A Few Thoughts on Pluto

...the dog.  No, just kidding.

I read this article on space.com today about Pluto's planetary status.  In particular, it discusses the continuing debate on whether Pluto deserved to lose it's status as the 9th planet in our solar system.  In 2006 there was outrage when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) declared that there are 8 planets in our solar system, and that Pluto was now called a  "dwarf planet."

There are a number of reasons for the disagreements with this decision, but the one I want to address is what I'll call the sentimental value arguement.  This is made by those who say that since they learned in school that Pluto was a planet, so it can't be demoted to something else.  To all 1.6 million in the Facebook group "When I was your age, Pluto was a planet" I say GET OVER IT.

For this is not the heart of the issue.  It's "emotion" rather than sense.  In the words of Dr. Spock, it is "not logical."  The fact is, now "America's favorite planet" is now part of an even more select group of 5 dwarf planets, including the troublesome Eris.  Eris is estimated by astronomers to be larger than Pluto and even farther from the sun.  According to Wikipedia it was touted briefly as the 10th planet.  The other 3 are not quite so large - but the IAU couldn't justify upping the planet count to 13 (and potentially more as the Kuiper Belt is explored more closely), because Pluto couldn't be demoted.

The creation of a new class of dwarf planets makes sense because Pluto, Eris, Ceres (actually in the asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter), Haumea, and Makemake are so relatively small, even to Mercury, that they don't have much in common with the rest.  It's estimated that many more dwarf planets may exist, astonomers just haven't found them yet.

To those who are still saddened by Pluto's reclassification, take heart that Pluto can still be enjoyed, and that soon it will be the first among many newly discovered heavenly bodies.


Kal

Happy Pi Day

(a.k.a. Cue the cleanup hitter)

Time to tie up some loose ends -- or rather, comment on some previous topics.  First things first, though.  Happy Pi Day (the day formerly known as 3/14).  We're celebrating by visiting Eric and Jill for homemade pizza pi.

Anyway, to follow up on the January post "On Public Smoking Bans," Monday was significant because Gov. Kaine actually got the deal done.  Yes, Virginia, starting December 1, 2009, the home state of Philip Morris USA, and the worlds largest cigarrette factory, smoking in bars and restaurants (with a few exceptions - private parties, patios, separate ventilation systems) will be PROHIBITED.  This one's for you, Gov. Kaine.

And, while NASA's Kepler spacecraft had a successful start to its mission, the Shuttle Discovery is having issues getting off the ground.  There's a leak in one of the hydrogen fuel lines that they just can't get fixed.  Next launch window is tomorrow...after that we're looking at April.  Here's hoping that we don't have to wait. Every delay makes our space program look older.  Where's that shuttle replacement when we need it?   Oh, here it is...just, you know, it isn't built yet, it's British, and it won't be designed for manned missions (at least to start...).  Anyway, this one's for you, Kepler Spacecraft -- I'm following you on twitter:  @NASAKepler

-Kal

Kepler is Away!

You may have not even heard, but there was an important launch last night from Cape Canaveral. NASA launched the Kepler spacecraft into orbit around the sun.

NASA's Kepler Portal

The Kepler spacecraft will follow Earth's orbit around the sun (it's "year," though, will actually be 371 days). It's mission is to seek out Earth-like planets orbiting other stars with it's camera, which sports an astounding 95 million megapixel array.

While Kepler won't be able to seek out new life, nor will it boldly go...anywhere, it will be able to tell us if planets like Earth -- rocky planets with an atmosphere and liquid water, able to support life as we know it -- are common. Are we unique in the galaxy? Kepler should be able to tell us.

Ultimately, if Earth is not unique, what does this mean? If there are other potentially habitable planets, especially nearby, I think that this could should spark a renewed interest in space exploration. Perhaps with Kepler's findings, we will be prompted to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Love Affair with Toaster Ovens

I love toaster ovens. My senior year in college, my roommate Jason had a big, old toaster oven that he brought to our apartment. I was skeptical at first: We already had a toaster, and an oven. Why do we need a frankenstein of the two?

However, I quickly learned to love this peculiar device. You can make anything in one. I frequently would make batches of cornbread muffins or cornbread loaves (those didn't work out so well). Worked great for things like Pizza Rolls and other tasty snacks. But one of the best uses is reheating pizza.

Microwaves make reheating pizza a mushy affair. Use a toaster oven, though, and it's crispy and almost as tasty as if it were just made fresh. However, why not just make fresh pizza in your toaster oven? That's right, it heats up faster than a conventional oven and will cook a personal size pizza in no time!

Today, I contemplated that very thing. I brought some homemade pizza for lunch today. Pizzeria Miller Pizzas don't reheat well in the microwave, at least not as well as the pizza-chain delivery kind. Problem: No Toaster Oven at work. Heck, we don't even have a toaster. (Makes enjoying pop tarts a bit difficult...) Impolitic Solution: Buy toaster oven, and put it on my desk. Reheat Pizza.

However, I then asked myself: Why reheat pizza when I could just make my own FRESH in the toaster oven? BRILLIANT! I'm sure this would make even more people jealous than reheating homemade at my desk. But making people jealous isn't the goal. Tasty pizza is. So what do I do? Do I continue to suffer through mushy microwave pizza, or do I infuriate our facilities department by making delicious, fresh pizza at my desk?

I report, you decide. (Oh, wait...that's Fox News...never mind.)

Kal

Stargate Atlantis Makeover

In honor of the recent finale of Stargate Atlantis, Kal in Space has been given an Atlantis Expedition Makeover! The new theme features the Atlantis city-ship in flight, a Pegasus galaxy Stargate, an Ancient Puddle Jumper, and the USS Daedalus!

The goal is to introduce other Stargate Sets, like a Tau'ri, Wraith, Asgard, Goa'uld, and Ori...but this seemed like the best start to me!

Kal

New York CITY!?

Yup, that's where I'm headed!

My company is opening the NASDAQ on Thursday, November 8 and I will be there! I might do a little sightseeing and will be bringing my Cell Phone. Watch the Moblog on Wednesday and Thursday for pictures throughout the trip!

If you want to watch the opening bell ceremony on the 8th, check out the NASDAQ Marketsite for the webcam (link is on the bottom of the page).

-Kal

Happy Reformation Day!

Modern-Day Martin Luther Nails 95 Comment Cards To IHOP Door

SIOUX FALLS, SD—"IHOP has grown weak on powdered sugar and fruity garnishes, forsaking the purity of its original mission," said Lyman, a onetime regular customer.

Hope everyone had a great Reformation Day....and Halloween too.

To my Reader in Norway

Greetings from Washington!

One of the valued subscribers to the Kal in Space blog is apparently from Norway. He/She uses the Opera browser. Such interesting things you can learn from an RSS reader, eh? Please leave a note and let me know who you are! And most importantly, thanks for reading!

To the rest of my readers who may not be subscribers, you can get Kal in Space updates right from your MyYahoo, iGoogle, NetVibes, other homepage service, or standalone RSS reader! Check the icons in the sidebar to sign up. Included are two-click buttons to add Kal in Space to your MyYahoo, iGoogle, or Netvibes page. Also, if you're more knowledgable about RSS, you can also grab the Kal's Moblog RSS feed further down on the page (right-click on the counter for the link).

Thanks and keep reading!
-Kal

[8/15 UPDATE: Ok, so it turns out that everyone using an Opera Browser reflects an origin of Norway. That is, of course, because Opera Software is IN Norway. So it's probably more likely that Mike's added the Kal in Space RSS to his Wii Opera Browser than that I have a reader in Norway. Oh well...I'll leave the post up so you can all laugh at me.]

For Jillian: The Moral Dilemma

(This was an email response to our friend Jillian. She's considering a new PC or Mac laptop. I cleaned a few lines of thought up and added some missing pieces for posting purposes.)

Mac vs. PC is a matter of personal preference, or a religious war, depending on who you are. :-)

Our iBook occasionally gives us some "spinning beach balls of doom" but partially because it's using old technology and I tax the heck out of it. If you got a new Mac, that wouldn't be an issue. The Macbooks that Apple replaced the iBook with are really nice machines. The default $1099 configuration is reasonably fast, is pretty solid and you wouldn't need to do much customization (and can’t) as you might by going with a PC.

You can get a cheaper PC, definitely, but when you configure a comparable PC to what Apple has to offer it's not much cheaper than the Mac.

The main concern if you switch is that you'll have to shell out for new software (read: Microsoft Office). The other consideration is that if you can wait for a few months (October?), you can get a Mac with the new upcoming OS X "Leopard" operating system, and sometime this fall Microsoft is releasing Office 2008 for Mac. We bought our iBook right before they released OS X “Tiger” and it has burned me up ever since.

As Rachel said, we don't run antivirus software and don't get infected with anything, so if you really just don't want to worry about it, then a Mac would be good too. (Mac = Small Target, Windows = HUGE Target.)

That being said, I'm pretty sure you can get a discount through Dell as a Federal employee also and their new laptop line is pretty nice -- especially if you want one in Pink or Yellow (or Red, Green, Blue, Brown, Black, or White). If you're comfortable sticking with Windows or don't want to learn a new system I think you'd probably be best served by getting a Dell. With Dell you'll definitely get more “bang for your buck,” so to speak. AMD’s “Turion” processor is somewhat cheaper but the Intel Core 2 Duo is much faster than the Turion even at the slowest clock speeds.

Go mess with the Macbooks at the Apple Store if you haven't already and you should get at least a feel for OS X – and the absence of a right mouse button. I’ve gotten pretty proficient with the Ctrl+Click but it isn’t the same. For when you’re at a desk, make sure you get a scroll mouse with 2+ buttons. I recommend Logitech or, oddly enough, a Microsoft mouse.

The new Macs can run Windows these days, but you really need a large amount of RAM (and $$$) to do it.

For me, I'm beginning to lean against the Macintosh, but that's mainly because I'm a geek who likes games and programming. :-D

-Kal

p.s. The next installment in my sermon series is a discussion of the iPhone.

UPDATE: Actually, tech columnist John C. Dvorak (a fairly well known Mac skeptic) actually did a column about his use of the Mac for PC Magazine. Check it out here.

The Good Old Days...

One of my favorite shows on the old TechTV...the best part of this commercial is hearing Leo say "Word!"...



UPDATE: The TSS intro got pulled, so I submit to you instead...Leo Laporte on the Microsoft Zune.

Enjoy!
-Kal

Geek by Day

While usually my inner geek comes out in the evening, the last couple weeks have seen it spring to life during the day while at work!

My primary responsibility is calculating sales commissions. At my company, that means I spend the better part of my day in Microsoft Excel. First off, let me say that I "heart" Excel 2003. However, lately I've been trying to minimize the mindless time I spend using it.

By mindless, I mean doing repetitious tasks that could be just as easily performed by your common college intern or even a trained chimp. Some things aren't that bad, but they just take a long time. The answer, I've found, is to delve completely into the wonderful world of VBA: Visual Basic for Applications.

So for the last several days I've been programming my brains out, to automate - as much as possible - part of our commission calculations. To the large extent, I've been successful. I'd say we're at Beta stage now. It pretty much works, but things like bug squashing and fine tuning what little GUI there needs to be.

I'm such a l33t haXor with my mad Excel skillz. Or just a geek. Yep, that'll do.

-Kal

Kal is Back in Space!

After a brief hiatus, the Space has returned to Kal in Space. It took a while, but Kal has finally outsmarted the blogger designers.

Really, though...I moved to the "new" blogger a while back but since I couldn't figure out the layouts, I kept my "classic" HTML template that I could tweak to my heart's content. However, I wanted to easily move things around and take advantage of all the new features in the "new" blogger.

What you saw during the past week was that transition. I have finally gotten my background and banners back to spec. Enjoy the return!

Also, be sure to keep an eye on the moblog. Go me.

-Kal

It's Been a While...!

It's time again for an update. What's been going on? Quite a few things, actually.

First and foremost, I've been pretty busy with work. At the end of January, I helped put together the "board book" - a package of information for our Board of Directors' meeting. Some long hours were required.

Also, in the last weekend of January, our new Pastor closed on his new home, and I pitched in to help paint. He was installed on the afternoon of the 4th, which also happened to be the same day as our latest Praise-Team led service at the church, so Rachel and I as the fearless leaders of that group were busy preparing for that too. And of course, the Super Bowl. Oh the grief I took for deciding to cheer for Peyton.

A couple weeks ago I did a full reinstall of OSX on the iBook. This time I saved enough space to install Ubuntu, and now I have a fully functional dual-boot machine. The Airport Extreme wireless card even works with WPA2!! Go me!

Early in January, a group of guys and I got together to brew some beer at the Shenandoah Brewing Company in Alexandria. (They have great root beer too.) This weekend, our Heavy Scottish Ale (7.7% Alcohol by Volume, Rachel says it tastes like wheat bread...maybe it does) was ready for bottling. Now we have a case and a quarter each to enjoy. That was pretty fun.

Also this weekend, I started Kal's Moblog. Check it out. What is a 'moblog,' you ask? It's a blog that you update using your mobile phone (mobile + blog = moblog) via text or MMS message. Since a 450 character blog post isn't that big, and because it would be a pain to type a whole post out in T9 or whatever your phone uses, it's usually confined to a picture with a caption. That's what I'm going with. The bottling from the brewery provided the first entries. Expect to see more...I especially want to show the readers in Michigan Bethesda's white pavement. Pretty spectacular.

Be sure to check out Kal's Classic Homemade Root Beer on the moblog. The yeast is working its magic on the counter right now. If it works well, we'll see the dawn of Kal's Diet Homemade Root Beer and Kal's Premium Homemade Root Beer (honey sweetened).

I also did our taxes yesterday. I was quite pleased to see a federal refund of $155! Compare that to last year's tax bill of $1,458 and you would too.

Finally, Deedle has been to the vet's a lot the last few weeks. First it was a routine check-up. From there we found we needed to have a small mass on her shoulder removed, and her teeth cleaned. Before the appointment came, he mass (which was a cyst), decided to burst, so she went back and it was determined she was fine, and it'd go away. When we took her in for the teeth cleaning this week, though, they said the cyst (caused by a glandular tumor) was back, and would keep coming back if we didn't remove it. So Deedle got more than she bargained for -- dental work and surgery! She's doing well now, except for the wounded pride of having a shaved patch on her back and on her front-left paw where the IV went. She's such a good sport!

-Kal

Wii Lost Weight

There is hope for me yet, with the Wii Sports Workout Regimen.

Now I just need to get a Wii...

Wii Have A Problem

Redmond, Wii have a Problem.

No, I mean the other company headquartered in Redmond, WA - Nintendo USA. Check the link above. It appears people don't realize that they are supposed to hang onto their Wiimotes while playing. Damage to Televisions, Laptop Computers, and Innocent Bystanders has heightened in recent weeks as more and more people get their hands on the Nintendo Wii.

To be fair, Nintendo isn't all to blame. To their credit, they include a Wiimote Strap to keep it from flying away. However, they didn't anticipate how "excited" Wii players would get.

Most normal people shouldn't have a problem. But, be cautious: Always use protection (the included strap) when playing with your Wii. Follow this rule, and you won't wii all over your TiiVii.

Oh, and anyone who thinks you play Wii Bowling by throwing the Wiimote deserves to have their 70" plasma destroyed by a $30 accessory.

-Kal

(Photo Courtesy of AFP)

Wii Want Nintendo

Nintendo Wii sells 372,000 units in the first two days of the Japan launch.

Pretty sweet. We're happy to report that TheMario finally got his hands on a Wii. Look forward to a Special Report from him on the Kal in Space blog - with a review of Wii Sports!

Stay Tuned.
-Kal

Lump of Coal? Or Something Else...

If I had new Windows PC, I wouldn't mind a Zune for Christmas, even the brown one. Has a nice big screen, but I suppose that's where it ends. Enjoy the video.

-Kal

Labels

I updated some labels since I've switched to the new Blogger Beta. Enjoy.

Kubuntu Jammin'

So I've managed to successfully install Kubuntu 6.10 onto an External FireWire drive connected to my iBook. One of the amusing things I've discovered is that while I cannot "extend my desktop" from the laptop screen to an external monitor using OSX...I can in fact do so with Kubuntu. Way to go, me. *pats back*

-Kal

IE7 Released Wednesday

Friendly reminder to all of you who use Windows at home, go to Microsoft.com and pull down IE7. And if you wait just another week or two you can upgrade again to Firefox 2.0! Firefox is recommended by TheMario and by Kal (2 of 2 Geeks agree). But, if you refuse to become a Firefox switcher, do yourself a favor and grab IE7.

Now, if I can only convince IT to update us to IE7 at work...

-Kal