Friday, February 28, 2003

Friday Fivers of the world unite!

1. What is your favorite type of literature to read (magazine, newspaper, novels, nonfiction, poetry, etc.)?
My favorite literature, to be honest, is a newspaper. In literature, it would be nonficton.

2. What is your favorite novel?
My favorite novel is "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".

3. Do you have a favorite poem? (Share it!)
The one I can think of at the top of my head is:
I am His Majesty's dog at Kew,
Pray tell me, sir, whose dog are you?


4. What is one thing you've always wanted to read, or wish you had more time to read?
I've always wanted to read Homer's Odyssey. I know, I should've read it in high school, but I had other things on my mind. :P

5. What are you currently reading?
An analysis of the cultural impact of "trash" talk shows. I can't think of the name of it at the moment, but I'll get back to you on that.

Thursday, February 27, 2003

A friend from my childhood died today. I never met him; I never talked directly to him, although I would often repeat what he would say when we were younger. He moved with me everywhere during my childhood, though, and kept me company with his simple songs, his puppet shows, and his fondness for opera. He was Fred Rogers.

Mr. Rogers (as I and millions of people knew him) passed away from stomach cancer this morning, at the age of 74. I can distinctly remember his show, wedged between Sesame Street and The Electric Company when I was growing up. I watched it far longer than many kids my own age, owing to the disparate ages of the kids in my family, so I got to see the same episodes over and over again.

My appreciation for Mr. Rogers has grown over the years. When I was a teenager, it was easy to mock him, his simple little show, and his halting speech. It certainly provided fuel for any number of parodies over the past couple of decades. However, as I look back, I realize that Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood was a prime positive force in my life.

Sesame Street and The Electric Company taught me reading, spelling and counting; skills that I would certainly use in the outside world. Mr. Rogers, on the other hand, taught me more emotional lessons. He taught me that it was good to share, that being nice to people was important, that it's okay to cry sometimes.

I know that the way he talked was slow and deliberate, and a lot of people have made fun of this pattern;however, I realized something about that. Fred Rogers spoke that way to make himself understood to his average audience, which was just learning to speak coherently. He didn't have flashy graphics or broad comedy to make his point; all he had was his voice, which he used to full advantage, whether it was speaking or singing.

As silly as this sounds, when I was in Washington in 1993 to see my sister Tonya get married, I visited the Smithsonian Institution. I took pictures all through the museum: Archie Bunker's chair, the first Apple Computer, Fonzie's jacket. The one thing that I wanted to see and take a photo of, however, was Mr. Rogers' sweater. I found it, and the pic is in my photo collection to this day.

That's about all I have to write about Mr. Rogers right now. I'll miss him terribly, and when I have a child, I will make sure he or she watches Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood (if it's still on) so he/she can absorb some of the niceness of television's nicest neighbor. I'm gonna print the lyrics to one of my favorite Mr. Rogers songs; hope you'll remember, sing and enjoy. *sad little smile*

It's You I Like
by Fred M. Rogers

It's you I like,
It's not the things you wear,
It's not the way you do your hair--
But it's you I like
The way you are right now,
The way down deep inside you--
Not the things that hide you,
Not your toys--
They're just beside you.

But it's you I like--
Every part of you,
Your skin, your eyes, your feelings
Whether old or new.
I hope that you'll remember
Even when you're feeling blue
That it's you I like,
It's you yourself,
It's you, it's you I like.


Good night, Mr. Rogers. And thanks.

Wednesday, February 26, 2003

This came from Crinkle, by way of Ombra who got it from Steph.

The Weird Ass Survey of Stephness


1.What's your name, yo?

Clint, but if you call me a name that's relatively close, I will answer.

2.And how old are you?
36.

3.And what's the worst thing you've ever been called?
I can't recall. At my age, insulting names just kind of fade into the background noise.

4.Did you deserve it?
If I could recall a "worst thing", I would probably have to say "yes".

5.Have you ever been arrested?

Never.


6.If yes, what for, you criminal, you?

See above answer. I don't go out enough to get into trouble. :P

7.Mac or PC?
PC at home, Mac at work

8.What's the best concert you've ever seen?
Pearl Jam, Atlanta GA, August 7, 2000.

9.Were you in any way under the influence at that concert?
High on life, baby! High... on... life.

10.If you were a fruit, what fruit would you be, and why?
I'd be Richard Simmons. He just seems to be really energetic, and I...

oh, wait...

I mean, I'd be a kiwi fruit. Fuzzy on the outside, smooth on the inside. And I'd be used at a lot of parties and receptions.

11.What's the worst prank you've ever played on someone?
I guess it was the Halloween when my brother, cousin and I took a bucket of mud and cow poop and smeared peoples' cars in the neighborhood. It was Halloween and I was 13.

12.How did they get you back?
Well, they didn't get us back so much as punish us by cleaning their cars.

13.You are having lunch with any three people, living or dead. (The dead ones will be magically revived for the purposes of lunch.) Who is on your guest list?
Oscar Wilde, Bill Clinton, and Herbert the janitor from USCA.

14.You have to flee the country you live in for political reasons. Where do you flee to?
Canada

15.Who was your favorite Beatle? (If you say Ringo, please, stop now.)
John

16.What's your favorite song to sing in the shower?
Heaven on their Minds (from JC Superstar).

17.Have you ever done drugs?
Yes I did.

18.Or did the drugs do you?
Nope.

19.You have to be marooned on a desert island with any rock group. Who do you want it to be?
Tenacious D.

20.And if it came down to it, which one would you eat first?
Jack Black.

21.What's your favorite t-shirt slogan?
Frankie say "Relax!" (does this date me? I think it does.)

22.You are declared President. What are your first three acts of office?
1. Unilaterally disarm our nuclear arsenal.
2. Restore the Fairness in Broadcasting act.
3. Make every second Tuesday of the month "Naked Day".

23.You are going to an "I Love the 80s" party. It has been required that you attend in costume. Who do you go as?
Jim Bakker

24.How many decimal places of pi do you know?
7 (3.1415928)


25.Where's the kinkiest place you've ever gotten it on?

My living room couch (I know, I know, not very "kinky", but that's my limited sex life talkin')

26.Do you know all the lyrics to your national anthem?
Of the first verse, yes.

27.Do you know any of the lyrics to REM's "End of the World As We Know It" other than "Leonard Bernstein" and the chorus?
Lessee... That's great it starts with an earthquake, birds, snakes and aeroplanes, and Lenny Bruce is not afraid...
I could go on, but not today.

28.You can have your way with three of the famously beautiful people. Who will be sharing your bed this night?
Yikers! Frankly, I don't need any of the beautiful people (Natasha Lyonne) I have all I need at home with my honey. (Julia Roberts) You can keep your so-called "beautiful people"; I'll take Kathy Truett. (and a side order of Jennifer Garner)

29.You decide to become Goth. Which kind? Are you a Cure/ Smiths fan, a Bauhaus/Joy Division fan, a Type O Negative/Tool fan, or a Marilyn Manson fan?
I'd probably be a Type-O/Tool fan, though I would probably listen to all of the above at one point or the other.

30.You are suddenly a 13 year old girl.
HOLY CRAP! How did that happen??!?
Do you surround yourself with Britney, Christina, or Jessica Simpson albums? (Yes, that is all we want to know about you as a 13 year old girl.)
Do I HAVE to pick one of them? *sigh* I guess I'd be a Britney girl if forced into these, although my inner 13-year old craves Avril Lavigne.

31.You get the creative urge to paint your room. What color?
A nice shade of blue.

32.What is your favorite sleeping position?
Right side, semi-fetal, holding Kathy.

33.Who has Ben's pants?
Never mind that shit, here comes Mongo!


34.What book do you want to crawl inside and exist in?

Charlotte's Web.


35.What's the weirdest thing you've ever made a bet over?

I was in a poker game once and jokingly put my friend's fiancee up as ante. I "lost" her to another friend of mine. Less than a year later, she was with the guy that won her.


36.What's the biggest loss you've ever suffered because of a bet?

All my clothes. Don't ask.


37.What three albums do you always want with you?

Only three, eh? OK then... "Abbey Road", "Ten", "Living in Clip"

38.What will the movie based on your life be called?
Mr. Nobody

39.Do you believe in ghosts?
I'd like to, but no.

40.Fairies?
Uhhhh, no.

41.Vampires?
Negatory.

42.Zombies?
The drink? Yes. The undead coming back to eat human brains? Nuh-uh.

43.Werewolves?
Only in London.

44.Martha Stewart?
The question is, does she believe in me?

45.What's the craziest date you've ever had?
I got a flat tire once on a date.

46.What's the sexiest movie you've ever seen, aside from out-and-out porn, you pervy bastard?
I gotta say it was probably "Wild Things". I can't really think of an out-and-out "Sexy" movie that turned me on, so I'll go with this one.

47.You can date any poet that's ever lived. Who gets to woo you with their verse?
Female poets? What do I have to work with here? Lessee... there Emily Dickinson, Gertrude Stein, Sylvia Plath... can someone help me out here?

48.What's your favorite profanity?
Shit. So many ways to say it, so little time.


49.What five Xangans do you most want to go drinking with?

Ummm, ummmmm, well, I've been drinkin' with four of them that I know, so I'll list Josh, Crink, Ombra, Kathy. After that, I'd have to say the8rgrrl.

50.What five do you most want to play paintball with?
See above list.

51.What five do you want to go out for a fancy dinner with?

See above, again. However, I would suggest they all come over to my house for a cookout.


52.You just robbed a bank. What's your ideal getaway vehicle?

Well, with my luck, I'm gonna get caught, so I'll say an ice cream truck, strictly for humor value.

53.How much older than you was the oldest person you've dated?
25 days.

54.Did it feel pervy?
Hell yeah, it did. But I got over it and now we're engaged to be married.

55.What's your favorite place on earth? (Geographically speaking here, people.)
A little holler on Beech Mountain, NC.

56.And finally, what's your philosophy of life in 100 words or less?
Be sweet.
Do good.
Talk nice.
Live well.

Thursday, February 20, 2003

Busy last few days at the paper, but I'm home "relaxing" for tomorrow.

I watched American Idol last night. Well, actually I watched the "Best of the Worst" episode, which collected some of the worst auditionees from their screenings for AI2. You know, when I first heard about the show and about Simon Cowell, I though "How dare he! Telling people they can't sing." After watching that episode, however, I am inclined to think Simon may be doing mankind a service. Some of the people they had on there were EXCRUCIATING!!!!

None of them stood out like Keith, however. For those of you who missed it, lemme 'splain. Keith was this guy who auditioned in Atlanta. He had a bowl haircut, was ever so slightly chubby, and wore this green sweater that made him look like he had interrupted his game of Everquest to come audition. He described himself as being interesting and unique, then proceeded to launch into a version of "Like a Virgin".

Notice I don't say "sang". It was nasally, it was flat, it was delivered with all the enthusiasm of a court summons, but NO WAY was this even close to singing. Keith even attempted some Madonna-esque "dancing" to try and sell the song. Thankfully the judges didn't buy it. Or maybe they did; it was hard to tell from the way they hid their faces as they laughed.

Once they recovered, they asked him to sing another song, out of pity I suppose. Keith then mangled a version of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody". When he finished, Simon informed him that he would not be moving on in the competition. And Keith actually looked shocked that he wasn't going. *sigh* Crazy, crazy world.

Sunday, February 16, 2003

Snow here. Nothing but snow, snow, snow... wait, scratch that. Add in about two generous helpings of sleet, and you have the weather here. They had been calling for 9-12 inches by today, but with the sleet and all, it's actually about 4-6 here. Still, it's no fun driving on it. Not at all!

Kathy got herself a new car yesterday. It's a 2002 Toyota Prius; you know, one of those electric/gas hybrids. Nice car, but she haggled like a madwoman to get the financing to a suitable rate. Seems she was about 10 points shy of having the rating for a prime rate. In any case, you can read all about it on her blog *points helpfully to my daily reads bar on the right*===>

I guess I should mention that I also got a "new" car out of the deal. We traded in my Chevy POS for the Prius, and Kathy has given me her 1992 Toyota Corrola. I just about cried when we left the dealership yesterday, yet I'm pretty stoked that I have a good little car now. There's a little bit of rust around the rear right wheel well, but otherwise it's bodily sound, and it's got a moon roof. :) Need I mention that the gas mileage is better than the Impaler? All in all, it was a pretty good day, if you leave out the violent arguement with the finance officer and the icily craptastic drive home.

Friday, February 14, 2003

Hooray for the Friday Five!

1. Explain why you started to journal/blog.
My original intent was to keep a diary of my summer acting/singing at Horn in the West. After it was over, I found I was hooked, so I started CSCL.

2. Do people you interact with day to day or family members know about your journal/blog? Why or why not?
Well, being as I just started working my new job, I haven't really shown it to anyone here. As for family, my fiancee and my youngest brother know about it, but that's it. As for why no more family members know; well, I just don't know if they're motivated to visit my blog. *sniffle*

3. Do you have a theme for your journal/blog?
Not really, other than the day-to-day activities of a nebbish in Lexington, VA.

4. What direction would you like to have your journal/blog go in over the next year?
I'd certainly like to post more regularly. Other than that, I don't really see any drastic changes forthcoming in '03.

5. Pimp five of your favorite journals/blogs.
Well, lessee: there's kathouse kommentary, there's Crinkle Cutz, there's Ain't Too Proud to Blog, there's Clampdown, and there's Tom Tomorrow's blog/site. All the links are there on the right. If I get motivated this evening, maybe I'll hot link them here.

Wednesday, February 12, 2003

Wednesday at the paper, and although we put out the special weekend paper this morning, this afternoon has been really slow. Today's paper looks good, if I say so myself *blows on fingernails*.

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday was the fact that I got a letter from Cocoa Mill Chocolates yesterday. It was basically a rejection letter on my resume for the position they had open. However, they sent something along with it that made me smile:

A $5 gift certificate. Woo-hoo!!!

In any case, I plan to use that sucker sometime soon. Valentine's Day is coming up. Hmmm...

Tuesday, February 11, 2003

Ooops, almost forgot it's This or That Tuesday time!

1. Bacon or sausage?
BACON!!! Baconbaconismellbaconthere'sonlyonethingthatsmellslikebaconandthat'sBACON!!!!

2. Eggs: scrambled or not?
Scrambled sometimes, but mostly fried over hard with the yolks broken.

3. French toast or regular toast?
Mmmmmmmm, French Toast.

4. Pancakes or waffles?
Must I choose? Darn you!!! Pancakes.

5. Mufins or bagels?
Nothin' says lovin' like a blueberry muffin! :)

6. Coffee or tea?
Iced, tea. Hot, coffee. Although I will readily take the vice versa.

7. Juice: orange or grapefruit?
OJ OJ OJ!

8. Hot or cold cereal?
I'll admit I'm more inclined to go for cold cereal in the AM, but I'd sure like a bowl of oatmeal once in a while.

9. To put in cereal: bananas or strawberries (or some other fruit)?
Bananas. They're always in season.

10. Eat breakfast at home or at a restaurant?
Gimme a home cooked breakfast at...

wait for it...

home. (der!)
Second day on the job and all's well. I shot most of the paper for this week and cleaned it up for printing. I left shortly before it was "put to bed", but rest assured I shall see many issues through to the bitter end for a time to come. :)

I just got back from the last performance of Working. It was not exactly a down note, but rather a "grace note" that we ended on. The audience was slow to warm to the show tonight, but once they did, it was fetes and fireworks all the way! I hope that I can do more theatre of some kind in the near future, but I think I've fulfilled myself for the next little while, anyway.

Tomorrow morning I get my first actual photo assignment for the paper. I will be taking shots of an award presentation at the local high school. At 8 in the morning. No one said it was gonna be a glamorous job! :P

Monday, February 10, 2003

First day at work today, under a blanket of snow (that melted by late afternoon, mostly). I think this is going to be a great place to work. I took it as a good sign when I saw the owner of the paper shoveling snow off the walkway as I approached the office.

The guy that I'm replacing is pretty cool. He's leaving to start his own web-design venture that he's been "side projecting" for a while now. The job itself looks like it's going to be a blast. Once I got the basics I was editing photos like nobody's business. :) Thank God for Photoshop is all I have to say. Kathy and I even got to have lunch together and walk a little around downtown Lex.

Tonight was "taping night" for Working. This was the show that's going to live on in audio/visual form forever, or damn near it. The guy taping it said he'd have DVDs of the show (yes, you read right; DVDs!!!) sometime in the near future. It was okay, except for the fact that I forgot my hat for the last number. Or at least I think I forgot. I'll know when I see the show tape, or DVD, or whatever.

Tomorrow is gonna be a long day. I'm working at the paper and getting it ready for printing, which I'm told can be a long day, indeed! Then, I have the last performance of Working, followed by strike, which will last no later than midnight, or so I'm told. We shall see. We shall see.

Sunday, February 9, 2003

So, here I am, having gone through the weekend of Working. It has gone incredibly well. Full or near full houses since we previewed on Thursday. This afternoon's matinee was one of the best Sunday matinee performances I have ever been a part of.

Mom and Dad didn't make it up for the show (the weather and Dad's health conspired to make it happen). Still, it was nice to have Kathy there to see it and lend her support. It was also nice to walk the streets of Lexington yesterday and be recognized by some people.

Tomorrow starts the new job. I'm hoping that I will be able to fit in well, and quickly. This looks to be a better job than my last one, and everyone I've talked to have had nothing but nice things to say about my new boss. Cross your fingers for a good career experience for the Clintster.

Friday, February 7, 2003

This is my Friday Five...


1. What did you have for breakfast this morning? If you didn't have breakfast, why not?

Some toast with butter and jelly.


2. What's your favorite cereal?

I'd have to say it's a tie between Oreo-O's and Count Chocula. Of cereals that are "good for me", my favorite is Raisin Bran.


3. How often do you eat out? Do you want that to change?

About 2-3 times a week. I'd like it to change, but I'm not sure in which direction. :P


4. What do you plan on having for dinner tonight? Got a recipe for that?

Filet mignon. And I have a kickass recipe for it, thankyouverymuch!


5. What's your favorite restaurant? Why?

MY personal favorite is The Bistro, in Boone NC. It's in a strip mall, but once you walk inside, the ambience is fantastic. So's their food, of course (NPI). A definite "go-to" place!!!

Thursday, February 6, 2003

OK, more on the new job.

Last month, I saw an ad in the News-Gazette advertising for a part-time receptionist. Seeing as how I had been unemployed for three months, I decided half a loaf was better than none and applied for the position.

Well, last week I got a call from the owner of the paper. He told me he had filled the position, but wanted me to come in and talk to him so he could get a better idea of my abilities and see if he could find something for me through his contacts.

Yesterday he calls me up and says that he wants to talk to me about a position at the paper that had just opened up. He told me it involved "digital imaging, web design, and photography". We agreed to meet this morning at 10 to discuss it.

When I went in this AM, Matt (the owner) sat down with me and told me about the position. It's as photographer for the paper. I'd need to be available during the day, I would take photos and clean them up and prep them for use in the paper, and I'd photograph the set layout for the paper for offset printing.

He took me around the office and showed me the various departments, all the while answering my questions about the position. At the end, he turned to me and said "When can you start?"

It was like he had asked me to marry him. LOL I stood there for a moment, shocked that someone was this ready to hire me that WASN'T part of the food service industry. I looked at him and said "How about Monday?"

He said that was fine and shook my hand, saying "Welcome aboard!"

So I am now gainfully employed as a member of the media. *thankful sigh* And to think that I thought all I'd have to write about was a disturbing e-mail I got from a friend of mine. Maybe I'll work on that later.
I got some news:

I'M EMPLOYED !!!!! WOO-HOOO!!!!!!!!

I'm gonna be working at the Lexington News-Gazette as a photographer/digital imager/computer geek! :) I'll tell the whole story later; right now I'm gettin' some lunch with my Honey Bunny!!!!

YEAH BABY!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, February 5, 2003

Counting down to opening night, which is Friday, officially. However, we have a preview going up Thursday, which means that our true grand dress is tonight. Wish me luck.

Last night's rehearsal was all well and good, except for the moment when one of the actresses had a wooden box dropped on her head. I was next to her and grabbed the box before it could do any more damage. She got a knot on her head, but otherwise was fine, and after a few minutes she was ready to do her solo.

Oh yes, my parents are coming up this weekend to see the show. We think we're ready for them to come up. We've offered them our couch to sleep on, but I'm betting that the odds are they'll end up sleeping in our bed. Not that that's a big deal, mind you. I just hope we can have a good visit from them. :)

Finally, it's entirely possible I might have a job by the end of this week. More later.

Tuesday, February 4, 2003

This is Tuesday, That is a list :)

1. Morning or night person?
I'm a night person, guar-on-tee!

2. Heavy or light sleeper?
I'm a pretty heavy sleeper.

3. Remember your dreams or not?
Depends on the dream. If it's intense or excessively weird, I'll be sure to remember it.

4. Do you need a lot of sleep, or just a little?
Lots of sleep!

5. Do you need something like a nightlight or TV to sleep, or do you prefer complete darkness?
I prefer darkness and quiet.

6. Flannel sheets or some other kind?
Using regular percale sheets, though flannels would be nice right now.

7. One pillow, or more?
More, more, MORE!

8. Bedroom door opened or closed at night?
Open.

9. Wrap yourself into blankets like a cocoon, or just cover yourself with them?
I just like to cover myself, although as morning approaches, I like snuggling in them a bit more.

10. Alarm clock: wake to music or buzzer?
We wake to a buzzer. I like to wake to music, though.

Monday, February 3, 2003

Saturday morning, I woke up and turned on the television. And as has happened all too often in the past, I saw an awful event unfold before my eyes. CNN was reporting that the space shuttle Columbia was overdue for its landing at the Kennedy Space Center. Just then, they reported that they had gotten video of the shuttle flying over Dallas, TX on its final approach.

As I watched, I saw a bright dot move across the screen. The dot soon became two, and then four. I realized that the shuttle was breaking apart in midair. Still, I held out hope that somehow the astronauts would survive, through a combination of miracles and suitable protection. I realize that it was a vain hope, but still I crossed my fingers.

Within an hour the news exploded. More footage came in, this time of debris falling over eastern Texas. A ceramic tile in a yard; what looked to be a shredded tire in a driveway. I saw footage of a scorched field, obviously set aflame by falling debris. And I saw radar footage of the debris path as it made an angry red swath between Tyler TX and Shreveport LA, like a scar across the nation.

Like many people, my mind flashed back to the last time this happened. It was January 27, 1986. I was 19 and I had just been fired from a factory job I had been working at for only a week. I had been sleeping off the effects of the job (it was at night), and I had just woken up, groggy and grumpy.

Suddenly my aunt Sue appeared at the front door. She had come to town to do some shopping. Aunt Sue asked me, “Have you been watching the TV?”

“No,” I replied, “Why?”

“The space shuttle exploded”, she told me. Aunt Sue kidded around with me quite a bit, so I didn’t believe her at first. The look in her eyes, however, told me that maybe I should turn on the TV and check it out.

There it was, splayed all over ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN. The Challenger rising from the launch pad, in what had quickly become a routine event, only to transform into a ball of flame just over a minute later.

There were the Corrigans, Christa McAuliffe’s parents, watching the sky with pride, then confusion, then panic, as their daughter rose to and became one with the heavens. There was the shot of her students in Concord NH, cheering the launch only to turn to grief within a span of two minutes.

I grieved as well. I had been following NASA as long as I could remember. One of my first memories was watching the launch of Apollo 16 in 1972. I saw men walking on the moon. I saw Americans and Russians shaking hands in space, when that was considered to be a monumental event. I sweated out the years between Apollo and the Space Shuttle, contenting myself with coverage of the Voyager missions and dreams of someday experiencing weightlessness myself.

It all came crashing with a sickening thud on January 27, 1986, and it happened again Saturday. The ironic thing is that the night before the Columbia fell apart, I was doing online research on the Soyuz 1 and Soyuz 11 tragedies. I tried to imagine what it would have been like to have died on the way home from a space mission. That had never happened before on an American space mission. Unfortunately, we can no longer make that claim.

So what happens now? I honestly don’t know. In ‘86, the Challenger tragedy kept the US out of space for almost 3 years. Of course, back then we didn’t have a space station in progress to worry about. We still have Americans aboard the International Space Station. The Russians can give them a ride home, I suppose, but then what? There are several modules to be taken to the ISS. Hopefully something can be done to complete it.




May the spirit of exploration continue...

Sunday, February 2, 2003

I had a post ready on the Columbia tragedy that I typed on my laptop, but I can't get the file transferred properly. Well, I'll try later.

We had wet tech today. It went from 10am until 5pm. Kathy and I had lunch during our break, which was good for her since she was having car trauma, and good for me since I wanted to have lunch with her anyway. That said, this was the LONGEST tech rehearsal I have EVER sat through!

5 days until opening.

Saturday, February 1, 2003

Some history on spacefaring tragedies:



Apollo I - Although Apollo I never officially lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, it became America's first space tragedy when three astronauts were killed in a fire which swept through the command module during a routine systems test.

Edward White

Roger Chaffee

Virgil "Gus" Grissom


Soyuz I - The first launch of the Soyuz spacecraft (still in use today) was supposed to rendezvous with a second Soyuz spacecraft, but that launch was scrubbed after Komarov reported problems with deploying the craft's solar panels. After a day in orbit, Soyuz I was ordered back to land. During reentry, the main chute did not deploy. Komarov deployed the reserve, but became entangled with the main, and the Soyuz I descent module crashed into the ground. Komarov became the first official spacefaring fatality.

Vladimir Komarov


Soyuz XI - This mission was the first to link up to Salyut I, the first space station. The mission itself was supposed to last 30 days, but the mission was cut short due to a small fire in the station and difficult working conditions. Upon separation from the Salyut, a pressure valve was accidently loosened. One of the cosmonauts attempted to reseal it, but all the oxygen leaked out of the capsule. Although the capsule automatically deployed its chute and made a soft landing, the crew of three were found dead in their seats.

Georgi Dobrovolsky

Viktor Patsayev

Vladislav Volkov


STS 51L - The United States' first in-flight space stragedy. 73 seconds into the flight, the space shuttle Challenger exploded in a fireball, killing all seven astronauts aboard. The crew included Christa McAuliffe, a civilian who was to have become the first teacher in space. An investigatory panel later determined the cause of the explosion to be a faulty O-ring on one of the solid rocket boosters (SRB).



Gregory Jarvis

Christa McAuliffe

Ron McNair

Ellison Onizuka

Judith Resnik

Francis (Dick) Scobee

Michael Smith


The STS-107 crew includes, from the left, Mission Specialist David Brown, Commander Rick Husband, Mission Specialists Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla and Michael Anderson, Pilot William McCool and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon.
In case you happen to be reading this at the time that I'm posting this, there is something major going on. NASA list contact with the space shuttle Columbia this morning as it was coming in for a landing. Footage from Dallas, TX shows what could be Columbia breaking up. This is awful. I'll post more in a few.

And if you are reading this between 9-10 am, go to the television and watch.