Shuttle SRB footage

Ever wondered when a space shuttle launches, what does it look like , from the OUTSIDE, ON the shuttle? If yes, you're in luck!

NASA posted a footage recorded by a camera fixed on the right solid rocket booster (SRB) of Discovery. It's thrilling to watch the color transition of the sky. The highlight is at run time 2:58 when the SRB separates from the external tank. It's just like a movie, except this is the real deal.

Taken from the comment of Goldenhawk on /., here are the points of interest in the footage.
1:30-1:40 Mach transition (breaking the sound barrier - watch the nose)
2:39 a rather visible bit of debris flies right past the camera
2:58 separation from the orbiter/tank stack
3:59 as the booster tumbles, you can briefly spot the shuttle as a bright dot
5:18 you can see the smoke plume thru the upper atmosphere
7:13 some debris goes past the booster camera
7:17 you can see a shroud (parachute) line falling
7:25 you can very briefly see a chute
7:30 water entry
7:40 the chute falls into the water
8:00 as the booster floats, the chutes and shroud lines are clearly visible around the booster

Here's another footage from a different angle (facing downwards).

Small pipe

Ever since I got back this weak ass internet service has been pusing my buttons.

Protecting my precious router from overwhelming in/out traffics by dropping connection whenever I use a BT client as well as providing the lightning speed that only snails consider fast. I'm surprised that I haven't gone postal and burn down the nearest HiNet office.

I just kept telling myself this is just provisional and once I move out I'll get a faster and fatter pipe. I didn't even bother checking what my connection actually was. Until I started messing around QoS service of my router. I had to specify uplink and downlink so I want to find out how fat the pipe is. I knew it was slow and had a rough idea of what the numbers were. But I was still surprised to see this...

A 1024/64 KB connection?!

1999 called and it wants its narrowband back.

That did it when I saw the pathetic numbers. Within the next minute I was on the line with a rep of HiNet (Ahh, the irony) saying I wanted to upgrade the pipe. For a mere USD $1 extra a month, I get to have a pipe that's 2048/256 KB. It was hard not to go all the way and get 12/1 M for $10 more a month. But mom and pop aren't hooked to the intarweb like I am so why waste the money.

Hopefully the new setting will kick in early next week so the already small populace of this town won't shrink further more.

Open you eyes, and see the Vanilla Sky

I've always liked it, Vanilla Sky, even though it's got a less than stellar rating.

Bored out of my mind, I dug around my once huge movie collection for some entertainment last night. Some bitter sweet feelings hit me when my eyes caught a glimpse of the word "Vanilla". I immediately recalled it was Vanilla Sky even though I had no memory of what it was about, except that it was a Sci-Fi romance. Eager to find out the story I popped it into Gmac (look Ma, I named my Mac after me!) and settled in my chair.

David's success came from his father. Fortune isn't the only thing his father left him. Looks and a charming personality are also among his inheritance. He's got the money, women, power. He has it all.

On his 33rd birthday, his best friend Brian brought along a beautiful girl, Sofia, to his party. Even though David has a foxy "fuck buddy", as Brian says, he falls head over heels in love with Sofia right away. And there is definitely chemistry between the two.

After spending the night talking and getting to know each other, David the pleasure delayer left Sofia for work, knowing he's found his true love. As soon he reaches to his car door, Julie pulls over next to him out of nowhere. David knows Julie is crazy about him. When she proposed that he go with her to "make it up to her", David made a life-changing choice. He agreed.

Driving along, Julie poured out her feelings on David. The more she talked the more agitated she became. Then she finally broke down and drove off of a bridge, bring David along towards death.

David woke up. He did survive. But with an arm broken and a face disfigured. And it's been a nightmare for him ever since.

Until he finds out what had happened.


Vanilla Sky is far from the greatest love story of all time. But at the end of the movie, David's last conversation with Sofia is so touching it's worth watching if you want your heart moved.

WTF?! In Memory of David

"What the fuck?!"

That was my first impression when I was hitting David Wang's profile on ICRT.


I can't believe it's been almost two years since David passed away. I actually looked forward to listening to his voice on air again few minutes ago when I turn on my stereo and tuned into ICRT, the only station I ever listen to when I discovered this thing called radio. He was the icon I looked up to (and still do) when it comes to English proficiency. And now he's gone, no more. Why the hell do things have to change like this.

Seriously, WHAT THE FUCK! I CAN NOT ACCEPT THIS! FUCK THIS SHIT! ARRRRRRRRRRGH!