HoloLens, Hacking Mars, and Microsoft!

Hello! Today's blog post looks at my trip to Microsoft, all thanks to winning the Hacking Mars contest! Along with some amazing prizes, the three members of my team were flown to Seattle to tour Microsoft, check out the HoloLens, and more! Let's go!

Ad Absurdum: Pants!

Hello everyone! It has taken us a while to work out our schedule, but Alex and I have made another episode of Ad Absurdum! This time, we get silly and talk about pants; what we think, what we know, what we like, and what we don't!

The topic is random, but with Canadian Thanksgiving just passed and American Thanksgiving coming up, it's not too bad of a time to be talking about pants. 

This podcast is a little more informative than the previous ones, but hopefully just as entertaining. I'm hoping we can make more podcasts soon!

Thanks for checking the podcast out here!

Microsoft's Hacking Mars Design Challenge

Hello! Welcome to Embrace Space! I have some very exciting news to share with you today! I am a Grand Prize Winner of the Hacking Mars Microsoft Challenge! Along with an amazing set of prizes, my team will be taking part in a trip to Seattle to check out Microsoft Studios and the HoloLens!

Halloween 2015

Welcome to fright night, Halloween, the time when people dress in costume, throw parties, and receive candy! This year, I helped break in my friends' new house by setting up a Haunted Garage! So come on! Let's find out what Halloween is all about!

Thanksgiving Weekend 2015

Thanksgiving is one of my favourite holidays. It combines my love of friends, family, food, and Autumn! This year I was lucky enough to have 2 Thanksgivings, and to not only spend the weekend with Juliette and my family, but some friends from the ISU!

Date Night in Renfrew

Welcome back! For those more interested in space things, this post may not be that interesting for you. It continues following Juliette's visit in Canada, this time looking at a date we had in the small town of Renfrew.

A night at the Colterman's

Our first couple of weeks at home were quite busy, and we went out almost every day, showing Juliette the sights and introducing her to many people. Ours is a rather close community, and everyone was excited to see this mysterious French girl they had heard so much about.

One stop included a trip to the home of our friends, the Coltermans. Good friends of my family, the Coltermans are very gracious people, enjoying the serenity of a beautiful home, and a cottage right next to a small lake. They rent out the cottage often and, perhaps, with Juliette's help, you can see why.

The Renfrew Fair and Smash-Up Derby

Hello out there! Welcome back. I have been away from this blog for some time and I am working on catching up! As you may recall, Juliette was visiting from France and we were excited about spending two entire months together! Here are some highlights from our adventures, starting with the Renfrew Fair!

Ad Absurdum: The Secret to a Maniacal Laugh

Hello everyone! Episode 2 of Ad Absurdum has been posted, and you can find it here! This time we talk about the secret to a maniacal laugh, among other things. Please read on for some background information!

A new podcast! Ad Absurdum!

Hello hello! Welcome to Embrace Space! Today, we're going to look at something a little different; my new podcast: Ad Absurdum! Read on for more details!

♪ I get by with a little help from my friends ♪

Hello, and welcome back. My last post, concerning the news from Clyde Space, was a little depressing. Indeed, I would have stayed quite depressed if it wasn't for the presence and support of friends and family. Before hearing the news, I had planned a trip to visit some friends "near" Toronto. It was originally intended to be one final time together in Canada before I became busy in Scotland, but after hearing the news, it became a well-needed distraction and solace. 

The last few weeks have been really fun, despite the bad news. So, read on and enjoy!

Dealing with Disappointment

Hello everyone, thanks for stopping by. Unfortunately, I have some bad news to report: I am not able to work with Clyde Space in Scotland, and after months of waiting, I am very disappointed. But there is hope, please read on. 

The Kasaboski Family Reunion, Summer 2015

I come from a large family. My extended family, just on my Mom's side, is so large that the incomplete family tree I once saw at one of our reunions spanned an entire wall. To say that my family is prolific would be exceptionally accurate. So, when we have family reunions, they tend to be loud, fun, crazy affairs, such as the one last night!

"Impossible" Rockets? The EM Drive and the Cannae Drive

Welcome back, space fans! Today, we're going to look at a new, experimental, "exotic" type of propulsion, known as a Radio Frequency Resonant Cavity thruster, electromagnetic thruster, or RF/EM drive, for short. 

These thrusters have been making news, for better or for worse, as "impossible" rocket thrusters that could get us to the far reaches of the Solar System incredibly quickly AND apparently will do so without fuel.

In today's post, we will explore a little of what this means, what is true, what is not, and why this is important.

Staying Productive

Bonjour, tout le monde et bienvenue sur Embrasse l'espace! Welcome back! I hope all is well with you! Today's post is a little different, consisting of a compilation of reviews of some things I've been reading/watching/playing lately. I am still waiting on paperwork in order to begin the next stage of my life and while I wait, I have worked hard to keep myself busy.

Introduction to CubeSats

Hello! Today on Embrace Space, we are going to take an introductory look at CubeSats! These small satellites have been proving themselves very useful lately and I wanted to take the time to bring you up-to-speed on what a CubeSat is and why they are important. I will soon be working quite closely with CubeSats and before I tell you about some interesting projects, I wanted to review the basics.

For anyone already heavily involved in this industry, this review may be unnecessary, but for the rest of you, I think you'll find this useful and a great jumping point to learning about some very interesting projects coming up!

Introduction to Satellites

Today, on Embrace Space, we are going to examine satellites! This cursory introduction will help familiarize you with what is necessary for a satellite to function. If you're already familiar, feel free to come back later when these posts become more technical and focus on interesting new developments in the industry! 

What's the Moon made of? A Review of Lunar Resources

Greetings! Welcome back to Embrace Space! Today, we are going to take a closer look at the Moon, our closet celestial neighbour, in order to better understand what it's made of and how that may help us further space exploration. 

Mother's Day weekend and Ottawa's 4th ComicCon, May 2015

Hello! Today's post is all about how I spent this Mother's Day at Ottawa's ComicCon! Pictures, celebrities, costumes, special events, and a lot of fun were had, and I felt like sharing the experience! So come on! Check it out!

The Wedding of Mike and Sarah, Part III: The Wedding Itself

Finally, the big day had arrived! On the first weekend of May, 2015, I had the honour of being Best Man at the wedding of two of my dearest friends, Mike and Sarah. It was a fantastic weekend full of planning, craziness, happiness, excitement, and mirth and I would like to take a moment and commemorate it here. Prepare yourself for a lot of beautiful photos!

The Wedding of Mike and Sarah, Part II: Bachelor Quest

Part two in this three part series involves the Bachelor Party which I planned for Mike and our friends, hereafter known as Bachelor Quest. We have a unique group of friends and so I planned a rather unique party to celebrate!

The Wedding of Mike and Sarah, Part I: The Groomsmen Weekend

In May of 2015, I had the honour of being Best Man at the wedding of my dear friends, Mike and Sarah. It was a fantastic day, all brought to fruition by the days which preceded it. This post concerns one of those precedent events, the Groomsmen Weekend.

Star Trek Attack Wing: A board-game review

Hello space fans! Today's post is all about Star Trek Attack Wing, a game I recently received as a birthday present! The game took some getting used to, but once I was familiar with the rules, I had a lot of fun!

Lessons Learned: A Decade Since High School

Recently, I was invited back to my high school to give a talk about my career path. It was a very lovely offer and I relished the opportunity to give back to the community. I had many difficulties getting to where I am now, and I wanted to help the next generation be as successful as possible. If you're interested in the experience, and what I have to say, please, keep reading!

Spending a Year in Space: Expeditions 43-46

Today is an exciting day for human spaceflight! Today, an astronaut and a cosmonaut begin a year-long mission in space! Working and researching on the International Space Station (ISS), the mission will help us understand how the human body adapts to living off Earth! So, right now, I would like to take the chance to tell you a little more about it and why I think it is important.

My review of Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

Deciding that it had been too long since I read some science fiction, I finally followed a recommendation made to me by some friends years ago and picked up Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson.

It didn't take long to become immersed in the story, so I thought I would share my thoughts in case you'd be interesting in checking it out yourself.

Google Keep and HabitRPG: Two fun ways to stay productive!

Welcome back! It has been a while. I have been busy, as I'm sure you have been. I am currently enjoying some time off work and school and, in an effort to make the most of my time, I've been casually looking into different systems to help plan tasks, track them, and increase my productivity.

Now, there are countless systems out there to help you be more productive. Hundreds of books, websites, and with the advent of wearable smartware, you can even track your progress on the go! I am by no means an expert, I'm not even a studied amateur, I'm just someone who likes to get a lot done and I've recently found two systems which I have enjoyed using that I'd like to share with you!

Christmas 2014: A French Polar Fox in Canada

The Christmas holiday has always been an exciting time for my family. It is one of the few times throughout the year when my large, extended family is able to make the time to come together. As is to be expected, our holidays are usually full of food, family, and fun. This year was very special, not only because we added a little to our Christmas traditions, but because Juliette, my girlfriend, was able to visit from France!