After 14 days in space, Space Shuttle Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California at 5:11 am PDT. This was the first manned space flight since the Columbia disaster. On board was Commander Eileen Collins (New York), and astronauts Steve Robinson (California), James Kelly (Iowa), Andy Thomas (Australia), Wendy Lawrence (California), Charlie Camarda (New York), and Soichi Noguchi (Japan).
This flight was not without it’s drama. A one pound chunk of foam fell off the fuel tank during lift off. It was a grim reminded that the flaw that doomed Columbia had not been resolved.
Problem arose during the flight. Filler material began protruding from tiles. A spacewalk was ordered to remove the material. This was done by Steve Robinson and Soichi Noguchi. They removed the material and safely returned to the shuttle. In all the two astronauts made three space walks on this journey. It was the first time this type of spacewalk had been attempted by any astronaut. If you’d like to learn more about space walks, visit these links: Going Out for a Space Walk and Against the Elements
After the filler material problem was fixed, a torn thermal blanket under the cockpit window began to create problems. After assessment by NASA, it was deemed the blanket posed no threat.
The two week adventure included a stop at the International Space Station where supplies were delivered. They also performed some maintenance to the space station.
Discovery was original set to return home on Monday, but bad weather in Florida prevented re-entry. With the weather unchanged, NASA redirected the space shuttle to Edwards Air Force Base. A collective sigh of relief was heard from NASA and throughout the world when the space shuttle touched down and all crew members were safe and sound.
[Photo courtesy of the NASA website: www.nasa.gov]
After three harrowing days trapped under the 600 feet of water in Beryozovaya Bay, near Japan, a Russian submarine crew was rescued. The crew was examined by medical staff and said to be in good condition.
The submarine had become ensnared in an underwater coastal monitoring system. It was further hampered by a fishing net that was tangled around the propeller.
The Russian Navy does not have the money to purchase the necessary rescue vehicles. The submarine was far too deep for divers to reach it. So, a call went out to the international community to see what aid might be provided.
The US and Great Britain sent rescue teams to the Kamatcha Peninsula to see what they could do. Several attempts to free the submarine failed. The cables of the monitoring system proved difficult to dislodge. The anchor alone weighed 66 tons. At one point, the idea was floated around to blow up the monitoring system, but that idea was scrapped. Mechanical failures hampered the remote controlled rescue vehicles. Information about oxygen levels conflicted and it was uncertain how much time the rescue teams had to work.
In the end, the British team’s Super Scorpio cut threw the cables. The submarine was freed. The crew escaped a close call with death.
[Photo shows the U.S. Navy's Super Scorpio. Photographer: Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel N. Woods, USN. Photograph courtesy of www.defenselink.mil]
Luke Stricklin was in the National Guard and stationed over in Baghdad, Iraq. Some of the experiences were too difficult to communicate to his family. When he phoned home, he struggled for the right words. Most of the time he didn’t really want to talk about the war.
As his family struggled to understand what he was going through, the 22 year old found it more difficult to express himself. Then one day while looking at the bottom of his boots inspiration hit. He began to write down some lines about his boots and his faded uniform. The lines he started with were the roots of a song Luke named “American by God’s Amazing Grace.” Luke then collaborated with another soldier. With his friend’s help, a used guitar, and a laptop computer, he recorded the song. He then emailed it to his Mother.
You never know what will happen when your Mother gets involved! When Luke returned home a few months later, he was in for a surprise. His mother had forwarded the song to a radio station and it was being played on country music stations in several states. The song that sprang from his war experiences was a hit.
He is now out of Iraq. He’s recorded an album based on that first song. The album will be released around September 2005. He also performed at some local venues. Luke hopes this is the start of a career in music.
The December 2005 Tsunami that ravaged Asia and Africa has made people realize that many structures didn’t stand a chance against the force of the waves. One of those people has been working hard to do something about it.
Carlo Ratti, who teaches at MIT, saw the natural disaster first hand while staying in Sri Lanka. When he returned home, he was determinded to develop housing that would withstand a tsunami. He and other researchers studied which buildings survived and which didn’t. With that data they were able to work on ideas for better buildings. Part of the goal was to create cheap housing that used materials native to Sri Lanka.
These new houses consist of a more open design. Instead of solid walls, the walls are made of bamboo. The object is to allow the water to rush through the house without destroying it. While most of the inner contents would wash away, the house itself would stand.
1,000 of the new homes are now under construction. The cost is $1,200 per home.
[Photo shows destruction from the December 2004 tsunami. Photo courtesy of Lance Muller, www.sxu.hu]
The heavyweights were all lined up to show off their best trick in Moto X at the X Games Eleven (Aug 2005). Absent was the Godfather, Mike Metzger, who is recovering from a broken ankle. Brian Deegan also didn’t compete either.
On this night, the course was particularly cruel. Travis Pastrana attempted a backflip barspin. His bike broke in half like a pretzel. Chuck Carothers crashed on his trademark “Carolla”. Other big names showed their wares: Kenny “The Cowboy” Bartram, Nate Adams, Ronnie Faisst.
This night belonged to the kid they call “Twitch”. Jeremy Stenberg took the gold in best trick by landing a no footed backflip with a one handed landing. Pastrana took second and Nate Adams third.
From inside the helmet, the 24 year old is like all the other competitors. Just another one of the Metal Mulisha. What you may not know is that Stenberg has Touret’s Syndrome. He took alot of teasing in school and ended up in fights, but who’s laughing now? Whether it’s the X Games, the Gravity Games, or another event, Stenberg is one of the best in Moto X. You can add another X Games Medal to his list of achievements.
In a bizarre tale where an 11 year old girl who stood up to bullies was almost charged with a felony, compassion and common sense win out.
Maribel Cuevas of Fresno, California was playing with her 6 year old brother and other small children outside her home when two neighborhood boys rode by on their bikes. They threw water balloons at her and taunted her. Maribel picked up a rock and threw it at the boys. It hit one of them in the head.
Maribel didn’t leave the boy to suffer. She got her Aunt who called 911 and then the Aunt tended to his wound. Maribel ran down the street to tell the boy’s parents what had happened and to apologize. The boy was taken to the hospital and was treated for a cut on his head. He was released without any serious harm done. The boy even admitted he had started the battle–he had teased Maribel many times before.
What happened next borders on the insane. No less than three police cars and a helicopter showed up on the scene. Maribel was thrown to the ground and handcuffed. The family didn’t understand what was going on. And, the police refused to speak to her English speaking relative. She was booked and sent to Juvenile Hall.
Maribel spent the next five days at Juvenile Hall. Her parents were only allowed one 30 minute visit during those five days. When she was released, she was put under house arrest for a month. Officials debated whether to charge her with a felony. The girl had never been in trouble before, yet they refused to even offer a plea bargain.
After some media attention about the girl’s ordeal, cooler heads prevailed. A deal was made in which the two children must hold talks with their parents present. Maribel will be on informal probation for 6 months. If she stays out of trouble, the charges will be dismissed.
People should not result to violence to solve their problems. But, sometimes you have to stand up against bullies. Sometimes you react without thinking to make the person stop messing with you. It’s good to find that someone had the sense to see this was not your typical problem child and that a reasonable solution was found.
Everyone survived a nightmarish landing at Toronto’s Pearson’s Airport Tuesday. An electrical storm made for terrible conditions. Flight 358 had to make two attempts at landing. On the first attempt, the captain pulled up at the last second. The storm raged as they made their second attempt. The air traffic controllers gave directions and the pilots did their best to follow. Lightning crashed around them. The lights shut off throughout the plane. As the tires hit pavement, the passengers cheered. But, their relief was short lived. The plane wasn’t slowing down. It continued down the runway much to the passengers’ horror. The plane finally came to rest at the edge of a ravine.
As smoke filtered around them, baggage fell from overhead compartments. A fire started in the rear of the plane. Flight attendants tried to keep order, but the passengers began to panic and fled for the exits. Among the passengers were babies and elderly folks.One passenger found himself at a doorway with no escape chute and a 12 foot drop beneath him. Two of the passengers returned to the plane to make sure everyone was out. On their way back out, the plane exploded.
Within 52 seconds the plane was cleared. Some sustained broken bones, cuts, and bruises. Miraculously, no lives were lost.
Last July, Tony Freccero participated in a two week program in Brasil. He was part of a volunteer group called “Bolar Basketball School.” The school is situation in the slums of Rio de Janiero.
One thing that struck Freccero was the fact that so many children were without shoes. Many played barefoot. Freccero is going back to Brasil this year to change that.
Many people have old athletic shoes sitting in a corner of the closet collecting dust and spiders. This was Freccero’s inspiration. His plan was to ship 1,000 pairs of used shoes to the children of Brasil. According to his website Triple Threat Academy, he more than met the goal. The collection period which ran from May 25, 2005 to August 1, 2005, brought in a total of 3,067 pairs of shoes, thanks to donations by Nike, Mizuno, the Golden State Warriors, and individual donors. Partnerships with Brasilian aid organization will make shipping and distributing the shoes much easier.
Project Shoe Assist is only the beginning. Freccero hopes to continue the shoe collections and be able to ship them to other places.
Freccero plans to go back to Brasil in 2005 and stay 3 months. He’s been learning Portuguese so he can better communicate with his students. In addition to basketball skills, he hopes to teach the kids some English.
We in California have known how great Congresswoman Barbara Lee is for years. The Nobel Peace Prize committee thinks so too. In July, Lee was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her ongoing efforts to improve life for us all. She is one of 1,000 women who have been co-jointly nominated for the honor. The women were selected from 150 countries and represent “women as peacemakers”–under the title “1,000 Women for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2005″. Remarkably, 14 of the nominees come from California’s Bay Area! That’s 1/3 of the American contingency.
You may not have heard of Barbara Lee until she took a stand against the war in Afghanistan. She was the lone voice that voted against the war in the House and Senate. She also voted against the war in Iraq.
Lee was nominated because of her work on international peace, her legislative efforts on behalf of those suffering from HIV/AIDS (She had a state of emergency declared in Oakland, California to focus attention on the problems related to AIDS within the community), and her ongoing efforts to help the unfortunate and those without a voice. She has taken the time to work on efforts against the global AIDS pandemic. According to Lee, this is not only a health issue but an issue of national security. Regions of the world affected by AIDS are becoming increasingly unstable. Since terrorism breeds from hopelessness, the more people affect by AIDS, the greater the risk of terrorism and civil war.
While you may not agree with her views, you must admit that it’s a rare day in politics when an elected official votes based on his or her beliefs and not on poll numbers. So many of our politicians are afraid to take a stand, so they vote “safe”. Otherwise, they might actually have to go out on a limb and explain their votes! Is that the reason we elect them?
Danika Patrick set the racing world on it’s ear last month. She’s the most recent heir to the female racing throne! She raced at Indy this year. In the last few laps, Danika took the lead. She held first place until the last 4 laps, then her fuel pressure dropped. She ended up in fourth place. But was a winner by all standards.
Danika is a Beloit, Wisconsin native. She dropped out of high school, earned her GED, and then began racing seriously. In 1998, she began preparing for the Indy circuit.
Although most of her male competitors accept her presence on the race track, some are still stuck in neanderthal times (no offense to the neaderthals!) Comments have been made about a woman’s ability to race (I thought this was 2005??). One racer complained she had an unfair advantage because she didn’t weigh as much as the male drivers. Some even hinted that she was using her looks to promote her career (hmmm…who would make a similar comment about a handsome male driver?) Still others stated their disappointment because she did not win at Indy. Some people are never satisfied! I’d like to know how many men have raced the Indy 500 and never won?
Why is this so important? Danika is only the fourth woman to race at Indy. None has ever held first place at any time during the race. At 23, she has plenty of years ahead of her to perfect her racing skills.
Danika is showing the world that she is a force to contend with. Ethel Flock, Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney, and Janet Guthrie would all be proud! Danika is a talented race car driver. It won’t be long before we see a woman up in the winners circle at Indy and other big races.
