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The Daily Dose/August 31, 2009
By Gaylon Kent
The Writer's Shack
Notes from around the Human Experience...
3…2…1…BLASTOFF: This past week NASA celebrated the 25th anniversary of the first launching of the space shuttle orbiter Discovery by forcing the workhorse up into space for the 37th time, more than any other spacecraft has ever been sent into space.
Forgive us for not breaking out the champagne here, but considering the current state of the United States' space program is this really worth celebrating? Since Columbia became the first reusable spacecraft in April, 1981, NASA has launched 138 shuttle missions, most of them fairly routine. 136 of these missions have returned safely to Earth.
Write This Down: The program has done some useful things. While par for the course now, the concept of a reusable spacecraft thirty years ago was revolutionary, as far out as portable phones and a black president. And it's done what it as supposed to do, which is be a mule to carry stuff to and from space.
But overall the space shuttle program has not been a complete success.
Write This Down II: And not because a couple of them took off and didn't come back. The losses of Challenger and Columbia were tragic, but tragic happens when you do dangerous things, just as it has throughout human history.
For Example: When man decided to start sailing the seas ships were lost. Things like this happen. It's the price you pay for having the courage to explore.
Write This Down III: No, the ultimate reason the space shuttle must be considered much less than a complete success is because there is not a follow-up program in place.
Could You Repeat That Please?: Certainly. The ultimate reason the space shuttle program must be considered much less than a complete success is because there is not a follow-up program in place.
We Are Not Making That Up: It's true! We do not have another program that is ready to fly into space. The only country to put men on the moon soon will no longer be able to produce anything more than international air travel. This, honestly, is a humiliation on par with Kobe, Lebron and friends losing to the Republic of Chad in basketball.
This from a country that once went from nothing to the moon in a decade. In the 28 years since the first shuttle launch we've gone no farther than low orbit. It's as if Columbus had returned home from his first journey west and decided to concentrate on exploring the Canary Islands.
Could This Be Dry, Technical Matter?: Not only is there not follow-up program ready to go, it is unknown when there will be. Project Orion, which is planned to be capable of not only low orbit flight, but also travel to the Moon and Mars, is for the first manned flight to take place in 2105 at the earliest and, based on what we know of NASA we are not going too far out on the limb when we suggest there is a good chance it might even be later.
HUT, HUT HIKE: While America begins its three-month fascination this week wondering which two teams will be voted into the BCS title game, official Writer's Shack Fave the Mount Union Purple Raiders, who actually won five (5) playoff games to win the 2008 NCAA Division III national championship, begin defense of that title Saturday in Pittsfield, NY against St. John Fisher College.
Breakdown Segment: St. John Fisher went 7-4 last year, including a 33-3 humiliation to our Purple Raiders in last year's opener. This is the fourth meeting between the two teams. Of course, Mount Union is 3-0 against the Cardinals, having also beaten them in the 2006 national semifinals and 2007 quarterfinals.
Dry, Obvious, Technical Matter: St. John Fisher College is named after St. John Fisher, the only member of the College of Cardinals who died a martyr.
This Just In: Last year was not the Purple Raiders first national title. That is why they are official Writer's Shack Faves, because they win a lot. We have self esteem issues and it helps us to latch on to a winning team. Since winning their first one in 1993, your Purple Raiders have won ten (X) national championships and have finished second twice. They've won three of the last four national championships, too, and have twice won three in a row (1996-98 and 2000-02).
Uh-oh: Mount Union has lost one (1) regular season game this century, a 21-14 Ohio Athletic Conference loss to Ohio Northern in 2005. Since that game they've gone 51-1, losing only to evil Wisconsin-Whitewater in the 2007 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, which is the D-III national championship game.
FunFact: Though Mount Union first played football in 1893, their first winning season didn't come until the 1899 squad went 5-1-1.
FunFact II: Head coach Larry Kehres is in his 24th season as head coach and has a career record of, get this, 275-21-3.
MORE HUT, HUT HIKE/SHAMELESS PLUG: The first Bottom Ten's of the year move this week, with the NCAA Bottom Ten on Tuesday, and the NFL Bottom Ten on Wednesday.
There are a lot of questions heading into the 2009 season, of course. Will the Detroit Lions ever win again? Heck, will the Washington Huskies ever win again? Can 2008 champion North Texas rebound from last year's medal stand finish to reclaim the top spot?
Rest assured your Bottom Ten pollsters will not rest until they've answered at least one of these questions.
DON'T FORGET TO WRITE: On this date, in 1803, the Lewis and Clark expedition begins when Meriwether Lewis, seven soldiers, a pilot and three others, leave Pittsburgh. Richard Clark would join them in October at Clarksville, Indiana. The journey would end in September, 1806 in St. Louis.
Please Pass The Popcorn: On this date, in 1897, Thomas Edison patents the kinetoscope, history's first motion picture viewing device.
Thought For The Day: Man lives in a circle, and when he has been all the way around, he might as well call it a day. - Heywood Braun.
Answer To The Last Trivia Question: The country once known as Zanzibar is now part of Tanzania. Kudos to the Writer's Shack message board poster known as 'Antoine' for having the first correct answer!
Today's Stumper: The Ohio Athletic Conference, founded in 1902, is the third oldest collegiate athletic conference in the country. What two are older? - Answer next time!
Comments? Recipes? Complaints? Email the Writer's Shack here!
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