New Year New Ideas

I sure have been naughty about posting over the past few months. I am going to try and be better.

First - Apple iPad???? Really?? I am no apple fan, well I don't have or use anything apple. But I found the iPad to be uninteresting. Just a bigger iPhone/iTouch. Oh well. Apple's loss.
However I am sick and tired of people trying to compare it to a Kindle. I couldn't imagine reading an entire book on an LCD screen. Plus, its kinda too big, and way more expensive than a Kindle. Not to mention Apple wants to sell books for $3-$5 more than Amazon. What is up with that?

So I am heading back to Kennedy for another NASA tweet gathering in February. It should be a great time for the launch of the SDO, a rocket, not a shuttle this time. I am sure it will still be amazing.
On the NASA note - we can afford millions and billions for a high speed rail? Does anyone really ride those in the US? But we can't afford to fund exploration of space? I wasn't even alive back when we landed on the moon the first time. I would love to have a moon landing in my lifetime. Clearly so would alot of other people, as I am hearing there is a bit of a fuss over scrapping moon plans.

On a completely different note, I updgraded my BlackBerry this week from an 8900 to a 9700. I wanted the battery life as my 8900 battery was not doing so hot. Sure I could get a new battery, but a new phone is much better. And it looks like I picked a great time. We haven't had 3G here although I have been told the hardware is around. Today myself, my husband, and one of his co-workers found ourselves attached to 3G for awhile. I would guess T-Mobile was testing it out. By the time I got home I was back to Edge, which is no big deal as I am on wifi at home.

And if anyone saw my tweets earlier, I haven't decided on Star Trek Online. My husband pre-ordered his tonight and got his early code. Its been downloading for hours. I will wait to see him play this weekend to make my final decision. I have never really been a Star Trek fan until the recent movie. I thought it was good, and have given some of the older stuff a second chance.
Of course if we both start playing Star Trek we will have to take a break from World of Warcraft.

Well, enough rambling on for one night I think.

Sunset On Another Adventure

It felt strange returning to work and my normal life this week. Clearly the Nasa Tweet-Up had more of an affect than I would have guessed. Was it the people? Was it the message? Was it space itself? Who knows. I am not going to question it.

I have never been around another group of over 100 people who, for the most part, didn't know each other, that were all so nice and friendly. If only every one and every gathering was like this. It would be wonderful.

Clearly Space Exploration is important. And just as clear, many people have forgotten about it. Can you blame them? These are not the best of times. Regardless of which side you are on, who or what you believe, times are tough. But that doesn't mean we let something as monumental as space pass us by. Exploration is what we do.
Plus, I would rather be visiting the ETs first than have them visiting us. With our sci fi movies, tv, and books, we are all bound to think they are here to kill us, enslave us, or eat us. Gets good ratings, box office sales, or best seller lists.
Maybe I should write a story where the aliens are not here to use and abuse us. . . .

Some great places to check out -
http://spacetweepsociety.org/ A lot of the members of this group were at the tweet-up, they are good people.
http://savenasa.ning.com/

NASA Tweet-Up Day 2

Here is the correct link to my flickr pictures from the Nasa Tweet-Up. Yesterday apparently my copy and paste was missing the majority of the number at the end.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/melissaox/sets/72157622811798508/

I am very tired and just finished loading the pictures. I am going to try and get my husband's video online, but I am not sure I will make it.

Watching the launch from so close was amazing. The sound was so loud and the light was so bright. There really are not good words to do it justice. It is much better than watching from my back yard.

NASA was great to us and we would all love to go back again. Everyone we met, and there were a lot of you, was wonderful.

Day 1 Of #Nasatweetup

What a great time. I am so worn out, so I plan on making this quick.

First, pictures - http://www.flickr.com/photos/melissaox/sets/721
These are the pictures both myself and @dave_ox took.

We got to meet @astro_dave and @nasa and @rocky_sci to name a few. It was amazing.
We got to get so close to the launch pad, the one with the shuttle on it. The bus tour was great too. We saw the VAB and the crawler.
Somehow we made time for the 3D Imax movie and the ride that simulates a launch.

One thing is for sure, my feet hurt and I am tired. Tomorrow up early to head out to the park and get bused to the press site to see the launch.

Updated Nasa Tweetup Streaming Link

The updated link for the streaming of the Nasa Tweetup tomorrow morning is - http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tweetup. The Tweetup will be broadcast from 8-10 a.m. EST on Sunday, Nov. 15.

I can't wait. I am excited and nervous. :)

Another Day

Well, today was not the best of days. My alarm did not go off, so I overslept. Not by much, just fifteen minutes, but its still not the way you want to start the day.

All day at work I checked my BlackBerry for an email from Blizzard. I finally got one, but it was not what I hoped. It was a survey about the professionalism of the guy in game. Please, just fix my account so I can play. I am losing all sorts of honor, experience, and such as I can't play.
Ok, WoW rant is now over for today.

I know I have talked about the Kindle a lot. I was planning on something else tonight, but I read an article I have to share here, on SlashGear. Kindle DX not suitable for the blind says advocacy group.
I am sorry, I don't mean to sound mean, but blind students have to purchase special text books already. Why does it affect the Kindle?

So who has moved to Windows 7? I did at the end of October from XP. I loved XP and refused to use Vista. However there is one feature of Windows 7 I adore. The previews from the tool bar is nice, but my favorite is the Bubble screen saver. Your backdrop remains the same, with whatever windows you had up. Then bubbles dance all over the screen. I am silly I know, but I love it.
I can't speak to the install process too much. I was hear when my husband was working on his. We ran into one issue, aside from having to back everything up. The key that came with his brand new Windows 7 didn't work. He called Amazon, who sent us to Microsoft. The gentleman was very nice and got my husband up and running.
My PC was done while I was out of town for work. Wasn't that sweet of my husband to do for me?

If you are not following me on twitter (you know you really should - melissaox) you might not know that I am going to the first Nasa Tweetup in Florida starting this Sunday. It concludes on Monday with the launch of the shuttle Monday afternoon, allowing me, and my husband, to be at the press site for launch. We are very excited. We welcome everyone coming for the Tweetup and the launch. This will be my first Tweetup. The ones in Orlando have been on weeknights and its a bit of a drive for me when I have to get up at 5am the next morning.
We might be on NASA TV, or even the news.
If you want to watch -
NASA will use UStream to broadcast the 8-10 a.m. portion of the Nov. 15 Tweetup at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-television. Portions of the Tweetup may be broadcast on NASA Television and online at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv. Photos will be posted online during and/or after the event at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto.

I will also be taking pictures with my BlackBerry 8900 and posting them to my flickr account, http://www.flickr.com/photos/melissaox/.