Soyuz TM-31 launched 2000

Soyuz TM-31, launched October 31, 2000, was the first Soyuz spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station.  Aboard were members of Expedition 1, the first long-duration crew for the ISS.

The crew was Commander Yuri Gidzenko, Sergei Krikalev and astronaut William Shepherd, who became commander of Expedition 1.

Soyuz TM-31 returned to Earth May 6, 2001.


The best that I could find is this computer animated video about the launch.  It is much better than the computer-generated voice of the other one.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Terrence W. Wilcutt!

Terrence Wilcutt, born October 31, 1949 in Russellville, Kentucky, is a veteran of 4 space shuttle missions. (He shares his birthday with Michael Collins!) It seems four is the average number of flights for a space shuttle astronaut.  Does anybody know?  I'll have to check that out.

Anyway, Wilcutt's first flight was on Endeavour (STS-68) September 30-October 11, 1994 when he was pilot.

His second mission was on Atlantis (STS-79) in September 1996 also as pilot.  On this mission, they brought back Shannon Lucid from the space station Mir after her record breaking stay. 

He was commander on his third mission, which was on Endeavour (STS-89) in January 1998.  The crew flew to Mir again for another American astronaut exchange, the fifth of the program.

His fourth and final mission was back on Atlantis (STS-106) in September 2000.  He and the crew spent a week transferring equipment and supplies to the International Space Station, getting it ready for a permanent crew.

.

Donna Summer releases "Once Upon A Time" 1977

Queen Donna Summer released her sixth studio album Once Upon A Time, October 31, 1977.  A concept album, it was her first double-album and although it did not do as well as I Remember Yesterday (her previous release), it was certified gold and reached #1 on the Hot Dance/Disco chart.

It is a modern-day Cinderella story told through disco.

"Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" released 1962

The birth of the "hagsploitation" or "psycho-biddy" genre happened when Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? was released October 31, 1962.  Starring two aging actresses who's stars were fading,  Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, the movie portrayed two aging actress who's stars were fading. 

It is well-known now that Crawford and Davis had a long-running feud but managed to hold it together to complete the movie.  Then they went back to fighting.  Crawford campaigned against Davis for her Oscar nomination for Best Actress.  The film was a financial success and garnered 5 Oscar nominations.  It won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, Black and White.

Davis and Crawford started to film Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte but Joan Crawford was fired before completing it and her scenes were re-shot with Olivia DeHavilland. 

Other films that followed this new genre included Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?, What's the Matter With Helen? Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?

Def Leppard releases "Def Leppard" 2015

Def Leppard released their eleventh studio and self-title album Def Leppard October 30, 2015.  It is their 7th Top 10 album and debuted at #10 on Billboard 200.  It peaked at #1 on US Top Rock Albums, US Top Hard Rock Albums and US Independent Albums (all Billboard).

Music critic Dave Everley of Classic Rock magazine had this snarky comment:

"But even that pales into insignificance next to the finger-poppin' white-boy funk of 'Are You Man Enough?', which rips off Queen's 'Another One Bites the Dust' so shamelessly that it should come with its own stick-on handlebar moustaches..."

So I had to go back and listen to Man Enough to see why I had missed the similarity.  Then I realized, it sounds no more like Another One Bites the Dust  than any other song with a heavy bass line.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Sandra Magnus!

Sandra Hall Magnus, born October 30, 1964, in Belleville, Illinois, is the veteran of 4 space shuttle flights and one expedition on the International Space Station.  Her first mission was on Atlantis (STS-112) in October 2002 as a mission specialist.

Her second mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-126) in November 2008 to the International Space Station where she remained for 134 days.  She returned to Earth on Discovery (STS-119 [I don't know why the mission numbers are out of sequence]) in March 2009, the first flight for Joe Acaba (back on the ISS).

Her third and final mission was on Atlantis (STS-135) which was the last mission of the Space Shuttle Program July 2011.

Star Trek: Deep Space 9 episode "Rejoined" airs 1995

Star Trek has never shied away from dealing with issues that might make some people uncomfortable.  I mean, come on!  A black woman in a non-stereotypical role?  The first interracial kiss on the TV screen? 

Star Trek: Deep Space 9 continued this streak of enlightening themes when it aired Rejoined, Episode 5, Season 4 on October 30, 1995.  Lenara Kahn (played by Susanna Thompson [Moira Queen in Arrow]) is the new host of Jadzia Dax's (Terry Farrell) former host Tobias and she arrives at the station with a group of trills.

Trills are forbidden from reassocating with former lovers/partners, but there is still a spark between them.  It might not have been the first lesbian kiss on TV or even the first woman/woman kiss, but it was a first for Star Trek: Deep Space 9. 

Challenger (STS-61-A) launched 1985, ninth and final flight

Back row (L-R): Steven Nagel, Guy Bluford, Ernst Messerschmid, Wubbo Ockels

Front row (L-R): Reinhard Furrer, Bonnie Dunbar, James Buchli, Henry Hartsfield

Space Shuttle Challenger blasted off October 30, 1985, on what would be its final flight.  It still holds the distinction for having the largest crew (8) on board from launch to landing.  The mission was funded, directed and controlled by West Germany, so the mission is also known as D-1.

Her record-setting crew was: Commander Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr.; Pilot Steven R. Nagel; Mission Specialist 1 Bonnie J. Dunbar; Mission Specialist 2 James F. Buchli; Mission Specialist 3 Guion S. Buford; Payload Specialist 1 Reinhard Furrer; Payload Specialist 2 Ernst Messerschmid; and Payload Specialist Wubbo Ockels (the Netherlands).

Wubbo Ockels, born in Amsterdam, was the first Dutch citizen to go to space.  This was the only mission in space for him and the two German scientists. 

Guy Bluford is the first African-American astronaut to space twice.  He would go into space 2 more times. 

Challenger would be destroyed with her entire crew in January 1986.

Happy birthday, Masahiro Takashima, Godzilla actor!

Handsome Masahiro Takashima, born October 29, 1965 in Tokyo, Japan, has acted in Godzilla vs Destroyah and Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla 2. 

I hope to see more of him!

Book review - "The Crown in Darkness" by P. C. Doherty

The Crown in Darkness is a satisfying follow-up to P.C. Doherty’s first Hugh Corbett novel, Satan in St. Mary’s.  Where the first one was more of intrigue and action, the second was whodunit and action.  In The Crown in Darkness, Corbett is sent by the Royal Chancellor Robert Burrell to the Scottish capitol Edinburgh.  The Scottish king Alexander III has just died under mysterious circumstances and Burrell wants to know what exactly happened.  Was the king murdered or did he die in an unfortunate accident?  With Alexander dead and no heir, the throne appears to be up for grabs and powerful families are beginning to jockey for position.

Corbett is sent to find out what will all of this mean for England and King Edward I.  He starts asking questions as soon as he arrives and subsequently, attempts are made to kill him.  In the previous novel, Doherty gives Corbett a sensitivity and vulnerability by falling in love with a femme fatale, but there is no such depth in this one. 

Corbett is all business and realizes there is more to his mission than Burrell has let on. 

I enjoyed this story much more than the first one, but the formatting in my hardback version of The Crown in Darkness was non-existent.  Usually, there is a new paragraph each time the speaker changes but in this version, the publishers or whoever did not believe in hitting the ’return’ button.  I had to re-read many passages to realize who was talking.

The story was great but the formatting took away from the enjoyment. 

Galileo spacecraft performs first asteroid flyby of 951 Gaspra, 1991

The Galileo spacecraft, launched from Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-34) October 18, 1989, made the first flyby of an asteroid, 951 Gaspra, October 29, 1991.  After being launched, it made flybys of Earth and Venus to gather speed to make its journey to the asteroid belt.

Galileo revealed Gaspra to be a cratered, elongated body, measuring 11.8 x 7.5 x 6.8 miles.

Book review - "Satan in St. Mary's" by P. C. Doherty

I decided to read P.C. Doherty’s medieval mystery series featuring Hugh Corbett, starting with the first novel, Satan in St. Mary’s, and read almost all of it on a plane ride.  I enjoyed the story but it does address some disturbing topics.

Hugh Corbett is a clerk in the employee of King Edward I, in the mid-thirteen hundreds.  Some thirty years prior to the story, Edward I had to battle Robert de Montfort for the crown and eventually won.  

De Montfort was hacked to death.  Apparently, de Montfort was a devil-worshipper and was a member of a large group of such vile people.  Despite de Montfort’s death, his fellows carry on their religion and plot the assassination of Edward I.

The Royal Chancellor assigns clerk Hugh Corbett to look into the suicide of the Chancellor’s spy.  Corbett quickly discovers the man was murdered and sets out to find the people responsible.  During his investigation,, he becomes the target of the devil-worshippers and falls for a beautiful woman, known to be very dangerous.  That part of the story is rather predictable.

Although the final solution is not a big surprise, the story is exciting and a fast read.  Doherty gives Hugh intelligence and tenacity, but also a soft side.

Book review - "Pirate Women" by Laura Sook Duncombe

The introduction to Pirate Women: The Princess, Prostitutes and Privateers who Ruled the Seven Seas, author Laura Sook Duncombe makes it clear there were plenty of women pirates throughout history but their stories have been suppressed and ignored because of men!  So is this a book regaling the exploits of female pirates who have been ignored by history or does the author have a chip on her shoulder and wants to make a point?  To me, the answer is both.  She even cites pirate historian extraordinaire David Cordingly who expressed doubt that Anne Bonny and Mary Read could have lived aboard a pirate ship.  Duncombe writes:

“When even a historian covering women sailors refuses to acknowledge that women pirates existed, there is a problem in the field.”

Laura honey, Cordingly isn’t doubting their existence. He (and many others) find it difficult that Bonny and Read could have kept their identities secret from so many men in the cramped, overcrowded decks of pirate ships. 

If an author discussing female pirate history misunderstands a simple statement, what else was taken wrong?

It is clear that Duncombe has done her research and reports on obscure women pirates but does her readers a disservice by frequently digressing to figures who are fictional or who’s existences are not verifiable.  Probably a quarter of the women she writes about are only legends.  Why waste our time on fairy tales if you’re wanting to defend the existence of real women pirates?

Beyond that, Duncombe’s definition of ‘female pirate’ is broad in the sense as it pertains to women who did not very nice things when a ship is involved.  One example is her telling of Jeanne de Montfort who raised an army to reclaim a duchy for her son.  Since she used a ship to “steal” the duchy that means she’s a pirate, right?  When you have to justify your definition and ask the question, perhaps this wasn’t a great example to use for illustrating women pirates.

As I mentioned earlier, Duncombe does give examples of women pirates who for whatever reason have been lost in history.  Whether these omissions are deliberate sabotage by men or not, she does not make any conclusions but the book reads as if  the author has an axe to grind. 

Enterprise makes its 5th and final test flight 1977

The Space Shuttle Enterprise made her fifth and final successful flight October 26, 1977.  She was piloted by Fred Haise (Apollo 13) and Gordon Fullerton (STS-3, STS-51-F).  She also landed on the concrete runway at Edwards AFB instead of a dry lakebed runway.

Her successful missions paved the way for future space shuttle missions.

Happy birthday, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart!

Russell Louis Schweickart, born October 25, 1935, was the Lunar Module on Apollo 9, the first manned flight test of the Lunar Module in March 1969.  He was backup commander for the first manned Skylab 2 mission in 1973 and was on the support crew for Skylab 4.


Here Rusty talks about his experience during his EVA on Apollo 9.

Remembering Paul J. Weitz, Skylab and Space Shuttle astronaut (1932-2017)

Astronaut Paul Joseph Weitz, born July 25, 1932 in Erie, Pennsylvania, passed away yesterday October 23 in Flagstaff, Arizona from myelodysplastic syndrome.  He was 85.

His first mission into space was aboard Skylab 2, the first manned mission  to the space station from May-June 1973.

He was commander of STS-6, the maiden voyage of Challenger in April 1983.

Discovery (STS-120) launched 2007

L-R: Parazynski, Wheelock, Wilson, Zamka, Melroy, Tani, Nespoli

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-120) took off October 23, 2007, being the 23rd mission to the International Space Station.  Commander Pamela Melroy was the second woman after Eileen Collins to become commander of a space shuttle mission.  When they docked with the ISS, Peggy Whitson was commander of the space station so for the first time, there were two female mission commanders in space.

The rest of the crew consisted of Pilot George Zamka, Mission Specialist 1 Douglas Wheelock, Mission Specialist 2 Stephanie Wilson, Mission Specialist 3, Scott Parazynski, Mission Specialist 4 Paolo Nespoli (on the ISS right now!), and Mission Specialist 5 Daniel Tani.

India reaches the moon! Chandrayaan I launched 2008

India's first lunar probe, Chandrayaan 1, was launched October 22, 2008 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center north of Chennai.  The spacecraft consisted of an orbiter and a lander.  Chandrayaan 1 entered lunar orbit on November 8 and the Moon Impact Probe separated from the orbiter on November 14. 

The Moon Impact Probe landed near the Shackleton crater on the south pole, making India the fourth country to reach the moon.

Two months shy of its first anniversary, the orbiter stopped sending signals on August 28, 2009.  Indian Space Research Organization expected it to crash onto the lunar surface in 2012 but as of 2016, it is still in orbit.

Happy birthday, Canadian astronaut Julie Payette!

Julie Payette, born October 20, 1963 in Montreal, Canada, is a space shuttle astronaut, a veteran of two missions.  Her first flight was on Discovery (STS-96) in May-June 1999 as mission specialist.  She operated the Canadarm and is the first Canadian aboard the International Space Station.

Her second and final mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-127) in July 2009 also as a mission specialist.

She left the Canadian  Space Agency after her final flight and is now the current Governor General of Canada since October 2017. 

Zond 8 launched 1970

Zond 8, an unmanned Soviet space probe was launched October 20, 1970 from an Earth-orbiting platform to the moon.  It flew by the moon, making its closest approach on October 24.  It returned to Earth, splashing down in the Indian Ocean, October 27.

Tiangong 1, Chinese Space Station, to crash to Earth by April 2018

Tiangong 1, the Chinese Space Station launched in 2011, is scheduled to come tumbling back to Earth sometime before April 2018.  The Chinese have known about this since last year, when they announced they had lost the telemetry signal from the station.

After a series of successful internal tests in March 2012, Shenzhou 9 blasted off June 16 with three astronauts, Commander Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang, and Liu Yang (first Chinese woman in space) and docked with the space station.  They returned June 29.

The following June, Shenzhou 10 docked with the space station with another crew of three: Commander Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping (second Chinese woman in space).  It was the second and final trip to Tiangong 1.   After they left, the space station was put into 'sleep mode'.

Tiangong 1 has gone past its useful life and the Chinese had predicted they would be able to control its re-entry, but with the telemetry link lost, it will re-enter Earth's atmosphere uncontrolled.  Nobody knows where it will land.  Most of Earth's surface is uninhabited, but there is exists the remote possibility that some of the station's parts may reach ground and hit an inhabited area.

Just giving y'all a heads-up!

Styx releases "Cornerstone" 1979

Styx released their ninth studio album Cornerstone October 19, 1979.  It peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 and is at least double platinum at this time.  Babe is the biggest single from the album and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Mariner 5 flies by Venus 1967

Mariner 5, launched June 14, 1967, made its closest approach to Venus on October 19, 1967.  It was meant to be a backup for Mariner 4, but with the success of that mission,  it was modified for a Venus mission. 

Liftoff went without many problems and data sent during its flyby corroborated the Soviet's Venera 4 lander which arrived at Venus the day before, that the Venusian atmosphere was hotter and more denser than previously thought.

NASA discovered earlier Mariner 5 was in a slow roll and soon after its flyby, contact was lost.  The mission was ended November 5 and the defunct spacecraft is in a heliocentric orbit.

My Boarding Pass to Mars on NASA's Insight spacecraft

This coming May, NASA will launch its InSight lander to Mars.  It is scheduled to land on the Red Planet in November 2018. InSight stands for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport.  How long did it take them to come up with that acronym?

In 2015, almost 827,000 people added their names to a microchip that will accompany the lander along with several scientific instruments.  I know, but NASA has to make the whole trip worthwhile.  Now they have added another opportunity to put our names on a second microchip!  Although I get over 300,000,000 frequent flier miles (and can't use them), it is a way to become personally involved in a mission to Mars.

This will be the first mission to explore the interior of Mars.  A seismometer will detect marsquakes (love that term!) and meteor strikes and use this data to study phenomena far below the surface.  InSight also has a drill that will probe deeper into the ground than any previous explorer.

I got my boarding pass to Mars!

Here is the link: https://mars.nasa.gov/syn/insight

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/another-chance-to-put-your-name-on-mars

Happy birthday, Mary Ann!

Dawn Wells, born October 18, 1938 in Reno, Nevada, is best known as Mary Ann Summers on everyone's favorite sitcom Gilligan's Island.  After graduating from Reno High School, she attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri where she graduated with a chemistry degree in 1960.  But in 1959, she was crowned Miss Nevada.

She made her television debut in 1961 in The Roaring Twenties, and landed the role of Mary Ann Summers in Gilligan's Island in 1964.  The rest is history.  In some ways, she's still marooned on that desert island.

She and Tina Louise, with whom she doesn't get along, are the only surviving cast members.

This is one of my favorite clips from the show.  How the writers managed to incorporate Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins into one skit, I'll always be amazed.

Galileo probe, launched from Atlantis, 1989

The Galileo probe to Jupiter wa launched from the Space Shuttle Atlantis, October 18, 1989, a mere 6 hours after take-off.  The STS-34 mission crew consisted of Commander Donald Williams, Pilot Michael McCulley, Shannon Lucid(!), Franklin Chang-Diaz (remember him?) and Ellen Baker.

Galileo became the first spacecraft to orbit and fly into the atmosphere of an outer planet.

Ellen Baker, a medical doctor, studied the effectiveness of anti-motion sickness medication in space.  I'm sure some of those early cosmonauts wished they had some of that.

The wake-up calls included Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Centerfield by John Fogerty, Fly Like an Eagle by the Steve Miller Band and the OU Fight Song (Shannon!).

The original date of the launch was scheduled for October 12, which was the first day of the optimum window to launch a spacecraft directly to Jupiter, but they had to replace a faulty main engine controller on Engine No. 2.  The date was re-set to October 17, but the crew wanted to get Billy Joel's new album Storm Front, which was released that day, so they took off on October 18.

(Not really)

Billy Joel releases "Storm Front" 1989

My man Billy cranks out another awesome album!  Storm Front was released October 17, 1989, his eleventh studio album.  It went quadruple platinum in the U.S. and double platinum in Canada and Australia.  Storm Front garnered 5 Grammy nominations.  His song We Didn't Start the Fire was nominated for Song of the Year, Record of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male.  The album was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male and Producer of the Year (Non-classical) with Mick Jones.

We Didn't Start the Fire was his biggest hit from Storm Front but my favorite is The Downeaster "Alexa".

Shenzhou-11, China's fifth manned space mission, launched 2016

Shenzhou-11, the fifth space mission from the China National Space Administration, took off October 16, 2016 (UTC) with Commander (and veteran astronaut) Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, who was on  his first spaceflight.

Two days after takeoff, Shenzhou-11 docked with Tiangong-2, the Chinese space laboratory, which was launched just a month prior.  For 30 days, the astronauts conducted scientific and technical experiments.  They returned safely to Earth November 18.

Since then, the unmanned cargo ship, Tianzhou-1 has successfully docked with Tiangong-2 three times, demonstrating docking and refueling. 

The Donald's end to the "War on Coal" is failing, coming up against reality

The  Los Angeles Times posted a story yesterday about the communities in coal country are realizing The Donald's promises to end the "war on coal" are nothing but empty.  The Donald deluded himself and others into thinking that America's push to have cleaner and renewable sources of energy was an all-out battle to destroy the coal industry.

Whether or not coal country towns like Homer City, Pennsylvania believed The Donald and his campaign promises, they are finding out that that there is no war on coal, people are just, moving toward better options, like wind and natural gas.

Just two months ago, TEPA Administration Scott Pruitt claimed thousands of jobs had been created in coal mining, but reality showed a completely different story.

Read the story here:

The Donald has now declared a war on the environment although he does not see it as such.  But by rolling back protections preventing the pollution of our waters, air and soil, he has.  Although both The Donald and Pruitt deny the climage is changing, there is insurmountable data showing not only climate change, but global warming as well.  There is no data to disprove this, yet they insist on burying their heads in the sand.

Unfortunately, that does not leave places like Homer City with many options.  Read the story here:

http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-coal-climate-201710-htmlstory.html 


View the video here:

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut James Newman!

James Hansen Newman, born October 16, 1956 in what is now the Federated States of Micronesia, is a veteran of four space shuttle flights.  After obtaining his doctoral degree in physics from Rice University, he completed an additional year of post-doc work and began his astronaut training in July 1990.

His first space shuttle mission was aboard Discovery (STS-51) in September 1993. Although manay scientific experiements were carried out, the main focus of the mission was repairing the Hubble Telescope.  Newman and Carl Walz performed a 7-hour EVA as part of the Hubble repair.

His second flight was STS-69, aboard Endeavour in September 1995.  It was the 100th successful manned NASA flights, not counting X-15s. 

Newman's third mission was on Endeavour again (STS-88) in December 1998.  Newman performed 3 EVAs with Jerry Ross completing the Unity module which is the first U.S.-built component of the International Space Station. 

His final flight was on Columbia (STS-109) in March 2002.  He participated in 2 of 5 spacewalks on this mission to do additional repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: John Leguizamo, actor extraordinaire!

I could not leave National Hispanic Heritage Month without celebrating my gorgeous boy John Leguizamo!  I first saw him in Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar.  As critics said, he steals the show.  Since then I've totally enjoyed him as Sid the sloth in the Ice Age movies.  The last one, Collision Course, isn't that good. :(

He has won an Obie Award, an Outer Critics Award and listed as one of twelve "Promising Actors of 1991".  He wrote and participated in "Spic-O-Rama" which won a Drama Desk Award and four Cable ACE Awards.

Leguizamo won an Outer Critics Circle Award and a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Solo Performance

Book review - "The Siren Queen" by Fiona Buckley

After the events of The Fugitive Queen, Ursula Blanchard de la Roche Stannard is still caught up in the conspiracies to put Mary Stuart on the throne of Scotland and eventually that of England as well. In The Siren Queen, Ursula and her current husband are contacted by the duke of Norfolk, wanting to betroth a young man in his employee to Ursula’s daughter Meg, who is not yet fourteen.  Ursula and Hugh decide to see what the duke has to offer. 

Ursula immediately dislikes the young man and plans to depart, but a messenger of the duke is stabbed as he is trying to deliver documents to the north.  Then another young man, a servant, is brutally murdered and hung up on a meat hook.  Like it nor not, Ursula is urged by Elizabeth’s Secretary of State Cecil Williams to find out why the men were killed.  She uncovers coded messages being passed between Norfolk and the conspirators with Mary. 

Thrown into this mix is Ursula’s woman Gladys, who, despite Ursula’s efforts to keep her clean and groomed, still manages to get accused of witchcraft.  Meg, being the sulky teenager, is in love with Edward Dean, the man Norfolk wants to betroth her to. 

As usual, Ursula engages in a lot of spying, eavesdropping and intercepting encoded messages to help Cecil get back in Elizabeth’s good graces.  She even has to speak to the Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley, one of the queen’s favorites.

The ending is a little predictable but it does have some exciting moments.  It isn’t on the level as The Fugitive Queen as intrigue, but The Siren Queen does have more of the whodunit element.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: John Olivas and Jose Hernandez, Mexican-American astronauts

John Daniel Olivas and Jose Moreno Hernandez, both born in California, are Mexican-American astronauts, who flew together on Discovery (STS-128) in August-September 2009.  It was the first Space Shuttle flight with two Hispanics on board. Olivas had flown on Atlantis (STS-117) in June 2007.  During mission STS-128, Olivas performed three EVAs.

Happy birthday, Michael Clifford, Space Shuttle astronaut

Michael "Rich" Clifford, born October 13, 1952 in San Bernadino, California, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights and one of the first astronauts to perform an EVA between two docked spacecraft.

His first trip to space was aboard Discovery (STS-53) in December 1992.  It was a mission supporting the Department of Defense.

His second flight was on Endeavour (STS-59) in April 1994. 

His third and final trip to space was aboard Atlantis (STS-76) in March 1996.  During this trip, he and fellow astronaut Linda Godwin performed the first EVA between two docked spacecraft, Atlantis and the space station Mir.

Clifford was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1994.

Sting releases "...Nothing Like the Sun" 1987

Sting released his second solo album ...Nothing Like the Sun, October 13, 1987.  Rolling Stone magazine listed it as one of the 100 Best  Albums of the Eighties.  It won Best British Album at the 1988 Brit Awards and received 3 Grammy nominations including Album of the Year.  The second single, Be Still My Beating Heart was nominated for Song of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.  It lost to Bobby McPherin's Don't Worry. Be Happy both times.  WTF?

In the U.S., the album went double-platinum.

This is my favorite song and video from the album: We'll  Be Together.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Nydia Velazquez, first Puerto Rican woman elected to Congress

Nydia Velazquez, born in Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, is the first Puerto Rican woman to be elected to Congress.  She has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1993 and represents New York City.

She has always been an  advocate for human and civil rights for Puerto Ricans.  According to wikipedia.com, her nickname is "la Luchadora" which means "the fighter".

Here she blasts The Donald for his treatment of Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nydia_Vel%C3%A1zquez

Soyuz 7 blasts off 1969

Anatoly Filipchenko, Vladislav Volkov, Viktor Gorbatko

As part of a joint mission, Soyuz 7 launched from Baikonur (where else) October 12, 1969 in the former Soviet Union to redezvous with Soyuz 6 and Soyuz 8.  It was the first time seven people were in space at once.  The Soyuz 7 crew consisted of Commander Anatoly Filipchenko, Flight Engineer Vladislav Volkov and research cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko.  They were to dock with Soyuz 8 and transfer crew while Soyuz 6 was to film the maneuver.

Due to equipment failures, the Soyuz cosmonauts did not achieve their objective.  The failure of this mission is probably what killed the Soviet program to send a man to the moon.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Sidney Gutierrez, first U.S.-born Hispanic astronaut

Sidney McNeill Gutierrez is an astronaut born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which makes him the first Hispanic astronaut born in the U.S.A.!  The previous Hispanic astronauts had been born elsewhere and some of them immigrated to the U.S., becoming naturalized citizens before going into space.

He has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Academy and was a member of their Parachute Team with over 550 jumps. He became an astronaut for NASA in 1985 and has flown on two Space Shuttle missions.

His first trip into space was as pilot for Columbia (STS-40) in June 1991.  It was also the first mission dedicated completely to life sciences and the first to carry 3 women crew members.

His second mission was as commander on the Endeavour (STS-59) in April 1994.  The mission's objective was to study the Earth and her atmosphere.

Shenzhou 6, China's 2nd manned mission to space, launched 2005

Shenzhou 6, China's second manned mission to space, launched October 12, 2005, just three days prior to the second anniversary of the launch of their first mission, Shenzhou 5.  Astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng spent 5 days in space, conducting science experiments. Nie Haisheng celebrated his 41st birthday in space.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Richard Cavazos, first Hispanic 4-Star General

Richard Edward Cavazos, born in Kingsville, Texas January 31, 1929, is the U.S. Army's first Hispanic 4-Star General.  After studying at the U.S. Army Command and Staff College, the British Army Staff College, the Armed Forces Staff College and the U.S. Army War College, he received basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia (I've been there!).  He was deployed to Korea with the 65th Infantry, which consisted of mostly of Puerto Rican natives.

He was awarded the Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions during the Korean War. 

In the Vietnam War, he was lieutenant colonel and was commander of the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry.  He was awarded a second Distinguished Service Cross for his heroic actions during an attack at Loc Ninh near the Cambodian border.

In 1976, he became the first Hispanic to attain the rank of brigadier general in the Army and in 1982, became the first Hispanic to become a 4-Star General.

His brother, Lauro Cavazos, is the first Hispanic to serve in the U.S. Cabinet, where he was Secretary of Education under Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.


I could not find any videos of Gen. Cavazos, but he is mentioned in this clip, which shows how distinguished his heritage is!

Discovery, 100th Space Shuttle mission, launched 2000

Front row (L-R): Melroy, Duffy; 

Back row (L-R): Chiao, Lopez-Alegria, McArthur, Wisoff, Wakata

Space Shuttle Discovery blasted off October 11, 2000 on the 100th mission (STS-92) of the space shuttle program.  Seven astronauts docked with the International Space Station for seven days and performed 4 EVAs.

Discovery's crew consisted of Commander Brian Duffy, Pilot Pamela Melroy (remember her? She was the one who had Alan Parsons Project's Prime Time as her wake up call!), Mission Specialist 1 Koichi Wakata (remember him?  He would be the first Japanese commander of the ISS!), Mission Specialist 2 William McArthur, Mission Specialist 3 Peter Wisoff, Mission Specialist 4 Michael Lopez-Alegria (remember him? He's the first Spanish-born astronaut in space!), and Mission Specialist 5 Leroy Chiao (remember him?  He's the one who saw UFO lights during an EVA!).

Billy Joel releases "Streetlife Serenade" 1974

My man Billy Joel released his third studio album, Streetlife Serenade, October 11, 1974.  It was the follow-up to Piano Man, but wasn't as successful although it did become certified platinum.  The biggest single from the album was The Entertainer which rose to #34 while Streetlife Serenade made it to #35.  Root Beer Rag is my favorite song!

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Latin and Hispanic superheroes!

Sunspot, Cecilia Reyes, Living Lightning

I know I should stick to factual human beings and not fictional ones but it does seem that Latins and Hispanics are not well represented in the superhero genre, but that is so not true.  Hispanic superheroes have been around since the 1960's at least. 

I decided to celebrate some of my favorite Hispanic superheroes:

Roberto “Bobby” da Costa (Sunspot). Mutant. First appearance Marvel Graphic Novel #4: The New Mutants September 1982. He has the ability to absorb and channel solar power.  He had an appearance in X-Men: Days of Future Past, played by Adan Canto.

Cecilia Reyes. Mutant. First appearance X-Men Vol 2 #65.    She can create a psioplasmic bio-field around herself as protection from kinetic impact, energy signatures, temperature changes, etc.  She is a skilled medical doctor and surgeon.

Miguel Santos (Living Lightning) First appearance Avengers West Coast #63 October 1990.  He gained his powers when he absorbed energy from an experimental lightning weapon, giving him the ability to transform his body into electrical plasma.  In this form, he can fly at sub-light speed, generate electrical power as shocks and form a protective electrical force field.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: George Zamka, first Colombian-American astronaut

Colonel George Zamka, born in Jersey City, New Jersey (in 1962!), is the first astronaut with Colombian (and Polish) ancestry to go to space. 

He graduated with a BS in Mathematics from the US Naval Academy and then was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the USMC.  He was the pilot of Discovery (STS-120) in October-November 2007 to the International Space Station.

He was commander of Endeavour (STS-130) in February 2010.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Frederick Riefkohl, first Puerto Rican recipient of Navy Cross

Rear Admiral Frederick Lois Riefkohl, born in Maunabo, Puerto Rico, is the first Puerto Rican to graduate from the US Naval Academy and the first Puerto Rican to be awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest award after the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War I.

As a lieutenant, Riefkohl served as Commander of the Armed Guard of the USS Philadelphia.  On August 2, 1917, a periscope was sighted and a torpedo passed under the stern of the ship.  A shot was fired, which struck close to the submarine, which then disappeared.  Lt. Riefkohl received the Navy Cross for  his bravery.

After WWI, Riefkohl assumed command of the USS Vincennes during WWII until it was destroyed by the Japanese at the Battle of Savo Island.



https://web.archive.org/web/20070926215707/http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor/1_Citations/01_wwi-nc/nc_02_WW1_Navy-SUB.html

Book review - "The Fugitive Queen" by Fiona Buckley

I found The Fugitive Queen by Fiona Buckley (pen name for Valerie Anand) to be one of her better novels.  This is her seventh in the series featuring Elizabethan sleuth Ursula Faldene Blanchard de la Roche Stannard.  She’s on her third husband and only in her early 30’s. 

In this story, the queen in the title refers to Mary, Queen of Scots, who has made it to England, making her cousin Elizabeth I very uneasy.  Ursula is “asked” by Queen Elizabeth to make a journey to Tyesdale, a parcel of land owned by Robert Dudley.  He is giving it go Ursula’s ward Penelope Mason as a dowry so she can attract a good husband.  Pen is not a looker by any means so finding a male suitor isn’t going to be easy. 

Ursula isn’t fooled since she is aware that the manor is close to Bolton, where Mary is housed.    She is instructed to give a private message to Mary from Elizabeth, but the queen’s man Cecil also wants her to find out if Mary had anything to do with the murder of her husband, Lord Darnley.  As in earlier novels, she knows she’s being tricked once again and has no choice to obey her queen.

This book reads more like an action novel rather than a mystery but it is a refreshing read.  There is plenty of intrigue to go around.  There are plots of treason, kidnapping, and revenge.  Imagine a spy story set in Elizabethan times. 

I’m not aware of the circumstances behind Mary’s bid to overthrow her cousin and assume the throne of England, as well as France and Scotland.  The Fugitive Queen is a work of fiction but seems as though it could be fact and it is fun and gives you a taste of life in late 1500’s England.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Joseph H. De Castro, first Hispanic recipient of Medal of Honor

Hispanics have served this country for decades and Corporal Joseph H. De Castro was the first Hispanic recipient of the U.S.'s highest distinction, the Medal of Honor.

Cpl. De Castro, born 1844 in Boston, Massachusetts, was a member of the all-volunteer 19th  Massachusetts Infantry.  He distinguished himself during Pickett's Charge in the Battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War.  According to Wikipedia, De Castro attacked a flag bearer of the Confederate's 19th Virginia Infantry, with a staff of his own colors.  He grabbed the Confederate flag and handed it to General Alexander S. Webb.

General Webb said, "At the instant a man broke through my lines and thrust a rebel battle flag into my hands. He never said a word and darted back. It was Corporal Joseph H. De Castro, one of my color bearers."

De Castro was one of seven men from the 19th Massachusetts Infantry to receive the Medal of Honor.

I could not find a picture or video of Corporal De Castro but here is a montage of Latino recipients of the Medal of Honor.

Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-112) launched 2002

Sandra Magnus, David Wolf, Pamela Melroy, Jeffrey Ashby, Peirs Sellers, Fydor Yurchikhin

Space Shuttle Atlantis took off from Kennedy Space Center  October 7, 2002 on mission STS-112.  Her crew consisted of Commander Jeffrey Ashby, Pilot Pamela Melroy, Mission Specialist 1 Piers Sellers, Mission Specialist 2 Sandra Magnus, Mission Specialist 3 David Wolf, and Mission Specialist Fyodor Yurchikhin.

During the launch, a chunk of foam broke off the external tank and created a 4"x3" dent in an attachment to one of the solid booster rocket.  Despite realizing the dangers of such an incident, NASA decided to continue with launches as scheduled.  Endeavour's flight in November 2002 went without incident.  The next flight was STS-107, Columbia, which ended in disaster.

Pam Melroy's wake up call on Day 10 was Prime Time from Alan Parsons Project!  What a gal!

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month - Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Star Trek: Voyager

I tend to stay away from celebrities, such as musicans, actors, athletes, when honoring someone's heritage.  I prefer to celebrate the trailblazers, the firsts, the ones making a difference in everyone's life.  But sometimes, I have to suspend that rule and talk about my favorites.  Especially the ones that appear in Star Trek.

Robert Beltran (Mexican-Native American heritage) and Roxann Dawson (nee Cabarello) are stars of Star Trek:Voyager.  I believe it was the first show in the series to feature Hispanic/Latin characters. A friend once complained to a group of our friends about how there were no Hispanic females on television.  If I was there, I would have told him about Ms. Dawson, who has played Lt. Torres in more than one TV show.

I always thought Commander Chakotay was the coolest member of Star Trek: Voyager, the best Number 1 and the most underutilized member of the cast.  Beltran won a Golden Eagle award for his portrayal of Commander Chakotay.

Happy birthday, Dutch astronaut André Kuipers

Andre Kuipers, born October 5, 1958 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, is the second Dutch citizen and the third Dutch-born astronaut in space.  The first Dutch-born astronaut, Lodewijk van den Berg was born in Zeeland but had become a U.S. citizen when he flew on the Space Shuttle, so was no longer a Dutch citizen. 

Kuipers was accepted into the ESA Astronaut Corps in 1998.  His first trip into space was aboard Soyuz TMA-4 in April 2004 to the International Space Station.  He conducted 21 experiments in just 11 days before returning to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-3.

He returned to space December 2011 aboard Soyuz TMA-03M to the ISS as the Flight Engineer and Medical Crew Officer.  He remained until July 1, 2012 when he returned to Earth.