Thursday, June 2

With apologies to my American friends

I'm a space cadet.

Okay, maybe not a space cadet, but I really am an aerospace buff. Aviation, Space Exploration, Innovation, you name it, and I'm into it.

I'm thrilled to see efforts like the International Space station, to say nothing of other nations really expanding their own Space Agencies and efforts. And then you have really cool things like the Mars missions, the X-Prize and the non-government entrepeneurs who want to get their own craft into orbit. Heady stuff!

While I acknowledge that NASA is really the standard bearer for a lot of explorations, space is, and should remain international territory and free of protectionist and nationalistic aims. As cool as it was to hear that NASA is getting some new funds to return to the moon and all that jazz, Michael Griffin (NASA Administrator) managed to irk me with his recent comments on a trip to the Johnson Space Centre:

"If you ask anyone in this country, 'Do you believe that the United States should cede the moon to say the Chinese, Europeans, Russians, whoever?' I bet you the answer would be, 'No,'" he said.

Griffin said he believes a majority of people "want to make sure that as humankind expands into space the United States is there in the forefront."


Huh? Dude! Not your planet!! Sure, NASA put people there first (unless you believe the conspiracy theorists) but the Moon is not US territory! Therefore, they're not ceding anything. Except, apparently in their view, national penis size. Cuz, clearly, Griffin wants to compensate for something he's lacking.

13 comments:

Larry said...

Wait, the moon doesn't belong to the U.S.? Next thing you're going to tell me is that Canada isn't a territory of the States.

Mossy Stone said...

Dude, I hate to say this, but....

Kal said...

And why shouldn't we own the moon? There might be oil up there (maybe dinosaurs flew to the moon...).

Okay Mossy, if there's no oil, you guys can have it.

(actually, it would be a bitchin' spot for a really big McDonalds or Nike ad... Think of the millions or people who would see it! Maybe we should keep it after all.)

And by the way, I think we own Antartica as well...

And everything south of the 54th lattitude. That's ours too... We're just letting you borrow it...

James K. Polk was a wuss. If only he stood tall I could go to B.C. without having to worry about pesky border dogs finding my stash...

Mossy Stone said...

Kal, if there's no oil, there had better be beer.

Kal said...

Well, there's cheese. So there might be beer. (Cheese, afterall, comes from Wisconsin, and they make beer there too, so it stands to reason...)

Penny said...

I thought wine went with cheese and nachos with beer?

Mossy Stone said...

Kal, come up here and we can adjust your thinking on all things cheese and beer. After all, real beer starts at 5.5%, not that beer-flavoured fizzy drink y'all consume down there. ;-)

Kal said...

Sorry. Scotch is beverage of choice, alcoholic-wise.

And I like Coors light for beer.

In other words, beer-flavored water...

Mossy Stone said...

Scotch? No can do without a suitable mix. Like Cream Soda or Root Beer.

Coors Light? Girly beer, man. Beer with training wheels.

Lemme guess, your favourite wine is a nice California Zinfandel? ~shudder~

=oP

Anonymous said...

We Canadians often compare American Beer to making love in a canoe:

it's fucking close to water.

Zinfandel?? *shuddering, too*

Kal said...

Zinfandel. Take that back. No wine touches these lips.

Well, maybe a nice merlot, occaissionally.

Damn it, how do you delete a comment?

Scotch + ice + glass = HappyKal.

Vodka + cranberry juice = asleep on the coats in the guestroom Kal.

Penny said...

I totally understand that.

Rum + coke = Penny asleep on the sofa

Gin + tonic = Penny dancing on the bar and throwing her undies at the bartender.

Kinda neat how different alcohol changes your mood, no?

Dtrini said...

So
much
to
comment...
about
to
burst...
laughter...
eyes
watering...
cannot
see
to
write
comment...