New Shiny Urine Recycling Center...Wanna Try?

So would you be the first person to try this out? Imaging your own sweat, bodily excrement, etc. being pumped through a machine so you could drink it again. Still thirsty?

After five days of ill-fated attempts, International Space Station astronauts today ran two successful tests of equipment on board designed to turn urine, sweat and moisture from the air into drinking water, NASA.gov reports. NASA now must decide whether the contraption, deemed essential for hydration of future astronauts traveling farther out into space, should return with the space shuttle Endeavour on Sunday or remain on the ISS for further testing.

After some tinkering by station commander Mike Fincke and shuttle mission specialist Don Pettit, the Urine Processor Assembly, successfully finished a full five-hour run. The astronauts successfully operated the system again three hours later after it cooled down. The $154 million water recycling system is part of a $250 million regenerative life support system designed to sustain larger space station crews with fewer supply drop-offs from visiting spacecraft; the first six-person crew is due to arrive at the orbiting lab next May.

The space agency even added a 16th day to the astronauts' mission in the hope they could get the urine processor flowing smoothly. Last week, the water-and-urine recycling system malfunctioned during four tests, including one in which the processor shut itself down after running for only two hours and another in which it triggered an alarm on the space station.

Crew members today are transferring materials set to return to Earth from the station to the Endeavour. If all goes well, water made from recycled urine will be added to the menu during extended space missions, alongside astronaut cuisine cooked up by food scientists in the Space Food Systems Laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, who have been trying to spice up space fare.

Can't Pay the Bills...Try Some Different Methods

If only this or similar ways worked:

Cell Phone Stops Bullet...but Fees Don't Stop

While riding on his John Deere, Richard suddenly felt a “hard punch” hit him in the chest just over his heart. The Tammany News reported that when he grabbed his sweater to find out what the heck slammed into him a .45-caliber slug fell on the ground. What was going through his mind?

The bullet struck the cell phone that was in his chest pocket, tore it in two, and slowed the bullet just enough to keep it from entering his chest and piercing his heart. It is unknown, as of the writing of the article review, where the bullet came from but officials believe that it came from nearby hunters.

Not only did this incident make Ronald appreciate his life more, I’m assuming, but it also motivates him to be more active for stricter restriction of firing guns in the area. The Richards already sent a letter to Chris Cooper, the St. Tammany Parish District 2 Councilman, in attempt to compel him to do what he can to pass more strict ordinances concerning firearms. Now that this story has worldwide attention, I assume changes will soon be made.

I wonder what he’s going to be doing with the bullet. Who needs a bullet proof vest when you’ve got a cell phone?

DPS Portrait Contest Over

Thanks to everyone who voted and gave support on the portrait contest I entered last month. There were almost 2000 photos entered in the contest and I ended in the top 25.

Would You Use This Toilet?

This toilet is located in an extremely busy intersection of some city. From the inside you can see everything that passes by. From the outside, no one can see you. So, would you still use this toilet?

note: I just realized that the last two posts have involved toilets. This possibly because of the political mess and slander that has been "dumped" on us without limitation in the past several months?