Well, this can't be good.

9:43am: NASA loses contact with Columbia space shuttle just afterreentry (7 minutes before landing), and no one knows what's up yet, search&rescue units called in.

10am: NBC Dallas affiliate KXAS reports explosion, NASA has not yet confirmed.

Update, later: NASA confirms shuttle breakup (see first link). Damn. Launch pad flag flying at half-mast.

Possible wing damage during launch, maybe related.

First Israeli astronaut on board.

All experiments completed prior to reentry, including zero-G experiments with rats, spiders, bees.

Terrorist activity not suspected, as this occurred 200,700ft (~40mi) up.

This is bad, and an important historical event, but it doesn't seem of quite the same scale as the Challenger explosion in 1986 (I was in 2nd grade, watched it on TV by that activity pit in the lower-classes pod of Sudley Elementary, incidentally)--perhaps because that was the first Shuttle disaster ever, and occurred right after launch. This is more of a "um.. something happened, we're not sure what.. might've exploded.. here's some grainy video.. yeah, it broke up.."

Shauna Disk 2

Some time ago, Shauna gave me two CDRs full of mp3s, ~145mp3s and 10+hrs each. I've finally copied/renamed/retagged/listened to all of them, and here's the artist list for the 2nd CDR, in case you're curious what sort of music we listen to. :)

( The list )

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Took dad to Shauna/SU, he put a new battery in her car, which started right up. I rode back in her car (with good stereo), he drove my truck back and disappeared once in Manassas--he'd gone to Steph & Matt's, without actually telling us that was his destination. :P

Tonight, Brendan's 1st birthday party--he turns 1 on 2/3. In attendance: parents, grandparents, some uncles/aunts--maybe more than Shauna and I, not sure. :)

Night w/the Messengers

My parents, Shauna, and I went over to Steph & Matt's place for Brendan's 1st birthday party--turns 1 on Monday. Also present were Matt's parents (Art&Diane) and sister (Genevieve) and her fiancé Edgar and kids. Much good conversation ensued--as I've previously stated, Art contains a massive wealth of good stories, and Edgar's really cool. Much tasty food, including fax/call ordering from Chipotle--or rather, it would've been fax&confirmation-call but Matt's fax software wouldn't work so he drove it over. Brendan liked all his presents, but as he's about 1, and the best child ever, that's not too surprising. Apparently he took a few unassisted steps this afternoon, too. :) Watched most of Dinotopia, which started out looking pretty B-movie, but grew on us over its multiple hours--still have the 2nd DVD (6 more chapters, following the 30 on the first DVD) to watch, then probably Amélie, here at home with Shauna.