The Space Shuttle Challenger Accident

On this date, 20 yrs ago:

Report of the
PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION

on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident

The accident of Space Shuttle Challenger, mission 51-L, interrupting for a time one of the most productive engineering, scientific and exploratory programs in history, evoked a wide range of deeply felt public responses. There was grief and sadness for the loss of seven brave members of the crew; firm national resolve that those men and women be forever enshrined in the annals of American heroes, and a determination, based on that resolve and in their memory, to strengthen the Space Shuttle program so that this tragic event will become a milestone on the way to achieving the full potential that space offers to mankind.

The President, who was moved and troubled by this accident in a very personal way, appointed an independent Commission made up of persons not connected with the mission to investigate it.

ExoticA : Amiga music, games and information.

ExoticA is a website that concentrates mostly on the earlier days of Amiga computing. You will find online here a large amount of things for the Amiga including Exotic Amiga Music, demo information, game box scans, utilities, diskmags and other nostalgic and historic Amiga items. The Amiga is the finest computer ever created and its going to be around for a long time.

Here's a website for fans of that ancient system of communication and entertainment once enjoyed throughout the known world as Amiga. If this was before your time, go wake grandpa and let him thrill you his tales of wonderment and adventure that he experienced with Amiga, way back when the earth was young.

Then again, maybe you should let'em sleep, he may monopolize your PC, invite his old gang over, and bore you to death with stories starting with; "you kids today don't know what you missed....", or, "back then, we had to walk barefoot, up hill, in the snow, for 7 miles just to get a new piece of software....". Your choice.

This Day in History: January 26th

Brought to you by the folks at the History Channel, This Day In History:

REPUBLIC OF INDIA BORN:
January 26, 1950

"On January 26, 1950, the Indian constitution takes effect, making the Republic of India the most populous democracy in the world."

"Mohandas Gandhi struggled through decades of passive resistance before Britain finally accepted Indian independence. Self-rule had been promised during World War II, but after the war triangular negotiations between Gandhi, the British, and the Muslim League stalled over whether to partition India along religious lines."

"In late 1949, an Indian constitution was adopted, and on January 26, 1950, the Republic of India was born."

This page of the History Channels' website features a small taste of what happened on whatever day you visit.

Among other events listed for today:

• In 1500: Pinzon discovers Brazil
• In 1939: Franco captures Barcelona
• In 1980: U.S. Olympic Committee votes against Moscow games
• In 1934: Sam Goldwyn buys rights to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Now back to India, a few links of interest:

• India Heritage
• Maps of India
• Exotic India Art
• Sacred Art of India

John & Abigail Adams

Right now, I'm watching a PBS presentation of the American Experience, about John and Abigail Adams and the beginings of the revolution for independence. You can watch it online with either QuickTime or RealVideo.

c64s.com - play Commodore 64 games online

Here you can relive your childhood (or your dads) by playing C64 games online. Plenty to keep you occupied.

A C64 was my first computer, bought from a co-worker, who also threw in hundreds of games and programs he'd collected. Thankfully, they included games that were more my speed at the time, as I was no kid then, and my wrists just couldn't take fast-paced games anymore. I had quite enough of those when I had my Atari console. My wrists still ache just thinking about them.

I can't believe it's been so long ago, but through the magic of the internent, we can relive those thrilling days of yesteryear, when games didn't cost a fortune. I'm going to waste a lot of time here.