Shuttle Crew Marks Apollo 11 With Spacewalk

A pair of Endeavour astronauts will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing with a 6.5 hour space jaunt.

July 20, 2009 09:40 AM

Astronauts' Monday schedule shows that life in the space program ranges from the sublime to the mundane—even on the same day. NASA crews plan a spacewalk to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing; they also have to fix a broken toilet.

Space shuttle Endeavour crewmembers awoke this morning to the theme from the 1960s TV show "The Thunderbirds." Later today, astronauts Dave Wolf and Tom Marshburn will begin a scheduled six and a half hour spacewalk outside the vehicle.

40 years ago Monday, Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the lunar surface. He was followed by Eagle lunar lander crewmate Buzz Aldrin, while pilot Michael Collins circled overhead in the Columbia command module.

While Wolf and Marshburn space walk, International Space Station residents Gennady Padalka and Frank DeWinne will work to repair the Waste Hygiene Compartment toilet in the space station's Destiny laboratory. The system's dose pump, which delivers chemicals that separate liquids from solid waste, failed after running for about 15 minutes on Sunday.

Endeavour lifted off last Wednesday after a series of delays caused by faulty equipment and inclement weather.

STS-127, as the mission is called, is a 16-day roundtrip voyage that will see the Endeavour crew work to complete construction of Japan's Kibo space laboratory. The astronauts will add a porch-like platform to the lab's exterior that will allow experiments to be exposed to the vacuum of outer space.

Endeavour crewmember Tim Kopra will remain on the space station while ISS flight engineer Koichi Wakata returns home on the shuttle after a four month stint aboard the ISS.

Trinidad & Tobago now murder capital of the Caribbean

SPEYSIDE, Tobago — With a steady rise in violent crime including an alarming increase in homicides, Trinidad and Tobago has overtaken Jamaica as the “murder capital of the Caribbean”.
While homicides increased two percent in Jamaica in 2008, murders were up a staggering 38 percent in Trinidad and Tobago.
Although much of the violence is gang-related, in recent years tourists have increasingly become targets for robbery, sexual assault and murder.
In October 2008, a Swedish couple was chopped to death in their hotel room in Tobago.
Just 10 days later in Tobago, two British females were robbed and sexually assaulted by a bandit who forced his way into their holiday apartment.

Travel warnings
The U.S. and the UK issued travel advisories warning travelers about increasing violence and the failure of police in Tobago to apprehend and prosecute criminals.
“You should be aware that there are high levels of violent crime, especially shootings and kidnappings,” states a travel advisory issued by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office in October 2008. “British nationals have been victims of violent attacks, particularly in Tobago where law enforcement is weak.”
A U.S. travel advisory issued about the same time warns travelers that armed robbers have been trailing tourists as they depart international airports in Trinidad and Tobago.
“Violent crimes, including assault, kidnapping for ransom, sexual assault and murder, have involved foreign residents and tourists (and) incidents have been reported involving armed robbers trailing arriving passengers from the airport and accosting them in remote areas…the perpetrators of many of these crimes have not been arrested.”

Highest crime rates
According to the Economist, the English-speaking Caribbean, which extends from the Bahamas in the north to Trinidad & Tobago in the south, averages 30 murders per 100,000 inhabitants per year, one of the highest rates in the world.
By comparison, the murder rate in both Canada and the UK is about two per 100,000.
With 550 homicides in 2008, Trinidad and Tobago has a rate of about 55 murders per 100,000 making it the most dangerous country in the Caribbean and one of the most dangerous in the world.
The rate of assaults, robbery, kidnapping and rape in Trinidad and Tobago is also among the highest in the world.
According to a report issued by the United States State Department, gang-related homicides and other crimes will continue to increase in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009 and 2010.

Kansas City News

Kansas City Concerts - Some You've Heard of, Some You Haven't

Here are some upcoming Kansas City concert announcements - some you've heard, some you haven't

clipped from www.kansascity.com Tickets on sale | Rob Thomas to perform Oct. 29 at the Midland On sale Friday Rob Thomas, Midland, Oct. 29. $31.25-$86.25 On sale Saturday Clutch, Beaumont Club, Oct. 1. $20 On sale now Chris Isaak, tonight, VooDoo Lounge at Harrah’s Casino. $55-$70 Sonic Youth, July 18, Uptown. $26 Incubus, July 19, City Market. $34 Yallapalooza 2009, with Pat Green, John Joiner Band, Matt Stillwall and more; July 18, Sandstone. $20-$35 Neko Case, July 19, Uptown. $25 Def Leppard with Poison and Cheap Trick, July 21, Sprint Center. $39-$125 Conquer and Curse Tour with Abigail Williams, July 20, Riot Room. $11 Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival, featuring Marilyn Manson, Slayer, Bullet for My Valentine, Trivium and eight other bands, July 21, Sandstone. $45-$55 Demi Lovato, with David Archuleta, July 22, Sprint Center. $39.50-$49.50

Royals LIVE crew interviewed at the new Kauffman Stadium

Did you know that the first organist for the Kansas City Royals started with The Kansas City "A's" and then The Kansas City "Monarchs" and finally The Kansas City Royals. His name was Harry Jenks - great uncle of local Kansas City producer Adam Blue.

clipped from www.kansascity.com A night at the ballpark with the crew of “Royals Live” You are Joel Goldberg. Seventeen years ago, you were just a kid cheering your hometown Philadelphia Phillies to victory in the 1980 World Series. That was about the time when you discovered the pleasures of turning down the volume on the TV set and calling the game yourself in the voice of Harry Kalas, the Phillies’ legendary play-by-play announcer. Fast forward to 2007. You are now in the same business as Harry Kalas, covering major league baseball for a living. Joel Goldberg (right) formed a quick partnership with Jamie Quirk, his new sidekick this season on the “Royals Live” pre-game and post-game shows. “He knows the game so well,” Goldberg says. You’re not a play-by-play man like Kalas (mostly you do interviews and report on- and off-the-field activities of the St. Louis Cardinals), and the Cardinals aren’t the Phillies (but they are the defending world champions).

Tommy Watson - Still King of The Greens - Tiger Who?

Good old Kansas City boy Tom Watson is lighting it up on the British Open - Kansas City pride baby!

clipped from www.kansascity.com Watson still out front at an amazing British Open Tom Watson looked around at the amazing scene Saturday, his eyes tearing up a bit as all the Scottish fans surrounding the 18th green toasted one of golf's greatest champions. He might just have another title in him - this one for the ages. In a repeat of the British Open's throwback theme, Watson shot a 1-over 71 that kept the 59-year-old out front heading to the final round at blustery Turnberry, where the scores kept going up but the ol' guy never faltered. Three years shy of qualifying for Social Security and playing on a surgically replaced left hip that's less than a year old, Watson showed the kids how it's done. He pulled off several brilliant par saves, played it safe when he needed to and shook off a stretch of bogeys that briefly cost him the lead. "That's been the game plan," Watson said. "I'm pretty close to it." At the end, pure magic for the second day in a row.