SPACED OUT ANCHOR LEFT IN THE ROUGH (Aaron Brown-CNN)

New York Post ^ | 2/05/03 | ADAM BUCKMAN

[ImphClinton]

I'm sorry if I sound calloused but some perspective might help.

Tragically 120 other Americans also died in terrible accidents that day as well. That many will die today as well on our highways. These families will grieve just as much.

I believe the greater tragedy is the slowing down of the space program by these accidents. Space travel is far more dangerous than automobile travel. Astronauts know this and accept the risk. It is very sad to see the space program put at risk by these accidents. They should not be blown up larger than life. Seven more people died in accidents. So what. Get on with life. No one if forced to be an astronaut. If they do not want to take the risk they should not apply for the job. Yet they do apply and take the risk and believe the risk is worth taking. I also believe the risk is worth taking and the lives that are lost is also worth it. Only so much can be done to make space flight safe.

To scrap the program would be a far greater tragedy.

[patriciaruth]

Tom Brokaw was snorkling in the Caribbean. It took 2 planes and 9 hours to get back to his stand up comic stage.

Aaron Brown has always been creepy to me, like he's hiding something, like a CSI skeleton in his closet. Maybe it's just because I don't trust anyone on CNN.

[Timesink]

Different article, but same story.

[.45MAN]

They should not be blown up larger than life

Had it been 7 hollywood stars TV would have come to a stand still. Some people should be blown up (hollywood) and some people are larger than life (the Astronauts)..

[Savage Beast]

But he caaaaares.

[boris]

During the first Shuttle launch, one of the networks (ABC?) had an anchor who simply could not say, "Solid Rocket Boosters". He kept saying--I am not kidding--"Silid Roocket Bosters." Eventually one could hear a voice from off-camera hissing "Rocket boosters! Rocket boosters!"!

Then they switched to an earnest correspondent who explained that the Space Shuttle Main Engine was "designed and built in Huntsville, Al," which surprised a few of us in Canoga Park, California.

And, apropos of nothing, I still remember (from childhood) an NBC series with ?Charles Kuralt? in which he always opened the show standing next to a gigantic globe...rotating backwards.

--Boris

[Greybird]

But he caaaaares.

Aaron Brown caaaaares so much that he went to the other extreme when he opened NewsNight on Tuesday evening, as I saw when channel-surfing. I normally can't stand his demeanor, but I stopped to watch for 90 seconds -- the most wretched excess of bathos and pseudo-poetry about the losses felt by the children of the seven astronauts.

I said out loud: "Nobody deserves this kind of tribute." It was so gooey I was still getting it off my mind hours later.

[fightinJAG]

The WashPost story quoted Brown as saying one of the reasons he did not head to NY or LA to get on the air was that he "didn't have any clothes" with him.

As if.

First, in emergencies you will see reporters on the air wearing whatever.

Second, if you know you are a "lead anchor," and therefore will be called upon in emergencies to be on the air, get a clue and pack a shirt. And couldn't someone at the studio pick up a shirt and tie for you while you're on your way?

Apart from the practical problems with Brown's statement, it simply demonstrated the depth of his incredible shallowness.

[dansangel]

Some people should be blown up (hollywood) and some people are larger than life (the Astronauts)...

Perfect....the only thing I would have changed is hollwood=hollywierd.

Oh, and did I say clintoon news network *sux*?

[FreedomPoster]

Agree wholeheartedly with your take on this. I frequent Jerry Pournelle's site as well as FreeRepublic. His "take" on the pilot aspect of this is pretty spot-on:

First, I don't know many people actually involved with the real world who thought there were no dangers in space exploration any more than I knew anyone who thought being a test pilot was a safe career. Astronauts are test pilots, and about 1 in 25 missions statistically has gone bad. This was Columbia's 28th flight. Nor do I think science fiction writers have minimized the dangers. Certainly many of us have emphasized them. Having spent some time in the aerospace business at the pointy end, I certainly never thought it was without danger. At Edwards when one augured in the chaplain would call on the widow, they name a new street at the base, and fly the next day. The chance of finishing a tour of duty as a test pilot in those days was about 75% or put the other way there was a one in four chance you wouldn't leave the Mojave Desert. There was never a shortage of volunteers, but no one minimized the risks.

Do we owe it to the astronauts, the families, the nation, to do a serious root-cause analysis here? Yes.

Do we need to totally stop manned spaceflight because it isn't totally risk-free? Heck, no, and it never will be.

But there are any number of fools out there saying exactly this.

Back more on-topic: for the ridiculous amounts of money these talking head newsreaders get paid, a condition of employment should be 24/7/365 on-call. Lots of guys in corporate IT making a whole lot less pretty much have that situation.

If CNN had fecal cohesion, they'd give this turkey a pink slip.

[Catspaw]

Tragically 120 other Americans also died in terrible accidents that day as well.

Do you have their names and home towns? Freepers are so generous and giving that I'm sure if we knew who they were, the thousands of Freepers all over the country would be able to contact the families and give there condolences in person.

[Catspaw]

Did I say "there" when I meant "their?" Oh, dear.

[TruthFactor]

I agree. More people are killed in skiing accidents every winter. Should we all stop skiing. Nooooooooooo.

Full speed ahead. Double NASA's budget.

[jackbill]

But but but he's the "Face of CNN". He said so himself.

[battlegearboat]

Clothes make the man.

[Savage Beast]

"better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep"

Great buncha quotes, Greybird.

[cynicom]

Never heard of Aaron Brown, guess I did not miss anything.

[Aggressive Calvinist]

Aaron Brown is like Richard Dreyfuss on qualudes.

[Savage Beast]

"the depth of his incredible shallowness"

"But but but he's the "Face of CNN". He said so himself."

The "face" and the depth. He's perfect for them.