- Astronauts fix gyroscope, eye shuttle
After fixing a gyroscope on the International Space Station, NASA has now turned its attention to a far more pressing matter: a 3.5-inch by 2-inch gash on the underside of the shuttle.An answer to this problem needs to be found soon, or our celestial aspirations will be grounded for good.The crew of space shuttle Endeavor is waiting for mission managers to decide whether or not to try and patch the laceration in the orbiter’s fragile skin. Engineers still have not determined the cause of hole, be it foam from the booster rockets – which caused the damage that led to the demise of the Columbia – or other debris like ice. According to the reports, the prognosis is good, but “the risk is not zero and we have known that from day one,” says John Shannon, chairman of the mission management team.
It amazes me that this problem never came up in the past. The shuttle program has been on since 1981, and the Challenger tragedy was a result of a faulty o-ring on one of the booster rockets. But only now is this problem emerging as dagger in the heart to the U.S. space program. Could it be the budget cuts that are causing this, or maybe a manufacturing error by an incompetent contractor, or maybe a redesign flaw after the Challenger? An answer to this problem needs to be found soon, or our celestial aspirations will be grounded for good.
[CNN, Discovery] A web petition conceived by a duo of beer-drinking Mets fans to save one of New York City’s most recognizable sports landmark has gained some much-deserved attention in recent days. Launched in September 2006, SaveTheApple.com was created by New Yorkers Andrew Perlgut and Lonnie Klein to deliver a very simple message: “The Apple must stay.” This means that the current 27-year-old “Home Run Apple” that resides behind the fences in center field should be featured as it is now in the new Citi Field, which is slated to open for the 2009 season. The 9-foot wide, 582 pound apple is constructed of “fiberglass or similar material,” according to former Mets promotions director Joe Donahue. It sits atop a 10-foot black plywood top-hat, waiting for the next Mets batter to swat one out of the park to light up and galvanize the crowd in cheer.
Novelty and nostalgia, after all, are priceless...While some people may want to construct a new Apple, others are fine with just retiring and preserving the Mets’ trademark icon, but these petitioners will settle for nothing less than the old, grimy apple being used just as it is now in the new ballpark. Novelty and nostalgia, after all, are priceless, and its presence would bring comfort and familiarity in what will inevitably be a bright, shiny new facility.
Speaking of nostalgia, there’s a funny thing about that apple. When I was a kid, the Mets had a terrific slugger by the name of Daryl Strawberry. I used to think that the fruit that popped out of that black hat was a strawberry, mostly because it seemed he was the one hitting all the homers. So sign the petition and save the strawberry… err, I mean the “Home Run Apple!”
[SaveTheApple, NYTimes, PalmBeachPost, Sportsline]
The head of a major toy manufacturer in China allegedly committed suicide yesterday.Co-owner of Lee Der Industrial Co. Cheung Shu-hung committed suicide over the weekend. No reason was given for why the man hung himself, but some speculate that he was under pressure amidst the global controversy over Chinese products.
I would not be surprised if the recent execution of China's former food and drug chief played into this guy’s paranoia. Maybe it’s the lead paint his company is putting on toys?
[CNN, NYTimes, Forbes, LATimes, WashPost, Yahoo] Dong-dong, the prick is gone. Mark August 31 on your calendar and get ready for the next putz that the president puts in his place.
[Reuters, NYTimes]
- Facial attractiveness shaped human evolution
A recent study has found that attractive facial features have helped shape the course of human evolution.Evolution works in not-so-mysterious ways.Researchers at the Nation History Museum in the United Kingdom have examined fossils and have concluded that as man morphed into his current form, certain characteristics allowed males to maintain both an intimidating mug as well as one that would be attractive to prospective mates. The study is significant because, “the evolution of facial appearance is central to understanding what makes men and women attractive to each other,” according to paleontologist Eleanor Weston.
It might seem like a no-brainer, but if you examine fossil skulls of our ancestors, the faces then were not likely ones that we would be fond of today. But it makes sense; evolution works in not-so-mysterious ways.
[Eurekalert, PLoSOne] The owner of NBA franchise Seattle Supersonics has announced his intentions of moving the team from the Emerald City to heart of the Great Plains. “[W]e didn't buy the team to keep it in Seattle,” says owner Aubrey McClendon.What is that sound you hear? That’s the sound of Sonics fans’ tears dripping in their Starbucks coffee.
[SI.com] Speaking of Starbucks, a UK teen overdosed on caffeine after drinking fourteen shots of espresso. She had been downing the magical brown elixir to mitigate her fatigue after having only 5 hours of sleep the night before. She was hospitalized with a high temperature and heart palpitations – the classic symptoms of speed overdose. Way to go, genius.
[DailyMail]
Compiled by Adam Dubbin, TheSequitur.com Managing Editor. |
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