Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!lll-winken!uunet!bfmny0!tneff
From: tneff@bfmny0.UUCP (Tom Neff)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: "Commonplace"
Message-ID: <14308@bfmny0.UUCP>
Date: 6 May 89 02:32:41 GMT
References: <1429@sialis.mn.org> <24071@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> <1908@blake.acs.washington.edu>
Reply-To: tneff@bfmny0.UUCP (Tom Neff)
Organization: ^
Lines: 23

In article <1908@blake.acs.washington.edu> jeffg@blake.acs.washington.edu (Jeffrey D. Goldader) writes:
> ... I would
>so much rather listen to Launch Control than some anchor who knows
>nothing about the shuttle try to talk intelligently about the shuttle.

I agree with most of this sentiment but has anyone noticed what a
BLABBERMOUTH Launch Control has become lately?!!  Maybe I'm gilding
the lily here, but I (in turn) would rather listen to the *loop* during
countdown than to Hugh Harris droning awwn and awwwn and awwwwn about
every "Commonplace" thing that happens every launch ("and we're now at
T minus X minutes X seconds and counting, and at X minutes Y seconds the
shuttle's such and such will begin an automatic purge program, T minus
X minutes Y seconds and counting...") while we struggle to hear whatever
the RSO or Flight Director just said! For those who know the subject 
matter there's REAL drama going on behind the PR man's patter. (At 
least he's accurate, the newsclowns' fumblings are of course far 
worse.) 

I haven't had NASASELECT for years, does its audio carry Hugh H. or just
the loop?
-- 
Tom Neff				UUCP:     ...!uunet!bfmny0!tneff
    "Truisms aren't everything."	Internet: tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET