, to school and back. Oh, and did I mention the log cabin I was raised in, complete with spaces between the logs for our shot guns to ward off Indian attacks?
If not, remind me the next time you have 2 or 3 hours and I'll be happy to share my recollections of growing up in the Dakotas.
If you have a minute, stop by and visit me at Cloverdale. I'm there this whole week, except for the brief visits to the Space Center. Today you'll get to meet a young man who suffers from a disfiguring apparel handicap. Such a pity for one so young.
Hello Troops, I'm off to the dentist. I'll expose these pearly whites (I wish) to xrays and my dentist's assistant, whom I believe learned how to clean teeth at an East German Labor Camp (yikes).
Thought I'd repost something I wrote a couple years ago.
Wish me luck, and enjoy your time with Charlie and Linus.
Mr. W.
Charlie Brown's Christmas Sorrow
Charlie Brown : “Will it ever stop snowing?” Linus: “You seem a little depressed today Charlie Brown. Although it isn’t unusual to find you depressed on any given morning, you would think a no school day paired with Christmas would be enough kindling to ignite some kind of holiday spirit.” Charlie Brown: “What are you talking about. Why don't you speak English? I swear I don’t understand half of what you say. Why can’t I have a friend that speaks my language?!” Linus: “Bad Day. Not Good. You Sad. You make me sad. You be happy soon?” Charlie Brown: “Good Grief”
(a pause in the conversation allows both boys to draw figures in the snow. Linus picks up the conversation trying to brighten Charlie's mood)
Linus: “Peppermint Patty is having her annual Peppermint Christmas party tonight. Will you be going? If so, will you be accompanied by your pleasant mood?” Charlie Brown: “I didn’t get an invitation. Did everybody get an invitation?” Linus: “I’m guessing they did. It looks like Snoopy has his."
(Snoopy is seen in the distance removing his leather jacket, aviator's cap and goggles. He enters his dog house and exits with an invitation in one hand and his Christmas dog collar in the other. He does a little dance and then, in a flash, is off down the street)
Charlie Brown: “Sigh” Linus: “Cheer up Charlie Brown. You can come with me. The invitation says you can come in Christmas costume. I wasn't going to dress up but I have an idea. I can wrap my blanket around my head and go as a shepherd. You can put your mom’s wool coat on and come as a sheep.” Charlie Brown: “Good Grief”
(There is another pause. Linus tries to catch snowflakes on his tongue. Charlie stares blankly ahead watching Lucy drag her 'Psychiatric Booth' out from the garage and out to the driveway).
Linus: “You know what you need. You need to see my sister Lucy. For a nickel she can get you felling right as rain. See, she is setting up her booth in the driveway. She’s expanding her practice. She offers online holiday help if you have the internet and a dime. I see she has mom’s cell phone. I gave her the idea to start a holiday crisis help line. Its Perfect for you Charlie Brown. Let’s go inside and give her a call.” Charlie: “She’s right there on the driveway. Why don’t I just go over and talk to her?” Linus: “You’ve never been one to keep abreast of modern technology have you?” Charlie Brown: “Sigh”
(Again, another pause. Linus pulls out Peppermint Patty's invitation to double check the party's starting time. He smells something - a smell everyone recognizes. He looks up to confirm his nose's conclusion).
Linus: “It’s working. She has her first holiday customer. You can tell its PigPen - she’s shrouded in dust. This is fantastic. She promised to share her holiday profits if I keep giving her ideas for business expansion. I want an iPhone for Christmas but I don't think Santa will spring for one this year. I’ve been a good boy but to get an iPhone requires the ability to walk on water. I don't think I've been that good. So.... my share of the psychiatric business's profit will be my standby plan to get one. ”
(Charlie Brown looks at Linus with a look of unbelief. He decides to redirect the conversation)
Charlie Brown: “I’m not going as a sheep. I'll just go. I'm sure she sent an invitation. It must have gotten lost in the mail.” Linus: “Yes, that must be it. Just like your invitation to the Halloween party. Your invitations are in good company with the millions of socks lost in dryers every year.” Charlie Brown: “Do you get paid a bonus by your sister to annoy me to the point where I need her help!?”
(Now Linus decides it is time to redirect the conversation to something else)
Linus: “Oh look, I think the snow is increasing in volume.” Charlie Brown: “I don’t think I’m going to make it through this vacation, even with your quack sister's help.”
(Linus grows perplexed. He has seen Charlie Brown depressed before but this depression seems to be different)
Linus: “What is it Charlie Brown! I’ve never seen you this bad. What’s this anchor on your holiday spirit?” Charlie Brown: “Do you really want to know. I mean honestly want to know?” Linus: “I’m your friend, and considering the way things are progressing, soon I’ll be your only friend. Listen Charlie Brown, I guarantee there is nothing so dreadful, awful, depressing or dark that the spirit of Christmas can’t brighten! Come on, throw it at me. I’ll use my Christmas Cheer and bat it out of the park!” Charlie Brown: “THE SPACE CENTER IS CLOSED UNTIL JANUARY 4TH! AAAAAAARRRRRUUUUUGGGG. OH THE HUMANITY.............” Linus: “Gulp” Charlie Brown: “Let’s see you bat that one ‘out of the park’. Oh yea.......now whose talking Mr. Christmas Cheer. Go on, take that to your sister and see it turn her to the bottle for holiday cheer.” Linus: “Sigh” Charlie Brown: “Double Sigh” Linus: “I take your Double Sigh and raise you two more sighs” Charlie Brown: “Good Grief.” Linus: “You got that right.”
Hello Troops, I was awoken this morning at 5:10 A.M. by my home's carbon monoxide alarm. There was no reason for panic. The air was good. The alarm sounded because we lost power. The detector makes a loud beep whenever the power goes out. The power came back on about 7:20 A.M. The house was cold and I dreaded to get up knowing what I had to face on the driveway and sidewalks. Yes, I hear many of you saying you had to do the same - shovel. It's one of those chores men do. We shovel.
I didn't know if our 10:00 A.M five hour Odyssey mission was coming in so I shoveled and then headed to the Space Center. Christine was there waiting. The group showed up right on time. This is our official last mission then of 2010. Christine was at the helm, assisted by Adam, Trevor H., Nathan M., and finally Jace. What's a mission without the sudden and unexpected arrival of Jace?
Isn't this so true of our fantastic maintenance folks? Thanks Kyle and Jon for your work!
Kyle Jones and Jon Parker were already at work when I arrived. They have the unseen job of cleaning up our basement shop and organizing our equipment. Its a nasty job that will take them a good two days to get things right.
On the bright side, they are hanging up the two new Magellan signs that have been sitting in one state or another for nearly two years. Jon just called to tell me they cracked the clear plastic shield over one of the large signs while they were drilling the holes for the metal brackets which hold the sign to the wall. I told him to hang the sign anyway (on the darkest wall of course). We will order another piece of plastic, but I've waited a long time for those signs and I'm going to get them!
It's 3:00 P.M. The Odyssey mission is just now done. We are done! It's time to put 2010 to bed. Let there be cheering and rejoicing throughout the Imaginarium. We can all grab our coats and rush through the streets to the Wonderland Station to catch the last trains to Reality.
"Attention, Attention, All non essential Imagineers are released from duty. Enjoy your holidays," the voice over the loud speaker just said. You don't have to tell me twice. I'm shutting this down and heading out. I'll post a few things on the way to the Station and perhaps again when I'm on the train.
End................... Time: 3:04 P.M. (IST) Imaginarium Standard Time.
Hello Troops, I'm standing outside the Center waiting for the trolley to the train station. I've got a few minutes so I'll write a few more things and post them. The Imagineers around me are pretty psyched about getting home for the holidays. We feel sorry for our comrades that work in the Ministry of Christmas Wonders. Their building is just across the street from where I'm standing. It's got a large Christmas tree made of lights running up two sides of the 20 story building.
The guy standing next to me just pointed to a couple of people looking at us from the fifth floor. They're both wearing Santa hats and looking rather glum, at least that's the impression I have from this distance. They're waving at us. I'll wave back.
I'm back. Poor chaps, but hey, someone has to provide all the imagination required for the Christmas holiday. That's why the Christmas Ministry has one of the tallest buildings in the Imaginarium. This ministry employs more people than the all the other ministries combined, well except for the people that work for the Ministry of the Undead. They deal with Halloween. They're a scary bunch of oddballs for sure.
The trolley is late. Someone said they're running twenty minutes behind schedule due to the holiday rush. I think I'll walk the four blocks to the Wonderland Station. Talk to you later....
End...........................
I'm back. Just saw something that made my blood run cold for a moment. I snapped a picture with my camera phone. Here it is:
Some kid somewhere is having a great time wiping out an imaginary town with his Star Wars toys. That's what I love about working here in the Imaginarium. We don't create the thoughts that fuel imagination. We just enhance them and add a bit magic so they become very real to the playing child, or the adult for that matter. Yes, it will be duck and cover once the kid starts to fire but hey, its the Imaginarium. No one gets hurt, we just make it seem real.
THE SHOOTING HAS STARTED. YES..... THERE GOES A FEW FLOORS RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF THE BUILDING HOUSING THE MINISTRY OF FANTASY. I'm not a fan. They can have their unicorns and fairies and all the rest. OK, I've got to make this look real. The blasters are pointing my direction. That means the player is looking right at me in his imagination. Don't laugh, but I'm going to have to run and scream just like they do in those Japanese Godzilla movies. All in a day's work. Signing off, its time to act.
End..............................
I'm back. I'm sitting on a wooden bench beside the track. The Wonderland Station is packed. It will be a dash for the train when it arrives. No one wants to wait for the next one. I saw a funny sign on the wall near the drinking fountain on Platform 2. It is next to a metal door marked "Staff Only".
Clever huh? Wait, that's the train. Everyone is surging forward. Gotta go........
End............................
I made it! Reality here I come. This train is equipped with monitors playing the latest creations from the Ministry of Advertising Science (MAS). They support the people in the real world that work in the Advertising business. The MAS is one of the largest professional Ministries in the Imaginarium. These guys take their jobs seriously knowing people's livelihoods rest on the work they do. My stop is coming up so I'll end this post with my favorite of the ones shown.
Enjoy and keep Imagining. We have families to feed and mortgages to pay.
Hello Troops, We're cocooned in marshmallow today in northern Utah. The sky is white and heavy. Its raining. I look at that as a blessing. Let it snow in the mountains and rain in the valleys. That is my definition of a perfect winter.
The Space Center officially closed for Christmas Vacation yesterday at 5:15 P.M. Jon Parker's voice was the last heard over one of our five microphones. His Voyager crew arrived 15 minutes late so, being full of Christmas cheer, Jon extended their mission an additional 15 minutes. We're like that at the Space Center. We bend backwards for our visitors, even at our own cost. We've a reputation to uphold. So, what happens at the Center over the next two weeks?
Maintenance comes first. Kyle has returned from BYU Idaho to spend one week doing maintenance projects in the ships.
I'll meet with the Flight and Set Directors to map out our summer camp schedule.
Summer missions will also be on our agenda.
Voyager Controls is something else I'll be working on with assistance from Emily and Jon. Our programmers are finishing up our new Cocoa controls for the Galileo. The Voyager is next.
Yesterday I made the decision not to convert the Voyager to iPads. We met for a couple hours with our Programming Guild listening to the pros and cons. In the end the cards weren't there for an all iPad ship. We will forge ahead with a new set of controls based on the Guild's Mercury Server. I want to thank Tod Hadley for attending. His input was valuable.
One good thing to come from the meeting is my desire to use iPads throughout the simulator for special activities and projects. The 2011 Voyager will be quite the ship when we finish with it.
In closing, I'd like to show you the pictures I took of the staff and volunteers that worked the last mission of the old Magellan before it was torn apart and the new Magellan built. The day after these pictures were taken construction on the new set began. A few months later, the new Magellan opened for the summer season.
Please forgive the photograph's resolution. They were taken with the Space Center's first digital camera. The faces are fuzzy but our old timers will recognized the staff and volunteers that worked that last mission.
Jackson Miller (Center)
One of the volunteers you'll see in these pictures passed away with cancer two years ago. Jackson loved the Space Center, and in his memory, his family sponsors a special yearly Space Center field trip for the Rowland Hall 5th graders.
Jackson was an awesome kid who worked whenever he could while he suffered through his cancer treatments. He worked his last mission about six months before he died. All his hair was gone, but his spirits were high.
Jackson, and the millions of people like him around the world, who face and fight deadly diseases are my true heroes.
And now, the Old Magellan's Last Mission....
For a quick chuckle, take a moment and go to the link below and watch this short Christmas video I posted on my Cloverdale Blog (The Village I created populated with the kind of people I understand). I think it would be cool if we made a video like this to advertise the Space Center - you know - old school. What do you think?
There is a rumor going around that we are going to build a simulator in Logan. So where is this simulator going to be located? One idea that has been proposed for our program is to convert the main computer lab at the school (Thomas Edison Charter School) into a part time simulator. The design would allow it to still function as a computer lab, but in the evenings, weekends, and summers it will be able to take students on adventures into space.
In order for the lab to be able to function as a simulator there are going to need to be some big changes. One of the biggest is the addition of a wall to separate the control room from the bridge. There will also be a new lighting system, audio equipment, and general aesthetic elements such as paint to help create the atmosphere of being in a star ship. Their are other elements we hope to add to the simulator as we generate funds from running flights, but these are the basics we believe are needed to get a ship up and running.
The controls of the ship are currently being developed as part of the Openstardrive.org project led by Allan Stewart and Dave Wall. The open source programs will be able to run on the computers currently being used at the school instead of having to buy new systems.We are very excited by this prospect and the amazing opportunity we have been given to work with them and the aide they are providing us.
Here are some images that show how the simulator might appear in the future. On the left is a possible layout for desks, but more importantly shows the additional wall. The others are images from inside the simulator and control room. We'd love to have the new desks, but most likely they are a little further down the road.
In order for us to make these changes to the lab as well as purchase the necessary equipment to run the simulator, it is going to take some funds. We need the skills to build a wall or the money to pay someone to do it, not forgetting the actual materials as well. With the increase of equipment we will also be running some new electrical outlets and the lighting system. If you know someone who can help us with these tasks please contact us. The great thing about this project is that our estimates are showing a very attainable fund raising goal. We'll keep you posted on our progress.
James Porter http://cachevalleysimulator.blogspot.com/2010/12/lab-conversion.html
We're Back for Another Week.
I want to congratulate Erin W. for earning her One Year of Volunteer Service Pin. The pin was awarded during our End of Camp meeting in Discover on Saturday. Erin is an awesome volunteer. By the way, please ignore the cheesy smile. I only get a few hours of sleep on overnight camps, and by 10:30 A.M. Saturday I'm on my 27th working hour (having started at 7:00 P.M. Friday morning), so anything I do on Saturdays is done on mental fumes only. Real coherent thought eludes me until Sunday morning.
