Sci Fi Jungle

Speaking of Rockets Into Space...

My hubby and I both agreed that we needed to hear some David Bowie Space Oddity in celebration of the successful launch of the Ares rocket.

Here am I floatin' 'round my tin can far above the world
Planet Earth is blue and there's nothing I can do

And of course I can't hear Space Oddity without thinking of Elton John doing Rocket Man. When I was a kid in Rochester, NY, the radio station used to play them back to back.  So my mind has a permanent association - sort of a fall protection.

And all this science I don't understand
It's just my job five days a week

Nasa Ares 1-X rocket blasts off in Florida

NASA ran a successful 6 minute test flight of the Ares rocket today.  Here is some way cool video of the launch.  Watch the end when they show the separation.  So cool.  Even after battling the weather the folks at NASA really were excited about the success of the test.  It's a happy fulfillment center day at NASA and for science/space nerds all over the world.

NASA's Ares I-X test rocket lifted off at 11:30 a.m. EDT Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a two-minute powered flight. The flight test lasted about six minutes from its launch from the newly modified Launch Pad 39B until splashdown of the rocket's booster stage nearly 150 miles downrange.

Quoted from NASA.gov

Oh no! The end is (kinda, sorta) near for Sookie Stackhouse

"I've signed a contract to write three more after the one that's coming out in May, and they may be the last three," Harris told CNN. "Probably by then I will have lived with Sookie long enou

via scifiwire.com

Little blip from SciFiwire about how there may be only three more Sookie Stackhouse books coming from Charlaine Harris.

I am currently reading the third in the series, Club Dead. The second veered off quite a bit from the show TrueBlood, so I am feeling alright about reading ahead of the TV show. They are the same but different, if you can get what I mean without spoilers.

Why R2D2 Was So Awesome

He was controlled by LOLCats.

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Saturn’s Strange Children

It seems the more we learn about Saturn’s other moons, the stranger they become—Phoebe no longer appears to be the oddest one. Iapetus resembles the Taoist symbol of yin and yang, with one hemisphere covered in dark organic material and the other sheathed in bright white ice. I

via seedmagazine.com

Really cool article about new discoveries about Saturn, its moons, and its rings.

The 10 Commandments in 'Star Trek'

When Gene Roddenberry created "Star Trek," he pictured a future dominated by science and human ingenuity--without a lot of religion to muddy things up. Oh, sure, Federation crew members met scads of religious sentient beings around the galaxy, but it turns out most were worshipping computers, power generators, or toga-wearing aliens. Roddenberry didn't place a lot of faith in faith.

via blog.beliefnet.com

This is a cool essay on BeliefNet about examples of the 10 Commandments in many of the Star Trek franchises.

I think the biggest reason I love Star Trek, especially the original series, is that it is such an optimistic viewpoint of the future. War is a thing of the past on Earth, and diseases can be cured by waving the medical Tricorder over the patient. As an optimist and believer in the good in people it is a refreshing show.

And I love the ethical allegories in many of the original series. Like the "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" episode with the guys who are half black and half white who are fighting with the guys who are half white and half black on the opposite sides.

I can't remember which episode featured he two religious groups who have been fighting and destroying their planet. When asked what the difference is between the two groups the guy says that they celebrate the lord's day one day apart. Anyone remember which episode this is from?

Happy Anniversary To Me

13 years ago on gorgeous fall Sunday, the hubster and I were married in upstate New York.  Our wedding colors matched the fall foliage, and there were so many food stations the family didn't know what to do with themselves.  The band rocked out swing music, and a fine time was had by all.

To mark the event we did a little shopping today.  I got the second book in the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series. Hubby picked up the Transformers special edition (the DVD box turns into a robot - for real!) and tonight after a nice dinner with the kids we are all going to pop some popcorn and watch Transformers 2.   This should be at least as fun as bringing out ping pong tables. 

Also various and sundry organizational items were procured at the local Ikea.  Yes, I got some Swedish Meatballs.  Yum.

J.J. Abrams Comes Clean on Star Trek Coincidences, Sequel | Underwire | Wired.com

When Star Trek arrives on Blu-ray and DVD Nov. 17, extras like deleted scenes and commentary will answer some lingering questions. Abrams said the DVD includes a scene cut from the film that features Spock Prime (Nimoy) dropping some logic about the unlikely chance meeting.

“In the scene, Spock explains that (the encounter of Kirk and Spock Prime) is a result of the universe trying to restore balance after the time line is changed,” Abrams said. “They acknowledged the coincidence as a function of the universe to heal itself.”

via www.wired.com

Interesting article about JJ Abrams and the Start Trek reboot. They are working on the sequel and the DVD of movie 1 comes out next month with some deleted scenes and goodies.

All is revealed about Fringe's bald alien-like Observer | SCI FI Wire

The Observer has been one of Fringe's most compelling enigmas since he started appearing week to week in hidden, or sometimes obvious, cameos in the hit Fox sci-fi series. Michael Cerveris plays the mysterious bald man in a suit who likes spicy food. Now that he's a regular fixture on Fringe, there's going to be a whole episode that delves into his world.

via scifiwire.com

Great article about the bald headed "observer" on Fringe. Best piece of information given: The Observer's suit is designed by Ermenegildo Zegna. Run, don't walk!

Sanctuary Season 2 Episode 1 Mini Review

Missed it?  Full version is available on Hulu:

Sanctuary Season 2 Episode 1 End of Nights Watch Free Online at Hulu

Ok onto the review with spoilers:

The most important thing I have to say is "Thank God the daughter Ashley (Emilie Ullerup) got a new haircut.  Those bangs were AWFUL."

The evil scientist chick who made Ashley into a perfect killing machine was hysterical!  That was a great creepy/cool characterization.  I could not Google for the life of me who played the Cabal Scientist underling with the cane.  She did a great job.

Sanctuary airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on Siffy SyFy.