AT&T and iPhone Launch Day Disappointments & Dumb Surveys

Dear AT&T,

I was one of the many who stood in line outside of your stores on the 20th of September for the iPhone 5S launch. I was number 6 in line that day. It was 5am, it was chilly, but I like others who'd been into the store earlier in the week were standing there in hopes of getting a 64GB White with Gold Trimmed iPhone 5S. I was also one of the many who were disappointed to find out that you'd not received inventory to sell of anything other than the SPACE GREY Phones in varying capacities.

I decided at that point to get a phone so that I could enjoy that new phone with everyone else and perhaps even wrap a case around it, and get on with life. I was saddened that the inventory for a supposed "flagship" store did not include the flagship phone model and that none of the first 10 people in the line would get one as we'd expected. Otherwise we might have just slept in and come later in the day to pick up the other.

Then came the lovable survey that asks "Was your experience at AT&T this morning good?" "would you recommend us to others?" "are we your company of choice?" all those questions that really tend to anger a customer who's had a substandard experience.

Everything at the store in the morning was just fine with ONE MAJOR EXCEPTION. I had come in earlier in the week, asked about iPhone 5S's, was told there was "Plenty of inventory coming", just make sure to be in line early, I was once again number 6 in that line, and there were NO GOLD iPhone's to be found.

What else am I supposed to say? Now, today I get a call after a text from someone who has the audacity to ask me the same questions in response to my responses in the survey. WHY??? Why would you want to waste a customers time with repeat questions that you already know the answer to?

Will I recommend AT&T to anyone? HELL NO. Will I recommend anyone else? HELL NO. Is there anything you can do for me? Yes, get me a Gold iPhone 5S and then came the response that generated this email:

"Well sir, you can order one, pay a restocking fee and when it comes it we'll let you know".

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME????? (Now attach Steve Jobs' face to that statement yelling at the top of his lungs as I know he would if he were standing here next to me and his spirit is as we knew each other for 24 years, and he can't believe I got that response at all).

Pay a restocking fee for a phone which you should have had in stock on launch day???? And order it, send in my current device, leaving me without a device and when they come in you'll let me know???

NOT A CHANCE.

I have been an AT&T Business Customer since the LAUNCH of the ORIGINAL IPHONE. I have STUCK with AT&T while others bailed out. When you throttled people's data plans, I stuck around. When you changed pricing structures, I stuck around. I have been completely and totally loyal to AT&T when others jumped to Verizon and other networks. I'm one of the old guard. I believe that AT&T does the right thing.

I'M WRONG. AT&T would rather milk customers like me out of things while providing SubStandard Service delivery. I have a damn MICROCELL in my HOUSE because you cannot provide accurate cell coverage in our area and STILL I GET DROPPED CALLS with my iPhone 5S which is supposed to have better coverages. Do I get a credit on my monthly bill for any of this? NO.

How about crediting me for your crappy phone services since January of 2011?? Can you do that? NO you can't. Will I leave AT&T? NO I WON'T. WHY? Because since I bought an original iPhone, I have UNLIMITED EVERYTHING and that beats the crap out of anything anyone else can offer me.

The other reason I won't leave is because I am faithful to brands I support. AT&T is one of them. But that does not give you an excuse to NOT deliver on things you say you will.

Now that I've openly expressed my opinion and even cc'd the CEO of APPLE, I am sure my note like others will fall into the wastebasket of AT&T and absolutely NOTHING will be done to appease this customer. Sad because with the number of people out on the web who will catch wind of this posting...it might do you some good to actually do something about it.

Warmest regards,

Michael

--
Michael Murdock, CEO
DocMurdock
e: ceo@docmurdock.com
docmurdock on twitter

RUSH…What a MOVIE!

The thrill of racing is something I've had in my blood since my birth. My father raced motorcycles in England in the late 50's / early 60's where I was born. When I was growing up I was constantly exposed to both cars and motorcycles and the thrill of the sounds, smells and shear excitement of racing.

I became familiar with the relationship/competitiveness of James Hunt and Niki Lauda at a time when my brother and I were competitive swimmers. Hunt and Lauda raced on tracks around the globe while my brother and I represented the USA in swimming outside of the USA.

I was actually expecting this movie to fall flat and be a special effects nightmare, but instead was pleasantly surprised at the very beginning by a number of things. Camera, sound, grain of the picture. Yes GRAIN OF THE PICTURE. Ron Howard seamlessly melded real world footage as well as staged to accomplish a weaving of both in such a way that the transition was difficult to pick up. BRAVO to him and his team for this as it works really well. You're not lost in the effects even though you know they're there.

Transitions from scene to scene are done in such a way that I found myself looking around the theater to see what door James or Niki would come through next. I got caught up and swept into the movie which for me is a big deal. Let me forget that I am in a theater and instead let me feel as if I am a fly on the wall in the actual event.

Rain...a drivers enemy in racing in a big way. So many variables change in the performance of the car, the engine, the drivetrain, the steering characteristics all shift and cause your psyche to be modified to compensate for these. Funny that Lauda blamed Hunt for keeping the race going that injured him, but in reality Lauda could have bailed out of that race and preserved his face for the future. He chose to keep going and well the rest is history. You have to respect the man for what he did, how he came through things and was in fact driven to come back and give the quest to be world champion his all.

I won't spoil things for you, but this is not TITANIC. It's a well made movie that recounts one of the hottest competitions in auto racing HISTORY EVER and it does a damn good job of bringing us into touch with that time. I remember it because I was alive and glued to the TV with my Dad giving commentary for those things I could not understand.

Ron Howard...You've UPPED your game with this film in my humble book. I appreciate your cinematic genius. I hope others will see in this what I have.

Whatever you do this week...if you can get out and see this movie. It's one to be enjoyed. Great soundtrack, great believable characters and if you were alive at this time it will be a great refresher for you of a time in our lives when things were much different and more connected.

@rushthemovie @kimlouise55

#awesome #intense #enjoyable #historical #lauda #hunt #formulaOne

The perfect mousetrap

Went to see Mom this morning. I noticed as I walked in that a room in the building wing was being repainted. 

It was not hers but that of another resident. Turns out his family came and took him home, realizing his time was short and a couple of days later he passed.

People always speak of "the perfect mousetrap". They look so hard to build it and yet they don't realize that we exist within it.

Life is in itself "the perfect mouse trap". If you look at it from a broader perspective you'll see what I mean. We're all here in this maze, wandering around, doors open, doors close, cars drive around, planes fly, etc...and eventually we all leave this maze after we die.

Death is the great equalizer. You can know with 100% certainty that you or someone you know will crossover at some point. Today, tomorrow, 10, 20, 30, 40 years from now...at some point we all leave. There's no changing that unless the creator comes down and decides to shift the paradigm on us.

So...why do we choose to live as we do and not enjoy the moments we have in this "mousetrap"? That's the question to ponder and see if you can find the answer to it. For when you do, you'll achieve a level of consciousness and understanding broader than anyone else in the sphere.

There's no right or wrong answer. There's just answers and then more questions as we wind our way through the maze.

The passing of my Father in May 2013 enlightened me to much. As his time to leave drew nearer there were things he did, things he said, things he shared which humbled me in many ways. Allowed me to see more of who he was, how he was, and how deeply his teachings in my life affected how I was in this lifetime. It humbled me. It also made me see more clearly this life and to more greatly appreciate that which we have here. The friendships, relationships, interactions, adversaries, etc...All of it.

I hope along your path that you have the opportunity or the blessing as I see if of being enlightened as I was and looking deeper at the connections you have to source, the connections which flow between all of us and every single solitary object which we can see...and cannot see in our existence here. It's all a work of art, a masterpiece, and while we exist within the perfect mousetrap called life, what's on the other side of it is so much broader than our current selves can comprehend, that when the time is right we'll have an even deeper appreciation and love of what we were in this lifetime when it's our time to crossover into the next existence.

Happy Thursday.

Michael

Starbuck's...

Just a thought here. I went to the local Starbuck's this morning and was greeted by a couple of surprises:

a. banana bread has changed its size, from something flat and manageable to a cute little loaf form. I'm ok with that, although it did not taste as good as the previous type, but it was more moist than the other kind, so we'll see how that goes. So that's not a bad change per se'.

b. ALL PASTRIES are now HEATED! Really? That's a bit too dictatorial for my liking since I never get my chocolate croissant heated EVER. Why? Because the chocolate runs everywhere and I can never recall Howard offering to pay for my $65 slacks that got ruined twice by a leaking croissant. I did get some free coffee, but that's the extent of the help cycle there. So while I can see why they might want to heat things up, customers are more likely to love you if you offer them a choice between HOT and COLD pastries.

c. the pink bags are...really boring and it's almost as if you're in the midst of yet another brand shift and we've finally gotten use to the current one and look for it everywhere. now when we drive down the freeway do we have to guess where the local Starbuck's is by seeking out a PINK SIGN? Or is this limited to the bags only?

Just tossing out some fuel for the fire of discussion out there on the web. Thanks for dropping in and reading.

Michael

Just testing...

Time to test and see if Posthaven is doing what they say it will do now. Accepting posts via email. If so, I can begin to write as I did when Posterous was around. Miss those days!!! Now...could they be back??? We shall soon see!

A final request from the late Debbie Ford

I just received this in email and I think it's a nice gesture on behalf of Joe. He's a good guy with a good heart and I think that this should be shared. Many of you may get his emails already, but just in case not, here's one of them.

Thanks,

Michael


Begin forwarded message:

From: Joe Vitale <joe@drjoevitale.com>
Subject: A final request from the late Debbie Ford
Date: February 28, 2013 4:40:11 PM PST
To: Michael Murdock <murdockme@me.com>
Reply-To: Joe Vitale <joe@drjoevitale.com>

One of the greatest books to influence my life was "The Dark Side of the Light Chasers" by Debbie Ford.
Not only is the book one of my top ten picks for life changing reads, but the author later became a dear friend of mine.
I'm sad to say she passed away last night.
I am shaken by the loss, as Debbie was a mentor who I loved. She endorsed me and my books, believed in me, and was always a phone call away.
I loved her.
While Debbie is gone, her message is alive and well through her books.
One of her last wishes was to get more people to read her work, especially the book that opened my eyes so many years ago.
If you haven't read it, or if you want to get copies to give as gifts, please go to --
http://shar.es/YQeQB
I am sending this at the final request from Debbie, and as a way to support her family (as they get the royalties from sales).
Please live your life with passion, grace and love, just as Debbie Ford did.
Love,
Joe
PS -- A friend recently told me we don't need to live forever - just long enough to complete our life mission. Debbie completed hers, knew it, and said so. I celebrate her mission successfully accomplished and I'll always miss her, too.
Thank you
I love you
*************************************************
Dr. Joe Vitale "Aude aliquid dignum" *
Author of way too many books to mention, including the bestsellers "The Attractor Factor," "Life's Missing Instruction Manual" and ooohhh so many more, including the head spinner, "Zero Limits" and the mega-hit, "The Key."
A star in the movies "The Secret," "The Opus," "The Compass," "The Tapping Solution," "Leap," "Beyond Belief," "The Meta-Secret" and "Openings"
Creator of Miracles Coaching, Hypnotic Writing, Hypnotic Marketing, and The Awakening Course.
See it all at http://www.JoeVitale.com
Member BBB 2003 - 2012
* 16th century Latin: "Dare something worthy"

Note: This is a commercial message.

Hypnotic Marketing Inc, PO Box 2924, Wimberley, TX 78676, USA


Seniors…ASK FOR YOUR DISCOUNTS!!!

This was sent to my Dad by a friend of his. Hope it helps many out there save money. So check it out, check into it, and pass it on!!

Senior  Discounts
Keep  this list - - - and send a copy to your senior friends and relatives.
As I was waiting in line behind an older gentleman at Wendy's  recently, I heard him ask for his senior discount. The girl at the register apologized and charged him less. When I asked the man what the discount was, he told me that seniors over age 55 get 10% off everything on the menu, every day.
 Being of 'that' age myself, I figured I might as well ask for the discount too.
 This incident prompted me to do some research, and I came across a list of restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, travel deals and other types of offers giving various discounts with different age requirements. I was actually surprised to see how many there are and how some of them start at the young age of 50 .
 This list may not only be useful for you, but for your friends and family too.

 YOU must ASK for your discount !

RESTAURANTS:
Applebee's: 15% off with Golden Apple Card (60+)
Arby's: 10% off  ( 55 +)
Ben & Jerry's: 10% off (60+)
Bennigan's: discount varies by location  (60+)
Bob's Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)
Boston Market: 10% off  (65+)
Burger King: 10% off (60+)
Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee ( 55+)
Chili's: 10% off ( 55+)
CiCi's Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Denny's: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members  ( 55 +)
Dunkin Donuts gives free coffee to people over 55 .
Dunkin' Donuts: 10% off or free coffee ( 55+)
Einstein's Bagels: 10% off baker's dozen of bagels (60+)
Fuddrucker's: 10% off any senior platter ( 55+)
Gatti's Pizza: 10% off (60+)
Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)
Hardee's: $0.33  beverages everyday (65+)
IHOP: 10% off ( 55+)
Jack in the Box: up to 20% off ( 55+)
KFC:  free small drink with any meal ( 55+)
Krispy Kreme: 10% off ( 50+)
Long John Silver's: various discounts at locations ( 55+)
McDonald's:    discounts on coffee everyday ( 55+)
Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)
Shoney's: 10% off
Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)
Steak 'n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday ( 50+)
Subway:  10% off (60+)
Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)
Taco Bell : 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)
TCBY: 10% off ( 55+)
Tea Room Cafe: 10% off ( 50+)
Village Inn: 10% off (60+)
Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)
Wendy's: 10%    off ( 55 +)
Whataburger: 10% off (62+)
White   Castle: 10% off (62+) This is for me .. if I ever see one again.

RETAIL & APPAREL :
Banana Republic: 30% off ( 50 +)
Bealls:  20% off first Tuesday of each month ( 50 +)
Belk's:  15% off first Tuesday of every month ( 55 +)
Big Lots: 30% off
Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days  ( 55 +)
C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (50+)
Clarks : 10% off (62+)
Dress Barn:  20% off ( 55+)
Goodwill:  10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Kmart: 40% off  (Wednesdays only) ( 50+)
Kohl's:  15% off (60+)
Modell's Sporting Goods: 30% off
Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions
Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday    ( 55+)
The Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off ( 55+)
Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month    ( 55 +)

GROCERY :
Albertson's:  10% off first Wednesday of each month ( 55 +)
American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday ( 50 +)
Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)
DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)
Food Lion: 60% off every Monday (60+)
Fry's Supermarket: free Fry's VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday    ( 55 +)
Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)
Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)
Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)
Kroger: 10% off (date varies by location)
Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday    (60+)
The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday ( 50 +)
Publix: 15% off every Wednesday ( 55 +)
Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)
Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace: 15% off (62+)

TRAVEL :
Airlines:
Alaska Airlines: 50% off (65+)

American Airlines: various discounts for 50% off non-peak periods (Tuesdays - Thursdays) (62+)and up (call before booking for discount)
Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations

Southwest  Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

U.S. Airways: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

 Rail:
Amtrak:    15% off (62+)
 Bus:
Greyhound:    15% off (62+)
Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50+

Car Rental:
Alamo Car Rental: up to 25% off for AARP members
Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members
Budget Rental Cars: 40% off; up to 50% off for AARP members    ( 50+)
Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off ( 50+)  Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members
National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members

Overnight Accommodations:
Holiday Inn: 20-40% off depending on location (62+)
Best Western: 40% off (55+)
Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
 Waldorf Astoria - NYC  $5,000 off nightly rate for Presidential Suite (55 +)
Clarion Motels: 20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Inn:    20%-30% off (60+)
Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)
Econo Lodge: 40% off (60+)
Hampton Inns & Suites: 40% off when booked 72 hours in advance
Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)
InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)
Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler's Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)
Marriott Hotels: 25% off   (62+)
Motel 6: Stay Free Sunday nights (60+)
Myrtle Beach Resort: 30% off  ( 55 +)
Quality Inn: 40%-50% off (60+)
Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)
Sleep Inn: 40% off (60+)

ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT :
AMC Theaters: up to 30% off ( 55 +)
Bally Total Fitness: $100 off memberships (62+)
Busch Gardens Tampa, FL: $13 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)
Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)
Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off
 Massage Envy - NYC 20% off all "Happy Endings" (62 +)
U.S. National Parks: $10 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)
Regal Cinemas: 50% off Ripley's Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket ( 55 +)
SeaWorld, Orlando , FL : $3 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)
CELL PHONE DISCOUNTS :
AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $19.99/month (65+)
Jitterbug: $10/month cell phone service ( 50 +)
Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month    (65+).

MISCELLANEOUS:
Great Clips: $8 off hair cuts (60+)
Supercuts: $8 off haircuts    (60+)

NOW,    go out there and claim your discounts - - - - and remember    ----
YOU must ASK for your discount ---- no ask, no discount.

I've fallen…and I split my head open!

If that had been my Father calling 2 hours after I'd left him on Superbowl Sunday, that would have been what he'd said. However, it was not him. Instead it was the place where he resides calling and their message was:

"Hello Michael, this is Sunrise calling, your Father has fallen, he lost consciousness because he hit his head on the bed frame and he's bleeding everywhere, we've called the ambulance but he does not want to go to the hospital."

Now, the problem that I had was not that he didn't want to go to the hospital, that's Dad (he eventually went), the problem I have is how did he cut his head on a smooth bedframe and especially since the area he hit was on the side of the bed, and it's a rectangular piece of polished wood. Well it's got an edge to it and if your head is moving fast enough when hitting it, it will cut into it like it did his. 1.5" worth of cut.

So. after spending most of the night at the hospital with him and ensuring he was ok, they admitted him, I came home and went to sleep wondering about a solution. My brother Vince said to me "why not get some bumpers for the furniture"! Great idea I said!
he's @ocreopro on twitter and if you need a house, condo, buying, selling, renting, leasing, contact him!!!

I looked around for some bumpers and the best that I found were these:

So I looked around and found them locally, but you can buy them by clicking on the picture or the link above and you'll save some money. These kits are great and come with double-sided tape you can easily attach to furniture. Now the places he would normally run into with his toes, his head, his hands are cushioned.

Today we had a safety review in his place of living and they remarked at how well everything was cushioned. As we go along through the journey of helping our parents through their time of getting older, it's more and more educational.

I'll be sharing the education I am getting because out of ALL of the resources that we've interacted with since finding out that they needed help, not ONE OF THEM even so much as mentioned these tools to us.

Now you can benefit from that. I am keeping track of those things that help us to understand what's happening, and what the best tools are to get through this time in our lives.

Thanks for reading and if you're starting down the path with your loved ones, let me know. I can consult with you on this and see how to best assist you in ensuring your parents are all take care of.

Best regards,

Michael Murdock

This just in??? Seriously??? @CBSNews

@CBSNews really???

JUST IN: Beyonce admits singing to background track during presidential inauguration but says she will "absolutely" sing live at Super Bowl

WATCH LIVE: http://cbsn.ws/live

Tell us something we DON'T KNOW!!! Like how many of our soldiers died overseas this day. Like how many people are dying of cancer, yes my own Father included in that group. Like how many people suffer from Alzheimer's are living lives as vegetables because we're too busy pissing away our money overseas on wars that could be settled in a boardroom through discussion. Like how many businesses borrow money from people and then file bankruptcy to avoid paying that debt while lying to investors to get new money in.

Why not tell us about things that really matter? Why not tell us why Homeland "security" is moving vans of ammo and automatic weapons around strategic points of attack of every major city in the USA?? Are we at war with ourselves or does KING OBAMA have some bigger plan for us like Hitler had for the Germans, and the Poles and the Jews back in WWII?

Why not focus on those things instead of why someone lip-synched our NATIONAL ANTHEM because she was "saving her voice". How dare she. We should BAN her from the Superbowl. That's what should have been backtracked, not the National Anthem.

So why the hell not do that. Report some REAL NEWs. Not this CRAP you're putting out!!

Sincerely yours,

Michael Murdock
@docmurdock

"Challenger you are GO for Throttle-Up" "Roger, GO for THROTTLE-UP"

and almost immediately after that command acknowledgement it happened. 73 seconds into launch, Challenger was gone.

This day in 1986 time stopped for a lot of us and the space program took a break as Challenger left the launch pad for a date with destiny. President Ronald Reagan spoke to the world that evening, not just to the United States about the State of the Union. We all took a breath, and we all remember where we were the moment Challenger left us. God Speed. I know I'll never forget that day or time.

Here's the speech that we all heard that evening:

Ladies and Gentlemen, I’d planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the Union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But, we’ve never lost an astronaut in flight; we’ve never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we’ve forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle; but they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we’re thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "give me a challenge and I’ll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.

We’ve grown used to wonders in this century. It’s hard to dazzle us. But for twenty-five years the United States space program has been doing just that. We’ve grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we’ve only just begun. We’re still pioneers. They, the member of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle’s takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It’s all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It’s all part of taking a chance and expanding man’s horizons. The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.

I’ve always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don’t hide our space program. We don’t keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That’s the way freedom is, and we wouldn’t change it for a minute. We’ll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and, yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue. I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved an impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it."

There’s a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well, today we can say of the challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake’s, complete.

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for the journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."
----

For any and all who venture skyward, each and every day I pray for your hearts, your souls, your families and all those you touch. I believe in a far greater good and a far greater existence than we have here in this time. I know that we're all here with a mission and we all affect many in our time here. May your time be a gift for many to appreciate and form a deeper bond with themselves and others as a result of your reaching out and touching the light that is theirs.

AMEN

God bless you always,

Michael Murdock