The Next Greatest Human Adventure...?

Any of you that know me for any period of time know that I am a GIGANTIC space and human spaceflight junkie.Before hitting the sack the other nite, I saw something that struck me as fantastic and I thought I would share it with you."NASA Unveils Moon Program"With this short headline, my head filled with visions of man once again stepping foot on the Moon and achieving a new understanding of Human Spaceflight.

I encourage you all to read the article and - sadly - to also hope that the timeline in general gets bumped up.

The plan is to be on the Moon in 2018.

I will be 47-48 years old, and surely all of the current Apollo astronauts will be gone. with the possible exception of Buzz Aldrin's frozen talking head that will somehow be preserved. :)

Oh, the "heady" days of Yuri Gagarin, The Apollo Program and more...Be sure to read the article at CNN.Com and also visit NASA.Gov for even more details and some breath-taking concept art as well as a continued viewpoint following as we inch ever-so-slowly to 2018...

The Next Greatest Human Adventure...?

Any of you that know me for any period of time know that I am a GIGANTIC space and human spaceflight junkie.

Before hitting the sack the other nite, I saw something that struck me as fantastic and I thought I would share it with you.

"NASA Unveils Moon Program"

With this short headline, my head filled with visions of man once again stepping foot on the Moon and achieving a new understanding of Human Spaceflight.

I encourage you all to read the article and - sadly - to also hope that the timeline in general gets bumped up. The plan is to be on the Moon in 2018. I will be 47-48 years old, and surely all of the current Apollo astronauts will be gone. with the possible exception of Buzz Aldrin's frozen talking head that will somehow be preserved. :)

Oh, the "heady" days of Yuri Gagarin, The Apollo Program and more...

Be sure to read the article at CNN.Com and also visit NASA.Gov for even more details and some breath-taking concept art as well as a continued viewpoint following as we inch ever-so-slowly to 2018...

Not Too Fonda Her Update: September, 2005

Many thanks to Bigebee's comment yesterday reminding us all about the grand, determined and "worthwhile" effort of one Jane Fonda - the "runs-on-vegetable-oil Anti-Iraqi War Bus Tour Across America".

The status of this valiant adventure?

Cancelled.

In a story released on Fox on September 7th, 2005, Fonda "brakes her bus tour".

The reason?

"Certainly, Fonda is still very much against the war in Iraq and in favor of helping our troops there. But she said that she didn't want to distract people from Cindy Sheehan's bus trip, which is already under way and gathering support. Her own decision not to stage a bus tour came because she wants Sheehan to succeed without messages being mixed."

With all due respect, how would the messages be mixed when they are literally one in the same? Wouldn't Fonda's bus tour assist the Sheehan effort in helping to provide a wider paintbrush for the "stop the war" movement? I am continually perplexed at Fonda's decidesion. She continues in the article:

"I would be a distraction," she said, "and the vacuum has been filled. That said, I plan to speak out and write some op-ed pieces, but no bus tour."

She is already a distraction in her continued effort to undermind the current war-effort (again!) but now will take what would have surely a vast entourage into the unemployment line.

Way to push the alternative-fuel effort, Jane!

Donor's Remorse?

Are you too experiencing "Donor's Remorse?"

Let me provide some background here so that there isn't just a bunch of bashing after reading.

Our family donated a sum of money to the Katrina Hurrican Relief effort recently - because frankly it's all we can do. Going down there clearly isn't an option. I don't have access to vast resources of "stuff" that they need. Providing money has been the most requsted and "sound" effort and so we did, proudly and quickly (the second day of the event).

While watching a CNN clip this morning on the web, I heard the strangest thing:

"Sho', we gots food, but I ain't had a warm meal in 9 days."

The on-site reporter provides some more questions.

The same lady chimes in "yes, we gots water, but we ain't got no ice fo' it."

A short while later, when discussing the recently issued Red Cross/FEMA debit cards there is a woman asking "what do you means I only gets $2000?"

As I crumple in my chair as I watch this, I wonder - am I the only one that wonders what the media might be able to accomplish were there some POSITIVE reports of appreciative people instead of people complaning about the quality of food and water they're now receiving?

I know that the money we've donated is going to a good cause, but good gawd: how about showing some of the payoff rather than the inane bitching of those that still aren't happy with either the governmental, organization or complete volunteer provided payout and assistance.

Eeeek.

It just continues to remind me what kind of a constant crutch public assistance can become when people are never encouraged to use it as the last-ditch life-line to give you time to better yourself. Public assistance is not a way of life - it's intended to be a bridge so that when the goings get rough, you can sustain what you've got and try to get a leg up.

That last step - evntually trying to improve one's own situation - has been completely forgotten.

The result is that an implantation of the dreaded "where's my check" mentality has given birth to an ever-escalating sense of entitlement that has no place in our society and will lead to our eventual downfall if it's not halted.

(Wondering) Can I FedEx a catered 4-course meal with some milkshakes or something. (Shakes head).

Sean Penn to the Rescue...

While I would never think of smiting the victims of the recent hurricane, I do have a grin on my face when I read this little tidbit on the web.

Every now and then, just once in a while, irony is a clever deliveryman.

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Sean Penn's Rescue Bid Sinks
Source: Drudgereport.Com
From correspondents in New OrleansSeptember 5th, 2005
EFFORTS by Hollywood actor Sean Penn to aid New Orleans victims stranded by Hurricane

Katrina foundered badly overnight, when the boat he was piloting to launch a rescue attempt sprang a leak.

Penn had planned to rescue children waylaid by Katrina's flood waters, but apparently forgot to plug a hole in the bottom of the vessel, which began taking water within seconds of its launch.

The actor, known for his political activism, was seen wearing what appeared to be a white flak jacket and frantically bailing water out of the sinking vessel with a red plastic cup.

When the boat's motor failed to start, those aboard were forced to use paddles to propel themselves down the flooded New Orleans street.

Asked what he had hoped to achieve in the waterlogged city, the actor replied: "Whatever I can do to help."

With the boat loaded with 6 members of Penn's entourage, including a personal photographer, one bystander taunted the actor: "How are you going to get any people in that thing?"

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Mayan Adventure: Week 3.5...

Greetings from the land of looser pants!

I am happy to announce that three and a half weeks into my Mayan Adventure (after purchasing a program called Yourself Fitness that offers up a virtual personal trainer) I am down almost 15 pounds, and feeling very good.

The workouts have fariet through 6 different focuses which has helped to keep the workouts fresh, unanticipated but famliar, which is one of the most important aspects of exercising and sticking with it.

Gloria has also taken to Maya, and has created her own profile which she uses to exercise in the afternoons.

All is going well and I cannot recommend "Yourself Fitness" enough. Give it a sniff when you get the chance.