An Age of Magic

One for space tourists – an observation deck.

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It may not be a five-star space hotel, but life has never been so good off planet. Just two weeks after the arrival of the Internet, the International Space Station is getting an Italian-made observation deck that will offer panoramic views of Earth. Space shuttle Endeavour will deliver the seven-windowed dome to the International Space Station next week, along with more living space in an chamber called Tranquility.

Endeavour is due to launch with six astronauts on board at 0939 GMT. It comes just days after President Barack Obama’s big space station plug in his proposed budget for the coming fiscal year. While the White House scrapped NASA’s moonward-ho Constellation program, the space station got an extension until at least 2020, with the promise of more relevant research.

When astronauts exercise in the Tranquility, for instance, they will be able to gaze out the nearby dome windows whenever the shutters are open. And when the day’s work is done, they will be able to pop their heads and shoulders into the 5-foot tall cupola, beholding the universe. The lookout also will provide 360-degree views of the space station, allowing the crew to see directly outside during robotic work. Until now, they’ve had to rely on TV cameras when they use the robot arm to move or install big-ticket items.

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Save your money for who you want to have it – make a will!

Just say you have saved all your life, you did not take regular holidays even though you deserved and could afford to. You worked hard, went without a lot of luxuries, saved hard and did not waste your money. Then someone comes along and takes your money, all your annuities and assets and gives  the sum total away to complete strangers who just happen to share a great-grandparent with you. You have never seen them in your life, never even heard of them but they get every penny you have ever saved.

This scenario is seen each week on a show called ‘Heir Hunters’ – it is about what happens to the estates of people who die without making a will…their money goes to distant and far-flung relatives who often never even knew the deceased was even alive. I would hate that to happen to me and it is a very sad thing to consider. One lady’s money went to a cousin who happened to be the last person she would ever have wanted to have her money due to a long running family feud. But she never made a will…

Make a will and ensure your money goes to whoever YOU want it to go to.

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One thing after another…

And so it goes. I have documented well the long running saga of trying to get the hole in our kitchen ceiling repaired – that has been completed and all is well. Then the extension required fixing and that was a job in itself getting builders out to do that – job completed and all is well. Now we have a problem with the bathroom – of course. Once again years of the in-laws refusing to repair small drips and carry out basic maintenance has caused this – there is nothing so destructive as a tiny drip-drip-drip that is left unseen to.

The fridge gave up the ghost last weekend and we don’t have an extended service plan to fall back on due to the fact that it is over 15 years old so there is another appliance to replace. One thing we are not worried about is the fact that we are about to score a whole new kitchen out of the insurance company – that tiny drip caused so much damage that it had knock-on effects and now we are looking through kitchen brochures for renovating ideas. I wonder how happy the insurance company will be to have us stay on as customers after this is all over?

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