Rest In Peace Thirty-six years and six days after Apollo One. Seventeen years and three days after the Challenger space shuttle. Now these voyagers are joined by Mission Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, Mission Specialist David Brown, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark and Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla. May God Bless you and your families. Thank you to all those who "boldly go where no man has gone before." You are aware of the risks and still go.


Well said, Mr. President:

In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."

I Feel Your Pain, Frank. Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the U.S. Frank Griswold indicated that one of the crosses he bears is being an American:

I'd like to be able to go somewhere in the world and not have to apologize for being from the United States.

I know what he means. I'd like to go somewhere in the world where I didn't have to apologize for my nutty bishops.

Programing Notes. Sorry again for the sparcity and the lack of completing things I started -- I've been busy. Thanks to David Janes, I may have RSS feed. (not that I know anything about this -- if the feed ain't listed in chowhound, I don't know about it.)

Shiloh means, so I am told, peace, or messenger, or place of rest. I just received a note from a classy lady, Shiloh Bucher, responding to my brief comments on her blog. Her seventeen-year-old sister, Mellie, was killed in a car accident December 30.

Please say a prayer for this person, this messenger. Pray that she and her family may have peace and a place of rest. There is nothing we can do or say but to pray and ask the Almight to bestow His tender mercies.

Reviews of the big event. The Super Bowl, that is:

Jay Leno:

Congratulations to Tampa Bay! What a game! 48-21. Or as they call that in Hollywood, the second marriage.

Before we talk about that game, if you saw the news from San Diego yesterday you know the whole city was like a giant party. Everywhere you went in San Diego. It was so big, people sneaking over the border from Mexico that day are being asked to bring chips and salsa with them.

I actually watched the Super Bowl in Tijuana with Raiders Center Barret Robbins.

Do you know this story? Robbins went awol on Friday two days before the game. He went to Tijuana on a drinking binge, had his stomach pumped, missed the Super Bowl. Even worse, after that he even missed the toilet bowl.

Not a good day for the Raiders. During the game Oakland used the "no huddle offense”. They did that, then they also used the "no rushing offense” the "no passing offense” and of course the famous "no scoring offense.”

You know what was really pathetic? I saw a lot of Raider fans, they could be seen crying after the game. Well, that was mostly from police teargas. Nothing to do with the game.

You think the Raiders players are too old? Jerry Rice is like 64 now? Gannon is like 51, 52? You know the pirate logo on their helmet? You know why the pirate wears a patch? Glaucoma.

I don’t know if anyone else noticed, but on the back of Rich Gannon’s helmet, did you see that sticker? "Ask me about my grandchildren.”

Well folks the ratings are in – almost a billion people watched the Super Bowl. Apparently, the only ones who weren’t into the game were the Raiders.

I guess you heard about Oakland Center Barrett Robbins missing the Super Bowl. Missed it! But he was in three of the beer commercials.

You know who I feel sorry for, Jerry Rice – to get beat like that in front of your great grandchildren.

Because the game was here in California, Governor Gray Davis called the winner’s locker room. That was embarrassing – because the state is so broke he had to call collect.

and

Craig Kilborn:

Good news! The Oakland Raiders have now gone over 48 hours without giving up a touchdown!

Today when talking to reporters, Raiders Quarterback Rich Gannon got upset with a reporter and threw a pen at him. The pen was then intercepted by another reporter.

Looking on the sunny side: Rich Gannon threw five touchdown passes. Sure, three went to the Bucs, but at least they had swords on the side of their helmets.

I'm not a good loser, so I'll keep it short -- congratulations to Tampa or Tampa Bay or whatever it is you want to be called.

The Raiders got their butts kicked.