Captain's Got a New Log!

To all brave space travelers and faithful readers,

Set coordinates to my NEW Captain's Log over on tumblr. Stay updated with the news about yours truly as well as the goings-on over at the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. and the mother ship, 826 Seattle. 

I want to give an astronomically huge THANK YOU to 826 Seattle volunteer and GSTS crew member, Sean Palmer, for setting up the tumblr page and giving my invaluable Captain's Log a beautiful new home.

Follow us on the new Captain's Log and feel free to share with friends, family, extraterrestrials, and any robots you trust. Safe travels, explorers, and stay prepared and well stocked at the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co.

Galactically yours,

Captain T. McGillicuddy

Keepin’ Time By Keepin’ Track

The fourth dimension is quite an enigmatic thing. It moves forward whether we notice it or not. And as my robot assistant PAL will tell you, I always notice the fourth dimension well after I was supposed to. Luckily, the fine folks at the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. have two new stunning calendars to help me stay on track by tracking the celestial bodies in our Solar System.

  

Lunar Calendar

Ah, the Moon. That constant satellite that is constantly changing how it looks to the denizens of Earth. PAL, my robot assistant, is quick to inform me that, from space, the Moon looks the same all the time. Of course it does! I can see that from any of my space ship’s windows. But on Earth, that same heavenly orb becomes hidden in shadow and with great anticipation reveals itself again with as much luminosity as reflective moon rocks can offer.

No matter where you are on Earth, the Moon shifts through its phases in a regular pattern unchanged since the Moon first coalesced in our orbit, or at least for as long as humans have noticed it. Presented in this gorgeous silver print on a navy background, never lose track of the Moon. Northern and southern hemispheres share the moon as they share this calendar, just orient it to where you are and follow the phases all year.

 

Planetary Calendar

Ever try to keep track of all the stuff in our Solar System? There are the major planets and their moons. There are a bunch of minor planets and some that haven’t been named yet. We’ve got comets flying by at regular intervals not to mention a couple of belts full of asteroids and who-knows-what. On Earth, we use small, large, and even very large telescopes to note, monitor, and discover what hangs above us. Not bad, wouldn’t you say?

Sure, we have a lot of advanced tools now, but with so much to follow in the night sky, keeping track of it all is still pretty hard. It’s not easy to know what part of the sky any given object will be at any given time of the year just by looking up. Good thing there’s a planetary calendar to guide the way! On a navy background, follow the Sun in gold ink and the planets in bronze as they make their way across the night sky, criss-crossed with the constellations in silver. Know when you are and you’ll know where they are!

 

Fly by the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. to pick up your Lunar Calendar and Planetary Calendar before the end of this solar revolution. Supplies may run out before time does!

The Revolution Begins NOW!

Already a month into our latest revolution around the Sun? My how quickly we orbit. And at a rate of 108,000 km/h, I'd say that's a pretty fast clip. Best to take advantage of the time ahead before we find it behind us, no? So let’s lift off!

Looking into the future, by which I mean asking my robot assistant PAL to check my calendar for me, I can see a full schedule of exciting events, activities, and delectable holidays. Save the dates because you do not want to miss the fun, frivolity, and food at the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co.!

The 5th Annual Pluto Day Rally!

 

I haven't forgotten about Pluto and its reclassification to "dwarf planet". I remember when it was a planet. The 9th planet. The littlest planet with even littler moons including a newly discovered FIFTH moon! Then there were new rules that left us with a new planetary pantheon and Pluto was left out in the cold.

As it turns out, there are tons of Pluto-sized objects that are neither planets nor satellites of planets in our solar system. They don't follow regular orbits nor does their gravity affect their neighbors too strongly. They're out there doing their own thing, forging their own paths, and making the far reaches of our solar system way more interesting.

The Kuiper Belt is chock full of these objects! So far, we've got five dwarf planets: Ceres, Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris. Who knows how many we will find once all the data is in?

So join us in March as we shout to the heavens and celebrate Pluto, the dwarf planets, and the yet-to-be-discovered objects in our very own solar system. Even the smallest celestial bodies deserve a big party. Be sure to check in for more info! You won’t want to miss our 5th Annual Pluto Rally!

Happy Pi Day!

Our new favorite holiday is Pi Day where we celebrate pi, the mathematical constant that is so ubiquitous and so remarkably helpful, it's easy to take for granted how powerful a ratio - circumference to diameter, 3.14 - can be. So clear your calendars on March 14 ‘cause it’s Pi Day! Get it? That’s 3/14. Yup. You get it.

Everyone loves pi. Everyone also loves pie. See what I did there?

So for the love of pi, join us on March 14! We will honor pi by eating pie, that most delicious of circular desserts. We may even have round cakes and cookies. In fact, let's eat everything that boasts a circumference! Oranges! Pizza! Quesadillas! Watermelon! Cheese wheels! The possibilities are as infinite as the corners on a circle!

Come back for the details as we round out our plans. Ha! That was a good one.

No Trepidation with Proper Preparation!

Every intrepid interstellar explorer knows the importance of being adequately prepared for the long haul that is space travel. Show the adventurer in your life that you are hip to the demands of boldly going into the far reaches of the galaxy.

With over 400 items to mix-and-match, build the perfect kit or gift bag for the pilot, engineer, scientist, writer, or dreamer on your list!

Build a useful kit for the space voyager:
- a "travel essentials" kit with this, this, and definitely this
- an only-for-hilarious-emergencies kit because using this with this will help you laugh off the panic
- a finally-time-to-finish-that-novel kit where the passing light years will fly by with the help of this and a notebook... or five

Equip the on-site-planetarist:
- terra forming supplies like Matchstick Gardens or Plants-in-a-Can
- decorations for that “touch of Earth” like this or this
- stylish clothing for the photos they'll be sending back -- look stellar wearing this, this, or this

 Inspire the space-dreamers:
- books to prep you for the rigors of space travel
- posters to keep that inspiration coming - try this, study this, and set your coordinates with this
- travel games to master before attempting them in zero-gravity - with magnet and Velcro technology!

There's free rocket ship parking on the roof of Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co.! Be sure to fly by before your next voyage of discovery!

Stop to Shop, Stay to Play!

As we careen through the infinitude of space with only our trusty ship to protect us from the crushing vacuum of the interstellar void, I fondly remember heart-warming holiday traditions that specialized in hot beverages, open fires, and unabashed sentimentality (figuratively "heart-warming," of course).

What better way to launch into the holiday season than attending Shop For A Good Cause! Make a pit stop at the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. on Friday, Dec 14, from 6p to 9p for food (1), festivities (2), and free gift wrapping (3)!

1. Astronaut-designed astronaut food prepared by our own 826 Seattle volunteers! Bagged and sealed for freshness. Paired with a tall glass of Tang. Get a taste of space starting at 6p.
2. Nothing shows "unabashed sentimentality" than singing carols. Take to the streets (rocket ships are often too loud) with 826 Seattle's Songwriting club as they get unabashed all over the neighborhood with original, non-denominational carols at 7p.
3. Let the bold leaders of the Youth Advisory Board prepare the defense shield for your gifts and keepsakes. They fear not scissors nor paper cuts when it comes to protecting your gifts from loved ones.

Bonus event! 
... because you can't have too much to celebrate!

Did I mention that 100% of all proceeds directly benefit 826 Seattle whose free workshops and programs benefit Earth children?

The fall Chapbook Workshop celebrates the publication of their newest chapbook on the same night! Join these young writers and their families in the "Fall Features Showcase" as they take hold of their freshly bound book and take hold of the mic to read selections of their work. Open mic starts at 6:15pm. Grab a seat to hear the voices of the next generation.

Little is the new Big!

There is a crispness in the air, a chill at the edge of a breeze, a golden tone that has draped the neighborhood... what would this time of year look like if the Earth’s axis was not at a 23.4° tilt? Amazing how a little thing like that can be such a huge influence on seasons on my home planet.

Of course, there are no seasons in space, but think of all the little things that make space amazing: leptons, quarks, bosons, atoms... all adding up to EVERYTHING IN THE UNIVERSE! So. Much. Universe.

Sorry. Where was I? Oh yes, the little things. While scientists continue to work on exploring the influence of subatomic particles, we can marvel at the ones that exist right under our noses. Take a close look at something. Get closer. Closer. And now your nose is in the dirt or covered in dust or way too close to something that could jump in your eye. Your favorite eye.

Hmm... How can people see little things as big things without losing optical capability? … I’ve got it! A BIGGIFIER!

Place the Biggifier above the object you want to examine and stand back! It’s HUGE! Look at the detail! Ponder the intricacy! Marvel at the complexity! For such a teeny, tiny thing? Are you SEEING this? I can’t take my eyes off it. Simply amazing, no? Yes.

In your intrepid travels, you will come across a galaxy of little things that can so easily go unnoticed... especially without a PORTABLE BIGGIFIER. Same biggification. Smaller Biggifier. The tool of exploration and discovery is right there in your pocket!

While you’re looking at your world through a new lens (literally!), you might notice the denizens of your world looking at you. Like that guy behind the laptop! Or the lady with the latte! Fret not, fellow space traveler. Adorn your abdomen with the new Captain McGillicuddy t-shirt and you will never want for style or conversation.

Stand back for new news!

PAL!  PAL!  Where is that robot assistant of mine?  I'd been working on a letter to my dear mother when my wood-and-graphite writing tool broke.  No matter how hard I pushed the writing tool onto the sheet of white cellulose, no mark could be made.  Argh!  Where's PAL and the laser beam he uses to refashion my writing tool into a useable one again?

Sharpening more than pencils

What a minute?  What's this?  Aha!  I don't need PAL's fancy-dancy laser.  I've got Brahe's Nose Pencil Sharpener and it doesn't need any batteries or external power to work.  AND a new order of noses just arrived at the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. from Tycho Brahe's actual descendants.  Tycho Brahe spotted a supernova in 1572 that tore the lid off of the idea of an unchanging sky.  Before that he was in a duel that nearly tore off his nose.  Let that be a lesson to everyone: science is awesome and dueling is dumb.

Be there or be a giant ball of gas

Galavanting galaxies!  I almost forgot!  If you're going to be on Earth on Sunday, March 4, stop by the Fremont Sunday Market because folks from the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. are going to be there!  Stock up on some necessities for your next trip into the cosmos.

One more thing!  Are you writing this down?  It's super important.  Don't worry, I'll wait.  Ready?  Be sure to join us for Pluto Day on March 10th!  Make signs at 12pm, march at 1pm, and rally at Neptune Coffee at 1:15pm.  Pluto pride forever!

And a thanks to YOU!

There's so much happening... including a SALE in anticipation of Pluto Day.  Starting Mon 2/27 through the month of March, get 10% off all Pluto and Moon gear: shirts, books, posters, and more!  Mention this promotion at the store to get your discount.  Can't make it in-person?  Go through the online store with discount code: CHARON for your 10% discount.