Potpourri CXXXIII

A Pakistani airport pulled over a guy with circuitry in his shoes.

Earth microbes are unlikely to contaminate Mars. Well, duhhhh.

Piece of Newton’s apple tree is set to fly on Shuttle. Fun!

Also fun: they're getting a live Star Trek show at KSC Visitor’s Center.


From my buddy John, a fellow Chicago Irishman and writer, some interesting links for aspiring writers.

From the Down Under Defense Expert, a little hair-raising audio from a pilot arguing with Air Traffic Control at Kennedy Airport about where he could or could not land in a high crosswind.

Now we’re talkin’…space tourism flights out of Curaçao! If the zero-gravity thing doesn't work so well for you, you've got access to plenty of high-octane tropical drinks once you land.

Soyuz rockets are now being assembled in Guyana. Wonder what ol' "Uncle Joe" Stalin would've thought of that?


An Augustine panel member is criticizing Obama's NASA spending plan.

Massachusetts is in line to receive over $15M in STEM grants.
 
My friend and fellow space blogger Jeff Foust, as always, is worth reading. The last two sentences made this editorial for me.

There's some more high-resolution video of the Pad Abort 1 test available on Vimeo.
 
A rain-making laser? (No Dr. Evil references, please.)
 
Investors were not impressed by $1 trillion European bailout proposal, designed to stem the impending financial ruin of Greece and other nations on the Continent. Among the guarantors for this bailout would be France, Germany, and the American taxpayer. What, you didn't know?