High Tech, meet Pop Culture

This is too fun.

First of all, we get what may be really-for-true confirmation of water on Mars, which is a spiffy thing.

But how it got announced to the world is even more fun:

NASA's Phoenix has a Twitter page.

So the announcement of water wasn't through some formal press release, or a guy in a NASA suit standing awkwardly in front of a microphone.

It was the rover itself, saying, "Are you ready to celebrate? Well, get ready: We have ICE!!!!! Yes, ICE, *WATER ICE* on Mars! w00t!!! Best day ever!!" to 20,000+ people on Twitter.

(Obviously, it would have been "Best. Day. Evah." if they didn't have to be careful how many characters they send, due to the 140 character limit on Twitter. :) )

Now that's amusing!

(See also http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/the-real-value.html and http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/06/mars-phoenix-tw.html for more)

So Tired Of Rain

Last summer, we had a drought, and I really really missed storms.

ENOUGH ALREADY! We've made up for the lack and THEN SOME!!!

But... it's not been too bad in Indy. However, a friend of mine in Columbus, about 40 miles south, had quite a different experience:

http://members.aol.com/timster132/flood/2008indianaflood01.html

Really makes you grateful for what you have...