Monthly Archives: July 2021

Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars

Posted on July 30, 2021 by smellincoffee

Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars© 2021 Eileen Collins314 pages Eileen Collins was obsessed with flying. Maybe it was an unusual preoccupation for a girl, but her parents – despite their struggles with mental illness and alcoholism – always … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Into the Black

Posted on July 29, 2021 by smellincoffee

Into the Black: The Extraordinary Untold Story of the First Flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia © 2016 Rowland White480 pages As the Apollo missions neared the completion of their goal, NASA looked ahead and charted a bold new course … Continue reading →

Posted in history, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

Oops, I did it again

Posted on July 27, 2021 by smellincoffee

Last week a publisher contacted me on goodreads about reading one of their soon-to-be-released titles, The Social Instinct. Accessing it meant reviving my old NetGalley account, and before I knew it.. Well, I did say that science would be making … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 2 Comments

The Philosopher Book Tag

Posted on July 23, 2021 by smellincoffee

Spotted at Thoughts on Papyrus, and couldn’t resist borrowing! Thales is considered the first known philosopher. Which text introduced you to philosophy or which text would you like to read to get you into philosophy? Oddly enough, a sermon from … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflection, Religion and Philosophy | Tagged | 2 Comments

Wisdom Wednesday: Stop playing other people’s games

Posted on July 21, 2021 by smellincoffee

“[….] the system will set out honeypots, for people to get trapped in, the system will set out the ideas of retirement, the ideas of the golden years, providing you benefits, providing you a healthy working environment, WHY? Well, because … Continue reading →

Posted in quotations | Tagged | 3 Comments

A year in space: some quotes and something completely different

Posted on July 20, 2021 by smellincoffee

Scott Kelly had his brother send him a gorilla suit so he could pull pranks on his coworkers. Pranks look…a little different on the International Space Station. And now, some quotes. The space shuttle, fully fueled with cryogenic liquid, creaked … Continue reading →

Posted in quotations | Tagged , | 2 Comments

It’s not so lonely out in space: three to celebrate Apollo 11

Posted on July 20, 2021 by smellincoffee

Fifty-two years ago, men from Earth touched down on the moon and inaugurated a new era in human exploration. I usually re-watch From the Earth to the Moon (a Tom Hanks docu-drama that is in my “Everything is burning but … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics and Literary, Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Spaceman

Posted on July 16, 2021 by smellincoffee

Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey© 2016 Mike Massimino336 pages All his life, Mike Massimino wanted to be an astronaut. He was six when he saw Neil Armstrong’s famous small step, and he wanted to be out there with the men … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Wisdom Wednesday: The choice is yours

Posted on July 14, 2021 by smellincoffee

As a human being, you have no choice about the fact that you need a philosophy. Your only choice is whether you define your philosophy by a conscious, rational, disciplined process of thought and scrupulously logical deliberation—or let your subconscious … Continue reading →

Posted in quotations | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Space Camp!

Posted on July 13, 2021 by smellincoffee

It’s been ages since I went on a proper astronaut spree (Deke!, 2016), and lately I’ve been feeling the itch. With the Moon landing anniversary right around the corner (literally — it’s a week from today), why not have some … Continue reading →

Posted in General | Tagged , | 4 Comments