News You Can Use...For the Summer 06!

[2Tuff2Quit]

Suit: Wolves Player Watched Porn, Caused Crash
Image

Caroline Lowe
Reporting

(WCCO) Minneapolis On March 30, Minnesota Timberwolves center Eddie Griffin was drunk and masturbating when he crashed his luxury SUV into a parked Suburban outside a store in Minneapolis, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by the man whose Suburban was hit in the crash.

The WCCO-TV I-TEAM obtained copies of 911 calls and store surveillance video of the incident, along with an accident report the police submitted to the state.

Several of the 911 callers that night said Griffin was drunk. One witness said Griffin told him he was watching pornography in a DVD player mounted on the dashboard of his Cadillac Escalade SUV when he struck a Chevy Suburban parked on University Avenue Southeast.

The location where Griffin crashed is located a couple miles from the Target Center where Griffin had played with his team several hours earlier.

Abed Hassuneh, who is the brother of the victim, said Griffin told him, "That he was masturbating himself going down that street. That's how the accident happened because he was not paying attention. He's paying attention to that video and all of a sudden he's shoveled somebody's car on the top of the sidewalk."

Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan ordered an internal affairs investigation of the conduct of the two officers who responded to the scene, after the I-TEAM made Dolan aware of allegations about the incident.

Key questions are why Griffin wasn't tested for alcohol and why the officers drove him out of the city to his home in St. Paul. Griffin also received tickets for not having a license and inattentive driving.

Griffin's damaged SUV was towed to the Minneapolis impound lot.

Dolan told the I-TEAM he expects impartial policing. Dolan also said officers must get permission to leave the city.

"Obviously, if somebody is drunk and they are driving we want that dealt with by the police officers of Minneapolis," Dolan said.

In the video, Griffin can be heard pleading with witnesses to not call police saying, "I can't go to jail."

The video also shows Griffin admitting he is drunk and doesn't have a driver's license.

The video shows him struggling for minutes to put on his sweatshirt and offering to buy a car for the man who's SUV he crashed into in front of Santana Foods.

Griffin was not available for comment. When he was interviewed by reporters after the crash happened, he said he had dropped his cell phone as he drove.

The two officers involved in the incident, Daniel Anderson and Matthew Lindquist, have been with the Minneapolis Police Department since October 2001. The officers remain on duty pending the outcome of the internal investigation.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

See the article here:
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_180133016.html

Watch the news video here:
http://wcco.com/video/?id=18021@wcco.dayport.com

I need to be a celebrity millionaire, that way I can drive around watching movies WITHOUT a license and, just in case I get in trouble, I can count on the city police to bail me out. Because it would be crazy to think that the police would actually enforce the law with me *chuckle* I'm rich b*tch!!!

ETA: And Star needs to tell these ppl to mind their own business with regards to her surgery. I was watching one tv show and they had a poll asking whether Star should be obligated to reveal that she had the surgery or not...I mean, what's really going on?? I think ppl are just trying to discount her b/c she lost all that weight and they can't, and they want to say "Well she had surgery so it doesn't count." Only Star needs to be concerned with Star's body and health. She doesn't need to justify herself to anyone. DANG!

[Steeltrap]

Originally Posted by 2Tuff2Quit

Suit: Wolves Player Watched Porn, Caused Crash
Image

Caroline Lowe
Reporting

(WCCO) Minneapolis On March 30, Minnesota Timberwolves center Eddie Griffin was drunk and masturbating when he crashed his luxury SUV into a parked Suburban outside a store in Minneapolis, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by the man whose Suburban was hit in the crash.

The WCCO-TV I-TEAM obtained copies of 911 calls and store surveillance video of the incident, along with an accident report the police submitted to the state.

Several of the 911 callers that night said Griffin was drunk. One witness said Griffin told him he was watching pornography in a DVD player mounted on the dashboard of his Cadillac Escalade SUV when he struck a Chevy Suburban parked on University Avenue Southeast.

The location where Griffin crashed is located a couple miles from the Target Center where Griffin had played with his team several hours earlier.

Abed Hassuneh, who is the brother of the victim, said Griffin told him, "That he was masturbating himself going down that street. That's how the accident happened because he was not paying attention. He's paying attention to that video and all of a sudden he's shoveled somebody's car on the top of the sidewalk."

Interim Minneapolis Police Chief Tim Dolan ordered an internal affairs investigation of the conduct of the two officers who responded to the scene, after the I-TEAM made Dolan aware of allegations about the incident.

Key questions are why Griffin wasn't tested for alcohol and why the officers drove him out of the city to his home in St. Paul. Griffin also received tickets for not having a license and inattentive driving.

Griffin's damaged SUV was towed to the Minneapolis impound lot.

Dolan told the I-TEAM he expects impartial policing. Dolan also said officers must get permission to leave the city.

"Obviously, if somebody is drunk and they are driving we want that dealt with by the police officers of Minneapolis," Dolan said.

In the video, Griffin can be heard pleading with witnesses to not call police saying, "I can't go to jail."

The video also shows Griffin admitting he is drunk and doesn't have a driver's license.

The video shows him struggling for minutes to put on his sweatshirt and offering to buy a car for the man who's SUV he crashed into in front of Santana Foods.

Griffin was not available for comment. When he was interviewed by reporters after the crash happened, he said he had dropped his cell phone as he drove.

The two officers involved in the incident, Daniel Anderson and Matthew Lindquist, have been with the Minneapolis Police Department since October 2001. The officers remain on duty pending the outcome of the internal investigation.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

See the article here:
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_180133016.html

Watch the news video here:
http://wcco.com/video/?id=18021@wcco.dayport.com

Now that is some repugnant isht right there. Eddie Griffin is a millionaire baller. He could have done that in the privacy of his home.

[DELTABRAT]

Originally Posted by Steeltrap

Now that is some repugnant isht right there. Eddie Griffin is a millionaire baller. He could have done that in the privacy of his home.

But that's no fun ...all I can say is that he must've been getting "close" and it was gettin' to the GOOD because dang ...I wonder if he...nevermind.

[AKA2D '91]

Originally Posted by DELTABRAT

But that's no fun ...all I can say is that he must've been getting "close" and it was gettin' to the GOOD because dang ...I wonder if he...nevermind.

I wonder if he washed his hands!

[JustMyself]

Originally Posted by AKA2D '91

I wonder if he washed his hands!

________________dead_____________!

[jitterbug13]

PHILADELPHIA (July 3) - Lil' Kim celebrated Independence Day one day early with her release from a federal detention center Monday morning after nearly 10 months behind bars.

The rapper, who was sent to prison for lying about a shootout outside a New York radio station, walked out of the jail looking glamorous in sunglasses and an all-white, cleavage-baring outfit.

Carrying a balloon and a bouquet of white roses, she waved to dozens of cheering onlookers - some carrying signs that said, "Welcome Home, Queen Bee" - before getting into a silver Rolls-Royce. The car pulled into a nearby parking lot where she re-emerged to greet the throng.

"I love you," she said, blowing kisses.

Some fans stayed up all night to ensure they made it downtown in time for her 6 a.m. release.

"It was worth it," said Shakiyla Williams, 16. "She was the same Queen Bee - fabulous."

The 4-foot-11 entertainer, whose real name is Kimberly Jones, began serving her time in the detention center Sept. 19. She was sentenced to a year and a day in prison, but was released early for good behavior.

"She has accepted responsibility and handled herself in an exemplary manner," her attorney, L. Londell McMillan, said in a statement released by Lil' Kim's publicist.

Though several high-profile rappers - including Beanie Sigel and Tupac Shakur - have done jail time, Lil' Kim is the first prominent female artist to serve a prison sentence.

She will remain under house arrest for 30 days and be under supervised release for three years.

Her conviction for lying to a federal grand jury and in the subsequent trial stemmed from a gun battle in 2001 that erupted outside WQHT-FM, known as Hot 97. Lil' Kim's entourage had crossed paths with a rival rap group, Capone-N-Noreaga, whose song "Bang, Bang" contains an insult to her from rival Foxy Brown . One man was hurt in the shootout.

Lil' Kim, who won a Grammy in 2001 for her part in the hit remake of "Lady Marmalade," maintained she hadn't noticed two of her close friends - who later pleaded guilty to gun charges - at the scene of the shootout.

Jurors at her trial saw radio station security photos of one of the two friends opening a door for her, and witnesses said they saw her at the station with both.

[jitterbug13]

There was more drama on ABC's 'The View' this week than all of the network's soap operas combined. Unless you've been under a rock, you've heard or read by now about Star Jones Reynolds's departure from the daytime chat fest. The former prosecutor, who began her career in television covering high-profile cases such as William Kennedy Smith's and the O.J. Simpson trial for Court TV, NBC's 'The Today Show' and the syndicated talk show 'Rolonda,' sent shock waves through the entertainment industry by announcing she would not return for 'The View's' tenth season in September, despite countless tabloid reports speculating she would.

"I'm not sure what the future holds, but I'm sure who holds the future," the 44-year-old author of the bestseller 'Shine: A Physical, Emotional & Spiritual Journey to Finding Love' told the viewing audience in an emotional goodbye. By the show's end, People magazine serviced a promo of their exclusive interview with the former Payless spokeswoman with the headline that read: "Star Jones tells People: I Was Fired!"

Barbara Walters beckoned the live studio audience to give Jones Reynolds a standing ovation and praised the one-time red carpet host for E! Entertainment after her impromptu surprise announcement. "I have no doubt that you're just going to be so successful. Anyone would be lucky to have you," Walters said at the time. But the semi-retired '20/20' host was singing a different tune later Tuesday when she spoke exclusively to New York Daily News columnist Lloyd Grove.

"I have always told the truth on this program, except in the case of Star... There are very strong reasons why [ABC execs] felt she had lost the audience. I had then decided, along with [executive producer] Bill Geddie, that whatever she wanted to say-that she had a new job, that she was starting a new chapter-we would back her up...there had been an agreement between Star and me that she would make an announcement this Thursday. The agreement was made many weeks ago that she would stay on the program till late July, and whatever reasons she wanted to give, I would back her up and give her a wonderful send-off...I was totally surprised."

I spoke with Jones Reynolds, who has become one of the most scrutinized women on television since Kathie Lee Gifford, moments before she was set to board a plane at New York City's LaGuardia Airport late Wednesday evening. During our near hour-long conversation, Jones Reynolds spoke candidly about her departure from 'The View,' rumors that her marriage to banker Al Reynolds is in trouble; and the never-ending question about her weight loss.

BV Buzz: Is your marriage to Al on the rocks?

Star: My husband is the strongest, most wonderful man I could have ever asked for. I can't emphasize enough that I could not have done any of this or withstood any of the last two months. If you think about it, this has been a very tough couple of months on me. I love my husband and he loves and respects me-period! People can say what they want, but Al and I share what I like to call an unbreakable bond. We have always been deeply committed to one another and our marriage. And through it all, we have tried to carry ourselves with grace and dignity. And I'd be lying to you Jawn if I said the speculation and the tabloid gossip had not gotten to us and doesn't affect us. It's not easy being under such intense scrutiny by the media. All we're trying to do is live our lives as Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds. But, be very clear, in carrying yourself with grace and dignity, throughout all of the speculation and innuendo and all of that. We choose to do it that way. To do otherwise would be unseemly. That's a word your grandmother would use. We won't play into that for the sake of others. We just won't.

BV Buzz: Why won't you divulge what particular method you used to lose weight?

Star: Think about it for a minute, I guess I realized that in taking on such a big health consideration-cause that's what being obese and loosing weight is, a health consideration. I had to attack it from the heart, the body and the mind. I had no choice. You have to have the desire first to lose the weight and then you have to get yourself physically in a position to do so. That's why I had to go to my doctors and get their help. Mentally, and that's the biggest thing right now, how can I explain or anyone else be expected to explain something so personal to the world that I am still mentally trying to explain to myself. I have lost half of my body weight. That's a big statement. And it's been done over a three-year process. I have spent as much time eating right, eating less and doing exercise as I have therapeutically examining why I got to this point. I know people want to go on this journey with me, but it's really difficult to take you on the journey until I fully have wrapped myself around where I am. I mean, I've never once lied. Never once! Read the book, pull out the quotes. I have always told everyone that in order to start this weight loss, I absolutely needed a medical intervention. I absolutely needed doctors to step in. Absolutely! Never lied and have always said that. I never understood for the life of me why some people have misinterpreted that or used that as me trying to avoid something. Cause I'm not ashamed! Those doctors saved my life! Their stepping in and helping me take control saved my life! That's not the issue, not at all whatsoever. But I am praying and asking people to give me the time to fully understand what the heck I was going through before I can take you through it.

BV Buzz: People criticize you for showing the scar on your chest. What type of surgery is that from, and is the scar like a badge of honor for you now, kind of like Mary J. Blige's scar under the eye and Queen Latifah's scar on her forehead?

Star: It was a tumor in my chest. They had to crack my chest open in order to remove it. That's why you see that big long scar. It took me many, many years actually. When I was in the hospital I saw the scar for the first time. I can't believe that I am 44 years old and this happened 24 years ago, and I still see it and feel it painfully right now as I tell this story. The doctor wanted to remove the bandages and my mother was supposed to be there with me. She was down I think in the cafeteria after taking a break from sitting by my bedside, and my dad was with me. My dad said 'I'll stay here,' and the doctor said she may want her mom with her during this time because obviously, they knew what the scar looked like. My father said, 'No, no, no, Starlet,' and he and I are very close. So they removed the bandages and gave me a mirror and when I saw that scar down the center of my chest, I fell apart and literally went hysterical. I said, 'Daddy, no man is going to ever want to look at me again. I'm completely scarred for life.' And my father, in an attempt to be loving, he didn't comfort me, my father said, 'Baby, the way you're built, the brothers ain't looking at that scar.' And I remember thinking to myself, one day somebody is going to say, 'Baby I ain't looking at that scar.' And it took me many years to get to that. I used to decorate it with those stick-on jewel charms. I still will wear a necklace that obscures it, 'cause it's not the most attractive thing. But that scar saved my life. That man went in there and cracked my chest and took out a one-pound tumor that was literally choking the life out of me. I know sometimes people go, 'Why she got that scar out? She should wear clothes that are closed up.' The thought that someone once told me that I have nine months to live-that scar is evidence that they were wrong.

BV Buzz: Barbara Walters said ABC decided not to renew because the approval rating was down with viewers. Do you believe that story?

Star: I was told by Barbara and Bill that they were not renewing my contract because my viewer approval ratings have gone down and they needed to make a change. That seemed a little odd to me considering that several of the highest rated episodes of 'The View' for the year that I planned my wedding, which is when they said that my viewer approval ratings went down, several of the top ten were directly related to my wedding planning. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've ever said this out loud, but the number two show of 'The View' of all time, was the day after Al asked me to be his wife and we announced it on 'The View.' In the whole nine years, it was the number two rated show in the whole nine years. So that seemed a little weird because most of the high rated shows or a significant portion I should say, focused directly on the issues from my life or me leading the featured segment. So to hear that the numbers were reading really differently and they wanted to renew my contract was a surprise. I was never told that my job was in jeopardy prior to being told that my contract was not being renewed. Clearly, they would say we did some focus groups and there are some changes we want to make. I actually remember, it was either late November or early December, waking up one morning and reading in one of the local papers that they were looking to replace Star Jones...Me being me, I walked into "The View" that day and asked Bill Geddie myself, and I asked him a direct question, "Is the network looking to replace me? These rumors, are they true?" And he said to me no. He said, 'No, I've not been told any of this.' That's exactly what he said, 'No, I've not been told any of this.' He assured me it was not true. When they told me that my contract was not going to be renewed, I thought wait a minute, hold up. I came to you and asked! And you'd think they'd come to a person, a committed member of the team, a faithful member of the team, and say yo, your job may be in jeopardy. You've got to make some changes or we're not going to be able to protect you. They never said that. Or, 'Your job IS in jeopardy you've got to look out for yourself because, Star, change is coming.'

BV Buzz: There were rumors of tension between you and Barbara Walters before the announcement came. What was life like leading up to your surprise announcement?

Star: Well, the last two months have been horrible. I guess I could fake it for you but I'm not going to. Now remember, I will draw you a picture. I told you April 21 is when they told me, and Barbara did not call me herself. Barbara called my agent. And after 9 years, she didn't call me. And then, that next Wednesday, I was supposed to get on a plane and go to the Emmy Awards, the Emmy Awards I had earned with my colleagues for a year of work. Then I was told in my office that Rosie O'Donnell was joining 'The View.' And I was told that they were going to use the Emmy Awards that my colleagues and I had earned to make the announcement. And, I was promised that nothing would leak and they would not use it as an opportunity to humiliate me, and if I would go to the Emmys. They begged me to go! As you can imagine, that was very hurtful. By the time I got to the airport, they had leaked that Rosie O'Donnell was coming to 'The View' and that they were going to announce it at the Emmys. On the day of the Emmys, 48 hours later, I had to walk that red carpet my best foot forward and sit in the front row as Barbara Walters walked Rosie O'Donnell out on that stage. And, this was particularly galling because I found out by sitting in that audience that Barbara had made a phone call to Rosie in the same week she'd viciously attacked me in print and on television and invited her to be co-host. The same week. Barbara ran into her at her event the same week Rosie had gone on her blog and on every single evening entertainment program and attacked me. Barbara used that week to call her and invite her to be a part of the show that I helped launch nine years ago, and I found that out sitting in the audience that night. And for Barbara to say she feels betrayed, (laughs), it's the height of hypocrisy. Because I sat there and for two months I came to work every day. It's so disheartening to me. I came to work every day. I held my head up. I operated in grace and dignity. I continued to share my life. I brought photographs of my family. One hundred percent professionalism for two months. And I sat there knowing they had conspired to hurt me professionally and personally. Remember this, I knew since April! But I still came to work.

BV Buzz: Will you watch the new 'View' come September?

Star: I'm going to be very busy come September.

There's more to my in-depth conversation with Jones Reynolds that will be featured in next week's BV Buzz. Then, the television talent speaks frankly about the fallout from her wedding and the accusations that her obsession with freebies strained her relationship with ABC.

Buzzworthy

Actor Leon ('Little Richard'/' The Five Heartbeats') has released a new reggae album called 'The Road Less Traveled' with his band The Peoples. The CD was recorded with DJ Pismo and producer JK and features singer Syleena Johnson on a remake of the Angie Stone cut "Bottles and Cans."

Gospel dynamo and Mariah Carey background vocalist Melonie Daniels will record her first full-length gospel album come all. Daniels will record the CD live in New York and plans to release the album independently, at least for now. In the meantime, Daniels will be featured in the production 'More Than a Song' with vocalists Chris Epps, Natalie Walker and Marvin Scott at the Theatre Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Fla. on July 14 and 15.

According to comedienne Sheryl Underwood, BET's 'Comic View' may not be returning this fall. "We don't know if 'Comic View' is coming back. I hear its not coming back. I hear I am the last host of 'Comic View' as we know it," said Underwood, who hosted the last season of the BET series. Stay tuned.

Can't Say Names...

Mama said a leopard never changes its spots, and according to members of a veteran R&B collective, that's the case with one of its founding members. Members of said group are feuding over money, something that caused the group to disband years ago. When one member failed to show up for a concert date recently, they still tried to have the manager split the check three ways. The other two members almost got physical with the manager and allegedly locked her in a hotel room until all of the money was paid. To get back at the absentee member, the two singers failed to board their flight for an international concert date and left the pseudo-singer/producer onstage to perform the entire show solo. You know what they say about payback. My money's on Guy

[PerfectVerse06]

Stephanie Wilson, the Second Black Woman in Space, Soaring in Discovery

Date: Wednesday, July 05, 2006
By: Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA gave the shuttle Discovery a majestic Fourth of July send-off and said early signs showed the spacecraft was in good shape, despite once again being struck by the flying foam that has plagued the program.

The first-ever Independence Day manned launch came after two weather delays and over objections from those within NASA who argued for more fuel-tank repairs.

Shuttle managers said early video images of liftoff showing small pieces of foam breaking away -- and one even striking the spacecraft -- were not troubling.

"The tank performed very, very well, indeed, very pleased," shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said Tuesday night, five hours after liftoff. "As opposed to where we were last year, we saw nothing that gives us any kind of concern about the health of the crew or the vehicle."

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said of the launch: "They don't get much better than this."

Commander Steven Lindsey, an Air Force fighter pilot, was at Discovery's controls and aiming for a Thursday linkup with the international space station. Besides Lindsey and German astronaut Thomas Reiter, Discovery is carrying pilot Mark Kelly; Michael Fossum and Piers Sellers, who will conduct at least two spacewalks at the station; and mission specialists Lisa Nowak and Stephanie Wilson.

Wilson, a 39-year-old Boston native, is the second black woman in space, following Dr. Mae Jemison, the former astronaut who made the journey in 1992.

She may be a Harvard graduate, but Wilson got her master's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas, home of the Longhorns and sworn enemies of Fossum's Aggies.

"I'm trying to figure out how I can collect all of the Aggie items so they don't appear (in photos)," she said.

Wilson, an avid stamp collector since she was eight, told collectSPACE she brought a few personal items with her on her space flight, including a bible and items from University of Texas.

"From the Buffalo Solider Museum that is here in Houston, I am flying a flag commonly flown by one of the regiments of the Buffalo Soldiers," she said.


Those items -- for her own emotional security or certain personal homages -- are no doubt deemed good luck charms after the success of Tuesday's flight.

It was Griffin who chose to go ahead with the mission over concerns from the space agency's safety officer and chief engineer about foam problems that have dogged the agency since Columbia was doomed by a flyaway chunk of insulation 3-1/2 years ago.

Discovery thundered away from its seaside pad at 2:38 p.m EDT.

About three minutes later, as many as five pieces of debris were seen flying off the tank, and another piece of foam popped off a bit later, Mission Control told the crew. The latter piece struck the belly of Discovery, but NASA assured the seven astronauts it was no concern because of the timing.

Hale said Discovery was so high when the pieces came off that there wasn't enough air to accelerate the foam into the shuttle and cause damage.

All but one of the foam pieces were small and all came off well after the two-minute, 15-second point of causing damage, Hale said. NASA had expected minor foam loss.

"It's all very minor. It's all very late," Hale said. "So at the end of the day, I'm very pleased with the performance of the tank. This is a great improvement from where we were."

The astronauts reported seeing what they described as a large piece of cloth tumbling away from Discovery soon after reaching orbit. It looked like one of the thermal blankets that protects the shuttle, they said, but Mission Control told them it was likely ice and that a similar observation was made during Discovery's flight a year ago. "Wow, that's real good news," said shuttle commander Steven Lindsey. Hale later confirmed it was ice.

Hale and others on the launch management team were in a jubilant mood over the smooth liftoff.

"No, we did not plan to launch on the Fourth of July, but it sure did work out to be great to launch on Independence Day," said Hale, who was wearing a patriotic tie.

"Discovery's ready, the weather's beautiful, America is ready to return the space shuttle to flight. So good luck and Godspeed, Discovery," launch director Mike Leinbach said just before liftoff.

"I can't think of a better place to be here on the Fourth of July," radioed Lindsey. "For all the folks on the Florida east coast, we hope to very soon get you an up-close and personal look at the rocket's red glare."

It was unclear for a while Monday whether Discovery would fly at all.

A slice of foam, not much bigger than a crust of bread, fell off an expansion joint on the external fuel tank as the spacecraft sat on the launch pad. Shuttle managers concluded Monday night after intensive engineering analysis that the remaining foam on that part of the tank was solid.

Engineers said the piece -- three inches long and just one-tenth of an ounce -- was too small to pose a threat even if it had come off during launch and smacked the shuttle. Inspectors devised a long pole with a camera to inspect the joint and found no evidence of further damage. NASA also made sure there was no excessive ice buildup at that spot Tuesday.

The fallen foam, albeit harmless, added to the tension already surrounding this mission.

NASA's chief engineer and top-ranking safety official objected two weeks ago to the 12-day mission without eliminating lingering dangers from foam loss, considered probable and potentially catastrophic.

They were overruled by shuttle managers and, ultimately, Griffin. He stressed the need to get on with building the half-done, long-overdue space station before the shuttles are retired in 2010 to make way for a moonship, per President Bush's orders.

Hale said Tuesday night that additional repairs will be made to future fuel tanks, regardless of Discovery's successful launch.

Griffin said he welcomed the debate over Discovery's launch and acknowledged that the space agency plays the odds with every shuttle liftoff.

If photos during launch or the flight show serious damage to Discovery, the crew could move into the space station. Then a risky shuttle rescue -- fraught with its own problems -- would have to be mounted. The rescue ship, Atlantis, would face the same potential foam threat at launch. NASA also worked on a possible plan for flying Discovery back to Earth unmanned if necessary.

Many have speculated that if anything happens to Discovery or its crew, the shuttle program could end with this mission, and plans for moon and Mars exploration could be put in jeopardy.

In its flight last July, Discovery experienced dangerous foam loss, though the chunk was smaller than one that slammed into Columbia's left wing, and it missed Discovery altogether.

Just like a year ago, more than 100 cameras and radar were trained on Discovery at liftoff to spot any foam shedding. The intensive picture-taking continued with on-board cameras and the astronauts snapping zoom-in shots upon reaching orbit.

NASA figures it will be nearly a week before it can decisively say whether any debris hit and damaged Discovery during launch. As of Tuesday night, NASA had looked at about one-third of all the data collected, Hale said.

Last July, cameras caught a 1-pound chunk two minutes after liftoff, despite extensive repairs that came after the Columbia disaster killed seven astronauts in 2003. The big piece of foam came off an area untouched in the wake of the tragedy. Smaller pieces popped off other parts of the 154-foot tank.

Over the past year, NASA has removed foam from the location of last year's largest foam loss, saying it represented the biggest aerodynamic change to the shuttle in 25 years of flight. Engineers deemed the foam there unnecessary.

Shuttle managers put off repairs to another potentially dangerous area of the tank, foam wedges to insulate the metal brackets that hold pressurized lines in place. The foam prevents ice and frost from forming on the brackets once the tank is filled with super-cold fuel.

Managers said they wanted to make one major change at a time. The space agency's chief engineer disagreed as did the chief safety officer, saying they would rather take the extra six months to fix the problem before launching.

Griffin contends NASA doesn't have time to spare with the shuttles set to be phased out in 2010.

Reiter, of the European Space Agency, will move into the space station for a half-year stay, joining the American and Russian there already.

Reiter will bring the size of the station crew to three for the first time since 2003.

Beginning Wednesday, the Discovery crew will survey use a 50-foot inspection boom to view the shuttle for damage. They also will make repairs to the space station and deliver much-needed supplies.

Along with Nowak, Wilson will operate the shuttle's 50-foot robotic arm, attached to a 50-foot boom, during inspections for any damage to Discovery.

"It's very difficult to know where all parts of the arm and boom are at any particular time," said Wilson. "That sometimes becomes the tricky part."

Wilson said there shouldn't be a problem with three spaceflight rookies in the crew.

"In the early shuttle days, they had to fly all rookies on some early flights, and they did fine," she said.

“I just love it. I think it's a great adventure, Wilson told TV reporters. "There is so much to learn. Humans have always had a quest for knowledge and thirst to explore and I have that same bug.”

And apparently, it bit early. Said Wilson: “I always knew I wanted to be an astronaut."

[2Tuff2Quit]

Apparently Sony is under fire for a new PSP ad that they are running! I believe it is overseas in Japan, because I refuse to believe this would run in the US......what are your thoughts?!?!?!?!

**I took the photo down** I didn't mean to offend anyone. I apologize

[SummerChild]

Originally Posted by PerfectVerse06

Stephanie Wilson, the Second Black Woman in Space, Soaring in Discovery

Date: Wednesday, July 05, 2006
By: Marcia Dunn, AP Aerospace Writer


"From the Buffalo Solider Museum that is here in Houston, I am flying a flag commonly flown by one of the regiments of the Buffalo Soldiers," she said.

Well alright then!

SC

[chrini]

[QUOTE=PerfectVerse06]

Stephanie Wilson, the Second Black Woman in Space, Soaring in Discovery

QUOTE]


Stephanie, along with the other two black female astronauts, Yvonne Cagle and Joan Higginbotham (A Delta) are in an article in the Ebony August 2006 issue with Mariah Carey on the cover.

[KSigkid]

Originally Posted by 2Tuff2Quit

Suit: Wolves Player Watched Porn, Caused Crash
Image

Caroline Lowe
Reporting

(WCCO) Minneapolis On March 30, Minnesota Timberwolves center Eddie Griffin was drunk and masturbating when he crashed his luxury SUV into a parked Suburban outside a store in Minneapolis, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by the man whose Suburban was hit in the crash.

Wow - that's about all I can say.