Sticks carrying dogs thread (also cat [chat])

cj iwakura · March 2011

A well-traveled NASA probe made history Thursday, becoming the first spacecraft ever to enter into orbit around Mercury.

NASA's Messenger spacecraft fired its main thruster in a 15-minute orbital insertion burn Thursday night to slow down by about 1,900 mph (3,058 kilometers), enough to enter Mercury's gravitational influence and settle into orbit around the planet.

NASA is still analyzing the spacecraft's trajectory, but a preliminary look suggests everything went as planned to put Messenger into its looping, 12-hour circuit around the solar system's innermost planet.

Mercury now has an artificial satellite, for the first time ever.

Messenger will soon begin mapping Mercury and studying the planet's composition, geology and tenuous atmosphere from its orbital perch. The mission's name is actually an acronym, standing for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging.

"The spacecraft is ready, and the team is ready," Messenger mission operations manager Andy Calloway, of Johns Hopkins University's Applied Physics Laboratory, told reporters before the insertion burn. "On April 4, we'll begin prime science." [Photos of Mercury From Messenger Probe]

Messenger's arrival at Mercury marks the end of a long, circuitous journey for the probe, and the start of its main science operations. The Messenger mission first began development about 15 years ago, and the probe launched in August 2004.

Over the past six and a half years, Messenger has been a solar system wanderer, completing 15 orbits of the sun and traveling about 4.9 billion miles (7.9 billion kilometers). During this time, it made one flyby of Earth, two flybys of Venus, and three of Mercury, primarily to slow the probe down in preparation for Thursday's orbital insertion maneuver.

Messenger also took pictures and did some science work during these close encounters. Its Mercury observations were the first spacecraft data returned from the planet since NASA's Mariner 10 probe made three flybys in the mid-1970s.

But the Mercury flybys were a prelude to Messenger's chief mission — scrutinizing the planet from orbit for the next 12 months, researchers said.

Mission scientists planned for Messenger to slip into a highly eccentric orbit around Mercury. The spacecraft should come as close as 124 miles (200 kilometers) to the planet at times and retreat to more than 9,300 miles (15,000 kilometers) away at others, researchers said.

The mission team should begin learning soon — within the next day or so — how well Messenger's actual orbit matches up with the planned one. But just achieving Mercury orbit is a success, and not something to take for granted.

Japan's $300 million Akatsuki probe, for example, failed to enter into Venus orbit in December 2010 when its thrusters conked out early in its insertion burn. Akatsuki is still circling the sun, with another possible shot at Venus coming in late 2016 or early 2017.

Over the next 12 months, Messenger will map Mercury's surface in unprecedented detail and investigate the planet's composition, magnetic field, geologic history and its thin, tenuous atmosphere, among other features. Scientists hope the probe helps them better understand what makes the tiny planet tick.

"Mercury has been comparatively unexplored, considering its proximity in our solar system," said Messenger principal investigator Sean Solomon of the Carnegie Institution of Washington.

The overall goal of Messenger's mission is to use an increased understanding of Mercury to learn more about how our solar system — and solar systems in general — formed and evolved, scientists have said.

Over the next few weeks, the mission team will turn on and check out Messenger's suite of seven science instruments, making sure everything is working properly.

Messenger's first pictures of Mercury from orbit should start trickling out in about two weeks, Solomon said, but the real data flood will come with the official start of the probe's science operations on April 4. From that point on, Messenger will be beaming home the equivalent of two flybys' worth of information every day, Calloway said.

Mim · March 2011

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

Oh my, I think someone MIGHT have written a missed connection about me. If so, awesome. If not, I'll still wait for one.

it was me

i wrote that missed connection

what did it say.

Solomaxwell6 · March 2011

simonwolf wrote: »

Solomaxwell6 wrote: »

I'll just ooh and aah over the fact that he can use chopsticks.

Wait, some people still don't know how to use chopsticks?

mind

blown

I've tried many times over the years, I've been instructed by two Asians (a Korean, not the same one as earlier, and a Japanese chef). The latter ended up with the chef laughing at me because I failed so hard. I don't know, they just don't go where I want them to go. I can get them to work, but it takes way too many tries and eating takes way too long, so I typically just use forks when I'm eating Chinese.

simonwolf · March 2011

Mim wrote: »

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

Oh my, I think someone MIGHT have written a missed connection about me. If so, awesome. If not, I'll still wait for one.

it was me

i wrote that missed connection

what did it say.

uh

"i missed connecting with you"

"let's connect up sometime, baby"

"in the sack"

Elldren · March 2011

I worry I have undiagnosed PTSD

I also worry I'm marginalizing people with documented diagnosed cases

All I know is sometimes someone says something and it feels like I felt, or maybe imagine I felt, or maybe I just feel it again, and it's not a happy thing.

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot · March 2011

Man.

This is like mania crossed with the bitterest parts of depression.

Maybe I should pop an ativan and go to sleep or something.

Mim · March 2011

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

Oh my, I think someone MIGHT have written a missed connection about me. If so, awesome. If not, I'll still wait for one.

it was me

i wrote that missed connection

what did it say.

uh

"i missed connecting with you"

"let's connect up sometime, baby"

"in the sack"

this one referenced a lady in orange. I was wearing an orange dress.

Of course, I'm sure some chick wore a giant orange jumpsuit or something, ruining my chances.

Elldren · March 2011

Mim wrote: »

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

Oh my, I think someone MIGHT have written a missed connection about me. If so, awesome. If not, I'll still wait for one.

it was me

i wrote that missed connection

what did it say.

uh

"i missed connecting with you"

"let's connect up sometime, baby"

"in the sack"

this one referenced a lady in orange. I was wearing an orange dress.

Of course, I'm sure some chick wore a giant orange jumpsuit or something, ruining my chances.

She could just be in New Jersey

simonwolf · March 2011

Mim wrote: »

this one referenced a lady in orange. I was wearing an orange dress.

Of course, I'm sure some chick wore a giant orange jumpsuit or something, ruining my chances.

Maybe it was referring to me, I have orange hair

and also hips like cinderella

Captain Carrot · March 2011

guys

what is this dish

it's american-style 'chinese' food, with rice, scrambled eggs mixed in so there are bits of egg everywhere making the rice sticky as well as clumps of yellow, and chopped onions

Mim · March 2011

This one was for Temple University. Which I go to. Which I was at today.

simonwolf · March 2011

Mim wrote: »

This one was for Temple University. Which I go to. Which I was at today.

what a coincidence

Mim · March 2011

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

this one referenced a lady in orange. I was wearing an orange dress.

Of course, I'm sure some chick wore a giant orange jumpsuit or something, ruining my chances.

Maybe it was referring to me, I have orange hair

and also hips like cinderella

Mmm, hips don't lie?

Caveman Paws · March 2011

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot wrote: »

Man.

This is like mania crossed with the bitterest parts of depression.

Maybe I should pop an ativan and go to sleep or something.

I had a roomate once who felt as you do, he took a fire ax to an old washing machine. Good times, good times.

Mim · March 2011

Captain Carrot wrote: »

guys

what is this dish

it's american-style 'chinese' food, with rice, scrambled eggs mixed in so there are bits of egg everywhere making the rice sticky as well as clumps of yellow, and chopped onions

fried rice?

Caveman Paws · March 2011

Mim wrote: »

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

this one referenced a lady in orange. I was wearing an orange dress.

Of course, I'm sure some chick wore a giant orange jumpsuit or something, ruining my chances.

Maybe it was referring to me, I have orange hair

and also hips like cinderella

Mmm, hips don't lie?

That would be hips like pinocchio

Mim · March 2011

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

This one was for Temple University. Which I go to. Which I was at today.

what a coincidence

god if its some other girl I'm going to run buck naked across campus to get one about me.

Spoiler:

desc · March 2011

Elldren wrote: »

I worry I have undiagnosed PTSD

I also worry I'm marginalizing people with documented diagnosed cases

All I know is sometimes someone says something and it feels like I felt, or maybe imagine I felt, or maybe I just feel it again, and it's not a happy thing.

It's always possible you might marginalize someone's experience by trying to frame your own, but I kind of doubt it would be a side effect of your respectful and honest communication with someone about something like PTSD.

All of those subjective feelings must be on a continuum anyway, regardless of how they would compare to someone else's.

Elldren · March 2011

Caveman Paws wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

this one referenced a lady in orange. I was wearing an orange dress.

Of course, I'm sure some chick wore a giant orange jumpsuit or something, ruining my chances.

Maybe it was referring to me, I have orange hair

and also hips like cinderella

Mmm, hips don't lie?

That would be hips like pinocchio

those would just get bigger

simonwolf · March 2011

Mim wrote: »

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

this one referenced a lady in orange. I was wearing an orange dress.

Of course, I'm sure some chick wore a giant orange jumpsuit or something, ruining my chances.

Maybe it was referring to me, I have orange hair

and also hips like cinderella

Mmm, hips don't lie?

I'm on tonight

that I was making a Pixies reference

and I'm starting to feel it's right

Nerdgasmic · March 2011

fried rice?

South host · March 2011

Mim wrote: »

This one was for Temple University. Which I go to. Which I was at today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLu2_IDjSNg

Elldren · March 2011

desc wrote: »

Elldren wrote: »

I worry I have undiagnosed PTSD

I also worry I'm marginalizing people with documented diagnosed cases

All I know is sometimes someone says something and it feels like I felt, or maybe imagine I felt, or maybe I just feel it again, and it's not a happy thing.

It's always possible you might marginalize someone's experience by trying to frame your own, but I kind of doubt it would be a side effect of your respectful and honest communication with someone about something like PTSD.

All of those subjective feelings must be on a continuum anyway, regardless of how they would compare to someone else's.

the feelings in question are crippling depression and emotional anguish

it sucks

Mazzyx · March 2011

焼き飯？Aka fried rice CC?

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot · March 2011

Caveman Paws wrote: »

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot wrote: »

Man.

This is like mania crossed with the bitterest parts of depression.

Maybe I should pop an ativan and go to sleep or something.

I had a roomate once who felt as you do, he took a fire ax to an old washing machine. Good times, good times.

Yeah that feels like it's within the realm of possibility.

desc · March 2011

simon

Spoiler:

simonwolf · March 2011

desc wrote: »

simon

Spoiler:

she has a 6 for all her stats

South host · March 2011

Caveman Paws wrote: »

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot wrote: »

Man.

This is like mania crossed with the bitterest parts of depression.

Maybe I should pop an ativan and go to sleep or something.

I had a roomate once who felt as you do, he took a fire ax to an old washing machine. Good times, good times.

To be fair, hitting appliances with things is fun. Although I usually just do fax machines and sledgehammers.

Wash · March 2011

Elldren wrote: »

I worry I have undiagnosed PTSD

I also worry I'm marginalizing people with documented diagnosed cases

All I know is sometimes someone says something and it feels like I felt, or maybe imagine I felt, or maybe I just feel it again, and it's not a happy thing.

Awful things happen. Sometimes reminders make you feel awful. Anyone who accuses you of taking something away from people with confirmed issues because you feel a certain way is a jackoff.

Caveman Paws · March 2011

Elldren wrote: »

Caveman Paws wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

simonwolf wrote: »

Mim wrote: »

this one referenced a lady in orange. I was wearing an orange dress.

Of course, I'm sure some chick wore a giant orange jumpsuit or something, ruining my chances.

Maybe it was referring to me, I have orange hair

and also hips like cinderella

Mmm, hips don't lie?

That would be hips like pinocchio

those would just get bigger

Clearly someone didn't stay till the end of the movie!

Eddy · March 2011

bibimbap

it's like fried rice but better

more Korean

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot · March 2011

Man I really want the next [chat]

Mazzyx · March 2011

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot wrote: »

Man I really want the next [chat]

No it shall be mine!

desc · March 2011

Elldren wrote: »

desc wrote: »

Elldren wrote: »

I worry I have undiagnosed PTSD

I also worry I'm marginalizing people with documented diagnosed cases

All I know is sometimes someone says something and it feels like I felt, or maybe imagine I felt, or maybe I just feel it again, and it's not a happy thing.

It's always possible you might marginalize someone's experience by trying to frame your own, but I kind of doubt it would be a side effect of your respectful and honest communication with someone about something like PTSD.

All of those subjective feelings must be on a continuum anyway, regardless of how they would compare to someone else's.

the feelings in question are crippling depression and emotional anguish

it sucks

See, I am not a Doctor by any stretch of the imagination. But if those feelings seem to be strongly modulated by recurring triggering events around you, then it's certainly within your rights to ask, "Is it going to valuable to look at this through the lens of PTSD?" Your experiences have as much weight as someone's whose are documented and diagnosed already.

Depression is not a barrel of monkeys, particularly not as the default daily state.

Elldren · March 2011

I've been up for some horrendous amount of time so I should sleep.

Here's hoping I do

Eddy · March 2011

I swear to god if it's similar in quality to your Moon Over June fiasco I am going to pout something fierce

simonwolf · March 2011

I can only dream of the day I get to make a [chat]

got an idea all ready and planned out

cj iwakura · March 2011

Mine'll be about Friday.

Or BT.

Or both.

Caveman Paws · March 2011

No one make a Quantum Leap [chat] kay?

KAY?

Dread Pirate Arbuthnot · March 2011

Eddy wrote: »

I swear to god if it's similar in quality to your Moon Over June fiasco I am going to pout something fierce

its going to be

just another friday night at the [chat]house

if you don't love kc green there is no hope for you

Penny Arcade

Sticks carrying dogs thread (also cat [chat])

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