WALL-E wins two Grammy Awards 2009

My hero WALL-E won two Grammy Awards during the 51st annual celebration February 8, 2009.  Actually Peter Gabriel got the trophies.  The first for Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media for the song Down to Earth.

The second award was for Best Instrumental Arrangement for Define Dancing, arranged by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman.  Newman was also nominated for Best Score Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, but lost to The Dark Night.

John Williams won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition for The Adventures of Mutt from Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  What was his total tally at that time?

One of my favorites from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Runnin' Down a Dream, won Best Long Form Music Video. 

The lovely Natalie Cole won Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Still Unforgettable, another compilation of her performing her father's songs. 

WALL-E, Meryl Streep win Critic's Choice Award 2009

My favorite WALL-E won the prestigious Critic's Choice Award for Best Animated Feature, January 8, 2009.  The award is given by the American-Canadian Critics Choice Association to honor the finest in cinematic achievement.

Meryl Streep tied with Anne Hathaway for Best Actress for her work in Doubt.  

"WALL-E" wins Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film 2009

WALL-E, one of my all-time favorite movies, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film at the 81st ceremony February 22, 2009.  It received five more nominations: Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.  Andrew Stanton directed, wrote the story and the screenplay.  

Sigourney Weaver provided the voice of the Axiom's computer.

"WALL-E" wins Golden Globe, Best Animated Film 2009

Wall-E, the animated feature film from Disney and Pixar, won the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film at the 66th Awards January 11, 2009.  It was also nominated for Best Original Song for Down to Earth by Peter Gabriel, but that award went to Bruce Springsteen.

Wall-E won numerous other awards for animation and is considered the best film of 2008.

Soyuz TMA-16 launched 2009

Soyuz TMA-16 (L-R): Guy Laliberte, Jeffrey Williams, Maksim Surayev

Mission patch

Soyuz TMA-16, launched September 30, 2009, carried members of Expedition 21 crew and a Canadian space tourist to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Maksim Surayev (Roscosmos), Jeffrey Williams (NASA) and Guy Laliberte.  

Laliberte remained in space for 10 days and returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TMA-14.

Surayev and Williams participated in Expeditions 21 and 22.  They returned to Earth March 2010.

Kristin Chenoweth wins her first Primetime Emmy 2009

Petite, adorable, talented, beautiful Kristin Chenoweth won her first Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy for her performance as Olive Snook in the series Pushing Daisies, September 20, 2009.  It was her second Emmy nomination, but she had won several Tonys at this point.

The same evening, Jessica Lange won an award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Movie for her role as Big Edie Beale in Grey Gardens.

Pushing Daisies also starred fellow Okie Lee Pace, who appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy.  Although the series ran for only two seasons, it won numerous awards.  Pace was nominated twice for a Golden Globe for his work on the series.

DubaiSat-1 launched 2009

DubaiSat-1, launched July 29, 2009, was the first satellite built by Emirates Institution For Advanced Science and Technology, which later became the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center in the United Arab Emirates.  It provides images for infrastructure development, urban planning, and environment monitoring and protection.

Endeavour (STS-127) launched 2009

STS-127 crew (L-R): David Wolf, Chris Cassidy, Doug Hurley, Julie Payette, Mark Polansky, Thomas Marshburn, Timothy Kopra

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-127), launched July 15, 2009, delivered the final components of the Japanese Experiment Module to the International Space Station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Mark Polansky, Pilot Doug Hurley, Chris Cassidy, Julie Payette (CSA), Thomas Marshburn, David Wolf, and Timothy Kopra.

It was the first time two Candians were in space at the same time: Payette and Robert Thirsk.  Wolf, Kopra, Marshburn, and Cassidy performed 5 EVAs during the mission.

Kopra stayed on board the ISS and Koichi Wakata returned with the rest of the crew on July 31.

"Moon" released 2009

Moon, released July 9, 2009, is a sleeper movie that has won numerous awards for its star Sam Rockwell and its director Duncan Jones.  It was co-produced by Sting's wife, Trudie Styler.

Rolling Stone ranked it as #23 on its list of the top 40 Sci-fi movies of the 21st century.  It was nominated for a BAFTA for Best British Film.

"Warehouse 13" premieres 2009

Warehouse 13, a SyFy Channel original, aired its first episode July 7, 2009.  Super-sexy Eddie McClintock and Joanne Kelly starred as Secret Service agents who are re-assigned to South Dakota to Warehouse 13.  There they find a covert building that houses many supernatural objects or "artifacts" as they are called.  They are sent on many adventures to retrieve more artifacts as they can possess immense powers.  Saul Rubinek and CCH Pounder also starred.

"Up" released 2009

Up, Disney's animated movie featuring the cranky Mr. Fredericksen, voiced by Ed Asner, in a house carried aloft by balloons, was released May 29, 2009.  Russell is Pixar's first lead Asian character.  Up also introduced us to Dug, the loveable Golden Retriever who can communicate with humans.

It won two Academy Awards: Best Original Score and Best Animated Feature Film of the Year.  It was nominated for three more: Best Motion Picture, Best Writing and Best Sound Editing.

"Push" released 2009

Push, a movie about people with special powers but not superheroes, was released February 6, 2009.  It starred Chris Evans (Johnny Storm, Captain America) as a man with telekinesis and Dakota Fanning as a girl who can see the future.

The movie takes place in Hong Kong as Evans and Fanning are trying to keep from being captured by a government group that wants to turn them into weapons.

Chris Evans is just as sexy with his clothes on.  I think he is also a very talented actor.  Dakota Fanning is more mature in this movie than others even though she was only 15 when the movie was released.

Iran launches its first satellite, Omid 2009

Iran launched its first domestically manufactured satellite Omid February 2, 2009, becoming the ninth country to do so.  It was a 16" cube weighing about 60 lb.  It was to monitor natural disasters since Iran is prone to earthquakes, and to improve its telecommunications.

Omid orbited for about seven weeks and re-entered Earth's atmosphere in April 2009.

Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSat) launched 2009

The Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite or GOSat was launched by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) January 23, 2009.  It measures densities of carbon dioxide and methane from 56,000 locations in th eEarth's atmosphere. 

"Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" released 2009

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the third installment of the Ice Age series, premiered July 1, 2009.  This movie featured the gang of Manny, Sid, Diego, Ellie, Crash and Eddie as they try to save Sid from being eaten by a dinosaur.  After hatching three T-Rex eggs, Sid finds himself up against Mama T-Rex in an underground prehistoric land.

This is my favorite of this series.

Atlantis (STS-125) launched 2009

STS-125 crew (L-R): Mike Massimino, Michael Good, Gregory C. Johnson, Scott Altman, Megan McArthur,  John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feustel

Mission patch

Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-125), launched May 11, 2009, was the fifth and final mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Its crew consisted of Commander Scott Altman, Pilot Greg C. Johnson, Michael Good, Megan McArthur, John Grunsfeld, Mike Massimino and Andrew Feustel.

Three of the astronauts had already worked on the Hubble Telescope on previous missions.  Scott Altman, Mike Massimino and John Grunsfeld were all on STS-109, the fourth servicing mission.  Grunsfeld had also traveled to Hubble on STS-103. 

On Day 7, the crew woke up to New York State of Mind by Billy Joel, chosen by Mike Massimino.

"Star Trek" premieres 2009

The newest incarnation of the Star Trek movie franchise, Star Trek, premiered May 8, 2009.  It presented the classic characters from the original 1960s series but with new faces.  Chris Pine as Capt. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy.  It was the film debut of Chris Hemsworth as George Kirk.  Leonard Nimoy appears as Spock.

I thought it was a gutsy move, breaking away from the Star Trek universe most of us grew up with but it did introduce Star Trek to a new generation of fans.

It garnered many positive reviews (I even liked it!) and even won an Oscar for Best Makeup, the first Star Trek movie to receive an Academy Award.

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" released 2009

X-Men Origins: Wolverine, released May 1, 2009, featured super-sexy Hugh Jackman as the main character, a role he had played in three previous movies.  The movie follows the life of Logan (Jackman) from the time his mutant powers manifest themselves when he is a young boy, through the time he became Weapon X, infused with an adamantium skeleton and claws.

The movie starred Liev Schreiber as Victor Creed and Ryan Reynolds as Wade Williams who becomes Weapon XI.  It marks the first appearance of Remy LeBeau (Gambit) played by Taylor Kitsch.  Storm appeared in a cameo but the scene was removed from the released film.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine received a universal 'meh' from audiences, not hating the movie but not loving it, either.  I enjoyed it though. 

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. 

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.