I watched the space shuttle launch tonight.

I've had the opportunity to watch a few surface to air missile launches and found them to be very inspirational. A Space Shuttle launch must be amazing to see first hand.

 

When I was in Navy Nuclear Power School in Orlando [/flashinglikelyonlysuchcredentialonSportsJournalists.com], we went down to catch a weekend launch. We partied too hard Friday night and I begged out on the early Sunday wakeup. Luckily for me, the launch postponed until the next day. We went down that night and there's not a hotel room to be found in the Cape area, so we slept in a buddy's Bronco. I still itch from all the mosquito bites (keep the windows up at night and burn up or let the bugs feast), but it was totally worth it. Awesome spectacle.

 

SportsJournalists.com: It's not exactly nuclear science ... ooops, then again, maybe it is. ;D

 

Fuckin Nuke 

can I get an amen for Anchors Ole?

 

I remember a couple of places down there -- Teasers and The Inner Room -- that guarantee Ron Jon to be no better than fourth ;D

 

Maybe those aren't actually his plans. Give this a listen:
http://www.planetary.org/radio/show/00000314/

 

Here's a link to Obama's (tentative) space plan:

http://obamanauts.org/obama-space-policy/

Again, most or all of this is undoubtedly dependent on a stable economic environment.

And Bush's blather about "Mars by 2025" was always complete bullshit, unless he was instantly going to massively increase the budget of NASA. Instead, he continually cut it back. And that was when the economy was going relatively well.

 

I'm somewhat south of the cape. Stepped out into the night from the press box just as halftime was reached at the football game I was covering. There she was, due north, headed into the great beyond. Fantastic. I'd see them before. But this night was special. No clouds. Nearly full moon. As she rose, the solid rocket boosters sparkled and then separated. I could see the boosters falling, still aflame. And the shuttle, a bright star continued into space. The future of mankind, riding on that little sparkle. I was moved.

 

Every time I've been to Fla., there was a launch scheduled. For one reason or another, every one was postponed until after I was gone. While it hasn't been in the cards for me to finally see a launch in person, I did get to meet Buzz Aldrin about five years ago.

 

You know we're sitting on four million pounds of fuel, one nuclear weapon and a thing that has 270,000 moving parts built by the lowest bidder. Makes you feel good, doesn't it?

 

I haven't seen that in a while, but good choice.

 

I did it for you.