Hooray for Falcon 1!

On the fourth attempt to launch a privately developed vehicle into orbit, Falcon 1 has achieved a nominal insertion. I happened to catch the webcast, and it was a pretty sight!

Six years, 500 people and a company called SpaceX.

Cheers...

Ow, my achin' head!

I can think of a number of things I'd rather do than incorporate changes in a translation, especially when there lurks the ever-present hazard that one or more of potentially several parties making changes in the source document fails to do so in revision mode!

Fortunately, the pile of source documents is finished, and I go back to the grind of translating fresh source text tomorrow.

In between files, I spent time helping Galina relocate boxes, and managed to find a few items I've been looking for, including a couple of items that might make life easier should another Kazakhstan campaign materialize.

Apropos of which, I need to figure out how to pack for the trip to New York, as there might well not be an opportunity to return to Pagosa before heading to Baikonur. The issue is a bit more critical than it was this past summer, because it doesn't take much in the way of special clothing to survive summer, even if temperatures rise to well above 100°F in the shade.

Winter is different, especially the way it's packaged near the Aral Sea.

Temperatures can go down to 40 below zero, which is - by the way - the same temperature in both Farenheit and Celsius. And that doesn't consider the wind chill factor, which generally makes sure the sensible temperature - which is the temperature you feel - is at least 40 below.

The good news is that the client supplies outerwear (the bad news: it makes you look like a Pillsbury Doughboy that's been dipped in red paint). Still, it makes sense to have one's own hat, gloves, long underwear, warm socks, and so on.

It's been a long day and it's time to go to sleep (so why on earth am I listening to Bob Marley?).

Cheers...

We interrupt this LJ...

Having just voted in the therealljidol poll for Week 1, I notice that I am currently squarely in the middle of the pack (18 of 43) for my group, known as "Tribe 2."

Now, as this week's voting eliminates the one person in each "tribe" who gathers the least number of votes, I'd sure hate for it to be me because I didn't ask y'all to drop by here (a direct link to the poll) and cast a vote for me.

There's nothing to join, voting is free, and believe me... no salesperson will call!

Thanks in advance.

Cheers...