In an exclusive interview with NASA, Santa discusses his plans for Christmas on future space colonies.

Mars is going to start to stretch us a bit. See, it takes 687 days to go around the Sun. That's about two of our Earth years. So every other year I'll have two Christmas runs to make, the Earth-Moon run and the Mars run. We'll really have to 'haul Rudolph,' as the reindeer are fond of saying. Fortunately, a Martian day is 37 minutes longer than an Earth day, so we can still do our usual overnight delivery.

There's lots more too. Enjoy!

Posted by: Ted at 04:50 AM | category: Links
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 104 words, total size 1 kb.

Ho Ho Ho, NASA style. Here's a little bit of the story:

Astronaut Cathy Clarke opened her eyes and yawned. Mission Control was playing Jingle Bells over the intercom for about the two hundredth time. "OK," she barked into the microphone. "I'm awake and I know it's Christmas!"

Cathy, one of the crew of the International Space Station (ISS), was feeling homesick.

Back on Earth, she knew, her family was gathered around the Christmas tree, sipping eggnog and opening presents. Later they would radio from Houston, but she yearned to be with them now -- not stuck in an orbiting laboratory, 350 km above Earth, with no Christmas spirit.

Months earlier Mission Control had turned down her request for a tree. "The pine needles would just float around and poke you in the eye," they said. "It's a safety issue."

"Oh, humbug," grumped Cathy.

Never underestimate Santa Claus!

Posted by: Ted at 06:43 AM | category: Links
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 156 words, total size 1 kb.

Bloviating Inanities is a Munuvian.

Posted by: Ted at 10:29 AM | category: Links
Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 23 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Heh. Just wait 'til he pretties the place up a bit

Posted by: Pixy Misa at December 11, 2004 06:06 AM (+S1Ft)

2 Just off the boat and he's already pissing off the natives (where does the silent "u" go in that word Simon?).

I guess we're the "nuatives".

Posted by: Tuning Spork at December 11, 2004 05:57 PM (lmYVN)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

This guy put up an excellent page in loving tribute to the toys he had as a kid in the 60's. That's my general age-frame too, so this brought back plenty of good times. Check it out and discover why our toys were cooler than the ones you grew up with.

Posted by: Ted at 09:02 AM | category: Links
Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 55 words, total size 1 kb.

1 I love you for believing

Posted by: Helen at December 11, 2004 03:39 AM (QuLsu)

2 Thank you for that link! I loved many parts, of course, but about the toy guns: My mother absolutely refused to buy me a toy gun, so I simply made my own out of a stick, a spring clothes pin and a bag of rubber bands. Good times!

Posted by: Tuning Spork at December 11, 2004 06:42 PM (lmYVN)

3 I remember owning 7 toy guns : a plastic .30 cal machine gun on a tripod, a pretty good 2/3 replica of a Lee-Enfield .303, a plastic Sten gun, a metal James Bond Berretta replica (probably illegal now), a double-barrel Pirates Pistol, a "007 Man with the Golden Gun" Luger (gold finish, with shoulder stock, silencer and telescopic sight), and finally a camera gun that appears on the web site.
I haven't thought of the last for nigh on 40 years.

Without a toy Gun, how can you play "Cops and Robbers", "Cowboys and Indians" etc?

Posted by: Alan E Brain at December 13, 2004 08:36 AM (1635s)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

I've been silent about the whole subject while I worked it out in my own mind.

Bottom line: Bonds, Giambi, McGwire, Caminiti and all the rest did nothing against the rules. When McGwire took Andro, it was legal, and there's been nothing in the rulebook prohibiting steroids. Change the rules and then start enforcing them, but don't get all righteously indignant because someone looked for a legal competitive edge, found one and took advantage of it. There was a time when spitballs were allowed, but baseball didn't throw out every pitcher's record when that rule changed.

Over at Only Baseball Matters, John has been writing about steroid use and the myths and realities surrounding them for quite a while now. I really recommend visiting and reading his posts, there's an entire section devoted to the subject.

Posted by: Ted at 08:10 AM | category: Links
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 142 words, total size 1 kb.

Head on over to Son of Cheese and feast on his classic review of an organic knosh.

A nibble? But of course!

Who, in their right mind, would wander into a pet shop, spy one of those birdseed bells and think "damn, if we squarshed it flat, that'd make one fine "people snack?"

Posted by: Ted at 08:07 PM | category: Links
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 63 words, total size 1 kb.

A Trebuchet simulator.

Contests for distance, accuracy and power. Lots of background information too, so don't tell your kids that they'll be learning about physics while they play.

Thanks to the Ministry for the pointer.

Posted by: Ted at 10:30 AM | category: Links
Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 51 words, total size 1 kb.

Our online community, Munuviana has grown enormously over the last year, and Pixy deserves more good karma than I alone can give for all the hard work he does to help us thrive and survive. He also gets the best spam.

It has come to my attention that there are two new-ish Munuvians that were not on my sidebar. That has been corrected, and I extend my apologies for not adding Loren and Kirsten sooner. They're both excellent writers with interesting things to say, and you should pay them a visit.

If you're wondering about the odd order of the Munuvians over on the right, I list them in chronological order of citizenship instead of alphabetic by title. Also, clicking on the NASA MuNu meatball logo will get you to our Community blog Munuviana.

Finally, please remember the new comment policy on Rocket Jones. It makes about as much sense as anything else around here.

Posted by: Ted at 07:39 AM | category: Links
Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 161 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Guess I better get on to updating that pull down scripty thingie too.

Posted by: Stephen Macklin at December 05, 2004 09:54 AM (U3CvV)

2 HAI HAI!!!

Oh, and we have a cure now for your blogrolling blues.

BYE BYE!!!

Posted by: Pixy Misa at December 06, 2004 04:01 AM (+S1Ft)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

The latest is up at Fresh as a Daisy, and it includes culinary yumness from fellow Munuvian Triticale as well as my world-famous recipe for roadkill reindeer tartar.

Just kidding, my entry are the Veggie Patch enchiladas, and thanks to Dawn for suggesting the name.

And welcome to new visitors to Rocket Jones. I hope you poke around and stay awhile, and come back again. Exchange links on the sidebar? You betcha, just let me know in the comments.

Posted by: Ted at 07:25 AM | category: Links
Comments (3) | Add Comment
Post contains 87 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Ted, I think you forgot to close a tag somewhere.

Posted by: Victor at December 04, 2004 07:27 AM (etHvD)

2 Thanks Victor. Got it.

Posted by: Ted at December 04, 2004 07:34 AM (ZjSa7)

3 OMG, I just had visions of linking to this from my page. Another day when I am safe, maybe. LOL

Posted by: dawn at December 04, 2004 06:21 PM (Rgkju)

Hide Comments | Add Comment

Over at Sanity's Edge, Paul is sharing a very funny story about his visit to Japan. One thing that intrigues me is the Japanese habit of everyone yelling a greeting as they enter and leave a restaurant. According to Paul, you walk in and the entire staff hollers at you, and you holler back when you leave. Or something like that.

So that's it. From now on, you come to Rocket Jones, you yell a greeting in the comments, and before you leave you yell again.

Maybe this way, next year I'll be eligible for "Best Asian Blog" award.

Posted by: Ted at 12:12 PM | category: Links
Comments (11) | Add Comment
Post contains 111 words, total size 1 kb.

I don't know which is my least favorite, but there are several hilarious choices to pick from.

Listeners of radio's Columbia Broadcasting System who tuned in to hear a Christmas Eve rendition of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol were shocked when they heard what appeared to be a newscast from the north pole, reporting that Santa's Workshop had been overrun in a blitzkrieg by Finnish proxies of the Nazi German government. The newscast, a hoax created by 20-something wunderkind Orson Wells...

Don't miss the lost Star Trek Christmas episode either!

Thanks to Dean Esmay for the pointer.

Posted by: Ted at 12:04 PM | category: Links
Comments (2) | Add Comment
Post contains 115 words, total size 1 kb.

This line from President Bush's speech in Canada:

Paul [Martin, Prime Minister] and I share a great vision for the future: two prosperous, independent nations joined together by the return of NHL hockey.

Thanks to Debbye and Gir (who's posted the entire transcript).

Posted by: Ted at 12:37 PM | category: Links
No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 54 words, total size 1 kb.