In a world where movie trailers set the stage for our entertainment choices and a lot of revenue for a certain Southern California town, Don LaFontaine reigned supreme over the audio content of those promotional shorts. From 1964 until his death in 2008, LaFontaine's voice imparted the importance of what you were invited to see. Movie trailers weren't his only voiceover work, but it's what he was most known for. LaFontaine came about that deep, resonant voice naturally, and suddenly, when the adolescent's voice broke in 1953.
As you might expect, being of an age when a boy’s life primarily consists of playing flappy with Mr. Happy and otherwise spending the remaining 12 seconds of the day when he wasn’t doing that making fun of his friends and being made fun of in turn, LaFontaine stated he was afraid to speak the next day at school after his voice changed and thus, initially refused. When his teacher became frustrated with this now mute student and forced him to speak, LaFontaine uttered a phrase he no doubt would say countless times to execs the world over, “What do you want me to say?” This apparently prompted his already frustrated teacher, who thought he was putting the voice on, to send him to the principal’s office.
He would later recount that this caused him to feel even more self-conscious about his voice. However, it didn’t take long for his friend’s to realize his baritone vocals allowed him to be “everybody’s dad” on the phone- i.e. he could be used to call the school, represent himself as their father, and let the secretary know his kid was sick and would be missing school that day. Some of these instances apparently were his first paid voice acting gigs.
Read about the exceptional life of Don LaFontaine at Today I Found Out.
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It would be nice to bed down beneath unknown stars just once in my life.
It wasn't that long ago that missionaries en route to Africa or wherever would pack their belongings in a coffin, knowing their remains would either return in that same coffin or be buried where they died. Granted, their mission was a bit different than any would be Mars traveller, but the drive to pioneer is pretty strong, no matter the mission.
Most (all) of the engineering and technology is already available for a two-way trip.
But if it had to be a one way trip, I volunteer Chaney or Bush or both (but preferably the destination should be Pluto just to be safe).
Let's put it this way: If the guys running NASA were in charge of the western expansion following the Louisiana Purchase, we'd still be on the east side of the Mississippi.
I've thought for years that I'd take that step and go to Mars, the moon or wherever given the chance.
I hope you're the patient type.
We all pretty much decided we would go for it.
I'm a pretty solitary man. If I thought my sacrifice would pave the way for the future, I'd do it. Spend my last days in a nursing home or spend them seeing things no one has ever seen before? There is no question.
Oh, I agree whole-heartedly! I've also debated the finer points of being abducted would I go and see the Universe or would I scream like a maniac and make a mad dash for the exits. Also, being a pretty solitary guy I would also think I could use my life for better things like paving the road to Space. You put it quite eloquently! :)
In fact, if we sent all the religious freaks off this planet, the more peaceful this planet will be.