[geeks] Crap! Not again...

[Kris Kirby]

On Sat, 1 Feb 2003, Mike Hebel wrote:
> http://www.space.com/shuttlemissions/
>
> I've seen this a second time in my life now dammit...

Agreed. Last time this happened, I was less than a third my present age.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say a few things and then go shut
the hell up about the whole mess. I'll warn you -- I'm something of a
conspiracy theorist and I think we've had way too many parallels of late.
Consider this, from the top of my head:

1) We had an Israeli on board.
2) Israelis have problems with Palestinians.
3) Colombia is the oldest shuttle (Challenger was, until it went).
4) `State of Emergency' and Terror Alerts.
5) We've been too focused on war rallies; this is a diversion to get our
   minds off of it.
6) `United We Stand (against terror)'.
7) This will probably crystalize people against Terror, thus reinforcing
   The War Against Iraq.

Bread and Circuses. I wouldn't be that pissed, but I hate to see human
life lost for no good reason, especially some of the bright minds that the
space program borrows. The Space Program is one of the few, pure science
endeavors left that our goverment has. It may never turn a profit, but has
the ability to change our lives in material ways.

I live in Huntsville, Alabama, the home of Marshall Space Flight Center. I
grew up around this stuff -- back when you could still openly walk the
base without fear of being drug away and questioned. And to think that the
process will start again, that flights will be suspended and start
slowly... Tears at the fabric I am made of.

I'm gonna go shut up now.

--
Kris Kirby, KE4AHR  <kris at nospam.catonic.net>  TGIFreeBSD IM: 'KrisBSD'
                    "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU!"
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