Orion on landing
If you fondly remember 1960s and 70s science fiction shows, or you just love great modelmaking, you need to see the Sci-Fi Airshow site. Bill George, a Visual Effects Supervisor at Industrial Light and Magic, did a truly beautiful job on these images.
Spindrift from "Land of the Giants"
The artwork includes several larger versions for computer wallpaper. Really, you should see this artist’s work. Go check it out!
It’s a Dodge commercial, but you’ll like it. Hang with it until the end.
We could dive into a black hole or something instead…no wait, we don’t have a space program any more. Sorry – I just had to toss that in there.
This article from the Houston Chronicle talks about changes to several illegal immigrant detention centers in Texas that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials required. I won’t detail them here – go to the article yourself. Here’s a summary from the article:
ICE and the private prison company Corrections Corporation of America have agreed to make more than 24 changes at nine facilities. The changes include:
• Relaxing security: Low-risk detainees will have “freedom of movement” in the facilities and will no longer be subject to lock downs or lights out.
• Access: Detainees will be able to have visitors stay as long as they like within a 12-hour window. The facilities will increase attorney visitation space, add un-monitored phone lines and give detainees email and free, Internet-based calling. A unit manager will be available to take complaints directly from detainees.
• Daily life: Detainees will be allowed to wear regular clothing, will have at least four hours of recreation daily, and will be offered cooking, art and dance classes.
Source: ICE e-mail dated May 27
Check the article out! You absolutely will not believe it!
Thanks to Mark Levin for mentioning it on his radio show last Friday!
Jeanne Robinson
Jeanne Robinson, wife of science fiction author Spider Robinson, passed away on May 30. I just found out about it now. She had battled cancer for quite some time, and according to Spider her passing was peaceful, surrounded by family.
I’ve read practically everything Spider has written, fiction and non-fiction. I’ve liked almost all of his fiction, and actually loved most of it; I’ve disagreed with his political opinions most of the time, but thought that at least his opinions were always well thought out and well presented. If I have any idea how Spider felt about his wife, he must be hurting very, very badly right now. My prayers go out to Spider, his family, and the spirit that was Jeanne when she was here with us.
In fact, the only husband/wife teams I’ve known of that are as tightly knit as my own with my wife – the ones where I feel I know that for sure – were Spider’s and Robert and Virginia Heinlein’s. Of course, this is because they wrote about it , and it showed through some of their fiction as well. I’m sure there are many, many others. I just know that I have somewhat of an idea how Spider must feel now, and I am very sorry for hole in his heart that exists today.
Don’t worry, Spider; as you said on your web site – you’ll track her down again eventually. I’m sure you’ll have a lot to talk about!
The Dragon Spacecraft
SpaceX successfully launched Falcon 9 yesterday, and put the mockup of the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The company has not disclosed much information about the flight yet, but it’s enough for me that a private company now has successfully launched a man-rated orbital launch vehicle – on the first try. I know other large companies have done so, many times, in the last 50 years. But they had bucketloads of government money, and the opportunity to fail many, many times. (Read the history of the Atlas missile if you want to see what I mean.)
Congratulations to Elon Musk and his company on a job well done!
The Old Gray Cat 