Geek Themed Spaces

What kid doesn’t want to decorate their bedroom in the theme of their choosing?  When I was a young'un I papered one wall of my bedroom with the Sunday comics.  I painstakingly removed the comic strips from the newspaper, prepped the wall and used wallpaper paste to permanently attach the funnies to the wall.  I had understanding parents.

In high school my chemistry instructor informed the class his son had taken six of his LPs, painted them gold and made himself transporter pads.

But I think I found the ultimate geek.  The other day I came across a story about Tony Alleyne who resides in a one room apartment in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England.  He has converted his apartment into a replica of the bridge of Star Trek’s Starship Voyager.  He estimates that he spent about $150K.  Unfortunately for him, his ex-wife owns the apartment and she wants to sell it.  But it is awesome nonetheless!

The following are five themed living spaces that I found intriguing.

1.   Tony Alleyne’s Voyager apartment

2.  The ULTIMATE Star Wars Themed Home.

Collector Cho Woong has turned his apartment into a Star Wars shrine.  He has an impressive collection of Star Wars memorabilia in every room of his abode; even the bathroom.

3.   Jules’ Undersea Lodge

Key Largo, Florida is the home of the Jules’ Undersea Lodge.  Located at the Key Largo Undersea Park, this hotel affords guests the opportunity to eat, sleep and live underwater in hotel-like comfort.

4.   Star Wars Tours in Tunisia

Visit the place that was Luke Skywalker’s home, Tatooine.  When the Star Wars filmmakers finished filming, they left all manner of Star Wars memorabilia, including Skywalker’s home.

5.   World’s First Hobbit Motel

Think the Hobbits had it made?  There’s a Hobbit motel in Waitomo, New Zealand.  Each unit has a shower, kitchen and can accommodate 6 people.

So what do you think, ready to redecorate?

Japan's Spy Satellite

Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun.  I was on an extended deployment in the summer and early fall of 1981, a bit over seven months.  The squadron I was attached to, VMA 223, was fulfilling our portion of a three-squadron rotation.

We were assigned to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan.  The most lasting memory I have of Iwakuni is the smell of smoldering flesh.  There was a crematorium in the town and on Thursdays they burned the bodies.  That is an odor that will forever be imprinted on my olfactory system.  YUCK!

I was very young and did not understand the opportunity I had to explore a country with such a rich history.  I managed to spend a day in Hiroshima.  I don’t recollect much and I don’t think I took many pictures.  I mostly remember two things:

1.    It was the first time I had seen the brightly colored koi fish.

2.    There was a McDonalds in Hiroshima and this offered a little taste of home.

I did see some of the land though.  We lost an airplane (the pilot ejected safely) and I was one of the many assigned with searching for missing pieces.  Four of us trudged through a rice paddy and then there were three of us.  One of our party had fallen into a hole that had been covered up.  He didn't get hurt but it took us a few minutes to extricate him.

Why do I reminisce about this short tour of duty?  I was thinking about Japan on Monday, December 12, 2011, because the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched a spy satellite.  I didn’t know the Japanese had spy satellites.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised; I knew they had this capability since they are partners on the International Space Station.  I just never thought of Japan as having a need for spy satellites.  They started this effort in the late 90s after North Korea fired a missile over Japan.

This isn’t even their first spy satellite; it’s their seventh launch since 2003.  This satellite is radar tipped which, when operational, will allow the Japanese to monitor ground conditions at night or through cloud cover.  The need to monitor their own landmasses became especially crucial following the tsunami and earthquake in March, 2011.

I have a military background and I’ve worked in the aerospace industry for over 25 years, yet I never thought of Japan as requiring spy satellites.  When I ponder those who might be monitoring from above I don’t think of Japan but rather Russia, China and the U.S.  But, I guess I’m going to have to alter my world view and realize that the Big Three don’t have a monopoly on the sky.  Is Big Brother watching?

Kepler-22b, New Earth?

In last week’s blog I expressed the hope we are not alone in the universe and that the Mars’ rover Curiosity will discover evidence of life on the Red Planet.

Is it possible that hope may become reality?  On Monday, December 5^th, NASA announced its Kepler telescope had discovered a planet, Kepler-22b, that may be Earth-like.  The scientists believe Kepler-22b has an average surface temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit which would allow water to exist in liquid form.

But, it will be a long time before the authenticity of the discovery is verified.  Kepler-22b is 600 light years from Earth.  1 light year is roughly 5.88 billion miles so 600 of these is a haul – not something you’d do in a weekend.

Unfortunately, unless Zefram Cochrane is about to test his warp drive enticing the Vulcans to visit this little blue orb, Kepler-22b will remain a mystery for generations.

What do you think?  Is this a new Earth?