Hello Cosmoverse, it's Howie G again!

It's Christmas Eve as I share my thoughts. The first thought I have today is that, "dang, I'm old". I say that because my son is celebrating his 27th birthday today. The kid (?) is pretty smart (you know the apple doesn't fall...). He took the advice I gave him at least once.

When he started school, the kids got to start using these crazy things they called Apple computers. He got in on the ground floor and it was normal stuff for him. Over the years he learned both platforms & became very adept at using them. One Christmas, we got the kids (son & daughter) this hot new thing called Nintendo. We had to pry their fingers (mostly his) off of the controllers.

Then it was Nintendo 64 & Super Nintendo as I recall. He was glued to that stuff. We did take time away to be involved in Boy Scouts together, so we did get out of the house once in a while & I'm still very proud of my Eagle Scout.

He and a couple of his buddies started a computer consulting/building company before they finished high school. They held their own, didn't make millionaires of themselves, but did okay.

After high school, it seemed he just sat around in front of the dang computer, played games & did nothing for a year. One day he announced he wanted to go to a specialized college in Florida. Well son, why there and for what? "Computer game design" was the reply. "Huh?" was mine.

Long story short, he went & graduated in the top of the class & now makes computer games for a living out in L.A. He plays games for a living & gets paid to do it!!!

The advice I gave him? "Find something you like to do and then find a way to make money at it". Good for you son.

I even took my own advice & gave up lots of vacation time & money at the place I put in 27 years at to come to work for The Cosmosphere. I get to blow things up, light things on fire, play with all kinds of cool toys, go to fascinating places and hopefully all while inspiring young people. I even get paid to do it!

Happiness is way more important than lots of things at my age.

I wish you all out there in the Cosmoverse the Happiest Christmas & the Happiest New Year ever!

Done rambling for now except to say- Happy Birthday Travis! - Love Dad.

Moonoverse Blog

Hello, my name is Demetree Gaines. I'm a Space Science Educator at the Cosmosphere. I just started here a year ago, but I take education very seriously. Teachers are definitely important to our society, our children and our future. So I have taken it upon myself to give you my special attention. That being said, on our web site you can get info about the teacher workshops that are going to be held here at the Cosmosphere throughout the year. Well, look out! I have added a new one. I want all my cosmoblogers out there to hear about it first. So, what is this new and exciting workshop that I speak of? I thought you would never ask. It's called "Moonoverse: Moons of the Solar System." I built this workshop for a special group of teachers from Council Grove Kansas, who asked for something new. However, I am inviting all educators to attend. Come one. Come all! We will talk about all the moons of the our solar system; how they were formed, who saw them first, what planets they belong to, and last but not least, what are the classifications for moons, planets, and dwarf planets. As always the experience will be jam packed with power points, resources, activities and free stuff. But most important, this workshop, like most of them, will offer the opportunity for college credit. I can hear pounding on the doors already. So get the lead out. Don't be the last one to jump on board. Tell a friend. Bring a friend. Contact myself or Laurie Given at the Cosmosphere and join us for the latest addition to the award winning education department workshop line up; "Moonoverse: Moons of the Solar System."

Hi everyone! Welcome to my first ever blog! I don't even know what that stands for or if it stands for anything at all. The boss, Joel, told me I needed to get to writing one of these, so here I am...

My given name is Harold George, but here at The Cos, I go by 'Howie G'. Then I'll go on to tell you the 'G' stands for genius... (most of the time Goofy).

January 2009 will be my 11th year here and I'm still loving it. I started as a part time presenter of the "Probe into Space- Space Exploration Merit Badge" for Boy Scouts on January 18th of that year. After a few years as a part timer, the Cos and I decided we needed each other on a full time basis. I became the "Scout Programs Manager" as my primary function along with being a director for our summer Future Astronaut Training Program and "other jobs as assigned" (gotta have that clause in the job description).

I just had a meeting with Joel this week and it was decided that I get to investigate all the possibilities of getting out into the virtual world. Tom coined the word "Cosmoverse" and I think I like it. Anyway, I am so excited about all this new technology that I get to play with, all in the line of duty.

Today I "skyped" with a class of 5th graders in El Paso that I met the teacher on one of my new resources called "plurk". That was fun and the kids actually learned some stuff from Howie G! So, I know that I never heard of 'skype' and 'plurk' before about a month ago, how about you? To skype is to make a free internet phone call and with video! It's like the Jetson's! (Reminds me, how come we aren't all driving cars that fly?) To plurk is to have an instant message posted so that a group of your chosen virtual 'friends' can respond. I have created a group that consists mainly of educators to enhance my learning efforts in this newest of technology (to me anyway).

This is exciting for me, an old dog learning new tricks, lots of tricks, maybe too many tricks??? Naaaaa, this old dog is looking forward to jumping through new hoops to inspire the youth of the world. Wow, I just said the world instead of the local kids... that's a bit scary, but together I think we can, I think we can...

Blog at you soon, Howie G

Hello World and Happy Holidays! The Christmas season is upon us and hopefully everyone is getting geared up for a great holiday season. I love Christmas and everything (most everything) that goes along with it. I always find it funny that Christmas reminds me of the moon as well. You see in 1968 Apollo 8 became the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon. The crew of Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders were in Lunar Orbit over Christmas and read from the book of Genesis. What an amazingly powerful moment in human history! Imagine being all alone, 250,000 miles from your planet and enjoying a Christmas like no other. The spirit of Christmas must have been everywhere in that spacecraft.

My favorite story that goes along with that mission and I will admit that it may not be true goes like this: A foreign correspondent was in Houston covering the historic mission and did not get the exact words spoken by the crew during their broadcast on Christmas Eve (when they read from the book of Genesis). The correspondent called the Public Affairs Office at Johnson Space Center and asked for a transcript of the reading. The PAO officer asked where the correspondent was staying and upon hearing that it was in a local motel he asked the correspondent to check the drawer of the night table. Sure enough there was a bible there and the PAO officer directed the correspondent to the exact passage. A grateful correspondent was so impressed that NASA had thought ahead and placed transcripts in every hotel room! ? Like I said, great story...not sure if it is true.

What else has happened since my last blog? Well, we hosted Teachers Night Out and boy did we have fun. We had well over 200 educators attend some part of the event with about 150 in attendance for former astronaut, Winston Scott's keynote and book signing. He did a wonderful job and had one of the best "selection stories" that I have ever heard. It was a really fun evening. If you missed it we will have another one next year, but in the meantime check out the video we put together that night.

Teachers' Night Out Video

Still working on virtual outreach. As you have probably noted, we have no shortage of talent and I use that word rather loosely, but we are not entirely sure what you want. Please let me know what it is that you are looking for from us. Tours of the museum, classroom stuff, short videos, updates, live stuff...let me know so that we can meet your needs. We don't mind being on camera just give us some direction!

I will try and get one more blog in before Christmas. Only 19 more shopping days...Eek!!

As we begin interviewing counselors for our summer camp programs, I am once again reminded of how lucky I am to work here at the Cosmosphere. I am lucky because when I hear people talk about America's decline, I know it is not true. Each year the quality of young people who go way out of their way to apply for this most difficult job astounds me. They are aware, responsible, caring, mature and confident both in themselves and in their futures and they are everywhere. They are working all around this country in all sorts of improbable places, including the Cosmosphere. The only place you will not find them is on the news. Quiet greatness it seems is boring. I firmly believe this generation will not permit decline. Each year some of these amazing people find themselves turned away, for only the best of the best can work here. But, if those who apply here are any indication at all of what the future has to offer then the future is very bright, indeed.

Hello everyone! It has been a couple of weeks since I posted anything in the blogosphere. Tom has been making me feel bad as he has managed to keep up and I have not. So, what have we been working on? Great question and I am so glad that you asked. The virtual world is about to be invaded by Cosmosphere Educators. We just got a few new toys and now we are ready to start playing with them. Each educator has been asked to make a video of some sort...kind of educational in nature...that we can put out on the web. It is a test to see what we can really do and what we can really offer all of you out there. Here are the Teacher Tube links for each of the four videos that I have put out there so far.

Howie George: http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=584379e8c1a90f4ae6f1

Demetree Gaines: http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee5480519c6642b42bac

Tom Holcomb: http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=265f1e20f51f5d17d1e2

Joel Walker: http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=bd478980a1a4518f5981

Check these fun and short videos out and let me know what you think. We know that we have some pretty cool stuff to put out there for the public and for educators. We just need to know what format to put it in. We could amuse ourselves for months with this technology, but it won't mean much if no one needs it or uses it. Right now we are thinking about doing gallery tours, behind the scenes artifact stories and science demos that cover a wide range of sciences. It should be a lot of fun, but input would be helpful. Be kind though. These were our first attempts and a little rough. We will get better... I promise.

Make sure that you watch the launch tonight. It should be very cool and our CEO is down there now so we should get some good pics and video. I will get it on the website next week. Have a great weekend and keep reaching folks...we have a long way to go!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! In a time of political and economic uncertainty with the winds of change howling at the door, the people of Hutchinson stepped up and overwhelmingly passed the renewal of the ¼% sales tax proposal. People, you did not have to do that. It would have been easy to say no. Had you said no, your choice could be criticized by no one. Times are tough and money is tight. Your positive choice speaks volumes about the quality of people who live here in this unheralded part of the world. The Cosmosphere stands as a monument to the spirit of this community. I believe I speak for everyone in this great organization when I say we pledge to continue to strive to be worthy of your pride. Watch what we accomplish in the next five years.

I see no sense in letting the election cycle end without adding my two cents. With so many issues on the table, both real and imagined, I have noticed that neither candidate has mentioned NASA or the space program. With construction of the International Space Station winding down we are nearing the end of the Space Shuttle Program. What will take its place? A program called Constellation is earmarked (our candidates should love that word) to begin on the heels of the soon to be phased out shuttle program. Constellation is an ambitious hybrid of old and new technologies designed to service the space station, return to the moon and eventually ferry humans to Mars. While it remains relatively inexpensive by federal government standards, one wonders if the will to continue funding it really exists for either candidate or for anyone in Washington. Pay attention in the weeks and months to come.

I apologize for the lack of my lovely image, but I am writing from the business office of my motel in Philidelphia.

I recently attended a conference for science centers and museums in the great city of Philidelphia. One of the sessions dealt with story telling as a means of introducing science topics to a public that is at times leary of science and scientists. One of the participents took the rather narrow line that story telling was inherently dishonest and should therfore be avoided, always. After all, he reasoned, fancy has no place in a discussion of how the world works, which made me think of rainbows.

I can't honestly remember when I saw my first rainbow, but I do know that I thought it was a fine and lovely thing whether I used such words to describe it or not. I also remember that the first explanation of the rainbow that I heard involved a determined fellow called Noah, a wicked world and a promise from a trustworthy diety. Now, I have always been a rather contrary sort even as a child and though I was not convinced that the story was true, I did think it was a comforting thought that went very well with the beauty of the rainbow.

Much later I learned about sunlight and water drops and how the world of science described the apparent miracle of the rainbow and that was a very satisfying moment in my life, for it enabled me to not only understand the rainbow, but to anticipate its appearence. Today, when the rain stops and the sun peaks out in just the right way, I look for the rainbow and never need to miss it. Science has enabled me to experience the beauty of the rainbow more often and that is certainly a good thing. But, whenever I see it a part of me remembers that first more meaningful explanation and the experience is more deeply felt.

There may come a day when only truth is allowed to enter the hearts and minds of the strange and fragile creatures that we call human. That will for this space science educator be a sad day, indeed.

When one spends much time in the world of academia, removed from the problems of the real world, one's vision can blur. Fortunately, for myself and my soon to be rabid followers in the blogosphere, this museum is not mired in academia. The Cosmosphere, I am fond of pointing out, is a working museum and as such offers its workers a rare opportunity to experience the best of both worlds. It is one such unique opportunity that I wish to share with you today. Are you ready? I sincerely doubt that you are. The Cosmosphere offers summer camp programs each year attended by students of all ages from all over America and sometimes even from distant lands. These camps focus on space science, space history, space exploration, teamwork, leadership and fun, so in order to work them an applicant has to be some kind of introverted space geek, right. Wrong! I am heavily involved in all aspects of the camps and when I first started at the Cosmosphere, admittedly in a previous century, I knew we had a moon and someone had walked on it and I really didn't care much about anything to do with space. I didn't hate it. I was just indifferent. Working here has obviously altered my view, but I steadfastly refuse to think of myself as some basement dwelling space nerd. No offense to basement dwelling nerds of any stripe is intended but you get the idea. Anyone who has talent and drive can work here and we need people with both to step up and apply to be camp counselors, directors and support staff. So, to all of you blogospheriacs out there who seek a challenge, I promise you this. If you apply and find yourself hired, you will step into the hardest job you ever loved. Follow the link. http://cosmo.org/ca_employment.htm Until next time, I bid you adieu.