Beam Me Up episode #462

In episode 462 the main story is Accidental Death, a bit of a “flash from the past” from author Peter Bailey.

News from the blog: first off from Kallamus is comments on the Chronicles of Shinara and Star Trek. Next are my observations on “Space 1999” plus where they can play a behind the scenes short, this concerning the intricate modeling of the ships that was done.  Next, with new detectors, it may be within scientists’ reach to observe gravity Waves.

Has the 9th planet truly been discovered?

Carole sent in photos of folks that will most likely be future inductees into the Darwin Awards list.
That about ties it up for another episode.  I hope you enjoy the podcast.

Beam Me Up Podcast Episode 447 Now Online

Yep, Episode 447 of Beam Me Up is now available.

Articles from the blog here, stories include the conclusion of the English Dead and
In Plain Sight episode 34.

Plus Herb sets in to add to the mayhem.

Episode Link

Episode 435 of BMU now Online

After my opening for this week's episode (435) I spend a moment memorializing Jason Kahn who passed away 12/16/14 after a long illness.

Next - the first story of the afternoon is Venus or Bust pt2 by Alec Jones

From the Blog  wrfrbeameup.blogspot.com

A fake tweet from NASA and a planetary alignment might make you feel lighter?

2015 is an auspicious year for Back to the Future, how much did they get right and how much was plain misses.

Some people have way too much time on their hands and way too many legos!

SpaceX is another step closer to crew transport.

Finally this episode ends with part two of Margaret Karmazin's Sound Effects.

Enjoy!

The program can be listened to or downloaded from Here  
or  the podcast  beammeuppodcast.com

BMU episode 406 now online

Hey there! Welcome to Beam Me Up episode 406.  This week my opening comment reflect those of Kallimus who is constantly amazed at the capacity of the human animal for stupidity. I use his comments, posted on the Beam Me Up blog, as my opening comments.

I also discover that Dark Inspectre stories have been lacking.  So I take the latest installment that played back in December and play that in hopes that it jogs people's memory and I will start with news installments as soon as I can get them from Mr. Kahn.

Then I move back to the blog for a few of the latest articles that have peaked my interest.

First is a review of a short film on YouTube called Payload...

Then a new product that the inventor says will be the end of food! And you will not believe what they call it!!!

ABC renews Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.!  Plus another surprise!

Finally Mr. Scholes changes gears slightly and brings us "Human Hunter" which is a departure from his Trathh series.

There is enough to entertain. I hope you find it as such.  Enjoy

BMU 398 Now Online

BMU 398 is here!  So  lets get started

My first offering is an unusual peice of anime music.  From all things a series that I have avoided for years.  I was looking for some cutsie anime music so I watched this episode and was floored on the ending song.  It's great!  So is the series surprisingly enough covers so many different aspects of life and it is not kiddy anime...weird

I have been reading on the James Webb and I start the science continue on the Webb space telescope.

Next is my review of Elyisium  With Matt Damon and Jodie Foster.  Next, NASA wants the ISS to get cold. Plus have you seen the new trailer for the next Captain America wow.

Oh and you can now see Felix's jump from near space.  All the camera footage has been released.

And Tratth: Return to Empire  By David Scholes

That's it in a nut shell!  Enjoy

BMU #374 Now Online

 

 Welcome to episode 374 of Beam Me Up for show date 7/13/13.

After my usual show intro I open the program with one of my favorite tunes, Thomas Dolby's She Blinded Me With Science.  Yep this crazy tune encapsulates this program.

In news, Nasa's Jason-1 was decommissioned this week after more than 11 years.  Not bad for something that was on supposed to last 3 years or so.  I say that's a good return on their investment!

Instead of a regular weekly rundown, he does a review of The Tale Synphonia game / anime.

Next I read some trivia from the Dagger of the Mind.

From the blog, I review the Disney movie Oz: The Great and Powerful.  Japan is still gaga over power exoskeleton and NASA is giving composite materials.

And Finally I play the last of Ed McKeown's story, In the Mourning.

BMU # 367 In Plain Sight #20 - Kahn + No Great Magic #5 - Leiber

I lead off this week's episode, episode 367, by doing a short memorial for Heinrich Rohrer Father of the Scanning Tunneling Microscope.

I follow this with a new episode of in Plain Sight episode 20 from Jason Kahn. This week our detective Jack Garrett falls a bit further down the rabbit hole and finds information can come from the most unlikely of sources.

In science...I start with Earth Sky talking about the possibility of intelligent life in the Milky-Way and how we are looking for it.

Next I read the high lights of Kallamis' weekly run-down which goes from honoring Sally Ride to food replicators...

Oh and I finally have time for some Star Trek Trivia!

Fredrick Doyle also died recently. Doyle was instrumental in developing some of the most sophisticated optics and camera systems for the Apollo era moon missions as well as work for the CIA.

I review the animated feature: Rise of the Guardians

Finally I play chapter five of Fritz Leiber's No Great Magic

BMU #366 With Stories From Leiber and Daviess! Plus I review Lady Death dvd

Welcome to the eighth year of Beam Me Up!  Episode 366 is the first episode of the eighth yeah and who knows what will happen this year!

This week's program starts with former ISS commander Chris Hadfield, who among his other talents, is an accomplished musician, performs David Bowie's Major Tom while aboard the ISS.  Even Bowie himself said that it was one of the most poignant renditions of his song and the video is beautiful.  Well I can't play the video, but I do have it on the blog (you can find it on Youtube as well. 

Flash from the past again this week, I rejoin Fritz Leiber's 1960 tale, No Great Magic.  This week is chapter four.

From news this week, info on 1998 QE2, the 1.7 mile asteroid, makes it's closest pass May 31. 

From Earth Sky, where does the solar system fall in place among the stars of the Milky-Way?  How many sunsets and sun rises would you see on the moon in a month...? And scientists succeed in storing data in DNA. 

Boston Dynamics now has PETMAN!  The video is wild!  Do you remember Skylab? 

I review the animated feature Lady Death.  

I finish with Colin Davies' very inventive tale, The Fighter.

All in all, a good start to the new year.  

 

BMU #365 now Online!

Another hour that just flies by.

I play the conclusion of David Scholes Trath: The Final intervention, just to make sure that I get in them in this week.

Next from the blog and Kallimus:  Trouble with the ISS coolant again, Ray Harryhousen has passed away at 92, Neil DeGrasse-Tyson has a web site that promotes his radio program Startalk  and YouTube videos, there is a link on the wrfrbeameup.blogspot.com BMU blog.  A company has developed a bulletin board that sends two messages, one to adults and one to children in a call to help reduce child abuse.  Check out the blog for more information. 

Earth Sky articles are next, the Milky-way, asteroids, temporary moons and Earth's shadow are on tap. 

I review the live action version of Death Note. 

And finally, chapter 3 of No Great Magic by Fritz Leiber a novelette from the sixties.  

That is it!  I hop you enjoy this week's offering of Beam Me Up.

BMU # 358 is Now Online

I open the program this week with a birthday announcement.

 Yes this week we celebrate the bithday of one if not the greatest starship captains that have ever existed   Yes, the 22nd of March is the birth date for James T. Kirk.  Captain of Galaxy class NCC-1401 Enterprise.  Played larger than life by William Shatner.  Kallamus writes : Shatner was born this day, in 1931, Montreal Quebec Canada.

Next, I found this short on Youtube for a company called SleepThinker that suggests that if you are bothered by dumb people than you are in a shrinking minority, it would be ever so easy to just join the majority and get dumb with their product minus-IQ.  The sales pitch is beyond hilarious   

Kallimus once again gives us his weekly run-down of news.   Kallimus covers everything from Apollo to a possible He-Man reboot.

Earth Sky articles are next  - sun or light pillars,  weather changes on Saturn's Titan after Saturn experienced equinox and exo-planets may have larger Goldilocks zones that astronomers/scientists first thought.

I take a break here and do some star trek trivia.  This week - Mr. Spock

Then it's back to the Beam Me Up blog before finishing the hour with pt 4 of our story.

Space X does a successful test flight of the Grasshopper reusable launch and landing vehicle.   Then an article sent to me by Xnewsman that discusses the ramifications  of  Earth being in the path of a Coronal Mass Ejection.    I do a review of the animated feature The Book Of Kells which is a fantasy retelling of the creation of the Irish treasure - an illustrated book of the Bible called The Book of Kells.  

Finally I play part 4 of Michael Blumlein's Know How Can Do.

Episode 355 Of Beam Me Up Podcast Now Online

 Beam Me Up podcast, episode 355 is now online!

I really think this week proves just as informative as it will entertaining, even though I didn't aim to either side with any purpose of doing so. 

Anyway after griping about the lack of common sense understanding of basic Newtonian physics, I play the first story for the day.  

I start with Julie Wornan's melancholy post apocalyptic tale “Epilog”.   

From there I break out the Star Trek Trivia book for some fun and arcane fact about the original Star Trek.  Like, what deck is Medical on?  Or the three  operational divisions that crew are assigned to?    How about the maximum number of people that can beam on and off the ship through the main teleporter?  Stuff like that! Who knew!

Kallamis once again does a weekly round up of smaller news items that I may have missed.   This week, news on the Space X resupply launch to the ISS.  Info on a supermassive black hole  that will twist your head sideways!   Mars caught Kall's imagination as usual.  A start up non profit I.M.F.  Wants to send a couple to visit Mars.  Of course the devil is in the details... and the next asteroid close encounter will not be Earth, nope, not this time!   

I have thought of giving Doug Turnbull's video reviews a try on the podcast by stripping off the audio.

To get the ball rolling I start with his introduction to Robert A. Heinlein's Juvenile series of early books which I swear I think I read each and every one.  Heinlein's books and stories fast became one of my very favorite authors.  Doug intends to review each of these early Heinlein masterpieces.  This will be kind of an introduction others to follow on, every other week or so. 

This February 20 was the 51st  anniversary of John Glenn's historic and almost fatal mission. 

After some confusion about this story, I guess I though it was being read or I had already done the story when neither was the case...duh, so I am going to play part 1 of Know How Can Do by Michael Blumlein as the program ender.  

Enjoy everyone.  Thanks for listening!

Paul Cole

for B.M.U. Episode 355

BMU # 354 Now Online!

Yes, I am in the WRFR lp/fm studios this week! Not that this is of heart stopping importance other than it is episode 354!  But anyway, I start off with a new segment, weekly rundown from Kallamis which covers some of the news that BMU may have covered, but often other material of interest.  

Then we deal with one of the most twisted submissions I have had in some time.  We can all blame this one on Xnewsman, and it is better to just hear it.  Check it out at about 14:30 minutes into the broadcast.  

From there I play the conclusion to Colonial Scout by Doug Turnbull. 

Next I do a change up on Star Trek trivia.  There hasn't been much input, so I take the Star Trek trivia and basically turn it into....Did You Know or do you remember this type of information.  I think it will prove to be much more interesting this way.

In light of the Russian meteor, Earth Sky revisits the Tunguska impact of a hundred years ago.

I do two reviews this week, the first being Pixar's Brave, which I have to admit has made stunning improvements to their 3d rendering engine.  

Kallamis celebrates 50 years of Dr. Who with some really good, historical high points.  I give a brief summery, but it would behoove you to take a trip over to the wrfrbeameup.blogspot.com Beam Me Up blog for a more up to date rundown.   

My last review of the afternoon is the indie film Robot and Frank.  Frank played brilliantly by Frank Langella.  The film is a low key story of a two story man (Frank) who is suffering from dementia and must either accept a robot care taker or hospitalization. Check out my review in about 40:00 into the broadcast.

Final story of the afternoon is a Trath tale, "The Story Continues" by David Scholes, another low key tale of the warrior Trath coming back to visit one of the remote aboriginal tribes.    

And that winds up the weekend.  Thanks for visiting and for listening.

BMU Podcast # 353 Now Online

Welcome to episode 353 of Beam Me Up.  This week, a change or two, some surprising happenings and I continue with Doug Turnbull's story.

First off an excellent new piece of music called 7 Rounds from John Anealio.  FYI  you can follow John and catch other tracks on John's blog http://scifisongs.blogspot.com/

As a change up, instead of asking questions as trivia for star trek, I think each week, I will come up with a couple of Star Trek trivia facts.  You are always welcome to weigh in on either trivia questions or facts.

From there I have a couple of Earth Sky news stories. 

Earth Sky reports on a possible new dwarf planet more than 600 million miles past Pluto. 

Kallamis  Gives us a weekly run down of news.

And I continue on with the Beam Me Up blog, more on the Russian Meteor strike, The Goldilocks Zone has been modified, discovery of the youngest black hole in our galaxy? Kallamis again is on a tirade about Pluto and it's new moon....and new equipment for the blind.

I finish with part 2 of Colonial Scout by Doug Turbull.

Podcast

If A Horse Came Up As Lame as 2012, They'd Have Shot it!

Barry sent in a link that has had me laughing all afternoon.  From Time Magazine  Tech is this article from Harry McCracken covering as he puts it,  the 57 Lamest Tech moment of 2012!

Stuff like:  

• Apple customers at a Vancouver Best Buy, discover  the iPads they’ve purchased look suspiciously like blocks of modeling clay.   Seems  criminals bought iPads and then returned them for refunds but not before removing the iPads  and refilled the boxes.  
• Or Motorola selling  about 100 refurbished Xoom tablets that may still have their previous owners’ information on them. 
• Microsoft ditches the START button in Windows 8?!!
• You know the saying about people that never learn from history?  You know the rest?  Well it should just read dumb and gullible.  It seems  quite a few credible websites bit hook line and sinker on a "historical" discovery that a youthful Abraham Lincoln attempted to patent his idea for local newspapers to give each citizen a personal page to “discuss his Family, his Work, and his Various Endeavors” — in effect, a 19th century dead-tree version of Facebook.  Great idea, totally fake....

And this is just the first few listings!

Click here to go to the TIME article.

BMU #336 Now Online!

Well I was accused of going on at length with this week's program, but there are always something that will set just about anyone off, and it just so happens that there were a few this week!  But all in all, I didn't fall asleep this week, so I must have been interesting!

I start off with a funny one liner that xnewsman sent in.

From there I have one of Family Guy's segways that may not have much to do with science and fiction, but everything to do with supercilious public radio! If you can't poke fun at yourself?  You know? 

Mark Webb adds another story in his interstellar government functionary arc.  The Earth has been destroyed and the Humans that were lucky enough to be off planet are now only capable of the lowest form of menial labor...Mark Webb's The Devil Wears Shapeless Ugly Garments, Covered in Dog
Hair. 

The Earth is far from quiet in space.  Not the spurious noises caused by man but the various other magnetic and electrical noises that are constantly emitted by the globe.

 You will be amazed at what it sounds like!
 

Earth/Sky again spins up with some fascinating facts about Pole Wander, which I had never heard about but it is fascinating.  From there I take us right into a new Star Trek trivia!
 

This week's review is the movie "Battleship" based on, of all things, the board game of the same name...oh yes.

China has the idea that virtual supermarkets are the thing!  13 thousand square feet of empty racks filled with virtual goods!  I am serious!  And you won't believe the company that has invested heavily in this idea.....

Finally,  from the fertile imagination of Jason Kahn id the newest episode of In Plain Sight.  This week episode 13 "Home to Roost.

These and other subject this week on Beam Me Up # 336

Beam Me Up #335 Now Online!

Beam Me Up Podcast #335 online

You know that Chinese curse that says, may you live in interesting times....Think about it... and know that is what this weekend's time in the studio was like!   


But through adversity comes greatness?....I can not believed I just typed that! lol! Really did manage to get a show out that I feel is quick and interesting.

I start with a bit of fluff, from the anime series Lagrange: The Flower of Rin-ne, I play the closing music called "Hello" by Megumi Nakajima. It is fun and sets the mood really well for the rest of the afternoon.

Next a fun piece from Bart Meehan "Welcome to Skull Island"  A bit of alternative timeline story in which Kong is real and resides on of course Skull Island in a very Juassic abode.  Mix in a petulant five year old and you have a recipe for discomfort! lol

Star Trek trivia is next on the roll with two new questions.  Lets' go people.  I have had no solves in 3 programs!  What's up with that Trekkies?

Three great articles from Earth Sky are on tap!  From sun diving comets to sailing lakes of liquid methane!

A few quick items from the blog and then off to the next short story.  This week's ending is The Last line by Kevin Picket.  Kevin's story combines the pain of unendurable loss with a most inventive healing process!

And surprise!  It is not the end of the program, because Xnewsman stopped by to talk about a statement by Leon Panetta concerning the lack of cyber security in the United State, and such a lapse could lead to an attack that would be more devastating than Pearl Harbor!  Shocking stuff indeed!

Episode #333 is Now online

Another Week, and another episode of Beam Me Up.  This week is episode 333!  Plenty of stuff to get you thinking this week.

I open with Symphony of Science’s newest track.  A very well done track called “We Can Change the World – Our Biggest Challenge”  which deals with global warming.  

As a tie-in to this song I read editor Kallamis' rant on the lack of general understanding of even the most basic of scientific phenomena, in this case, the phases of the moon and the “new” moon in particular.  It would be funny, if it weren't so sad.

First break of the afternoon is a new episode of our telepathic detective of New Eden,  Jack Garrett in episode twelve “The Fearful Dead” by Jason Kahn.  Garrett's world continues to get more complicated and even stranger and dangerous often at the same time.  People are dying and something is feeding, but what....

And of course, what would a week be like without a visit to the Star Trek universe and two new questions this week.

Next from the folks over at the Earth Sky website report that scientists are rethinking the “goldilocks” zone where life might exist with liquid water. 

 Curiosity has uncovered evidence of liquid running water at some point in Martian history in the form of an ancient stream bed.  This is great news for the proponents of Mars being a wet world at some point in its' history.  

This week's review is a dvd of the move “Priest” which tries to be a lot of things to a lot of people.  Motorcycles, stream trains, steam punk, big guns, vampires and much more.   Is it as bad as it sounds? Well, catch my review...

For the final act of the afternoon.....part six of Ed McKeown's ever so excellent novelette “The Dive” This week, plans are formed and set into action to hopefully stop the invasion of the horrific beings from the underworld. 

That about winds it up!  I think you will agree that this week is an excellent episode. 

Beam Me Up episode 317 is now online

I speak for a moment about the loss of Author Ray Bradbury. Then we travel over to New Arden and it’s very special detective. In Plain Sight by Jason Kahn.

From the blog, new battery tech that talks about new battery tech that may allow three as much power through the battery with less material. Earth/ Sky has an article on asteroids that have the potential to do great harm to the Earth. The amount of these asteroids will astound and frightening. Nelson from New Farmer Films then joins us for an excellent review of the movie “the Avengers.

Finally I once again tap Ed McKeown for a great story. He certainly delivers well as is born out in part one of his story “There was a wild colonial boy” I will hazard a guess that this too is a great story.

Enjoy

Beam Me Up episode 312 now online

wooooooooooo ever had one of those days? Yeah? Mine seem to last a week... soooooooo, what’s on tap this week? Well its episode 312 and I found a couple of entertaining stories and some very interesting articles plus a review.

Very first thing out the door I had a story with the same characters as in episode 308 Kevin Phyland’s Phobic. In this episode Kevin’s story may not be as graphic but it is every bit as thought provoking. His story this month is “Going Home” and I think you will enjoy it every bit as much as I did reading it.

Next I have a couple of articles from EarthSky.org. The articles of note this week deal with first, where is all the star building material come from? You will get a major Oh WOW when you find out not so much where as to when star making could have ceased....and speaking of star making material, how about surviving stars from just shortly after the big bang, yep, possible. 

From there I review the movie Cowboys and Aliens....lol don’t pass judgement now, listen to the review! From there, it’s the SuperMoon on the 5th / 6th if you are lucky tonight otherwise this is dated - I know, dont you hate that! Ron sends us in a study just starting up about pulsed fusion space engines that is very interesting! And check out hypervelocity stars. Yep 2 billion MPH now that is what I call faaaaaaaaaaast! 

And to get the ball rolling, Courtney wanted to remind me that this year is the last year for over 100 years in which we will be able to watch a transit of the Sun by Venus. It will be in June this year, and I will remind everyone so anyone that wants to can see it, at least we have some lead time huh?

And so on to our second story, Still Live by AC Wise will be this week’s ender. Still Life deals with the progression of tech to preserve a person’s memory. For most of the past century it was a picture. Literally a still life..... Now we have instant pictures and movies...so where will the tech progress from here. What will be the reaction of others that loved and cared for them as well. How do you consider other’s feelings for your love lost. And what of the replacement. Its more than a picture, but how much more...... I will only get about half read before the top of the hour, so more next week.

Enjoy

BMU 309 is now online!

It seemed short and sweet, but it was complete!  Beam Me Up episode 309 for April 14 2012!  This week I open with a new song The Empire State by John Anealio who is at it again! Here we are treated to a song commissioned by by Mur Lafferty and Angry Robot Books for the WorldBuilder project. Think of this song as a short story that takes place in the same universe as Adam Christopher's EMPIRE STATE novel.  

Next it’s part  7 of Jason Kahn’s Dark Inspectre series “in Plain Sight”  

The next music selection is from Dave James “System Overload”  a very nice acoustical piece for sure. 

Next we spend a few moments at the show’s blog.  The Ender’s Game movie has been pushed back to November 1, 2013!  From Yahoo News via blog reader Kallamis is this article on some weapons that were all but lifted from the pages of Science Fiction.  Weirdness and fun!  Did you know that According to The Goddard Group via Boing Boing, Down town Las Vegas almost had a FULL SIZED Star Trek Enterprise?!  The nominees for the 2012 Hugo Awards has been announced!  

And we close this week with part two of Maya Kaathryn Bonhnhoff’s “If it ain’t broke..”