Memorial Day Tribute — United States Navy

Via Terri Green, on Facebook:

In lieu of our weekly multimedia production, we felt it appropriate to honor our fallen shipmates. We remember their sacrifice this and every day.

Winding Down, 'Top 100 Rock Albums of All Time' — The Beatles, 'White Album', at No. 35

Well, it's been years since I posted this, but definitely a favorite. I wonder of old ace commenter Kreiz is still reading along?

See The Sound L.A., "No. 35: Beatles | White Album (Side 1)."

I'm traveling to Temecula for barbecue with old friends. I should be online late this afternoon for blogging ...

Meanwhile, grab a beer and log on to The Sound L.A. for some classic album rock. It's kickin'.

A roundup of the countdown is here: "'Top 100 Rock Albums of All Time' — Lynyrd Skynyrd, 'Pronounced', at No. 42."

Memorial Day 2011

At Michelle's: "Memorial Day 2011: Honoring the fallen." (Via Director Blue.)

And at Gallup, "U.S. Military Personnel, Veterans Give Obama Lower Marks." (Via Memeorandum.)

Reflecting on Endeavour's Great Journey

From Ralph Vartabedian, at Los Angeles Times:

Spare parts were collecting dust in warehouses in Bell, Downey and Palmdale when the urgent call came from NASA: the nation needed another space shuttle.

It was the unusual beginning of the orbiter Endeavour, which will streak across the California coastline at hypersonic velocity one last time Wednesday, carrying its six astronauts and two decades of the nation's human space flight history.

When it was christened in Palmdale in 1991, it was the newest and most capable of the fleet, fawned over by astronauts for its advanced flight electronics, sinuous skins and, eventually, the first toilet that actually worked.
"It was a real clean bird," said Robert "Hoot" Gibson, the Navy aviator who flew Endeavour the year it entered service in 1992. "We didn't have any issues with that machine."

But it began its life amid a political scheme to circumvent opponents by squirreling away spare parts in the hope they would someday amount to a real spacecraft.

When the Challenger was lost in an explosion in 1986, the spare-parts plan was vindicated and they suddenly became the starting point for keeping the shuttle program alive.

And now the ship will come back home a museum piece in the county where it was built, destined for a display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. The last shuttle flight is scheduled to launch July 8, after decisions by the Bush and Obama administrations to end the program.

More at the link above.

Seems weird the program's winding down and America's got nothing big planned to replace it.

RELATED: "After Columbia: why we must still boldly go" [from 2003].

Also, a NASA Twitpic.

Are You Reading Theo Spark?

You should be!

Lovely blogging over there:

* "Bedtime Totty ..."

* "Pic Dump ..."

* "Video: Bentley Supersports Convertible Ice Speed Record 2011 - 205.48 mph"

* "Lest we forget - Memorial Day 2011 ... from Rico."

* "Happy Memorial Day (Alan Caruba)."

BONUS: At Maggie's Farm, "Bruce’s Eye-Openers (Yawn)."

'Top 100 Rock Albums of All Time' — Lynyrd Skynyrd, 'Pronounced', at No. 42

Listened again to The Sound L.A. while out to the skatepark with my son. I caught "No. 42: Lynyrd Skynyrd | Pronounced (Side 2)," but check the homepage for updates. The station is just rockin' the vinyl!

The live clip's long, so fast forward to 5:00 and the boys start jammin' the guitars. And that Confederate battle flag is one hella touch, and for a BBC performance in 1975! British heads exploding?!!

PREVIOUSLY: "The Sound L.A., 'Top 100 Rock Albums of All Time' — J.T.'s 'Sweet Baby James' at No. 83," and "More From 'The Top 100 Albums of All Time' — David Bowie 'Ziggy Stardust' at No. 79."

Kate Upton Sports Illustrated Bodypaint Video — Phenomenal Rule 5 Encore!

Previously: "Kate Upton Sports Illustrated Photoshoot — It's Friday Rule 5."

An encore:

And thanks to Proof for the linkage at Proof-Positive and Say Anything.

Bob Belvedere has a Rule 5 Saturday entry. And William Teach, "If All You See…"

And more for Robert Stacy McCain, since I'm building up some reciprocal linkage credits this weekend. (And here's an interesting roundup on Anthony Weiner's Internet scrubbing operation. So far only the New York Post has run anything on this, and even that piece was a joke.)

Blue Angels Low Altitude

Background is here: "Blue Angels Commander Steps Down After Stunt." (Via Google.)

And Theo's news roundup with video: "Blues commander relieved of duty," and "Change of command for the Blue Angels."

And at Neptunux Lex, "Going Out Gracefully."

And at New York Times, "Adding Thrills When Flying Upside Down Just Isn’t Enough."

BONUS: Also at Theo's, a really inspired "pic dump" over there as well this morning.