DING DONG

In case there's any one here who doesn't read profgrrrl. She's getting married so pop on over and congratulate her.

where do they learn this?

Over the past couple of semesters I've had a rash of students want to know if they can take the test then retake it if they don't do well?? In what universe is this acceptable? I've also had more than a few students tell me "I don't do well on tests" then look at me expecting something. My response is usually something along the lines of "figure out WHY you don't do well on tests and I'll do what I can to mitigate that but you have to take the tests". I have a feeling high school these days is a bit less... shall we say rigorous than it should be.

NASA baby... yeah (do your best Austin Powers)

Our engineering club got a behind the scenes tour of NASA a couple of weeks ago. They asked me to come along so they would be sure and have enough professors. We got to talk with engineers who work with the International Space Station and the Vehicle assembly building. We also got to go drive around Pad 39B where Discovery is waiting to launch. Very cool stuff. Click on any of the pictures to make them bigger



The Vehicle assembly building. This is where they "stacked" the Saturn V for the Apollo missions and where they attach the shuttle, Solid rocket boosters and external tank.



Inside the VAB. Photography does not do it justice. It used to be the largest building in the world in terms of volume. Now it's #3 but still huge.



A used Shuttle engine bell in the VAB.



The tops of the solid rocket boosters waiting to be stacked for the next shuttle mission which is going to the Hubble.



Discovery on the pad



Looking straight down the flame trench.



The fence directly in the path of the flame trench where you really really don't want to be during launch.

crisis

I'm having a bit of an existential blogging crisis here, namely: "why would I think that anyone really cares what I have to say". That, and I've been a bit sick lately. I think the resolution to the first problem is: even if no one else cares it's still fun to write... and I am feeling a bit better. So blogging will hopefully resume soon.

it's over.....

Graduation was today and so it ends. Blogging will resume shortly. Coming soon Uniformitarianism... yummy... tastes like chicken