episode 468 can now be downloaded

episode 468 of Beam Me Up is available online for download. It can be had at http://www.beammeuppodcast.com/shows/bmu_468.mp3 or pressing HERE

I   will put a text file up asap.

Darwin Award Possibilities

Carole sent these along this morning.  She didn't intend anything but  a giggle,  however I see future 

Darwin Award possibilities.  Take a look;

My daughter and I went through the McDonald's driveway window and I gave the cashier a $5 bill.  Our total was $4.25, so I also handed her 25c.  She said, 'you gave me too much money.' I said, 'Yes I know, but this way you can just give me a dollar coin back.'  She sighed and went to get the manager who asked me to repeat my request.  I did so, and he handed me back the 25c, and said 'We're sorry but we don’t do that kind of thing.'  The cashier then proceeded to give me back 75 cents in change.  Do not confuse the people at MacD's.

We had to have the garage door repaired.  The repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a 'large' enough motor on the opener.  I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one made at that time, a 1/2 horsepower.  He shook his head and said, 'You need a 1/4 horsepower.'   I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4 and he said, 'NOOO, it's not. Four is larger than two.'  We haven't used that repairman since...

I live in a semi rural area.  We recently had a new neighbor call the local city council office to request the removal of the DEAR CROSSING sign on our road.  The reason: 'Too many dears are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore.' 

IDIOT SIGHTING IN FOOD SERVICE.

My daughter went to a Mexican fast food and ordered a taco.
She asked the person behind the counter for 'minimal lettuce.'
He said he was sorry, but they only had iceberg lettuce.

I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked,  'Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge?'  To which I replied, 'If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?'  He smiled knowingly and nodded, 'That's why we ask.'

The pedestrian light on the corner beeps when it's safe to cross the street.  I was crossing with an 'intellectually challenged' co-worker of mine.  She asked if I knew what the beeper was for.
I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red.  Appalled, she responded, 'what on earth are blind people doing driving?!'  She is a government employee.....

When my husband and I arrived at a car dealership to pick up our car after a service, we were told the keys had been locked in it.  We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the driver’s side door.  As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked.  ‘Hey,' I announced to the technician, 'its open!'  His reply, 'I know. I already did that side.'

STAY ALERT!
 

They walk among us, they breed, and they vote…....

Review: Chappie

starring         Sigourney Weaver  

    Hugh Jackman
    Sharlto Copley
    Dev Patel
    Ninja
    Yolandi Visser
    Jose Pablo Cantillo

Budget  $49 million
Box office  $102.1 million

This movie has the feel of Section Nine, but instead of aliens we
have robots.  Also consider Terminator.  But instead of an all seeing malevolent AI, we are treated to a child-like Chappie who wants nothing more than to simply fit in.

Check out wikipedia's impression of Chappie here  Wikipedia-chappie

Chappie was a devilishly difficult film to get into, but once you have a handle on the motivation you start building affinity for the main characters, though Weaver and Jackman seem to be on remote control, little more than caricatures.  You are left contemplating the movie's namesake and it's small cadre of people whom he calls family.  By this time the film has picked back up, but you are emotionally vested.

I would give this film an 8 or maybe 7.5 because it takes so long to get into the movie.



  

India Tests Shuttle Concept

 

India’s space agency ISRO says Monday's (May 23rd) test flight of their reusable space shuttle was a success, validating the technologies on board.

ISRO also released video of the launch, showing the ignition and lift-off of the HS9 booster rocket with the shuttle resting on its nose.

The $14m (yep, 14 million)  Reusable Launch Vehicle, which is around the size of a minibus, was lofted to an altitude of apx. 40 miles, before re-entering the Earth's atmosphere.

The craft was allowed to skip back into the atmosphere at Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound)and exposing the Reusable Launch Vehicle to max temperatures of around 3632 degrees.


India's shuttle is not expected to come into service for at least 15 years, but ISRO hopes the reusable technology will reduce costs and make access to space more affordable.
 
More info HERE

Mars Mystery Plumes

In 2012 Amateur astronomers using telescopes on Earth were the first to report cloud-like plumes that reached heights of 155 miles above the surface of Mars. The feature developed in less than 10 hours, covered an area of up to 621 x 311 miles, and remained visible for around 10 days.

Frozen carbon dioxide and water are not thought to be able to form clouds of 155 miles high in the atmosphere.

The high altitude corresponds to the ionosphere, where the atmosphere directly interacts with the incoming solar wind of electrically charged atomic particles.  

Get complete article at the ESA page HERE