The Elegant Astronaut

Spacesuits Through the Years

2012-02-10T19:51:00.001-08:00

Source Space.com: All about our solar system, outer space and exploration

How People in Science See Each Other

2012-02-08T07:40:00.001-08:00

Created by Matushiq Sotak

Can. NOT. Wait.

2012-02-01T21:00:00.001-08:00

Physics Lab Tour at The University of Arkansas

2012-01-31T12:13:00.000-08:00

Ph.D. candidate Robert Sleezer

The closest most of us will ever get to the inside of a physics research lab is by watching episodes of the über-popular “Big Bang Theory.” Real life Ph.D. candidate Robert Sleezer was kind enough to show me around the University of Arkansas physics lab where he spends the better part of his days. Sleezer works in Greg Salamo’s research group, which “does an awful lot of things,” he said. The group of about 20 people conducts research that includes optics work (“lasers and crap,”) electron microscopy, growth of crystals and nanomaterials, and biological research.

One monstrous piece of equipment was located in a clean room labeled “Molecular Beam Epitaxy.” Everyone had to put on lab coats, hair nets, and booties upon entry. The room held a vacuum chamber that contains fewer “atoms per volume than in outer space,” explained Sleezer. The machinery allows the operator to build “layer cake” out of crystals, or build semiconductors using very pure elements with ridiculous precision. The materials are assembled, quite literally, “one atomic layer at a time,” said Sleezer. The highly customized materials that can be made using this technology may be worthy of publication, or they could even be of potential interest to companies that are looking for the next breakthrough in electronics. And according to the science-minded Sleezer, it is often preferential to publish a paper on an exciting new product rather than sell the technology to a company.

One of the lab’s main goals includes trying to find materials “other than silicone” to make parts for computers. There are limitations of silicone-based parts that make it challenging to build electronic components smaller, faster, and that use less energy.

The five-million-dollar (give or take a few dollars) Titan transmission electron microscope (part of the University of Arkansas Electron Optics Facility supported by the National Science Foundation) that Sleezer uses looks a bit like a large periscope from the future. This microscope is so sensitive that a special “minimally-vibrating” building was constructed on the campus to house it. The scope can be used to take pictures of atoms “using the wave nature of electrons,” said Sleezer. Photos of the incredibly tiny crystal structures can be very helpful in determining if the team is on to a hot new product, or not.

When asked if he likes his work, Sleezer replied, “Who wouldn’t?”

Graduate students Chen Li, P.C. Grant, and Sleezer

A Few Of My Favorite Things

2012-01-20T22:08:00.000-08:00

Clockwise from top left: Nexxus Humectress hair conditioner, Michael Kors perfume, MAC Complete Comfort Cream, Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium Foaming Body Scrub, Captain Morgan Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium Handcrafted Soap, C.O. Bigelow's "My Favorite Night Balm," MAC Brush #208, Pentel ENERGEL 0.7 mm Pen, The Body Shop Shimmer Body Butter.

If you were going to be stranded on an island for an indefinite amount of time, and you could only take one item with you, what would it be? Since this ridiculous scenario will never happen to you or me, I'd like to share a handful of my very favorite products I have discovered during the past decade.

Nexxus Humectress hair conditioner - I have not found another conditioner that makes my hair feel softer. It is a bit pricey, but worth it. I am sad to say that another conditioner I love, "Brazil Nut" by The Body Shop, is apparently not on the market anymore. "Brazil Nut" smelled divine!

Michael Kors perfume - I was working on my Master's degree at the University of Arkansas when a young woman walked past me and I caught her scent in the air. It smelled GOOD, like a strong succulent gardenia. I stopped her and asked her what she was wearing, and she smiled very prettily and said "Michael Kors!"

MAC Complete Comfort Creme - This is a new face conditioner I am enjoying. It is thick, it feels good, and it smells good. I love MAC.

Bathhouse Soapery & Caldarium Foaming Body Scrub and Soaps - I have been to this charming little shop in Hot Springs, Arkansas. There are loaves of wonderful smelling hand-made soap throughout the store. The sales girl was delightful as she cut off bars and wrapped up all the soaps I wanted. My favorites scents are Root, Badedas, Spearmint, and Rose. The Foaming Body Scrub is thick and superb. Order from their website and Arkansas residents get free shipping! http://www.bathhousesoap.com/

Captain Morgan Parrot Bay Coconut Rum - Okay, so this isn't a beauty or health product, but it is delicious. My favorite nightcap.

C.O. Bigelow's "My Favorite Night Balm" - You cannot have too many tubes of chapstick or lip balm. It is a simple truth. I keep them in my desk, in my purse, and by my bed. This balm is a good one. It can be purchased at Bath and Body Works.

MAC brush #208 - If you wear eyeliner and have not yet discovered the art of painting your own lids, I am pleased to recommend this small, agile, angled brush from MAC. I have tried small brushes from several high-end retailers, and this one is the best.

Pentel ENERGEL 0.7 mm pen - The pen is mightier than the sword, and no pen is mightier than this sleek, stylish and smooth-gliding stylus.

The Body Shop Body Butter - I first learned about The Body Shop when I was a young teenager reading Seventeen magazine. Their Body Butters have been a long-time favorite of mine. Olive is my top pick, and I like this Shimmer Coconut version a lot, too.

While it is probable that you could live on the hypothetical island and survive without any of these products, the real question is, why would you want to?

What a Professor Should Look Like

2011-12-12T14:03:00.000-08:00

LOVE YOU! The iconic Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford)

The Ideal Female Professor? Image by Pamela L. Gay

How interesting is this? When you type the word "professor" into Google and search for images, the picture of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones is the first image to appear. If you search for "female professor," the digital image of a lady avatar is the first one displayed. I recently read a blog posting where a real-life professor discusses appropriate attire for those who teach on the collegiate level. Are tie-dye t-shirts acceptable? Do students show more respect for teachers who dress nice? The comments varied, but the overall opinion is that yes, dressing up does make a difference in student perception and attitude. There may even be some differences in expectations between male and female professors. For example, on the campus where I teach, the instructors in the nursing department are usually dressed quite nice. If you stroll down the halls of the science building, several of the male biology and chemistry professors will probably be wearing t-shirts. Is it subject matter, clothing, or gender that dictates more respect from students? In any given universe, I would also have to happily concede that Indiana Jones (looks, dress, and subject matter) is THE ideal male professor. The female image is a little more distressing to me, since it is not of a real person. Her appearance is flawless (albeit fake,) and her subject matter is quite impressive; the equations on her imaginary chalk board are (apparently) the formulations for maintaining a star in hydrostatic equilibrium. Astrophysics is certainly an obtainable subject, but the avatar image is, sadly, another reflection of our women-should-be-Barbie-dolls culture.

Skyrim - Current Most Awesome Video Game Available

2011-11-16T08:33:00.001-08:00

Arkansas Aurora

2011-10-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Photo taken near Ozark, Arkansas, on October 24, 2011
by Brian Emfinger.

The southern states had quite a surprise this week when a coronal mass ejection from the sun lit up the northern night sky with a brilliant red aurora. On October 24, Brian Emfinger, a resident of Arkansas, saw the alert posted by Spaceweather.com and hurried outside with his camera to catch this image. "I ran out into the field and within a few minutes the aurora went crazy!" he said.

More photos of the aurora seen in other states can be found at the Spaceweather website.

Design an Experiment to Fly on The ISS!

2011-10-21T08:51:00.000-07:00

Here's a fantastic opportunity for 14-to18-year-olds to try their skills at designing a space experiment. The competition, hosted by Lenovo, Space Adventures, NASA, ESA, and JAXA, will be from October 4th until December 7, 2011. The winners may get to fly to Japan to watch the rocket launch their experiment to space. Other prizes include a flight aboard a zero-g airplane that simulates weightlessness, and a brand new Lenova IdeaPad U300s. Watch the video above for more information, and read the frequently asked questions here: Space Lab FAQs

Saturn's Shadows

2011-10-12T15:15:00.000-07:00

Image, taken in August 2011, courtesy of the Cassini Imaging Team, ISS, JPL, ESA and NASA

This stunning view of Saturn could not be seen from Earth. It is an image captured by the cameras aboard the Cassini spacecraft. The sun is located to the upper right, out of view, and the vertical bar to the right is Saturn's very thin rings. As the sunlight pours through the rings, shadows fall on the southern part of the planet. Just beautiful!

The Redwoods

2011-09-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Growing is Forever from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

You can smell a Redwood forest before you see it. It is a wonderful woodsy smell. I drove up to Muir Woods with my cousin Beth and my friend Liz a couple of years ago, and we could detect that wonderful scent in the car at least a mile before we actually reached our destination.
The Redwoods are magical, awe-inspiring relics of a lost world. It seemed as though a dinosaur could burst through the woods at any moment and it wouldn't be a surprise.
Please enjoy the video created by Jesse Rosten, another fan of the Redwoods.

Please Say "Yes," Mr. Lucas

2011-09-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of R. Hurt (SSC), JPL-Caltech, NASA

"Which sun is your favorite? The little red one or the big orange one?" We'd probably all have an answer to this question if we lived on the planet called "Kepler 16b," the first-ever confirmed planet to orbit two stars at once. This discovery has generated considerable interest among science fiction fans and Star Wars fans in particular. While astronomers are informally referring to the planet as "Tatooine" after the well-known (fictional) double-starred planet where Luke and Anakin Skywalker were raised, I am only guessing that copyright laws are preventing the discoverers from officially naming it after George Lucas' imaginary planet. (If they ask for your permission, Mr. Lucas, please say "yes!")
The planet resides in the constellation Cygnus, about 200 light years from Earth. Evidence indicates that it is too cold to harbor life as we know it. Dr. Laurance Doyle, who is heading the team of astronomers who made the discovery at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, CA, has reported that amateur astronomers in Northern Asia will be able to find Kepler 16b as it transits across the big sun on June 28 next year. After that, it will be another 30 years before anyone on Earth can get a clear view of the double-starred planet.

Why This Sweet Lady Hates The Sputnik

2011-07-29T11:11:00.000-07:00

Linda Shaw at her home in Springdale, Arkansas.

Linda Shaw graduated from Miami Sr. High School in June of 1958. It was a memorable year for her, of course.

But space buffs may remember the previous year more vividly, since 1957 is the year that Sputnik was launched. The small satellite shocked the American public, as the purpose of the satellite was not clearly known. It was almost too small to be seen with the naked eye, and it transmitted a steady beeping noise that was recorded by radio amateurs and commercial radio stations and broadcast to the general public. Historians describe America's reaction as "near hysteria" to the strange little beeping thing. The great Space Race thus began between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, and no one could argue that the Soviets were far in the lead.

The U.S. began reviewing its science and education programs in order to become more competitive with the Soviets. Large amounts of money were poured into schools and research programs. It was decided that "America could become better educated and more powerful if their kids were smarter!" said Shaw.

Senior students at Miami Sr. High typically enjoyed the privilege of not having to take final exams if they had a passing grade in all of their classes. But the launch of Sputnik changed everything! "What better way to make them smarter than have seniors take final exams?" asked Shaw. "And I bet every senior in 1958 remembers that. No, it didn't make us smarter - just madder."

Sputnik I

A Day In Joplin

2011-07-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

Volunteer Clean-Up Crew from Arkansas. From left: Daniel Brinker, Danny Northcutt, Kevin Barber, Brandon Hoult, me (Jennifer Lewter), and Russ Terwilliger. Photo by Margaret Terwilliger.

Brandon and Daniel work diligently in the 100+ degree heat. Photo by J. Lewter

Joplin, Missouri seemed like a far-away place. I had never been there, and prior to the horrendous F5 tornado that hit it earlier this year, I was pretty sure I'd never even heard of it. When some of my friends wanted to go volunteer for a day in Joplin, I decided to go along. I did not realize that this town, where more than 150 people were killed, was only a 3.5 hour drive from my own home.
"Joplin - stirred, not shaken," said Brandon Hoult of the damage he observed. We were all shocked at how bad the city looked. It had been more than a month since the tornado hit, and it still looked like a nuclear bomb had been the culprit.
"It looks good compared to how it was," a local civilian assured us. The lady we met said that the tornado had changed paths unexpectedly, and that the anchorwoman on TV started screaming when she realized the magnitude of the storm. "When the news lady starts screaming," she said, "you know it's bad." The civilian also mentioned that they could not actually see the tornado; it was just dark and rainy with winds in excess of 200 miles per hour.
Margaret Terwilliger said it is "kind of sad" that Joplin really isn't in the news or on the forefront of everyone's minds anymore because there is so much work that still needs to be done.
Kevin Barber was glad the relief effort was so efficiently organized. It is true that none of us had a clue about what to expect when we pulled up to the College Heights Christian Church in Joplin. We were treated very well, and given equipment, masks, and boots to borrow for the day. I was quite happy to borrow some work boots since I hadn't even considered the amount of nails I would be stepping on.
We spent the whole day working on one house, but we did not come close to finishing the debris clean-up there. "What we did is about all you can do," said Russ Terwilliger. The heat was brutal, even though several different people drove by and brought water, Gatorade and fresh watermelon to us throughout the day. Several of us plan to go back when the weather is cooler.

If you are able and willing, Joplin could certainly use your help. We were very impressed with College Heights as a volunteer hub. Their web address is:
http://www.chcchurch.org/the-storm

The link below shows a 3D image of the tornado using data from Google Earth. Original post by steve16624.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - The Finale!

2011-07-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

Brandi Gagen and I outside the Russellville Picwood Theater. Fans began waiting in line six hours prior to ticket sales for the July 15th midnight premiere of Harry Potter 7, Part II.

It's hard to believe the Harry Potter magic is over. Fourteen years have passed since the first Harry Potter book was published. As with all good things that come to an end, being with friends makes it better. I camped out in line yesterday to ensure that I would get a seat for the very first showing of the very last Harry Potter movie.
Back in 1997, I also attended a Barnes and Noble midnight book party for J.K. Rowling's seventh and final chapter in the Harry Potter series. I remember being impressed with all of the costumes that people were wearing as they paced around the bookstore late at night. There was a store-wide countdown during the final 10 seconds before the clock struck midnight, and then a Barnes and Noble employee hurriedly wheeled out a huge platform stacked with hundreds of Harry Potter hardbacks. My friend Stephanie and I each bought a copy and signed each other's book. It was a special event and we knew it.
Four years later, (almost to the day), I was happy to sit out in the heat with some new friends to get our movie premiere tickets. It was well worth the effort, as the Harry Potter movies never fail to impress. I will not divulge many details here, but I was particularly impressed with the magic wand light show amassed for the protection of Hogwarts, and I was so very pleased to see the return of Professor McGonagall (Dame Maggie Smith) in this movie, as she is my most favorite Harry Potter character.

I will keep my Harry Potter-looking 3D glasses forever!

Monster Turtle Found in Arkansas River

2011-07-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

Imagine how much turtle soup you could make. Photo by Tiffany Frost

Terry Frost of Dardanelle, Arkansas made an impressive catch in his hoop net in the Arkansas River earlier this year. Alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) can be a nuisance to fisherman who use set lines or hoop nets to catch fish, although they usually drown by the time they are discovered. Frost found this particular turtle alive and well, although it "wasn't the most cooperative creature I have encountered," he said.
   "I have heard old-timers tell stories about loggerheads (alligator snappers) with stove-pipe heads all my life, always wondering if they were true or a little truth and a lot of the old-timers' memory getting bigger and better with time," said Frost. Apparently the old-timers were telling the truth!
   Alligator snappers are found in rivers that drain into the Gulf of Mexico. They are the largest freshwater turtle in the U.S., with the heaviest snapper on record weighing 250 pounds. Frost estimates that his catch was around 150 pounds. Many states now protect these turtles due to the over-hunting for meat markets that occurred in the 1970's.
   One unique feature of the snapper is that it has a fleshy, worm-like appendage in its mouth that it uses to lure in fish and small turtles for food.
   "I will say that any intentions I ever had of noodling catfish has since been permanently erased from my bucket list," said Frost, who released the turtle back into the river unharmed.

Image courtesy of Indiana-Purdue University in Fort Wayne

Another "Elegant Astronaut"

2011-06-20T14:58:00.000-07:00

"Elegant Astronaut" by eiran

You can read the blog, buy the dress, and now own a print of a different (and more masculine) "Elegant Astronaut." I stumbled across this fashionable explorer on the deviantART website. BEWARE: my computer was infected with some clingy scareware as soon as I tried to contact the artist. I have enjoyed looking at images on this site before, but I'm scared to go back. It took our tech services people an afternoon to clean up my computer.
Nice work on the astronaut, though!

"Super 8" is Great!

2011-06-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

Movie scene from "Super 8." Directed by J.J. Abrams, Produced by Steven Spielberg. Pictured above are actors Gabriel Basso, Ryan Lee, Joel Courtney, and Riley Griffiths.

This is the first movie I've seen since "The Goonies" that convincingly captures the spirit of adventurous adolescents as they stumble across something much larger (and much more dangerous) than themselves. It is really no surprise to see both J.J. Abrams' and Steven Spielberg's names on this film.
Dysfunctional families sometimes spawn the best friendships, and probably everyone knows what it feels like when your object of desire likes your best friend instead of you. Combine this with an awesome train wreck, aspiring zombie actors, a real monster alien, a heroic biology teacher, an unethical Air Force (thank you, Mr. Abrams!), and your friends-until-the-end kids from around the neighborhood, and you have an instant classic.
Congratulations, Mr. Abrams, Mr. Spielberg, and everyone at Bad Robot and Amblin! I am going to see your movie again this week.

The Southern Black Widow

2011-06-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

A penny for your thoughts? Photo by J. Lewter.

If this beauty could talk, she would have a southern accent. I found her outside of my apartment while I was watering my roses this week. The distinctive red hourglass shape on her abdomen is characteristic of the Southern Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans.) People usually freak out and kill these spiders as soon as they see them, but there is really no need. They are not aggressive and would prefer to scramble away from you if given the opportunity. I once spoke to a medical doctor in northwest Arkansas who said he only treated 2 black widow bites in his entire 25 years of practice. One lady had been carrying firewood and a black widow crawled into the crook of her arm. It bit her when she flexed her arm. The lady (as well as the other bite victim from an unrelated black widow encounter) were both in the hospital on a morphine drip for about a week. Black widow bites, although rare, can be quite painful.

Android Versus iPhone

2011-05-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

Maybe you are like every other person in America who is trying to decide between an iPhone and one of the many (80 or so?) Android phones on the market. If you have never used one of these smartphones before, you will probably wonder why it took you so long to get one. The convenience, usefullness, and sheer fun of having such a device makes it hard to imagine ever being without one again.

I have been using an iPhone for the past two years. It has been my daily alarm clock, my timer (for cooking), my camera, my note-taker, my GPS mapper, my e-mail checker (for both my work and personal accounts), my texter, and my phone. I used it so frequently that it was necessary to plug it in every night to fully charge the battery.

Not long after I purchased my iPhone, my friend Brandon informed me he was getting a phone that would put mine to shame. He was talking about the Google Android, of course. I have watched him operate his Android with skepticism over these past two years. Was it really better than the iPhone? When my contract with AT&T was finished this month, Brandon finally convinced me to come to the Dark Side with the Motorola DROID X2. It has Verizon's first dual-core 1 GHz processor and an 8-megapixel camera. Brandon told me that it would run four times faster than my iPhone (3G.) A smartphone with faster web-browsing capabilities was something I desperately wanted, so it didn't take much prodding to convince me to change.


Motorola's DROID X2

Apple's iPhone 4

I also do not like the blocky brick-like appearance of the new iPhone 4. It's nice to see it is available in white, and if I had stayed with AT&T, I'm sure that's what I would have purchased.
Brandon has a more entertaining view on the differences between these phones. "Steve Jobs is a bit like Communist China," he said. "You get one phone, one browser, everything is the same. That makes it easier for them. With the Android phones, you get a lot of choices." A lot of choices about every aspect of the phones, actually.
When my DROID X2 was delivered, I had Brandon show me how to use it. I was very impressed with some of the features that were not available on my old iPhone. For one, there is a search button on the DROID X2 that you can hold down for a second, and then you can use voice commands to search the web. Brandon demonstrated this by saying to my phone: "Look up pictures of goats in trees." Within 3 seconds, there were links to pictures of goats in trees displayed on the phone. (OMG...how did I live without this before?!) The 8-megapixel camera is wonderful, since it has more than twice the megapixels of my 3G iPhone. (The iPhone 4 only features a 5-megapixel camera.) I took a great picture of Brandon in the dark and was amazed that the Android had an automatic flash function. Brandon downloaded some of his favorite applications onto my phone, and he kept commenting on how fast it was. "Now I'm going to have to get one," he said.
I know I'm going to be stumbling around for a while as I get used to the differences between an Android and the iPhone. Brandon also cautioned me that the "open source" applications created for Android phones run a higher risk of being programmed with viruses since they do not go through the approval process of iPhone applications. Freedom has its price, I suppose. As I write this blog, my phone is alerting me of a new text message with the singular, uber-cool, robot-sounding "DROID" rally. Yeah, this was a good choice.

Steampunk Vader

2011-04-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

"The steam is strong with this one..."

Images courtesy of Sillof

I absolutely love the reimagined Steam Wars versions of the beloved traditional Star Wars characters. A very artistic high school history and film teacher who goes by the name "Sillof" has scores of these little figurines that he sculpted and painted by hand.
I am just learning more about the steampunk culture that is apparently gaining more and more, eh, steam. The idea behind steampunk envisions a world where steam, (instead of electricity), is used to power machinery. Clothing from the Victorian era is typically worn by both sexes, and aviation-type goggles are a must. Jules Verne characters are often mimicked. Think Captain Nemo, or Phileas Fogg, undertaking grand adventures in a submarine or hot air balloon!
You may notice that Darth Vader's light saber has a hose that attaches to something under his coat. I'm not sure light sabers were ever imagined to be powered by electricity, but this is not important! Steampunk is about looking cool, and these figurines certainly do that.
Please visit Sillof's webpage to see more of his wonderful toys, including his Star Wars 1942 collection. Fantastic work! (Link will appear below when you scroll over it.)

http://www.sillof.com/C-CUSTOMS-Main.htm

The Heavy is Coming.....

2011-04-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

The Falcon Heavy / Image courtesy of SpaceX

A big rocket is making big news. Elon Musk, the single standout savior of America's space program made more headlines today when he announced technical details of the Falcon Heavy, the world's largest and most powerful rocket.
The Falcon Heavy will be able to lift more than twice the weight of any other rocket currently flying, including the U.S. Space Shuttle. "This is a rocket of truly huge scale," said Musk during today's press conference in Washington.

There has only been one rocket in history that was capable of carrying more payload to orbit. That was, of course, Wernher von Braun's Saturn V which last flew in 1973. The Falcon Heavy will be able to haul 53,000 kg, or 116,600 lbs, into low Earth orbit. (That's more than four Hubble Space Telescopes, to give you an idea of this rocket's capabilities.)

Here is a description from the SpaceX press release:

   The Falcon Heavy is designed for extreme     reliability and can tolerate  the failure of several engines and still complete its mission. As on  commercial airliners, protective shells surround each engine to contain a  worst-case situation such as fire or a chamber rupture, and prevent it  from affecting the other engines and stages. 

Falcon Heavy will be the first rocket in history to feature propellant cross-feed from the side boosters to the center core. Propellant cross-feeding leaves the center core still carrying the majority of its propellant after the side boosters separate. This gives Falcon Heavy performance comparable to that of a three-stage rocket, even though only the single Merlin engine on the upper stage requires ignition after lift-off, further improving both reliability and payload performance. Should cross-feed not be required for lower mass missions, it can be easily turned off.

The Falcon Heavy has also been designed to meet NASA's standards for carrying astronauts. This is quite a timely announcement, given that the very last Space Shuttle launch is scheduled for June 28 of this year (which, quite coincidentally, is Elon Musk's birthday as well as my own! - JL)

Badminton Jedi

2011-04-04T19:10:00.000-07:00

Boy Scout Chili Extravaganza 2011!

2011-03-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Dustin Williams and "Pedro" Hillard serve up the goods.

I love this annual event held by Boy Scout Troop 343 in Dover, because nothing screams "ARKANSAS!" quite like this. It is a fundraiser event for the troop, and it only costs $5.00 to attend. After buying your ticket, you may eat as much chili as you want. The fun part is variety of chili available. You can try elk chili, rabbit chili, buffalo chili, squirrel chili, beaver chili, and more. Your ticket also includes a drink and dessert of your choice.

About Engineers... (Favorite Quote #8)

2011-03-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

Dr. Sheldon Cooper (actor Jim Parsons)

"So this is Engineering, huh? Engineering, where the noble semiskilled laborers execute the vision of those who think and dream. Hello, Oompa Loompas of science!"

-Dr. Sheldon Cooper, The Big Bang Theory