More Pre-2009 Wrap-Ups

Since all my favorite news websites are doing their own best of 2008 things and I sort of did one based on NASA a few days ago, I am left to my own devices. I want new news. Ah well, such is life.

Instead, I bring you some of the best of everyone else's blog posts. Sort of my own mini blog carnival, but no submissions, just me remembering what I can.

• First off, a post by the ever popular Greg Laden. His site really got me thinking I could have my own blog and was the first on my blogroll. One particular post really made me start exploring the rest of the internet with even more depth than I had in the past. It was a video from TEDTalks (which I am hooked on by the way, really good stuff) about how mushrooms will save the world.

• In a post of much interest to anyone who blogs, political favorite of mine Crooks and Liars, had a post recently about a certain person (read the post if you must know... this isn't a political blog so I will try to keep it that way) who thinks anonymous blogging should be banned. That would mean I would have to be banned too, since, you know, Mimi is just a nick-name. Ay me!

• I have always packed my own bento-style lunches on airplanes but this is where I can give a shout (whisper from my site, really) to the ruler-supreme of all bento blogs: Lunch in a Box. Biggie started the year off last year with this post about packing airplane bentos. I think she did a really great job with this one and I actually picked up a few tips for the airplane bentos I already made.

• ScientistMother did a really good job with bringing the question to light about whether or not culture affects your science. In it she reveals a bit about herself and states why the question came to her and how she copes. It also tugs at the roles of women in science and is in general a good read.

• This post on Pikko's blog is not bento related and I don't have kids but I had to laugh when I read it. She posted the 10 Toddler Commandments. There are also pictures of food and be warned: her site makes everyone wish they were organized enough to cook like her.

• A local political blog, Virgin Islands Watch, just did a post about the corrupt governments in the US. We are number 2. SHAME! It is a great post.

• The amazing people at Oecana started a blog and were the first to let me know who might be the head of NOAA. I am glad that Obama went with Jane Lubchenco.

This is just the tip of the iceberg however, because I read way WAY too many blogs and these are just a few "big poppa" blogs that I read. What were some of your favorite posts of the year? Leave the links in comments or just mention what it is!

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The Wind-Down of a "Stellar" Year

As the year comes to a close, there are many articles and scientific advances that really made news this year. Something that was not in the news as much as it should have been was NASA. The program itself has the tendency to be a bit controversial, but many do not realize how much benefit there has been from experiments done by NASA. Even more exciting, NASA celebrated it's 50th birthday this year just like my mom! To give our space program some recognition, I am going to give you some of the highlights of this year's events based on news at the NASA website.

• The International Space Station nears completion on its 10th anniversary. Four shuttle missions went up with modules added increasing the size and capabilities of the station. The space station is now the size of a large five bedroom house.

• Phoenix landed on mars in May. It sent back more than 25,000 images back to Earth. This amazing piece of machinery also determined soil alkalinity, weather patterns, tested for water evidence, and more.

• Using satellites, scientists at NASA continued their study of the disappearance of sea ice. The levels hit record lows this year despite people heralding a colder year in temperatures. There is lots of science on how this goes hand in hand, but that is better saved for a paper. :D

• NASA helped design swimsuits worn at the Olympic Games. NASA researchers tested a variety of fabrics in a low-speed wind tunnel.

Well, these were my favorite highlights of the year from NASA. You can find more here. Don't forget to vote for your favorite story while you're there. Just for those of you who were paying attention, what was your favorite "newsworthy" science moment of the year? You can pick anything, even from Potspoon! if you'd like. I would really like to know!

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Photo is in the Public Domain and was found here.

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