Neil Armstrong has passed away.

Sad news this Saturday afternoon: Neil Armstrong has passed away at age 82. Those of you too young to remember, Mr. Armstrong, as commander of Apollo 11, was the first man to step foot on the surface of the Moon back in July of 1969.

Many of us were glued to our TV sets when this took place:



Rest in peace Mr. Armstrong.

More on Brent Sass and the Yukon Quest

I was wondering how Brent Sass lost 6 hours [Actually, the numbers may just be a little FUBAR. One place it says they were just an hour apart. Still, it doesn't detract from the rest of the story...as Paul Harvey might have said.] to Hans Gatt when they both got into Eagle at the same time--give or take a few seconds. Looking at the leader boards indicated Sass left Eagle about half an hour after Gatt, but then things went badly for Brent.

A six hour a stop at Trout Creek was followed shortly thereafter by tragedy. One of Brent's wheel dogs, Taco suddenly fell dead in his tracks. This was a seasoned veteran of the trail. Obtained as a pup in 2005, Taco had completed the Yukon Quest twice as well as run many 200 and 300 races. Brent carried Taco's body in his sled some 60 miles to Slavens Dog Drop, the next check point in the race.

Sass will continue the race without a trusted companion on the trail; one with skill, fortitude, and experience. One who, earlier had helped save a human life. One he clearly loved and one who loved to race.

God speed Taco. As they say, all dogs go to heaven. I think you've earned your entry.

Yukon Quest, Heroism, and Sportsmanship

The race is now into its eighth day and there are still 19 mushers participating of the 25 that started the race.

Hugh Neff is the current leader and, with a six hour (and 30 mile) lead over his nearest competitor, seems well on his way to the winners circle in Fairbanks. Neff and team of 13 dogs (he's had to drop one of his starting 14 dogs) have completed 820 miles of the 1000 mile race.

The second musher in the race, Hans Gatt, won the Quest last year, is currently at 790 miles, but he nearly lost more than the race atop American Summit. He got soaked and turned around in confusion. When he felt hypothermia starting to set in, he set up camp and called for help--or, at least he thought he did. He pushed what he thought was the emergency button on his GPS but hit the reset button by mistake. He lay in his sleeping bag awaiting help that wasn't on the way when another musher, Brent Sass, found him.

Sass saw to it that Gatt got warm, hitched both sleds and teams together and got Gatt to the next check point at Eagle. After an hours rest, both mushers continued the race.

Sass and his 10 dogs is presently listed as in 8th place. They arrived at the Circle City check point (159 miles from Eagle) about 6 hours after Gatt and 2 hours after Gatt had already left with 9 of his dogs hauling his sled.

Did I mention that temperatures in the area fell to -40 or thereabouts? No need for either an F or a C after that temperature number. They are the same. Effing COLD! It has warmed up some during the day, however. It's presently -24 F at Circle City. That's -31 C if you care to feel colder. It will get down to around -49 F tonight. It will be warmer on the summits, only -25 F to -30 F. Those who are climbing the 75 mile switchback trail from Circle City to the Central checkpoint will appreciate that. (Or maybe not. Despite the switchbacks on the map, both check points have elevations between 950 and 980 feet. A closer look at the trail map shows the route follows a pair of wide river valleys. All those switches may be to follow the rivers, not to go up a slope.)

A Story of Heroism

From Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit:

ONE GURKHA VS. 40 THUGS: He had them outnumbered.

And, from the linked post:

"... He pulls out a kukri (i.e. a knife) and proceeds to kill 3 of them, injure 8 of them, and causes the rest to flee. During the battle, he suffered a severe knife injury to his left hand, from which he's now recovered.

.... Maybe it's okay to bring a knife to a gunfight, after all."

Well done! Mr. Bishnu Shrestha, a 35 year-old Gurkha soldier.

All riiigght!

"If anybody comes into my home and tries to hurt my kids, I've no problem shooting them,"

Angelina Jolie

She and Brad (Pitt--the lucky SOB) aren’t afraid to have guns in the house and she at least knows how to use them—and when.

I’m liking her more and more.

"I can handle myself," she said. "There's a side to me that people know is humanitarian, and there's a side to me that's a mommy. But there's also the side that likes to get down and dirty and run and jump around and fire guns."

Yowsa!

(h/t to Jungle Trader.)

My Heroine!

In the New York Post:

FLUNK MY KID
MA FIGHTS TO NIX SLACKER SON'S PROMOTION

Good GREAT for her!

Ya gotta love this woman’s attitude! She is so right on so many levels.

Staten Island mom Deanna Hassell wasn't shocked when her son flunked the seventh grade. What shocked her was his promotion to the eighth grade.

"Are you kidding me? Is the Board of Education kidding? How does a kid with a 60.53 average pass?" she asked.

"He should be held back! If children are not getting the education they need now, when they get to high school, they are going to drop out."

Responsibility. Commitment. Rewards for hard work. Consequences for failure. Obviously the Board of Ed doesn’t believe in any of those things. But Mrs. Hassell does.

All year, Hassell warned her 13-year-old son, Anthony Raimo, that he would be left back unless he buckled down.

Anthony paid her no mind. He never did homework. He clowned around in class. He missed 55 days of school - more than one out of four - simply because he refused to go.

Except for the dragging him kicking and screaming to school or shackling him to his desk as this little POS deserved, Mrs. Hassell seems to have tried her best with little Tony. So what happens:

Still, none of it stopped him from squeaking by at IS 51/Edwin Markham School in Graniteville.

In a fortuitous twist for Anthony, the new criteria to end "social promotion," which went into full effect this year, actually worked to his benefit. For the first time, seventh-graders were promoted on the basis of just two end-of-the-year tests - not their year's worth of schoolwork.

He scored a 2 out of 4 on tests in both math and reading. Out of a maximum of 800 points, he got a 608 in reading - 599 was passing. In math, he got a 643 - 610 was passing.

Aaah! The system happened. Standardized tests happened. Sticking to a rigid score and screw the rest of his “work” happened.
So what does little Tony do? He rubs his mommas nose in IT!

"Ha, ha, I passed. I told you so," Anthony recalled telling his mom.

He doesn't even have to go to summer school.

"The message is you don't have to go to school. You take the two tests, and if you pass, that's it," Hassell said.

Bad move, Tony, bad move.

She called administrators at IS 51 demanding to know how her son could not be left back. After all, he failed every class but math, chorus and gym.

An assistant principal told her their "hands are tied" because Anthony passed the standardized tests, Hassell said.

Not quite, assistant principal, not quite.

The Department of Education said principals have discretion in holding back students who are not ready for the eighth grade.

But there ARE enablers in the system.

Robert Tobias, who was director of assessment and accountability for city schools from 1988 to 2001, warned against forcing kids to repeat grades.

"It sounds to me like this kid is bored. Holding him back could be the worst thing to do because it would exacerbate the problem," said Tobias, who now studies testing policy at New York University.

Then again, Mrs. Hassell seems to have HER head in the game.

Hassell, however, believes repeating the seventh grade will be the best lesson for Anthony.

Here’s hoping she wins out. It already sounds like she may have already scored some points in the game of life.

"I don't deserve all this. This is embarrassing," Anthony said.

Sure you do, Tony. You earned every bit of embarrassment your Mom can dish out. Even if you do get to stay in the eighth grade, you better attend every day of school, do your homework and pass every one of your classes next year or you can be sure Mom will be looking to nail your sorry little hide to the wall come next June. She’s already taught you one hell of a lesson.

(from News of the Weird Daily)

Mr. Wizard has died

Don Herbert, who explained the wonderful world of science to millions of young baby boomers on television in the 1950s and '60s as "Mr. Wizard" and did the same for another generation of youngsters on the Nickelodeon cable TV channel in the 1980s, died Tuesday. He was 89.

From the LA Times obituary.

I used to watch Mr. Wizard every week. It was one of the neatest shows on the tube way back then. I’m sure it sparked my interest in science and lead to a 32-year career as a teacher of science. He was Mr. Rogers-meets-Thomas Edison before there was a Mr. Rogers.

(And he didn't change his shoes at the start of every show or wear that blankety-blank sweater, either!)

And now a few words from Dennis Miller

Dennis Miller is a very smart man who can say some very funny things. Not this time. He is totally serious and on the mark as:
Dennis Miller goes nuclear on Harry Reid

Bravo Dennis, Bravo! Encore!

Too bad Dingy harry is too dim to get the message.

Atta Boy, Rodney

U.S. Congressman chases down pick-pocket

I saw this headline the other day but didn’t click on it. Today, I saw on another site that it was Rodney Frelinghuysen, my old Congressman, who did the chasing and nabbing.

He showed up at several of our Boy Scout functions (Courts of Honor, etc.), local high school football games, and, of course, many of the parades in Morristown, NJ. He always impressed me as being an honorable man and in real good physical shape. Both qualities that are difficult to find in N.J. politicians.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, a New Jersey Republican, was walking in the area when a group of young men came up behind him. Frelinghuysen felt someone grab at his wallet and when he turned, the would-be robber took off….

Rodney always talked the talk about self responsibility, guess he can walk the walk, too.

Frelinghuysen, 61, gave chase and caught the suspect a short distance away. Two passing police officers saw the chase and arrested the 18-year-old suspect, the report said.

The perp probably played to many video games and didn’t get enough exercise. When Rodney caught up to him, the perp must have decided it was best to go quietly rather than have the story get out about how he got wrestled to the ground by a 61 year old. That’s not gonna help your street creds kid.

Of course, there’s got to be a bit of a snarky comment at the end of the story.

Asked about the incident, a police spokesman confirmed that "something like that occurred tonight in Georgetown."

"I can't identify the surviving victim of any crime," he said. "But, I understand the victim has been calling the news media and telling them his story."

Hell, if I ran down a cheap crook less than a third my age, I might want to brag about it a little too.

Johnny Hart’s Got Wings!

We’ve lost another good guy. B.C. and Wizard of Id creator, cartoonist Johnny Hart has passed away. The Endicott, NY native died on Saturday at age 76.

God speed Johnny.

More here.

h/t Lucianne.com

UPDATE: More—and better—kind words on Johnny Hart from Capitan Ed and Michelle Malkin

UPDATE II: Mr. Hart did the logo for the B.C. Stitchers , a chapter of the Embroiders’ Guild of America, Inc. located in his home county.

UPDATE III: A tribute for Johnny Hart By Rick Newcombe, President and Founder of Creators Syndicate, Inc.

Nearly Half Way...

...in The Last Great Race, THE Iditarod

Sometime within the next 24 hours, the first musher will make his or her way into the ghost town of Iditarod. He or she will have succeeded in completing nearly half the 1122 mile race. From the checkpoint at Iditarod to Nome is 589 miles.

Already 10 of the 82 teams that started the race have had to pull out due to physical injury to the mushers and/or their sleds.

Because of different strategies as to pace and when and where to rest their dogs, it is difficult to identify exactly which musher leads in a long distance race like this. All have a mandatory 24 hour rest period ahead and all have a mandatory 12 hour rest period ahead. Some may stop at Ophir (90 miles short of Iditarod) and some will go on to Iditarod for their 24 hour rest.

Currently, Lance Mackey and Zack Steer are into the checkpoint at Takotna. (They moved on since I started writing this and are headed to Ophir.) Both seem to have large (16 dog) fast teams but both are looking over their shoulder at the positioning of Martin Buser whose 2002 team holds the record for the fastest Iditarod by completing the race in 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and 2 seconds. Buser may not be the fastest on the first half of the race, but he has a distinct advantage over his competitors vis-à-vis the care and conditioning of his dogs. As tribute to his treatment of his racers, Martin was awarded the coveted Leonhard Seppala Award in 1988, 1993, 1995 and again in 1997 for the most humanitarian care of his dogs. And in this race, it’s the dog power that gets it done. He and his team are currently out of McGrath and on their way to Takotna. They could very well blow past the current leaders and move on to Iditarod for their long rest.

"This Doesn't Define Me"

Go on over and read Esquire’s featured story by/about Sgt Bryan Anderson.

He’s a triple amputee from the Iraq conflict who will tire you out. And his attitude is the best!

You have two options once this happens: Roll over and die or move on. I chose to move on. I'm still me. I'm just 75 percent off. Get a great deal on Bryan Andersons this week. You know who actually told me that the first time? My mom. We were in Vegas, talking about T-shirts we should make, and she said 75 percent off. She said, You should get a shirt showing off your personality.

This doesn't define me. It may be how I look on the outside, but it's not who I am. I guess you could remember me easily as being a triple amputee, but it's not who I am, has nothing to do with who I am. I've always been the same person.

What’s he done since losing both legs and his left arm to an IED?

I've been wakeboarding, water-skiing, jet-skiing, tubing, rock climbing, snow skiing, playing catch with my brother. I try to do the same things. I'm not going to let it stop me. We did a 110-mile bike ride from Gettysburg to Washington, D. C. Sixty miles the first day, fifty miles the second day. Hand cycle, three wheels. I ended up ripping the glove, breaking the hand, breaking the whole socket. I might do it a little differently, but I'm still going to do it. I didn't actually get up water-skiing. I was up for a second then my arm ripped off and I fell.

I went up to Alaska for the National Wheelchair Games. I participated in two events, Ping-Pong and archery, and I won gold medals in both.

How does he feel about his loss?

Everything that has happened to me since I've been hurt has happened to me because I've been hurt. I got to go to the Pentagon. There's this quarter-mile-long hallway that is just filled with people, and I mean filled with people. There's a little space to go through and everyone is clapping and crying and coming up and hugging you. Okay, that's great. But what about all the people who did the same exact thing that I did that didn't get hurt? They should get the same recognition we do. We all did the same thing. Some people just got the shit end of the stick, that's all. It's all luck….

From every decision you make, you learn something, whether it was the right decision or the wrong decision. I believe everything happens to you for a reason, and it's going to happen to you regardless. So whether I was in Iraq fighting or I was walking across the street and got hit by a bus, it was going to happen to me regardless.

I don't regret anything.

Go read the entire very inspirational story of Sgt Bryan Anderson.

Hat tip to Cassandra at: Villainous Company (from whom I stole the title of this post)