Voskhod-the First Multiple-manned Mission

This really is how starting ballroom felt like, and still feels like sometimes.

That frame needs work though.

Let Me Show You the World

I hear you! I’ve had three partners so far for competitions - it sucks when you don’t have anyone and I’m not entirely looking forward to having to find someone new when I graduate and move. There’s still a lot you can do on your own, though, I use a hoola hoop and mirrors to practice when I have to work on my own. 

You can also find local ballroom groups for the US at: http://usadance.org/chapters/find-a-local-chapter/ 

The Sad Part about my love for ballroom dancing

Is I have no partner. No one to dance with, or take lessons with, so I am left alone, to dream. Here’s hoping for a little ballroom and a little romance when I move. 

12 Incredible X-Rays Reveal How Different Pregnant Animals Look

NASA recorded the DNA of one twin (Mark Kelly) astronaut on earth, and his identical​twin before, during, and after Scott Kelly spent a year in space. It looks like there are differences, but we don't know what that entails yet!

This is an art project I made in seventh grade, and to this day is the coolest thing I’ve ever made. It can be a wall decoration or a costume peice or whatever you want to do with it short of stopping an actual sword. If anybody is curious as to how one makes something like this, you need: - a big ass piece of cardboard - a big ass piece of foil - a shitload of Elmer’s liquid glue - a box cutter or super strong scissors - masking tape - a sponge - shoe polish - steel wool - a pencil and eraser if you like - (a straightedge and/or yardstick?) - (protractor?) Take the bigass piece of cardboard and draw your design in pencil. You’ll be raising lines or areas with the glue, so keep that in mind with your design. The raised will be the lighter parts. If you like, you can use a straightedge or something to make it look neater. Put a layer of glue over every line you want raised. Do the edges of every large area, but don’t fill it in yet. Let it dry, then repeat until you have a sizable bump. Fill in any raised areas you want with more glue (you will need a ton). Try to not let the glue run over the raised edges of the planes. It’ll take a while to dry after that. Once your design is glued to your satisfaction, let it dry. Trim the edges using the box cutter to get it to the shape you want. Then spread a layer of glue over the top of your project and carefully lay down the big ass piece of foil over the top. Be very careful not to wrinkle it too much, but spread it down as close to the surface as possible without ripping it. Fold the excess foil around the back and secure it with glue and masking tape. Take a sponge and shoe polish and apply liberally over the top of your project. Let it dry. Take the steel wool and rub the shoe polish off of the areas that are raised and supposed to be silver as opposed to black. Voila! A beautiful shield of your own design. Depending on how you want to use it, you can either attach a handle or something to the back or a method of hanging it from the wall. Enjoy!

Bacteriophage. This is one of a few pieces I’ve submitted to a gallery show I’m having with my friends/coworkers at Tr!ckster in Berkeley. Tried a somewhat different approach than my usual on this one, and I like it. 

Probably will have little prints available soon. 

Four regions with the same GDP

Barack Obama: America will take the giant leap to Mars

"We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America's story in space," writes the President, "sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth."

"We have set a clear goal vital to the next chapter of America's story in space," writes the President, "sending humans to Mars by the 2030s and returning them safely to Earth."

Let’s go next Space Race

With No Warning, House Republicans Vote to Gut Independent Ethics Office

The move by emboldened Republicans on the eve of a new Congress would strip power and independence from an investigative body and give lawmakers control over ethics inquiries.

Wow. 

The move to effectively kill the Office of Congressional Ethics was not made public until late Monday, when Representative Robert W. Goodlatte, Republican of Virginia and chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that the House Republican Conference had approved the change. There was no advance notice or debate on the measure.

The surprising vote came on the eve of the start of a new session of Congress, where emboldened Republicans are ready to push an ambitious agenda on everything from health care to infrastructure, issues that will be the subject of intense lobbying from corporate interests. The House Republicans’ move would take away both power and independence from an investigative body, and give lawmakers more control over internal inquiries.

It also came on the eve of a historic shift in power in Washington, where Republicans control both houses of Congress and where a wealthy businessman with myriad potential conflicts of interest is preparing to move into the White House.

[…]

“This is huge,” said Mr. Morgan, who now defends lawmakers targeted in ethics investigations. “It effectively allows the committee to shut down any independent investigation into member misconduct.“