NASA’s Budget: What Should the Money Go For

An editorial in The New York Times I agree with. As soon as I finish, I’ll go check my temperature again. For now, this makes a whole lot of sense:

Space officials have reportedly told Congressional committees they can find most of the needed money by slicing $100 million or more from this program or that until the desired cuts are reached. Our feeling is that NASA should look very hard at terminating its two costliest programs, the International Space Station, now orbiting in a partially built state overhead, and the shuttle fleet that is being resuscitated to carry parts and astronauts up to the station. Those two programs eat up much of the NASA budget for little real gain.

The main reason for completing the station, aside from a stubborn desire to finish something once started, is concern that other nations collaborating on the station would resent being abandoned. Yet the same pressures that have led many Americans to consider the station a white elephant may also be at work abroad. It may be possible to persuade our international partners to accept some losses on the station in return for a truly important role in more visionary space exploration.

The one thing that has become apparent since President Bush proposed putting astronauts on the Moon and Mars is that no such plan can gain momentum until the station-shuttle complex is shut down.

Despite the arrogant “royal we” used by the Times, the editorial makes sense. NASA has a history of pouring good money after bad. The Moon and Mars missions must take center stage, or we run a very real danger of seeing the first colony on the moon speaking fluent chinese.

Perhaps Maureen Should Listen to Her Family More

Poor Maureen Dowd. She just doesn’t get it:

WASHINGTON � I’ve been surprised, out on the road, how often I get asked about my family. They’re beyond red – more like crimson. My sister flew to West Virginia in October to work a phone bank for W.

People often wonder what our Thanksgiving is like.

It’s lovely – if you enjoy hearing about how brilliant Ann Coulter is, how misguided The New York Times’s editorial page is, and how valiant the president is as he tries to stop America’s slide into paganism.

This year, my brothers were on the warpath about news reports that Maryland public schools did not teach about Thanksgiving from a religious perspective. “Who do they think the Pilgrims thanked?” demanded Martin. “God.”

There are moments – when my brothers are sharing some snarky thing Rush Limbaugh said about me, or the latest bon mot from Pat Buchanan, with whom they grew up – that I’m tempted to stuff my ears with my mom’s potato stuffing, or go off and read a book by David Sedaris about normal family life.

Got a news flash, Miss Dowd. Your family life IS pretty normal for 80% of the country. Soooo, what does that say about you? Read the whole peice, if you haven’t. I couldn’t agree with her brother’s email more.

And We Thought Election 2000 Was Bad

This is the first detailed story I’ve seen on the the votes in Ukraine. Massive fraud and voter intimidation. Worth reading what fraud really is the next time the Dems start talking about Florida or Ohio.

Been Away For Awhile

Been neglectful of the blog the past few days. Have had trouble getting down the stairs to the Computer Room at times.

Most folks know I’ve had some serious health problems the past few months. I don’t usually use this site for personal updates, but I’ve gotten requests, so bear with me.

I’m having more tests this week, as the asthma is not improving enough. I’m still having frequent attacks despite multiple med changes. May be off to Rush in Chicago this week, as the docs locally have just about exhausted their bag of tricks. The CPAP machine for sleep apnea has certainly helped, but not enough. I am better, and was able to string together 3 really good days over the Thanksgiving holidays. Fell apart last night, with a lot of coughing, and breathing troubles. I’ve managed to stay out of the ER for a few weeks though. I consider that progress.

I still have hope that things will clear up,and I can get back to work soon. We’ll see.

Thanks for the emails, and the prayers. It’s helped to keep going through what has become a very long ordeal.

Photo instructions for HOW TO CARVE A TURKEY

Thought I’d post this, just to let anyone else out there see how its done. Turkey’s almost ready at our house. The kids are decorating the tree, artificial this time, and I’m about to mash the potatoes. Hope this helps others as much as I hope it helps me.

George Washington’s 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation

Can’t imagine a way of saying it any better.
Happy Thanksgiving.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty
God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore
His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their
joint committee, requested me “to recommend to the people of the United States a
day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with
grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by
affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for
their safety and happiness:”Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday,
the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to
the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all
the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in
rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and
protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation;
for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His
providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of
tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable
and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of
government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now
lately instituted’ for the civil and religious liberty with which we are
blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and,
in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to
confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our
prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him
to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in
public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly
and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people
by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws,
discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all
sovereigns and nations (especially such as have show kindness to us), and to
bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them
and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal
prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New
York, the 3d dy of October, A.D. 1789.

(signed) G. Washington

Year of the Blog

A recap of the history of blogging. Great article.

The Specter in the Senate: Behind Closed Doors

Robert Novak tells some of the inside story of Arlen Specter’s being allowed to be Senate Judiciary Chairman. Sounds like Senator Specter saw a ghost…..

Dodging a Bullet: Frank Gaffney on the Intelligence Reform Bill

Any time the MSM and the Democrats are pushing a bill, its cause to look twice. Thanks to some courageous Congressmen, the Intelligence Bill was not a slam dunk. Just because the 911 Commission recommended it doesn’t mean it should necessarily be passed. Much thanks are due these men who stopped a bad bill in its tracks.

Space Tourism Makes a Comeback

Hopefully the Senate will approve this bill as well. We’ll see.