Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Turning Into a Newt

Has the Republican Party swung so far to the right that Newt Gingrich is now criticized as being too liberal?  Such were the accusations against the former House Speaker and 1990’s conservative standard bearer by several of his fellow Republican Presidential candidates in a recent debate.  Newt garnered this criticism by taking a risk when answering a question on illegal immigration.  Instead of taking the easy, party line approach of expressing zero tolerance for those in this country illegally, he proposed that families who had been here for decades should be allowed to remain together.  The repudiation was swift, particularly from Michelle Bachmann, a proclaimed evangelical Christian.  
Gingrich has been called many things, but holy is not one of them.  A checkered past of three marriages, extra marital affairs, and ethics sanctions follows him so it is ironic that the candidate least likely to appeal to those looking for righteous Christian values would be the one who acted the most Christ like.  Can anyone intelligently read the Gospels and think that Jesus Christ would advocate deporting illegal parents of children who are US citizens?  Newt’s proposal, risky in the environment of a Republican debate, was pragmatic and reasonable, and he deserves credit for steering discussion on immigration away from the hard line position.   The aftermath?  He has jumped in the polls and is now leading all the other candidates for the Republican nomination. 
President Obama’s strategists are giddy with the thought of facing Gingrich in next fall’s election.  After all, Newt’s campaign is poorly organized or financed relative to Romney’s.  He has also found ways to alienate people and self-destruct in the past and is perceived as a much easier opponent to beat than Romney.  The Democrats should not rest easy however.  Gingrich’s intellect is a match for anyone and his willingness to take a risky, moderate position on immigration may be a sign of an older, wiser man.  Paraphrasing a line from Monty Python and theHoly Grail, the Republican front runner has “turned into a Newt.”  It remains to be seen whether he “gets better.”

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

What I’ll Miss About DC

The blog has been silent for a long time and if I have any readers left, you have probably guessed that my detail to Washington ended and I’ve returned home to north Alabama.  It’s been great coming back to my wife and my home and the foliage and football of October was like a welcome sign.  Starting a new job and returning to my pre-detail routine and life has suppressed the urge to write however and it’s hard to believe that I haven’t posted anything in two months.  The guilt finally got to me so here are my “top ten” things that I’ll miss about living in Washington in no particular order.

1.        Life without a car.  Driving, especially filling my car with gas is now something I dislike.  Commuting to work via the Metro and walking and biking everywhere is a healthier lifestyle and forces one’s mind to think differently.

2.       Great restaurants.  The culinary selection in my hometown has improved over the years, but I’ll miss the selection of wonderful ethnic restaurants that DC has to offer.

3.       Proximity to power.  There’s no denying the excitement of being right next to the White House, Congress, the Supreme Court and walking the same streets as the people on the news.

4.       The Mount Vernon and Rock Creek Trails.  I had many memorable runs and bike rides on these well maintained and scenic trails that offer great views of the city.

5.       Arlington Cemetery.  Situated on a hillside overlooking DC from across the Potomac, the cemetery with its long rows of neat simple gravestones is a constant reminder of the price of freedom.

6.       The Mall and Smithsonian museums.  The best things in Washington are free and the museums flanking the Mall are among the best in the world.  Natural History and the National Gallery of Art are my favorites.

7.       The Monuments.  All the monuments are inspiring, but the Lincoln Memorial at night is a must see for a visitor to Washington.

8.       Observing veterans visiting the War Memorials.  Having the opportunity to say “thank you” to an elderly WWII veteran in a wheel chair is a moving experience.

9.       Professional sports.  Although one could argue that the Crimson Tide football team is an exception, we don’t have professional sports in Alabama.  Becoming familiar with the Redskins, the Nationals, and DC United has given me some new teams to root for.

10.   My colleagues at work.  Everywhere that  I’ve lived I’ve met good people and Washington was no exception.  I’ll miss the friends that I made over the past year, but it’s nice to have an expanded network.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

A Fine Irish Sunday Morning in DC

Evidence of soccer’s growing popularity in the US can be found in the number of big city bars that show broadcasts of games from around the world.  Here in Washington, there are many soccer “watering holes” to choose from if you want to catch an EPL or a La Liga game and share the experience with kindred souls.  So this particular Sunday, I decided to honor my Irish heritage by joining the patrons of Fado Irish Pub which is located ironically, in Chinatown.  The featured match was Chelsea vs Manchester United and I expected a decent crowd for the 11 AM start, but the sight that greeted me when I walked in the door was quite unexpected.
Since this was Sunday, I could not bear the Catholic guilt of missing Mass in order to swig beer while hollering at the TV in a bar, so I found a church that was nearby Fado and had a 10 AM Mass.  Not just any church, St. Patrick’s is the oldest Catholic church in the District, having been established in 1794 to minister to the Irish stone masons who were building the US Capitol and the White House.  The present stone structure has stood since 1884 just up the street from Ford’s Theatre, and there was a good crowd for the service.  Everything happens quicker in DC than at home in Alabama, including worship.  The final verse of the recessional hymn finished at 10:45 AM and I headed for the pub with my conscience clear. 
Fado is a classic Irish pub with dark wood dominating the décor.  The place was pretty full and raucous with about 2/3 of the crowd watching a big screen TV and cheering on either Dublin or Kerry in a Gaelic league soccer match.  The other third of the bar, were watching pre-game commentary for the Chelsea/Man U match and I found an empty seat at a table with two young EPL fans and a couple close to my age.  I just figured that the EPL game would be the featured event but as one of my tablemates explained, Fado is not an Irish bar in name only (like most are) and it is frequented by Irish nationals who come to watch soccer and rugby and drink Guiness. 
The minority of EPL viewers became a majority when the Gaelic league game ended and the crowd cheered and groaned after great plays and near misses.  Man U won the game as they almost always do and the guys wearing red “Rooney” shirts left happy after the final whistle.  Even though I was rooting for Chelsea, the company of my table mates, as well as a couple of Harp lagers and a sandwich, made for a fun time.  The atmosphere in Fado, is very similar to that of the couple of Glasgow pubs where I had the opportunity to watch some soccer with my son during my Scotland trip earlier this year.  For UK nationals who reside in or are visiting DC, these soccer pubs must be a nice taste of home.
Thanks to the six hour time difference, the soccer activity for the day ended around 1 PM; just in time to catch the Redskins game.  I do love the autumn.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Manassas or Bull Run

The first organized battle of the Civil war was fought on rolling farm land near Manassas, VA on July 21, 1861.  The Union army, led by General Irvin McDowell, proudly marched from Washington into the Virginia countryside with Richmond, the Confederate capital as their goal.  The betting line was that the Rebels would run in fear of the organized Union army and that the Southern insurrection would be squashed quickly.  So confident were they of an easy victory by the Union army, the wealthy of Washington, including some members of Congress, actually came out to watch with picnic baskets and wine.  No doubt these were the ancestors of people who enjoy the “Jerry Springer Show” and “Jersey Shore. “  However upsets happen in sports and wars and the first battle of Manassas showed both sides the realities of what they had gotten themselves into. 
Manassas, about 25 miles southwest of Washington, was a strategic point because it was the junction of two railway lines.  Bull Run, a creek with steep banks was a natural barrier to the advancing army and the Confederates fortified all the crossing points.  The first shots were fired at the famous Stone Bridge over the creek, but this was only a diversionary tactic as McDowell ordered the bulk of the army to march north, around the Confederates’ left flank.  Eventually the two sides engaged and while the Rebels did not run in fear as predicted, the superior numbers of McDowell’s force prevailed in pushing the Southerners backwards to the top of Henry Hill.  Reinforcements from the Virginia army under the command of General Thomas J. Jackson arrived to join the battle and the afternoon reversed the outcome of the morning as the reinvigorated Confederates gained the upper hand.  Jackson received his nickname “Stonewall” on this day in reference to his troops’ refusal to give up ground and the defeated Union army was forced to retreat back to Washington.
I jumped on an invitation from one of my friends to visit the Manassas National Battlefield Park and we spent the morning walking in the footsteps of Jackson, McDowell, and the 900 men who were killed that day.  Cannons dot the battlefield and the park is ringed with split rail fencing.  Much of the landscape is unchanged from 1861.  Bull Run creek still meanders around the property and under the Stone Bridge where it all began.  The Visitor Center, on the top of Henry Hill, contains a small museum with weaponry of the day on display.  A statue of Stonewall Jackson on horseback looks out over the battlefield outside.  Judith Henry’s house still stands near the edge of the hill with her grave and those of her two children right outside.  Mrs. Henry, then 85 years old and bedridden, refused to leave her home even though it was clear that the house would be right in the crossfire.  She was killed by artillery fire during the battle, the only civilian to die that day.  I think she made a good decision.  Having lived to 85 in 1861, Judith had blown the life expectancy curve and probably wasn’t long for this world in her condition.  Millions of people now know about her and have seen her grave because of her decision to remain in her home.
The battle was called “Bull Run” by the North and “Manassas” by the South.  It was fought primarily by inexperienced and naïve young men on both sides who had never seen war.  The carnage showed both sides the horrible cost that the Civil War would exact on both sides.  A second battle was fought here 13 months later by experienced and more deadly soldiers in both blue and grey.  3300 people died in the second battle of Manassas.  The contradiction of the pastoral serenity of the park now with the horrors of the two battles ran through my mind as we walked among the cannons.  Manassas National Battlefield Park is beautifully kept by the National Park Service and I left with an important history lesson reinforced by personal experience.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Quakin' in DC

At 2 PM the building shook and then again a few seconds later.  People poured out of offices and cubes with disbelief on their faces.  My first thought was earthquake, but that was quickly dismissed since this was DC, not LA.  The next, more horrifying explanation was a vibration in response to a nearby bomb.  Someone finally found enough composure to command everyone to evacuate.  We filed into the stairwell and then out into the street with confusion all around, and were joined by office workers from all the buildings in the vicinity.  Had this happened to every building?  I walked the 5 blocks to the National Mall to check on the Capitol and the monuments.  Fortunately, all were intact and there were no smoke columns anywhere within view.  A police officer confirmed that an earthquake registering 5.8 on the Richter scale had just hit the city.
Californians would be unphased, but to a lifelong East Coaster, having the floor beneath you shake in an unnatural way with an uncomfortably large amplitude, is a scary experience.  Fire trucks and police cars with sirens wailing sped by, but the fact that this event was caused by a natural phenomenon, not a terrorist, was a relief.  The next set of fears then set in.  How safe was my building?  What about the Metro?  I decided to call it a day and head home, on foot.  My apartment in Arlington, Virginia is about 4 miles from work.  A small fear of being trapped underground kept me out of the Metro and the beautiful summer weather (80 degrees with low humidity) made a long walk attractive. 
I made my way through southwest DC past hundreds of people waiting outside their offices for some direction.  Many were walking like me.  I stopped and shared experiences with a woman standing outside her townhouse.  She was an art collector and had many glass items that had fallen from shelves and broken during the quake.  Walking along the southwest waterfront toward the Jefferson Memorial, many tourists passed in the opposite direction.  What a story they had about their DC vacation.  The 14th St bridge behind Mr. Jefferson has a sidewalk that is protected from car traffic by a fence.  Staying as far to the right as possible, I kept hearing “On your left” as cyclists passed.  I was joined by many other walkers, unnaturally crossing the Potomac in ties, jackets, and dresses. 
Carefully negotiating our way across highway ramps, a few companions and I made our way toward the Pentagon parking lot.  From there, I found a way under an I-395 bridge and into my neighborhood.  The walk cleared my head and allowed for rational thought to take over.  There was no visible damage to any building or structure that I saw.  No cracks or evidence of falling debris.  By the time I arrived home, I felt safe in my apartment and a beer and an hour of local news put the event in perspective.  The epicenter of the quake was about 80 miles away in rural Virginia and the quake had been felt as far away as Chicago.  Washington did not suffer any appreciable damage; except for a few broken spires on the National Cathedral.  No one was killed and very few were hurt.  I’ll be more prepared for my next earthquake but I hope I never experience another one.  There’s a hurricane in the Bahamas right now heading for the southeast US with the potential for a whole lot more damage.  I’m not worried about that storm however.  I guess you fear what you’re not used to.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Airline Seats

As Americans get larger and airlines reduce flights to ensure full occupancy, air travel has gotten increasingly less comfortable.  My 155 lb body fits well in a standard airplane seat, but even I don’t have excess room.  So that is why you see concerned looks on the faces of seated passengers when a 300 lb  guy sweating through his business suit, toting an overstuffed rollerboard walks down the aisle looking for his seat.  Those looks of concern then change to relief when Jumbo passes their row.  Whew!  Someone else gets the pleasure of being cozy with the slabs of beef that flow around the armrest constraining their already tight space. 
 
On a recent flight, I was tucked into my snug seat comfortably reading a newspaper when the guy in front of me decided to take a nap. Of course he reclined his seat the maximum amount possible, intruding into my space so much that I could easily count his hair roots.  The paper got pushed into the never land where my progressive eyeglass lenses wouldn’t focus and I had about as much room as if I’d ridden out the flight in the toilet. 
I have two suggestions, rather, pleas for the airlines.  First, do not succumb to any pressure to increase the size of seats.  At the risk of sounding cruel, obese people shouldn’t fly, especially on smaller planes.  When the flight attendant on a small plane asks people to move to the front or back to even out the weight distribution, it is clear that size matters, and grossly overweight people are not making flights safer for the rest of us.  Seats built for what used to be average size adults discourage the obese from getting on airplanes and that’s good for the rest of us.  If you can’t fit in a standard seat, buy two tickets. Second, seats should be locked so that they don’t recline.  Sitting up straight is better for your back and must be safer since the flight attendant always makes us “return your seats to their full and upright positions” for takeoff and landing. 
My apologies to anyone whom I’ve offended with this post.  But to my engineering mind, all airplane passengers are not created equal and lighter ones are better, both for safety and for comfort.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Boston's History

“Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…” is the opening verse of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous poem about the legendary American Revolutionary War hero.  On the night of April 18, 1775 the British army prepared to march from Boston to Concord, MA to destroy a munitions depot that the Colonists had stocked.  Two riders set out that night to warn the troops in Concord and anyone on the way that “The British were coming”.  Waiting in Charlestown, on the other side of Boston Harbor, Paul Revere saw two lanterns shining in the belfry of Boston’s Old North Church, the signal that the Redcoats were taking the shorter route, crossing the Charles River by ferry before starting their march.  William Dawes also rode out from Boston taking the longer land route and later joined Revere west of Lexington on the road to Concord.  Dawes and Revere then enlisted a third rider, Samuel Prescott to join them in alerting people in the towns along the way to Concord, but the three were arrested by a British patrol before reaching their destination. Dawes and Prescott escaped, but only Prescott succeeded in making it to Concord to warn the Colonial troops.  Revere never made it to Concord that night although Longfellow gives him the full credit.
The true story of Paul Revere’s ride, as I just summarized was one of the many historical facts that I learned on a recent weekend trip to Boston with my wife.  With only a short time to see the city, we took a walk on the Freedom Trail, a terrific 2.5 mile walk through the history of our country’s birth.  A line of red bricks in the middle of the sidewalk marks the Trail and takes the follower to some of the most important locations in Revolutionary war time.  The Trail starts at Bunker Hill in Charlestown.  A monument on the crest of the hill marks the spot where American colonists engaged the British Army in one of the early battles and a musket demonstration by a volunteer in Colonial uniform helps the imagination.
Our next stop was the USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides”, the oldest commissioned ship in the US Navy that still sails our waters on ceremonial occasions.  First used during the war of 1812, the undefeated ship is moored in Boston Harbor and active duty sailors give the public a great tour that explains the workings of the ship and how sea battles were fought 200 years ago.  Crossing the Charles River into Boston proper, the Trail meanders through the North End neighborhood.  Now an Italian section with great local restaurants on every block, the North End is one of the oldest parts of Boston, and also contains Paul Revere’s house and the Old North Church.  Nameplates in the church identified which pews had been rented by the wealthier members of the congregation in 1775. Surprisingly, one of the pews was reserved for General Thomas Gage who was the commander of the British Army in New England.  We think of war in terms of a clear cut battle between two sides with little in common.  However the nameplate was evidence that at least prior to the outbreak of the Revolution, the British worshipped with the locals on Sundays. Heading south through the city, the Trail passed historic places such as Faneuil Hall, the Quincy Market, the sight of the Boston Massacre, and the Old State House before ending at Boston Common.  If you’re able, seeing a city on foot is the best way and the Freedom Trail in Boston provides a great history lesson as well as good exercise.
The American Revolution actually began on a bridge in Concord on the morning of April 19, 1775 when an organized regiment of the Colonial army, having been warned of the British approach by Prescott, advanced and fired on the Redcoats.  The ensuing battle pushed the British all the way back to Lexington.  Reinforcements from towns and farms between Lexington and Concord joined the Colonists in the bloody battle that day.  From that point, there was no turning back; America was at war with England and the next six years decided the fate of the two countries. 
Minuteman National Park encompasses the site of the old battle road between Concord and Lexington and there is a walking trail with markers of important events.  A visitor center provides a very good presentation that ties all of the events together.  Standing on the soil where history was made gives one a closer connection to the past and taking advantage of the history of Boston, our history, is something that a visitor should not miss.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Barcelona vs Manchester United

Steep ticket prices and metro cars packed like sardines didn’t dissuade 82,000 DC area soccer fans from taking advantage of the opportunity to see the best two soccer teams in the world play a “friendly” match at FedEx Field in Landover, Md on Saturday night.  I managed to get a relatively “reasonably” priced ticket a few days before the game and was one of the 82K in attendance.  Fan behavior at this game was nothing like what I experienced at a DC United game earlier this year (See blog from May 22).  Fans of both teams wearing team jerseys enthusiastically cheered and sang throughout the game and there was very little getting up for snacks during the course of play.  Perhaps this game drew out the more sophisticated soccer fan, or maybe it was the price of the tickets that motivated everyone to see as much of the action as they could. 
Being a friendly game, many unfamiliar numbers dotted the field in the starting lineups for both teams.  Lionel Messi, the consensus top player in the world, did not suit up for Barca since he needed rest from recent Argentina national team play.  However stars like Andres Iniesta and David Villa played most of the game for the Spanish team and they were a joy to watch.  Likewise, Man U’s most famous player, Wayne Rooney played the first half at his striker position and Portugese midfielder Nani was on the field for most of the match.  My neighbor in the seat next to me was disappointed with the absence of all the superstars, but I wasn’t.  Even the second stringers on these two clubs possess world class skill.
As in most games, Barca controlled the ball and time of possession with precision passing and trapping that looks even more impressive in person.  United’s defense was stout however, and few scoring opportunities were created.  Nani opened the scoring for the English side after 22 minutes when he found room on the left wing and shot the ball between the keeper’s legs.  The one goal lead held until halftime and Barcelona increased the pressure as the second half began.  My son and I shared several texts during the game and he pointed out Barca midfielder Thiago who is only 20 years old as a player to watch.  Several minutes later, making my son look clairvoyant, Thiago evened the score with a bullet into the upper 90 from about 25 yards out.  The partisan crowd (about 60-40 for the Spanish team) in the stadium erupted and the game opened up.  A midfield mistake by Barca at the 76 minute mark resulted in an intercepted pass and Man U had a 2 on 1 break.  Tom Cleverly fed Michael Owen who barely remained onside and the striker put the Red Devils up with a classy chip over the onrushing keeper.  The 2-1 score held to the end and while the victory pales in importance to their loss to Barcelona in May’s European Champions’ League final, it should give the English club some confidence as it prepares for the upcoming EPL season and next year’s Champions league campaign. 
Watching these two great teams live was definitely worth the effort and it’s good that the emergence of soccer as more of a mainstream sport in America now provides opportunities for soccer fans to occasionally see the world’s best players without traveling overseas.  A sellout crowd in the home of the Redskins doesn’t hurt either.

Monday, July 25, 2011

The Shuttle's Legacy, Part 3

So what’s next for NASA?  For the Orbiters, the path is clear.  Discovery will be displayed in the National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.  Endeavor will reside in the California Science Center in Los Angeles, and Atlantis will be at the Kennedy Space Center.  Enterprise, the early Orbiter test vehicle, will be displayed on the retired Intrepid aircraft carrier that is docked in New York harbor. The path forward for NASA’s human exploration program is not so clear.  The current policy, which relies on commercial companies to develop human rated launch vehicles, means that NASA will depend on Russia to ferry astronauts to and from the Space Station for the next few years at a minimum.  If US companies are successful in developing this capability, then NASA can pay them for astronaut rides to the Station and eliminate the dependence on Russia.  The risk with this approach is that if the commercial companies cannot make money, they will do what all companies do; stop and do something else.  So there needs to be another reason to travel to low earth orbit, another market.  Space tourism is a very limited market right now.  To date, 7 civilians have paid between $25 and $35M for “vacations” in space courtesy of the entrepreneurial Russian Space Agency.  If US companies can reduce the price for a ride to space to a level where it is affordable for the very rich instead of the incredibly rich, then tourism may be a viable future market.  NASA cannot be the only customer for commercial launch services if this model is to work.
The very important but less publicized science side of NASA will continue on largely unaffected by the Shuttle’s retirement.  There are currently 84 active NASA science missions in phases from formulation through extended operations.  These missions fall into 4 categories: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Astrophysics, and Planetary Science.  The Hubble telescope, launched in 1990, that recently provided us with images from a 13.2 billion year old galaxy, is one of those missions.  Orbiting satellites with instruments pointed towards Earth collect data on weather, the water cycle, and atmospheric changes among other objectives.  The Opportunity rover that has been rolling along the surface of Mars for 7 years looking for signs of life is another.  Opportunity will be joined next year by a larger rover, the Mars Science Lab, that is scheduled for launch in November, 2011.  Science mission spacecraft which are launched on expendable launch vehicles provided by companies like United Launch Alliance and Orbital Sciences Corp., can travel longer and farther than manned missions because there are no human physiological restrictions.
The signature moments in the manned space program have been “firsts”.  Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space.  Alan Shepard was the first American in space.  John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth.  Neil Armstrong, the first human to step on the Moon.  The Shuttle was the first reusable space plane.  What is the next “first” for NASA?  A return to the Moon would not be a “first”, but establishing a permanently occupied lunar base like the Space Station might be considered so.  Sending an astronaut to Mars would be a huge “first”, but the distance and time involved (7 months one way) may be impractical with current propulsion technology.  Perhaps we should focus on an asteroid.  A recently selected NASA planetary science mission called OSIRIS-ReX will send a spacecraft to asteroid “1999 RQ36” in 2016.  This asteroid is of particular interest because its orbit is close to that of the Earth and there is a 1 in 1800 chance of it colliding with our planet in the year 2182.  To avoid a fate like that of the dinosaurs, learning more about this dangerous little neighbor is a good idea.  Possibly a manned mission could augment what is learned about the asteroid from OSIRIS-ReX and enable us to safely alter the asteroid’s orbit sometime in the future.
The scientific value of these and other potential missions and their cost need to be evaluated by NASA, Congress, and ultimately the American people in the next decade.  There are no easy answers and in a time of large deficits, any new government program must make a compelling case for funding.  Mankind and the US economy have benefited from our investment in NASA.  Taking on the challenge of solving difficult problems has led to some of our greatest achievements as well as germinated new products and markets (cell phones, GPS devices, improved medical imaging equipment, cordless power tools, memory foam, etc.)  The difficulty now is deciding what that next challenge should be.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

The Shuttle's Legacy, Part 2

Congratulations to the Atlantis crew and all members of the Space Shuttle team on this morning's safe landing at the Kennedy Space Center.
Part 2
Although the optimistic flight rate was never achieved; the most flights in one year was 9 in 1985, the Shuttle did provide regular access to low earth orbit and it enabled  construction of the International Space Station which has been continuously occupied since 2000.  It also proved out the concept of re-usability with the External Tank being the only element that is not recovered and refurbished after a mission.  The Shuttle also brought the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit, saved the observatory with the first servicing mission in 1993, and kept it functional with 4 subsequent repair missions.  The program opened up avenues of cooperation between the United States, the European Union, Russia, Canada, the Middle East, and Japan as astronauts from many different countries flew together.  That international cooperation continued on the space station.  Beyond the technological achievements, both the Shuttle and Space Station programs became effective diplomatic tools. 
During the period from 1986-2003, 87 successful missions were flown.  The redesigned SRB field joint worked perfectly and a number of other upgrades were phased in.  The SSME fuel and oxidizer turbopumps were redesigned to achieve better structural durability and thermal margins and the ET material was changed to a new Aluminum-Lithium alloy with higher strength than the baseline aluminum.  This allowed for a lighter tank and the 7500 Lbs savings equated to an almost equal amount of additional payload performance.  Achieving additional payload performance was key because the decision to locate the Space Station at an orbital inclination angle of 51.6 degrees with the Equator (necessary in order to accommodate Russian launches from Kazakhstan), meant that the Shuttle could not fly an optimal performance trajectory to the Station. 
February 1, 2003 brought the second great tragedy to the program as the orbiter Columbia, the first to fly into space in 1981, broke apart during atmospheric reentry over Texas.  The cause of the failure, a cracked wing leading edge due to foam shed from the ET during launch, is still troubling because the failure mode was not intuitively apparent, even after it happened.  The ET foam insulation is very light, almost the consistency of Styrofoam.  During the failure investigation, testing proved that the foam, when moving at a high velocity, could fatally damage even the tough carbon composite leading edge of the wing.  The wing breach on Columbia allowed super hot gas into the interior of the vehicle which precipitated its destruction.  Inherent in the practice of Engineering is the making of assumptions.  When designing a system and deciding what tests need to be run on that system, engineers must determine what the most likely failure modes are and focus their attention on them.  Judgment and experience are critical in this process.  It is impractical to test every possible scenario so intuition as to the sensitivity of the system guides the process.  Unlike in the Challenger failure, it was not intuitive that very lightweight foam shedding from the ET during launch could fatally damage the Orbiter wing.  Testing and the deaths of 8 astronauts proved otherwise.
The decision to include the Russians in the Space Station program allowed American astronauts to continue flying to the Station during the 32 months that the Shuttle was grounded after Columbia.  Shuttles resumed flying in 2006 with better process controls in place to limit the amount of foam shed from the ET during launch.  Note that NASA and the ET prime contractor, Lockheed Martin were unable to completely prevent foam from shedding during flight.  The foam application process control improvements were the best that could be done, and NASA Administrator Michael Griffin judged the risk to be acceptable to resume flights.  22 successful flights later, most of them used to complete construction of the International Space Station, and Atlantis has now concluded her mission, the 135th and final flight of the Shuttle program.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Shuttle's Legacy, Part 1

This is the first in a three part series of blogs to celebrate the final flight of the Space Shuttle and the end of an historic NASA program.

When the Space Shuttle Atlantis lands on or near July 21, it will mark the end of a chapter in the story of NASA, a very long chapter.  135 flights, 30 years and 3 months ago the chapter began with the successful launch of Columbia with astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen aboard.  I watched that launch from the parking lot of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center where several months before I began my career as a Mechanical Systems Engineer for United Space Boosters, a Shuttle contractor at the launch site. 
The Shuttle was the first launch vehicle that NASA flew with a crew onboard without a test flight.  It was also the first crewed launch vehicle to utilize solid fueled rockets.  Until that time, solid rockets were not considered safe for human flight because they cannot be throttled. Once they are lit, they burn until the fuel is expended.  Everything had to work that day and most things did.  A number of insulating tiles came off the Orbiter during liftoff, but fortunately not enough to compromise the safety of the astronauts during the severe thermal environment experienced during reentry.  Additional knowledge was gained with each flight, and over the course of the program, design changes were made to all of the primary Shuttle elements, the Orbiter, the External Tank (ET), and the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB), to increase the safety or the performance of the vehicle.  The redesign of the SRB field joints came too late however to prevent the loss of the Challenger and her crew on January 28, 1986.
The loss of Challenger was a psychological blow to everyone who worked on the Shuttle.  One of the program’s initial objectives was to provide routine access to space and eventually to an orbiting space station.  Between 25 and 60 missions per year were envisioned.  By 1986 it was recognized that the flight rate was never going to be that high, but after 24 successful flights, space missions were looking more and more routine.  Challenger changed that mindset.  A trip into space requires an enormous amount of potential energy and anytime you are dealing with that much power, there are significant risks involved.  After 1986, no Shuttle flight was considered routine by people working on the program.  In retrospect, the Challenger failure was very preventable.  The SRB field joint “O” ring seals had not been tested at low temperatures like that present on launch day.  The cold “O” rings allowed hot gas to escape which led to the breakup of the vehicle.  The redesign of the joint, which added heaters as well as an additional seal, was accomplished during the 33 month stand down of the program.  This was a very busy period for engineers as NASA re-certified the entire vehicle, not just the SRBs.  NASA hired many new engineers during this period including myself. 
With 30 years of flight and around 10 years of development prior, some engineers spent the majority of their careers working on the Shuttle.  Most, like me worked on it for several years before moving to other programs.  I had the privilege of working on the SRB project for the first 10 years of my career, both from the contractor side as well as the NASA side.  Later on, as an engineering manager, I played a role, albeit less direct,  in the other Shuttle elements managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) and the External Tank.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

A Child's Hand

But Jesus said, "Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." -  Matthew 19:14
Jesus’ message rang loud and clear at Sunday Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Northeast DC.  My daughter was visiting me and we were capping off a great “Daddy/Daughter” weekend with worship at the largest Catholic Church in America.  I’ve been to the Basilica several times and the congregation there is a mix of ethnicities and races.  Many in attendance were visitors like us, some having traveled very long distances, but there was also a sizable contingent of people from the surrounding neighborhoods.  The Basilica may be a national pilgrimage site, but it’s also a church for the locals.
The Lord’s Prayer is a particularly reverent time of Mass for me, and the commonly followed practice of holding hands with those next to you brings a greater sense of community and fellowship.  At home in the South, most everyone in church holds hands during the prayer, but that’s not true in DC nor, I suspect, in most big cities.  The guarded shell that people in the city develop to get them through a Metro commute or a phalanx of panhandlers carries over into areas of life where it shouldn’t.  My daughter and I held hands however and I reached out my empty hand into the space next to me in a customary gesture of openness.
As I closed my eyes and prayed the Our Father, I felt a gentle tug on my finger.  A little African American girl, about two years old, who was in the pew in front of us had reached out to hold my hand.  Her mother and grandmother saw this and we all smiled with the common knowledge that a child’s purity transcends differences among people and is something to be treasured.  This little angel made me feel closer to God that Sunday and I hope she had the same effect on her mother and grandmother and my daughter too. 

Jesus was right about the children.  If only we could be more like them in matters of faith or in our relationships. 

Monday, June 27, 2011

Capitol Steps Times 2

As I’ve mentioned before in this blog, the best things that Washington, DC has to offer are free.  Smithsonian museums, the Capitol, the Supreme Court, the monuments, and bike trails along the Potomac don’t cost a red cent to enjoy.  This summer I’ve become aware of another freebie, evening concerts.  In the past month I’ve been treated to concerts by the US Navy and US Army bands on separate evenings on the west steps of the Capitol.  Sitting on the steps with the Capitol dome behind you and the expanse of the National Mall in front with the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial lined up in the distance, while listening to the Battle Hymn of the Republic is a special experience. 
This past weekend my daughter paid me a visit and she, a close friend of hers, and I got to hear the Army band in that venue.  However that was not the only “Capitol Steps” experience to be had that weekend.  The night after the Army band concert, my daughter and I took in a performance of the musical parody troupe of the same name.  The Capitol Steps perform each Friday and Saturday night at a theater in the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center which is just a few blocks from the White House.  The Steps have been performing since 1981 and if you like political comedy, they will not disappoint.  No one in power is spared being made fun of.  During the two hour show, we saw musical numbers that poked fun at President Obama, Sarah Palin, Hilary Clinton, Joe Biden, John Boehner, Anthony Wiener (that one is just too easy), the TSA, the Supreme Court, the Tea Party and many others.  Part of the show we attended was recorded for broadcast on National Public Radio on July 4.
I really can’t do the troupe justice by trying to describe the humorous lyrics in print, but you have to trust me, hearing duets by Michelle Bachman/Sarah Palin and Sonia Sotomayor/Ruth Ginsberg will make you laugh out loud.  The musical numbers are very current and they have a never ending supply of material in Washington.  The Capitol Steps travel around the country and if they come to your area, you won’t regret seeing them.  Their home page provides details.  Here’s a sampling of some of their songs.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Roars for Rory

They say that the crowd roar at a US Open is unlike that of any other tournament.  I got the chance to hear that roar this weekend at Congressional Country Club, and the experience was truly special.  Rory McIlroy, the 22 year old phenom from Northern Ireland, the lad who blew the Masters two months ago with a final round of 80, entered the final day with an almost unprecedented 8 shot lead on the field.  Rory had a chance Sunday to destroy a major championship field like Tiger Woods did in the 2000 US Open, or to collapse again like he did at Augusta. 
The US Open, one of golf’s four major championships, is truly “open” in that anyone with a 1.4 handicap index or better may try to qualify for a spot in the field.  Every player who tees it up in the Open has to play their way in.  The big guns qualify through various criteria; world golf ranking, high finishes in majors, etc.  Journeyman tour pros have to qualify along with amateurs through a series of local and sectional tournaments for the remaining spots.  So while the tournament is almost always won by a top player, there is a chance for a regular guy with a great golf game to compete with the best for the trophy.  Guys like Bud Cauley, formerly a member of the University of Alabama golf team, who made his professional debut memorable by making the cut and cashing his first check.  Patrick Cantlay, a 19 year old freshman at UCLA, not only made the cut, but played in a late group on Sunday after finishing three rounds at one under par.  His final score of even par would have earned him about $97,000.  However Patrick is an amateur so he had to be content with earning the admiration of the golf world for his excellent play.
My son joined me in DC this weekend and we spent 19 wonderful hours Saturday and Sunday walking the course, watching great golf, and relishing the experience.  We were one of many father/son pairings sharing the day together and it doesn’t get much better than this for a golfer on Father’s Day.  I won’t forget it and knowing my son, he won’t either.
 Sunday’s atmosphere was exciting and a little tense as most of the crowd was getting nervous for McIlroy.  We found a spot in the bleachers behind the practice range about an hour before the final group teed off and the crowd erupted with applause as Rory walked onto the range to warm up.  He seemed almost too loose to me as he laughed and joked with his agent and caddy in between towering iron shots.  I can’t fathom how a 22 year old can deal with the pressure he was under with thousands of spectators watching from the perimeter of each hole and millions more on TV.  I have a 9 handicap and I don’t think I could have made contact with the ball on the first tee in that situation.  But we pay money to see these pros because they can perform under pressure, sometimes.  Rory answered all the questions by birdying the first hole, and generally played flawless golf for the rest of the round.
To avoid the crowd following the final group, we staked out a spot on the 11th fairway near where the players hit their second shots.  ESPN radio earpieces (a nice free perk from the tournament) kept us up to date on McIlroy’s progress and he made it through the front nine two under par.  We heard the first great roar from the crowd surrounding the 10th hole when Y.E. Yang, McIlroy’s playing partner hit his tee shot on the par 3 about 4 feet from the hole.  The gimme birdie would bring Yang within 7 shots of the lead.  But then Rory countered with a shot that landed behind the hole and spun back to less than a foot away.  The roar from the crowd on 10, the US Open roar, signaled that Rory had effectively iced the tournament.  Cheers followed McIlroy up the 11th fairway where we watched him hit a perfect 300 yard drive and a long iron to the safe side of the green to set up a par.  Five more pars along with a birdie and a bogey and Rory McIlroy finished off his masterpiece of a final round 69.  The 8 stroke margin of victory was the most in a US Open since Woods’ epic performance in 2000.
Now the inevitable comparisons with Tiger begin.  McIlroy will never have to answer questions about the Masters collapse again, but the media will speculate as to whether he is the next “Tiger”.  One thing is for sure.  Rory McIlroy is great golfer and at 22, is poised to become the number one player in the world.  He also seems like a genuinely nice young man and is gracious in every interview.  He’s the best of a contingent of foreign players who are currently dominating world golf.  It used to be that golf fans in this country rooted against non-Americans, especially in “our Open”.  But we’ve gotten used to the great foreign players over the years and now can embrace them the way we do American champions.  If anyone at Congressional was rooting against McIlroy this past weekend, they were doing it quietly.  The deafening roars clearly identified the people’s choice and the way he answered the call made the 111th US Open an historic tournament and a great memory for a father and a son.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

The Age of Aquarius

NASA got a needed shot in the arm Friday morning at 7:20 AM Pacific time when a Delta II rocket carrying the Aquarius spacecraft was successfully launched into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.  The recent failures of two Earth science missions due to launch vehicle defects added to the tension before the launch, but the Delta II performed nominally and we now have a satellite that will spend the next three years measuring the surface salinity of the world’s oceans.  Ocean salinity is affected by rainfall, evaporation, freezing or melting ice, river discharge, currents, and a host of other parameters.  Aquarius will provide a complete map of the salinity variation in the Earth’s oceans each month and enable better understanding of the world’s fresh water cycle.
Fresh water, the most essential ingredient for human life, is often taken for granted, but shouldn’t be.  Did you ever think about where our water comes from and how much control we have over the source?  People in drought prone areas do.  It can be discomforting to realize that our source of fresh water, mountain snow melt and rain that moves downhill filling rivers, is completely dependent on relatively consistent weather patterns.  As for control, we have none.  The Earth giveth and can also taketh away.
We’ve certainly experienced a wild weather year so far and debate continues as to how our energy consumption habits may or may not affect the world’s weather.  Are we damaging the Earth by continuing to burn hydrocarbons at current rates?  The late comedian George Carlin used to say in one of his routines that “the planet will be just fine” and “when the planet is done with us, it will flick us off like a dog shakes off a flea”.  George was right.  The Earth has experienced trauma in its 4.5 billion year history that makes whatever damage we may be doing now look insignificant.  Consider the asteroid that hit the Earth around 60 million years ago and wiped out the dinosaurs by changing the weather and killing off their vegetative food sources.  Hiroshima’s and Nagasaki’s explosions were no more than a firecracker compared to the bang caused by the asteroid.
Current theory suggests that the moon was created by a glancing asteroid blow that caused Earthen material to be ejected into space.  Gravity caused the material to collapse on itself and formed the moon.  Do you think our best bomb shelters would protect us from an event like that?  However neither of these events killed the Earth.  Our planet recovered after a few million years, but things were not the same as they were before.  The Earth evolved and so did species that were able to adapt.  Good thing for us since we may have never arrived if the dinosaurs had remained on the top of the food chain. 
So while we don’t need to worry about destroying the planet, we do have to worry about destroying the delicate balance of conditions that enable us to live on it.  If the Earth heats up too much and it quits raining and snowing where we expect it, all the political arguments that get us so stirred up will seem like tempests in teapots compared to the calamity that will ensue.  Here’s hoping that Aquarius will help us understand our precious water cycle better and provide solid science to guide future public policy.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Other Washington Monument

Anyone who has sat on the left side of an airplane on final approach from the south into Washington DC’s Reagan National airport has seen a tower just beyond Old Town Alexandria and probably wondered, what is that?  That is the George Washington Masonic Memorial, the other Washington monument in this area.  As much an edifice to honor Freemasonry as the nation’s first President, the Memorial is an imposing structure set on hill about a mile and a half from the Potomac River and the heart of Old Town.
Since I’ve seen the Memorial many times from the plane, a visit has been on my list of things to do.  Climbing the hill on my bicycle was a challenge, but I was rewarded with a beautiful view of Alexandria and the Potomac River beyond.  The hillside below the structure contains a well cared for garden with a massive rock and gravel Masonic symbol at the center.  Entry into the Memorial is free; at least the first two floors, and inside a large bronze statue of George eyes you from the end of a large hall flanked by 40 ft. tall columns.  The sculpture depicts George wearing his Masonic apron and medallion.  Murals depicting Washington at prominent events cover the walls on either side of the hall.  The floor below contains a number of rooms with exhibits of Masonic history such as stones from the White House, tools of masons, and tributes to famous members of the brotherhood such as Benjamin Franklin, Andrew Jackson, and Harry Truman.  One room contains photos of officers of the Alexandria Lodge, dating from the present all the way back to George Washington.
The Memorial is worth a visit; it will take no more than an hour, and is very close to the King St. Metro station. If you are in good walking shape, the trek down King St to the Potomac River will offer you an abundance of pubs, open air restaurants, and shops lining the most prominent cobblestone street of Old Town Alexandria.  

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Soccer Fans: EPL vs MLS

The US Major League Soccer (MLS) has come a long way since its inception 15 years ago.  It provides a league for young American talent to improve their skills while playing with and against past their prime stars from Europe and South America.  The league also has a significant number of Latin American players and Spanish speakers comprise a big part of the fan base.  While stadiums are far from filled, the MLS has carved out a niche in the US sports market and appears stable. The English Premier League (EPL) on the other hand is the most popular soccer league in the world.  Teams that are comprised of the best (and highest paid) players in the world entertain packed stadiums and English fans are incredibly loyal to their teams. 
When people compare the two leagues, quality of play is normally the topic of discussion.  The speed of play and skill level is certainly better in the EPL, but to me, the most striking difference is the behavior of the fans.  During my recent trip to London, I had the opportunity to see an EPL game live.  The match pitted West Ham, an East London club against Aston Villa from Birmingham.  West Ham’s stadium, a small, old structure tucked into a neighborhood, reminded me of Wrigley Field.  The stands were full even though both teams were near the bottom of the standings, and everyone knew their soccer and was glued to the action.  Fans applauded good passes and creative plays, part of the reason why high scores are not necessary for a game to be exciting.  There was a section of “over exuberant” fans who stood during the whole game and screamed obscenities at Aston Villa, but they were confined to one section behind the goal.  I wonder if a ticket in that section comes with a warning.
In contrast, I recently saw an MLS game between FC Dallas and DC United that was played at old RFK stadium here in Washington.  The game was pretty good and both teams had a few excellent players.  A contingent of Latino fans in one corner entertained the stadium, and mostly themselves with songs accompanied by a drum beat throughout the game.  The music and singing did add to the experience, and this is reflective of fan behavior in Central and South America.  The Latinos cared about their home team and this was evident in their songs. There were also other people like me, fans of the sport who were most interested in paying close attention to action on the field.  However a third group showed up shortly before half time.  This group of mostly twenty-somethings paid very little attention to the game, were constantly making runs to the concession stand, and treated the game like a social event. 
At the risk of sounding like a soccer snob, which I probably am, no one in England would have paid $32 to show up for half a game and then not pay attention.  I think some of baseball mentality has crept into MLS spectators.  Baseball is a slow game with interrupted action and it’s OK to miss a few outs or even an inning.  It’s like a sports soap opera where nothing changes quickly.  There’s usually a buildup to a game changing play and it doesn’t happen in the blink of an eye like it does in soccer.  Now MLS needs every paying customer that it can get so these nouveau fans are welcome.  I just wish they would take the time to learn the game and appreciate its nuances.  Watching soccer is like drinking dry red wine.  You have to acquire a taste for it, but once you do, you will appreciate and enjoy a game for the skill of the players, regardless of the number of goals scored.