25^th anniversary of the Challenger disaster.

On the 25^th anniversary of the disaster, where we lost six astronauts and a schoolteacher, we can reflect on what has been accomplished since. 

President Reagan and NASA officials elected to press on, and build a new shuttle to replace Challenger.  They elected to continue the human-crewed space program despite the risks.  Eventually, we got an International Space Station built, a Space Telescope launched and serviced three times since, and a host of other accomplishments.   It has been expensive, but worthwhile.

Now here we are in 2011.  Our space plans and hopes are focused on some commercial operators continuing with human-crewed flights to the ISS and beyond.  There is discussion of building some booster or other to keep NASA employees busy.  But this seems misguided. 

Here is my humble opinion of what we need to do, and it will not cost much.

NASA should go ahead and build the planned Orion Crew Transport and Ares boosters.  This should be viewed and deployed as a baseline project.  A project that will keep American astronauts flying.  And also one that will establish standards and methods that should freely be given to American space companies for use in their own projects, as well as those of friendly nations.   This way, we can keep our astronauts flying, assist the private companies, and establish long-term standards for equipment, booster and life support technologies and the like – thus granting humanity access to space for the foreseeable future.

Don’t we owe it to those astronauts who have given their lives to at least keep a government-run flight program running, however miniscule?  How hard can it be, especially since major components are in the pipeline, such as a J2-X engine upgrade that was recently tested  (posted on spacedaily website).    Let the commercial companies develop, but allow the government take the lead in establishing common standards, especially in the realm of safety and life support.   This will give the commercial operators someplace to occasionally turn to for help. 

Let it not be said that the Challenger Seven gave their lives in vain.  Let’s keep American Astronauts flying in American-built spacecraft.  Thanks for reading.

More lunacy.

So a friend and I were talking at lunch the other day, and he dropped a real zinger.  "I think that some of the northern US states should secede and merge with Canada."  We talked a bit, and I laughed it off.  But later, I was thinking:  another individual had also spoken about this very same idea, at a different venue, months apart.  So some people are at least entertaining this idea.  To me, this is just wrong on so many levels.

  To vent on a few:

To break up an integrated country such as the US would be a monumental undertaking.  We would have to create a whole new border, with stations at pretty much every north-south road.  This is assuming that people could decide on which states would stay and which would go - surely entailing repeated voting, discussion, argument and the like.  If we could actually decide on which states would go, many would be migrating north or south, unhappy with the turn of events.  Then, someone would have to convince Canada to accept the runaway states.   I doubt that many Canadians would be happy with the idea. 

Assuming all this could be done, then there would have to be integration with Canada, new reconfiguring of borders and voting districts, representation in their Parliament, and so forth.     More mammoth expenses.  And who pays?  Surely not Canadian taxpayers, are you kidding?  Meanwhile, goods and services that formerly flowed up and down highways would now have to be processed through ports.  Who is to say that some Southern state wouldn't slap 100 percent tariffs on cotton, or oil, or coal, or some other vital commodity?   Would the Canada-US state coalition then go to war over it? 

     The whole idea is ridiculous - it would weaken the remaining states, sow confusion and human suffering all around.  We fought a civil war over the secession idea 136 years ago.  That should have settled the whole issue.  We are one nation of fifty states.  Northern cities are just as messed up as southern, indeed they carry enormous debt loads.  Just look at Detroit, or Boston, or even Baltimore.  There are lots of messed up cities all over.    Breaking the US into pieces will not help anyone - it will merely add to the pain, and weaken us even more so our enemies can then come in and mop up the mess.

The North and the South have been slow-dancing for the last century plus - we gotta keep dancing, folks - "ain't no other way to do it."      Thanks for reading.

Economic Uncertainties.

The papers are saying that now 2011 could be the worst year for the housing market, generally speaking.  Previous articles in the business section had suggested that things are turning around, things are looking up.  But now I read about how some housing markets have not hit bottom yet in terms of number of foreclosures - there will be more this year than ever!  It's scary to contemplate.  I don't have any ideas to contribute, other than stricter regulation of the shadowy financial markets and transactions that contributed to this mess.  There was very good reason why the US government imposed restrictions on securities markets in the 1930's.  Repealing those in the '90's helped create the meltdown that came later.   To sum it up - we are human beings ruled by impulsive "wetware" and we need to protect ourselves - from each other.  It's ironic and strange - but the regulators in the 1930's had the right idea.  Time to get back to sanity and common sense.  Here is wishing everyone a happy new year - and hoping all can hang on until 2012!

Welcome to the Nightmare   - (a Pantoum)

What do you do when your holiday gets arrested?

Imprisoned and faced with repeating bland motifs;

Even after the TSA leaves you feeling molested,

You get assaulted with crappy advertising reliefs.

Imprisoned and faced with repeating bland motifs,

How many times until you want to just scream?

You get assaulted with crappy advertising reliefs,

You sit and nod off, wishing to awake from the dream.

How many times until you want to just scream,

Another flight gets cancelled, another mob circulates;

You sit and nod off, wishing to awake from the dream,

This snowstorm has closed airports in neighboring states.

Another flight gets cancelled, another mob circulates,

How many displaced people will it take to start a riot?

This snowstorm has closed airports in neighboring states,

Ruined holidays are propagating around the planet!

How many displaced people will it take to start a riot?

One more bagel and water is going to make me sick;

Ruined holidays are propagating around the planet,

How can one keep their sanity here, is there some trick?

One more bagel and water is going to make me sick,

Even after the TSA leaves you feeling molested;

How can one keep their sanity here, is there some trick?

What do you do when your holiday gets arrested?

(referring to the snowstorms that shut down airports in Europe and the US.)

There once was a guy named Obama,
Did he think these things up in pajamas?
He pushed a tax bill on the hill,
Ran up debt for short-term thrills,
Now the world is saying,  "Yo Mama!"

Borrow billions more for social security,
Borrow billions for money for the rich,
Borrow biullions for school lunch nutrition,
Borrow billions for, gosh, darn near everything -
What happens when the world cuts off our credit card?

Don't cry for me, distant Beijing -
You knew we would feel debt's harsh sting,
We have no common sense left over here,
Only greed, partisanship, misery and fear
A whole nation sold out for capitol hill Bling-Bling.

Times we find ourselves in

The Democrats are rebelling against Obama big time.  They say hell no, we won't go along with the latest giveaway to the super-rish.  Looks like more late nights in DC. 

     The college agers are rioting in London.  Even poor Prince Charles and Camilla felt their wrath.  Buck up, brits:  We endure regular tuition increases here in the states.  Hell, we may have a spiraling inflation rate, but at least our minimum wage is going up.  When they manage to breed a human that can work three shifts without food or rest, we'll have it made, be the envy of the world.  Where are watson and crick when you need them?  Corporate profits rule!

     Anger drifts in the iar like a noxious cloud, and it is floating all around the world.  Populations are increasing, resources dwindling, greed multiplying in developing countries who want a piece of the pie, too.  Since the pie is shrinking, they have to take ours.   There is already a fair amount of shooting going on around the world, and it could get much worse.  This time, we are already sapped over here.  It would be nice if we could just sit this one out. 

     Hang on, we could be in for a real rough ride folks.

Applause, Applause

Some well-deserved approval for the US congress.  A bipartisan committee has been giving recommendations for cutting the budget deficit, and while they are tough, they seem practical and well-intended.  It is a starting point, and already the haggling is intense.  But credit should go where credit is due, so in my ever so humble opinion, I applaud some members of Congress for at least trying to get a handle on things.    - all 4 now.

Help participate in the E-book revolution.  A new way to read, from most any portable electronic device these days.

http://www.slideshare.net/Smashwords/introduction-to-smashwords-ebook-publishing-and-distribution-made-easy 

Thanks for taking a look. 

Kids in a Schoolyard

They are seemingly equally capable of coming to an agreement as our Congress is.  Our national debt is in the trillions, and running up more and more.  And all they can do is argue about earmarks, and wage partisan battles.   It is easy to take potshots from the outside, and I don't understand all the mechanics.  But I do understand that we seem to be headed for hyperinflation and collapse if the idiots don't put aside the BS and DO somenting about it, and Now.  If you have to cut five percent from every funded program out there, irregardless of any circumstance, DO IT!  You can't buy groceries on a credit card, endlessly, and not get cut off.  Well, it is time to get cut off and get responsible.  Please don't destroy the USA with your financial recklessness and foolishness.  Cut Spending and raise taxes, and balance this budget!  

     Get out of the schoolyard, and into the classroom - sharpen those pencils, and cut everything across the board.  Raise a few taxes.  Get our House in order, Please   - just a plea from one of the people you supposedly represent. 

A writer's life takes many twists and turns.  Sometimes the blogs get forgotten entirely as other projects take over, or real life just gets in the way.  My apologies to anyone who has been checking this space lately looking for something, anything.  But, below is a link to my latest poetry chapbook, very reasonably priced at only one US dollar.  Thanks to anyone for taking a look!   Have a wonderful day.

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/28909

     There is no rhyme or reason to it.

People always seem to default to the same behaviors.  
They cannot stand it when someone goes about their own business,
doing well in school, mastering a musical instrument, generally 
exhibiting contentedness with an orientation and lifestyle different than their own.
Greater society cringes, and seems to conspire to crush the life out of
successful differences in people.

Thinking about the Rutgers student driven to suicide, along with the other teen suicides,
I also think about my own experiences.  People seem like they cannot stand the thought of one living a happy life who also prefer the company of the same sex in all ways.

It makes me glad to see the publicity about the suicides, especially on this, national coming out day.  Our society can be educated again about the differences among us, and the fact that differences are not threatening - indeed, they can be enhancing to us all.   American society is showing a leadership role in grappling with these issues, even if we slip backwards at times.  The value of equality for all human beings cannot be overstated - everyone has something to contribute, some story to tell, or song to sing.  

     So let us celebrate our diversity, and not castigate someone because he or she is not our idea of an adult or a sexually mature person.  We could all learn something from each other. 
We should not judge each other cruelly, but rather embrace our differences and work together to solve the challenges that face every one of us.  Thanks for reading.

A new hope for the United States Economy  (and it's people)

Pres. Obama has just signed a bill supporting small business to help boost economic growth, and this is great. But there is something more he and Congress could do to really energize the economy. That is, provide low-interest loans and grants to companies for the purpose of projects in space, especially near-earth. Proposals for a resort hotel, or other scientific or recreational projects, could be helped along by some federal dollars. A public show of support would also help.

The future is out there, and other countries know this. That is why India and China are ramping up their programs, and other countries are trying to get in on the space rush. One way the US could retain it's position, and even enhance it, is for the federal government to provide financial assistance to space tourism and the like, in the same way loans are made to other types of businesses. A solidly funded suite of financial supports, together with public speeches and moral support, could get a US private space industry going strong. This in turn would provide jobs, a boost to technology research, and more importantly, a boost to peoples hopes and dreams.

For the young people in the US and the world, a brighter future would beckon - one with hopes for a spacious new area for settlement and trade. We already have an orbiting space station, so we are basically there. Now is the time to give it a real commercial push, to make it happen for the majority of people. We could bring space down to Earth, and more of the Earth into space.

The more commercial projects reaching up and out of Earths gravity well, the more resources in space can be utilized by the people of Earth. The Democrats can and should paint themselves as the party for a brighter future by pushing the concept of moving out and taking hold of the boundless resources in our Solar System and beyond. Thanks for reading.

Earmarks and Taxes. 

     I was meditating on the budgetary mess that the US is in these days.  While I realize it is an enormously complex problem to solve, I have an idea or two.  These are not new ideas, but I still have to get them off my chest.  With our budget deficits spiralling out of control, we need to get a grip in it somehow.

     So - we need to declare an immediate moratoriam on all earmarks.  Period - no exceptions, no matter how seemingly critical.  Like a person with maxed out credit cards, the first thing is to stop spending.  Then, go to plan B.

Plan B is a national sales tax.  Oh now, everyone is howling regressive tax and its hard on the poor.  But I feel that  a crashed economy, a second-rate country, a dsimal outlook will be harder on the poor than a 1 or 2 percent sales tax ever would.  The national sales tax will do several things.  It will show the rest of the world we are getting serious about our budget problems.  It will make those poor think a bit harder before spending any unneccesary cash on things like tobacco or alchohol.  And it will provide extra funds, which should be designated as deficit redution money, and Nothing else - not social security, medicare, defense or anything.  The national sales tax money would be to pay down the national debt - period.  It is Americans finally owning up to our collective debt.

     Lets face it - we have all benefitted from the constant earmarks applied by our congresspersons.  Our government is a huge bloat-ocracy, trying to feed too many greedy fish at once.  This has got to end.  It can end, if we show some spine and do what needs to be done.  Perhaps the end of earmarks and the sales tax could be in one single bill - a two-headed axe chopping away at our humongous debts.   C'mon Congress, time to get serious about paying the bills.  Thanks for reading.

Chelsea and the new Investment Banker hubby

Congratulations on your marriage.   I hope that in your time of happiness, you give thought to just how priveleged you are.  Like royalty, you have a whole town turning out signs and putting out the welcome mat for you.   In the meantime we are mired in an endless war, with some soldiers doing multiple duty stretches in Iraq or Afghanistan.  Our economy is in the doldrums.  We are graduating less engineers and IT professionals, while India and China are overtaking us.  There are multiple crises besetting us.  So celebrate your entrance into the ruling class of America.  They will soon be your headaches too, and you will get to eat the same fare the rest of us have been choking on all these years.   

     Celebrate a lot, enjoy the champagne - the tough times are right around the corner.   For the rest of us, they are already here.

New general

So McChrystal is out, just like that,

And Petraeus steps in to take his place;

Seems him and Obama got into a spat,

These events happened at a rapid pace.

Almost as if McChrystal wanted to leave,

He gave a interview criticizing Pres. Obama,

Perhaps preparing the way to get the heave --

A preplanned scenario executed with drama?

Whatever the case, we have a new one in charge

Of an unending war, sapping our strength and will;

I sincerely hope this person can achieve large

progress in dislodging the Taliban hidden in the hills.

Gen. Petraeus accomplished good results before in Iraq,

Hopefully he can do the same with the Afghanistan map.

(this is an unmetered elizabethan sonnet)

In addition to booms rounding up the oil in the Gulf, here is another possibility:  build and deploy screens to harvest the oil off the surface of the gulf.  These could be approximately one meter high by ten meters long, and pulled behind boats.  The screen would allow water to go through, but would get most of the tar and heavy oil.  Another system would be needed to then collect the oil from the screens.  Perhaps a larger container vessel that could winch the loaded screens up and over, to scrape them off or even "wash' them with dilutant, collecting the resulting oil residue.  Then the screen could be re-deployed to scrape more oil off the surface of the gulf. 

     Another possibility would be that these oil-laden screens could be collected in a large vessel and brought to a shore processing facility, to harvest the oil that way.  Two benefits:  you clean up the gulf, and you harvest oil that could be used.  Something to consider anyways.

Some wacky ideas to solve the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico.

They have been trying this and that and the other. So here are some suggestions, take them or leave them, FWIW.


1. Dump some concrete chunks, boulders and dust over the pipe, as many as possible. This would mute the oil flow, so the seepage pressure would be reduced - oil leaking from underneath many concrete boulders. With the direct pressure reduced to a seepage, then more rock and concrete could be dumped over this. Eventually it might take a small mountain to contain most of the leak. Then, a plastic polymer or concrete cap could be placed over the whole, stopping the flow. The oil flow would be held in by a rubble mountain sealed over.


2. Construct a conical concrete cap with a hole at the center. Lower same down carefully until it rests over the pipe. The hole would be fitted with flexible pipe or hose, and would capture the flow of oil, enabling BP to collect the oil. The concrete cap would need to be around 30-50 ft in diameter - very spacious and heavy, to rest atop the gusher and channel it to the center pipe. Problem solved.
The act of lowering such a massive object seems daunting, but considering the other macro construction done by the oil companies, it seems entirely possible.

3. Outfit a small bathyscaph type submarine that can withstand high pressures to journey to the gusher. Attach a heavy metal cap to one side of this vessel, and remotely pilot it to be positioned over the gusher. The sub could be driven to the correct spot, and lowered over the gusher. At the same time, a large fitted hose at the top of the cap could be subjected to negative air pressure, to draw the flow up into attached piping. The cap could be muscled over the flow, the flow pulled upward. The Robot vehicles could then seal any leakage underneath, once the cap is on securely and channelling oil to waiting ships/piping/etc.

Anyway, there they are - hope they help :-) Thanks for reading.

Riding the rails

Once upon a time in the 1930's
Thousands of unemployed hopped trains;
Desperate, disheveled, and in a hurry
To get a ticket, a meal, or in out of the rain.

Somehow they persevered in those dire times,
Found food, odd jobs, or hobo jungles to live in;
America's residual strength eventually shined,
Government jobs ensured new help was given.

Today it may not be so simple to fix our problems,
The government is already putting out trillions;
The trains go too fast for the homeless to ride them,
Many wars keep sapping our taxpayer billions.
Something has got to give somewhere, and soon;
Or we are headed towards certain economic doom.
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A contrariwise view of cellphones

I finally made up my mind. With the dizzying array of cellular plans and phones, it took me some time. Oh, all of the high-resolution cameras, touchscreens, MP3 players, powerful processors and OS's, it was difficult. But I came to a resolution on the matter.

Why should I pay a provider for a plan? Why should I pay for the privilege of fumbling with a complicated gadget loaded with options and capabilities? Why should I pay for the chance to be forced to multitask every time the thing rings, warbles or plays a tune? I have to pick out a ring tone, set numbers in the thing, figure out how to download stuff on them. I can't download photos to my computer, but must email them to myself in order to get them onto my home computer. If it rings in the car, I can ignore it. But if I am some harried mother, worried about where their kid is,and my phone rings, what do you think I will do?

You are right - I'm gonna answer that phone to see if it is my kid, in trouble or something. If I'm driving, well, so what, things are tough all over. (Right or wrong, people are going to be people.)

And so you want me to pay for all this aggravation?

Not to mention the tracking capabilities built in to phones nowadays. The authorities can trace these things. Great for emergencies, but a bit invasive for privacy concerns. Now there is news that these things can be hacked and made to listen in on the users.

Pay for all of this Orwellian nightmare? No way - not me. I think they should pay me! I can be magnanimous about things, though. I'll only charge them $29.95 a month, and giving me a stripped-down model that is easy to operate. I want a phone - not a gol-danged computer center in my hand. Something with large keys, easy to see and press.

Oh, and throw in about ten extra bucks - I'll probably use it for long-distance, and you know all those taxes and fees they tack on. So, make it 40 bucks even that you pay me - that ought to cover it.

Oh - and I'll take checks, for the exact amount only please. Thanks, I'll be waiting for my phone.

Harrrumph.

(grinning)

Apparently a major oil spill off the coast of California in the 1960's was one of the main reasons for the ban on offshore oil drilling that was enacted back then. Now, today, just a short time after major coastal areas of the US were opened up to Offshore Drilling, here we have another major mishap.

This seems to be a lesson to us: Humans are still like children playing with dangerous objects when it comes to the titanic forces that the Earth is capable of unleashing. We are still helpless in the face of Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Earthquakes and the like. And when we try and poke a hole a mile down and many miles out, we get poked in the eye by Mother Earth.

I suppose we can get the thing capped (hopefully soon for all the people on the coasts down there). But it is another grim reminder that, as long as we rely on non-renewable petroleum for our energy needs, there will only be more of these accidents - to believe otherwise is simply ridiculous. This stands as an urgent reminder of the need to find more non-fossil-fuel transportation methods, and quick. A very unfortunate tragedy as well as a grim reminder.

As big as human accomplishments have been to date, we still have a long way to go to match the might of the Earth, or to equal planetary forces of nature.

Just in case anyone is interested, here is the link to my latest E-book of poetry:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/12867

Thanks for taking a look!

Beautiful day in May

A beautiful day early this May,

Right out of a Chamber of Commerce ad;

Profuse flowers illuminated by sun's rays,

Balmy scented scenes make a heart glad.

Everything green is straining to grow,

Sprouts surge into brilliant emerald fronds;

The flower buds unfurling seem to glow

Like mysterious lamps, rising from ponds...

The whole was preceded by a harsh, bitter winter,

As they all are, and must return to in any event --

But for now we have earned the right to savor

The scents, colors and balmy winds evident.

Though the price we paid for spring is steep,

Rewards are sweet indeed, not gotten cheap!

_

_

Mother Earth roars

We jab, prick, dig into and spoil her,
But we never know how she may retaliate;
Just keep on doing what we prefer
In order to survive and prosper inviolate.

But up out of nowhere the blows come,
Earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and other lands,
Hurricanes blot out the warm tropical sun
Recently a massive eruption in Iceland...

Humans are puny compared to Earth's might,
We scurry around and struggle to recover;
Eternal natural forces ignore our plight,
Destructive environmental actions discovered.
All of our minor plans can go seriously awry
When Mother Earth lets rock and ashes fly!

Technology migration


We have a new situation,
Ipad trending integration;
Cellphone signal propagation,
Bathing in a deluge of information.

Your grandfathers Mainframe is a distant memory,
Your fathers PC is so last-generation passe;
You need to get an all-in-one handheld device,
Put all the day-before-yesterday toys on ice...


They all take big chunks of your take-home credits!
Small devices come with big price tags.
Perhaps someday you will have an Ihand
Embedded in your palm, and a bill for several thousand.

Embedded body-driven device = $579.99
Hand Surgery = $4,299.99
Feeling of way-cool mojo keeping up = priceless (for a short while anyway).
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(written for April poetry contest on Allpoetry - and shared here)

Springtime

Sunlight splashes across newly-exposed ground,

Beckoning buds and shoots to sprout;

Birds sing, rabbits and squirrels run around,

Winter is ending, of that there is no doubt.

No matter what my state of mind,

Nor how badly I want to just sit;

The balmy inviting outdoors seems fine,

Draws me outside, to garden as I see fit.

Nature appears to be giving a great gift,

With warmth, flowers, scent and birdsong;

This time of year gives everyone a lift,

But (of course) there is one thing wrong...

A dripping nose, droopy eyes, sneezing abound,

Those allergies flare up, and drag oneself down!

-

-

A New Age of Discovery Begins Now...


There are lots of things yet to discover
In our vast, heavily populated Solar System...
Planetoids of all sizes and shapes,
Minerals, elements, natural resources
Megatons of materials to mine and measure.

Humankind could spend a thousand years
Exploring this vast, rich trove of stuff;
But only if we take the bold first steps;
Learning to assemble space-faring liners
In Earth's orbit, using materials at hand.

Tiny capsules will not do for this upcoming
Effort at exploration; Bigger craft are needed.
Construction will need to take place in Space,
Utilizing the vast materials offered by the inner
Solar System: Asteroid Belt or Moon material.

Someday when a human steps onto the surface
Of Pluto, they will pay homage to the discoverer,
And all who laid the path out ever after. But
We will walk on the surface there, sooner
Or later. It should prove to be an exciting journey!

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-

Middle Age

To sit in a recliner, watching any reasonably good

TV show, is enough, especially after a good meal.

Thoughts of going out to party, or secure some

Illicit drugs, or to chase after some hottie are

Either not there, or not very urgent any more.

One's body is content to be at rest, fed, and secure.

No more jangling adrenaline urgency to prove

Ones self to the world or a best friend, or anyone.

At work, either in a busy office, or at a physical job,

Every sudden motion is paid for with twinges of mortality.

Walking swiftly down a hall is now impeded by a sore

Cramping muscle somewhere, or a gimpy knee. Old

Injuries have accumulated; now they wait their turn

To manifest anew, and let you know you ain't getting

Off so easy anymore, bub. Movement has cost now.

Exercise can be a real boon, make you perk up good.

You can move easier, and sleep better at night. But,

Lest you think you have acquired some super-rejuvenating

Powers, a youngster will breeze by you on the jogging

Track or sidewalk - flitting by effortlessly without a seeming

Care in the world. You think, "Did I used to be that agile?"

One gets less tolerant of difficult, bossy people. It is time to

Eliminate oppressive, irritating personalities from your group

of friends and acquaintances. Live free or die, and that is

Coming all too soon anyway. Might as well keep the chosen,

Precious few close at hand, and get rid of the noxious weeds.

Your span of years dwindles, and you begin to think in terms

Of what can I accomplish, not so much how can I have fun.

You think in terms of legacy and avoiding heart attacks and

How one can duck the dreaded Cancer. If you have kids,

You might obsess over them and their futures, or even

Be supporting them at home, long after they should have left.

Middle age spreads out before one, like a banquet full of

Bizarre dishes, some tasty, some awful. But you have to

Try them all, indeed cannot help yourself. This path surely has

Been trod before, but one tramples down the dust and keeps

Going - it definitely beats the alternative - to be six feet under!

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The Vancouver Olympics 2010

What a glorious day, a beauty way,

Canada won the big hockey game;

Overtime contest yielded the winning play,

Sidney Crosby was launched to new fame.

Downhill skiing victories,

Figure skating superiority;

Bobsled sped to a certainty,

USA staked the medal territory!

Another Winter Olympics has crossed the finish line.

Surprising and sometimes saddening turns of fate,

As one athlete lost his life, and others had theirs changed,

The spellbinding spectacle kept people tuned to the games.

The best of the best competed against each other,

In the end they were all human, showing we are all

Not so much different, Earths' sisters and brothers.

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www.wecansurvive.org

www.hugs-the-end.gov

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(c) 2010 Michael S Wilson dot com org biz tv etc

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Looking Back

Tripping down memory lane,

Hop into the wires and travel

Down network time to the past,

Primitive Internet connections -

Companies started in a flash,

Dazzling ads enticed us all -

One more login and password.

Leafing through an old notebook,

Storied names came and went.

Compuserve with numbers, numbers;

Pipeline, GNN, Sprynet, Freenet.

The names roll on by. INS, my first

On-ramp to the Information Superhighway...

Remember that moniker? Back,

Further in time, to the days of BBS's.

Common Link, Citywide Internet, Omni,

Buffalo Creek, Ru's Hotel, The Talk Board,

Apple Hideaway, Fantasy Inn, Full Moon.

Local gathering places on PC's and Macs.

On to earlier days of 300 baud acoustic couplers,

Teletype machines with loud bells and clatter;

The early way software and hardware was shared.

Nowadays the web is everywhere, one-touch

Access to financial and social needs being met.

Crackers and hackers, impersonation and slander

Have not gone away, only gotten more sophisticated.

More sleek, streamlined, colorful and animated, the

Internet has become our partner and confidant,

Ever present, and increasingly, watching what we do.

This embracing friend can become a smothering enemy.

The old days were fun - but the present is never dull, either!

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No more Constellation


The news that NASA is facing the cancellation of their (and our) Constellation program drew mixed emotions. On the one hand, it is a shame to see the U.S. space exploration program crippled. I was hoping to see our astronauts travel beyond Earth orbit again, to go back to the Moon or even further. And NASA is one government agency that seems to inspire something other than frustration or contempt, at least on my part. They had actually built an Ares booster rocket and flew it, testing the components. So it is a shame to see this canceled, after billions have been spent on it.

The brighter side is that Obama and co. have said they want to increase funding for NASA, to facilitate commercial launch companies to get going. So this seems to mean that, instead of using the same bunch of subcontractors to build Ares/Orion, they will use a different bunch of contractors to build a transportation system to get to and from the Space Station. One presumably involving some kind of capsule design. Well, at least we won't have to buy Soyuz services from Russia forever, only until 2015 or so. And, at least NASA will be staying in the human-crewed space business, at least by proxy.

Gong back to the Moon would have been very expensive, on top of everything else NASA is trying to do (Earth sensing, unmanned space probes, aeronautics, etc). Inevitably the Moon missions would be cheapened down to a bare minimum, almost a repeat of Apollo, and that would make no sense, really - just us trying to show we still have the mojo to get to the Moon. A wasteful exercise. A mission further out, to an Asteroid, would be "cool", but again, not much more than a publicity stunt costing many billions to execute.

I for one cannot understand why they cannot take the Shuttle technology, already developed and proven, and use it to make a derivative Shuttle-like vehicle, only smaller. If one could scale down the SSME's, the SRB's, etc to half-size. And then use more cargo area for crew seating, but keeping the same airlock configuration. Sure this would cost money to do. But we would keep a reusable vehicle, with wheels and wings, flying, and slowly but surely advance reusable spacecraft technology and methodology while we are at it.

Instead we are abandoning a system that has eaten at least a hundred billion dollars, abandoning all of the lessons learned, techniques improved, etc to go back to a pre-shuttle design. Talk about government waste! Rather than abandon Shuttle technology, why not improve on it? That is one opinion anyway.

We shall see what transpires in the days and weeks ahead regarding Congressional budget talks. The secret deals, the backroom chats, the trades of one favor for another. Who knows? Maybe someone will vote to fund the Gemini program again, just to keep our industrial base going ya'know. Thanks for reading.
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A new perspective


Millions of sufffering people,
Thousands dying each day;
disease and destruction unparalleled,
Starving and desperate humanity,
Multitudes struggling just to survive.

It all gives a new meaning to well-being:
A dry, warm house full of possessions,
Pantry and fridge stocked with food,
Techology to entertain and inform,
Connect with friends and research topics...
Even a well-fed pet to provide companionship.

Today, success is not measured by
Achieveing some lofty goal, or climbing
A corporate ladder, or gettting an award.
On this day, I am successful - well-fed, warm,
Dry, healthy, surrounded by possessions - that
Is a greater measure of achievement than anything,
Given the rampant destruction and suffering in Haiti!
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Innovation

Just saw a piece on CBS news about innovation in the US, or rather, the lack thereof. It is really a shame to observe our country being overtaken by the Asian powers, and slowly sinking in our own lethargy as well.

Maybe it is inevitable, given the advancements made in formerly poor, backward countries. They are rightfully pulling themselves upward, trying to improve their lot, and succeeding. And as we trade back and forth with them, the innovative ideas flow both ways, perhaps benefiting everyone.

But there are some things going on that could be changed to improve things, in my opinion.

Ever since the Baby Boomers have moved into leadership positions in companies, there seems to have been a degradation of ethics and patriotism on a grand scale. While our parents seemed to want to

create jobs and prosperity for their entire community, every generation since has seemed focused on only what is in it for them. That old philosophy of helping oneself by helping the other fellow has gone by the wayside, to be replaced by helping oneself by denigrating the other fellow. This is generalizing, but there is ample evidence out there.

We need to create and propagate a new patriotism, a capital-patriotism, or patriot-capitalism. “What is good for my customers, employees and community will be good for me, and my progeny. “

A large number of small family-run enterprises could benefit our communities and society, also leading to innovation and advancements. Rather than gobbling up or selling out, the ethos of patriot-capitalism says “stick it out – think of your larger impact upon American society. You have a duty to your country to make your company the best it can be, for all your sakes.”

There are still a few companies run like this, but not very many. It is hard to create a patriot-capital company in an atmosphere of constant back-stabbing, me-first, 15-minute celebrity fluff. But if we value the American economy and our well-being, we had better try. Not only to invest in new technologies, and better education. But to help employees on a community level, to build that patriotic-capitalist ethos that would hold leadership responsible to help on many levels, and prosper by gaining loyalty, hard work and assembly-line innovation as a result. A first step might be to require every CEO to take an oath of loyalty to his employees, to his community, and to his country. We already require most of our schoolchildren to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. How about requiring those in positions of power and leadership to do the same, and also pledge to help their communities and employees to the best of their abilities? Couldn't hurt, and it may help things along.

As I see giant skyscrapers go up in Arabian states, and ponder the fact that our petrodollars built most of them, I wish that the US could invest in and push hard on alternative energies to give us a new independence and wealth. But this fact has been known for decades, and look at where we are at. No, it will also take something else: a new patriot-capitalist ethos that demands that our business enterprise helps us, here in the US, our communities, our people, all of us. A win-win situation. Thanks for reading.

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Christmas poems


A foot of snow on the ground,
Twinkling lights on houses all ‘round;
Subzero temps appear here to stay,
The sun slinks south, shortening the day.

The evidence is unmistakable,
While the mood is unshakable;
Another Christmas time is finally here,
Time to strive to be of good cheer.

Some may exchange presents,
Others prefer to remain absent…
But one thing remains for sure,
The Christmas message remains pure.

Seasonal music holds us in thrall,
Even if we stay home from the malls;
Time to give the best presents of all,
Love, hope, peace and goodwill for all.


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What will we find in our stockings tomorrow?
Ipods and flatscreens and digicams galore?
How much do gift givers’ credit cards borrow?
We do not have enough gadgets but want more!

Not like the long-passed days of yore,
With wooden toys or fragrant honey cakes,
Storybooks full of charming Victorian lore,
Plum pudding like only our Mother makes.

Still we can imagine the pastoral scenery,
Sleigh bells, pine trees, singing and mirth;
Old St. Nick squirming down the chimney,
To deliver his gifts despite his huge girth.
Chuckling and grateful for the offered snack,
Delivers wishes and magic from his huge sack.

Merry Christmas 2009

The way I see it


Given the fact that we already have many troops on the ground in Afghanistan, fighting a difficult, dirty campaign against the Taliban,

And given that our generals keep saying that with some more help they can wrap this thing up, and given that Pres. Obama allowed time for extensive debate and input before committing himself, and the nation, to action,

And especially given the statement that “We go in hard, and then get the heck out!”

Therefore, I support the additional troop deployment to Afghanistan. But in a couple of years, if we are sinking deeper and deeper, and they are crying for more and more bodies, I will be singing a very different tune. We have been at this for way too long already. We only have so many bodies to expend on this godforsaken piece of dry rock - may as well be fighting a battle for a piece of Mars or something. It doesn’t make sense, but then a lot of these wars never seem to make sense.

Lets go in and give it one last, big effort. And then, please, for the sake of humanity, let’s get the hell out. While we still have an economy left.

75 billion dollars a year for a war.
19 billion dollars a year for space exploration,

We should reverse those numbers.

A real Space Race


Here is something to consider doing. A group of contestants could get together at a point in near-earth space, say perhaps in Geosynchronous Orbit. Then, they race a specially-prepared vehicle to a predetermined point further out. A starting point might be the orbital boundary of the Moon, asy around 240,000 miles out. Later races could go further, of course, maybe even out to the orbit of Mars. Contestants could be nations, coalitions of nations, business groups or nonprofits, whomever wishes to enter. Satellites positioned along the may and at the destination point could determine the winner. Top speed wins the trophy, but there could be other awards as time went on.

This would generate more public excitement over space exploration in general, and give propulsion technology a real boost. With space tourism set to begin soon, this could give any poetntial near-earth guests something to watch, if only over remote monitors. The excitement would be contagious, and would help celebrate humanity's ultimate evolutionary path out into space and off of our beautiful blue cradle.

Want to race, anyone?

Guantanamo North


There is this huge Federal prison sitting there, in Illinois, mostly unoccupied. Our president wants to close the Guantanamo Prison, as he should: it is an embarrasment to us. The obvious choice to me would be to use this sprawling facility in Illinois, which is otherwise going to waste.

Of course you have the usual Republicans wanting to cause problems for the President. These are the same hypocrites who voted to extend Medicare benefits, and now are trying to kill any kind of public-option healthcare. Their mantra seems to be, anything goes for my district, otherwise, no way. But all that aside.

We should move the terrorists and conspirators, all those charged, to the Illinois facility. All the better, to keep closer tabs on them. If need be, keep them locked down 24 x 7 in a cell. At least they are closer at hand. They won’t be a threat if we keep them closely guarded. The other Supermax prison in Colorado has never had an escape.

Then, we can close Guantanamo prison, and close an unfortunate chapter in our history. War is ugly, and the American people were (rightly) out for blood and consequences back on 9/12/2001 . But today is a different day. We can ratchet things down a notch, move the remaining prisoners to Illinois, get these trials over with, and administer final justice. And then move on.

We are a much more alert nation now when it comes to terrorism in general. And the more energy self-sufficient we become, the less involved we need to become altogether in places like the Middle East. This will also reduce our risk exposure to terror plots. Lets do it. Thanks for reading.

A little ranting about a lot of things...tongue in cheek


It appears that now NASA has decided that China has a good enough space program after all, and the time is ripe for cooperation. That wasn't what I heard a couple short years ago.
Glad that President Obama made his Asian trip. There is nothing wrong with showing respect to Asian leaders, especially when they hold so many of our dollars and bonds. We work best when we work together anyways, right?
Happy Holidays to everyone. I don't care if you believe in Christmas, Kwanzaa, Santa Claus, Kermit the Frog, or whatever. I believe in wishing people Happy Holidays. So, like I said...
Somewhere in the distant past, it was inculcated into Fraternity brats that drinking potentially lethal amounts of alcohol, and forcing your undergrads to do the same, was a mark of distinction and pride. So they poisoned countless kids, and ruined many lives, introducing Alcoholism to the college curricula of the United States of America. We have been suffering ever since. Idiots.
Alternative Energy is finally beginning to take off here in the USA. Wind farms are sprouting up all over, solar is gaining ground, And a variety of electric cars are coming on-line. While Detroit is still hawking way too many large, gas guzzling trucks, at least an equal amount of fuel-efficient vehicles are being made available. Finally, something good. And, the beginning of the next bubble. Better get in on the ground floor of this, could be good.
Now China and the US are putting on the best buddies act, smiling for the cameras and all. I hope we don't do something stupid like bomb another embassy of theirs, screwing it all up again. Never underestimate the human capacity for pulling failure from the seeds of success.
Ex-Pres Carter said he could have destroyed Iran, but did not do so for fear of killing 20,000 Iranians. (did he mean 20,000 US servicemen too?) How nice of him to say so - in 2009;-)
The housing market is taking off again, helped in part by generous tax credits. That is one bubble we don't need to repeat again, thank you very much. I can hear the boys over at Goldman licking their chops and smacking their lips already. the ETF's are launching once again. Look out below - it's more brown stuff from the boys in charge, hitting the working class right in the face - as usual. Thanks for reading.

This is a more serious post, not poetry or fiction
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The Fall of the Wall


It is hard to believe that 20 years have passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall. So much has happened, though, that it should not be a real surprise. Our own ups and downs. The boom of the Internet and dot-coms, followed by the bust, the Millennium scare-fest, and most significantly, Nine-Eleven and the subsequent war on terror. Now a host of problems beset us. We find ourselves mired in an everlasting war half-a-world away again. Economic troubles have people losing jobs, or frightened of losing them. We are locked in polarizing partisan battles over things like healthcare and gay marriage.

Twenty years ago, events surprised and pleased us. A downtrodden people, sick of an oppressive communist system, revolted. Actually it started even earlier, in Poland, with the Solidarity movement. The Poles revolted, and the tanks did not roll. This seemed to be the beginning of the end for a Communist monolith that had appeared invincible. By the time the wall fell, even in China there were seeds of revolution. The people had spoken, and they chose economic and political freedom over oppression. It was a stunning, good feeling to see these peoples free themselves, and the seemingly mighty Soviet Union accede, and then disintegrate. To me, it seemed like a dream, after living with the spectre of a Communist giant all of my life.

And then when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991, the wrong was righted in a swift and stunning way, mostly by American military prowess. It was all amazing to behold at that time. (One of the last vestiges of Soviet power, the T-72 tank, was no match for our Abrams M-1s. We made short work of them, surprising even ourselves.)

Personally, I quickly came back down to Earth. Just making a living preoccupied most of my time and thoughts. Our economic system over here had its problems, and when Bill Clinton got elected in 1992, one of the mantras was, “It’s the economy, stupid.”
Meaning, of course, foreign policy triumphs did not put bread on the table back here in the U.S. Life and work ground on. Another recession. Then, the dot-com boom, and everything was fine again for awhile. And et cetera.

Whatever happens now, we must remind ourselves: We faced down an opponent for forty-plus years, and managed to prevail. So our present difficulties can surely be resolved, one way or another. No one religious or political dogma should rule forever. We should never forget nor surrender our freedoms - Freedom of religion, Freedom of assembly in protest, right to bear arms, and all the other rights and responsibilities outlined in our Constitution and Bill of Rights. With all of the hassles, problems and difficulties, we are still lucky to live Here in the USA. It is difficult to remember at times (for me, at least), but true nonetheless. Thanks for reading.

Headlines


Doctor opens fire on fellow soldiers;
Twelve killed, 31 injured! Police
Tase Pregnant mother, brutally beat
Three defenseless children, maiming
Dismembered bodies found in residence,
Mild-mannered man never suspected!

Accounting irregularities scandal rocks
State shaken by film office scandal,
Political activist charged with embezzling
5.9 Million from her employer. Former
Ottumwa man is witness to Ft. Hood Carnage.

Bank robber foiled foils attempts gets away
Steals car runs over baby charged with default.
Man kills wife kills son kills daughter kills dog
Kills babysitter kills houseguest rapes two or three…
Human winnowing continues effectively. They
Will never catch on; Our mission will be a success.
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Halloween in the 21st Century


Where used to roam demons and vampires,
Sprites, ghouls and ghosts of all types;
In former times we feared what might transpire,
If we ventured out on those dark, moonless nights.

Now we board gleaming electronic chariots,
Whizz to and fro like so many minor gods;
Impervious, casting our cellular-signal lariats,
Thrilling to artificial spooks or fake zombie bods.

However larger demons loom just beyond our vision,
Major disruptions foreshadowed by present events;
Wars around the world, dwindling petroleum provisions,
Economic downturn, corrosive corruption hard to prevent.
The things we dread this modern Halloween night,
Different though they be, can still give us a real fright!

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