| Written by Wiley Combs |
| Tuesday, 03 March 2009 18:22 |
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For decades, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has been the target of many proposed budget cuts, with far too many passing. The heydays of the Apollo program and the space race have left the program with little public awareness, and only a fraction of the funding. It’s important, however, to remember that pure science (the type of research NASA loves) almost always has secondary benefits, some of which can never be predicted at first glance.
The Wikipedia article about NASA’s scientific “spin-offs” describes several everyday technological items that were developed by, or in cooperation with the U.S. space agency. Common safety grooving on highways is an everyday extension of NASA research. Modern firefighting owes much of its technology to NASA.
Some NASA “spin-offs” are common; others seem like something out of Star Trek. For instance, research with Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and plants have led NASA to develop a hand-held, high-intensity LED which is designed to increase human healing capabilities and speed recovery from small injuries.
The “Ventricular Assistance Device” provides patients awaiting a heart transplant with a temporary blood pump. Other recent areas of inquiry include research for landmine-removal technology, artificial limbs, solar energy, virtual reality and pollution cleanup techniques.
It is easy to belittle a program whose entire mission is to “keep their heads in the clouds,” so to speak. In a time of rampant budget cuts, it is important to remember which government programs have secondary benefits–which may be of greater importance than the primary objectives. We may not have a moon base yet, but we should never stop looking to the stars for inspiration.
Besides, space exploration provides the possibility of a “cosmic insurance policy” on the human race.
If we continue toying with weapons of mass destruction, and sponsoring hunger and inequality worldwide, the best possible option for human discovery and invention lies in the uncharted frontier, where there are few rules or barriers to individual exploration.
As long as the problems of war, famine and economic shortages continue to plague our planet, we cannot be satisfied with devouring continually dwindling resources.
The way out is clear: seed the solar system, and the galaxy, with colonies and technology to help humanity develop the universe for our benefit. NASA is still our best hope for this sort of development.
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| Written by Rob Ketcham |
| Tuesday, 03 March 2009 17:23 |
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The University of Wyoming’s Master’s of Fine Arts Visiting Writers Series will present a free book reading and signing tonight by nationally acclaimed author James Salter.
The event, open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m. at Second Story Books, located at 105 Ivinson Ave.
For the first part of the night, Salter will read from “Last Night,” a collection of 10 short stories that deal with spellbinding relationships between men and women.
On top of it being one of his personal favorites, he said he chose to read from this work because “it’s extremely well written and it’s near the peak of my powers as a writer that you’re going to get now.” Also, Salter said he believes reading a whole story to the audience will be far more entertaining than reading an excerpt from a longer piece.
While he said he does hope to sell a few books from the event, Salter said the most beneficial aspect of a book reading has to do with the audience’s understanding of the work being read.
“You’re hearing the interpretation of the reader as well as the voice of the writer,” he said. “When the reader is the writer, you’re getting their notion of how the story should be read and how it should be understood.”
Following the reading, Salter will sign his books and meet with M.F.A students for a conversational question and answer session regarding the ways to get pieces published as well as how realistic it is to maintain a career as a writer.
Salter said he was invited by award-winning fiction writer Joy Williams, who is the UW M.F.A.’s current Eminent Writer in Residence.
“I know Joy and her work very well, and she said the M.F.A. was quite a good program, so I took her word for it and decided to do the book reading and signing,” he said.
After graduating from West Point in 1945, Salter entered the U.S. Army Air Force as a fighter pilot, serving in the position for two years before making the decision to pursue a career as a writer. For his 1988 collection, “Dusk and Other Stories,” he received the PEN/Faulkner award. In 2000, Salter was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
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| Written by Ashlee Burke |
| Monday, 02 March 2009 18:01 |
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“Wanted:
One young woman to take care of 4-year-old boy.
Must be cheerful, enthusiastic and
selfless—bordering on masochistic.
Must relish 16-hour shifts with a
deliberately nap-deprived preschooler.
Must love getting thrown up on,
literately and figuratively, by
everyone in his family.
Must enjoy the delicious anticipation of ridiculously low, erratic pay.
Mostly, must love being treated like fungus found growing out of employer’s Hermes bag.
Those who take it personally need not apply.”
It’s interesting that one of the first questions people ask each other when they meet in college is: What are you going to do when you graduate?
Meeting new people on a college campus has begun to feel like the pop-quiz that never ends. Well, here is a secret that is revealed in “The Nanny Diaries:” it doesn’t get any better when you graduate.
It is easy to lose yourself and who you want to be, especially if you happen to have a job as a nanny, where you are literally taking the job of being someone’s mother.
“The Nanny Diaries” was written by two former nannies: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Krauss, and they based it off of their own experiences.
The story focuses on a young struggling New York University graduate student who is given the name of Nanny.
I thought that this was an interesting choice on behalf of the authors because throughout the story, Nanny continually loses herself in her work. By the end, she really isn’t anything except for this young boy’s nanny.
While the story is entertaining and there is certainly a life lesson to be learned in taking on jobs that completely absorb your life, the real reason to read this book is the humor in the writing.
Without the wit to back up the main character’s descent into the complete insanity that is New York’s Upper East Side, you would wonder why the nanny doesn’t just quit.
Most of the book’s recommendations on the cover are not surprisingly from fashion magazines: “Vogue,” “W” and “Harper’s Bazaar.”
This book is aimed at women in their 20s, and I would definitely recommend it to any girl who has ambitions of moving to a large city.
The book gives a very comical and slightly depressing look at New York, but surprisingly at the end of reading it I would still consider being a nanny for someone from the area.
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| Written by Caitlin White |
| Monday, 02 March 2009 18:01 |
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Trans-Lux Fox Cinema
This Discount Tuesday, enter the deadly world of psychic espionage through the sci-fi thriller “Push.” “Push” plays at 4:30 p.m. and 7:05 p.m. at the Trans-Lux Fox Cinema.
The film stars Chris Evans from “Fantastic Four” and Dakota Fanning from “Coraline.” In the film, a shadowy governmental agency known as “the Division” is genetically creating an army of psychic citizens. These artificially enhanced operatives are able to see the future, read minds and even create new realities.
Nick Gant (Evans) is a second-generation telekinetic, or “mover,” whose father was killed by the Division. The Division is after anyone like Nick, so he finds solace hiding from them in the densely populated city of Hong Kong.
Nick is then forced out of hiding by Cassie Holmes (Fanning) who is a clairvoyant or “watcher” and who enlists him to help her find Kira (Camilla Belle). Kira is an escaped “pusher” who may hold the key to ending the Division’s power.
Nick and Cassie take on this agency in a race against time that will decide the future of civilization.
“Push” is rated PG-13 for smoking, a scene of teen drinking, sequences of violence and action and brief strong language.
Wyo Theater
Take a trip down-under and go see the film “Australia” at the Wyo Theatre. The film plays at 7 p.m.
Baz Luhrman, who also directed “Moulin Rouge,” directs “Australia.” The film stars native Australians Hugh Jackman from the X-Men films and Nicole Kidman from “The Golden Compass.” The film also stars newcomer Brandon Walters.
The movie follows prim and proper Englishwoman Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman), who travels to Australia in order to make sure her estranged husband sells his cattle to a monopoly-craving businessman. However, when she reaches her husband’s lands of Faraway Downs, she discovers he is dead. Lady Ashley changes her plans to sell her cattle after an encounter with Nullah (Walters), an Aboriginal boy. She then decides to sell her cattle to the Australian troops fighting in World War II. To take her cattle to Darwin, Lady Ashley enlists the help of an independent cowboy named Drover (Jackman).
The movie escalates from here and switches from genre to genre. The film moves from a comedy to a Western to a romance and even touches upon a World War II drama. “Australia” offers something for everyone with its constant changes.
“Australia” is rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some violence and a scene of sensuality.
Red Box
Imagine not seeing a member of your family for 15 years because they were in prison for murder. Would you let them come live with you once they were released? In “I’ve Loved You So Long,” sisters Lea and Juliette face this very situation. This film can be found in the Red Box on Tuesday at Wal-Mart or Albertsons. Each movie is $1 for one day.
Juliette (Kristin Scott Thomas) has just been released from prison, where she was sent after being convicted for murdering her 6-year-old son. Her younger sister Lea (Elsa Zylberstein) invites her to live with her and her family. The sisters barely know each other since Lea is 15 years younger than Juliette.
Juliette moves in with Lea, her husband Luc, their two Vietnamese adopted daughters and Luc’s father, Papy Paul.
From here, Juliette struggles to reacquaint herself with society and her new family and has trouble establishing a new job.
Above all, Juliette’s new life still poses questions such as why she committed such a horrible crime and whether Juliette’s past is too much of a burden to bear holding her back from engaging in her new life.
“I’ve Loved You So Long” is rated PG-13 for smoking and thematic material.
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