Soyuz TMA-8 (Expedition 13) launched 2006

Soyuz TMA-8 crew (L-R): Marcos Pontes, Jeffrey Williams, Pavel Vinogradov

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-8, launched March 30, 2006, carried members of Expedition 13 to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Pavel Vinogradov (Roscosmos), Jeffrey Williams (NASA) and Marcos Pontes (first Brazilian astronaut).

Pontes spent about a week on the ISS and returned with the crew of Expedition 12 on Soyuz TMA-7.

Vinogradov and Williams stayed on the ISS until September 29 when they returned to Earth with space tourist Anousheh Ansari, the first Iranian in space and the first self-funded woman in space.  Ansari arrived at the ISS about a week before on Soyuz TMA-9.

Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" released 1963

Alfred Hitchcock released his horror masterpiece The Birds March 29, 1963 (the premiere was the day before in New York City).

Based on a story by Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca), it tells the story of a small coastal town in California inexplicably attacked by thousands of birds.  It starred Tippi Hedren, Rod Taylor, Suzanne Pleshette, Veronica Cartwright and Jessica Tandy.

It was nominated for an Academy Awards for Best Effects, Special Visual Effects (but lost to Cleopatra?[WTF?]).  Tippe Hedren won a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer - Female.  The Birds has been honored by the American Film Institute as the seventh greatest thriller.  Bravo awarded the scene when the birds attack the town as 96th on the 100 Scariest Movie Moments.

It won the Horror Hall of Fame award in 1991.

In 2016, it was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the U.S. Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

Star Trek episode "Assignment: Earth" airs 1968

Star Trek episode Assignment: Earth aired March 29, 1968, a pilot for a television series that never got off the ground.

The crew of the Enterprise is observing Earth history in 1968 when they intercept a transporter beam from a source at least a thousand light-years away.  A humanoid alien 'Gary Seven' and his black cat Isis appear on the ship.

He warns them that he needs to accomplish a mission to save Earth.  Kirk and Spock soon learn Isis change change into a beautiful woman.  The Enterprise crew must determine if they can trust Gary Seven.

Along with the regular cast, this episode starrred Robert Lansing as Gary Seven, Teri Garr as Roberta Lincoln and Barbara Babcock as the voice of the computer and the cat.  Playboy Playmate of 1968 Victoria Vetri played the human form of Isis.

According to imdb.com, Teri Garr had an unpleasant time filming this episode that she refused to talk about Star Trek again.

It was a good episode but since it was meant to be a pilot, the regular crew had little more than cameos.  A pity, because it seemed like it would have been an interesting series.

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Aleksandr Viktorenko!

Aleksandr Viktorenko, born March 29, 1947 in the former Soviet Union, is a veteran of four Soyuz missions.

His first mission was as Commander of Soyuz TM-3, which launched July 1987 to the space station Mir. The flight was notable since fellow cosmonaut Muhammed Faris, was the first Syrian in space.  They made up the crew of Mir EP-1, but they were not a long-term duration crew.  They returned aboard Soyuz TM-2 about a week later.

His second mission was also as Commander aboard Soyuz TM-8 to Mir.  He and fellow cosmonaut Aleksandr Serebrov were the 5th long term crew, Mir EO-5.  They launched September 5, 1989 and returned February 19, 1990, after 166 days in space.

His third flight as commander was aboard Soyuz TM-14 to Mir, which launched March 17, 1992.  It was the first Russian mission after the collapse of the Soviet Union.  With Aleksandr Kaleri, they made up Mir EO-11 and retunred to Earth August 10, after 149 days in space.

Viktorenko's fourth and final mission was Commander on Soyuz TM-20 to Mir in October 1994, where he and Yelena Kondakova were crew Mir EO-17.  They returned to Earth in March 1995 after 169 days in space.

In total, Viktorenko has spent a total of 489 days in space.  He retired May 30, 1997.

"The Grand Budapest Hotel" premiered 2014

One of the funniest movies ever, The Grand Budapest Hotel, premiered March 28, 2014. It had an amazing cast including Ralph Fiennes, F. Murray Abraham, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Jeff Goldblum, just to name a few.

Set between the world wars in the fictional country, Republic of Zubrowka, Gustave H. (Fiennes) is a concierge of a famous hotel.  He befriends Zero Moustafa, the lobby boy, who tells the story from the vantage point of his older self (Abraham). It involves a theft of a painting Boy With An Apple and the family inheritance of  Gustave's elderly lover (Swinton). 

It is a wonderful blend of dark humor and slapstick with beautiful cinematography.  With a cast that includes the Incredible Hulk, the Goblin and Voldemort, how can you go wrong?

Wubbo Ockels, first Dutch astronaut, born 1946

Wubbo Ockels, born March 28, 1946 in the Netherlands, was the first Dutch citizen in space.  He flew aboard Challenger (STS-61-A) October-November 1985, as a payload specialist.  The mission was funded and directed by West Germany, and carried two Germans Reinhard Furrer and Ernst Messerschmid.

It was Ockels only trip into space.  He passed away from kidney cancer in May 2014.

Twilight Zone episode "I am the night, color me black" airs 1964

Probably one of the best episodes of The Twilight Zone, not because of its creepiness, but because its message is still relevant today, over five decades later.  Have we learned anything since then?

I am intrigued by Rod Serling's choice of Ivan Dixon as the priest.  The only non-stereotypical role was given to a black man.  Certainly interesting given the premise of the episode.  Also, Serling's choice to cast George Lindsey, ever lovable Goober, as the hate-filled deputy.

This is one to watch over and over.  And take a lesson.

Climate Change Tutorial in San Francisco: Chevron agrees climate is changing

March 21, 2018, U.S. District Judge William Alsup held an unusual hearing in San Francisco, a 'tutorial' on climate change.  Climatologists from the U.S. and England presented their findings to an attorney from Chevron, who was representing five big oil companies being sued by Oakland, San Francisco and other cities to recover costs associated with the changing climate.  Chevron, Exxon, Shell, BP and Conoco Phillips are listed in the lawsuit.  The cities are seeking costs to pay for sea walls and other shoreline defenses to protect against rising sea levels. Read the lawsuit below (7).

Myles Allen, head of the Climate Dynamics group at the University of Oxford's Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics Department, talked about the early history and research of climate science, which goes back FIVE decades.

Dr. Gary Griggs, Distinguished Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of California Santa Cruz, talked about what a sea-level rise would mean for Oakland International Airport, which sits on a landfill.  Even an extra foot of water would be detrimental to bayfront areas.

Dr. Don Wuebbles, Department of Atmospheric Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, discussed the increasing trends in California's wildfires, which are burning bigger and hotter than ever.

The oil companies' attorney Theodore Boutrous agreed with the assessments, but then put an emphasis on the "uncertainty of climate science".  But at least both sides appear to agree: The climate is changing and is driven by human activity, leading to an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.  Back in August 2017, a group of Harvard researchers found evidence that Exxon misled the public on climate science and promoted doubt about global warming.

It is interesting to note that Chevron did NOT bring expert scientists to

Their lawyer did mention a report from from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2013, which included mitigation plans for climate impacts by reducing emissions but Boutrous hardly mentioned them. Shocking.

What he did emphasize was the five-year old report citing population growth, not energy production, that is driving the spike of greenhouse gases.  The oil companies' lawyer also blamed Congress for encouraging oil and gas development.

So, Julie Kelly at the Federalist, which of these expert scientists' reports are bogus? Go ahead.  I'll wait.

1. https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/03/21/unusual-court-hearing-on-climate-change-underway-in-san-francisco-court/
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myles_Allen
3. https://eps.ucsc.edu/faculty/Profiles/singleton.php?&singleton=true&cruz_id=griggs
4. https://www.atmos.illinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?siteId=127458&pageId=151986
5. http://www.businessinsider.com/oil-companies-climate-change-tutorial-in-court-2018-3
6. http://www.businessinsider.com/r-harvard-researchers-say-exxon-misled-public-on-climate-science-2017-8
7. https://rclutz.wordpress.com/2018/03/03/cal-court-to-hear-climate-tutorial/
8. http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2018/03/big_oil_lawyer_emphasizes_clim.html
9. https://www.chron.com/news/science/article/The-Latest-Judge-Climate-tutorial-intended-to-12770460.php
10. http://thefederalist.com/2018/03/23/successful-climate-pressure-tactics-paved-way-gun-control-bullying/#disqus_thread

Mariner 7, mission to Mars, launched 1969

Mariner 7, the second of twin space probes to Mars, was launched March 27, 1969, about a month after Mariner 6 was launched. 

Less than a week before its closest approach, Jet Propulsion Laboaratory lost contact with Mariner 7 on July 29, but they managed to find a signal using a backup low-gain antenna and then regained use of a high-gain antenna.  Mariner 7 made its closest approach to the Red Planet August 5.  After its pass, it was deactivated in December 1970 and now is in a heliocentric orbit.

"Pac-Man Fever" breaks into the Top 10 1982

Pac-Man Fever reached its peak, #9, on the Billboard Hot 100, March 27, 1982.  It is the only song about a video game to achieve this much success.  Released in December 1981, songwriting duo Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia wrote the song after playing Pac-Man for two hours.  The song is about someone who plays too much Pac-Man.

They got a friend of these who was a DJ on a morning show on an Atlanta radio station to play it.  It got the attention of CBS Records, who approached them to issue it as a single in wide-release.  Then CBS decided to cash in on the craze and decided they wanted a whole album of video-game themed songs.

The single Pac-Man Fever sold over two million copies and was certified Gold, but the album did not do as well, as none of the other singles did.  Do The Donkey Kong only reached #103.

VH-1 listed it as #98 on the best 100 One-Hit Wonders of the 1980s. 




http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2070

Soyuz TMA-14 launched 2009

From left to right: Charles Simonyi, Gennadi Padalka, Michael Barratt

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-14, launched March 26, 2009, carried two members of Expedition 19 to the International Space Station.  Its crew was Gennady Padalka (Roscosmos) and Michael Barratt (NASA).  Also on board was a space tourist Charles Simonyi, who was traveling on his second self-funded flight to the space station.

Padalka and Barratt stayed on the ISS throughout Expeditions 19 and 20 and returned to Earth, October 11, 2009.  Another space tourist, Guy Laliberte from Canada, returned with them. 

Roscosmos and nations' space program invited children from ages 6-15 to design and submit a patch for Soyuz TMA-14.  The winner was Anna Chibiskova from Moscow.  Her artwork was incorporated into the patch. 

Pruitt touts ‘transparency’ and ‘professionalism’ while practicing neither

Pruitt is doing nothing to hide his corruption, will stoop to any level necessary and spout lies and half-truths to further his own disastrous policies.  And when his lies are so blatant and obvious, the ass-kissers at the Oklahoma Editorial Board fawn over every word he speaks, like a teen-aged girl glued to the radio when her favorite boy band releases a new song.

Pruitt could say the sky is green (he might have already said it), the OEB will jump on that story and say what a great guy he is for finally setting the record straight, after years and years of fake science telling us it is blue.  Last week, in a move that surprised no one except for Trumpsters, Pruitt announced that the TEPA will no longer use “secret science” on which to base regulations.  The OEB says it is “a sound move in line with basic scientific transparency and professionalism”. 

Only the OEB would buy a load of crap like that.  Pruitt has never been transparent during his regime at the TEPA, even going as far to spend over $40,000 on a phone booth so his phone calls could be private.  The NRDC has to sue just to get access to documents that are meant for public consumption.  Doesn’t sound like transparency or professionalism.

There’s no “secret science”. Pruitt is lying.

The OEB quoted Lamar Smith, chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, and major opponent of science, and climate-change denier, Smith said the EPA had “routinely relied on questionable science based on nonpublic information that could not be reproduced, a basic requirement of the scientific method.”  Smith actually filed suit against the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, claiming the all the data supporting global warming, published in Science in 2015 was fake.  After a year of reviewing all the data, the independent firm hired to investigate concluded that the data was real. 

When scientists were at the helm of the EPA (the old ways), they would not base any policy if the scientific data could not be reproduced. 

That’s the basic requirement of the scientific method.

http://newsok.com/ban-on-secret-science-in-epa-regulation-makes-sense/article/5588210

Happy birthday, cosmonaut Yuri Gidzenko!

Yuri Gidzenko, born March 26, 1962 in Ukraine, has flown on Soyuz spacecraft and a space shuttle, and has spent time on both Mir and the International Space Station.

His first trip into space was as Commander aboard Soyuz TM-22, launched September 3, 1995 to the space station Mir, as part of the twentieth expedition, Mir EO-20.  He remained on board until February 29, 1996.

His second trip into space was as Commander of Soyuz TM-31, launched October 31, 2000, which carried Sergei Krikalev and William Shepherd (NASA), for the first long-duration ISS crew. Expedition 1.  They returned to Earth aboard Discovery (STS-102) in March 2001.

Gidzenko's third and final flight was Commander aboard Soyuz TM-34, launched April 25, 2002, to the ISS.  Then he remained on ISS for about 10 days and returned aboard Soyuz TM-33 May 5, 2002.

Happy birthday, Gemini and Apollo astronaut Jim Lovell!

Jim Lovell, born March 25, 1928 in Cleveland, Ohio, made two flights in NASA's Gemini program and two in the Apollo program, including the Apollo 13 mission.  He was the first person to go into space four times, is one of twenty-four people to fly to the moon, and one of three people to fly to the moon twice, although he did not make a landing.

His first mission was pilot on Gemini VII with Command Pilot Frank Borman in December 1965, and they spent 14 days in orbit.

His second flight was as Commander of Gemini XII with pilot Buzz Aldrin in November 1966. They performed three EVAs and conducted the fourth space docking with the Agena target vehicle, proving men could work outside a spacecraft, which paved the way for sending men to the moon.

His third flight was on Apollo 8 as Command Module Pilot with Frank Borman and William Anders in December 1968.  It was the second manned mission of the Apollo program and the first to leave Earth's orbit, reach the moon, orbit it and then return safely to Earth.

Lovell's fourth and final flight was as Commander aboard Apollo 13, with Jack Swigert and Fred Haise in April 1970.  The disaster that occurred during the mission has been immortalized in the movie Apollo 13.  Tom Hanks portrayed Jim Lovell in the movie.  Lovell is the one who uttered the famous phrase:  "Houston, we've had a problem."

Atlantis (STS-45) launched 1992

Seated (L-R): Brian Duffy, Charles Bolden; 

Standing (L-R): Byron Lichtenberg, Michael Foale, David Leestma, Kathryn Sullivan, Dirk Frimout

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-45), launched March 24, 1992, was the 11th flight of Atlantis.  Its crew consisted of Commander Charles Bolden, Pilot Brian Duffy, Mission Specialist Kathryn Sullivan, Mission Specialist David Leestma, Mission Specialist Michael Foale, Payload Specialist Dirk Frimout (first Belgian in space), and Payload Specialist Byron Lichtenberg. 

During the mission, the crew carried out many scientific experiments.  The original mission was extended for a day so the crew could conduct more experiments.

They returned to Earth April 2.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut Scott Horowitz!

Scott J. Horowitz, born March 24, 1957 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a veteran of four space shuttle missions.  He obtained a degree in engineering from California State University, Northridge and then a doctorate from Georgia Institute of Technology.

After completing the US Air Force Test Pilot School in 1990, he was selected as an astronaut by NASA in 1992.

His first mission was as pilot aboard Columbia (STS-75) February-March 1996.  STS-75 also had the distinction of being the first flight with two Italians on board, Maurizio Cheli and Umberto Guidoni.

Horowitz served as pilot aboard Discovery (STS-82) in February 1997.  It was NASA's second mission to the Hubble Space Telescope for repairs.

His third mission was on board Atlantis (STS-101) as pilot to the International Space Station in May 2000.

His fourth and final mission was as commander on Discovery (STS-105) to the ISS in August 2001.

Since October 2007, Horowitz has been an advocate for reorienting NASA's plans for the human exploration of Mars.

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover celebrates 2000 Martian days

NASA's Curiosity rover has just passed a new milestone yesterday.  It has been exploring the Red Planet for two thousand Martian days, or sols (about 2054 Earth days).

Launched November 26, 2011, the rover landed August 6, 2012 on Aeolis Palus in the Gale Crater.  In December 2012, Curiosity's two year mission was extended indefinitely.  So far, it has traveled over 11 miles since it began its exploration.

ZZ Top releases "Eliminator" 1983

ZZ Top released their 8th and most successful album Eliminator March 23, 1983.  It reached Diamond status with sales over 10 million copies in the U.S.  Rolling Stone ranked it as one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and it is listed as #39 of the top 100 Greatest Albums of the 80s.

ZZ Top released five singles from the album: Gimme All your Lovin', Got Me Under Pressure, TV Dinners, Sharp Dressed Man and Legs.

The video for Legs won an MTV Music Video Award for Best Group Video in 1984.

Columbia (STS-3) launched 1982

STS-3 crew: Jack Lousma, Gordon Fullerton

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-3), the third mission of NASA's shuttle program, launched March 22, 1982.  Its crew consisted of Commander Jack Lousma and Pilot Gordon Fullerton.

During the flight, the crew discovered that prolonged exposure to the sun caused the cargo bay doors to warp slightly, which prevented them from closing properly.  They found that if they rolled the orbiter to balance temperatures, the bay doors closed completely.

They returned to Earth March 30, landing at White Sands, New Mexico because of flooding at Edwards Air Force Base, the original landing site.

Happy birthday, Musa Manarov, first Azerbaijani cosmonaut!

Musa Manarov, born March 22, 1951 in Baku, Azerbaijan, is the first citizen from his country to go into space. 

His first mission to space was as flight engineer aboard Soyuz TM-4 to Mir in December 1987.  He was part of the Mir EO-3 expedition, which lasted until the following December, spending 366 days in space.  He returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-6.

His second mission was aboard Soyuz TM-11 in December 1990 to Mir.  He was part of the Mir EO-8 expedition and returned to Earth May 1991.

Soyuz MS-08 launched yesterday!

Soyuz MS-08 crew (L-R): Ricky Arnold, Oleg Artemyev, Andrew Feustel 

Mission patch

Soyuz MS-08, launched yesterday, March 21, 2018, is on its way to the International Space Station, carrying members of Expedition 55 and 56. Its crew consists of Commander Oleg Artemyev (Roscosmos), Andrew Feustel and Richard "Ricky" Arnold, both of NASA.  They will dock with the station tomorrow, March 23.

They will join the current crew, Anton Shkaplerov, Scott Tingle and Norishige Kanai, already on board.

Ranger 9 launched 1965

Image of the lunar surface from Ranger 9

Ranger 9, launched March 21, 1965, was the fourth of the Block 3 Ranger spacecraft sent to the moon.  It reached the moon three days later and took 5814 pictures of the final 19 minutes of flight, before it impacted the lunar surface in the Alphonsus crater.

"Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla" released 1974

Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, released March 21, 1974, is the 14th film in the Godzilla franchise.  It was released in a very limited run in the U.S. in 1977.  Cinema Shares released the movie as Godzilla vs the Bionic Monster, but Universal Television threatened to sue them for the use of the word 'bionic' because Universal owned The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman so Cinema Shares changed the name to Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster.

The film is the first appearance of King Caesar, the guardian of an ancient Japanese family.  He is awakened to help Godzilla defeat Mechagodzilla, who has been sent by the Aliens from the Third Planet of the Black Hole to conquer Earth.

It starred veteran Godzilla actors Akihiko Hirata and Kenji Sahara.

Happy birthday, Belgian astronaut Dirk Frimout!

Dirk Dries David Damiaan, Viscount Frimout, born March 21, 1941 in Poperinge, Belgium, flew into space aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-45) March-April 1992 as a Payload Specialist for the European Space Agency.  He is the first Belgian in space.

His flight made him famous in Belgian and a ticket tape parade was organized for him upon his return.

Donna Summer releases "Another Place and Time" 1989

Donna Summer released her fourteenth studio album Another Place and Time, March 20, 1989.  She broke away from her label Geffen Records, with whom she had released much of her 80's work, and went with producer Stock Aitken Watermen.

She released the first single This Time I Know It's for Real a month before the album was released and it became her biggest hit from the album.

Another Place and Time was certified gold in the UK.

The Twilight Zone episode "The Masks" airs 1964

Ida Lupino directed this classic episode of the Twilight Zone, The Masks which first aired March 20, 1964.  It is the only episode directed by a woman and Lupino is the only person to have appeared in an episode and to direct an episode. 

Wealthy Jason Foster is dying in his New Orleans mansion no Mardi Gras, and has his considerably-less-than-loving family to be with him.  He makes them wear hideous masks until midnight or they lose out on their inheritance.  Each mask mirrors their own deplorable personalities.  I won't put any spoilers here but one can see where this is headed when the family is allowed to remove their masks.

The Masks keeps appearing on lists of the best episodes or the scariest episodes of the Twilight Zone.  Interestingly, the son is played by Alan Sues, who plays a sadistic thug, but went a few years later went on to star in the over-the-top comedy Laugh-In.

Greed and lies. Now Pruitt adds hate to the EPA's agenda.

From the beginning, everyone knew, and yet nobody was denying it, Scott Pruitt was the absolute worst choice to become Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.  Mainly, it is his track record as Attorney General of Oklahoma that made him uniquely unqualified to sit in that seat:  He sued the EPA several times, seeking regulatory freedom for the oil and gas industries.  Pruitt opposed anything, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Clean Power Act, anything that would allow the oil and gas industries, which donated heavily to his campaign to become their lawyer, free reign to pollute our atmosphere, water and soil. 

His greed has been apparent for a long time, and still, he does nothing to deny it. 

Now he has added another evil, hate, to his greed and lies. 

Last week, twenty eight senators, including Ben Cardin and Chris VanHollen of Maryland, sent a letter to Pruitt urging him not to roll back restrictions on the use of dangerous pesticides by young workers, i.e. youngsters under the age of 18.  According to the Huffington Post, the American Farm Bureau lobbied the TEPA after the EPA under Obama finalized these rules.  They argued that the regulations were too tight, probably because minors tend to work cheaper than adults.  Since immediate family members are exempted from those rules, it is likely the opponents to these rules are wanting to hire young workers who might be migrants who speak little if any English and do not understand their rights. 

This attack on children’s health comes as no surprise for anyone watching Pruitt and the TEPA.  Back in May 2015, Pruitt delayed the ban of chlorpyrifos, an insecticide that exposure to which causes health problems in young children, especially between the ages of 2-3.  Pruitt has moved the decision on the ban back to 2022.  His excuse?  He says there “continue to be considerable areas of uncertainty” and he was “returning to sound science in decision-making rather than predetermined results”.  Pruitt does not give any clarity of what he has determined to be “sound science”.  Accusing an institution like Columbia University of falsifying data and information is just deplorable.  Sound familiar?

Apparently, Pruitt made this decision after a brief meeting with Dow Agro Sciences LLC, the manufacturer of the insecticide.  And still he claims that he doesn’t meet with polluters.  There is no basis for delaying this ban.

When it comes to the health of our children, we should always err on the side of caution and nothing is too safe for our children.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/senators-rebuke-epa-plan-to-let-kids-handle-pesticides-again_us_5aa943f5e4b0f7a689ce9b11

http://alan-scott.blogspot.com/2017/05/our-children-are-doomedpruitts-epa.html

Oklahoma Editorial Board ignores reason for nation-wide high school protests

High school students in Edmond, Oklahoma during Wednesday's walkout

The boneheads on the Oklahoma Editorial Board must be a grumpy lot.  Reading their articles, I get the feeling they are happiest when they have something to complain about.  Saturday, they had a chance to show support for nation-wide walkouts by high school students demanding safer gun controls.  They could have helped send the message across the state.

What did they do?  Complain.  Criticize.  It's what they do best.  They know what the protests are about but they don't care.

The headline is "Student Protestors Muddle Their Message".  Then they cite one isolated case where a brawl ensued with one student getting arrested and another injured.  It occured at Glenpool High School near Tulsa.  Although the overwhelmingly majority of protests occured without incidents, the OEB has to use an obscure event to cast a pall over the entire movement.  Even I had to look up Glenpool to find out where it is.

I suppose they felt they needed additional corroboration to support their argument, so they quoted two teens "whining".  One felt that the football field was the worst place to demonstrate because few adults would see them. 

It worked for many other schools around the nation.  Did it hurt Norman High School's case or were you just mad they didn't do what YOU wanted to do.

The second whine came from an 8th grader who complained she was “not permitted to talk about many of the topics I wanted to talk about.”  What did they talk about?  Gun safety?  Or did they not consult YOU when asked about topics. 

The OEB admits these are minor, so why make them the majority of your op-ed?  Where is your support for students and their call for safer gun controls...oh, right.  It's Oklahoma. 

Even then, they can't resist a jibe from their ivory tower and tell students to study civil rights protests to see what real opposition looks like.  Yes, that is a good point.  Oklahoma was always on the opposite side of the civil rights movement.  So, is their jibe a warning instead?




http://newsok.com/oklahoma-scissortales-student-protesters-muddle-their-message/article/5587391

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/crimewatch/glenpool-high-school-student-arrested-another-injured-during-dispute-over/article_63ed0754-5f27-5267-bd0a-7b5fa5a5808c.html

Soyuz TMA-20M launched 2016

Soyuz TMA-20M crew (L-R): Jeff Williams, Aleksey Ovchinin and Oleg Skripochka

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-20M, launched March 18, 2016, is the 129th Soyuz mission and the last flight of the Soyuz TMA-M class spacecraft, being replaced by the Soyuz-MS later in 2016.  Its crew consisted of Commander Aleksey Ovchinin, Flight Engineer Oleg Skripochka, and Flight Engineer Jeffrey Williams of NASA.

They formed Expeditions 47 and 48 aboard the International Space Station and stayed until September 2016, when they returned to Earth.

During August 2016, they captured stunning video of Hurricanes Lester and Madeline in the Atlantic Ocean and Hurricane Gaston in the Pacific Ocean.

Happy birthday, Ruth Pointer!

Still beautiful and still so excited, Ruth Pointer, member of the awesome Pointer Sisters, was born March 19, 1946 in Oakland, California.  She joined her younger sisters, Anita, June and Bonnie in 1972, making the group a quartet.  They released their first album The Pointer Sisters in 1973.

Bonnie left the group after their third album, Steppin' and they continued as a trio. 

In 1990, Ruth married Michael Sayles (her final husband) and in 1993 gave birth to twins at age 47.  She continues to perform with her daughter Issa and her grandaughter Sadako. 

She sings lead on Neutron Dance and Back in My Arms. 

I read her autobiography Still So Excited back in January.  Such a great woman!

Irving Berlin publishes "Alexander's Ragtime Band" 1911

Alexander's Ragtime Band, written by Irving Berlin, was published March 18, 1911.  It is considered a sequel to Alexander and his Clarinet, which he co-wrote with Ted Snyder in 1910 but it was a much bigger hit.  It sold a million copies of sheet music in one year.

Of course, with success comes controversy.  It was alleged that Berlin did not write the song but was written by Lukie Johnson, a pianist who denied the claim.  Then it was claimed that Berlin stole the music from Scott Joplin, from his opera Treemonisha, although it was registered for a copyright two months after Alexander's Ragtime Band.  Joplin passed away in 1917 still convinced his work had been stolen.

It was played on the Titanic while it was sinking.

In the years since its publication, it has been covered by many different artists including Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, the Andrews Sisters and Ella Fitzgerald who won a Grammy for her Berlin anthology in 1959.

Nat King Cole born 1919

Nat King Cole, born March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama as Nathaniel Adams Coles, had one of the most recognizable and velvety voices ever.  He dropped out of high school to pursue a career in music.  As a member of the King Cole Trio, he recorded Sweet Lorraine in 1940 which became his first hit.

November 5, 1956, the Nat King Cole show debuted on NBC, which was the first variety program to be hosted by an African-American.  It failed due to the lack of a national sponsor, despite the efforts of friends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Eartha Kitt to keep it on air.  A year later, the last show aired December 17, but it was Cole, not NBC who ended the program.

He recorded Unforgettable in 1951, which was edited and remixed in 1991 to create a duet with his daughter Natalie.  Her version reached won three Grammys in 1992, Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance.

Nat King Cole's original recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. 

His last album L-O-V-E was recorded in December 1964 before he entered the hospital for cancer treatment and released just before he died February 1965. 

He was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990.

James Irwin, Apollo 15 astronaut, born 1930

James Irwin, born March 17, 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the eighth person to walk on the moon as part of the Apollo 15 mission.  Launched July 26, 1971, Irwin served as the Lunar Module Pilot and explored the lunar surface with David Scott.  Irwin became the first automobile passenger on the moon, taking rides in the Lunar Rover while Scott drove.

After working for about 23 hours, flight surgeons on Earth noticed Irwin was having irregularities in his heart rhythms.  His heart had developed bigeminy, a continuous alternation of long and short heart beats.  Essentially he was having a heart attack.  If he was on Earth, flight surgeon Dr. Charles Berry said he would have put him in an ICU, but the lunar module had 100% oxygen atmosphere and in zero gravity so he was already in the best of circumstances.  Once Irwin returned to Earth, the symptoms did not recur.

But Irwin did develop coronary problems later in life, after leaving NASA, and passed away from a heart attack on August 8, 1991.

Soyuz TM-14 launched 1992

Soyuz TM-14 crew: Klaus-Dietrich Flade, Alexandr Viktorenko, Alexander Kaleri

Soyuz TM-14, launched March 17, 1992, was the 14th expedition to Mir and the first Russian Soyuz mission after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Its crew consisted of Commander Alexandr Viktorenko, Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri, and Research Cosmonaut Klaus-Dietrich Flade from Germany.  The Russians returned to Earth with Michel Tognini (who arrived on Mir on Soyuz TM-15) August 10.  Flade remained on Mir and returned on Soyuz TM-13.

Happy birthday, space shuttle astronaut Michael Bloomfield!

Michael Bloomfield, born March 16, 1959 in Flint, Michigan, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights.

His rookie flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-86) to Mir as pilot September-October 1997.

His second mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-97) to the International Space Station as pilot in December 2000.  The mission delivered supplies to the crew of the ISS.

His third and final flight was on Atlantis (STS-110) in April 2002 as commander.

Happy birthday, Apollo and Space Shuttle astronaut Ken Mattingly!

Ken Mattingly, born March 17, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, is one of twenty-four people to fly to the moon.  Mattingly was Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 16 mission in April 1972.  During the return portion of the mission, he performed an EVA to retrieve film and data packages from the science bay on the side of the service module.

He had been assigned to be Command Module Pilot for Apollo 13 but was scrubbed only 72 hours before, due to being exposed to the measles.  Gary Sinise played Mattingly in the movie Apollo 13.

During the space shuttle program, Mattingly commanded Columbia (STS-4) with Henry Harsfield June-July 1982, the final test flight for the shuttle.

He commanded Discovery (STS-51-C) in January 1985, the first space shuttle mission dedicated to the Department of Defense.

Mariner 10 makes third, final, and closest flyby of Mercury 1975

Mariner 10 made its third and last flyby of the planet Mercury, March 16, 1975.  The probe was launched November 3, 1973, the last of NASA's Mariner program and made a flyby of Venus February 5, 1974. 

It made three flybys of Mercury, the last being the closest at 203 miles above the surface near the north pole.  Mariner 10 discovered a tenuous atmosphere consisting of helium, a magnetic field and a large, iron-rich core.  Daytime temperatures can reach 369 °F and nighttime temperatures can drop as low as -297 °F.

Mariner 10 remains in orbit around the sun.

Discovery (STS-119) launched 2009

Front row (L–R) Tony Antonelli, Lee Archambault. 

Back row (L–R) Joe Acaba, John L. Phillips, Steven Swanson, Richard Arnold, Koichi Wakata.

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-119) was launched March 15, 2009, the 125th shuttle mission and 28th trip to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Lee Archambault, Pilot Tony Antonelli, Joe Acaba, Steven Swanson, Richard Arnold, John L. Phillips and Koichi Wakata from JAXA.

A free-tailed bat was seen clinging to a fuel tank during the launch.  NASA observers thought it was have flown off once the shuttle started to launch but it did not.  A bat doctor analyzed the pictures and believed that it might have had a broken wing which is why it didn't fly away.  It probably was shaken off and incinerated in the rocket exhaust. 

They docked with the ISS on March 17 and crew performed three EVAs during the mission.  Wakata remained on board the ISS as part of Expedition 18.  Sandra Magnus, another member of Expedition 18, returned to Earth with the STS-119 crew March 28.

Happy birthday, Alan Bean, Apollo and Skylab astronaut!

Alan Bean, born March 15, 1932 in Wheeler, Texas (that's in the panhandle just north of Shamrock), made his first trip into space aboard Apollo 12, becoming the fourth man to walk on the moon.    NASA slected him as part of Astronaut Group 3 in 1963 and was assigned backup command pilot for Gemini X.  He was assigned as backup crew for Apollo 9 when fellow astronaut Clifton Williams was killed when his T-38 jet trainer crashed.

Bean was launched on Apollo 12 in November 1969.  The spacecraft was struck by lightning 36 seconds after launch and Bean restored telemetry by executing the "Flight, try SCE to 'Aux'" task.  The lunar lander touched down in the Ocean of Storms within walking distance of the probe Surveyor 3, which had landed in April 1967.  Bean and Pete Conrad removed parts of the probe to return to Earth for testing. 

Bean was then assigned as commander of Skylab 3, with Owen Garriott and Jack Lousma.  During the mission, Bean tested a prototype of the Manned Maneuvering Unit and performed an EVA outside Skylab.

He resigned from NASA in June 1981 to devote time to his painting.

Soyuz TM-21 launched 1995

From left to right: Norman Thagard, Vladimir Dezhurov, Gennady Strekalov

Mission patch

Soyuz TM-21, launched March 14, 1995, carried the first American on a Soyuz spacecraft and to board Mir.  The crew consisted of Vladimir Dezhurov, Flight Engineer Gennady Strekalov and Research cosmonaut Norman Thagard.  They would be expedition Mir EO-18.

It was the first time ever that thirteen humans had been in space simultaneously: 3 aboard Soyuz, 3 aboard Mir and 7 aboard Endeavour (STS-67)

Giotto spacecraft flies by Halley's Comet 1986

Launched July 2, 1985 by the European Space Agency, the spacecraft Giotto made its closest approach to Halley's Comet, March 14, 1986.  Giotto passed less than 600 km from the comet's nucleus and sent back stunning pictures.  It survived several impacts from small objects and one even knocked it off its axis so its antenna did not point toward Earth and its on-board instruments were not protected by its dust shield.

Thirty-two minutes later it re-oriented itself and continued sending back data.  The Halley Multicolor Camera was destroyed by an impact but not before Giotto made its closest approach.

The following day, ESA turned off its instruments until July 2, 1990 when Giotto was reactivated so it could make a flyby of Comet Grigg-Skjellerup in July 1992, making it the first probe to visit two comets.

Giotto was part of a "Halley Armada" which was composed of several probes from different space agencies.  The Soviets sent Vega 1 and Vega 2.  Vega 1 made its closes approach, just under 9000 km, on March 6 and Vega 2 followed on March 9. 

The Japanese also sent two, Sagigake (March 11) and Suisei (March 8), but their closest approaches were about 1M km.

Def Leppard releases "On Through the Night" 1980

Def Leppard released their debut album On Through the Night, March 14, 1980.  Although it only reached No. 51 on the Billboard 200, it received positive reviews and was certified platinum in May 1989. 

It featured Screamin' Joe Elliott (vocals), Steve Clark (lead guitar), Rick Savage (bass guitar), Rick Allen (drums) and Pete Willis (rhythm guitar).