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Today's cuppa: English breakfast tea

Tonight's cuppa: decaf Irish breakfast tea

On Thursday, Dec. 8, on ABC, new "Wipeout" host Vanessa Lachey -- wife of Nick Lachey, host of "The Sing-Off," which has a Christmas-music special on Monday, Dec. 5 on NBC -- makes her debut in the show's first-ever Christmas special.

Since this is "Wipeout," there aren't going to be any heartwarming carols sung around a fireplace or jingle-bell sleigh rides through the snow.

But, there will be nutcrackers.

"One of the biggest stunts we've ever built," says executive producer Matt Kunitz, "which you'll see in the Christmas special, is called the Nutcracker. We had these giant Christmas nutcrackers. They are probably 40 feet tall. So, the contestant has to run past them. You can imagine what our nutcrackers would do.

"So, the first nutcracker they run past, the foot jerks past and kicks them right in the nuts, hopefully, and then they think, 'OK, that's what's going to happen on the next one.' Then they run by the next one, and they're kind of protecting their groin. But the arm comes out and knocks them in the head. We misdirect them a little bit."

And despite "Wipeout's" reputation as a family show, the fun just keeps on coming.

"We've never done a Christmas special before," Kunitz says. "We have Santa Claus. We have Christmas elves. We hired a bunch of little people, and they dress up like elves. They're sort of evil elves, as you might imagine 'Wipeout' elves would be. They definitely have an evil side to them.

"What's really funny is John Henson. You see him six times throughout the show. He starts off in sort of a simple Christmas sweater, and they get more and more outrageous, to the point where he's wearing a Christmas sweater -- I don't want to give away what his last Christmas sweater is, but we had a lot of fun with it. Basically, we took every sort of Christmas tradition and turned it upside down on its head and shook it a little bit."

Asked if Henson wanted to keep any of the sweaters, Kunitz explains that there was actual sweat involved.

"What's ironic is," he says, "on this day, when he had to wear these sweaters, the air conditioning was broken. It was 85 degrees, and he had to wear these sweaters that got bigger and bigger and more crazy and bizarre. Some of them had electricity in them. But he was a trouper.

"At the end, I said, 'Because you put up with the broken air conditioner, I'm going to let you take home any one of these sweaters that you want to have.' I don't think he took me up on the offer.'"

At some point during production of "Winter Wipeout," the new host's husband got in on the act.

"Nick came to the set a couple of times," says Kunitz. "He enjoyed it. he got to throw a couple of snowballs at our contestants. We make real snowballs, and we're mean with the snowballs. We're vicious. We're making snowballs all day long. We own to sno-cone machines. We're just making sno-cones and not putting the sweet stuff on it.

"You get a bonus for headshots. So, if anyone can hit contestants in the head with a snowball, they get an extra five bucks. There's some incentive, and it's fun. Whenever we have guests, we're like, 'Have at it.' Nick jumped right in there and started chucking snowballs.

"We actually purchased a snowball launching machine. We were excited about it and then discovered that, really, there is nothing as good as the human arm for really aiming a good snowball at someone's face."

Kunitz says there will be a Valentine's-themed "Wipeout" airing as part of "Winter Wipeout," which starts in January, and then, "We're not doing a Fourth of July 'Wipeout,' but we are doing a 'Military Wipeout,' which will probably air around the Fourth of July. That will be Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, all competing against each other. We are casting that now. We won't be shooting that until the fourth cycle -- that's four months away at least."

Today's cuppa: Gevalia Crema coffee

John O'Hurley is back on Broadway in "Chicago," but TV viewers can see him again on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, as he once again joins co-host and canine expert David Frei for the 10th annual edition of the "The National Dog Show," airing on NBC right after the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Here's the syndicated story I did for this week, looking at the new breeds featured in the show (click on picture for a larger version):

O'Hurley also wrote a little Thanksgiving-themed tribute to his canine pals, to be presented as part of a video bumper during the show. But, via email, he shares a preview for Cuppa readers ...


A Happy Thankgiving and a blessed holiday season to all creatures great and small!

Today's cuppa: Barry's Classic Blend Irish tea

This week, I have a syndicated feature out -- click here for that -- with excerpts of the interviews I did with National Geographic Channel's Wednesday-night science/reality series "Rocket City Rednecks" at their gala premiere at the U S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala. (click here for the photo gallery).

The story also features a recipe by Mary Ann "Mama" Taylor, mother of "Redneck" ringleader Dr. Travis Taylor and wife of team member Charles "Daddy" Taylor (and grandmother of another team member, Travis' nephew Michael Taylor).

That was just a bit of a larger document she sent, chock full of home cookin'. So just in case you haven't firmed up the Thanksgiving menu yet, here's a chance throw in a little Alabama flair (and a story to boot) ...

Thanksgiving with the Rocket City Rednecks
By Mary Ann "Mama" Taylor

The Taylors have always made a big hoopla out of any get-togethers, especially Thanksgiving.  All the Taylors old enough to cook or purchase something come with a covered dish in hand.  When Charles' daddy Sam was alive, the guys would have a pick-n-grinning session while the women cooked.  Now that tradition has changed somewhat -- the men have learned to cook!  Well, they cook, but specialize in only a few dishes.

Sam loved my cornbread and old-fashioned cornbread dressing, or stuffing as some call it.  I've told people over the years how to make the cornbread, but they say it doesn't taste like mine.  You know, I don't know about omens and the like....

I made my first pan of cornbread when I was five.  When I was 10, the 4-H Club held a cornbread muffin contest at my school.  Back then, you didn't run to the grocery store every day.  You went once or twice a month and then only if you needed something.  Daddy brought home a half-gallon of good thick buttermilk on Monday.  He knew I wanted to enter the contest on Friday.  That gave me plenty of practicing time.  I baked cornbread muffins every night.  Come Friday morning, I had just enough buttermilk to bake one pan of muffins.  Well.  My older sister Martha decided she would enter the contest, too.

She never cooked.  And I told her so.  Mama saw right quick that I was not backing down, so she intervened.  First, she said there was time for both of us to stir up and bake a pan of muffins before the bus ran.  I explained that we had ingredients for ONE pan of muffins.  Mama said since we all used the same recipe, my recipe, and Martha being the oldest, that she should cook the muffins.

"Nothing doing," I said and stomped my foot.  That didn't go over well, but in the end I agreed to let Martha choose the first muffin if I got to bake the bread.  After all, we did use the same recipe.

Wouldn't you know it?  She picked the one I wanted.  On the way to catch the bus, I decided I was going to trade muffins.  But Martha knew she had me over a barrel.  After a lot of fast talking, we traded, but at a high cost to me.  I promised to wash dishes on her night to wash for a whole month.  I walked into the 4-H meeting with a smile on my face, and set my muffin before the judging ladies.

God rest her soul, Martha won first and I won second.  And I have the ribbon to prove it.

Nowadays, Travis, the ringleader on the Rednecks, along with his uncles picks out a tune, and Charles, known as 'Daddy' on the Rednecks, huffs and puffs on the harmonica.  When it comes time to eat, we gather round and hold hands while Aunt Linda gives thanks.

Mary Ann's Winning Cornbread Muffins

¾ cup self-rising flour

¾ cup cornmeal

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk

A pinch of love and a pinch of salt to throw over your shoulder

Dump all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix.  Buttermilk is like buying cars:  you have to use it to find out if you like it.  Some buttermilk is watery and some is thick.  I like to use thick buttermilk.  If the batter appears crumbly, add more buttermilk; the batter should be thick like cake batter.

Pour batter into a greased iron skillet.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees; bake 15 to 20 minutes or until bread is brown.

Most Thanksgivings, I bake a turkey purchased from the grocery store, but on a few occasions Charles has killed us a wild turkey.  I found out the hard way that turkeys grown in the wild contain very little fat.  My first wild turkey was too dry to eat.  But beer saved the day, or maybe I should say made the next wild turkey pleasing to the palate.

 

Six-Pack Turkey

One wild turkey breast

Beer

2 cups flour

Salt and pepper

1 cup canola oil for frying

Cut turkey breast in half, cutting across the grain.  Cut each half into strips.

In a large bowl, add turkey strips and cover with beer.  Seal with plastic wrap and marinate 1 hour or overnight.

In another bowl, add flour, salt and pepper; mix together.  Remove turkey from marinating beer and roll in flour mixture.

Heat oil in skillet to medium heat.  Brown turkey strips on each side, cover skillet and lower heat.  Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, turning meat once.

Remove from heat and drain on paper towel.  Serve immediately.

 

Old-Fashioned Dressing

Bake muffin recipe in large skillet, cool and crumble into a large mixing bowl.  Add the following to a mixing bowl:

1 onion and 2 sticks of celery, sautéed

1 large apple, chopped

1 tablespoon poultry seasoning

1 quart chicken broth

Mix all of the above and stuff inside a cleaned turkey.  Bake turkey at 350 degrees for 20 minutes per pound.  This dressing will be very juicy.

Today's cuppa: PG Tips tea

At the end of September, Fox Business Network anchor Gerri Willis responded to Bank of America's announcement that it would be adding a $5 for debit-card users by cutting up her own card on air. Click here for a story and video on that.

But the host of the daily "The Willis Report" also said that she would dance a jig if BofA reversed course, and with the banking giant's announcement that -- pressured by angry customers -- it had changed its mind on the fee, Willis did just that yesterday. Click here to have a look.

Willis also took a few minutes to answer some questions from HCTV on what bank customers should be thinking about the eternal question posed by the Clash, "Should I stay or should I go?"

(questions in bold)

Q: Bank of America has pulled back on charging the $5 debit-card fee, apparently under pressure from customers and other banks that decided to pass on such a fee. Do you think BofA can recover from the PR hit?

A: It's a huge PR hit - and now consumer advocates will be watching relentlessly for any other fee hikes from the company. This bank needs to connect with its customers in a personal way, instead of coming off as a faceless monolith more concerned about profits than customer relationships.

Q: Something like the threat of a fee can make people consider changing banks. What should people know - and what homework should they do - before deciding to switch?

A: First off, you need to understand that switching banks takes on average three months to do. So, don't make the decision lightly. Top items to check out: the size of the ATM network - this is especially critical for travelers; checking account fees, online offerings (i.e. can you bank online, pay bills online, etc.)

Q: Are there any banks about which you have concerns?

A: Right now, Citibank has been making a lot of noise about the fact that they never even tested a debit card fee, but they have raised fees on their checking accounts. Starting in December, customers who hold mid-level accounts will be charged $20 a month if they fail to maintain a minimum balance of $15,000 in their combined accounts. Previously, account holders had to carry a minimum balance of $6,000.

Q: What good alternatives exist to traditional banks if people wish to go that way?

A: The good news is that in almost every part of the country there are options. Check out local small and regional banks. Credit unions are another good idea - they can often offer lower rates and better terms than banks.

Q: That wasn't much of a jig. What financial event would make you happy enough to do a full-on dance?

A: What?!? I thought that was FANTASTIC!!

Today's cuppa: Gevalia coffee

Last Friday, a new season of "Gold Rush" premiered on Discovery Channel, and as viewers saw, Todd Hoffman, his dad, Jack, and his hard-luck mining crew are still having to overcome obstacles on the way to their dream of a gold strike in Alaska.

Click here for a short syndicated story I did before the premiere, and below find more comments from Hoffman.

How he's reacting to fame: "It's really strange. My dad really loves it, because he takes the time to talk to everybody. My dad's pure in heart. Me, it's a little bit different, because I'm not as outgoing as my dad. So, a lot of people look at me, and they recognize me, but they can't realize where they know me.

"They look at me like they're old friends, and then I look at them, I say, 'Hey, I've been inside your living room.' Then they really give me a funny look. I'm a stalker, or I'm a reality-TV star, one of the two.

"My dad is so friendly and caring. He really does good with the whole thing. You know why we''re doing it. We have a message of hope and faith. So that's why I do it. Neither of us ever really wanted to become television personalities. We didn't really have that high on our lists."

What he hopes to achieve this season: "Because of the emails and the comments and the people that come up to us, yeah, we got our message through, barely. That's the main goal for this year. I was hoping to be able to get the message through a little bit better and then also to show a better example."

On why he chose to go after gold: "If you personally, at home, spent money like the United States spends money, you would be called, what? Bankrupt. So you and I have to balance our checkbooks, why shouldn't everybody else in the world?

"So, you go to work, I go to work, but a lot of people don't go to work. So, we're out here, as a team, trying to do something, set an example, but also do something that we believe in. that is precious metal, the yellow precious metal that we dig out of the ground.

"I believe that is a more solid answer to building wealth than the promise of a paper dollar. That's just how I feel, and there are millions of other people who feel the exact same way. They're going to watch us do some things that straight kick a**.

"That's the way it is."

On what his quest means in context of the nation at large: "I wouldn't be up here spending my last penny, trying to create a new income for my family if I didn't, 100 percent, in my heart, believe that our country is on the train to destruction.

"And if we do not change our fiscal situation, we're going to have a hard time feeding the country -- I'm talking just with food."

Today's cuppa: Barry's Classic Blend tea

"I mostly just scream and cry, these days, on 'American Horror Story,'" says a hoarse Connie Britton, talking in early September.

"I'm doing a bunch of stuff with Zachary Quinto that is just great," she says. "He's playing such a fun character on this."

Starting in the episode of the new FX psychosexual drama airing on Wednesday, Oct. 26 -- part of one a two-part episode called "Halloween" -- Quinto plays Chad, one of the deceased former owners of the haunted Los Angeles house that Britton's character, Vivien Harmon, has moved into with her husband, psychiatrist Ben (Dylan McDermott) and teenage daughter, Violet (Tessa Farmiga).

Quinto is set for at least two more episodes beyond the two-parter.

Incidentally, for SF fans, James Wong ("The X-Files," "Millennium," "Space: Above and Beyond") wrote part one; and Tim Minear ("Angel," "Firefly," "Wonderfalls," "Dollhouse," "Terriers," "The Chicago Code") wrote part two. David Semel ("Heroes," "The Cleaner," "No Ordinary Family") directed both.

"We were shooting this stuff yesterday," says Britton, "which, by the way, ended in me having a full-on nervous breakdown, hence my voice. Yet, we were both having such a hard time not dying laughing, cracking up.

"There were certain lines where we were like, 'We're not going to get through this line. We're not going to get through it. We won't be able to.'

"We're just having such a good time. That's the great irony -- we're doing this scene that is so dark, and yet there is really so much fun in shooting it. That's one thing about anything that Ryan (series co-creator Ryan Murphy) does, there is always going to be a little bit of the tongue-in-cheek, no matter what.

"I love that with anything I do."

Asked if it it's true that the previous owners of the house are dead, Britton says, "Yes. You're right about that. But it's a little-known fact that on Halloween, dead people can walk the Earth. By the way, we live in a house where the ghosts are very much alive."

On Halloween itself, Monday, Oct. 31, FX is running a marathon of the first four episodes of "American Horror Story," leading up to the conclusion of the "Halloween" episode, the show's fifth installment, which airs on Wednesday, Nov. 2.

As for what people should choose for their Halloween viewing, Britton says, "Watch 'American Horror Story.' You're going to have a fun time."

Today's cuppa: English breakfast tea

HCTV is mighty fond of "Ice Road Truckers" and its spin-off, "IRT: Deadliest Roads," currently airing Sundays on History. Even the blog mascot, Badger the battery-operated hamster, just can't get enough.

Last season, "IRT: Deadliest Roads" sent some of the "IRT" truckers and some newcomers to pit their skills against harrowing highways in the Himalayas. HCTV got the lowdown on the adventure from Wasilla, Alaska, trucker and "IRT" veteran Lisa Kelly, including an update on the black-and-white puppy she adopted along the way.

This season, "IRT" has dispatched Kelly and some other truckers to South America to try out terrifying routes there, including Bolivia's "Road of Death."

Proving once again that you don't need lots of testosterone to be tough, Kelly has already outlasted one partner. After returning from a long-haul drive over the weekend, she answered some questions by email -- including an update the now-grown dog, which lives with a show producer in the Los Angeles area. (Questions in bold.)

The roads in the Himalayas were challenging, but the ones in South America seem even more difficult. How do you compare the two?

I feel that India was great practice for Bolivia and Peru. Culturally, India was harder, the roads themselves were far worse in South America.

Why do you think your first partner, Southern trucker Dave Redmon, decided to leave?

I think we all deal with life's challenges differently,

How did that make you feel about continuing?

I have never depended on other people to make decisions for me. I also am very goal-oriented and a problem solver, so when things were bad with the truck I sought to make things better before continuing on.

What do you draw upon to keep going through the fear?

There are many things I want to accomplish in life and I don't want my fears to stand in my way. Many things are scary in life but that can't stop you from living it. Now I am drawn to the things that scare me. I feel that if you stop living you start dying.

What does it mean to you to have taken on these challenges?

Now that I've done two seasons of "IRT: Deadliest Roads," I have started to notice patterns in the way I learn and the way I face fears. I'm a little disappointed that I'm not as strong as I thought I was, but I'm so thankful that I know my limits and how to push past them. Now I can almost step outside myself and watch the process that I must go through to overcome obstacles.

Does the Dalton Highway in your native Alaska seem easier after driving in these foreign countries?

The Dalton does seem a lot easier after "Deadliest Roads," but in that, I have to be careful not to get careless, because the Dalton is still a dangerous road that gets you when you aren't paying attention.

What would you say to encourage -- or discourage -- other women from entering the trucking profession?

I would encourage anyone to follow their dreams, because dreams do come true if you want them bad enough. I think every person should challenge themselves so that they can grow.

In the last episode we saw, you were coping with a new partner, Texan G.W. Boles. How did that relationship progress?

With any partner, you have to go through an adjustment period. I don't want to give too much of the show away, but I have heard people say what great drivers they are and yet can't drive, so I needed to see proof. Everyone has to earn each other's trust especially when your life is in someone else's hands. It's very hard to just turn your life over to someone that you have never seen drive and is a complete stranger.  So I think it's interesting to see how trust is built between two people, especially two complete opposites forced to trust each other. 

Do you ever get to see the black-and-white puppy you adopted in the Himalayas that now lives in Southern California?

Every time I get to L.A., I make a point to go see Rampur Jackson. He still remembers me!!

(Kelly even wrote a book about him.)

What's the strangest -- or even the funniest -- fan reaction you've gotten from appearing on "Ice Road Truckers" and "IRT:Deadliest Roads"?

I had one guy who wanted me to shave my autograph in his chest hair. Ha ha ha!. And I had a little kid come up to me and say, "I don't like you!" You gotta respect the honesty of kids!!

We usually see you behind the wheel. What might we be surprised to know about you when you're off the road?

I love trucking, and more and more the audience gets to see that I love so much more than just trucking. I have way too many hobbies to even keep up with. I'm not sure there is much left to be surprised about!

And here's a look at Rampur Jackson, all grown up.

Today's cuppa: Gevalia Signature Crema coffee

On Friday, Oct. 7, Fox News Channel celebrated its 15th anniversary on basic cable, having launched in 1996.

One of the journalists who's been there since the very beginning is Shepard Smith, anchor of two news hours every weekday -- the afternoon "Studio B With Shepard Smith" and the early evening "The Fox Report" (or midday and late afternoon, if you're in Los Angeles, where I am).

The photo above shows Smith in 2005, surveying the damage in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the flooding from the broken levee.

What sticks in my memory about Smith at that time is him standing on a bridge in the shattered city, on "a Friday night, five, six days after the storm hit," as Geraldo Rivera says near the beginning of the lengthy clip below, part of a look back at Katrina coverage from FNC's "Geraldo at Large."

Smith and Rivera spoke on "Hannity & Colmes" that night, reporting what they were seeing and hearing on the bridge.



Their frustration is evident (with, unsurprisingly, a little more passionate emoting from Rivera) that people were not being allowed to cross the bridge out of New Orleans to the town of Gretna. Hannity was getting reports from government sources, which Smith, based on his firsthand observations, challenged.

Pointing toward Gretna, Smith described the situation, saying a checkpoint had been set up on the bridge, preventing people from walking out to get help,

"Over there, there's hope," he said. "Over there, there's electricity. Over there, there's food and water. But you cannot go from there to there. The government will not allow you to do it. It's a fact."

"All right, Shep, I want to get some perspective here, because earlier today..." began Hannity.

Smith interrupted Hannity -- host, at that time with Alan Colmes, of one of the cablenet's top-rated primetime commentary shows -- with the firm statement, "That is perspective! That is all the perspective you need!"

At that very moment, watching my TV in Los Angeles, I thought, "Whoa, Shep just scolded one of the network's cash cows!"

And as you can see in this AP story from 2005, I wasn't the only one who noticed.

I recently talked with Smith for a feature story that will appear later this month, focusing mostly on his philosophy of news reporting and his distinctive style. But I also had to ask him about the event that defined Shepard Smith in my mind.

"I have a great deal of respect for Sean Hannity," says Smith. "He's an amazing businessman; he's the nicest guy. He's a great father. Whatever your preconceived notions about Sean Hannity, he's just a guy from Long Island."

But, he was not on the bridge, and Smith was.

"That is the difference," says Smith. "He didn't have a way to be there. Just as I was being spun by politicians, he was being spun by politicians. Among the first lessons I teach new journalists that come into our unit is, if you didn't see it or smell it or hear it, then you have to attribute it. But if you did see it, smell hit and hear it, then you can report it, because you're a reporter.

"That day, I was seeing it and smelling it and hearing it, and Sean wasn't. So I had a real advantage over him, because my senses were all engaged. I know that Sean thought he was getting straight information from people -- I thought I was, too, until I realized everybody was lying.

"But I was watching what was happening, and he wasn't. I had a level of frustration that comes with seeing people die around you, that's hard always to get past. I'm not one who wants to be an advocacy journalist, far from it. I'm not here to advocate; I'm here to report.

"But there are times in the course of human events that you're around things that, sometimes you have to cross a line. I don't think I've done it many times I don't anticipate I'll ever do it again. I hope I don't.

"But when people are dying around you, and people say they are coming to help them, and they're not. Then, more people are dying, old women and little children, you have a duty as a human being to make all the noise you can try to, to stop the dying from happening."

After all, even though Smith and Rivera were in the middle of what was happening, they didn't really know how it was reverberating in the outside world.

"I wasn't aware," says Smith, "sitting on a bridge in a collapsed city, that this had become an enormous political debate. We didn't have televisions. We didn't have electricity. We had one satellite phone that was our communications source.

"I wasn't able to watch all the political machinations that had turned this into some kind of a political sideshow. I didn't realize it had happened, so I was just stunned to hear him speaking that way.

"At some point after that, I realized, 'Oh, this has become a political fight.' Well, I chose to plant the flag around those who were dead and dying, and politics didn't belong in it. I was embarrassed that politics became involved in it. It was a very sad chapter in our lives."

OK, to be honest, there was one other moment that defines Shep Smith for me -- his brief appearance in one of my favorite disaster movies, 1997's "Volcano."

Smith played himself, reporting on an entirely fictitious calamity this time -- an eruption of deadly lava near the Beverly Center shopping mall in L.A.

I asked him about it by email, and here's what he wrote:

"That was a Fox movie. I was working in Los Angeles at the time, and they asked me to play a reporter. Seemed easy enough. It was the largest 'burn,' they told us, ever at a movie set -- La Brea Tar Pits.

"We shot overnight, 11p-5a. Then I went to work in Santa Monica. 2 days of shooting. No sleep. My 70 words were cut to 6 in edit. They were very annoyed that I couldn't memorize all the words exactly. And they wanted me to 'act more like a reporter.' 'Be more serious.' It was exhausting. Paid well!"

(Yeah, no, this "Volcano" music video doesn't show Smith. I just like it.)

Today's cuppa: strong coffee

On Monday, I flew from Los Angeles to Huntsville, Ala., to attend the premiere party for National Geographic Channel's new series "Rocket City Rednecks" -- click here for a news story -- premiering tonight with a two-hour block of four of the 20 half-hour episodes. On Tuesday, I came back.

Click here for my syndicated story on the show. Because of our packed network-TV premiere schedule this week, it doesn't come out in print until Sunday, but y'all get it early. And there'll be another story later, based on interviews I did with the Rednecks after the premiere showing.

Now that I've had some sleep and caffeine, I've put together a slideshow of some of the pix I took. I'd love to return to the Center when the lights are up and I have time to read all the displays, but hope you enjoy a quick look.

On a personal note, the fact that I attended this premiere so soon after the demise of the shuttle program (and with it, all our current plans for manned space flight) was a little sad.

Following the crash of a Russian Soyuz rocket carrying supplies to the International Space Station, the realization that Russia is our only way to take people and equipment to the ISS hit home.

Although the Russians say they've figured out the problem and will keep missions going to the ISS, the driver who picked me up a the airport in Huntsville -- who ferries a lot of space types -- thinks one of our space shuttles may be pulled back out of mothballs.

You never know ...