The foaming gun
It was clear even before the Challenger disaster that NASA was moving too far away from engineering disciplines. That cautionary catastrophe slowed the process down some, but the transcript of Columbia mission management pre-descent meetings show the process picked up a head of steam again as the Chellenger receeded in some people's memories. Foam had not downed a ship before, therefore, foam was not to be feared. Foam, shmoam, in effect says mission head Linda Ham: "I dont have the engineering expetise, nor do I have the tools to do... analysis," which sort of says it all. Higher up than Ham the ignorance of engineering continues.
Alerts Were Lacking, NASA Shuttle Manager Says -NYTimes [reg req], July 23, 2003
NASA: Full Transcripts of the Meetings of the Columbia Mission Management Team
Meanwhile Ernie K-Doe's New Orleans lounge lives on with a mannequin likeness of the departed singer strangely holding court. The eternal flame effect is enhanced by a tape loop of Ernine broadcast everly on a local wire one-block 1500 am radio station.
All Dolled Up in His Lounge and Shrine -NYTimes, July 23, 2003
Also noted
Masked, anonymous and surreal -NYTimes, July 24, 2003
Peanuts Hucko, gone - Jazz Times, June 17, 2003
Hello Ham radio world -NPR.com, Talk of the Nation April 30, 2003
5:33:22 PM 
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