# data[].attributes.headline
"'Arrggghhh..." It's the kid.  He's retching. It's too much for him, the poor bastard.... 'God,' he says, 'you... look awful!'" (347).

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"'Arrggghhh..." It's the kid.  He's retching. It's too much for him, the poor bastard.... 'God,' he says, 'you... look awful!'" (347).

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This is the reaction of a bystander in his twenties who found Yeager after a crash.  It speaks with resonation to the mild-by-shock perspective of the common American in contrast to the hardcore, multi-page, panic-inducing description of Yeager's crashing process. It makes a harrowing distinction between those with the right stuff like Yeager, who is the one holding it together (at least mentally; physically, it describes "the glue has come undone") while the kid can't even handle the sight of it. Yeager proceeds to meet the rescue helicopter standing upright "as if they had had an appointment and he was on time." The right stuff, it seems, is heavily about presentation in times of near-death experiences.

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"The flight went off on schedule on May 24. For the first two orbits Scott had a picnic.  He was more relaxed and in higher spirits than any of the three men who had preceded him. He was enjoying himself" (296).

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"The flight went off on schedule on May 24. For the first two orbits Scott had a picnic.  He was more relaxed and in higher spirits than any of the three men who had preceded him. He was enjoying himself" (296).

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What I find most interesting about this passage is the ultimate change in style that Wolfe used. In the previous orbits, there was luscious description of apprehension, aspects of the right stuff, etc. Now, the orbit seems to have become a little more commonplace--a pastime, even. Scott seems to be on a field day!

# data[].attributes.body
(adj) keen in sense perception; having or showing an ability to understand difficult ideas and situations and to make good decisions
The freshman, thought to be a rookie, proved more sagacious than even the teacher during the abrupt cooking fire and sprang to grab the fire extinguisher.

# data[].attributes.body
October 20th, 2016

# data[].attributes.body
(n) the removal of material from the surface of an object by vaporization, chipping, or other erosive processes
I assured her again and again, but nevertheless she continued to worry about the ablation of the ceramic's gloss when it was exposed to heavy rain.

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"(With this handkerchief Astronaut  John H. Glenn, Jr., wiped away a tear upon being reunited with his wife after his historic earth-orbital flight)" (277).

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"(With this handkerchief Astronaut  John H. Glenn, Jr., wiped away a tear upon being reunited with his wife after his historic earth-orbital flight)" (277).

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Given the earlier quote about not having any last thoughts about his wife or children, this quote almost seems ironic, especially since it is put in parenthesis. This handkerchief is also taken from him to be put into the Smithsonian. I believe this quote speaks to an over-sentimentality of objects that may not even have as much emotional worth as they would if they were kept. On another note, this quote reminded me of how it was once considered manly to cry, show emotion (as we saw from the "sensitive" nature of H. H. Holmes in The Devil in the White City), and it made me wonder if this sort of thing was part of a flavor of the Right Stuff when forced into the limelight or was Glenn's genuine emotion.

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"He wanted to ask why. But that was against the code, except in an emergency situation. That fell under the heading of nervous chatter" (265).

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"He wanted to ask why. But that was against the code, except in an emergency situation. That fell under the heading of nervous chatter" (265).

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Back at home on Earth, the capcom is giving Glenn vague and slightly alarming signals while he is up in Friendship 7, waiting for the time he will plummet back to Earth.  I've always had a vague suspicion about the Right Stuff, about how it's a little too haughty for it's own good.  Why should Glenn be ashamed of asking about his own safety when he is suspended in freefall hundreds of miles away from where any man has ever been?

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October 13th, 2016

# data[].attributes.body
(noun) a jewel or trinket
The young child twirled around the antique store looking for a few bijoux with which to dress up.

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"They swirled about his capsule like tiny weightless diamonds, little bijoux--no, they were more like fireflies... There used to be thousands of fireflies in the summers, when he was growing up" (261).

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"They swirled about his capsule like tiny weightless diamonds, little bijoux--no, they were more like fireflies... There used to be thousands of fireflies in the summers, when he was growing up" (261).

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Where Sheppard cannot afford romanticism in his pursuit of scientific knowledge, Wolfe takes up the task.  I love how the author has broken up a tense, official dialogue with ground control in order to include this unexplained finding.  Interestingly enough, ground control doesn't take heed of this oddity.  Perhaps it's a thematic element that those with "the right stuff" acknowledge the beauty, but are the only ones exposed to it that truly can appreciate it, among the stars...

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"In those last moments his entire life did not pass before his eyes. He did not have a poignant vision of his mother or his wife or his children. No, he thought about abort procedures and the checklist and about not f***ing up" (201).

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"In those last moments his entire life did not pass before his eyes. He did not have a poignant vision of his mother or his wife or his children. No, he thought about abort procedures and the checklist and about not f***ing up" (201).

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"The right stuff," it seems, does not romanticize. There might be the pilots' and astronauts' appreciation for the freedom of the air, but when it comes down to these intense moments, it's most important to keep focus on the essentials of flight--and the right stuff--grace under pressure.  The culminating phrase is one that I believe echoes with a certain frequency through the minds of teenagers during tests, learning to drive, and going into a job interview, but then we come to realize that this insecurity reaches even the highest degrees of experimental science.

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"The wave rolled on, over rubber, wire, rib, flesh, and ten thousand baffled nerve endings, finally pooling in the valley up the middle of Sheppard's back. Gradually it cooled, and he could feel a cool lake of urine in the valley" (199).

# data[].attributes.subject
"The wave rolled on, over rubber, wire, rib, flesh, and ten thousand baffled nerve endings, finally pooling in the valley up the middle of Sheppard's back. Gradually it cooled, and he could feel a cool lake of urine in the valley" (199).

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Sheppard needing to pee in the moments before lift off reminds me of earlier in the book, when Yeager's ribs are broken the morning he breaks the sound barrier.  It astounds me, the reality of these record events--these are heroes of science but they are still but human--and reminds me of the underlying non-professionalism of the world.  It characterizes "making history" as much easier to achieve than expected.

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October 6th, 2016

# data[].attributes.body
(adj) angry and bitter
The controversial politician watched with chilling calm as the justly acrimonious protester was seized roughly by the mob and led out of the room.

# data[].attributes.body
(adj) tending to attract attention because of their exuberance, confidence, and stylishness
The flamboyant receptionist drummed her French-tipped nails on the counter and then adjusted her fiery ascot as she sipped a latte from her quirky fandom mug.

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"Five hundred VIPs had come all the way to Florida, to this goddamned Low Rent sandpit, where bugs you couldn't even see invaded your motel room and bit your ankles until they ran red onto the acrylic shag carpet--all the way to this rock-beach boondock they had come, to see the fires of Armageddon and hear the earth shake with the thunder--and instead they get this... this pop... and a cork pops out of a bottle of Spumante" (165).

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"Five hundred VIPs had come all the way to Florida, to this goddamned Low Rent sandpit, where bugs you couldn't even see invaded your motel room and bit your ankles until they ran red onto the acrylic shag carpet--all the way to this rock-beach boondock they had come, to see the fires of Armageddon and hear the earth shake with the thunder--and instead they get this... this pop... and a cork pops out of a bottle of Spumante" (165).

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What I absolutely adore about Wolfe's style is that he creates and emulates a very human mood all through mere background descriptions that practically seep with emotion--here, clearly irritation.  One can almost hear the flustering VIPs' incoherent muttering as they begin to articulate their sheer disbelief that a organization such as NASA had let them down.
I remember first being introduced to a clip of this rocket failure in the fifth grade, and it still rings just as humorous to me. I appreciate Wolfe's ability to capture the quirk (funny now that we are so much further in our space capabilities) while maintaining the incredulous exasperation of the onlookers.

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"There was a principle in psychology that maintained that 'bad habits, including overstrong emotionality, can be eliminated by a graded series of exposures to the anxiety-arousing stimulus.'  This was what much of astronaut training was to be" (144).

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"There was a principle in psychology that maintained that 'bad habits, including overstrong emotionality, can be eliminated by a graded series of exposures to the anxiety-arousing stimulus.'  This was what much of astronaut training was to be" (144).

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I found this quote particularly interesting because I have heard of this in my psych class, and the closest I can equate this description is a concept called learned helplessness. This was demonstrated as one psychologist gave dogs a shock when they went against a preferred behavior, and eventually rendered the dogs shivering, unable to leave kennels even when it was clearly safe; the experiment made them unable to learn that the way was now clear. What I wonder is, will the pilots be forced into this deteriorated psychological state, in the end? Or does the right stuff "protect" them even from fundamental concepts of the human mind?

# data[].attributes.body
September 29, 2016

# data[].attributes.body
(adj) protruding; bulging
With protuberant eyes made even larger by thick glasses, the inquisitive scientist examined the mice as they reacted with a quite unexpected result.

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"As all heads-up pilots knew, this called for 'second convolution' thinking. It was a mistake to say anything along the lines of: Oh, I rather enjoy risks..."

# data[].attributes.subject
"As all heads-up pilots knew, this called for 'second convolution' thinking. It was a mistake to say anything along the lines of: Oh, I rather enjoy risks..."

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I love this part--where the psychiatrists come in. I'm extremely interested in psychology (in fact, my next book is already picked out and is a series of essays on psychological experiments) so the entire psychological aspect of becoming an astronaut, a leader on their next frontier, is fascinating to me. And, the characterization and interactions between Conrad and his shrink are fantastically humorous as Wolfe develops their relationship.

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"Therefore, all the telephone calls from the wives were the frantic and portentous beating of the wings of the death angels, as it were."

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"Therefore, all the telephone calls from the wives were the frantic and portentous beating of the wings of the death angels, as it were."

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I adore this allusion of the loving, worrisome wives to angels of death--made to look so delicate and welcoming, contrasting the biblical depiction of God's Angel of Death. The death angels is a recurring name that Wolfe uses for the wives, and I feel there is an element of foreshadowing to it. Perhaps the biblical depiction will come to be more relevant, if they wield their character with righteousness and ferocity...

# data[].attributes.body
(adj) relating to price or amount of money, very small; far below the real value or cost
My best friend is a master at the art of shopping and can acquire an entire new outfit for a nominal fee.

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Short Bio of yourself - 60-100 words; why did you choose this particular book?

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Short Bio of yourself - 60-100 words; why did you choose this particular book?

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I myself am not an avid reader of nonfiction, but when I asked my best friend, The Right Stuff was the first title that came to mind. This book has been made into a movie that we watched together and it was an intriguing mix of clever humor and poignant milestones in early space missions. I'm looking forward to the writer's voice, a major piece that I never experienced with the movie -- and from what I've skimmed thus far, it's a down-to-earth and humored read!

# data[].attributes.headline
"[T]he idea here (in the all-enclosing fraternity) seemed to be that a man should have the ability to go up in a hurtling piece of machinery and put his hide on the line and then have the moxie, the reflexes, the experience, the coolness, to pull it back in the last yawning moment--and then to go up again the next day, and the next day, and every next day..."

# data[].attributes.subject
"[T]he idea here (in the all-enclosing fraternity) seemed to be that a man should have the ability to go up in a hurtling piece of machinery and put his hide on the line and then have the moxie, the reflexes, the experience, the coolness, to pull it back in the last yawning moment--and then to go up again the next day, and the next day, and every next day..."

# data[].attributes.body
This is where Wolfe puts  the unfathomable "Right Stuff" into words.  Still, I wonder just why the pilots will not talk about it.  In reading The Things They Carried in freshman year, one could identify the same nameless aspect of honor and respect among the platoon, and with Tim O'Brien's deep insight into the thought process of the soldiers, I think I can finally pinpoint why it isn't talked about. There is a a certain amount of honor that goes with it, and to speak of it openly would taint that honor to the status of an earthly idea rather than an incredible, tongue-tying mystique.

# data[].attributes.body
(adj) looking or sounding sad or dismal
I followed the funeral procession with a heavy heart, and switched my radio station to a more lugubrious station to match the mood.

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September 23, 2016

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DUE DATES:
(352 pages total)
9/23 -- page 90
9/30 -- page 180
10/7 -- page 270
10/14 --- page 352 (finish)
10/21
10/28