A blog-carnival exposing anti-space silliness for ridicule and scorn, and otherwise showcasing funny space- and science-related news items.
- Now we know why the “Face on Mars” looks like it’s wearing a batting helmet.
- Emboldened by the success of his cable TV network, Gore is making the jump to crockumentaries. Look out Michael Moore!
- But who cares about “global warming” when we have “May 25, 2006 – the Day of Destiny!” looming?
- Putting first things first. Just hope the waste collection system isn’t pointing in the same direction. (I wonder if dealing with things like this is going to be on the agenda.)
Just out of curiosity, how did this guy manage to do his islam-things in space:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/al-saud.html
?
http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198601/a.prince.in.space.htm
“In addition, Prince Sultan carried out a series of in-cabin experiments designed by Saudi scientists, talked to his uncle, King Fahd, by telephone from space, gave a guided tour of the space shuttle’s interior in Arabic, which was beamed back to Arab television viewers on earth, and also found time to pray and to read the Koran…”
“For the launch and landing procedures, light blue jumpsuits, decorated with various mission-related patches, were required, but once the shuttle reached orbit, the astronauts were free to wear whatever suited their individual taste. Obviously the Saudi national dress-the flowing thwb and ghutra – is not appropriate in zero gravity, but one traditional food of Saudi Arabia was stowed in the fresh food locker aboard the orbiter and consumed by the Arab astronaut: dates from Medina…”
“In another first, Prince Sultan sighted – and photographed – the new moon from above the earth rather than on it; this is important in Muslim life because the sighting of the new moon at the end of the Muslim month of Ramadan signals the end of the Ramadan dawn-to-dusk fast and the start of the joyous Id Fitr holiday.”
Pretty tame stuff — no word on what direction he prayed, but the article is from 1986, when there would have been less attention focused on such things.
The conference is not, actually, a bad idea. Some accomodations have to be made if adherants are going to participate in the 21st century, and these guys are working out how to do that.
Beats sticking your hands over your ears and wishing real hard that it is the 13th century.