It must be silly season. Lots of people in the Soulard Dog Parade had their pets in costumes, one crazier than the next. (Some of the people were pretty out there, too.) These are just a couple of examples. Lots more to edit as time permits.
Tuesday, 6 February 2018
Sunday, 4 February 2018
On a SPACE high!
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Don't you love the banner for Israel Space Week with the astronaut taking a selfie while making a spacewalk?!
That's the Physics Building in back, and that's where I went for the second part of the Annual Event to Honor Col. Ilan Ramon and the STS-107 Crew and Assaf Ramon.
(Please see my earlier post about the first part of the special day.)
On the top floor is the Ilan Ramon Youth Physics Center.
NASA astronaut Dr. Michael Barratt, who had spoken earlier in the day to hundreds of high school kids, now gave a talk to a younger audience, this time with an English-to-Hebrew interpreter at his side.
Just a few of the fascinating things he shared:
I knew I just HAD TO get a picture with this brave man, mainly for my daughter, Dr. Naomi.
I used my minute with Dr. Barratt to tell him that she also loves all things space and once worked for NASA in California and then went on to teach astronautical engineering at UNSW in Australia.
It was so exciting and inspiring to shake his hand and stand near him!
Astronauts are awesome!
Then the audience broke up into smaller groups, some to the planetarium, some to creative activities, and me to another lecture.
The young university lecturer opened with a slide of Sputnik, the first satellite.
It launched before he was even born; but I remember the day, Oct. 4, 1957 very well: Our grammar school principal (in Chicago) walked into our homeroom and whispered the news to our teacher, Miss Paskind. Then with a very grave face the two informed my class that the Russians had beat us to it, and from now on we kids would have to take more science and math courses and to work very hard to be the best!
It was scary for us preteens to hear. That was during the Cold War mind you, when we American kids still had frequent air raid drills, siren and all.
So in just 60 years we have progressed to the fascinating slide which shows the releasing of dozens and dozens of nano satellites taken up to space with just one rocket.
Next-generation astronauts (maybe) got to see space stuff inside the special glasses.
It was my first time. haha
Up to the roof just in time to see the blue moon rise over Beer Sheva.
You can see the beautiful new white double helix bridge too!
To the west the sky was still too light.
But soon it was dark enough to enter the observatory, open the hatch, and focus the big telescope on a distant star.
The whole upper dome rotated with a loud creaking noise and the telescope turned with a whir.
Luckily the expert setting it up for our viewing warned the kids in advance.
But even more awesome than seeing the star was gazing at the craters of the blood moon through these two powerful telescopes!
They were set up on the ground near the university's entrance.
Look at the low-tech plastic crate for short kids to stand on to reach the eyepiece!
The young organizers of this big day had thought of everything. Good on 'em!
Ilan Ramon and his jet pilot son Assaf, both of blessed memory, hopefully were looking down and enjoying this wonderful, moving, inspiring day in their honor.
.
Don't you love the banner for Israel Space Week with the astronaut taking a selfie while making a spacewalk?!
That's the Physics Building in back, and that's where I went for the second part of the Annual Event to Honor Col. Ilan Ramon and the STS-107 Crew and Assaf Ramon.
(Please see my earlier post about the first part of the special day.)
On the top floor is the Ilan Ramon Youth Physics Center.
NASA astronaut Dr. Michael Barratt, who had spoken earlier in the day to hundreds of high school kids, now gave a talk to a younger audience, this time with an English-to-Hebrew interpreter at his side.
Just a few of the fascinating things he shared:
- Aboard the International Space Station for long months, they have to exercise 2.5 hours every day to partially overcome the bone and muscle loss that come with weightlessness
- Exercise time is like a "sacred time," when no one will bother you, and you can watch the news or listen to music while exercising.
- What the astronauts love most is to look out the window. And take pictures!
- They are 400 km above earth and make one orbit every 90 minutes.
- They all have to know Russian.
- In the last 60 years 600 people have gone into space.
- Not many people know, but NASA is about to start suborbital adventure tourism flights on a large scale.
- From 18,000 applicants to the new astronaut class, only 12 were accepted.
I knew I just HAD TO get a picture with this brave man, mainly for my daughter, Dr. Naomi.
I used my minute with Dr. Barratt to tell him that she also loves all things space and once worked for NASA in California and then went on to teach astronautical engineering at UNSW in Australia.
It was so exciting and inspiring to shake his hand and stand near him!
Astronauts are awesome!
Then the audience broke up into smaller groups, some to the planetarium, some to creative activities, and me to another lecture.
The young university lecturer opened with a slide of Sputnik, the first satellite.
It launched before he was even born; but I remember the day, Oct. 4, 1957 very well: Our grammar school principal (in Chicago) walked into our homeroom and whispered the news to our teacher, Miss Paskind. Then with a very grave face the two informed my class that the Russians had beat us to it, and from now on we kids would have to take more science and math courses and to work very hard to be the best!
It was scary for us preteens to hear. That was during the Cold War mind you, when we American kids still had frequent air raid drills, siren and all.
So in just 60 years we have progressed to the fascinating slide which shows the releasing of dozens and dozens of nano satellites taken up to space with just one rocket.
Next-generation astronauts (maybe) got to see space stuff inside the special glasses.
It was my first time. haha
Up to the roof just in time to see the blue moon rise over Beer Sheva.
You can see the beautiful new white double helix bridge too!
To the west the sky was still too light.
But soon it was dark enough to enter the observatory, open the hatch, and focus the big telescope on a distant star.
The whole upper dome rotated with a loud creaking noise and the telescope turned with a whir.
Luckily the expert setting it up for our viewing warned the kids in advance.
But even more awesome than seeing the star was gazing at the craters of the blood moon through these two powerful telescopes!
They were set up on the ground near the university's entrance.
Look at the low-tech plastic crate for short kids to stand on to reach the eyepiece!
The young organizers of this big day had thought of everything. Good on 'em!
Ilan Ramon and his jet pilot son Assaf, both of blessed memory, hopefully were looking down and enjoying this wonderful, moving, inspiring day in their honor.
.
A Heck Of An Introduction
After thirteen years, the St. Louis Symphony's beloved music director, David Robertson, will leave us at the end of this season. I don't know how he has kept it up this long. His home is in New York. His wife is the concert pianist Orli Shaham. They have twin sons. I saw that he is conducting Cosi Fan Tutti at the Metropolitan Opera this spring. Oh, and he is also chief conductor or the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. It has been a great pleasure ho have him here.
Time passes. Our new music director, starting with the 2019-2020 season, is Frenchman Stéphane Denève. This weekend was his only guest appearance this year and we've never heard him before. O M G. He conducted a program of French music, featuring sisters Christina and Michelle Naughton, below, playing the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos. There arms are so fluid they looked like four octopus tentacles. Denève is a spectacular talent. We look forward to hearing much more from him.
The handsome couple below saw me taking the picture of the Naughtons on my phone at intermission. They asked me to take their picture on his phone. We are glad to have more young people in the audience.
Friday, 2 February 2018
"God gave burdens, also shoulders."
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We interrupt my report about Israel Space Week to post something for City Daily Photo blogger's Theme Day.
The Feb. 1 subject is TIRED.
When I moved from the Jerusalem Hills down to the Negev a few years ago, I was shocked by the old-style technique used by one of the three movers.
Mohammad was not an especially big man, but he knew how to use the tumpline method to full advantage.
Still, at the end of that hot August day, I reckon he was a bit TIRED.
The whole work of moving house reminded me of the old Yiddish proverb:
We interrupt my report about Israel Space Week to post something for City Daily Photo blogger's Theme Day.
The Feb. 1 subject is TIRED.
When I moved from the Jerusalem Hills down to the Negev a few years ago, I was shocked by the old-style technique used by one of the three movers.
Mohammad was not an especially big man, but he knew how to use the tumpline method to full advantage.
Still, at the end of that hot August day, I reckon he was a bit TIRED.
The whole work of moving house reminded me of the old Yiddish proverb:
GOD GAVE BURDENS, ALSO SHOULDERS.
.
Thursday, 1 February 2018
Meeting a brave astronaut!
.
A real NASA astronaut!!
I was so excited to get to shake hands and to exchange a few words with him!
It is Israel Space Week, and yesterday at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev was the Annual Event Honoring Col. Ilan Ramon and the STS-107 Crew and Assaf Ramon.
February 1, 2003 was the dreadful day when the Columbia space shuttle broke up while approaching landing in Texas, and Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, perished along with his crewmates.
Six years later the Ramons' son Assaf was killed in a training mission as a pilot in the Israel Air Force.
Ilan grew up in Be'er Sheva so they have an extra special place in our hearts down here in the south.
The event began with four astronauts (seen on the screen) greeting us from space--from the International Space Station!
The round Senate Hall was packed with classes of high school students and several rows of adults.
Several Israelis speakers gave talks in Hebrew, and then an American lectured in English.
Seen at the podium is Dr. Jacob Cohen, Chief Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center in California.
He pointed out that anyone 17 years old or younger has grown up while there is a continual human presence in space, i.e. there have been one or more astronauts up in space at all times ever since these kids were born.
The excitement level rose even higher when the American astronaut arrived and began talking to us and showing exciting movies of launches and landings.
Dr. Michael Barratt is a medical doctor, a pilot, diver, father of five, speaks Russian, and who knows what else!
But he spoke in a friendly and humble way and inspired us all.
On the screen is his Space Shuttle Discovery when they landed after six months in space.
But before that, in 2009, Dr. Barratt served inside a smaller Soyuz capsule for 199 days; that mission launched from Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan.
After the fascinating talk, to which the kids paid rapt attention, Dr. Barrett stood with each class for photos.
But still, at the end everyone swarmed him in the center, hoping for a selfie.
Finally the University officials whisked Dr. Barratt away, because even astronauts have to eat lunch!
At 4:00 space-related activities continued on campus and I had great fun!
But since this post is getting long, let's leave that for the next post.
.
A real NASA astronaut!!
I was so excited to get to shake hands and to exchange a few words with him!
It is Israel Space Week, and yesterday at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev was the Annual Event Honoring Col. Ilan Ramon and the STS-107 Crew and Assaf Ramon.
February 1, 2003 was the dreadful day when the Columbia space shuttle broke up while approaching landing in Texas, and Israel's first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, perished along with his crewmates.
Six years later the Ramons' son Assaf was killed in a training mission as a pilot in the Israel Air Force.
Ilan grew up in Be'er Sheva so they have an extra special place in our hearts down here in the south.
The event began with four astronauts (seen on the screen) greeting us from space--from the International Space Station!
The round Senate Hall was packed with classes of high school students and several rows of adults.
Several Israelis speakers gave talks in Hebrew, and then an American lectured in English.
Seen at the podium is Dr. Jacob Cohen, Chief Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center in California.
He pointed out that anyone 17 years old or younger has grown up while there is a continual human presence in space, i.e. there have been one or more astronauts up in space at all times ever since these kids were born.
The excitement level rose even higher when the American astronaut arrived and began talking to us and showing exciting movies of launches and landings.
Dr. Michael Barratt is a medical doctor, a pilot, diver, father of five, speaks Russian, and who knows what else!
But he spoke in a friendly and humble way and inspired us all.
On the screen is his Space Shuttle Discovery when they landed after six months in space.
But before that, in 2009, Dr. Barratt served inside a smaller Soyuz capsule for 199 days; that mission launched from Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan.
After the fascinating talk, to which the kids paid rapt attention, Dr. Barrett stood with each class for photos.
But still, at the end everyone swarmed him in the center, hoping for a selfie.
Finally the University officials whisked Dr. Barratt away, because even astronauts have to eat lunch!
At 4:00 space-related activities continued on campus and I had great fun!
But since this post is getting long, let's leave that for the next post.
.
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