November 06, 2019
I have a subscription to Air & Space, which is a bimonthly magazine that was first published in 1986 and comes from the Smithsonian. It’s especially relevant this year because this is the 50th Anniversary (1969-2019) of the Apollo 11 landing on the moon. Neil Armstrong’s first words – as he stepped down onto the soil of Luna were, “One small step for man, one giant step for mankind,” as the whole world watched.
The SpaceShip Two rocket plane in Mojave, California
These days all the talk is: When are we going to visit Mars? This is quite a different venture. It takes between 150 and 300 days to get there (slightly over 33 million miles) but NASA is aiming for human missions to this planet in the 2030s. All of this is hair-raising stuff so let’s get down to earth.
SpaceShip Two ignites its rocket shortly after release from its carrier aircraft in Mojave, California
In the August 2019 issue of Air & Space I spotted an intriguing article titled “How to Be a Space Tourist” with a subhead saying, “Beth Moses, the chief astronaut instructor at Virgin Galactic, will train the people who want to fly on SpaceShip Two. Since I’m always on the lookout for women who have fascinating jobs, I sat down and read this piece at once.
Personable, adventurous Beth Moses, Chief Astronaut Instructor at Virgin Galactic – Photo courtesy of Air & Space
FIRST: WHAT IS SPACESHIP TWO?
KEY POINTS
SECOND: WHAT IS AN ASTRONAUT INSTRUCTOR?
CLICK HERE to hear Sinatra sing Fly Me to the Moon
Shaun Nelson-Henrick
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October 22, 2020
I just read an article that sounded – to me at least – like “a canary in a coal mine” or an early warning of danger. This piece, written by Joe Pompeo, appeared in the May 2020 issue of Vanity Fair magazine with the title “The British Tabloid Invasion” and a subtitle that read, “How the Daily Mail is conquering American gossip.”
The paparazzi horde, La Dolce Vita, 1960 – photo courtesy of Vanity Fair
October 14, 2020
Apparently the good old U.S. is a nation of “not great” sleepers. Really? And I thought I was the only one! According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it was revealed that one out of three Americans are chronically sleep-deprived. Yikes!
October 06, 2020
I think we’re all taken by the incredible mystique of the famous French fashion house, Hermès that has been with us for two centuries and is still owned and operated by the same family. From its beginnings in fine equestrian leather goods, they are – in the tumultuous year 2020 – best known for their handbags and many other items.
My image of Hermès has always been rarified products at equally rarified prices so imagine my surprise when I recently received a very stylish publication of theirs in the mail.