08 October 2013

Tuesday's Bluster

No, not the goings-on from the assorted clownery in the nation's capitol.

The winds we've been warned about for the last few days arrived during the night. While it's not constant, there are gusts from 45 to 60 mph. The last of the autumn leaves are carpeting the ground, or wallpapering the vehicles. Overall, the wind's not bad ... at least not yet. They're expected to peak by 10 am, and then subside by early afternoon.

I'm quite happy that there are no reports of outages or fallen trees in the local news; nobody needs that.

* * * * *

The Associated Press reports that Hawaii and Alaska have announced a joint space venture.

— Alaska and Hawaii on Monday agreed to work together to develop satellites, rockets and other aspects of space launches.

The two Pacific states will also share designs for rockets and satellites, cross-train personnel and share business and market development opportunities.

. . . Hawaii is on the leading edge of making sure the small satellite technology works, and soon expects to launch one of the so-called "CubeSats," he said.

Alaska, meanwhile, also owns and operates a launch complex on Kodiak Island. "I think we should tie that together," Campbell said.

. . . Hawaii doesn't have a commercial spaceport, though rockets may be launched into space from the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai.

. . .
Henk Rogers, Honolulu-based technology entrepreneur and chairman of the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems, said people must explore space to protect against extinction, noting dinosaurs were wiped out after asteroid hit Earth 65 million years ago.

"We have to go. Our mission is to make a backup of life on Earth," he said at a news conference before the summit. "If we can take life as we know it to another planet like Mars, or even the Moon, it will be the most amazing that ever happens to that planet. And, I dare say, it would be the most amazing thing that we could do as a species."

Jenny S, do you see this? It's what you predicted, two years ago.

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Speaking of Alaska-based industry, there's another development:
— The first large commercial fishing vessel built in Alaska has been christened.

A ceremony for the Petersburg-based Arctic Prowler was held Saturday at the shipbuilder, Ketchikan Shipyard.


. . .  The Ketchikan Daily News reports (http://is.gd/Ion6Dz) the ship is 136 feet long and 40 feet wide. The Arctic Prowler has two 1,000-horsepower, eight-cylinder engines. On-board freezers can hold about 735,000 pounds of fish. Crew members can process fish on board the Arctic Prowler, and the ship is designed to accommodate long fishing trips in the Bering Sea.

6 comments:

Home on the Range said...

Nice to see something other than all the depressing talk out of Washington. LOVE the boat picture!

Rev. Paul said...

Thank you! I just couldn't bear any more negativity.

Sandy Livesay said...

Rev. Paul,

Nice looking boat! Our weatherman has informed us 3 storms coming in from Russia, and Alaska heading our direction.

Rev. Paul said...

Sandy, sounds like the jet stream is lined up just right, so stand by: we're getting a new storm every 2 or 3 days, this time of year.

Teresa said...

Oh nice boat! Congrats to the state on their new enterprise. :)

Rev. Paul said...

Thank you, ma'am - I wish they'd shown the rest of it.