My Daily Smile

Life is short - begin every day with a smile!

Why the Space Shuttle astronauts switched from orange spacesuits to white ones after they got into space

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Remember watching the Space Shuttle astronauts walk out of the hangar and towards the shuttle as they were preparing to climb aboard?

If so, you probably noticed how they always entered the shuttle wearing orange spacesuits.

But then you probably noticed something interesting when they went on their space walks: they always wore white space suits instead of the orange ones they were wearing when they first boarded the shuttle.

Have you ever wondered why they didn’t just wear the same spacesuits all the time instead of always switching to the white ones before they exited the spacecraft for a space walk?

[Read more…]

The Rest of the Story: The poor boy with the guitar

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Paul Harvey

The late Paul Harvey worked in radio and television for decades bringing “news and commentary” to the masses.

A born storyteller, Mr. Harvey just had a knack for touching the hearts and stirring the minds of his audience.

As a youngster, I enjoyed all of his broadcasts, but the ones I loved the most were his short, but always interesting “The Rest of the Story” tales.  [Read more…]

Q&A: Has anyone ever survived a fall from a really high altitude without using a parachute?

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Question from Jane:  Last night on the news they reported that two small planes had crashed into each other as they were approaching our local airport.

One of the planes managed to land safely but the pilot of the other plane was violently ejected from his plane by the force of the crash.

He fell about 2,000 feet without his parachute ever opening. Sadly, he didn’t survive.

That got my husband to wondering if anyone has ever survived a fall from such great heights without using a parachute, and now I’m wondering the same thing.

Do you know if such a thing has ever happened?  [Read more…]

Video: “Coal Miner’s Daughter” by Loretta Lynn (and the passing of a legend)

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Photo credit: Country Music Hall of Fame

Country Music boasts a long line of legendary performers who helped shape and define the genre.

It all started way back in the 1920s with The Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and a handful of other artists that helped create what would eventually become one of the most successful industries the world has ever known.

The style of music that falls under the Country umbrella changes a bit with each generation, but every new generation includes a small handful of performers who end up becoming true legends and icons of the genre by the time they finally put down their mics for good.

And one of the most legendary Country performers of all time will always be the great Loretta Lynn.  [Read more…]

Video: Danny MacAskill’s best amazing bike tricks

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Regular readers of this blog are well familiar with the skillful and fearless manner with which Danny MacAskill rides his bikes.

If you haven’t seen Danny ride before, you can check out the videos I’ve featured showcasing his unbelievable talents in these posts.

The video I’m sharing with you today is a compilation of some of Danny’s best amazing bike tricks.  [Read more…]