Greetings from Orlando

Haven't written much of late...busy recharging my batteries in sunny Florida. I've now been here a week and wish I had another week to do all the things I would love to do. For now, I'll just have to settle for the things I've done.

The main intent of this trip was to photograph the launch of the space shuttle Discovery. Originally slated to take off around 9pm on March 11th, STS-119 looked to be a full blown night launch...a small hydrogen leak postponed things for a couple of days and the new launch window called for a dusk launch...at 7:43pm on March 15th. From a photographic standpoint, it posed a few challenges...especially for someone that had no experience shooting a launch, much less one with tricky lighting. I will have to admit, at some point in the process, photography became less than important.

The site we selected for viewing was in the city of Titusville, directly across from the Vehicle Assembly Building and offering a slightly obstructed view of the actual launch pad. Ground level haze also added to the difficulty of shooting the event. Being 11 miles away, I was painfully short in the lens department. One of Canon's new 800mm lenses with a 2x teleconverter would have been just the ticket, especially when coupled to a tripod with a full gimbal head, which would allow for easy tracking. Instead, I attacked the problem with 2 cameras...one with a 300mm lens and stacked 1.4x and 2x teleconverters and a second one with a 70-200mm lens and a 1.4x teleconverter. While these equipment choices worked...I would definitely attack things differently for the next launch.

With me on this safari were my parents and my best friend Doug (who is also my step-mom's youngest brother). For those of you that don't know Doug, he has Down Syndrome. Perhaps his condition served to draw us together originally...starting the day we first met in Kindergarten some 47 years ago and continuing to this day. For whatever reason, Doug and I were drawn together that first day of school, a fact that didn't go unnoticed by our teacher, Mrs Cline. From that day on, she made a point of having Doug and I in close proximity to each other at all times. Even without the teacher's help, I am sure we would have spent most of that school year watching out for each other anyway, because for whatever reason, Doug and I have always had a special bond. Perhaps it came from our classroom, were we had a replica Mercury space capsule that we spent large amounts of our time in and around. Doug and I both liked rockets then and we still do.

As the countdown wound down, you could feel the excitement building. Suddenly, the timer hit zero...the sky lit up and Discovery began what appeared to be a gentle ascent into the twilight. I tried hard to juggle cameras and photograph the event...but suddenly I became more aware of what was taking place by my side...Doug was cheering at the top of his lungs...Go,go,go!!! Next thing I know, we were both cheering...slapping high fives and just plain dancing around with excitement. I tried to snap a few more photos...but a hug from Doug and more cheering just seemed a whole lot more appropriate. I honestly wished that I had a video camera with me so that I could have recorded that moment for posterity. Two small town boys from upstate New York had just flown over the moon without ever leaving the ground...fulfilling a nearly 50 year old fantasy and proving that dreams do come true. I can honestly say that I had leaky eyes for a moment...

I wish that I was a more skillful writer or even speaker, with the ability to craft this tale in a manner that would be easier for folks to fathom. I called my wife after the launch and tried to explain the moment. I failed dismally. She could sense the excitement in my voice, but she couldn't grasp the moment. If you have never had the experience of seeing a Shuttle launch in person, you simply can not begin to comprehend the enormity of a launch event. The sights, the sounds, the feelings...there is an assault on all of our senses...not a bad assault in the strictest sense of the word, but instead more of a sensory overload as the magnificent beast climbs to the heavens. There are only a few launches left on the calendar...if there is any way you could experience a launch in person...I couldn't recommend it any more highly! And I'm sure Doug agrees.

(I should also mention that my folks were pretty darn impressed with the launch too!)

Moronic Mom

Asheville has been the butt of American breastfeeding jokes for the past month, but this morning the torch has been passed to Kettering, Ohio. What kind of ignoramus would attempt to breastfeed while driving? While we are at it....let's toss in talk on the cell phone while resting the child's head against the steering wheel/airbag.

Feb 28, 2009 10:12 AM
The Associated Press

KETTERING–Police in Ohio say a woman has been charged with child endangering after another motorist reported she was both breastfeeding a youngster and talking on a phone while driving.

Police in the Dayton suburb of Kettering say the caller told them he saw the woman Thursday.

Officer Michael Burke says authorities used a license plate number to track down 39-year-old Genine Compton.

He said the woman told officers she was breastfeeding and wouldn't let her child go hungry.

Burke said the legal concern is that Compton had a child in her lap while driving, not that she was breastfeeding in public.

He said the child was under two years old.

Police say the woman faces up to 180 days in jail and a $1,800 fine if convicted of the misdemeanor.

If your child is that hungry...you stop the car and take care of their needs. Obviously common sense is not a part of this woman's vocabulary. Since this woman has indicated that she feels her behavior is acceptable, I hope the judge gives her the 180 days in jail...if nothing more than to keep her off the highway until the child is weaned!

My Dream Assignment

Appalachia: The Changing Face of Rural America

Capturing a slice of America that most people would never see or even know exists has long fascinated me.

Going back to a segment of American life that seems to have been overlooked by the mainstream. Documenting the foibles, follies and failures that are so often a part of mountain culture...yet also showcasing the lighter and brighter side of the region as well is the heart of my project. There is a whole segment of American population that the vast majority of people have no idea even still exist.

Your votes and support will help me fulfill this dream. Thanks!

Missing in action

My post from Saturday has become part of the great vaporsphere. Unfortunately, I didn't save a draft and I can't find it via the cache route...it may still surface, but I can certainly replicate the gist of it here.

Essentially, the post was just to let local readers know of today's planned protest at the local Denny's, where our local boob plans to make yet another statement in an effort to prolong her 15 minutes of fame.

With that background info in hand, suffice it to say that the big protest today was effectively a bust...hehehe There were a few that showed up...but once again the main focus was on our main boob. Dressed in bright red to be sure and draw more attention, she made a big production of nursing her overly large child in the parking lot....all the while complaining that Denny's owed her a huge apology for her outlandish behavior.

There was one fair well spoken young lady from South Carolina that presented some statistics on breast feeding from her county in South Carolina. To be honest, I am not sure what breastfeeding statistics from a neighboring state have to do with a controversy over an Asheville woman choosing to make a natural act into some sort of lewd spectacle, but nonetheless, the facts were presented for those in attendance to digest. The manager for Denny's explained that they have no policy prohibiting breastfeeding, they simply ask that any customer that is causing a disturbance or interfering with other patrons rights either act in a civilized manner or take their show elsewhere.

One can only hope that sooner or later this woman will just dry up and blow away. Maybe she can take her show on the road. That might be just the ticket for prolonging her time in the spotlight. She can make an ass of herself in some other town and Asheville can go back to being just plan Asheville, instead of the butt of every cheap tit joke going.

Broken Blog

Last night's post has vanished into the vapor. I have to go back and see if I can recover it via the cache. As for there being no posts showing on this page, I just remembered why....you have to post something! The posts are archived each week and if there is no fresh material....the column appears blank. Guess I need to get back on the writing stick. I hope to have yesterday's post restored before long. Thanks for looking in!