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...I could take many routes, talking about what that bunch of crazy college kids did yesterday (October 20, 2024) in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada. Taking my cue from Sixties sensibilities that I still retain — to an extent — I could ponder the perils which their launch posed to the fragile desert biome. Or I could complain that they didn't focus on some sorta-now, sorta-wow, social protest. Instead.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (A 79 second YouTube video of the successful University of Southern California rocket launch of October 20, 2024. Plus a news excerpt and my reaction.)

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I've been watching NASASpaceflight's YouTube channel's coverage of the SpaceX Starship sixth test flight. Maybe they don't have the polish of old-school broadcast media, but I thoroughly enjoy what they do. That's partly because they're frankly nerdish. And partly because they actually know what they're talking about. More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Watching the SpaceX Starship test flight, November 19, 2024. Why I think it matters, and how I see space exploration.)

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Sooner or later, I figure someone will develop a spaceplane that takes off from places like Tampa International Airport, carries passengers and cargo to low Earth orbit, and flies back: either to the airport it came from, or the next stop in its flight schedule. It might be a next-generation version of Dawn Aerospace's Aurora, or an advanced Radian Aerospace model. But it won't be Reaction Engines Limited's Skylon. Developing their two-mode SABRE rocket engine ended up costing too much and taking too long. I'll take a quick look at Skylon. After that, I'll take a longer look at Seattle-based Radian Aerospace's PFV01 spaceplane. PFV01, a prototype of Radian's Aurora spaceplane, is the one that's been making test flights near Abu Dhabi. Closing the Book on Skylon Radian Aerospace PFV01: Another Step Test Flights Living With and Working Around Rules Rocket Sled — — To the Stars More at A Catholic Citizen in America . (Reaction Engines Ltd. de

The Archangel Michael Unknown Italian Goldsmith [ Web Gallery of Art ] At that time shall arise  Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time  (Daniel 12:1. First Reading).  Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 13:24-32  (English Standard Version, Anglicised)    Jesus said to his disciples: “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,   and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.   And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.   And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as it

    Peanuts                                                                                                                                               The other day, a bus driver, brought up (on the famous "Uncensored group" online), the topic of children smelling bad from weed when they get on the bus, saying that you can see it is embarrassing for the children, as other kids notice it. The driver pleaded with parents to rectify this problem. I didn't realize what a problem it was today. Others in the online thread spoke of children getting nicknames, as one adult recalled being called "ashtray" as a kid because their parents smoked cigarettes. One person described a parent coming to a Halloween party for their small child's class, so high they could hardly function. Naturally, the discussion turned to the issue of marijuana vs cigarettes vs alcohol. Some assumed parents were doing these things in front of their school-age children, while oth

      I belong to a community group on Facebook where people might ask for recommendations for doctors, therapists, restaurants or the best places to vacation.  They might ask about the best schools (when they are new to the community.) Sometimes, the information can be helpful, but too often the comments turn very dark and ugly, judgmental and insulting. Why do I keep the thread? Because sometimes, like I said, they make good suggestions. The idea is supposed to be neighbors helping neighbors, and when they do, it is a good reminder that some people are very kind and extremely generous. But, sadly, the conversation frequently goes off-track, fast, by a handful of hateful people. For instance, you might ask a simple question, like "Is there someone that could help me move? I'll pay them," and before you know it, you get an angry rant about how (pick your political party) is responsible for all of our problems. I'm not kidding. You might have a lost puppy

A little over a week ago, scientist published a detailed analysis of Vega's surprisingly planet-free debris disc. Vega, one of the brightest stars in Earth's sky, may have planets: but the October 31 paper rules out any Saturn-size or larger worlds in wide orbits. That reminded me of a Sherlock Holmes quote: "'Is there any point to which you would wish to draw my attention?' 'To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time.' 'The dog did nothing in the night-time.' 'That was the curious incident,' remarked Sherlock Holmes." ("The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes", " Silver Blaze " , Arthur Conan Doyle (1894) Via Gutenberg.org) More to the point, not finding planets in Vega's debris disc should help scientists learn more about how stars and planets form. And gives me something to write about. Vega Debris Disc: "Smooth, Ridiculously Smooth" Dust, a Gap, and — the "Poynting-Robertson Effect&qu

  Tacloban City, Philippines after Typhoon Hayan/Yolanda [ Wikipedia ;  photo ] Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Gospel   Mark 12:38-44 (shorter form: 12:41-44)   (English Standard Version, Anglicised)    [In his teaching Jesus said,  “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the market-places   and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at feasts,   who devour widows' houses and for a pretence make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” ] And Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.   And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.   And he called his disciples to him and said to them,  “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who a

  Oye Católico…¿Te identificas como un ORNI?... ¿Eres un Objeto Religioso No Identificado? Así podríamos definirnos muchos católicos laicos que pasan desapercibidos y que se confunden en la grandes masas. ¿Somos como invisibles? ¿ Cuándo nos perdimos tantos católicos de parroquias y movimientos que no se notan en ningún lado? El laicado es una vocación, es un camino de vida para vivir la santidad y llegar a Dios, pero nosotros parecemos no saberlo. Los laicos de hoy no saben de dónde vinieron ni a dónde van. Y me pregunto yo: ¿cuándo empezamos a desaparecer?   Los primeros cristianos, al lado de Jesús, desbordaban la necesidad del anuncio y testimonio de la fe que los inundaba. Todos testimoniaban, todos anunciaban. Era una dinámica natural. ¿En qué momento se perdió esta fuerza en tantos miembros de la Iglesia? ¿Cuándo se quedaron los sacerdotes solos anunciando? Y los laicos desentendidos y callados.   Para entender ésto, veamos la evolución de la vocación laical en la historia de la

    I am STILL working my way through the book "What's Next?" about "The West Wing" television series.  It's really long and this is the second time I had to borrow it from the library. The thing that most surprised me about this book--that I absolutely missed when watching the series--is that "the West Wing" was about service. (Apparently the phrase "What's Next?" was also prominently used throughout the series, which is why the book is so aptly named. I can see it now as I re-watch it, but I missed it the first time around.) A lot of the characters in the show were created to highlight what a good, moral, approach to public service can look like. The thread throughout the book is strong, as well, and it highlights the service interests of the actual actors. In fact, the actors interact with each other outside of work, dedicating personal time and energy to each other's particular charities and causes. This got me to

    I was reading " Thoughts from the Trailer " by Fr. John Riccardo (https://trailer.actsxxix.org/) and I appreciated his words, written prior to any knowledge of the outcome of the presidential election: " . . . we don’t know how the Lord is at work in the events of our time. We just know that He is at work. He is always at work. This doesn’t mean we’re puppets, merely play acting, and that our choices don’t matter – they do! But God is sovereign, and “the plan of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation” (Psalm 33:11)." I always find it comforting when going through difficult times to step back and remember that, indeed, "God is in this." However, I honestly don't think Trump is "the chosen one" as some have said. I don't think God sent him to somehow save us. For Christians, we know that there is only One savior, Jesus Christ. To put forth any other belief is sacrilegious. God's light

    Welcome to Election Day!  Let me explain my reasoning . . . I know it seems like my blog has been hijacked over the last few weeks with all things election. I don't know if that was the right choice or not, but it was what I had to do. It seems like we are in a moment in history and I felt compelled to speak out. I'm not imagining that my little blog made much of a difference, but when something is happening, we have an obligation to participate in the dialogue. I really appreciate those of you who have been following me, commenting or writing your own thoughts. I want this to be a place where you can express how YOU think, even if it differs from my own or others, politically, religiously or otherwise. After all, isn't that the beauty of being able to vote? When all is said and done, we will still be in this great political experiment together. Try not to let division replace the respect and love we are all called to give each other. Have a blessed day! J

      I was watching, with interest, comments made by the former President about Liz Cheney. At first glance, it appears that he was suggesting she go before a firing squad.  Specifically, he said: " Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, OK? Let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face.” But, in the interest of balance, I tuned in to see how his friends at Fox News could possibly defend his comments, when he also said: " You know, they’re all war hawks when they’re sitting in Washington in a nice building, saying, ‘Oh, gee, well, let’s send, let’s send 10,000 troops right into the mouth of the enemy.’" So here's the problem . . . Technically, in context, you might  agree with his Fox friends and think he was simply saying that Cheney should be sent into battle to see how she would like it. Maybe he was.  Maybe he wasn't. But honestly, I'm not totally confident that the same

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"...All of us dwell under the same sky. All of us are moved by the beauty revealed in the cosmos and reflected in the study of the heavenly bodies and substances. In this sense, we are united by the desire to discover the truth about how this marvellous universe operates; and in this, we draw ever closer to the Creator...." ( Address to Participants in the Summer Course of the Vatican Observatory , Pope Francis (June 11, 2016)) My interest in science started as a fascination with dinosaurs. By the time I left high school, that fascination included astronomy, physics, cosmology, and more. My academic specialties were history and English, but I never lost my intense interest in pretty much everything else. That didn't change when I became a Catholic — partly because where my faith is involved, paying attention to the wonders and beauty surrounding us isn't a problem. The Enigmatic IRAS Ghost Nebula Impressions Stars in the Making: the HP Tau Triplet More

      Like you I suppose, we have been inundated with election ads. I often ask myself, "Is that true? Did they really do that? What a horrible person they must be!" After I've done my due diligence and a bit of research, I typically find that the information in the ad is mostly false; sometimes there is a thread of truth loosely running through it, but certainly nothing like the ad proposes. Every ad does one of two things: It proposes that the candidate being highlighted can change everything for the better, immediately, if elected, giving us a utopian society.  Uh, that's not going to happen. Or, in the negative ads, they propose that the opposition candidate does not have one morsel of decency and holds only evil intentions and is personally responsible for all of the problems in our state or country. Come on. Other than the President, who can, indeed, dangerously wield a lot of power on day one if allowed, most of the lower race candidates simply do