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You are here: Home / TV & Movies / Movies / Friday Morning Open Thread: Pioneering Figures

Friday Morning Open Thread: Pioneering Figures

by Anne Laurie|  January 6, 20176:12 am| 48 Comments

This post is in: Movies, Open Threads, Post-racial America, Science & Technology, Women's Rights Are Human Rights, Daydream Believers

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Something I did not know, via McClatchy DC:

More than 100 astronauts have visited the International Space Station since it was first launched in 1998. Of the 101, the U.S. has accounted for 49 of those visitors, a fraction of the hundreds of astronauts NASA has sent into space over the decades.

But now, for the first time ever, an African-American will call the International Space Station home, NASA announced Wednesday.

Jeanette Epps will be part of Expedition 56 to the ISS in 2018 and will remain on board as part of Expedition 57, per a press release. That will make her the first African-American to crew the station, as well as the 13th woman.

Epps has served as an astronaut since 2009 and has a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland. She has also spent several years as a CIA technical intelligence officer, according to her biography.

NASA’s announcement comes just before the release of the film “Hidden Figures,” which tells the story of three African-American women who were pivotal in the launch of the first American into orbit, John Glenn. The movie, which has enjoyed a warm reception from critics, per Rotten Tomatoes, has been praised for its authentic feel and adherence to history, per Space.com…

Been looking forward to Hidden Figures for a while now — I’m hoping we can get our schedule in order to see it this weekend.

Apart from happy planning, what’s on the agenda as we wrap up the week?
.

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Reader Interactions

48Comments

  1. 1.

    rikyrah

    January 6, 2017 at 6:16 am

    Good Morning, Everyone???

  2. 2.

    Phylllis

    January 6, 2017 at 6:24 am

    Hunkering down for a ‘weather event’. Looks like we’ll only get sleet and rain instead of the inch of snow they were calling for earlier this week. I have a good stack of books, including Glass Universe by Dava Sobel. I read Hidden Figures last weekend. Next on the list is Keep the Damned Women Out: The Struggle for Coeducation by Nancy Malkiel. Hoping they will keep my anger stoked and finely tuned for the coming resistance.

    And good morning, Rikyrah.

  3. 3.

    JPL

    January 6, 2017 at 6:31 am

    Good Morning.

  4. 4.

    raven

    January 6, 2017 at 6:33 am

    @JPL: My bride is at a “training” program in Rome, GA and the are supposed to go until 4:30. I’m suggesting that she hit the road at noon whether they like it or not. It’s a state event so I can’t imagine they won’t let them go.

  5. 5.

    JPL

    January 6, 2017 at 6:34 am

    Anne, Thank you for the video of the interview of the cast of Hidden Figures, with Chris Matthews. It’s such a fascinating story.

  6. 6.

    JPL

    January 6, 2017 at 6:36 am

    @raven: I’d be surprised if they didn’t release them earlier, since the governor declared a state of emergency starting at noon.
    It appears to be moving in earlier, and the temperature is going to continue to fall throughout the day.

  7. 7.

    raven

    January 6, 2017 at 6:37 am

    @JPL: I’m encouraging her to be pro-active.

  8. 8.

    Baud

    January 6, 2017 at 6:44 am

    @rikyrah: Good morning.

  9. 9.

    JPL

    January 6, 2017 at 6:49 am

    @raven: Since I was stuck in traffic during the last event, my advice to her would be to leave now.

  10. 10.

    JPL

    January 6, 2017 at 6:57 am

    Raven, Another thing to consider is that a lot of places are closing at noon, and that alone could cause massive traffic problems. That is what happened last time.

  11. 11.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 6, 2017 at 7:22 am

    @raven: The last time I went to work when there was a prediction of snow figuring I would leave when it started, I rolled my tool filled van at 55 mph on a patch of black ice less than a mile from my exit. The van of course was totaled but my only injury was a broken thumbnail. I should have had a crushed skull from a flying worm drive saw or any number of tool boxes. Never again.

    Tell her I said she should say “Fuck it.” and leave now.

  12. 12.

    Iowa Old Lady

    January 6, 2017 at 7:32 am

    There’s an old labor song called “We just come to work here. We don’t come to die.” Your wife should sing a few verses of that and hit the road.

  13. 13.

    rikyrah

    January 6, 2017 at 7:33 am

    I am going to see Hidden Figures again this weekend. Absolutely loved it ???

  14. 14.

    rikyrah

    January 6, 2017 at 7:34 am

    @raven:
    If she is not used to driving in that weather, tell her to leave early.

  15. 15.

    Chat Noir

    January 6, 2017 at 7:58 am

    @rikyrah: We’re going to see it tomorrow. I’ve only been reading good things about it so I’m excited.

  16. 16.

    bystander

    January 6, 2017 at 8:00 am

    Since I stopped watching the news, I seldom know about weather events…including those around me. Makes every day more interesting.

  17. 17.

    Betty Cracker

    January 6, 2017 at 8:10 am

    The walking collection of untreated personality disorders who will be president in two weeks just tweeted this:

    Wow, the ratings are in and Arnold Schwarzenegger got “swamped” (or destroyed) by comparison to the ratings machine, DJT. So much for being a movie star-and that was season 1 compared to season 14. Now compare him to my season 1. But who cares, he supported Kasich & Hillary.

    WASF.

  18. 18.

    Iowa Old Lady

    January 6, 2017 at 8:14 am

    @Betty Cracker: How can anyone who reads that not be appalled by how childish it is?

  19. 19.

    raven

    January 6, 2017 at 8:18 am

    @Chat Noir: She went to Virginia Tech, Blacksburg gets real weather.

  20. 20.

    OzarkHillbilly

    January 6, 2017 at 8:23 am

    We only got about 1 1/2″ of snow yesterday, but the temp is currently 8 degrees with a predicted high of 17. Think I’ll stay inside again today.

  21. 21.

    Betty Cracker

    January 6, 2017 at 8:31 am

    @Iowa Old Lady: I truly have no idea. I replied with a link to the Mayo Clinic’s page on narcissistic personality disorder and advised him to seek help. I was being sincere! :)

  22. 22.

    Iowa Old Lady

    January 6, 2017 at 8:35 am

    @Betty Cracker: You are my hero!

  23. 23.

    NotMax

    January 6, 2017 at 8:37 am

    Extinction afoot? The dodo, the passenger pigeon, FM radio.

  24. 24.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 6, 2017 at 8:47 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    But, but, isn’t DJT the executive producer of that show? Huh. He couldn’t executive produce his way out of a wet recycled-paper bag. What a loser. Sad!

  25. 25.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 6, 2017 at 8:51 am

    I’ve just had two comments disappear *poof!* into the ether. What’s going on, FYWP?

  26. 26.

    Jado

    January 6, 2017 at 8:51 am

    Ugg. As much as this story fascinates me (especially as I have never heard of it before – which is a travesty), Tweety Bird is a shambling collection of corporatist catch-phrases and intentional self-obfuscation just one step away from a full-blown David Gregory. I can’t watch him try to be an actual person with a great actor like Taraji. I’ll have to look for a transcript.

    Ugg. He’s awful

  27. 27.

    Cermet

    January 6, 2017 at 8:57 am

    In spirit of the post – I will just say I raised my daughter in a mathematical environment (simply so she would never fear this subject not with any goal she enter that or related fields.) As a result, she became enamored by the subject at a young age and has since mastered many advanced subjects in both that field as well as physics.

    For her, a subject isn’t very interesting unless advance math is heavily involved – as such, she has detoured into particle physics far more than I think is good … . Not that she hasn’t advanced in other areas – she speak’s fluent French and has a working knowledge of German.

    Looks like she has decided to get duel degree’s in both theoretical physics and mathematics (she is a senior now so this new desire to do more work in math will delay her graduation… but at least the University will pickup most the bill (yeah.) Can’t argue since I feel that knowledge is good and not locking one’s self into a graduate field of study (yet) is a smart move (Please, NOT particle physics … sorry but I can’t stand that area of physics so I am rather happy she is adding a second degree and looking more into plasma physics (yeah!).)

    A proud father who has always (even in high school) respected woman doing technical studies.

  28. 28.

    satby

    January 6, 2017 at 8:59 am

    Howdy everyone! I spent yesterday just lying around sick. Have to get out today for dog and cat food, my cupboard is bare.
    I’m just waiting for the Dayquil to kick in. The kid had to head back to Kentucky yesterday to fill out his I-9, so it’s looking like he’s going to start working soon. Fingers crossed.

  29. 29.

    lamh36

    January 6, 2017 at 9:10 am

    it was a fantastic movie…i hope everyone checks it out.

    i know John doesn’t do movie theaters much but he should check this one out…i mean Katherine Johnson was born and raised in West Virginia after all?

  30. 30.

    NotMax

    January 6, 2017 at 9:15 am

    @satby

    Have to get out today for dog and cat food

    Red Dwarf‘s Cat and the automated food dispenser.

  31. 31.

    Cermet

    January 6, 2017 at 9:18 am

    @satby: Glad to hear about your child getting a job soon but what is an I-9? (sorry you are under the weather; hope you don’t have what I got two weeks ago – it was cold that provided five days of hell … .

  32. 32.

    Cermet

    January 6, 2017 at 9:19 am

    @NotMax: LOL – loved Red Dwarf. That show got me through my father’s death.

  33. 33.

    Betty Cracker

    January 6, 2017 at 9:21 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: Comment restored. No idea why it was hoovered up.

  34. 34.

    satby

    January 6, 2017 at 9:29 am

    @Cermet: The form employers need to complete to prove a worker is eligible to work in the US

  35. 35.

    satby

    January 6, 2017 at 9:31 am

    @Cermet: can’t edit, but yeah, I think what I have is the hell-cold that’s been going around.

  36. 36.

    SiubhanDuinne

    January 6, 2017 at 9:37 am

    @Betty Cracker:

    Thanks, Betty!

  37. 37.

    rikyrah

    January 6, 2017 at 9:39 am

    @satby:

    I’m just waiting for the Dayquil to kick in. The kid had to head back to Kentucky yesterday to fill out his I-9, so it’s looking like he’s going to start working soon. Fingers crossed

    Crossing the fingers.

    get well, satby.

    PS-I’m really enjoying your soaps.

  38. 38.

    Cermet

    January 6, 2017 at 9:39 am

    @satby: Benadryl helped me a good bit but I am sorry to hear that you have that one – it takes a while to get over and stays rather bad right up until the end. My question on the foam shows you have out of current affairs I am relative to the new environment for working.

  39. 39.

    PaulW

    January 6, 2017 at 9:42 am

    so she’s leaving Earth just before Trump gets in and launches his nuclear rage at everybody and turns the planet into radioactive ash.

    lucky her.

  40. 40.

    satby

    January 6, 2017 at 9:56 am

    @rikyrah: oh, thank you! I’m glad to hear that.

  41. 41.

    MomSense

    January 6, 2017 at 10:08 am

    @PaulW:

    Wow she could be the lone surviving human.

  42. 42.

    hovercraft

    January 6, 2017 at 10:20 am

    @Betty Cracker:
    This person is deranged, period. You are going to be the President of the United States in two weeks, and this is what you are wasting your energy on?
    I wish that Obama was a true troll, then he could tweet pictures comparing the crowds at his two inaugurations to this morons. He could compare the crowds who spontaneously took to the streets in celebration on election night to the spontaneous protests that took place all over the country. The joy expressed by the world, versus the dismay over 2016. By any metric the shitgibbon values, Obama has him beat, he grew up in a modest household, but through hard work and his own talents rose to become a millionaire and president, without the benefit of Daddies money or a Russian sugar daddy. He writes his own books, he has A-list celebrities clamoring to get close to him, he is admired world over.
    These tweets are fooling no one but his fans, he is the most unpopular PEOTUS in the history of polling.
    SAD !

    PS. Comparing the rating of anything 14 years ago to those of programs today, is a bogus metric, ratings across the board are way down. A 14 year old show with a new host is not a new show, especially with an aging body builder cum politician. Even before he left it the rating were way down, which was why they switched it from the Apprentice, which was with regular folks, to Celebrity Apprentice with fading B-listers, they were trying to goose the ratings. The better comparison would be between his last season and this new one.

  43. 43.

    FlipYrWhig

    January 6, 2017 at 10:23 am

    @Betty Cracker: @hovercraft: Has it occurred to him that perhaps, as with his and his daughter’s stupid clothing brands, millions and millions of people have decided they don’t want to give money, time, or mind-share to anything associated with Trump?

  44. 44.

    Cris (without an H)

    January 6, 2017 at 11:03 am

    I’ve seen several people responding to criticism of Trump’s petulant tweet with variations on “but Barry’s tournament picks!” To which I say, don’t be fatuous, Jeffrey.

    Yes, Obama’s public persona includes light-hearted nods to popular culture: playing with lightsabers, selfie sticks, dancing with Ellen, whatever. But the difference between that and this Trump thing is that for Trump, it is all about him: building himself up, and especially tearing everybody else down.

    Obama didn’t publish his basketball picks so he could gloat about how much more awesome his jumper is than the freshman point guard of the 16 seed. The problem isn’t “Trump tweets about The Apprentice,” it’s “Trump tweets about the Apprentice to brag about himself.”

  45. 45.

    Mnemosyne

    January 6, 2017 at 12:47 pm

    I’m trying to talk G into seeing Hidden Figures because he’s a total NASA geek and loves stories about the space program. Is there at least a little bit of Apollo 13 or The Right Stuff, or is it all talking?

  46. 46.

    misterpuff

    January 6, 2017 at 3:39 pm

    @Betty Cracker: Since PEOTUS is producer on this version, the proper response was “Governator, You’re Fired!”

  47. 47.

    Ithink

    January 6, 2017 at 7:52 pm

    @Cris (without an H):

    Obama didn’t publish his basketball picks so he could gloat about how much more awesome his jumper is than the freshman point guard of the 16 seed. The problem isn’t “Trump tweets about The Apprentice,” it’s “Trump tweets about the Apprentice to brag about himself.”

    OMG, THIS. All this and ALL day! The reason this upsets me so when the right wingers coupled with revaunchist movement conservatism groan and Moan endlessly about limousine liberals and know-nothing celebrities who should STFU about politics and are all stick to their area of specified expertise that made them rich & famous.

    Its not that these two phenomena don’t Exist per set, regardless of one’s individual political leanings or the collective ones of the so-called Hollywood elite: Trump is everything the Right detests about them and celebrity culture. To say nothing of the so-called society moochers. Obama is the real deal, and worked his ass off for EVERYTHING he go but will never get credit for by these asshats. As long as this chaos deployer is in office, we have to suffer under this post-truth reality. God help us all and pray tell the Republic survives him intact!

  48. 48.

    Ithink

    January 6, 2017 at 11:46 pm

    P.P.S.-just saw “Hidden Figures” w/ mom @ local Cinemark. Such an amazing film and and incredibly positive revision of history and message of true uplift going from Post-Obama to the Trump era of American life. Hopefully that larger narrative of national victory will be ours again soon enough as well!

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