Show more

My new Windows wallpaper (1920x1080 if you want to use it), in memory of Bill Anders.

The Earthrise photo is credited by some as the inspiration for the Earth Day movement. It's also been credited for giving humanity its first significant change of perspective, that we all share one fragile world, without borders visible from the rest of the universe.

Or you can just appreciate a man with a camera being in the right place at the right time.

In memory of Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders, who died today in a vintage airplane crash in Washington state.

Anders is credited by NASA as taking the first "Earthrise" photo while orbiting the Moon on Christmas Eve, 1968.

You might have thought I was joking when I wrote upstream, "More bad news for ..."

Here is a screen capture just now from the web site.

As the locals say, it's fixin' ... although I don't think it'll make it across the river from the mainland.

Here's a still frame of Starship's flap on fire and disintegrating on entry. Neverthless, Starship persisted and managed a soft landing in the Indian Ocean.

The second frame shows the SpaceX commentators celebrating, in typical SpaceX twisted humor fashion.

Just to show how Trumpy this burg is, here are demographic data for my precinct and for Brevard County. The supervisor of elections doesn't collect education data, alas, but that would be another useful insight.

The TY Flippable Narwhal "Calypso" is the Zero Gravity indicator for today's launch. ZGIs are released in the cabin after launch to show they're experiencing microgravity.

"Calypso" is also the name of the spacecraft.

TY no longer carries Calypso but you can find it on eBay. I just ordered one.

Today's "9 Chickweed Lane" by Brooke McEldowney, who really should be on because he'd fit in just fine.

(The woman on the right is the twins' grandmother.)

gocomics.com/9chickweedlane/20

Visited an old friend today at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center. I led some of the tours that let guests see Discovery and Endeavour prepped for delivery to museums after the Shuttle program ended.

Just add Lee Majors ... The Northrop M2-F3 undergoing restoration at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center. Will it cost $6 million?πŸ€”

A lightning strike yesterday afternoon started a wildfire in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The fire is burning west of the runway.

The map is courtesy of MINWR and Charles Boyer on Zombie Twitter.

The photo is Mr. Boyer having fun with the wildfire. 🀣

Yesterday was the anniversary of the movie release ... The film ends at , implying +U has restarted here. That scene inspired us to create a secret chapter at . You wore the variant T-pin (second pin below) as a wink.

We said nothing unless a guest spotted it and asked what it was. If you knew, you knew.

The movie's fans got it. Children thought it was real! I had children point and gasp. For the right "dreamer" I'd hand them the pin and say, "You're recruited."

Show more

Stephen Smith πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

CounterSocial is the first Social Network Platform to take a zero-tolerance stance to hostile nations, bot accounts and trolls who are weaponizing OUR social media platforms and freedoms to engage in influence operations against us. And we're here to counter it.