GlyndwrArnold

Yeah! so... well... uhmm.... I don't know. Kind of wrote sumpin' and thought I'd give it a go on here. I'm not that "famous" so I don't expect ton of... "viewage." We'll see what comes of this.

I just read this and found it to be... very motivational. Sort of... makes me want to be the best I can be.

Background: Just after the Apollo 1 accident, flight directer Gene Kranz delivered the following 'pep talk'.

"Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect. Somewhere, somehow, we screwed up. It could have been in design, build, or test. Whatever it was, we should have caught it. We were too gung ho about the schedule and we locked out all of the problems we saw each day in our work. Every element of the program was in trouble and so were we. The simulators were not working, Mission Control was behind in virtually every area, and the flight and test procedures changed daily. Nothing we did had any shelf life. Not one of us stood up and said, 'Dammit, stop!' I don't know what Thompson's committee will find as the cause, but I know what I find. We are the cause! We were not ready! We did not do our job. We were rolling the dice, hoping that things would come together by launch day, when in our hearts we knew it would take a miracle. We were pushing the schedule and betting that the Cape would slip before we did.

From this day forward, Flight Control will be known by two words: 'Tough' and 'Competent.' Tough means we are forever accountable for what we do or what we fail to do. We will never again compromise our responsibilities. Every time we walk into Mission Control we will know what we stand for. Competent means we will never take anything for granted. We will never be found short in our knowledge and in our skills. Mission Control will be perfect.

When you leave this meeting today you will go to your office and the first thing you will do there is to write 'Tough and Competent' on your blackboards. It will never be erased. Each day when you enter the room these words will remind you of the price paid by Grissom, White, and Chaffee. These words are the price of admission to the ranks of Mission Control."

-Gene Kranz

I've have been, perhaps, the busiest I have been in the longest time. And IT FEELS GREAT! I promise that DA is not being ignored, I just haven't had very much time for art lately. I've been working on a few things every now and then, and when... IF I get those finished I promise to flaunt them. Anyway, until next time!

-Wilbur Wright

Because I accidentally deleted the other one...

There once was a man who loved the Moon.
He thought on her from noon to noon.

The Moon loved him too, but also another;
The Moon loved the Sun before any other.

The Sun made the Moon shine her absolute brightest,
And also made her burdens seem lightest.

For the Moon believed that she could only be vile;
Stealing light and not being worthwhile.

The Sun knew her though, and understood her fears;
He had consoled her through 'love' for many years.

The man only ever added to her pain;
He knew he could never give her emotional gain.

A time passed before the man made the connection;
She could never be happy with split affection.

Measures were taken, he loved her so much,
But he couldn't provide that 'special touch'.

The man let the Sun take her, knowing it would be best.
To show his love, he considered this the ultimate test.

And now the man shall continue on
Never again loving anyone.

He loved only one and she was his Moon.
He shall always think of her from noon to noon.

A gard'ner did walk beneath a cool blue sky,
When the most brilliant rose bud did catch his eye.

Two and a half years did he delay,
A confession of feelings for her, did he betray.

The gard'ner got to know the rose very well.
Seeing her each day did make his heart swell.

"Come back tomorrow and we'll talk." she'd say.
The gard'ner could hardly wait for day.

One day the rose said she belonged to another.
She had loved this fellow before the gard'ner.

Her love was split though, the gard'ner knew.
He'd never be her only love, 'twas true.

She'd given this fellow her innocence.
Not out of love, but of ignorance.

She thought him the one, how sadly mistaken.
The gard'ner knew she was already taken.

He said goodbye without hardly a glance.
Knowing full well she'd ruined his chance.

"Please don't leave," the rose did say.
"I'll come for you some other day.

I'll return for you when you mature.
Learn your lesson, and your love assure.

You didn't know that I was here,
Now I have to leave you, dear.

You gave yourself up too soon I see,
Now you will never get to be with me."