Archive for December 19th, 2007

19
Dec

NASA Has A Stargate

   Posted by: rodtrent   in Movies and Television

Source:  NASA Watch

Editor’s note: During demolition of the Ames 14′ Wind Tunnel, a Stargate was discovered. The dialing device for the Stargate has not been found and may have been destroyed during the first phase of demolition. However, one rumor circulating at Ames refers to a large object being shipped to Google Headquarters late last night that matches the description of the dialer. Perhaps this is why Google was so interested in Ames (Google Stargate?) The discovery of this device also confirms long held suspicions as to why former Reagan era Star Wars participant, Brig. General Pete Worden was so interested in coming to Ames (see Worden’s official portrait from a secret DoD website)

Of course, now that Ames has a Stargate, MSFC will try and take it away.

Click on image to enlarge.

Editor’s update: Looks like someone activated the Stargate - during working hours - before it could be moved to its new location inside Hangar One. Now there will be no way that NASA and Google can deny this. After all, they couldn’t figure out how to hide a simple thing like a 767 jet …

Editor’s additional update: A NASAWatch reader has helped unravel this mystery. There is another operational Stargate. It would seem that ARC is tapping personnel expertise across the world - via Stargate - from CERN. They commute daily via Stargate from Switzerland!

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19
Dec

Comics shops should quit selling toys, models, sculptures, and other three dimensional merchandise…

   Posted by: rodtrent   in Comic Books

Is it realistic for comic shops to stop selling merchandise other than just comics and stay in business?

Sean Kleefeld thinks not…

http://kleefeldoncomics.blogspot.com/2007/12/comic-shops-should-sell-comics.html

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19
Dec

Your Guide to Comic Book Prices, Values, Pricing, Grading and More!

   Posted by: rodtrent   in Comic Books

Nice, concise tutorial on how to go about finding prices online and offline.

http://www.comicbookprices.net/

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19
Dec

Illustrator’s school visit helps refocus boys on reading

   Posted by: rodtrent   in Comic Books

Source:  Citizen-Times.com

Blake Wilson, 9, likes to draw and play guitar.

He also reads. Sometimes.

“We’re reading a book right now called ‘The Wonder,’” said the Black Mountain Elementary School fourth-grader. “It’s pretty good, but it doesn’t have any pictures.”

How Blake feels about books isn’t unusual, said Debra Rosenblum, his school librarian and media coordinator. Research shows that boys’ interest in reading can begin to drop off around 9 years old, she said.

Rosenblum, a librarian for 23 years who is in her first year at Black Mountain, decided to try a different approach to refocus boys on reading. She got permission from administrators to separate boys and girls into different reading groups to better deal with issues specific to each gender.

The groups got to decide on special guests who would visit during the year. The boys wanted to talk to someone about comics, Rosenblum said. That fit into her plan to use visual material to draw them back to reading.

“One of the kinds of reading material that especially boys — who are very visual — really like are comic books,” she said.

She got in touch with James E. Lyle, an illustrator of comic books, graphic novels and books, including a 1990s comic series “Doorman” who lives in Haywood County. Lyle agreed to speak to the boys last week.

Lyle told them about the history of comic books — they date back to the 1930s, the grammar of comics and then worked with them to create a superhero which he drew on the spot.

“We spent most of the time brainstorming a superhero character,” said Lyle, 44. “That is really where I was at when I was that age myself.”

Lyle said he hopes working on the grammar and language will draw the boys back to books. The brainstorming work was also important, he said.

“They are going to be able to use that skill wherever they go,” he said.

The sessions went so well that some of the girls, who hadn’t expressed interest in comics, wanted to meet with Lyle, said Rosenblum.

As for the boys, Rosenblum said she has seen an increase in the number coming in to check out books. She hopes that will translate into higher test scores at the end of the year.

But Blake said what he’ll take out of the experience was the superhero “Dreadman” that Lyle drew for them.

“It was really cool,” he said.

LEARN MORE

For more information on James E. Lyle or reading projects for boys visit Comicartistsdirect.com or guysread.com