Lunar Boulevard

Ashes to ashes, dust to...space dust? You may not be aware of it but the ashes of more than 100 humans have been launched into space. These include everyone from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenbery to hippie hero Timothy Leary.  The first human whose ashes are expected to actually leave our solar system is Clyde Tombaugh, the astronomer who first discovered Pluto back in 1930. His ashes are currently aboard the New Horizons spacecraft and is scheduled to fly past Pluto in 2015 to take photographs. After that it will depart our solar system.

It's hard to believe it's been almost a year since the Curiosity rover set down on the surface of Mars. NASA officials and crew members aboard the International Space Station will celebrate the anniversary of the rover's landing on August 6 in Washington from noon until 1:30 pm. This exciting event will be broadcast on NASA's website and also on NASA Television. The media and public are both invited to take place in the event, which will include the following: Charles Bolden, NASA administrator Chris Cassidy and Karen Nyberg, NASA astronauts, live from the space station Jim Green, director, Planetary Division, NASA's Science Mission Directorate Sam Scimemi, director, NASA's International Space Station Program Prasun Desai, acting director, Strategic Integration, NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate You can visit the agency's website for more details. This looks promising and there will be researchers there talking about ho...

Love her or hate her, you have to give Bjork credit as an artist. From her early punk days in The Sugarcubes to her diverse and experimental solo career, she refuses to sit still or stay in any one genre for too long. From her bizarre outfits to strange political and social views, Bjork isn't easy to categorize and neither is her music. Fans often like to discuss what they think her best work is (my vote goes to the gorgeous 2001 release Vespertine ) but one album often seems to get left in the dust: 2007's Volta . I've always found this album to be quite enjoyable, though I can also understand why some have trouble warming up to it. Musically it's all over the map and some of the songs never quite lift off the way you expect them to, yet there are plenty of standouts that make it worth revisiting. In some ways it feels a bit like a throwback to her poppier and more melodic 90's work, yet it feels fresh and a bit more mature.  The opener and first sin...

As I was driving home from the dentist this morning I felt a peace and happiness that I haven't felt in quite some time. God really reminded me of how much He's done and how many blessings He's poured onto my life, not a single one of which I deserve. It's all through God and God alone. There are many out there who hold great value in the idea of karma, the belief that what we do determines what we get. First off, it's important to distinguish the difference between karma and consequences. They may share some similarities but karma is a way of looking at life in general, the belief that if you're a good person life will in turn be good to you. Consequences may impact your entire life but more than likely it's simply taking responsibility for your own actions and dealing with whatever happens, even if it isn't your fault.  When we look at the gospel of Jesus we see hope. After all, karma doesn't always seem to work like we think it will...

Remember that 007 movie Diamonds Are Forever , where Blofeld launches a diamond-encrusted satellite into space? Or "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"? Believe it or not, diamonds in space may not be all that crazy of a concept. In fact, Lucy is an appropriate name for this interesting star. 20 light years away from earth sits the Centaurus constellation, which houses a star named BPM 37093, better known as Lucy. Apparently Lucy is a white dwarf star that is actually one giant diamond that weighs at least 10 billion trillion trillion (yes, you read that right) carats and is comparable in size to our moon.  So yeah, your diamonds really aren't anything special when you think about how big God can really make them. Lucy is one heck of a wedding ring.

That's right, you read the title correctly. Now let's get a few things out of the way before I explain where I'm going with this: * This isn't a rant for or against feminism * This isn't a rant against the artists themselves but rather their message * This actually does line up with the faith and music portion of this blog. I promise! The inspiration for this article came from reading quotes from various female pop stars who claim that their racy videos and lyrics are "empowering women and freeing them sexually." The real tragedy of this philosophy is that so many women are buying into it and selling themselves short of what God created them to be.  I first remember hearing this phrase back in 2010 when Christina Aguilera released the video for her song "Not Myself Tonight", which is basically the soft-core porn version of her sexual fantasies. Or something. I really don't want to know. Just take my word for it: it'...

Canadian indie darlings Arcade Fire have announced via Twitter (seems like all the news is broadcast there these days) that their new record will be released on October 29.  Still no title or any other details but at least we have some confirmation. This year is shaping up to get more and more awesome.

Ah, Jupiter. What else can I say about this massive ball of gas that hasn't already been said about it? However, there's one thing we all know about the planet: it has a giant red dot, kind of like that sweater in that episode of Seinfeld. What you may not know is that this red spot is actually a humongous storm that's so big it could actually fit two earth-sized planets inside of it. Makes your local thunderstorm seem kind of insignificant, doesn't it? Of course it does.

It's one of the most brilliant reinventions in rock n' roll history. Four lads from Dublin spend the 80's becoming the biggest band on the planet, embrace American folk and blues music, then announce they're going to go away and "dream it all up again." They re-emerge in 1991 with Achtung Baby , a completely raw and industrial record that feels more at place in the cold winter landscapes of Europe than the hot deserts of the American southwest. It's filled with tunes about the trials and betrayals of love, the questionable motives of those closest to us, and a subtle use of irony and funky rhythms. It was a huge success and completely changed the game not just for U2 but for rock as a whole. The ambitious and over-the-top nature of the ZOO TV Tour only reaffirmed U2's status as one of the most daring and innovative bands on the planet. So how do you follow such a radical shift in style and image? With another one. During the tour the band de...

Are you a loner? If you're a strange nerd like I am then the answer is probably yes. What you may not know is that there are planets that actually fit this description as well, or at least the loner part. I don't know how an inanimate plant could be a nerd, though that would be awesome in its own strange way. In space there are rogue planets that float completely alone, orbit no star, and may even contain life forms. I'm skeptical on the life forms part but apparently there are random plants that don't seem to have any direction. To quote Hank Hill: "It's almost as if Barry Switzer's coaching them."