Friday, January 3, 2025

'NASA 2025: To the Moon, Mars, and Beyond' and 'ESA 2025: A fifty-years legacy of building the future'

I closed My preferences and predictions for the Saturn Awards on Science Fiction Day 2025 with "Enough holidays. Stay tuned for this year's edition of 'NASA 2024: Onward and Upward' and 'ESA’s future of space travel'." I'm following through by sharing NASA 2025: To the Moon, Mars, and Beyond, which sounds a bit like Buzz Lightyear.

Preparing to orbit and do science on the Moon, investigating how solar wind interacts with Mars, and demonstrating quiet supersonic flight are just a FEW of the milestones we have planned for 2025.
Much of this continues what NASA did in 2024, but that's a good thing. It's also what I'm least worried about with the incoming administration. As I wrote in 2016, "space policy is the one area where Trump might actually be good for the country." I also wrote "It's like hoping for the alternative history in The Man in the High Castle to happen just so there could be commercial SSTs by the early 1960s...The cost would be too high." I fear the cost might be higher this time.

Now for ESA 2025: A fifty-years legacy of building the future.

In 1975, 10 European countries came together with a vision to collaborate on key space activities: science and astronomy, launch capabilities and space applications: the European Space Agency, ESA, was born.

In 2025, we mark half a century of joint European achievement – filled with firsts and breakthroughs in science, exploration and technology, and the space infrastructure and economy that power Europe today.

During the past five decades ESA has grown, developing ever bolder and bigger projects and adding more Member States, with Slovenia joining as the latest full Member State in January.

We’ll also celebrate the 50th anniversary of ESA’s Estrack network, 30 years of satellite navigation in Europe and 20 years since ESA launched the first demonstration satellite Giove-A which laid the foundation for the EU’s own satnav constellation Galileo. Other notable celebrations are the 20th anniversary of ESA’s Business Incubation Centres, or BICs, and the 30th year in space for SOHO, the joint ESA and NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory.
"In 2025, ESA looks ahead to a busy and exciting year." So do I. To paraphrase what I wrote last year and the year before, here's to 2025 being another great year in space.

Thursday, January 2, 2025

My preferences and predictions for the Saturn Awards on Science Fiction Day 2025


I closed 'House of the Dragon' and 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' lead fantasy and adventure TV nominees at the Saturn Awards with a promise that turned into a pumpkin even before I wrote it: "I'm definitely posting my votes on National Science Fiction Day next month. Now off to cast my votes!" I based that on the website, which said voting would close December 15th. Nope, it closed on December 14th and the email I received said so. Ugh. I had a feeling I should have voted on the 14th just in case something like this happened. So, no votes to report. Phooey!

That's not stopping me from posting would have been my votes, so here goes, beginning with the movie nominees.

Best Science Fiction Film: Dune: Part Two
Best Fantasy Film: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
Best Horror Film: Alien: Romulus
Best Thriller Film: Strange Darling
Best Action / Adventure Film: Deadpool & Wolverine
Best Independent Film: The Substance
Best International Film: Godzilla Minus One (Japan)
Best Animated Film: Inside Out 2
Best Actor in a Film: Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool & Wolverine)
Best Actress in a Film: Demi Moore (The Substance)
Best Supporting Actor in a Film: Hugh Jackman (Deadpool & Wolverine)
Best Supporting Actress in a Film: Margaret Qualley (The Substance)
Best Younger Performer in a Film: McKenna Grace (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire)
Best Film Direction: Denis Villeneuve (Dune: Part Two)
Best Film Screenwriting: Dune: Part Two (Denis Villeneuve Jon Spaihts)
Best Film Visual / Special Effects: Godzilla Minus One (Masaki Takahashi, Tatsuiji Nojima, Kiyokk Shubuya, Takashi Yamazaki)
Best Film Music: Dune: Part Two (Hans Zimmer)
Best Film Production Design: Dune: Part Two (Patrice Vermette)
Best Film Make Up: The Substance (Pierre-Olivier Persin)
Best Film Editing: Dune: Part Two (Joe Walker)
Best Film Costume Design: Dune: Part Two (Jacqueline West)

My predictions of winners different from my should-have-been votes:

I decided to go with the professional opinion and vote for Margaret Qualley as Best Supporting Actress in a Film, but I think Emmy-nominee Emma Corrin is just as good an actress and chewed more scenery as the villain of Deadpool & Wolverine, so she could upset.
I think McKenna Grace is a better actress and displayed more range in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire than Jenna Ortega in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but Ortega is a bigger star, so she's likely to win Best Younger Performer in a Film.
While I decided the makeup was integral to telling the story of The Substance, both Dune: Part Two and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice earned Critics' Choice Award nominations for their makeup, so either of them could win, particularly Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Dune: Part Two also earned a nomination for costume design at the Critics' Choice Awards, but I wouldn't be surprised if the superhero cosplayers who are on the Saturn Awards costumes committee would be able to sway the vote to Deadpool & Wolverine.

Follow over the jump for the television categories.

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Some of my favorite bands at the 2025 Rose Parade for New Year's Day

Happy New Year! I'm sharing my favorite bands in the Rose Parade for New Year's Day, courtesy of Luis at Music213. I begin, like last year, with the official band of the Rose Parade, 2025 PCC Tournament of Roses Honor Band & Herald Trumpets (Day 1) - 2025 Pasadena Bandfest.

The 2025 Pasadena City College Tournament of Roses Honor Band & Herald Trumpets performing their musical selections at the 44th Annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Bandfest on Sunday, December 29, 2024.
That was worth it just to hear the percussion play Espresso, which will probably be the Record of the Year at the GRAMMYs.

Next, a band I may end up recycling for the 2028 version of Marching music for the Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio Presidential Primaries on the Vernal Equinox, Lincoln-Way High School Marching Band - 2025 Pasadena Bandfest.

From Frankfort, Illinois Lincoln-Way High School Marching Band performing their field show at the 44th Annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Bandfest on Monday, December 30, 2024.
I couldn't resist leaving this comment on the video.
Here is the music for the field show:
0:32 Music from "El Cid"
2:20 "The Death Hunt" from the movie "On Dangerous Ground"
4:00 "The Magnificent Seven"
6:00 "Gone with the Wind"
8:45 Reprise of "El Cid"
8:56 "Hurray for Hollywood"

The song for the pass in review at 13:12 is "Land of Make Believe."
Anyone who has been reading this blog for any time knows that I love movie music, so of course I'd know. Also, drum corps have played every single song in this repertoire, just to reinforce my familiarity with them.

Now, my favorite marching band from Japan, Kyoto Tachibana High School Green Band - 2025 Pasadena Bandfest.

From Kyoto, Japan, the Kyoto Tachibana Senior High School Green Band performing at the 44th Annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Bandfest on Monday, December 30, 2024. This exceptional group will also be performing in the 136th Annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade on Wednesday, January 1, 2024.

As in 2011 and 2018, they were the ONLY band to receive a full standing ovation during the two-day festival. Their performance was truly spectacular! A huge THANK YOU to Kyoto Tachibana!

Field Show:
00:07 - Introduction
04:04 - Johnny B. Goode
05:16 - We Are Your Dream Girls
07:50 - Happy Birthday (Tournament President Ed Morales Birthday)
08:55 - Memory (from Cats)
11:58 - Sing Sing Sing
18:00 - Photos

Pass in Review:
18:41 - Fantasmic!
20:16 - High School Musical (High School Musical 3)
Wow! In case they look familiar, I featured them in Two Rose Parade marching bands playing 'Thriller' for Halloween and Two drum corps and some of my favorite bands marching in the New Year for 2018. Welcome back!

Follow over the jump for more of my favorite bands.