Contest Entry

I noticed this link today on the Google home page:
Explore the world of Google books. Play the game today.

So, I did. The game walks you through several questions and requires you to use your Google-searching skills to search through Google Books to find the answer. I completed the game in just a few minutes. At the end of the game, you have a chance to submit your scores, and enter a contest. Today's entry prompt was, "In 50 words or less, describe what you think reading will be like 100 years from now."

50 words - it's harder to write shorter works than long ones [["I made this longer letter only because I did not have the leisure to make it shorter." (Brownie points if you can identify the speaker and leave it in the comments.)]]. Then I thought about some of the poems Jill has been sharing on her blog, so I decided to write a free form (is that the right descriptor?) poem as my 50 word answer to the prompt:

Reading -
What is that?
Today I gain knowledge
through a direct link to my mind.
Yesterday's books
are tedious -
why waste the time reading,
and thinking?
Just plug in and obtain.
The link gives me new thought
I can obtain with its key word.
Mind meld removes need to read.

Reading 100 years in the future -- what do you think?

SR-71 Blackbird

Someone sent me a forward with the following link

http://www.greatdanepromilitary.com/SR-71/index.htm

with this accompanying text from someone along the forward chain:

In 1968 (1967?) an SR-71 made an emergency landing at Grand Forks AFB (ND) and was “parked” between two B-52 hangers close to the N/S road that paralleled the base runway. The aircraft was completely visible to anyone using the road. Immediately after landing, GFAFB security established machine gun "nests" close to the plane.

The two man crew could not exit the plane until a C-130 arrived from Edwards AFB with the ground support equipment and aircraft technicians to evacuate the crew and "fix" whatever the problem(s) were... Of course, everyone on the base came to see the 71 and security had to control traffic. After the "fixes" were accomplished (two days?), the 71 exited the base heading north. A few minutes later it returned at a very low altitude at tremendous speed in a fly by. It was awesome and was probably witnessed by about everyone on the base.

Eye candy for people who like airplanes

Grab your beverage and relax for a few minutes of awesome beauty.

The SR-71 was the creation of Kelly Johnson, Lockheed, Eisenhower and the Air Force. It was envisioned in the '50s, first flew in the early '60s, retired in the '80s, briefly brought back in the '90s.

In all, 13 units of the single seat A-12 were built, and 32 of the Pilot + Recon two seat SR-71 units were built. Five A-12 were lost, one is stored. Twelve two seaters were lost. The remaining 27 are on display around the USA . The closest is at Atwater, the old Castle AFB museum at Merced with 50 other classic warplanes. You probably have a better opportunity of viewing the one in San Diego . Ask me and I'll tell you where the others are. NY, OR, OH, DC, etc. I can find most answers to most questions. Just ask. Start with the 2000+ mph, the 80,000 feet + altitude. More if you wish.

So enjoy.

One more thing. The author of the captions to the picture in this video made one misstatement, due to youth. The U-2 Recon aircraft was created in 1955, flew operationally in 1956. Kelly thought the USSR would shoot it down in 18 months. Lucky us, it flew until Gary Powers was downed on 1 May 1960. But Kelly Johnson already had the go-ahead from Ike for the A-12. It first flew in 1962, JFK kept the manufacture of it active. No one told LBJ, 'cause everyone knew he would spill the secret. He wasn't told til the week after JFK left us. And sure enough, LBJ gave out the secret in a matter of months.

Anyhow, the most interesting, most exciting five years of my life were spent in the
program, as a KC-135 refueling pilot. Where the Blackbird went, we went. You will see several refuelings in the following.

I decided to share this for the following reasons:

1. I love airplanes
2. I think the SR-71 is an incredible plane
3. I've seen a Blackbird in person (at the Evergreen Aviation Museum), along with walking inside the Spruce Goose
4. I just read about the development of the SR-71 in The Wizards of Langley
5. The pictures in the slideshow above are really cool.
6. What better thing to post on my Technology & Innovation blog than one of the most advanced reconnaissance systems of its time (and then some)?

Due to the unknown authorship of both the email and the slideshow text, the details should be viewed as having varying quality. Discretion and judgment (and some personal research) should be utilized. That being said, enjoy!