People

ASTRONAUT TALKS ABOUT TWO 'NEAR MISSES'

While the world mourns the loss of seven NASA astronauts, a female space jockey from Idaho is shaking her head about her two "near misses." Astronaut Barbara Morgan tells the Boise Idaho Statesman when she heard word of the shuttle Columbia disaster two things went rushing through her mind. First, she would have been on the Challenger had Christa McAuliffe not been able to go. She was McAuliffe's back-up on the teacher-in-space project. Second, she was scheduled to fly the now-destroyed Columbia into space later this year. Morgan also was in one of the chase jets following the ill-fated space plane as it rocketed toward Florida on Saturday. For obvious reasons, she has not given the media any details of what she may have seen and heard. Morgan has waited 17 years to go into space. After the 1986 destruction of Challenger her hopes were dashed. At age 51, she finally has been given the green light to fly on a special mission this fall but now she has no ship. Columbia was the oldest of the remaining shuttles, and the heaviest.

STONES STILL THRILLIN' 'EM IN CONCERT

Despite calls for the Rolling Stones to cancel Saturday's gig in Denver, they went on anyway, proving you're never too old. According to the Denver Post, the baby boomers have proven again they still have what it takes. During what the Post's reviewer called a "salty set," the aging kings of rock 'n' roll assaulted the audience at the Pepsi Center with a mixture of old and new, all to the driving guitar rhythms of Ron Wood and Keith Richards. Jagger is, according to the publication, still "whippet thin," wearing stretch pants, changing shirts after every song or two. During this tour the group has been playing in a variety of different size venues. By the way, in case you need reassurance that the calendar is moving on, Mick Jagger will be 60 soon.

OPRY REMEMBERS ROBBINS' INDUCTION

Members of the today's Grand Ole Opry have remembered the late Marty Robbins and his induction into that august group 50 years ago. CMT says when Robbins arrived on the scene in Nashville in the early '50s he was timid and shy, with little media experience under his belt. After serving in the World War II in the Navy, he had returned home, finally landing a singing job at a Phoenix TV station. It was there he met Columbia recording artist Little Jimmy Dickens. The diminutive Dickens took Robbins under his wing -- difficult to do, considering the height difference -- and eventually brought him to Nashville. His initial songs just went nowhere. Then America discovered the one-of-a-kind nature of his voice as he rode "A White Sport Coat (And a Pink Carnation)" to the top of the charts. He would always be remembered for that song, had it been his only hit. But the "monster" was to come. In 1960, his signature song was released, a song that still is heard on radio stations -- "El Paso." During his 30-year career Marty Robbins had 16 No. 1 hits and 30 songs in the Top 10. He died in 1982, but not before winning two Grammys.

MANNING: VANDERJAGT IS AN 'IDIOT'

Sounding like a politician on the stump, the NFL's Peyton Manning has called fellow teammate Mike Vanderjagt "an idiot." Manning fired the verbal shot during an interview with ABC's Lynn Swann at the Pro Bowl game in Honolulu Sunday. The Indianapolis Star, in reporting the story about the local player, notes Manning's statement was made in the wake of a Vanderjagt comment that Manning, among others, was "uninspired" during NFL games this season. Vanderjagt's comments were made on a Canadian cable show last week. He subsequently apologized. During the ABC interview, Manning's exact reference was to "our idiot kicker who got liquored up and ran his mouth off."

KEITH URBAN STILL STAYING MUM

Country's rising star Keith Urban says he will extend his quiet period to please his doctor, who is concerned about his voice. Because of that, Urban has canceled six more concert dates. Country.com says Urban's condition, according to his publicist, is a "persistent and serious vocal cord ailment." Urban was to have appeared in several cities and embarked on a tour of Canada with Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Additionally, he was to have been a marquee performer at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo in early March. In addition to not singing, he's even been told to not talk. Urban says he hopes to be "completely well" to kick off the tour he has planned with Kenny Chesney in April.

UPI DAILY SURVEY QUESTION NO. 516

Here is today's question: "Would you be willing to fly on a subsequent shuttle mission?" Put SHUTTLE in the subject line and send to [email protected] via the Internet.

RESULTS OF QUESTION NO. 511 (IMAGINE)

Last week we asked if you've had an imaginary playmate at any time in your life. We got a ton of replies -- here are few: Voxen says when she was 3 her uncle (then in his 20s) would take her with him "on dates" to a local drive-in eatery. Taking a page from her uncle, Voxen thought she really should have a true boyfriend, and not just a doting uncle. So Pinky was born. Now Voxen has been married for 35 years and doesn't need Pinky any more. BPrice says her playmate was Susie. They went everywhere together. She says her daughter had one named Johnny Foo. When loubabe was 4 she admits to having three imaginary friends ... Winky, Twinky and Blinky. (Loubabe, there has to be a children's book there somewhere.) Finally, RTM, whom I assumed was too "organized" to have an imaginary playmate, reports that at age 36 he still has one. Mine was Mr. Pups. When I broke something, I blamed him. Mom used to set an extra place at supper for him. One night I chided my mother for the extra place. "That's for Mr. Pups," she reminded me. "Oh," I retorted, "didn't you hear? Mr. Pups is dead. There's been a horrible blimp accident." My only guess is that I had seen newsreel footage of the Hindenburg disaster and thought it was a good way to end the "Pups era" in my life. TOMORROW: What do you want for supper? GBA