August 26, 2003

The number of US troops killed in Iraq since the May 1 speech by US President George W. Bush has now past those killed before the speech. 11:08:34 PM

Columbia Report CNN reports that in it's final report the Columbia Accident Investigation Board has concluded that a piece of the space shuttle Columbia's foam insulation that fell off during launch January 16 was to blame for the lost. As importantly the report takes a hard look at NASA’s management culture and says that NASA had done little to improve shuttle safety since it lost the shuttle Challenger in 1986. It has listed 29 courses of action needed for the shuttle to return to orbit many of which it wants to be mandatory. 11:05:47 PM

Having pulled a Dallas style shower scene on much of the last two seasons of Angel that removed Connor from everyone but Angel’s memory, co-creator Joss Whedon describes in a SCI FI Wire article how he will reintroduce conflict between the characters in the series. 11:01:21 PM

For those not attending the Torcon 3 Worldcon convention, Guest of Honor George R.R. Martin will be signing copies of his fantasy novel A Storm of Swords at Toronto’s World's Biggest Book Store Wednesday at 6pm. 10:57:43 PM

Foxtrot on the blackout Is a blackout in the comics when the artist spills his or her ink? 10:55:42 PM

The Ontario Science Centre at Don Mills Road in Toronto, Ontario is holding Mars Fest Wednesday night to celebrate Mars as it makes its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years. There will be a multimedia presentation on Mars exploration and around 9:30 Mars should be visible in the sky. Members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will help people view Mars through one of their telescopes. 10:54:47 PM