Potpourri LXI

A plethora of potpourri from the space biz today, so let's get rolling.

Courtesy of Martin, a Seth Borenstein story in USA Today on the return of "Shuttle-C," a cargo version of the Space Shuttle that goes back at least to the late 1980s.

The Augustine panel will be having a public meeting in Huntsville July 28. Another opportunity to let your voice be heard on the American human space flight program.

Uranium on the Moon? Maybe, says I...

Technology Review is repeating the Orlando Sentinel's story that Ares I-X is doomed. Sigh. It must be true, I saw it in a newspaper!

If you want to be depressed about the state of the world, you can check out this site (ref: Greg).

From R2D2, on location from a relaxing vacation in Michigan, a recommendation on a Bloody Mary recipe:

Ingredients
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/4 teaspoon OLD BAY® Seasoning
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
your favorite vodka
(optional)

Directions
In a glass, mix tomato juice, OLD BAY and lemon juice over ice. Add vodka and imbibe.

Yum!

An update on the Kansas City Space Pirates, competitors I observed at the 2006 X Prize Cup.

An article on the young man who won the NASA/NSS Space Settlement competition. Nice kid, but he talked very fast. Those of you who have met me will appreciate what that means. I'm not exactly Mr. Mellow.

A Paul Spudis presentation on why we should go to the Moon.

A blog from Air & Space Magazine that more or less agrees with my notion that we ought to focus on the mission first, and then worry about the rocket horse race.

There are reports of Michael Jackson fans committing suicide. The Down-Under Defense Expert (DUDE) suggests that this might be a fine example of what I'd call Darwinian selection...but only if they didn't reproduce first.

From Lin: An invitation from "Thomas Paine" to send tea bags to your elected officials.

Potpourri LIX

Getting close to a two-month countdown on the European vacation. Woo hoo! My buddy R2D2 sent a packing checklist. I'll add it to the pile. Gosh knows I need all the help I can get.

New from Hu:

• Gizmodo update on the Constellation Program.
• A couple editorials from Buzz Aldrin on Constellation, one in Discover, on on CNN.com.

From Blake, a couple episodes of Robot Chicken's version of Star Wars, here and here. NOT for kids.

And from Jeff, a new reader, a new site. He describes it as follows:

My blog deals with current news on NASA Space Missions,International Space News, Shuttle & Station,Moon & Mars,Solar System,Earth,Universe,Aeronautics,Science & Technology International Space Station, NASA, Shuttle & Station, Moon & Mars, Solar System, Universe.

Thanks for reading!

Tip o' the fedora to Rick Moore for finding this: my single concession to the recent news on the passing of Michael Jackson, the complete video of Captain EO, a Francis Ford Coppola/George Lucas 3D film that appeared at Epcot's Journey Into Imagination in the '80s.
Part I
Part II

Here's a hangover we'll regret in the morning: the House passed the carbon cap and trade (e.g. energy tax) bill 219-212 this evening. Say goodbye to cheap everything, if the Senate passes this. If the Senate does not pass it, that will be through the concerted efforts of motivated private citizens willing to get involved and make their voices heard. My letters and emails will be in the mail tomorrow.