Morning Thoughts

Forgot about me, didn't ya? Yeah, haha!

Top stories:

Pilots overshoot airport. They claim they weren't sleeping. Doing drugs? Probably not. My guess is they were 'getting busy' and just lost track of time. And we're not talking Scrabble here folks!

Financial institution backlash: Yes, they are giving themselves big bonuses. Nobody is going to stop them. You know why? They were promised back at the beginning of TARP if they took on big risks to save our economy, merge with crappy failing banks, and take on bad debt the government would look the other way. Save us and we'll pay you back. I just sayin'. I'm willing to bet that Obama was handed the 'contract with Wall St.' when he walked in the door and got a nice stomach ache.

Michigan budget vs. education: Livonia and several other schools are handed a monster cut to their budget in the current school year. No way will they be able to balance this budget now. Granholm shows up to talk to the Livonia Superintendent last week. My take? It's all part of the Lansing politic scene to spill ink on the right side of the aisle. Granholm knows this cut isn't going to stick so we're put in the middle of the road while they play chicken. It will be uncomfortable before it gets any better.

A sign of hope?

It seems a little understated, the news from Iran these days. You would think this would be front page news every place. Iran recently conducted their election and ran over some bumps in the road.
The opposition candidate, Mir-Hossein Mousavi, is the last Prime Minister of Iran before they dismissed the role back in 1989. He's no stranger to government and is a reformer. Obviously many in Iran are followers of his as he promised reform to the justice system, freedom of expression, and moving to privatization faster.
Had the people of Iran been against such a vision, they would have been applauding in the streets when Ahmadinejad declared victory. But that wasn't the case. They've been in the streets and visibly upset. Complaints of voter fraud are growing. The protests have grown so large, the clerics are even considering a limited recount. Granted, this is still a problem as they think some of the votes have been destroyed. But this still gives me hope.
It looks like the Iranians aren't the evil terrorists we make them all out to be. The people of that country could be just as normal as the rest of us with just a corrupt government and religious structure lording over them. To me, this demonstration for reform could be just the sign we need to show us that Iran is getting ready for change.
I honestly don't think this would have happened during the Bush years. We were too busy rattling sabres to listen to the needs of the Iranians. When we as Americans showed that we wanted something different, I'm betting they heard that bell and decided that they too could change.
I would recommend keeping an eye on Iran for the next several weeks. We'll get to see if we end up with another Iraq, a country led by dictators, or if we get some real change and new dialogue.
Keep your fingers crossed!

Don't Forget

Real freedom isn't easy. We'll remember even if they can't.

No repairmen for NASA any more.

I think this article is really telling in the lack of vision that has been forced on NASA for the last decade. The Space Shuttle is retiring and it's something that does need doing. They've been around for decades and no matter the upgrades and repairs, I don't think I would want to be the one riding an airplane that was that old anyway. (I know many are)

The successor to the Space Shuttle isn't much of a shuttle. They decided to focus entirely on a capsule design like Apollo. It's functional for Moon landings. It's something to take men to and fro, to land for exploration. It's not a cargo ship.

The change in direction shows how we're moving forward. Yes, I like this part. However, I question the design in such that we have no shuttle bus, no repair vessel to fix expensive satellites.

Perhaps this is an attempt to throw this to the private sector? Make AT&T or Boeing make their own shuttle if they want to repair things. Otherwise just accept losses and keep going. I'm not sure.

Looking at the Orion design, to me it doesn't take much imagination to make this thing into a repair vessel. A docking bay and container portion could be added to it if it's not going to the Moon. Unlike a shuttle, you can have something that doesn't land like a plane. Just leave the additional parts in orbit (or park at the ISS) and then land your capsule.

Anyway, I think its a bit of a waste to lose something we're the only country capable of doing and just walk away from it. Maybe a country not in such financial straights would be able to do both. Shrug. It's a shame that we can't do all the things we wish. Space holds all the future anyone could want.

Who Would Jesus Torture

One of the things that bothers me the most about religion is the hypocracy. I've neever been a religious person obviously. I'm not much of a church goer either. But I know people who are.
I live near many. I work with them. They're pretty much good people, all.

I honestly can't, however, understand how they can condone torture.

How can you, as a Christian, say it was okay to torture terrorists for information? Doesn't that violate some rule that says you're using the Devil's ways to help yourself? We probably would all agree that torture is unreliable. And if you believe these Muslims to be so evil, how could you trust their words even while being tortured?

Sorry, I just don't think Jesus would be all for that.

If God couldn't save the people at the World Trade Center without having you torture someone for information, then aren't they really just meant to die?

Now I don't believe any of that poppycock but it's of the sort that religious folks would go for. It's either God's will to have people die or God's will to do something others won't like.

I think it's just easier my way. Stick to my morals treat all humans the same way. Turn the other cheek and bring justice according to the laws that all nations agree upon. How can you look yourself in the mirror otherwise?

I'm shaving my head!

I've decided to shave my head for charity. Yes, if my friends can raise $25,000 for a charity of my choice I'll do the deed.

Do you doubt it? Just wait and see!

Solar to light the way

I had one of those flashforward moments this morning when musing. Solar power is the complete answer for the world. It really is. How simple of us to be using dirty coal and oil we dig front the ground when for millenia the human race has been staring daily at the biggest source of energy for light-years around. What powers plants? What keeps us from freezing in the cold vacuum of space? Yes, our sun.

One day our descendants will look back at us and think we were such cavemen. 'How ever did they survive just burning dirty coal rocks and filthy oil?' We'll be like troglodytes to them. In their world, everything is powered by the sun. Long ago, they started covering their homes with solar panels. Their factories and big buildings too. They lined up mirrors in the desert and pointed them at towers to focus the power. Scientists found thousands of ways to make solar panels now and then, suddenly, they didn't need panels at all! With the help of nano construction, they found they could make every day items into solar power generators. Paint was put on buildings and connected to the grid. The cars we drove were given solar paint and this helped charge their batteries sitting outside. Some crazy fool even developed a way to put it in the roads we laid. Suddenly everything we built could be connected to the grid to slowly charge us up.

Never was there a lack for energy at that point. The wars of oil and power were over. With this much energy, we could turn seas into drinking water. We could power great pumps to avert floods, we could move mountains... all from the power that had been shining down on us since time began.

Piece by piece, we figure this stuff out. What a beautiful world.