Explorer 1 launched 1958, First Primate launched 1961, Apollo 14 launched 1971

Explorer 1, the U.S's first satellite, was launched on January 31, 1958, in response to the Soviets Sputnik 1 and 2, launched the year before.  It detected the Van Allen radiation belts and continued transmitting for four months, althought its high powered transmitter lasted a month.  Explorer 1 remained in orbit for another 12 years before burning up in the atmosphere in 1970.

Ham the Astrochimp blasted off January 31, 1961 in a Mercury Redstone rocket to see if man was ready for space travel.  Ham performed a series of tests during his 16.5 minute flight.  He traveled 157 miles before splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean, suffering only a bruised nose.  Ham died in 1983. After a successful mission, NASA deemed it safe for Alan Shepard to be the first American in space.

Apollo 14 crew: Stuart Roosa, Alan Shepard, and Edgar Mitchell

And speaking of Alan B. Shepard, he commanded Apollo 14, the third (successful) manned mission to the moon.  His crew consisted of Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa and Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell.  They launched January 31, 1971 and landed on the Fra Mauro formation (the original landing site of Apollo 13) February 5.  Shepard hit two golf balls on the moon's surface using a makeshift club.  He claimed the balls went 'miles and miles and miles' but the distance was estimated to be 200-400 yards.  How long is a par 5?  After Shepard and Mitchell spend 33 1/2 hours on the moon, they took off and the crew returned to Earth February 9.

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https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002UEN006

The Alan Parsons Project releases "Gaudi" 1987

The tenth and final studio album by The Alan Parsons Project, Gaudi, was released in January 1987.  Eric Woolfson wrote the rock opera Freudiana, which was released in 1990 and Alan Parsons pursued a solo career.

Gaudi referred to the Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi, whose best known creation is La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain.  A song dedicated to the building is the opening track.

Paseo de Gracia refers to a major thoroughfare in Barcelona.  Gaudi designed some of the unique buildings seen along the street.

Remembering John Hurt (1940-2017)

2017 seems to be off in a sprint to catch up or outdo 2016 with celebrity deaths.  Just two days after we lose Mary Tyler Moore, outstanding actor John Hurt passed away yesterday from pancreatic cancer.  I was first introduced to John Hurt in the movie Alien, in which he starred with Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerrit, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton and Ian Holm, a stellar cast.

He played a gay policeman in Partners with Ryan O'Neal.  It's interesting to watch this trailer after 35 years, seeing the gay stereotypes all in one 2 1/2 minute clip.  Hurt played his role with a touching vulnerability that was probably alien to most audiences at that time.

"Babylon 5" premieres 1994

Another of my favorite television shows, Babylon 5, premiered January 26, 1994.  I found it to be an interesting, non-Roddenberry look at space exploration.  Babylon 5 won a Primetime Emmy in 1994 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Series.

I particularly liked the Psi Corps, even though they were mainly portrayed as the bad guys.  Talia Winters was my favorite character and I was bummed when they got rid of her.  I still haven't seen that episode.  I've used the Psi Corps as inspiration for my own Psionic Corps novels featuring Corey Shaw and others.

Remembering Mary Tyler Moore (1936-2017)

Beautiful and perky Mary Tyler Moore has passed away today at age 80.  She had suffered from diabetes since age 33 and complications from the disease has finally taken its toll.

I remember watching the Mary Tyler Moore Show every Saturday night in grade school up until high school.  Her show came on right before The Bob Newhart Show and then The Carol Burnett Show.  My saddest recollection: I can't remember the episode in 1974 but word came in half way through the show that my grandmother Anne had passed away.

I remember the final episode when she left the newsroom and turned out the light.  An end to an era.  She truly did turn the world on with a smile!

The Donald orders EPA media blackout, freezes contracts

In a move that doesn't surprise anyone but should frighten everyone, The Donald's administration has ordered a media blackout for the Environmental Protection Agency.

CBS News obtained a copy of the memo distributed to EPA employees:

“Incoming media requests will be carefully screened,” one directive said. “Only send out critical messages, as messages can be shared broadly and end up in the press.”

“No press releases will be going out to external audiences,” it said. “No social media will be going out. A Digital Strategist will be coming on board to oversee social media. Existing, individually controlled, social media accounts may become more centrally controlled.”

“No blog messages,” it added.

Doug Ericksen, the communications director for Trump's transition team at EPA said "We're just trying to get a handle on everything and make sure what goes out reflects the priorities of the new administration."  

Within hours of his inauguration, information on climate change and global warming disappeared from the White House's website.  The Donald's campaign included denying global warming as a "hoax" perpetrated by the Chinese, a claim he later denied.  So it is clear what the White House's priorities are.  Ericksen predicted the news blackout will be lifted by the end of the week.  It is still censorship.

We shall see.

BTW, News of this censorship of the EPA is strangely absent from the NewsOK.com website.  Just FYI.

The Donald has also promised to kill a number of federal programs including the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department, which prosecutes polluters.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-trump-administration-orders-epa-media-blackout-contract-freeze/

http://kutv.com/news/nation-world/trump-bans-epa-employees-from-providing-updates-on-social-media-or-to-reporters-bars-awar

http://time.com/money/4639544/trump-nea-sesame-street-budget-cut/