Category Archives: Current Events

A 9/11 Memory

9/11, America, Current Events, Life, Memoirs, World Events, , , , ,

never-forget-9-11-01

Today is the 13th anniversary of one of the worst days in American history. I am sure many of us remember where we were and what we were doing that horrific fateful day. I was working at NASA as an education project manager and journalist. I had an interview that day with one of my subject matter experts onsite at 10:30 a.m.

I had just gotten out of the shower, and had walked into the kitchen in my towel to get a glass of water, when I noticed on the television that a plane had flown into one of the Twin Towers. The sound was down on the television, so I couldn’t hear what was going on and just thought there had been an accident. About that time, my phone rang. I answered it, and my sister, almost frantically, asked if I had heard what happened. I explained to her that I had been in the shower, but from what I was looking at, some fool had hit one of the towers. At that point, as I am watching the television, another plane struck the other tower.

“What the hell is going on,” I asked my sister. She is a first grade teacher and was at school, which is why I thought it so odd that she had called me.

“We are being attacked!” she replied, her voice cracking.

“No, we’re not,” I said. “We are not being attacked! No way!!”

She asked me if I was going to work that day. “Yes,” I said, “I’m getting ready to go in and interview this cool scientist.”

I was stunned, as she begged me not to go in. “You can’t go in today! Please stay home!”

“I have to,” I told her. “This guy’s real busy and I have been trying to pin him down for weeks. This is going to be an awesome interview and I’m not going to miss it.”

“You CAN’T go in to work. PLEASE stay home today – NASA could be a target,” at this point she is crying so hard I can barely understand her.  She continues to plead with me to stay home and not go to my place of work.

“Okay, okay. Calm down. Let me get online and see what’s going on. If it’s a true threat, the center will post a message telling employees and contractors not to come in. Let me get dressed and then I’ll check it out and call you back.”

“Okay, we’re on lock-down here, so call me back,” she said as we hung up.

I got off the phone, and got dressed, combing out my hair wondering if we were truly under attack ,and if so what would that mean. I turned the TV up so I could hear it. Back then, my Internet access was dial-up, so I couldn’t be on the phone (no smart phones back then either) and get online.

I got on my computer and signed in via VPN to the local intranet for my NASA center. I didn’t even have to log-in to the internal network when I saw the message that all NASA centers were closing down and would be closed until further notice, and all non-essential employees were instructed to leave.

I called my sister back and assured her I wasn’t going to work, and asked how things were going at school. Some of the teachers were freaking out, and this was starting to make the kids uneasy. They were all doing the best they could to keep things as normal as possible under the circumstances.

I called my husband at work, and he and his co-workers had found a television and were gathered around watching in shock, too. I thought about my child and her safety – but had already heard her school was on lock-down, too – no one in and no one out; so nothing I could do there at this point. (Yes, I must admit, this made me quite uneasy as a mother!)

Okay, now I was in total disbelief and was completely glued to my television. (Actually, as a journalist, by this point I had 3 TV’s on – the 2 with recording capability were set to record different channels.)  I had hoped that this Twin Towers accident was all just being blown out of proportion, but by now the Pentagon had been hit, also.

New York City was completely shut down – all airspace, bridges and tunnels. Then one of the towers collapsed. Then the second tower collapsed. I watched this and was absolutely horrified at the images I was seeing and the knowledge I was now aware of. The fate (and heroic measures) of Flight 93 were now being discovered, as well. [My timeline may be off a little, but I believe this is an accurate one.]

At some point, it was announced that ALL flights in the continental United States airspace were grounded. This had never happened in my lifetime; as a matter of fact this had never happened before in American history. As I sat and watched all of this play out in my living room, I was completely shocked. I was on the phone here and there when people who knew I might be home would call for more info.

I continued to watch all day and late into the night. The United States was on its highest military alert next to ready for nuclear attack. (I believe we were at DEFCON 2.) I woke early the next morning to see the news coverage continuing. It was like this for days (as almost all regular programming on television had been pre-empted), and after about three days, I had to disengage for a bit. That’s when having a large CD and movie collection helps.

I was also about to turn 40 and had a huge party planned, margarita machine rented and all. This had been planned for months. I had no idea if I should still have the party under the circumstances. Though it was planned for 4 days after the attack, I just wasn’t sure I was in a partying mood, of if anyone else would be either.

I discussed it with several family members and friends, and I decided to go ahead and have the party. Looking back on it, I’m so glad i did, as it was obvious people needed something fun to focus on. People needed to laugh and spend time with those they cared about and loved. THIS is what living and life is all about.  The terrorists want us to live in fear – that’s one of their goals. I think I can safely say, as a nation, we do not live in fear, per say – though there is a huge amount of information and data gathering as a result.

My heart went out to all of those involved, those who knew the fear, had a sense of what was coming, those who died just for being there, and those who died trying to save those in the wrong place at the wrong time. This country may be divided on many things, but I think we all feel the same about the events of this day. As a country, we were violated. We were raped. We were maimed. And after the reality of what had happened set in, we were outraged.

[I am sure many who live in other parts of the world wonder about American’s “false sense of security.”  They wonder why we feel we are above being attacked on our own soil. It’s not that we think we are above it all, it’s that except for the American Revolution and our own Civil War this is not part of our experience – particularly anyone alive today; that was not part of our everyday world. It has been mentioned in a few conversations I have had that our location on Earth with the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans separating and buffering us from Europe and Asia and the Middle East, have made us less of a target than many other countries. But if we were attached in land mass, things might very well be different. I don’t know, thoughts for another day, maybe. I have a few thoughts that might be for another day, but not for today.]

Today, on the anniversary of one of the worst days in the history of this country, I am bowing my head in respect, honor, reflection, sorrow, and prayer. I don’t mind telling you, I shed many tears as I wrote this. I can only hope this never happens here again . . .

I wish this kind of violence, murder, intimidation and oppression never happened anywhere, but I know that’s not even a pipe dream . . .

Just something I was thinking about today . . . Peace ☮ ~ ☮ ~ ☮
Just realized this is my 50th blog post!

What Was He Thinking??

American Infrastructure, American Jobs, Current Events, Employment, Future Generations, ISIS, Life, Opinion, Politics, World Events, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Watching the news today – I know, it’s always an experience and often entertaining, and it has been a few days since I’ve watched any because I had to check out for awhile – and as I’m listening, the reporter starts talking about the color of President Obama’s suit at a news conference yesterday. It was tan, or what some would call taupe. Seriously, I’m not shitting you. I saw it, of course you know they had to show it, and it was a nice suit; I saw nothing wrong with it. (I haven’t seen the news conference yet, wasn’t engaged yesterday and have been busy today – but I will find it and watch it.)

Those that know me know I am not a fashion icon by any means, BUT come on people – with all the problems in the world, in our country and in our own lives – does the color of his suit really matter? Am I just an idiot for thinking it doesn’t??

Then one of my Facebook friends commented that some news reporter/commentator went on to chastise saying – after mentioning the suit debacle, of course – that President Obama stated that first he wanted to say something about some revised numbers on the economy, like real Americans cared about that after the beheading of James Foley and ISIS concerns. Then the president went on to say that we don’t have a strategy for ISIS.

Now I am a real American, and for the first time in decades, I have been unemployed for 15 months. I’m living off my retirement money and I have at least 15 years until I can retire. So I do care about the economy. That is most important to me at this moment. Having said that, what we ALL better be concerned about is that we don’t have a strategy to deal with ISIS, and if that’s not bad enough, now the whole world knows. The whole world also knows that those crazy ass Americans are in an uproar about the president’s suit color, not that their military has no plan.

Oh my goodness – as I am writing this, just heard the news reporting the color of Obama’s suit was the top trend on Twitter. That, my friends, is exactly why this country and maybe some other parts of the world are in the shape they are in. Look at the shit the “important people” – the communicators, the decision makers, the money makers/spenders, the policy makers – are focusing on. What the fuck is wrong with you people?!?

Okay – I am so not related to these people, I can tell you  . . .

I’m curious what y’all think about this, too.

Anyway just something I was thinking about it . . . and felt the need to rant about 😉

The Uzi Nightmare

Current Events, Gun rights, Opinion, , , ,

I am so sorry for that poor nine-year old girl who accidentally shot her range master/shooting instructor with an Uzi automatic submachine gun. This tragic accident happened at an Arizona popular tourist attraction called Bullets and Burgers (really??). They also broke their own rules, as shooters are supposed to be at least 10-years old. What in the world were they thinking when they all allowed this to happen. Someone with experience (like the range masters) should have been aware of the inherent danger of this activity.

The chief deputy for the Mohave County Attorney’s Office stated he did not fault the parents as they had placed their trust in the range master. I’m sorry, but I do fault the parents, as well as the range master and his establishment. THEY ALL should have known better than to allow this young girl to handle one of the most powerful weapons made. To me, this is nothing short of child endangerment.   A nine-year old girl does not have the physical strength to control the recoil of a weapon like that.

I am a supporter of gun rights and I taught my child to shoot as a teenager, not a nine-year old child. I am an excellent shot and handle my weapons well and responsibly. I have owned .32-caliber, .44-caliber magnum and .357-caliber revolvers; .380-caliber, .40-caliber and many 9mm semi-automatic pistols throughout my lifetime. I have shot an assault rifle (AR) a few times, but it is different and a bit larger (than an Uzi) and I shot it with it set up on a table on the mounting legs attached to it.

I have also shot an Uzi. I will tell you, when I fired the Uzi, I got off quite a few rounds, but at some point the gun got away from me, as a result of the recoil. Being experienced, I was able to control my weapon enough to allow it to go angle up, as opposed to some where else. Once I got my finger out of the trigger guard, and my arms and the gun out of the air, my husband and his cousin told me to finish the clip. I have to be honest, as excited as I had been to shoot this particular weapon, I declined to finish emptying the clip, telling them if I can’t control my weapon, I don’t have any desire to shoot it. I have never shot another Uzi since.

I am so shocked, saddened and heartbroken for that little girl who now has to live with this horrible accident that should have never happened. She has to live with the fact that she has killed another human being. I can’t help but wonder if she really even wanted to shoot that gun, or was it her parents who wanted it. (I say that because the first time my child shot a pistol, she wasn’t thrilled and we didn’t do it again for a few years until she was ready mentally.)

People get a clue – gun rights come with responsibility. Obviously, no one was acting in a responsible manner that day, and because of it, someone’s son (maybe someone’s husband or father or brother, not sure as I couldn’t find that info) didn’t make it home that night. Army veteran Charles Vacca, the range master, managed to survive tours in Iraq and Afghanistan to come home and be killed in such an irresponsible act of stupidity. It just doesn’t get any more tragic than this . . .

The names of the scarred-for-life little girl and her parents have not been released, but the video of the accident is all over the news and the Internet. I did hear on the news that this establishment has decided to change it age requirement to 12 years of age. I’m curious what others think about children shooting guns, particularly weapons of this type.

Just something I was thinking about . . .

Some Days I Just Breathe

Current Events, Ebola, Ferguson MO, Future Generations, Life, Opinion, Reality, World Events, , , , , , , ,

I’ve been listening to this song lately, probably because right now I am having trouble making sense of so many things – things in my personal life and events and happenings in my own country and in the world at large. I have said this before, the world is a scary place. Most times, life is never easy. People’s thought processes and actions and reactions continue to confound me. Sometimes as I write this blog, it’s not so much to share MY opinions, but to get insight from you, my readers and others I follow, as to how to make sense of it all. Are you as confused (and concerned) as I am?

The racial tensions in Ferguson, Missouri, are troubling. I saw a town meeting today on one of the news channels, and it was pretty apparent, to me anyway, that the governor of Missouri is totally in over his head and has very little control over the situation due to  a lack of trust from his constituents.

The crowd kept asking why the police officer involved, Darren Wilson, hadn’t been arrested yet. I do not know all the details of the Michael Brown shooting, but in all honesty I don’t believe a week is long enough to investigate it, all the while dealing with the protesters and rioting. Just being realistic here.

I know the cops aren’t always the good guys, though I was raised to believe that they were. I also know sometimes kids are ignorant and immature and do stupid and crazy-ass things. I did (not stuff like robbery but still really cocky , thoughtless, careless and stupid stuff) and I am not that person anymore. Unfortunately these days, we can’t be sure if some dumb-ass punk  (AKA young adult or teenager totally not acting in an age-appropriate morally and socially acceptable way) is going to try and kill us when they act stupid.

IF this kid acted towards the cop the way he did toward the store clerk he robbed, I can understand why the outcome was what it was. In all honesty, if that was my store and I had a concealed handgun license, I might have shot him myself when he doubled back and came back into the store rushing me, after pushing past me to get out and make a run for it. Pretty sure as big as he was and as small as I am, I would have felt threatened. Shit, what is wrong with kids today?

They are doing a second independent autopsy to confirm the findings. I am sure that is going to answer a few questions. {Man I love science!} Then again maybe not. They’re also continuing to investigate the robbery. I hope they do an honest and thorough investigation of this entire case. I hope the people of Ferguson can find some closure soon.

A curfew was to begin tonight – just checked the news, and it is not going well. Protesters and others are not getting off the streets and looting is going on. Peacefully protesting I understand, looting, definitely NOT. I can only say, with the way the situation continues to escalate, I hope no one else gets killed.

ISIS – now I do not even know where to begin with these radical killing machines. Their ideology and attitudes and mind-set are beyond me. I certainly comprehend it, but for the life of me, can’t understand it. My husband and I watched some 30 minute piece CNN ran with a reporter embedded on the mountain with the Yazidis, flying in on a supply drop helicopter. It was truly horrific what these people are going through, AND we didn’t see any of the really bad stuff – but I can just imagine . . .

What is going on over there has to be stopped. I don’t know what they need to do, or even actually WHO “they” are. But collectively, all of these leaders have got to get on the same page against ISIS and figure out how to take them out. Warring between themselves is bad enough, but this is a whole new enemy. And I know this sounds really bad, but between everyone involved, they ought to be able to figure out a resolution. I’ve said this before, when Syria, Iran, and Iraq are asking for us to help them, it’s some bad shit.

I’ve already talked about Ebola and it’s getting worse.

In light of all that, I got my own stuff nipping at my heals, too. Some days are longer than others. Music (though I can’t play it – or sing it 😉 ) is a staple in my life – kind of like breathing. On that note – yeah pun intended – I like to start my day with this one . . . here’s to you . . . with blessings from above . . .

Just something I was thinking about . . . ☮

Catching Up On a Few Things

China, Current Events, Life, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, NASA, North Korea, Opinion, World Events, , , , , , , ,

Owls in tree
Baby owls in my tree – look closely, there are 5 sets of eyes!

The world really freaks me out – I mean like frightens me, especially for my kids and grandbabies. I heard that North Korea is really incensed about some movie scheduled to come out in October, with Seth Rogen and James Franco. It’s called “The Interview.” The movie is about a plot to assassinate leader Kim Jong Un. He is pissed and feeling completely disrespected and has said if this movie is released it will be considered an “act of war that we will never tolerate.” Seriously, we are going to have a war with North Korea over a movie . . .

This is from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-28014069:

The North Korea [foreign ministry] spokesman was quoted by the state KCNA news agency as saying: “Making and releasing a movie on a plot to hurt our top-level leadership is the most blatant act of terrorism and war and will absolutely not be tolerated.”

He added that the “reckless US provocative insanity” of mobilising a “gangster filmmaker” to challenge the North’s leadership was triggering “a gust of hatred and rage” among North Korean people and soldiers.

“If the US administration allows and defends the showing of the film, a merciless counter-measure will be taken,” the spokesman was quoted as saying.

What can you say about that? I certainly believe in free speech, but at what cost? Is this particular movie and article of free speech worth poking this crazy frickin’ bear? What do you think?

And then I heard Iran, Iraq, and Syria want help from the U.S. in the form of air strikes to help them fight against ISIS. The world just keeps getting stranger. Not sure what I think about the request – could be advantageous later, but then again, it seems whenever we get involved in this type of conflict, especially in that part of the world,  those we go to help seem to turn on us later. I don’t know, I just can’t help but think if we ever have another civil war here, the United States would not tolerate any other country stepping in, in any way, shape, or form. I understand about needing a peacekeeper/peacemaker/mediator sometimes, but who appointed the U.S. government in that role?

They still haven’t found the plane and I am beginning to think they never will. I don’t know, maybe aliens did snatch that baby right up, or maybe Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went through an area like the Bermuda Triangle. I remember growing up, we all talked about the Bermuda Triangle and whether it was weather-related, pirate-related, alien-related, or a series of coincidences  – we weren’t savvy enough at the time to think any government might be involved. Now that I am older and with the advent of cable TV and the Internet, I don’t hear much about the infamous triangle anymore. Maybe it’s lost its appeal, with everybody paying attention to Lindsey Lohan, Justin Bieber, that icy blue-eyed criminal and zombies and other useless kind of stuff.

Speaking of that icy blue-eyed criminal  – his mugshot finally hit over 100,000 likes on the Stockton Police Dept.’s Facebook page. The noise on him has definitely quieted down a bit. I can tell you some of the comments are on that page are just stranger than fiction. REALLY!

Russia has hinted they may pull out of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2020, as opposed to getting the full life out of it, manning it until 2024 or 2028. They want to re-allocate Russian ISS funding to work on projects with China and India. It sounds like Russia wants a piece of the moon, if you ask me. Anyone paying attention to NASA lately had to have seen that one coming . . . I did. I see lots more to come on that regard, and I can promise it will be interesting to say the least. NASA has high hopes the amicable international partnership of the ISS will continue. I hope they are right.

There’s a new Planet of the Apes movie coming out – that just scares the shit out of me . . . really LOL!! Like the world isn’t a scary enough place, without thinking about apes being in control 😉

On a joyful note, I did find out there are at least five owl babies!! I don’t believe the nest is in my fig tree, but is in in one the trees in that little corner thicket, maybe in one of the cedar trees. Haven’t seen them in over a week now, so maybe they got big enough to fly away. Sure hope they come back next year!

Just some things I was thinking about . . .

Today’s Random Ramblings

Current Events, Life, Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. We have actually been together for almost 36 years. Though we both truly feel we are each other’s soul mate, marriage is never an easy journey, kinda like life. I am always shocked when couples give up so soon, but understand it is a lot of work to sustain a long term relationship, regardless of how much two people love each other.

Most times, things just don’t always fall easily into place all the time. Couples tend to forget what drew them together in the 1st place. Often, they gave each other the nourishment they each needed to flourish – this was truly the initial attraction and draw to each other. As time goes on and the relationship changes, this basic integral premise for the relationship is forgotten and lost, as well as some of the bond that holds the relationship together.

Marriage is hard work, just like life, and anyone who tells you different has probably never been married for any length of time, at least not to one person. Having said all that, I do realize there are times that it is necessary to give up and walk away, or run . . . depending on the circumstances.

Different subject –

I have pets and treat them as family. I also realize many people are choosing to have pets, as opposed to children. I can understand that, too. But, today was National Take Your Dog to Work Day. Seriously?? Enough said . . .

My girlfriend took me out for a few margaritas tonight. We went to a place I tend to frequent. The waitress, though not one of my regulars, must have recognized me and seemed to cater more to me, though sometimes she treated us both pretty sloppily. My friend complained to me, at the same time expressing how sorry she was for bitching about it. I reminded her she rarely gets upset over this kind of thing and I certainly understood how she felt.

When our waitress brought the bill, she handed it to me and I immediately handed it to my friend and said, “She’s paying tonight – that’s the kind of good friend she is!” The waitress immediately mentioned seeing me there previously with my family. My friend just laughed, and as the waitress walked off, said, “That isn’t going to help her tip any.” My friend did leave her more than 2 cents – a tip she has left when her service really sucked, which I think is funny as hell – but she didn’t leave her but maybe 10%.

When I get bad service to the point I am reducing their tip, I usually leave them a little note – what my husband calls a novel 😉 – on the receipt telling them why they were under-tipped. I do this to ensure they know why I didn’t tip them well and because management typically looks at the receipts at the end of the night. One time when I did this, the next time I visited that establishment, I got the same waiter and he apologized for his previous lack of attentiveness, promising a better experience. He did as he promised and got a great tip! (Okay, I did know the owner of this particular establishment, but . . .)

Point being – don’t make assumptions that can come back and bite you in the ass. Our waitress assumed I was paying and I always tip well – but this time I wasn’t paying and her lack of attention to my friend, and our table in general to some degree, cost her.

Last but not least, I have to mention something that was all over the news today. There is some guy who got arrested by the Stockton Police Dept. The police department has a Facebook page where they posted the pictures of him and a couple of other guys. This is getting national attention because the guy’s mugshot makes him appear to be quite handsome, in a striking sort of way – he does look like model material, big full lips and the most beautiful ice blue eyes. I am pretty persnickety when it comes to finding men handsome and even I thought he had striking features.

So as I am looking at his mugshot on TV and noticing how beautifully ice blue his eyes are, I also noticed he has a teardrop tattooed on the corner of his left eye, and I am fully aware of what that means.

I went and checked the FB page his picture is on and so far he has over 80,000 likes, over  10,400 shares and over 22,600 comments. Just like on the blogs, I find reading the comments to be amusing, interesting, eye-opening whatever. A large percentage of these likes, shares, and comments are about how hot he is, and how all these women want to do him and how he is so sexy, he needs to be set free, and other such bullshit. There has even been a GoFundMe page set up in his honor, and so far over $1800 has been collected in less than a day.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for redeeming oneself, and all that and I am not even passing judgment on him per say as I do not know the specifics of his arrest. What I am interested in is how society and its use of social media are spinning this story. I always find that aspect fascinating!!!

Anyway, all I could think of as I saw his mugshot was, I bet your heart is as icy as your eyes, and you have already marked yourself for the world to see with that teardrop tattoo.

For you ladies who think like this (OMG he is so hot . . . etc) – just remember – he might fuck ya, then be done with ya, and slit your throat – then again maybe not . . .

But why chance it.

I don’t know. Just some things I was thinking about today . . .

(P.S. – Though the service wasn’t the best tonight, the margaritas were awesome!!! 😉 )

I’m Confused – to say the least

Current Events, Opinion, Politics, Thinking Independently, World Events, , , , , ,

I have no idea what to make of this Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl situation. Let me start by saying as a human being and a mother and sister, I am very happy they were able to bring him home. I am also a firm believer in leave NO man behind.

Now having said that, as the ever-questioning cynic and realist that I am, what is going on here? Why would we ever exchange FIVE Taliban commanders for one sergeant, especially after all this time? What has changed? Who is this Sgt. Bergdahl and what does he know? What has he been exposed to?

What do these Al-Qaeda guys know? Have they been given lobotomies? Have they been implanted with tracking devices so invasive that removal would cause death? (Just curious WHY we would release them if they are Taliban commanders.)

Don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to insinuate in any way that Sgt. Bergdahl’s life isn’t worth saving – I just don’t understand why it was done – it doesn’t make sense. What precedent does this set? This is not our government’s normal protocol, as best I can tell. Maybe I am misinformed, or maybe I don’t understand how things are done. I’ll admit, I have never been in the service, nor in a war zone.

Now I am hearing Bergdahl  was a deserter, and possibly a traitor – and that this was known by those making decisions to barter his release. It was negotiated, but it was bartering just the same. Not sure what to make of that, though I am totally just thinking aloud here, as I write. Is this just a small cog in a larger machine, or is this just a simple confused young man who ended up getting lucky after all – or something in between? Yeah, I know, I should write fiction with the way my mind works 😉

I am sure there will be many new developments as time passes. In the meantime, I am off to read more about all the hoopla surrounding the execution drugs used by the U.S.

Anyway – just something I was thinking about . . .

What Will Happen to the International Space Station?

Current Events, Future Generations, NASA, Opinion, Politics, Thinking Independently, World Events, , , , , , , , 

iss imageThis photo of the International Space Station was snapped by an STS-133 crew member on the space shuttle Discovery on March 7, 2011. Image Credit: NASA

It’s started. Not quite three years since the last shuttle flew, the Russian government has threatened to pull support from the International Space Station (ISS) in 2020. NASA has hoped that the ISS could operate through 2024, possibly even as far out as 2028 – which extends its original lifespan, which I believe was 15-20 years.

The Russian government has also decided to block the U.S. from using Russian NK-33 and RD-180 rockets to launch U.S. military satellites due to the growing tensions between the two resulting from U.S. sanctions in response to the upset in Ukraine, as well as U.S. plans to deny export licenses for high-technology items to Russia.

Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has decided to really spice things up by saying the U.S. could use a trampoline to get our astronauts to the station. He also implied the Russian Space Agency may continue to utilize the station alone, as the U.S. segment cannot function without the Russian segment, though the Russian segment can function without the U.S. segment. The thrusters on the Russian segment keep the ISS in orbit and at the proper attitude.

NASA issued a statement saying they have not received any formal word from the Russian government regarding this proposed change in space exploration cooperation. The $100 billion space station is the result of the work and cooperation of 15 nations, predominantly the United States, Russia, Japan, Canada, and Europe.  I am pretty sure we have covered a pretty huge dent in the costs, in one way or another.

This raises so many questions. Why did President Bush decide to cancel the shuttle program before there was another option in place? Why was this aspect (replacement for the shuttle i.e. human spaceflight) so short-sighted in thought and forward planning? Though the space shuttles were becoming outdated, NASA was in the process of upgrading them. Why does our government continue to cut our space exploration legs out from under us by cutting funding?

Why does our government seem to have a problem with strategic long-term planning support in this area? Often NASA makes plans, gets funding, starts work, and then whichever administration is in power loses patience and interest. I would love to see a complete list of all NASA (and other government) programs that were funded, worked on, and then scrapped, and why they were scrapped.

Asking these questions will not change what has happened, but I think examining some of these disconnects might help going forward. Space and politics aren’t really my thing, but even I am smart enough to understand the implications of the U.S. not having a prominent place and role in manned space exploration.

Well at least the Russians aren’t threatening our seats on the Soyuz just yet. And maybe this is just all bluster on Rogozin’s part. There is still a lot of knowledge to be gained from the space station, not counting the amount of money that has been invested. It only seems right to get as much out of it as possible for all parties involved.

What a way for the greatest engineering achievement ever embarked upon and completed successfully to end. What a way for one of the most auspicious global collaborations in cooperation of shared visions to come to a close.

Just something I was thinking about . . .

You Best Be Paying Attention ‘Cause Shift Happens


Many years ago I watched a video called “Shift Happens” – a real eye-opener on the world we now live in. Since then it has been updated a few times and has changed a bit. I found several out there, but this revision is by one of the the original creators and I found the info presented here, as far as numbers go, is the same used in the 2013 and 2014 versions. (Plus, I am not entirely sure who actually updated those with additional info.)

I can’t say I hope you enjoy the video, as it is not for pleasure, more as it is for pause, consideration, education, and maybe even enlightenment. The world is so different from the one I grew up in, and is even different from the one my kids grew up in. People born in the last decade have had just about every move they have made digitally tracked in some form or fashion. (That’s another topic for another day!)

We are not the greatest country in the world anymore (yes, we Americans often think that!) – if nothing else because our “natural” resources are lacking . . . our human resource is not only out-numbered, but out-educated, and possibly even out-motivated, it seems. Taking these things into consideration, maybe we need to start thinking about “re-inventing the wheel” as it pertains to our future or the United States may find it quite difficult to keep up or even compete.

I don’t know  – just something I was thinking about . . .

What do you think?

Dangerous winds are blowing . . .

Current Events, Opinion, World Events, , , , , , , ,

I’ve noticed lately, often I hear about the news on Facebook before anywhere else. Today a post came up pointing to an article on USA Today.  I included the link below, in the event you haven’t read it yet. It is very disturbing indeed. With the uncertainties with Russia already, this newest proclamation is straight out of World War II and the Third Reich. I have to say, I am more cynical than ever regarding our future – as a nation and as a world. Who knows where this is going to lead . . .

USA Today – Jews ordered to register in East Ukraine

Just something I was thinking about . . . right now ☮