Columbia Space Shuttle disaster - On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it reentered the atmosphere over Texas and Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts on board. It was the second Space Shuttle mission to end in disaster, after the loss of Challenger and crew in 1986. The mission, designated STS-107, was the twenty-eighth flight for the orbiter, the 113th flight of the Space Shuttle fleet and the 88th after the Challenger disaster. It was dedicated to research in various fields, mainly on board a module inside the shuttle. During launch, a piece of the insulating foam broke off from the Space Shuttle external tank and struck the thermal protection system tiles on the orbiter's left wing. Similar foam shedding had occurred during previous Space Shuttle launches, causing damage that ranged from minor to near-catastrophic, but some engineers suspected that the damage to Columbia was more serious. Before reentry, NASA managers had limited the investigation, reasoning that the crew could not have fixed the problem if it had been confirmed. When Columbia reentered the atmosphere of Earth, the damage allowed hot atmospheric gases to penetrate the heat shield and destroy the internal wing structure, which caused the orbiter to become unstable and break apart.

After the disaster, Space Shuttle flight operations were suspended for more than two years, as they had been after the Challenger disaster. Construction of the International Space Station (ISS) was paused until flights resumed in July 2005 with STS-114. NASA made several technical and organizational changes to subsequent missions, including adding an on-orbit inspection to determine how well the orbiter's thermal protection system (TPS) had endured the ascent, and keeping designated rescue missions ready in case irreparable damage was found. Except for one mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope, subsequent Space Shuttle missions were flown only to the ISS to allow the crew to use it as a haven if damage to the orbiter prevented safe reentry; the remaining orbiters were retired after the ISS was finished.

Comment: I read an amazing book about the recovery - Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew. It was written by Michael D. Leinbach and Jonathan H. Ward. Leinbach was the launch director of the space shuttle program when Columbia disintegrated. The strange thing is that I really didn't recall this disaster. I remembered the Challenger disaster in 1986, but not this one. And that bothered me. I finally figured it out. February 1, 2003 was the day of my father's funeral. Then it made sense.

Crew of STS-107. From left to right: David Brown (mission specialist), Rick Husband (mission commander), Laura Clark (mission specialist), Kalpana Chawla (flight engineer), Michael Anderson (payload commander), William McCool (mission's pilot), Ilan Ramon (payload specialist - first Israeli astronaut).

Recovered powerhead of one of Columbia's main engines.

A grid on the floor used to organize recovered debris.

Dewey Decimal System (The Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), colloquially known as the Dewey Decimal System, is a proprietary library classification system which allows new books to be added to a library in their appropriate location based on subject. It was first published in the United States by Melvil Dewey in 1876. Originally described in a 44-page pamphlet, it has been expanded to multiple volumes and revised through 23 major editions, the latest printed in 2011. It is also available in an abridged version suitable for smaller libraries. OCLC, a non-profit cooperative that serves libraries, currently maintains the system and licenses online access to WebDewey, a continuously updated version for catalogers. The decimal number classification introduced the concepts of relative location and relative index. Libraries previously had given books permanent shelf locations that were related to the order of acquisition rather than topic. The classification's notation makes use of three-digit numbers for main classes, with fractional decimals allowing expansion for further detail. Numbers are flexible to the degree that they can be expanded in linear fashion to cover special aspects of general subjects. A library assigns a classification number that unambiguously locates a particular volume in a position relative to other books in the library, on the basis of its subject. The number makes it possible to find any book and to return it to its proper place on the library shelves. The classification system is used in 200,000 libraries in at least 135 countries)

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Since I only get books on my Kindle, I haven't been in a library in years. But my sister told me her library has done away with using the Dewey Decimal System. She said it's set up more like a bookstore now. She hates it.

Empire State Building - is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the state of New York. The building has a roof height of 1,250 feet (380 m) and stands a total of 1,454 feet (443.2 m) tall, including its antenna. The Empire State Building was the world's tallest building until the first tower of the World Trade Center was topped out in 1970; following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Empire State Building was New York City's tallest building until it was surpassed in 2012. As of 2022, the building is the seventh-tallest building in New York City, the ninth-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States, the 54th-tallest in the world, and the sixth-tallest freestanding structure in the Americas.

The building's Art Deco architecture, height, and observation decks have made it a popular attraction. Around four million tourists from around the world annually visit the building's 86th- and 102nd-floor observatories; an additional indoor observatory on the 80th floor opened in 2019. The Empire State Building is an international cultural icon: it has been featured in more than 250 television series and films since the film King Kong was released in 1933. The building's size has become the global standard of reference to describe the height and length of other structures. A symbol of New York City, the building has been named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It was ranked first on the American Institute of Architects' List of America's Favorite Architecture in 2007. Additionally, the Empire State Building and its ground-floor interior were designated city landmarks by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1980 and were added to the National Register of Historic Places as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.

YouTube

17 March 1930 Empire state building built

Do you want me to make a part 2 and in the video just me talking about it and also please keep comments clean thank you17 March 1930 Intended to be the world...

First Lady of the United States ((FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never been codified or officially defined, she figures prominently in the political and social life of the United States. Since the early 20th century, the first lady has been assisted by official staff, now known as the Office of the First Lady and headquartered in the East Wing of the White House. Jill Biden is the current first lady of the United States, as wife of the 46th and current president of the United States, Joe Biden. While the title was not in general use until much later, Martha Washington, the wife of George Washington, the first U.S. president (1789–1797), is considered to be the inaugural first lady of the United States. During her lifetime, she was often referred to as "Lady Washington". Since the 1900s, the role of first lady has changed considerably. It has come to include involvement in political campaigns, management of the White House, championship of social causes, and representation of the president at official and ceremonial occasions. Additionally, over the years individual first ladies have held influence in a range of sectors, from fashion to public opinion on policy, as well as advocacy for female empowerment. Historically, when a president has been unmarried or a widower, he has usually asked a relative to act as White House hostess)

Current First Lady, Dr Jill Biden........

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I love reading books about FLOTUS. I saved those two videos you posted so I can watch them later.

Genuine Risk - There have only been three fillies to win the Kentucky Derby - Winning Colors (1988), Genuine Risk (1980) and Regret (1915). Each raced against males in advance of running in the Kentucky Derby. Winning Colors and Genuine Risk are the only two fillies to compete in all three Triple Crown races. Genuine Risk was a chestnut filly bred in Kentucky by Sally Humphrey. She was sired by Exclusive Native, a top-class track performer who was even better as a breeding stallion, siring the Triple Crown winner Affirmed. Her dam Virtuous was descended from the British broodmare Iona, a half-sister to Ocean Swell and the grandmother of Tomy Lee. 

Ridden by Jacinto Vásquez, Genuine Risk finished second in a very controversial Preakness Stakes, after being bumped and carried wide by the winner Codex, after Codex threw a cross-body block at Genuine Risk, and after Codex's jockey Ángel Cordero Jr. hit Genuine Risk in the face with his whip but didn't get disqualified. Genuine Risk also finished second in the Belmont Stakes to Temperence Hill. The only other filly to compete in all of the triple crown legs was Winning Colors in 1988, who won the Kentucky Derby, placed 3rd in the Preakness Stakes, and 6th in the Belmont Stakes. Genuine Risk was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1986. In the Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century, she is ranked #91.

Painting of Derby win

YouTube

Kentucky Derby Moment: 1980 Kentucky Derby (Genuine Risk)

Britney Eurton takes us down memory lane as we reflect on Genuine Risk's win in the 1980 Kentucky Derby.

Happy Hour (is a marketing term for a time when a venue such as a restaurant or bar offers reduced prices on alcoholic drinks. Discounted menu items like appetizers are often served during happy hour. This is a way for bars and restaurants to draw in more business before or after peak business hours. The words "happy" and "hour" have appeared together for centuries when describing pleasant times. In Act I, Scene 2 of William Shakespeare's Henry V, he says, "Therefore, my lords, omit no happy hour/That may give furtherance to our expedition..." The use of the phrase "happy hour" to refer to a scheduled period of entertainment is, however, more recent. One possible origin of the term "happy hour," in the sense of a scheduled period of entertainment, is from the United States Navy. In early 1913, a group of homemakers called the "Happy Hour Social" organised "semi-weekly smokers" on board USS Arkansas. The name "Happy Hour Club," "Happy Hour Social Club," and similar variants had been in use as the names of social clubs, primarily by women's social clubs, since at least the early 1880s. By June 1913, the crew of Arkansas had started referring to their regularly scheduled smokers as happy hours. The happy hours included a variety of entertainment, including boxing and wrestling matches, music, dancing, and movies. By the end of World War I, the practice of holding happy hours had spread throughout the Navy. The idea of drinking before dinner has its roots in the Prohibition era. When the 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act were passed banning alcohol consumption, people would host "cocktail hours", also known as "happy hours", at a speakeasy before eating at restaurants where alcohol could not be served. Cocktail lounges continued the trend of drinking before dinner. The Random House Dictionary of American Slang dates "Happy hour," as a term for afternoon drinks in a bar, to a Saturday Evening Post article on military life in 1959. The article detailed the lives of government contractors and military personnel who worked at missile-tracking facilities in the Caribbean and the Atlantic. "Except for those who spend too much during 'happy hour' at the bar – and there are few of these – the money mounts up fast." Barry Popick's online etymology dictionary The Big Apple lists several pre-1959 citations to "Happy Hour" in print, mostly from places near naval bases in California, from as early as 1951)

This place closed a couple of years ago.  The hotel it was located in is currently undergoing renovations, not sure when it will reopen and if a new bar will be located in it.....................

Massachusetts was the first U.S. state to implement a statewide ban on happy hours in 1984. Several other U.S. states also have similar restrictions. The reason for each ban varies, but include to prevent drunk driving, to avoid the nuisance to neighbors from loud crowds and public drunkenness, and to discourage unhealthy consumption of a large amount of alcohol in a short time. In 1984, the U.S. military abolished happy hours at military base clubs. In 2011, the Utah State Legislature passed a ban on happy hours. In July 2011, Pennsylvania extended the period of allowable time for happy hour from two hours to four hours. In June 2012, happy hour became legal in Kansas after a 26-year ban. In July 2015, a 25-year happy hour ban was ended in Illinois. As of July 2015, happy hour bans existed in Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Utah, and Vermont.................................

Off to work................................

John Irving - (born John Wallace Blunt Jr.; March 2, 1942) is an American-Canadian novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter. Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of The World According to Garp in 1978. Many of Irving's novels, including The Hotel New Hampshire (1981), The Cider House Rules (1985), A Prayer for Owen Meany (1989), and A Widow for One Year (1998), have been bestsellers. He won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in the 72nd Academy Awards (1999) for his script of The Cider House Rules. Five of his novels have been adapted into films (Garp, Hotel, Meany, Cider, Widow). Several of Irving's books (Garp, Meany, Widow) and short stories have been set in and around Phillips Exeter Academy in the town of Exeter, New Hampshire. Irving writes by longhand and uses both sides of the paper. As for his creative process he reveals that by the time he was writing The Cider House Rules, he realized that he writes best when he starts with the ending of the story. He writes the last sentence of each story, then "writes toward that sentence." He says that approach never lets him down.

Comment: I'm currently reading A Prayer for Owen Meany.

YouTube

John Irving: A writer's life

Author John Irving has mined his personal history and obsessions as the starting point for such acclaimed works of fiction as "The World According to Garp" a...

Jostens (is an American manufacturer of memorabilia. The company is primarily known for its production of yearbooks and class rings for various high schools and colleges as well as championship rings for sports. Jostens also produced photobook products for Disney's PhotoPass photography service offered at Disney theme parks and resorts. As well as its headquarters near Minneapolis and operational offices in Owatonna, Minn., Jostens has facilities in Clarksville, Tenn.; Denton, Texas; Eagan, Minn.; Laurens, S.C.; Sedalia, Mo.; Shelbyville, Tenn.; the Dominican Republic; and Mexico. Otto Josten founded the company as a watch-repair business in Owatonna in 1897. Jostens (then called "Josten's" — the apostrophe was later dropped) began manufacturing emblems and awards for nearby schools and in 1906, the year of incorporation, Josten added class rings to his product line, to be sold to schools throughout the Midwest. Jostens created the American Yearbook Company in 1950, later merging it under the Jostens brand. On October 14, 2015, Jarden acquired Jostens from Visant Corporation, stating that it planned to take advantage of synergies with its other properties (particularly Rawlings and Yankee Candle), and "turn it into a true consumer-product business, as opposed to it historically being run like a printing asset". Jarden merged with Newell Rubbermaid in 2016 to form Newell Brands. In 2018, Newell Brands sold Jostens to Platinum Equity for $1.3 billion. Jostens is the primary supplier of Super Bowl rings, and has made 31 champion rings in the Super Bowl's 50-year history through 2017. In April 2015, Jostens launched the world's first Adobe InDesign streaming partnership with Adobe Inc., called "Monarch," at the Journalism Education Association spring convention in Denver)

1906, company was above an opera house in Owatonna, MN..........................

Today in Minneapolis...............

The ring Jostens made for the 1987 World Series Champions Minnesota Twins.......................

FYI: From my Where We Live topic folder

Kentucky Derby - "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" ... need I say more?

This Saturday - May 6, 2023 - will be the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby. Dubbed "The Run for the Roses" the horse race is held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of one and a quarter miles (2.0 km) at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kilograms) and fillies 121 pounds (55 kilograms). It is the first leg of the American Triple Crown. Of the three Triple Crown races, the Kentucky Derby has the distinction of having been run uninterrupted since its inaugural race in 1875. The race was rescheduled to September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Preakness and Belmont Stakes races had taken hiatuses in 1891–1893 and 1911–1912, respectively. Even with the Olympics and major professional sports leagues canceled at those points, the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont took place during the Great Depression and both World Wars. The 2015 derby drew the largest crowd in the event's history with 170,500 spectators in attendance. 

The race often draws celebrities. HM Queen Elizabeth II, on a visit to the United States, joined the racegoers at Churchill Downs in 2007.

This year we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the win by Secretariat in 1973 which was the fastest time for any Derby race - 1:59.4. No horse since has beaten his record.

YouTube

Secretariat's record-breaking 1973 Kentucky Derby run (FULL RACE) | NBC Sports

Take a look back at Secretariat earning the first jewel of his Triple Crown run with a still-standing track record time on the 50th anniversary of his histor...

Coverage of the Derby by our local NBC affiliate - WAVE-3 - starts around 7 AM and continues until NBC starts its broadcast at 2:30. NBC continues until 7:30 and WAVE-3 does the wrap-up from 7:30 until 8:00 PM. 

The Garland of Roses being assembled at the florist of a local Kroger grocery store. This has been done at the store in Middletown - suburb of Louisville - which is where I few up about 15 miles from where I live now. You can visit the store and watch.  The garland is made up of more than 400 red roses sewn into a green satin backing with the seal of the Commonwealth on one end and the Twin Spires and number of the race's current renewal on the other. Each garland is also adorned with a "crown" of roses, green fern and ribbon. The "crown," a single rose pointing upward in the center of the garland, symbolizes the struggle and heart necessary to reach the Derby Winner's Circle.

The 2018 event set the record for the wettest Kentucky Derby in history, with 3.15 inches of rainfall according to the National Weather Service. See picture below and how muddy the track was.

Lunar Eclipse (is an astronomical event that occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the moon to be darkened. Such alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six months, during the full moon phase, when the Moon's orbital plane is closest to the plane of the Earth's orbit. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are exactly or very closely aligned (in syzygy) with Earth between the other two, which can happen only on the night of a full moon when the Moon is near either lunar node. The type and length of a lunar eclipse depend on the Moon's proximity to the lunar node. When the moon is totally eclipsed by the Earth, it takes on a reddish color that is caused by the planet when it completely blocks direct sunlight from reaching the Moon surface, as only the light reflected from the lunar surface has been refracted by Earth's atmosphere. This light appears reddish due to the Rayleigh scattering of blue light, the same reason sunrise and sunsets are more orange than during the day. Unlike a solar eclipse, which can only be viewed from a relatively small area of the world, a lunar eclipse may be viewed from anywhere on the night side of Earth. A total lunar eclipse can last up to nearly 2 hours, while a total solar eclipse lasts only up to a few minutes at any given place, because the Moon's shadow is smaller. Also unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to view without any eye protection or special precautions. The symbol for a lunar eclipse (or indeed any body in the shadow of another) is ).

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2023's First Lunar Eclipse on May 5 | The year's first lunar eclipse will occur on May 5. The eclipse would be visible from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian &... | By CNBC-TV18 | Facebook

324 views, 11 likes, 2 loves, 1 comments, 8 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from CNBC-TV18: The year's first lunar eclipse will occur on May 5. The eclipse would be visible from Europe, Asia,...

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