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February Tragedy
Feb 9
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The Deadly Plane Crash That Nearly Killed A Sport : NPR.
Sometimes, I get so wrapped up in myself that I don’t stop and think about the pain others might be dealing with. Like right now–the 6th anniversary of my miscarriage is approaching. I keep thinking nothing could be sadder than that.
Then I saw this story this morning. Talk about sad. My miscarriage touched very few lives, and none outside of my circle of family and friends. This plane crash touched families, friends, and fans of a sport. It affected the whole world.
I wasn’t alive when this happened. The crash was 15 years–almost to the day–before I was born. But as a figure skating fan, I knew about it. The entire United States figure skating team–athletes and coaches alike–were on board a plane heading to Prague for the 1961 world championships when the plane crashed. No one survived.
At the time, America was a figure skating powerhouse. Our atheletes were the ones to beat. Great things were expected from this particular team. Their loss was felt deeply. Out of respect for these lives lost, the figure skating world championships were cancelled that year.
In all, this crash claimed 72 lives–the figure skaters, their coaches, family members, skating judges, the crew of the plane, 29 other passengers, and one person on the ground. Fifty years later, they are still missed, still thought about, still the subject of countless “what ifs”.
And perhaps those skaters are in Heaven now, teaching my little one how to skate, spin, and jump across the ice.
Related Articles
- Figure skaters pay tribute to victims of ’61 crash (reuters.com)
Robert G. Pielke’s A New Birth of Freedom
My love of reading came from my mother. My love of history–and my tolerance for science fiction–came from my
Click here for an excerpt from the book
father. These passions–and that said tolerance!–collided for me when I read Robert G. Pielke’s book A New Birth of Freedom: The Visitor.
I LOVED this book! And that is unusual for me. OK, so it’s not unusual that I would love a book. It is just unusual that I would love a book that doesn’t have a romance in it. In fact, now that I think of it, I am not sure there were any female characters in the book. Not that it’s a bad thing. This book was just about perfect, even without a woman’s touch.
The problem that I am having is giving you a description of the plot without giving anything away. The best that I can do is say that the book revolves around a visitor from America’s distant future trying to save humanity by traveling to 1860’s Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania.
What I liked about the book was the attention to detail. Historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee are described just as history books portray them. And I don’t just mean in their looks. Pielke brings the men to life with their mannerisms and personality quirks. It was done in such a way that it both men seemed very real. It was wonderful.
Another great thing about the book is that while reading it I didn’t often feel like I was reading. It was more like watching a movie. I felt like I was transported to the scene, watching everything unfold as the story was told.
The one thing I didn’t like was the ending. AARRUUGGHH!!! Talk about a cliff-hanger! It did set up for the next book in the series. I can hardly wait to have that book in my hands.
Read the author's blog here
Robert G. Pielke’s Bio:
Robert G. Pielke, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, now lives in Claremont, California. He earned a B.A. in History at the University of Maryland, an M. Div. in Systematic Theology at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, and a Ph.D. in Social Ethics from the Claremont Graduate School.
He taught on ground and online for countless years at George Mason University in Virginia, El Camino College in California and online for the University of Phoenix. Now happily retired from “the job,” he is doing what he always wanted to do since he wrote his first novel at ten in elementary school. It was one paragraph, three pages long and, although he didn’t know it at the time, it was alternate history.
His academic writings have been in the area of ethics, including a boring academic treatise called Critiquing Moral Arguments, logic, and popular culture. Included in the latter is an analysis of rock music entitled You Say You Want a Revolution: Rock Music in American Culture. He has also published short stories, feature articles, film and restaurant reviews. His novels include a savagely satirical novel on America and its foibles, proclivities and propensities, Hitler the Cat Goes West, and an alternate history, science fiction novel, The Mission.
Most recently, he has updated and revised his book on rock music, which is being republished by McFarland & Co.
He swims daily, skis occasionally, cooks as an avocation, watches innumerable movies, collects rock and roll concert films, is an avid devotee of Maryland crabs and maintains a rarely visited blog filled with his social and political ravings. His favorite film is the original Hairspray; his favorite song is “A Day in the Life”; his favorite pizza is from the original Ledo Restaurant in College Park, MD; and he is a firm believer in the efficacy of “sex, drugs and rock and roll.” Somehow his family and friends put up with him.
Other helpful links—-
Paperback buy links:
Amazon
Barnes&Noble.com
eBook buy links:
Altered Dimensions Press
Kindle
Robert G. Pielke’s web site:
http://www.robertgpielke.com/
Robert G. Pielke’s blog:
http://www.bobpielke.com/
Robert G. Pielke’s Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/robert.pielke
Altered Dimensions Press web site:
http://www.sciencefictionpaperbackbooks.com/a-birth-of-new-freedom
