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Astronaut takes dragon into space
BBC ^ | Tuesday, 17 July 2007, 05:53 GMT 06:53 UK

Posted on 07/16/2007 11:42:05 PM PDT by jmcenanly

A Canadian astronaut will be paying tribute to his Welsh heritage once more on his second mission into space. Dafydd Rhys Williams, whose father was from the valleys town of Bargoed, has already spoken Welsh in space and taken Gareth Edwards' rugby cap into orbit.

Weeks away from his second trip on the space shuttle, Dr Williams told BBC Wales that a Welsh dragon would be watching over his mission notebook.

The 14-day tour will see Dr Williams make three space walks.

The former emergency room physician will be helping to build an extension on the international space station on the mission, which blasts off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA on the shuttle Endeavour on 7 August.

Dr Williams is excited by his latest challenge, which is vastly different from his role aboard Columbia in 1998 when he carried out experiments in space as a neuro-scientist

(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Canada; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: astronaut; celtic; iss; nasa; space

1 posted on 07/16/2007 11:42:06 PM PDT by jmcenanly
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To: Scotsman will be Free; Pompah; RobertP; Born Conservative; DGray; madison10; Beowulf9; RMDupree; ...

Welsh Dragons (in Space!)


Celtic Ping!


2 posted on 07/17/2007 12:17:26 AM PDT by MacDorcha ("Slogans are Silly.")
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To: jmcenanly

More shoddy journalism from the “professionals” in the MSM.

Nowhere does the story say what this dragon actually is. It mentions a notebook. So is it a drawing on the cover of the notebook? On one of its pages? Not that I really care, but then, I’m not the one who chose the headline or wrote the lead sentence.

If this article were submitted to a High School journalism class, it would clearly deserve an F.


3 posted on 07/17/2007 12:18:55 AM PDT by samtheman
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To: samtheman

My guess is that it’s an image on the cover of his mission book. From a traditional perspective, this makes the dragon the “guardian” of the book. It would also serve as an easy to recognize symbol of his property. “Oh, it’s the Welshman’s.”

I do something similar with my mission books out here. anyone can put a name down. Anyone can misread the names. Seeing the Futhark, even if you can’t read it easily, is a simple identifier. Dunno how many times my NCO’s have had theirs “walk off” and mine stayed put.


4 posted on 07/17/2007 12:35:09 AM PDT by MacDorcha ("Slogans are Silly.")
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To: MacDorcha

You’re probably right, and a few words in this article would have set that straight.

My quibble isn’t with the astronaut (who sounds like a great guy) or his mission book, but with the idiot writer who went to all the trouble to highlight the dragon and then forgot to tell us what it was.

It’s part of the arrogance of the MSM. They care so little for facts that they leave them out of the story even when the facts are innocuous and no threat to any of their pet causes.

MSM writers and reporters are shoddy by habit and temperament.


5 posted on 07/17/2007 12:41:55 AM PDT by samtheman
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To: samtheman

Heh, when you’re right, you’re right.

The media, in true Liberal fashion, defines “Half-assed”.


6 posted on 07/17/2007 12:54:10 AM PDT by MacDorcha (Spelling is Secondary to message! - and other excuses for typos...)
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To: MacDorcha
I do something similar with my mission books out here.
If you don't mind my asking: what kind of missions?
7 posted on 07/17/2007 1:04:46 AM PDT by samtheman
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To: samtheman

Logistics mainly. People also know them as “Leader’s Books” or “Green Books”

Just an “official” journal for people to help track mission status.


8 posted on 07/17/2007 1:07:26 AM PDT by MacDorcha (Spelling is Secondary to message! - and other excuses for typos...)
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To: MacDorcha

Mine was one of the big aluminum closing clipboards. Had all my loadout lists, sortie schedules, point-of-contacts, etc, in it. Friend of mine at the paint shop did me up a decal that covered the face of it. Had my name, rank, and the happy phrase “Is taking this really worth your life?” on the front cover of it.


9 posted on 07/17/2007 4:03:09 AM PDT by Tennessee_Bob ("Those who "abjure" violence can only do so because others are committing violence on their behalf.")
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To: jmcenanly

Th Cymraeg i mewn blwc? ‘na s ‘n fawreddog isn’t ‘i?


10 posted on 07/17/2007 6:57:20 AM PDT by britemp
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To: samtheman
From what I could gather from the article, he is bringing a Welsh flag to the station with him, or at least a picture of a Welsh flag.

The Welsh flag is a red dragon on a horizontally divided field, green below and white above.

From the title of the article, you would think that Mr. Williams was a Hogwarts alumnus.


11 posted on 07/17/2007 8:02:15 AM PDT by jmcenanly
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To: jmcenanly
Ay, let me guess - he named the Cymru dragon after the town called

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

12 posted on 07/17/2007 8:24:20 AM PDT by chilepepper (The map is not the territory -- Alfred Korzybski)
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To: jmcenanly

Maybe he’ll take Norbert (Hagrid’s dragon)


13 posted on 07/17/2007 8:26:02 AM PDT by PurpleMan
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To: MacDorcha
Celts In Spaaaaaaaaaaaace!

/cue dramatic theme music/

14 posted on 07/17/2007 12:30:46 PM PDT by Salamander (And don't forget my Dog; fixed and consequent.......)
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To: chilepepper

No, just “Bob”....:)


15 posted on 07/17/2007 12:31:29 PM PDT by Salamander (And don't forget my Dog; fixed and consequent.......)
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To: Salamander

Captain’s Log, Stonehenge Date: a wee’un after the third one on the right...

A few of the men have turned mutinous after only 3 hours into the tour. Apparently zero-Gs is the wrong place for “traditional” celtic wear. At first, I thought t’was me sporran they refered too, but they insisted it had more to do with where I kept me “Captain’s Log”. What’s me locker got to do withit?

I am, however, gettin a wee tired of the constant questions of how well our engines and lfie support are doing. I’m the cap’n, not the bloody engineer!

Next month, we expect to land on a planet of grazing lifestock we hope to use for their fur for textiles. (And in true captainship of any such exploring vessel, I hope to find the most beautiful of their race and have sex with it... kinda like that Kirk guy.)


16 posted on 07/17/2007 1:18:19 PM PDT by MacDorcha (Spelling is Secondary to message! - and other excuses for typos...)
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