Don’t miss this month’s meeting of MMOOS (Maine Macintosh Owners & Operators Society), our local Apple User Group. We’ll meet next Tuesday, December 19th, at 6:30 PM in the large meeting room at Thornton Oaks Retirement Community in Brunswick (see mmoos.org for directions). This month’s program is entitled “Lights! Camera! iMovie!” Yes, we’re going to take a close-up look at Apple’s best-in-class video editing application. Now, any program on iMovie is gonna be exciting – but next week’s program will be presented by Ralph Lewis, who attended the University of Southern California Film School. Other notable USC Film School alumni include Star Wars’ George Lucas, Apollo 13’s Ron Howard, and Back to the Future’s Robert Zemeckis.

With iMovie, just about anyone (with a Mac) can make a movie. But, making a good movie, now “there’s the rub”. So not only is Ralph going to take us through the mechanics of iMovie, he’s also going to share some techniques (filming and editing) to improve the quality of your epic masterpiece. For example, you can combine your still photos with movies, or, even if you don't have a movie camera, make your Slide Shows come alive with titles, music, and narration. And, make your still photos come alive utilizing iMovie’s "Ken Burns" effect. You’ll have audiences buzzing for years to come.

We’ll also do the usual MMOOS stuff, like getting up-to-date on recent Apple news, salivating over rumors and “the buzz” surrounding next month’s MacWorld Expo, and giving away a couple of door prizes. See you there!

And now, for something completely different. This week the space shuttle Discovery launched into orbit headed for the International Space Station (ISS). The Johnson Space Center recently published an image of European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, and current ISS occupant, Thomas Reiter, performing an experiment aboard the Station. Looking closely at the image, one can spot, attached to a charger on the wall next to his workstation, Reiter’s white iPod.

Arriving aboard Discovery is Reiter’s relief, Swedish ESA astronaut Christer Fugelsang. According to Swedish science writer Kim Bergstrom, Fugelsang, a keen music lover, brought along his iPod as well.

So, what does the trendy astronaut preparing for months in the relatively secluded environment of earth orbit load onto his iPod before blasting off? David Bowie’s “2001: A Space Oddity”? Elton John’s “Rocket Man”? Harry Nilsson’s “Spaceman”? The Who’s “I Can See For Miles”? Johann Strauss’ “Blue Danube Waltz”?

© 2006 Peter F. Zimowski