By Daryn Wright
Eats
Pay a visit to Mountain Equipment Co-op and grab some dehydrated food, which is the closest you’re going to get to space food. Bring it home, quickly assemble a cardboard space ship, bring some stuffed animals inside and play out your inner child’s dream of being an astronaut. It probably won’t taste very good, and your mouth will probably quickly start watering for a thick angus steak, but at least you’ll feel better about never going to space camp and studying drama instead of following your 10-year old self’s dream.
Beats
Spaced Out Bach by Joseph Paine (I and II) are records from the 60s that sounds like something that would be playing in a bar in A Clockwork Orange. These records are basically Bach on synthesizers, or what people in the 60s thought we’d be listening to in space. The album cover is enough to merit a listen: volume I features a man in a space suit, floating around with Earth behind him, and volume II depicts a bust of Bach wearing the powdered wig and wearing an astronaut’s helmet. It may be hard to track down, but if you can, you’re in for a treat.
Theats
This week, why not take a moment to look at the stars. I know it’s still winter, and you’re probably going to be a bit chilly outside in the evening, but bundle up with a woolen scarf, bring along a thermos of hot chocolate and a friend, and find a spot where you can star-gaze uninterrupted. Maybe wander into Stanley Park, or find a spot along the beach where you can get a good view of the night sky. This is particularly good if you live somewhere rural, or have a car to drive somewhere without city lights.
Elites
Starry Nights at SFU hosts free evening star parties and events, which are open to the public. During these nights, guests are shown various celestial objects visible to the naked eye, and are invited to use telescopes to view distant star clusters and nebulae. Occasionally, there
are also themed events, including lectures on astronomical advances and movie nights. These events generally occur once a month, and are tentatively scheduled on clear days. Email starry-nights-request@sfu.ca for more information.
Treats
Instead of suggesting you go out and buy stick-on stars for the ceiling of your bedroom (which are pretty awesome), I’m going to suggest you spend a
few dollars on the double bill at the Cinematheque, titled Russian Space Opera and featuring showings of To the Stars By Hard Ways and First on the Moon. The first is about the Starship Pushkin, which finds an abandoned vessel in space full of decaying bodies of humanoids, and the second is an ironic doc, mixing real and staged archival footage to uncover how Russia beat America to the moon. Both To the Stars and First on the Moon are showing on March 11, and To the Stars will have a followup screening on March 12.
