Fly Me To The Moon

Lately, I have taken some guilty pleasure in poking the bear when I see online articles on colonizing Mars.  The bear in this case are space writers and their slightly naive followers. They don’t like to be poked. I get vengeful responses from the converted. Mars, (like Oak Island and the JFK assassination) generates clicks. Millions of them. Problem is, we are not going.  Sorry.  Not in 2028, not in 2038, not in 2048.  Here is why I don't think this is going to happen: 

1)     We don’t know (yet) how to live in space that long #1.  Unless you build a giant rotating drum to fake gravity, our fearless travelers will be “making a small step for man and a giant leap for mankind ... from a wheelchair.  Eight months in space leaves humans the consistency of pancake mix.  Two years ... take a spatula. 

2)     We don’t know (yet) how to live in space that long #2.  That giant rotating drum requires a new coating, which we haven't invented yet. Paper thin, lightweight, that stops neutrons.  Every astronaut since Alan Shepherd has reported seeing flashes of light in their vision. The picture above shows NASA's dirty little secret.  These particles fly straight through. Metal, plastic, the human body including eyeballs. Which is why they see those flashes of light. A solar storm that hits that spacecraft in the two years they will be up there will kill everyone on board.  We don’t have a fix for that. 

3)     The Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs cost the American taxpayers ten billion dollars.  It was a lot of money in the 60s, but not crazy money. Carl Sagan used to say six bucks from every American per year (1959 to 1969) for ten years.  He would facetiously ask: “Do you want your money back?”  They didn't. I do believe NASA erred when they gave away the technology that was developed within that program for free? Things like microcomputers, Styrofoam and Velcro.  Imagine if they close held those patents?  Today, what would a manned Mars landing cost? Who knows?  $50 billion a year for ten years?  $100? What democratically elected government is going to sustain that?  We are debating lead pipe replacement and school lunch programs.   

4)     There is nothing there.  People see these pictures from Mars rovers and don’t really understand what they are seeing.  It looks like desert.  It looks like the nicest spot in Afghanistan.  It is not.  It is a halfway to absolute zero ball of rusty dirt bombarded by deadly radiation.  A couple of guys walking around for a photo op?  For like a trillion dollars?  Put me down as skeptical.  Send Musk?

Now listen., I am a space geek.  We are going back ... to the moon. Well, not us exactly, the Chinese, or the Indians.  Wow, that sounded racist.  It wasn’t meant that way.  They both have landers there right now and there is stuff we need to do on the moon. Research, astronomy, low gravity experimentation, resource development, and, it gives us a stepping stone to the solar system. It’s only three days away and we can live there.  In caves with domes overhead, I know, but resupply is relatively easy.  We have that technology today, right now.  It’s ready to fly.  Write a cheque!  Who’s with me? Zhang Wei? Ramesh?

Revenge is mine!

I ran across this hack for using sprouted onions from grocery stores to kick start your personal onion patch. C.G. crew better onions than me last year and I shall make her pay for her insolence. Remove the outside layers, pop em in the ground. Muahahaha!

This Week's List

I did not provide any coordination of Optimum offers this week, just a scan of the flyers. I need to run up to Haliburton to do some ice hut chess moves, so C.O. (and more importantly, J.O.) don't have to stare at SWMBO's fishing infrastructure all summer. There is a very narrow window of when I am willing to be in the bush in the spring. Snow must be gone. Ground still frozen. Not pouring rain. Black flies not carrying off small children. Thursday is the day. The flyer had some new stuff and I see brisket is on. I don't have time to suggest how to cook it. If you know, you know. A safer bet is the boneless, skinless chicken (thighs or breasts) at under $5 a pound. I had a laugh when I saw PC Naturally Smoked bacon in the flyer for eight dollars! Why? Avoid buying many live plants for now. They are pushing them hard. At least one more heavy frost is coming. Here is your abbreviated list:

What I'm Reading

I am really falling behind D.L. on this year's reading challenge. Too many other projects this spring. Hopefully, his frigging world travels are diverting his attention. Holland this week FFS! I have finished an Alan Dean Foster novel and slowly working through an Orson Scott Card. Reviews will follow.

We Are Watching

Final Score on Netflix - Dave Bautista, Pierce Brosnan and Ray Stevenson (just before he died) do the terrorist takeover of a soccer stadium thing. Predictable stuff in an action movie that is somehow boring. Two stars.

The Eternaut on Netflix - Subtitled disaster. Gave it up half way through the 2nd episode. One star.

1883 on Paramount - Apparently Taylor Sheridan (writer, executive producer, director) will at some point be occupying the cell next to Harvey Weinstein. A thoroughly toxic personality who is making five or six of the best shows on television. We waited for a Season Two announcement before starting this. It was worth the wait. Five stars. Tim Mcgraw and Faith Hill are the real deal as actors. Isabel May as their daughter, gives a breathtaking performance.

... and finally

So I bought those Dare / Breton Simple Goodness crackers that were a great deal a couple of weeks ago. Here's an idea. When you open the box, tear off the cardboard flap and cut it into an oval shape. Add a drop of olive oil and a little salt. Eat the box lid. The Bacon Dipper legacy is safe!

Bike is coming out soon. SWMBO had better brush up on her polishing skills! Have a great week.

Mitch & Maddie