I've been away for awhile. In wonderful downtown Minneapolis, MN attending the 206th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. Now I know most of you would find this meeting as exciting as watching paint dry. Unlike other convention where the call girls pull double shifts, when the AAS comes to town all the ladies go on vacation. Poor me...

Three cool things happen (Most of you may only be interested in one of them): 1. I found some really cool ways to teach my General ED. Science courses. 2. I learned some cool stuff about L and T type stars. 3.( this is the part that is going to bake your noodle) Within the next 4-5 years countries around the world will be lauching telescopes and instrumentation that will detect terrestrial type planets and their atmoshperes. As it stands now there is list of 100+ stars with over 150+ planets outsides of our solar systems. (Check the List from Extrasolar Visions) Most theses planets are are Jupiter size or larger. Jupiter is about 10 times the sizes of the Earth and 300 times the Earth's mass. The current detection techniques only pick up the large planets, but that will change soon. The new equipment should yeild data that will let us look for evidence of life! (Detection: of Methane, Oxygen, other exotic gases). Very Cool! In 10-15 years we may have hard data for Earth sizes worlds with life! Some of you reading this now may see images of theses worlds and may even see the first probes to such places. Mega Cool.

ASIDE: All you bastards that disliked the Superconducting Super Collider Project go take a flying leap. You think there is a brain drain now in the U.S. what until CERN starts kicking our High Energy Physics butt. The thing history teaches us: When a country loses it's technological lead it starts losing wars and it's place in the world.