Cap'n Bob & the Damsel

Alligators in the Sewers, Part IV

I think this is just a publicity stunt by Steve Irwin, Australian celebrity reptile expert, who thinks it’s OK to dangle his infant child in the proximity of a dangerous crocodile.

See my previous post on Alligators
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From the Daily Breeze: Reggie faces trouble from Down Under croc-catcher

“Crikey, mate!” That Reggie better watch his back now.

TV’s famous Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, came to town Tuesday and spent nearly two hours poking around Reggie’s watery digs in Harbor City’s Machado Lake.

Looking ready for action in his trademark khaki shorts and boots, the celebrity known for his fearless and often zany antics in stalking and capturing all manner of dangerous snakes, crocodiles and alligators gazed calmly across the lake under gloomy, overcast morning skies, in search of the elusive 6-foot alligator.

From the Sydney Morning Herald: Steve Irwin baby concerns prompt law change

Photo: Steve Irwin feeds a croc whilst holding on to his baby.

Steve Irwin’s decision to hold his baby son near a crocodile has sparked a review of Queensland Government crocodile enclosure guidelines.

The State Government yesterday released the new rules prohibiting children and any untrained adult from entering crocodile enclosures.

In January last year, Mr Irwin, known as the Crocodile Hunter, held his baby son Bob close to a crocodile at his Australia Zoo on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

The incident was captured by television cameras, sparking an international outcry and a review of crocodile handling practices.

This doofus just happens to be in town to appear on Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien shows. Hollywood Access apparently tipped Irwin about Reggie, and (of course) he jumped at the chance.

11 Nov 2005 by California Degenerates Environment People

Thanks Amazon, No Thanks USPS

A package with some DVDs we ordered from Amazon.Com failed to show up at our house. I tracked the package using the USPS on-line tracking tool. What? They claim to have delivered it? What Now?

I called USPS to inquire about the missing package. After wading through the menu (don’t you just hate those?) and 5-minutes of tinny elevator music, with the always useful “your call is important to us” intermittently interrupting the music , I got connected to an actual person. Another 15 minutes of occasional dialog and long silences (the computer and/or its operator was slow that day), I had a case number and a promise that I would be contacted by an investigator by close of business the following day.

Absolutely nothing heard the next day. On the day after that, I got a call around noontime. The person identified himself as an inspector (Clouseau?) and that he had investigated my case. His conclusion was that the package had been left on the porch and the destination tag had been scanned as delivered. This is strange, since Damsel is almost always home at postal delivery time to answer the doorbell. In fact, we were both home at the purported delivery scan time. I said that we did not receive the package and asked about the procedure for reimbursement. “There is nothing the Post Office can do. You will have to contact the sender and ask them to file a claim.” was his reply. I left him with some parting thoughts about the USPS passing the buck, being ultimately responsible for delivery and could I please speak with his supervisor? “I’ll have to have him call you back since there is no supervisor here.” “Forget it,” I said, “I’ll file another complaint on-line.” And I did. So much for the USPS being accountable for package deliveries. The response to my latest complaint was a flop as well – “You have been instructed to contact the seller – blah blah blah blah blah.”

Now, for the redeeming part of this rant; when I contacted Amazon to report the delivery failure, they replied with an email within a couple of hours. I went back on-line and filled in a form with details of the lost package, and within 15 minutes, I got another email advising that the replacement order had been shipped (via UPS this time).

This illustrated to me the classic contrast between customer service and civil service. The former serves the customer, and the latter serves itself.

10 Nov 2005 by Curmudgeon Rants

Hauling Ass – er – Asteroid, that is

From SPACE.com — Gravity-Powered Asteroid Tractor Proposed to Thwart Impact:

A concept spacecraft could use gravity to tow asteroids away from a collision course with earth. Credit: Dan Durda – FIAAA / B612 Foundation.

An asteroid the size of two football fields could wipe out a large city or set off a series of tsunamis across the world. The threat of such an Earth-smashing asteroid has lead scientists to dream up several methods of defending the planet against such a catastrophe.

Solutions have ranged from pushing the asteroid with a spacecraft to mounting a thruster on its surface. But pushing it would require too much fuel and could break up the asteroid. Also, asteroids rotate, which could complicate the firing of a surface thruster.

Now, two NASA astronauts have presented a plan for an “asteroid tractor”—an unmanned, 20-ton spacecraft that uses the invisible bond of gravity to gently pull an asteroid into a new, non-threatening orbit.

Read more.

Related item: check out my Space Rocks animation.

UPDATE: The Space Tractor is featured on today’s Astronomy Picture of the Day.

10 Nov 2005 by Aerospace Environment Rocket Science Space Rocks

Damsel Sends You Holly Hill House

From Avalon, Santa Catalina Island, California:

The charming Queen Anne style cottage on the bluff over looking Avalon Bay has been a local landmark since 1890. The third oldest house in Avalon, its history mirrors that of the town. The house has always been a private residence and the current owner has restored it and furnished it with turn-of-the-century antiques.

Is the story true that the builder/owner of the Holly Hill House refused to let women on the property after his bride-to-be jilted him, because she didn’t want to live in such an isolated place?

Lookout Cot (later Holly Hill House) was built in 1890 as a private residence by Peter Gano, a retired engineer from Pasadena. His sister was to come live with him, but she never did. He did allow women on the property.

09 Nov 2005 by Photography Travel

Take a Trip to the Moon

OK – Fire up your Quicktime® Players and take a trip to the Moon with NASA.

Before the end of the next decade, NASA astronauts will again explore the surface of the moon. And this time, we’re going to stay, building outposts and paving the way for eventual journeys to Mars and beyond. There are echoes of the iconic images of the past, but it won’t be your grandfather’s moon shot.

Image left: NASA’s new crew exploration vehicle in lunar orbit. Artist’s concept by John Frassanito and Associates.

This journey begins soon, with development of a new spaceship. Building on the best of Apollo and shuttle technology, NASA’s creating a 21st century exploration system that will be affordable, reliable, versatile, and safe.

The centerpiece of this system is a new spacecraft designed to carry four astronauts to and from the moon, support up to six crewmembers on future missions to Mars, and deliver crew and supplies to the International Space Station.

The new crew vehicle will be shaped like an Apollo capsule, but it will be three times larger, allowing four astronauts to travel to the moon at a time.

This is very cool.

08 Nov 2005 by Aerospace Rocket Science

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