Space Travel and Politics

NASA was supposed to launch the Space Shuttle Atlantis this afternoon. Mission STS-122 was originally scheduled for December 6, 2007 at 16:31 EST. It has been rescheduled to 16:09 on December 7. This was disappointing, I love watching shuttle launches, even if only from my laptop monitor in the office. One day I'd like to take a long vacation and go down to Cape Kennedy and watch a launch in reality, actually feel the wind and the heat. The truth comes out, Michael's a space nut, here's another dirty little secret, I always has been a total space nut.

Truth be told, if I could have any job in the World, it would be a rocket scientist at the Marshall Space Flight centre, or maybe JPL. I wouldn't mind working at Houston either for that matter. I don't care that besides the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in sunny Pasadena California, Marshall and Houston are both in bible thumping hard right Red states. The thing is, I just love to dream of travel to far away places.

Actually one thing I think will be really exciting is the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles. These mammoth rockets are intended to do something that has not been done since late 1971, land people on the moon and return them safely to the Earth, more than that, the Constellation project (what the Ares are part of) is the start of a permanent settlement of human beings on the lunar surface. I find it hard to believe that even if this in no way relates to the dreams of skaters anywhere, it doesn't sound at least a little inspiring?

If it were up to me, NASA funding would be hundreds of billions of dollars a year and the Pentagon would have to make do on NASAs current real budget. Of course if that were the case I suspect Osama Bin Laden wouldn't care so much about the United States. Then a modest Pentagon budget would be even easier to justify. But I rant, even if I am correct, uselessly.

I finished the book Fast Food Nation. What an unsettling read, the reason for all the outbreaks of E. Coli in beef? Fecal matter in the meat, in other, blunter, words, there's cow shit in your hamburger! Think McDonald's French (Freedom?) Fries tasted better in the 1980s? Well they used to deep fry them in beef tallow, now they deep fry them in Canola Oil and use "natural" flavours. Pop quiz, what does natural flavour have in common with things derived directly from nature? Answer: not very much. And don't get me started on what McDoos has done to the American work force, slave labour pool. You have to love these huge companies who so enjoy expending their marketing budget bemoaning government regulation but heaven help the sorry congressman or senator who would dare to oppose farm subsidies or any other corporate welfare that the US Fast Food Industry makes such profitable use of.

Sorry I'm ranting, but I just watched Who Killed the Electric Car while on the Elliptical Trainer and I guess I am becoming an exceedingly angry socialist. Oh well I've got a lot to be angry about if I am at all liberal. My government (no I didn't vote for these idiots, I voted for the Wimpy Ultra Liberals instead of the Ultra Wimpy Liberals, not to be confused with the current crop of Want to be Ultra Conservative But Are in Fact Pandering Inarticulate Thugs) is making my country into the embarrassment of the World at the Bali Climate Summit.

Here's one I just discovered while looking up the links for the three major English language political parties, take a look at the Liberal, NDP and Conservative party web pages. Now when I said I voted for NDP last time it was because the local Liberal Candidate supported the Toronto Port Authority. No way could I bring myself to vote for he who must not be named. But really look at the web pages, both the Liberals and NDP describe what their vision for Canada is, agree with it, don't agree with it, they have a vision. As for the Conservatives, their web page is a cheap mockery of Stephan Dion. Today they are ranting about how Mr. Dion thinks, like just about every economist with a pulse, that the GST should be hiked and income taxes cut. They show the income from a GST hike $16 Billion, and don't mention the income tax cut. Stephan Dion is a smart man, I am told that so is Stephen Harper, looking over the two web sites, I can believe Mr. Dion is pretty bright, or at least has some good people, but the Prime Minister, he is employing a real hack on the web site, good job sir, you represent me and I have never been more embarrassed about the current government!

Argh! Why do we have to put up with these ninnies? Oh well, tomorrow I promise I won't rant on politics in Canada.