Long hard times in space

August 2, 2010 4:24 PM

"Tubes of space borscht are on sale in the museum gift shop. “There are white and black tubes. On the white is written: ‘BLONDE.’ On black one: ‘BRUNETTE.’ " Astronauts relate challenges of life in space.
posted by ambient2 (17 comments total)

There's a new Mary Roach book? And it's about space? SOLD!

Here's hoping it also includes sex, corpses and ghosts.
posted by Artw at 4:38 PM on August 2, 2010 [4 favorites]

space borscht!
posted by oonh at 5:00 PM on August 2, 2010 [3 favorites]

Really great article.
posted by amethysts at 5:11 PM on August 2, 2010

I love Mary Roach books, too, artw -- she always manages to convey that extra little something a lesser writer would've missed. I can still very clearly see the visuals she put forth in the death & sex books -- the lavender table drapes under the severed heads about to get test cosmetic surgery, the side-view x-ray of couples in flagrante delicto, etc...
posted by bitter-girl.com at 5:13 PM on August 2, 2010 [1 favorite]

This excerpt is Pretty great. It's so... Russian.
posted by Artw at 5:20 PM on August 2, 2010

“I wanted to hang myself. Of course, it’s impossible because of weightlessness.”

That sounds like something you might see in a John Callahan cartoon.

I enjoy Mary Roach books because her persona reminds me of myself, a cheerful, curious woman who shows up to ask gross questions and creep everyone out.
posted by Countess Elena at 5:26 PM on August 2, 2010 [2 favorites]

Great article; now I want to read the book.
posted by languagehat at 5:29 PM on August 2, 2010

“I wanted to hang myself. Of course, it’s impossible because of weightlessness.”

This isn't actually true depending on how precisely you define "hang". I can think of a couple ways.
posted by Justinian at 6:38 PM on August 2, 2010

Fascinating topic.

Thanks for the link.
posted by cinemafiend at 7:13 PM on August 2, 2010

posted "space borscht"

Man, now I want space borscht. Anyone know what it's like? Do they run it through a super blender or is it still chunky?

"This isn't actually true depending on how precisely you define 'hang'. I can think of a couple ways."

The additional constrain is you've got to do it in a cramped space the size of a bus without the guy you are sharing that space with noticing.
posted by Mitheral at 7:50 PM on August 2, 2010

Incidentally, "Space Borscht" is the name of my new Eastern European art-folk band.
posted by Greg_Ace at 8:56 PM on August 2, 2010

A blow-up doll. Ground control, he says, nixed the idea. “They said, ‘If you would do that, then we would need to put it in your schedule for the day.’”

I need this book and I need it now
posted by showbiz_liz at 9:08 PM on August 2, 2010

Mary Roach lost her 5 star rating in my book when she didn't name her sex book Screw. Spook, Stiff, Screw, and this could have been Space!
posted by redsparkler at 9:37 PM on August 2, 2010

Artw: Here's hoping it also includes sex, corpses and ghosts.

RTFA, apparently.

(SPOILERS: at least 1 out of three.)
posted by paisley henosis at 9:40 PM on August 2, 2010

I once met a man who told me that after landing in Christchurch after a winter at the South Pole research station, he and his companions spent a couple days just wandering around staring in awe at flowers and trees. At one point, one of them spotted a woman pushing a stroller. “A baby!” he shouted, and they all rushed across the street to see. The woman turned the stroller and ran.

Priceless.
posted by dhartung at 11:09 PM on August 2, 2010

Tubes of borscht named "Blonde" and "Brunette"? I don't want to RTFA, because it will never match the image I currently have in my mind.
posted by LMGM at 7:01 PM on August 3, 2010

Jon Stewart's show from Monday night was hilarious as Jon focused the discussion about the practical aspects of a mission to Mars on the details of space toilets.

It's a tiny bit of a painful interview to watch - great writer and undoubtedly great person that she is Roach really isn't a media natural. Jon Stewart actually does a rather admirable job keeping it together as host and asking good questions that further the discussion, in a way that I've kind of come not to expect from TV.
posted by Artw at 9:23 AM on August 5, 2010