23 January 2008

THE FINAL FRONTIER

The most popular search in my profile has now become SPACESHIP ONE.

Last year I blogged about SPACEPORT: AMERICA the nations first commercial spaceport in southern New Mexico founded by Richard Branson [VIRGIN ATLANTIC] and the New Mexico Spaceport Authority.

VIRGIN GALACTIC has revealed the design for Spaceship 2.

Tickets start at $200,000 American. The price is expected to drop after the first five years, sort of like the I-phone....only a helluvalot more expensive. I wonder if you get peanuts and soda with that price.
...



You can also get current information at:

SPACE.COM
VIRGIN GALACTIC.COM
SPACEPORTAMERICA.COM

...and speaking of space....


22 January 2008

FALLING LIKE FLIES

Carrumba! This bug is taking down everyone at work. Fortunately I'm on the mend. I pretty much spent all my free time in bed. The antibiotics really helped me and all I have now is a mild cough and slight fever. I should have taken my docs advice and stayed home in bed while on the antibiotics like everyone else seems to be doing but I'm pretty stubborn.

Yesterday we hit 50 degrees for the first time in over a month. Man was it a beautiful day today. A new storm is on the way from the left coast though. I sure hope our '9' degree temps are gone. I feel....dare I say 'spring' in the air??


13 January 2008

REPORTS OF MY DEMISE ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED!

Oh man it feels good to be back among the living.

I am not one to to get sick. I had perfect attendance in most of my youth and young adult hood. At most I would get a three day head cold, so when this one dragged out to the fifth day I took myself to urgent care. I felt REAAAAAL bad.

Fortunately the doc said I had some kind of bronchial infection, not the flu, not strep and not the hanta virus [wooohooo!!!]. She says its very common this time of year. She gave me some antibiotics and by day two my throat was no longer swollen and I could eat food again!!!

However; I have NO sense of smell or taste [ala Dewey Coxx!!] I'll accept that being that i already feel 50 percent better then I did the day before. Now if this damn frigid weather would just let up so I could take some trips outback!!

I'm out.


11 January 2008

GRACIAS!


And so NM Governor Bill Richardson calls it a day on his bid for President of the USA. Don't count him out just yet -- although John Kerry has already applied for the VP position under Obama with his gushing endorsement -- Bill still has ties to Mrs Clinton. I'm sure some sort of cabinet position will become available. Until then he still has a job here until 2010.





I'm out.

09 January 2008

UGHH!

Old man winter has finally caught up to me. I've been down with a cold so have not felt like doing much of anything, much less post. Catch ya'll on the back side of this cold.

I'm out.

06 January 2008

MICK-TV

It's ugly, cold, rainy, blustery and just plain wintery outside so I thought I would program some entertainment for myself. Feel free to tune in if you like.


Keep your eye on the bouncing ball:




Here is an audition tape for the same video:




Weird moments in LEGO history.




Back in the 90s I didn't watch much tv so I missed out on shows like FRIENDS, SEINFELD and DREW CAREY. How I never heard about this I'm not sure..cause I sure got a laugh when I found it on YOUTUBE.




And now for our feature presentation:




And now a word from our sponsor [I hadn't seen this version before].



And in conclusion:



01 January 2008

KLAATU BARRADA NIKKTO!!

In 2007 two of the big 'cultural' arguments of discussion on talk radio here in New Mexico were the designs for the New Mexico Rose Bowl Parade float and the New Mexico State Quarter.




The Rose Bowl float is now a moot point, especially with the float winning the Grand Marshals Trophy for excellence [take that Virginia!]




Many New Mexicans did not like the fact that the float depicted 'aliens' in referance to the alleged 1947 UFO crash in Roswell. They wanted it to depict our mountains, dramatic vistas and rivers. Yawn.

Colorado has taller mountains, Utah has equally dramatic vistas and Arizona has more lakes and rivers!!

This float was humorous and whimsical and if anything probably had more people Google New Mexico then last years 'adobe mission' float!!! Congrats to the design team and the New Mexico Board of Tourism!!

The second 'hot topic' was the design chosen for the 2009 New Mexico State Quarter. The winning design is simply: b o r i n g: The Zia [sun] symbol over an outline of the state.

I also don't like the placement of the phrase LAND OF ENCHANTMENT. Is it me or does the type just look too crowded.



Two other designs were kind of cool. The Balloon Fiesta one was a natural however it is a bit biased towards Albuquerque and not the state.


The second one depicts the Atomic Bomb which is just a cool design considering the flora and fauna ones from other states. Peace-niks sure didin't like that one.



Personally I would have chosen one that depicted both the native population and the European population and the influence of both on the culture of the state. I would have an Indian figure on the left and a conquistador on the right with maybe a Yucca plant separating the two...but who am I.


I'm out.