SPIEGEL Surfs the Web Shuttle Damage Through the Years
Now what? The Space Shuttle "Discovery," of course, is drifting through space together with the International Space Station as planned. But engineers and scientists on the ground are frantically trying to figure out exactly how great the damage to the spacecraft might be after piece of foam insulation from the external tank fell off at launch. It remains, however, unclear whether the piece actually struck the wing of the "Discovery." Nevertheless, NASA is taking the possibility seriously, especially considering the disintegration of the "Columbia" in 2003 after foam insulation knocked heat resistant tiles off one of the wings.
But how common is it that bits and pieces fall off shuttles during the highly-stressful launch? Actually, it happens all the time as an outstanding New York Times graphic shows . Indeed, during a 1988 lift off, debris pounded 707 dents into the Shuttle. And while you're at it -- and if you have a registration -- check out all of the Times Shuttle coverage, graphics and videos. It's definitely worth the hour you'll no-doubt waste reading all about the state of today's space travel.
US Wants Out of Iraq?
Should we stay or should we go? That seems to be the overriding question facing the United States in Iraq at the moment. And there are mounting indications that the question has been answered -- in favor of going. As predicted in a story based on a leaked document from the British Defense Ministry earlier this month, the United States appears to be weighing a substantial withdrawal of forces as early as next spring. The commander of US forces in Iraq, Gen. George Casey, said on Wednesday that if the schedule for the completion and adoption of the Iraqi constitution is kept, there is no reason US troops can't begin pulling out next year.
The comments come as Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari has also started making noises for a speedy ship out. Likewise on Wednesday, al-Jaafari confirmed that Iraq "desires speed in that regard." His comments were made during a joint press conference with visiting US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.
Yet while some may be talking about a withdrawal timetable, it is unclear exactly what US President George W. Bush has in mind. After all, as recently as late June, Bush said that setting a timetable for a pullout would be akin to "conceding too much to the enemy." That, of course, is a tad inconsistent with the tune he was humming during US involvement in the Kosovo War in 1999. At that time -- and thanks to Metafilter for pointing this out -- Bush had a slightly different view of withdrawal timetables.
Rapping on the Run
So you're a budding grime artist. You know, that uniquely British conflation of garage and rap shouted out by the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Kano, Lady Sovereign and Wiley and the Roll Deep Crew. But where are you going to practice? Studios are much too confining and the neighbors don't exactly like it when you crank up your stereo to rap along.
Why not just practice outside? No problem according to a new article in Wired. All you have to do is download a few background tracks from the Web, load them onto your cell phone and suddenly, you're a mobile grime studio. Apparently, rapping -- or "spitting" as the genre would have it -- to music pumped out by cell phones is becoming the hot pastime on the island. Not only that, thanks to MP3 players and enhanced speakers built into mobile phones impromptu rap sessions are breaking out on London streets. And the problem of what to do when the inspiration for that next great lyric strikes is solved: Just type it into you phone, crank up the music and test it out.
