Mare Tranquilitatis

“First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.”
-President John F. Kennedy - May 25, 1961

Forty years ago today, three men set out to fulfill the hopes and dreams of not only the 400,000+ men and women of the Apollo Program, not only the United States of America, but of all mankind.



Launching from the Kennedy Space Center near Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 9:32 am local time, Apollo 11 took to the stars. Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. would carry the weight of the world on their shoulders for the entire four and a half day voyage from the Earth to the Moon.

NASA, working alongside the Kennedy Library & Museum, has launched We Choose The Moon, an interactive website that follows the events of the Apollo 11 Mission in real-time.

Go take a look. You’ll be glad you did.

God speed, Apollo 11!

-Jos

“We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
- President John F. Kennedy

Real Vampires Don't Sparkle

Just sayin'...

-Jos
"Keep smiling - it makes people wonder what you've been up to." ~Author Unknown

June 6

Happy Birthday, Baby!!

Love ya!!

-Jos

A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age. ~Robert Frost

Year 2

Babs-

Thanks for a wonderful two years together as man and wife. You are the very best part of me.

I love ya, Babe!!

-Josh

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. ~Mignon McLaughlin

Can't Stop The Music 2009

Can't Stop The Music: Women's Showcase

SUNDAY, MAY 24th from 4-9 PM

Poor David's Pub 1313 South Lamar

(Downtown Dallas, 2 short blocks south of the Dallas Convention Center and 1/2 block west of the Cedars Dart Station)

Join us for a fun filled Browncoat gathering with phenomenal music, Whedonverse trivia, raffle items, and a caricature artist to create sketches too!

Proceeds raised will be donated to Equality Now.

This is an all ages show. 17 & unders are welcome.

Guests include:

Marian Call

Marian is a nerd extraordinaire living in Anchorage, Alaska, and touring the country as a singer-songwriter. She writes songs that appeal to all audiences, but nearly always encodes a deeper, encrypted layer of meaning for fannish friends who know what to listen for. Though new on the scene, she now plays for Browncoat and BSG events around the country. Her new album "Got to Fly" was commissioned by Quantum Mechanix, Inc., and consists entirely of songs about Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, and a life of fandom.

Inner Frequency

Members: Cara Young - Vocals; Luke Carnevale - Acoustic Guitar; Barry Dyer - Electric Guitar; Brad Brock - bass; Jon Mosig - drums

Cara and Luke connected through a musician website in 2005 and discovered a strong song-writing chemistry. Both were writing songs alone, but needed a partner to complete the picture. Some songs in the Inner Frequency catalog were written by Cara (Big Talker, Satellite, I Like You Better), others by Luke (Sometimes, Preacher Man, Luv Drug), and some were collaborative efforts (Inner Frequency, Yeah Yeah, Fairy Tale You, Exposed). “Luke and I balance each other out really well. Though we rarely sit and write a song together in the same room, our ideas always seem to complement each other,” says Cara.

Cara’s strong, sultry voice has reminded listeners of Annie Lennox, Grace Slick, and Johnette Napolitano (Concrete Blonde). She grew up singing in church, musical theater, and pageants (yes, that makes her cringe). She sang all the way through college, but then took a few years off until she found Luke to work with.

Today, Inner Frequency includes Brad Brock on bass and Jon Mosig on drums, and Barry Dyer - Electric Guitar. Highlights from last year included opening for Eddie Money, headlining the Deep Ellum Arts Festival, and participating in the GoGirls Musicfest.

Inner Frequency recorded their debut EP The Lemmontree Project with Dustin Mason at Lemmontree Studios in 2005.The band plans to return to the studio this summer to finish their full-length album with Will Hunt. The tunes on Surge will be on the release, along with at least seven more tracks from their accumulating set list of originals.

Morning Elephant

Founded by formidable Dallas musicians Manya Repnikova &Clay Pendergrass. They are often joined by the featured musicians that appear on their self titled debut album. Morning Elephant combines beats, bright compositions and effervescent guitar work to generate music overflowing with echo-coated sounds.


Kristina Morland

Kristina's new album, Pidgin Music, is a delightful collection of snapshot songs, seemingly plucked from a prized but recently rediscovered shoe box filled with poetry and journals.

Instrumentation in Morland's are constant reblendings of gypsy, folk and pop music elements, with one overriding exception: Morland's vocals, which contrast soulfully, purposely against the backdrop in a classical jazz, slightly Billie Holiday sort of way.

In a town filled beyond capacity with great talent, Kristina has an especially powerful gift, more than just rivaling her more-famous contemporaries. Her voice performances have already fetched comparisons with the likes of Feist and Joanna Newsome (who Morland admits she had to stop listening to while penning songs for Pidgin Music, in fear of sounding too much like one of her own favorite artists).


Come join us for a fun night of music and entertainment!

Keep flying!
-Jos

AlabamaPink: 1975 – 2009

I find myself today mourning the death of a young woman that I’ve never met. Had not even heard of until a few short months ago.

Pink was a contributor on a website that I frequent and was known for her quick wit, her eloquent turn of phrase, a personification with True Romance’s Alabama Whitman, and a life-long devotion to Alice In Wonderland. And while I had only read a few of her diatribes, I was saddened to learn of her leukemia diagnosis.

Back in the fall, partly to fill the time between chemotherapy and radiation treatment sessions and partly to use said time to berate fellow contributor Brian Prisco, she proposed a contest of stellar proportions, The Cannonball Read.

The rules were simple: 1 Year – 100 Books

1. A book is more than 200 pages.
2. No graphic novels. Read them anyone, because they will kill the dumb brain cells with awesomesauce, but they don't count for this.
3. Post your thoughts on a blog or on a website, or somewhere where others can read it to prove you've read.

Pink never lost hope. Even when the treatments failed, she never faltered. She is/was an inspiration to everyone she met. And she leaves behind a legacy that she believed fully in.



Amanda “AlabamaPink” Amos died Wednesday, March 25, due to complications from her leukemia. She leaves behind a loving husband, a three-year-old son, and countless admirers.

So to respect Amanda and her friends and family, I’m throwing my hat into the ring, and joining the Cannonball Read. I only stated keeping track of the books I’ve read since the 1st of January. So that’s where I’m starting.

Be looking for book reviews to follow. Probably every Friday until I catch up.

Good night, Sweet Maid. See you on the other side of the Looking Glass.

"In the dark here
I remember your loving hugs
Urging me on.
I can still see you gathered
Such an unlikely family
And I know I can find my way home."
~Amanda “AlabamaPink” Amos

Can't Stop The Serenity 2009 Poster Contest

A month ago, a wave went out across the Cortex:

If you've the talent (and the nerve), design the 2009 CSTS Poster and Tee Shirt

A few creative Browncoats - myself included - took up the call.

Here are 4 ideas I came up with:









We sent the signal out and a few of the brave and bold with their brilliant artistical skillz took up the gauntlet (and their pallets) to create this year’s promotional art.

We know it’s gonna be a challenge - but we need you, the good folk of the ‘Verse, to help us choose which one will become the official artwork for CSTS 2009. You can only vote once and you’ve only got until March 12th to get your voice heard and your vote counted.

So vote and then tell your friends to spread the word and come help us choose the best of the best.

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Vote Now


Voting Closes March 12, 2009 12:59 PM PST

-Jos

"Drawing is putting a line round an idea." ~Henri Matisse