Planned NASA Missions Through 2030

Soldiers in war zones who are using Craigslist’s casual encounters section to hook up might want to figure out an alternative method of relieving stress.

What I love about summer is the fruit. There are peaches and plums for pies. There are nectarines for dribbling down your chin. There are apricots for tarts, cherries for snacks and all sorts of berries for breakfast, plus other melons like cantaloupe and honeydew to wrap ham around. But what other fruit offers a crunchy snack, a juice for drinking (with or without a boozy booster), seeds for spitting contests, and a big round shape for greasing and throwing around the pool, lake or ocean (have you played greased pig yet this summer)? 

It's the watermelon. When it's good, it's really good and needs little else to completely satisfy a craving for a cool, sweet treat. 

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What triggered me to write this? The onslaught of whisky collections that I see people posting up on Facebook. I’ve never seen so many unopened bottles of Pappy Van Winkle, A. H. Hirsch, Ardbeg, Brora, and Port Ellen. People speak of putting whisky in their “bunker” like there’s another World War or Prohibition imminent. It’s amazing what happens when you combine passion with disposable income.

I should know. I confess that I was guilty of “Whisky OCD” myself once, but I’ve been reformed. Instead of buying whiskies and stashing them away somewhere in my house, I’m opening up my whiskies, drinking them, and sharing them with like-minded friends.

What changed my attitude on whisky? Two things. It began when I was perusing a coffee table book about an Italian whisky collector, and it included pictures of his whisky collection. Many of the bottles lost so much volume do to evaporation, the quality of the whiskies were obviously compromised. Instead of being impressed with his collection, it made me sad to see so many bottles wasted, all for the sake of amassing this enormous whisky collection.

The second thing that changed my relationship with whisky was when a very prominent whisky collector and enthusiast passed away. He died before he could even enjoy and share the 1,000 plus whiskies he had accumulated. Instead, his wife put them up for auction!

It was at that moment I decided that I’m not letting any of my whiskies go to waste. The first thing I did was stop buying whisky. The second thing I did was go through my bottles and see which ones looked like they were beginning to evaporate due to imperfect corks or metal enclosures and immediately put them on my “whiskies to drink next” list, so I could enjoy them before they go bad.

The third thing I did, which brings me back to the title of this post, is take a look at the whiskies I had  and ask myself why I bought them in the first place. It was usually for one of three reasons: it was rare, great tasting, or it had sentimental value to me.

I took all the whiskies I purchased because they were rare and immediately started opening them and using them in the many whisky tastings I was hosting at the time. I figured this might be the only opportunity these people will have to taste them. Some of you reading this might have been to one of these tastings. They weren’t necessarily great-tasting whiskies, but they were rare. I also sold some at auction because the prices people are paying for rare whiskies these days, whether they taste good or not, is ridiculous.

Then I looked at my remaining whiskies (the ones that taste great or are special to me for sentimental reasons) and mapped out a plan on what to do with them.  Some I’m sharing or giving away as gifts, some I’m saving for special occasions, and some I’m opening up for no particular reason at all–the whisky becomes the special occasion. My goal for these whiskies is to make sure they are enjoyed and consumed–preferably while I’m still alive!

Why am I taking the time to tell you about this? It’s not to talk about how many whiskies I have (or had) or what brands of whiskies I have. In fact, I intentionally did not mention quantities or brands, because that’s not the point of my post. I’m hoping you will take a step back and ask yourself why you’re buying whisky (especially if you’re buying and hoarding them like some of the pictures I’m seeing on Facebook). Is it for the right reasons, and what are those reasons?

 

dammit jim

he’s an engineer, not an alcoholic

Original Source

One of the greatest phenomena that every design student witnesses in the midst of their education (particularly if they go to school on the east coast) is the mass migration to New York City—or any major metropolis—around May for summer internship season. The flurry of applications and interviews for summer temp positions is a race with which most are all too familiar. As me and my design school cohorts approach the midway point in our respective internship positions—it's just the right time to question the value and implications of unpaid and paid temporary employment.

In the last few years, a serious debate has emerged over the state of creative internships. Everything from lawsuits to public pouting has fueled a conversation as to whether creative internships are in fact a strength or detriment to our industry as a whole. Since we've already done away with old-fashioned design apprenticeships, a young designer can't help but ask: where the heck are we supposed to get real world experience?

Enter Intern magazine: a UK-based magazine, currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, looks to break open the often overlooked discussion about creative internships. With the tag line "Intern Magazine: Meet the Talent, Join the Debate," we can only expect that they will be adding some much needed perspective to a conversation that has, to date, been lacking a voice for its most affected demographic: the recent and current creative interns.

As a self-identifying creative internship expert (and current Core77 Editorial Intern), I spoke with the Editor in Chief of Intern Magazine Alec Dudson about their Edition Zero and plans for the future via Kickstarter.

Core77: So what does the path to publishing a magazine look like? Where did the inspiration come from?

Alec Dudson: I guess the path to launching a print magazine began in January 2011. I had spent two months traveling and photographing the USA after completing my Masters degree in Sociology and upon returning, got approached by a friend to join him in starting a website with a couple of other guys. Initially, I figured it would just be a means of disseminating my photographs and maybe having a go at writing some photo essays, it turned out though, that I had stumbled across a passion. As the year progressed, more and more of my free time outside my bar job was becoming dedicated to the site and I was taking far more of an editorial role, using it as a showcase for others rather than myself. After the friend who invited me to the project began working some pretty awesome internships, I too decided to try and turn this 'hobby' into a career.

Why a print magazine and not a blog or different journalistic endeavor?

Having released one print edition of the website, my appetite was very much whet for print media—online stuff is fine but I love the tactile nature of magazines, the texture, the inks even the smell. That was reflected in the places I interned (Domus & Boat) who both have a strong on-line presence but whose jewel in the crown is their beautiful print editions. That side of it really drew me in to the creative industries as well, and as I spent time around designers and photographers, it struck me that a print project was always going to resonate more with this community due to its qualities as an artifact.

(more...)

Over the fourth of July week, I visited my mom in Upstate New York as I've done each year for about five summers in a row. The only spot to buy groceries where she lives is one very large grocery store, and there are more treats in the freezer than I generally stock in my own. And so began my love affair with ice cream bon bons.

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Name:

Sarah

Location:

Bend, OR

Square Feet:

107

Division:

Own

What makes your small kitchen so cool:

I salvaged the wood when I tore down the old cedar fence around the property; the nails had made water marks that ran down the wood and created different color gradations. I bought accessories thrifting; the thermos, mid century lamp, vintage barware, dishes, record album, artwork and mugs. I put board and batten, similar to an exterior wall, on the tallest interior wall. I used a monochromatic color scheme, white, creme, black and brown. I used simple, modern lighting and an Ikea farm sink. I love the arrow wallpaper by Cavern, called Tapestry that I used on one wall. I wanted a space that would be efficient and still have everything you needed to cook a meal comfortably, even if it was small. I bought cabinets, open shelving and a kitchen cart from Ikea and I was able to save money by using oversized granite tiles instead of one slab. The black Smeg gave the room the right amount of cool. There is a kitchen herb garden outside too!

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• Britain’s oldest man Ralph Tarrant celebrated his 110th birthday party
• Shows no signs of slowing down and knocked back a few glasses of whisky
• Said he does not feel his age and does not know what the fuss is about
• He and wife Phyliis were the country’s longest married couple, wed for 79 years, until she died on New Year’s Day 2012, aged 102

See Mike Draw

Comedy duo Key & Peele share their photography wisdom with Rhett & Link by teaching them how to take a perfect duo photo. Both Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele cover everything from the basic “heimlich” technique to the “nosey urinators” stance. This is one of the many humorous segments from episode 12 of The Mythical Show, Rhett & Link’s 30-minute comedy show.

kevin tong illustrated


kevin tong illustrated

The time is now

Earlier this week, a Japanese commuter accidentally fell through the gap between train and platform. The accident happened at the Minami-Urawa station, which I've traveled through many times as I used to live near it; I don't recall the gap being any wider than normal, five or six inches, so the woman must have been slight of form. And she fell in up to her waist. In any case, after ordering the driver not to move, a train official got on the PA and asked commuters on the platform—average men and women who presumably do not have Henry Cavill's gym body—to help shift the train.

Several dozen people are not enough to lift a 32-ton railcar, but they are enough, working in concert, to press against the train and cause the suspension on the other side to fully load. With one side sprung and the other unsprung, the gap widened enough for a conductor to pull the woman free. CG reenactment (with considerably less bodies) below:

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Are you sitting down? Ok, good. Because what I'm about to tell you might just blow your mind: you can make a loaf of fresh, warm, homemade bread in your slow cooker. You read that right. You don't have to turn on the oven this summer to get your fresh bread fix — just plug in your crockpot.

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The creator of the now infamous Cronut, Dominique Ansel of Dominique Ansel Bakery, released his latest creation on July 13th: the Frozen S'more. Like the Cronut, the Frozen S'more is also a hybrid dessert — half s'more, half ice cream. It is truly something to behold. 

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“Cat Lucky” is a meow-filled tribute music video to Daft Punk’s popular song “Get Lucky.”

video via Enjoykin

via Tastefully Offensive

1. Serve the public trust
2. Protect the innocent
3. Uphold the law
4. (Classified)

Cop Selfies [via Metafilter]

Bikes have become a big part of train travel here in the Pacific Northwest, and train travel has become a big part of bike tourism. The latest sign: Amtrak Cascades just boosted its bike hauling capacity by 67 percent.

Every run on the state-subsidized regional train line that connects Eugene, Vancouver BC and various cities in between now offers 10 bike hooks per train, up from 6. Adding your bike to an Amtrak Cascades trip, an easy step during online checkout, costs $5 for each direction hauled.

The most popular city pair on Amtrak Cascades, between Portland and Seattle, is also one of the most crowded with bikes, Cascades Operations Supervisor Kirk Fredrickson said Wednesday. Seattle-Vancouver and Portland-Vancouver regularly fill up, too.

On summer weekends, he said, about half of all trains were previously full to capacity with hanging bikes.

Amtrak also allows you to ship a bike horizontally if it's in a box. Bike boxes, which Amtrak requires for "tandems, recumbents and other specialized bikes" are available at train stations for $15.

Earlier this year, two trainsets bought by the Oregon Department of Transportation for the Amtrak Cascades system included 10 bike racks. Now, Washington has modified its own trainsets to follow suit.

Bikes and inter-city trains go together beautifully, because trains usually roll directly into downtowns — when most Northwest cities were built, trains were the main way to get between cities. Bikes, meanwhile, make it easy to explore an unfamiliar city. As Amtrak Cascades continues to improve, it's nice to know that bikes are continuing to be important.

UPD: We have received a number of proposals that we are discussing right now. Chances are high that public The Old Reader will live after all

Since we launched first public version almost a year ago up until March 2013 we have been working on The Old Reader in “normal” mode. In March things became “nightmare”, but we kept working hard and got things done. First, we were out of evenings, then out of weekends and holidays, and then The Old Reader was the only thing left besides our jobs. Last week difficulty level was changed to “hell” in every possible aspect we could imagine, we have been sleep deprived for 10 days and this impacts us way too much. We have to look back.

The truth is, during last 5 months we have had no work life balance at all. The “life” variable was out of equation: you can limit hours, make up rules on time management, but this isn’t going to work if you’re running a project for hundreds of thousands of people. Let me tell you why: it tears us to bits if something is not working right, and we are doing everything we can to fix that. We can’t ignore an error message, a broken RAID array, or unanswered email. I personally spent my own first wedding anniversary fixing the migration last Sunday. Talk about “laid back” attitude now. And I won’t even start describing enormous sentimental attachment to The Old Reader that we have.

We would really like to switch the difficulty level back to “normal”. Not to be dreaded of a vacation. Do something else besides The Old Reader. Stop neglecting ourselves. Think of other projects. Get less distant from families and loved ones. The last part it’s the worst: when you are with your family, you can’t fall out of dialogues, nodding, smiling and responding something irrelevant while thinking of refactoring the backend, checking Graphite dashboard, glancing onto a Skype chat and replying on Twitter. You really need to be there, you need to be completely involved. We want to have this experience again.

That’s why The Old Reader has to change. We have closed user registration, and we plan to shut the public site down in two weeks. We started working on this project for ourselves and our friends, and we use The Old Reader on a daily basis, so we will launch a separate private site that will keep running. It will have faster refresh rate, more posts per feed, and properly working full-text search — we are sure that we can provide all this at a smaller scale without that much drama, just like we were doing before March.

The private site?

Accounts will be migrated to the private site automatically. We will whitelist everybody we know personally, along with all active accounts that were registered before March 13, 2013. And of course, we will migrate all our awesome supporters and people who donated to keep the project running (if you sent us bitcoins, please get in touch to get identified). Later this week your account will get a distinct indication whether it will be migrated to the private site or not. If you see that message and believe that it’s wrong, or if all your friends are getting migrated and you are left behind — please, drop us a line.

Give me my data!

You will have two weeks to export your OPML file regardless of our decision. OPML export link is located at the bottom of the Settings page — use the top-right menu to get there. All posts that you saved for later by using Pocket integration will obviously remain in your Pocket account.

But you could…

For those who would like to start the usual “VC, funding, mentor” or “charge for the damn thing” mantras — please, spare it. We’re not in the Valley where it might be super-easy, and, after all, not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur. We just love making a good RSS reader.

We really want The Old Reader to be a big and successful project, with usable free accounts. But this is not possible to achieve with what we have, so unless someone resourceful takes over the project and brings it to the next level, it is not gonna happen. We had over 2 000 new registrations after the blackout last week. This is amazing and sad at the same time.

If anyone is interested in acquiring The Old Reader and making it better, we are very open and accepting proposals at hello@theoldreader.com. We would be waiting for them for two weeks, supporting and maintaining The Old Reader as usual. Please don’t write us if you don’t have resources to maintain a site used by tens of thousands of people every day, or if you don’t know how you would improve The Old Reader. And please spare our time if you just want to buy the domain name and park a bunch of silly ads there — it’s not going to happen.

We value our community very much, and we will either pass the project to somebody who we know is going to take a good care of it, or we will switch it to private mode.

What next?

From one point of view, it’s not a big deal: “RSS is obsolete”, nobody died, we don’t owe anybody anything, you name it. Also, there are a lot of good readers around to choose from, a large part of them is smaller than The Old Reader and had not experienced growing pains of 80 000 daily active users in no time. But for us, it’s heartbreaking.

I will finally get back to work on my small studio — Bespoke Pixel — which has been run by my awesome partner all this time. Dmitry will keep being bright young software developer, making scalable and beautiful projects. Our team will stay together, and will keep working on making the private version of The Old Reader awesome.

We feel great responsibility for the project. We’d rather provide a smooth and awesome experience for 10 000 users than a crappy one for 420 000.

Sorry, each and everyone if we failed you. You are an incredible, supportive and helpful community. The best we could possibly hope for.

All the love,
Elena Bulygina and Dmitry Krasnoukhov

Daft Punk - Inception Mashup (by jackcontemusic)

I don’t know if y’all are aware of this dude, but he seems to be something of a genius.

Brooklyn's Satanic Temple plans to clean up New York's highways to promote its message of civic pride and social responsibility. [Indiegogo]

Dick Durbin wants to add a civil-liberties advocate to the court's proceedings and to limit the NSA's data collection.

Shea Allen, an investigative reporter at an Alabama ABC affiliate, got fired after posting this little beauty:

1. I've gone bra-less during a live broadcast and no one was the wiser.
2. My best sources are the ones who secretly have a crush on me.
3. I am better live when I have no script and no idea what I'm talking about.
4. I've mastered the ability to contort my body into a position that makes me appear much skinner in front of the camera than I actually am.
5. I hate the right side of my face.
6. I'm frightened of old people and I refuse to do stories involving them or the places they reside.
7. Happy, fluffy, rainbow stories about good things make me depressed.
8. I've taken naps in the news car.
9. If you ramble and I deem you unnecessary for my story, I'll stop recording but let you think otherwise.
10. I've stolen mail and then put it back. (maybe)

Allen believes she was terminated without cause. Shea Allen investigates!

The body of a four-meter long walrus was discovered while renovating London's enormous St Pancras train station.

Both the archaeologist who discovered the bones, Phil Emery, and the zoologist who studied them for the Museum of London Archaeology, Alan Pipe, are not sure how the bones came to be in St Pancras Church on the northern side of the station. “It’s a bit of a mystery”, Mr Emery told The Times

The next step is be to identify which king this was, then conduct a forensic facial reconstruction as a prelude to reestablishing their reputation.

This one’s a treasure trove of CAN bus hacks that will scare the crap out of an unsuspecting driver — or worse. [Charlie Miller] and [Chris Valasek] are getting ready to present their findings, which were underwritten by DARPA, at this year’s Defcon. They gave a Forbes reporter a turn in the driver’s seat in order to show off.

You’ve got to see the video on this one. We haven’t had this much fun looking at potentially deadly car hacking since Waterloo Labs decided to go surfing on an Olds. The hacks shown off start as seemingly innocent data tweaks, like misrepresenting your fuel level or displaying 199 mph on the speedometer while the car is standing still. But things start to get interesting when they take that speed readout from 199 down to zero instantly, which has the effect of telling the car you’ve been in a crash (don’t worry, the airbags don’t fire). Other devilish tricks include yanking the steering wheel to one side by issuing a command telling the car to park itself when driving down the road. Worst of all is the ability to disable the brakes while the vehicle is in motion. Oh the pedal still moves, but the brake calipers don’t respond.

The purpose of the work is to highlight areas where auto manufacturers need to tighten up security. It certainly gives us an idea of what we’ll see in the next Bond film.

[Thanks Matt]

Filed under: transportation hacks

mochidesu:

a ramen appreciation post

First time accepted submitter chris.kohlhepp writes "The Emacs editor just got consolidated package management with "Feline Herd", offering 2000+ packages under one roof. No struggle with convoluted keyboard shortcuts — only easy GUI navigation via toolbar buttons! Every conceivable programming language is handled. Cuts the Emacs learning curve to a minimum for learners."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.