The "I Didn't Comment in Another Thread" Thread

[Ryujin]

Apropos of nothing, my favorite bit of Venus trivia is that the first thing the lander did was to pop out the camera to take pictures, and the second thing it did was to extend a sampler arm to take samples, all extremely quickly because the Russians knew this thing would last maybe a few hours at most in the hostile environment. It was doomed to be destroyed by the environment of sulfuric acid thunderstorms and crushing pressure and temperature.

Anyway, the scientists are busy analyzing their samples and talking about how odd the chemical composition is, when one of the guys looking over the photographs shows everybody something that makes them tear their hair out. It's a photo of the sampler arm, and it's "hand" is poised directly over the lens cap. They'd sent the probe thousands of miles through space, and some of their data was worthless because they had sampled bits the probe brought from earth.

I still remember the photo with the sampler arm on the lens cap in a Science textbook back in the Eighties.

And then there was the time that it tried to sample Steve Austin.

 

[dragoner]

There are also sounds of Venus:

 

[Mad_Jack]

A great Aunt up in northern Wisconsin used to tell of how they went to school until it was 28 below. School would close and they'd go out to play. (Of course she was 100% Finn and I've only got 25%).

20 below is the coldest it's gotten here in CT in my lifetime...

Like trying to find out which Springfield the Simpsons are from.

Or COBRA.

I saw him in a concert in Austin, TX in 2003 - the weirdest line-up I have ever seen:

Kris Kristoferson
Joe Jackson
Concrete Blonde
The Presidents of the United States of America

I'd pay money to see that show... Three out of the four are names I'd go see if playing by themselves.

I found out recently that the guy from the Presidents did a rap project with Sir Mixalot.
I decided my brain really didn't need to know about it.

 

[Mannahnin]

I can't speak to today, but I know that in the 90s the Ministry mosh pit could always be relied upon for a near-death experience.

If you ended up battered and bruised and unable to walk the next day ... well, that counted as a success!

Yeah, those days are mostly past. It wasn't too bad at House of Blues. I had two smallish AFAB persons with me and they used me for an anchor, as I kept one hand on the barricade up front for basically the whole Ministry set. I was only mildly banged up and a bit weary by the end.

 

[Mannahnin]

• tweakers

 

[el-remmen]

Seriously considering making tomorrow's poll:

True or False: "I assume every statement in el-remmen's true/false polls represents his own stances on the subject."

 

[payn]

Seriously considering making tomorrow's poll:

True or False: "I assume every statement in el-remmen's true/false polls represents his own stances on the subject."

 

[prabe]

Seriously considering making tomorrow's poll:

True or False: "I assume every statement in el-remmen's true/false polls represents his own stances on the subject."

Apparently there are people who believe authors endorse all their characters' actions.

Apparently there are people who are irredeemably stoopid.

 

[el-remmen]

Apparently there are people who believe authors endorse all their characters' actions.

Are you saying I'm just a character?

 

[Gradine]

My favorite bit of Venus trivia comes from the "What If?" book by Randall Munroe (xkcd)

Interplanetary Cessna