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The Daily Dose/July 22, 2011
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
A BRIEF PARENTHESIS IN TIME: One of mankind's greatest achievements, manned spaceflight by the United States, came to end Thursday with the landing of the final space shuttle mission.
Here We Go Again: We've lamented this before: after fifty years and 18,340 days, this nation - not the first in space, but the first to a man on another heavenly body - can no longer put man in space.
Oh, Jesus H: This is almost beyond comprehension and shows how far this nation has regressed. This nation's space program was started from scratch and we made it to the moon in less than a decade. Now, 38 years after we last left the moon, not only can we not go to the moon, it would probably take us two decades to get back to the moon. Presuming we wanted to. Which we don't. And forget about going to Mars. Even if 300 million Americans rose in unison and spent every waking moment dedicated to getting man to Mars, we probably couldn't do it within a generation. There's no way.
Get Your Official Writer's Shack Policy Right Here: We're now pleased to leave space to private enterprise. That's all right. We've discussed this before: anything the government can do private enterprise can do better.
Fly In The Ointment: The problem is the private sector is about where NASA was in 1960. They've just now started sending humans in space, and not even into orbit, merely a short flight into space where they can see the Earth curve before heading home. It will be several years before they can make manned flights to the International Space Station (ISS). Until then US astronauts will be obliged to hitch a ride to the ISS with the goddamn Russians.
It might even take longer than a few years. Consider this: people die exploring space and it is not unreasonable to think a private sector astronaut or two will die as private space companies get their sea legs and maybe private enterprise will not be able to absorb these blows like a government can.
And don't shrug and say it doesn't really matter because the long term effects of this cannot be underestimated because how many kids now are going to go to bed at night dreaming of flying to the ISS in a Russian spacecraft? We don't think the prospect of private space travel will inspire kids all that much, and kids with a scientific bent will look elsewhere to use their talents.
You Guys Should Really Get Over This: We've discussed this before: maybe Apollo was ahead of its time, sort of like Bob Beamon was a couple decades ahead of his time when obliterated the world long jump record at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968.
We don't know about that, though. Apollo's time had come. It took the Soviets and President Kennedy to spur us there, but America didn't do anything America wasn't capable of doing.
God, We Hate Your Whining: But we're not even capable of going to the moon anymore because rather than try to great things, this nation is content to have one-third of its adults obese and spend over 15 years of a 75-year life watching television.
Our loss.
GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES: The first auto race is held on this date in 1894, an 80-mile race between Paris and Rouen, France. It's won by Jules-Albert de Dion, although the judges refuse to award him first prize because Dion's steam powered engine had a stoker and while not technically illegal, the judges decided his stoker was not in accordance with the spirit of the rules.
Hey Batter, Batter: Washington Senator pitcher Walter Johnson becomes the first major leaguer to strike out 3,000 batters in a career on this date in 1921. Johnson had become the all-time strike leader in 1921 and finished his career with 3,509 strikeouts.
Up, Up And Away: Wiley Post completes the first solo around the world flight on this date in 1933. Beginning in New York City, Post flies east, using a couple of newfangled devices, autopilot and a radio directional finder, through Berlin and Moscow and then Alaska and Edmonton before returning to New York City.
Dry, Technical Matter: Post also set the record for the quickest around the world flight: seven days, 19 hours, 21 hours less than he and Harold Gatty had taken in 1931.
Not So FunFact: Post would die in a plane crash in Alaska in 1935.
Outside Of The Shooting, How Did You Like The Movie? Popular, noted gangster John Dillinger is shot and killed outside of a Chicago theater by several FBI agents on this date in 1934. Dillinger had been watching a movie while the agents, acting on a tip, were waiting for him outside.
Oh Yeah: Dillinger was 31. He had robbed over 20 banks and, get this, four police stations.
What The Hell Is Going On Here? The US Senate rejects President Franklin Roosevelt's plan to stack the US Supreme Court in his favor with additional justices on this date in 1937.
FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY: A couple of readers wrote in mentioning how they could only see about one-third of the hot, new comment box that now appears at the bottom of this column.
The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves: Well, we got tech support on it, so we look forward to your feedback about whether or not this took care of the problem.
Thought For The Day/Yeah, Yeah, Whatever: America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow. - Gene Cernan, Commander, Apollo 17 and the last human to set foot on the moon.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: Roger Connor - the player whose home run record Babe Ruth broke - was in the top ten of major league baseball's all-time home run leaders until July 26, 1930 when Al Simmons of the Philadelphia Athletics hit his 139th career home run.
Today's Stumper: What famous American writer died with Wiley Post in that 1935 plane crash? -Answer next time!
Comments? Recipes? Complaints? Email the Writer's Shack here!
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