Welcome brave readers. Thanks for being here.
Philip the Bard returns next week with tales of Max Gavaskar and her life. This week I’m sharing memories from the Evolution Expo just held in Oakland California.
If you are interested in science and science fiction you must go to this event! I’ve been to just a few conventions and this was a cut above the rest. There are rumors of some very interesting science people for next year and the celebrities all have a great time and many are expected back. I’d look for some new names as well.
The promoters did such a fine job, all the little details were handled and handled with poise and class. The staff was well informed and helpful.
There were some quality art on display and very fun vendors. Certainly the usual memorabilia was available but there was fine jewelry, some with a sci fi theme but some was just fine crafting. Several artists were there, and the Chabot Science center had several displays.
There was an inflatable planetarium, several displays explaining various things about living in space. One display I found fascinating was a relatively current Russian space suit.
As a young man in the U.S.A.F. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to watch an SR-71 crew suit up. They wore suits similar to the Gemini suits. Getting in them was a complicated affair involving locking together several suit pieces with precise metal seals and each joint.
The Russian suit, however, is a little more low tech. You back into the one piece suit through a large fold of material. When you have finally wiggled into the thing you are left with a garbage baggie’s worth of loose, tightly woven nylon. Take this loose material and twist it together (much like a garbage baggie), tie it off and sip up the outer shell.
Does it make a perfect seal? No!
What it does do is hold long enough to, hopefully, get you to safety.
Tomorrow I’ll share my final notes from the Evolution Expo.
Never mix red wine with Oodo.
Earth Year 2014
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