HeartBreakLogNews

Monday, September 18, 2006

---More Muslim Outrage, ISS Smokes

Oh NO! More Muslim Outrage!
FOXNews.com[AP] - Pope Says He's 'Deeply Sorry' for Reaction to Islam Speech
It actually appears that Benedict was apologizing for Muslim lack of comprehension, but that’s probably not what’s important here anyway. Taking a cue from the usual suspects ([a][b], etc.), it probably wouldn’t matter if Benedict put daisies in his mitre and danced a pas de deux with Arbedube...Armedooda...the president of Iran. This isn’t about our lack of respect for Islam, unless their leaders are politically incompetent to an astonishing degree, or actually want us to think of the Muslim fanatics as a pack of rabid animals. It’s more likely to be about the organized intimidation of governments who resist Islamic domination, especially the ambitions of Iran.
The “reaction” of Muslims continues, including this call for "dialogue":
U.S. Newswire : Releases : "U.S. Muslims Call for Dialogue Over Pope's Comments on Islam..." [found on LGF]
The “call” includes an invitation with web links(!) for people of the West to learn about Islam.

Mission already accomplished, guys! We’ve learned just about everything we need to know about Islam:
FOXNews.com [AP]- Italian Nun Shot by Somali Gunmen Forgave Her Killers as She Lay Dying

ISS Scare
Spaceflight Now | Space Station Mission Report | Oxygen generator problem triggers station alarm
I woke up this morning to frantic news reports about smoke on the Space Station. The alarm was later amended to “bad smells” with only a little smoke, but it prompted the crew to pull a fire alarm.
It was the wretched old Elektron O₂ generator again. This time it burped up some of its potassium hydroxide electrolyte (the stuff I used to buy as pellets from Nelson's Drug Store as a teenager to use in my surplus NiCad wet cell to heat glow plugs), and a rubber gasket overheated and released wisps of white smoke. There were no fatalities, and things---including the upcoming reception for a female space tourist---are getting back to normal, whatever that is. Evidently the Elektron system isn’t really being used much, which probably means they are periodically still using the far more potentially dangerous O₂ “candles”.
Meanwhile, Atlantis has passed final inspections, and should be headed back to KSC soon.