Sunday, October 28, 2007
"In Event of Moon Disaster"
"In Event of Moon Disaster" was a proposed speech drafted by presidential speechwriter
William Safire. It was intended to be read by President
Richard Nixon during the
Apollo 11 lunar landing in
July 1969 had a catastrophe occurred that would have prevented Apollo 11
astronauts Neil Armstrong and
Edwin Aldrin from leaving the surface of the
Moon. It is considered a haunting glimpse of the
worst-case scenario that could have made the historic landing a much more somber one. As the mission was successful and the astronauts returned safely, the speech was never used. It also never had to be adapted for any of the subsequent landings. This article is licensed under the
GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the
Wikipedia article "In Event of Moon Disaster". This entry is a fragment of a larger work. Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Quantum Fiction
Quantum Fiction is a new literary genre that blurs the lines separating
science fiction,
fantasy, and
quantum mechanics. This genre is characterized by The use of
quantum mechanics to explain, or make plausible, the supernatural, paranormal, or fantastic. The genre quantum fiction was coined by American novelist
Vanna Bonta to define stories in which consciousness affects physics and determines reality; in her words, "the genre is broad and includes life." Bonta further explains her development of this new genre: "I don't write science fiction. Science fiction is a niche genre, defined by
Ray Bradbury as depiction of the real. 'Quantum fiction' is the realm of all possibilities, and that is a core passion of my work. The genre is broad, and includes life because fiction is an inextricable part of reality in its various stages, and vice versa."
This article is licensed under the
GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the
Wikipedia article "Quantum Fiction". This entry is a fragment of a larger work. Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria
The Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria (OJB) coordinates the different
Jewish communities in
Bulgaria, a country where about 8000 Jews live. This organization encloses all categories of the Jewish life by organizing many programs and projects. This article is licensed under the
GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the
Wikipedia article "Organization of the Jews in Bulgaria". This entry is a fragment of a larger work. Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Penguins in popular culture
Penguins are popular around the world primarily for their unusually upright, waddling pace, their magnificent swimming ability, and (compared to other birds) lack of fear toward humans.Their striking black and white plumage is often likened to a
tuxedo suit and generates humorous remarks about the bird being "well dressed".The bird is typically depicted as a friendly and comical figure, with considerable personal dignity despite its physical limitations. Perhaps in reaction to this cutesy stereotype, fictional penguins are occasionally presented as grouchy or even sinister. The popular
Sanrio character
Badtz Maru is an example, being cute yet somewhat surly. The
1960s television
cartoon character
Tennessee Tuxedo would often escape the confines of his zoo with his partner, Chumley the
walrus. In the children's movie
Madagascar, the penguins are cast as
soldiers. In the animated series
Wallace and Gromit a penguin called
Feathers McGraw disguises himself as a chicken with a red rubber glove. Penguins are often portrayed as friendly and smart as well. Another example is in the anime
Neon Genesis Evangelion, which features a warm-water penguin named
Pen Pen.
Penguins experienced a resurgence in the mid-
2000s thanks to films like
March of the Penguins,
Madagascar,
Happy Feet, and
Surf's Up. This article is licensed under the
GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the
Wikipedia article "Penguins in popular culture". This entry is a fragment of a larger work. Link may die if entry is finally removed or merged.