The Stars My Destination
Manned spaceflight: B.B.C.link and N.A.S.A.link. Godspeed, Endeavour.

A robot in support of manned spaceflight: A.T.V.link. "Keep on truckin'!"

A robot alone in deep space: Cassinilink. Enceladus or bust!

Science!

The Rebel Black Dot Song of the Day
Tim Lyons, "Humours of Whiskey" from Green Linnet Records: The Twentieth Anniversary Collection (T.L.A.M.)

Commentary: My favorite verse, but really the whole of "Humours of Whiskey" is bloody brilliant. Erin Go Bragh!

"While a child in me cradle,
Me nurse with the ladle
Was filling her mouth with a notion of 'Pep'
When a drop from the bottle
Fell into me throttle.
I capered and scrambled clear out of her lap.
On the floor I lay crawling
And screaming and bawling
'Til Father and Mother soon came to the fore.
All weeping and sighing,
Conceived I was dying,
But then found I was only a-crying for more."

Adding to the song's colossal stature, "Humours of Whiskey" is the first time I heard mention of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, subject of "The Explorers Club" No. XXXI, and a major, if convoluted, influence upon Project TROIKA.

"And what helped Mr. Brunel
To dig the Thames Tunnel?
Wasn't it poitín, me boys,
From old Inishowen?"

Poitínlink.