It's Thanksgiving weekend 2009, and if you've overdosed on the more run of the mill standard football fare shown on TV, I invite you to experience Football in Outer Space! See NASA astronauts play their 1st annual Thanksgiving classic at the International Space Station. Thus, while they were the visiting team, and therefore playing the ultimate road game, you'll enjoy some classic flying tackles … both literally and figuratively! Make certain you watch the full Atlantis STS-129 mission highlights. It was while watching the Day #5 Highlights from NASA Television I first saw this football game. The technology on the Space Station and the Space Shuttle never ceases to amaze me.

In case you're interested in more than NASA's football prowess, here are a few great technology links:

• NASA Technology Gateway
• NASA Langley CTO's Tweets

For a number of months, I've occasionally tracked the progress of the Personas project at MIT. Inspired by a LinkedIn status update by Francois Gossieaux where he wondered whether his MIT profile was accurate, I decided to perform a test of my two web personas. The results are shown below. Interested in seeing your own web persona? Here is the MIT link.

Click upon either image to view full sized.

• MIT Personas Test #1 (profile: Northstar Nerd)

• MIT Personas Test #2 (profile: Rich Hoeg)

Enjoy a brief sojourn and Viennese Waltz with the Northstar Nerd and his wife as they hike the Lake Superior Wilderness (video link). While some folks may enjoy vacations to warmer climates, an off season get-away allowed Molly and me to hike for two days without ever seeing another person on the trails. You'll cover in about 2 minutes what took us 8 hours of hiking over two days!

A Superior Wilderness on PhotoPeach

Tomorrow it's back to work after a mini-vacation that allowed me some time to hike in the Lake Superior wilderness. Before that return to work focused activities, I though I would let everyone know about a blog (EngCom.Net) which has a neat series on engineering trivia … a good way for me to get serious once more, but not too serious! Although I don't normally review technology blogs which have a profit focus, in this case I'll make an exception. Given them a link, and test your knowledge!

However, if you need some more serious engineering, link to my engineering learning section. You'll find hundreds of links to engineering academic seminars, courses, custom engineering search engines and even Lego engineering!

The byways and highways of America often lead to unexpected destinations. This is particularly true if you get off the interstate highway system and experience America at a slower pace. Thus, imagine the scene yesterday morning as my wife and I motored across northern Wisconsin on a gray and drab day … all the leaves are down; a wet mist is blowing in off Lake Superior and the temperature is trying to exceed 40F. On my left I spy a lone hiker heading west … walking against traffic. I quickly note that he is wearing a sign, however at 60 mph we zoom by too quickly to get a good read. Here is how the conversation goes in our car between my wife, Molly, and me:

• Rich: I'm going to turn about and head back. Let's offer that hiker a ride.
• Molly: Do you think that's wise? 
• Rich: He was wearing a sign. Even though I couldn't read it, I'm sure he's safe. This weather is ugly and he might like a ride to Duluth.

Anyhow, I turn our fire-engine red PT Cruiser around and we head back East on US Highway #2. Pulling over to the side of the road we discover, Dr. Colin Skinner, who is walking across America for the National Hospice Foundation. Colin is from the United Kingdom, and a gentleman who defines graciousness and dedication. As soon as I heard about his trek, no matter how lousy the weather might be, I knew Colin would turn down my offer of a ride … after all … he is walking across America, not riding. This segment was started in mid August, and he is on his way to Minot, North Dakota.

Here is where his trip becomes more personal. If you are not familiar with the National Hospice Foundation, they are angels in human form. When my Mom died last year, it was only through hospice care that my Mom was able to die at home with dignity. In my Mom's situation, it was the folks from hospice who immediately came over at Midnight to sit with my Dad and me through the night. They were worried about us. Here is my blog entry from that night my Mom died.

Thus … to Colin … a gentleman walking across America … I say "thank you". Please support his efforts and cause.  Click upon any image to view full sized!