Random thoughts on politics, current events, popular culture, and whatever else interests me.
The Last Moonwalker and Other Stories #ad
The Last Moonwalker – In the near future, as human explorers prepare to take the first voyage to the Moon in decades, Charles Gerald, the last Apollo Moonwalker, lends his advice to the crew of the expedition as he wrestles with his own legacy.
The First Woman on the Moon – Set in the same universe as Children of Apollo, Wendy Pendleton, who will fly on the mission of Apollo 23, remembers the cost of becoming the first woman on the Moon.
Two Old Men – Two retired politicians, in the same universe as Children of Apollo, face a deadly disease a treatment for which was developed in space.
Dark Sanction – As World War II rages, Gabriella, Venetian aristocrat, spy for British Intelligence, vampire is menaced by a Nazi vampire hunter with occult powers.
Hurtgen Moon – An American rifle squad battles a werewolf during one of World War II’s bloodiest battles.
Witnessing Apollo – The flight of Apollo 11 helps an alien visitor decide the fate of the Earth.
Wednesday, November 29, 2023
The Moon, Mars, and Beyond #ad
The Last Moonwalker – In the near future, as human explorers prepare to take the first voyage to the Moon in decades, Charles Gerald, the last Apollo Moonwalker, lends his advice to the crew of the expedition as he wrestles with his own legacy.
The Man from Mars: The Asteroid Mining Caper - Colin Fraser was the first man to walk on Mars as commander of the Ares. But little did he know that his greatest adventure would take place after he returned to Earth from the Red Planet. With further voyages of interplanetary exploration curtailed due to budget cuts, Fraser joined a private company that proposed to capture an asteroid and mine it for its almost limitless wealth. The only catch was that he would have to commit the first act of space piracy in history by stealing his old ship and using it to divert the asteroid named Daedalus.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Why is America Going Back to the Moon #ad
The moon has held a fascination with Americans ever since President John F. Kennedy threw down the gauntlet and challenged the Soviet Union to a race to land a man on Earth’s neatest neighbor and return him safely to the Earth. 60 years later, a different president of the United States, Donald Trump, proposed that Americans and astronauts from American allies return to the moon. Trump’s Artemis project, unlike previous attempts to return to the moon, looks like it actually may succeed.
Why does American want to return to the moon? Is it science? Is it riches? Is it glory? Or, perhaps, it is a combination of the three. Mark R. Whittington, author of Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon and Children of Apollo, seeks to answer that question in Why is America Going Back to the Moon.
Monday, November 27, 2023
Why is it So Hard to Go Back to the Moon?
Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, departed from the lunar surface on December 14, 1972. The last words he spoke, officially, were, “And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return: with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17." Decades later, despite the efforts of two American presidents, human beings have not returned to the moon. Why Earth’s nearest neighbor remains untouched by human footsteps after so long remains one of the vexing questions of modern times. Mark R. Whittington, the author of the Children of Apollo trilogy and The Last Moonwalker and Other Stories, attempts to answer this question in his new long essay Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon? The answer involves failures of leadership of multiple American presidents as well as political intrigue and backstabbing that shortened the Apollo program and left two return to the Moon programs stillborn. More important, Whittington seeks to set out a political blue print, learning from mistakes of the past, for setting course back to the Moon. Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon is not a typical future in space book. The author does not delve into technical designs for lunar voyages. Instead he looks at the much harder than rocket science art of politics in relation to returning to the Moon. Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon? is a must read for anyone interested in influencing future space policy or who are just interested in learning about the intersection between space exploration and politics.
Sunday, November 26, 2023
SpaceX’s Starship could be a few tests away from its ultimate goal
The recent second test flight of the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy rocket was a perfect example of Elon Musk’s philosophy of technology development. Test the launch vehicle. Blow it up. Note what went wrong. Fix what went wrong. Repeat until you get something that flies as reliably as an airliner.
From a comment on Facebook:
I can't believe The Hill was permitted to publish this story, in which Elon Musk is not demonized a single time and the SpaceX model of "try-fail-learn-try again" was actually sort of praised. What on Earth is going on in D.C. ????
The Gabriella Doria Stories #Ad
Brought across to undeath in the 15th Century, the Contessa Gabriella Doria has walked the night, feeding on the blood of the living. However, on occasion, she had faced foes far more formidable and certainly more evil than a vampire.
Saturday, November 25, 2023
A Brother on the Moon #ad
On a December day in 1967, a pilot whose jet fighter is in the process of cracking up ejects a moment sooner and therefore lives when he otherwise might have died. A life that would have ended on the tarmac at Edwards Air Force Base continues on. Six years later, Major Robert Lawrence, United States Air Force, becomes the first black American to walk on the Moon.
Friday, November 24, 2023
The Last Moonwalker and Other Stories #ad
The Last Moonwalker – In the near future, as human explorers prepare to take the first voyage to the Moon in decades, Charles Gerald, the last Apollo Moonwalker, lends his advice to the crew of the expedition as he wrestles with his own legacy.
The First Woman on the Moon – Set in the same universe as Children of Apollo, Wendy Pendleton, who will fly on the mission of Apollo 23, remembers the cost of becoming the first woman on the Moon.
Two Old Men – Two retired politicians, in the same universe as Children of Apollo, face a deadly disease a treatment for which was developed in space.
Dark Sanction – As World War II rages, Gabriella, Venetian aristocrat, spy for British Intelligence, vampire is menaced by a Nazi vampire hunter with occult powers.
Hurtgen Moon – An American rifle squad battles a werewolf during one of World War II’s bloodiest battles.
Witnessing Apollo – The flight of Apollo 11 helps an alien visitor decide the fate of the Earth.
Thursday, November 23, 2023
The Man from Mars: The Asteroid Mining Caper #Ad
Colin Fraser was the first man to walk on Mars as commander of the Ares. But little did he know that his greatest adventure would take place after he returned to Earth from the Red Planet. With further voyages of interplanetary exploration curtailed due to budget cuts, Fraser joined a private company that proposed to capture an asteroid and mine it for its almost limitless wealth. The only catch was that he would have to commit the first act of space piracy in history by stealing his old ship and using it to divert the asteroid named Daedalus.
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
The Moon, Mars, and Beyond: Two Tales from the Coming Space Age #Ad
The Last Moonwalker – In the near future, as human explorers prepare to take the first voyage to the Moon in decades, Charles Gerald, the last Apollo Moonwalker, lends his advice to the crew of the expedition as he wrestles with his own legacy.
The Man from Mars: The Asteroid Mining Caper - Colin Fraser was the first man to walk on Mars as commander of the Ares. But little did he know that his greatest adventure would take place after he returned to Earth from the Red Planet. With further voyages of interplanetary exploration curtailed due to budget cuts, Fraser joined a private company that proposed to capture an asteroid and mine it for its almost limitless wealth. The only catch was that he would have to commit the first act of space piracy in history by stealing his old ship and using it to divert the asteroid named Daedalus. Stealing the ship, diverting the asteroid, and avoiding federal prison or destruction will be the least of Fraser’s worries, however.
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Why is America Going Back to the Moon #Ad
The moon has held a fascination with Americans ever since President John F. Kennedy threw down the gauntlet and challenged the Soviet Union to a race to land a man on Earth’s neatest neighbor and return him safely to the Earth. 60 years later, a different president of the United States, Donald Trump, proposed that Americans and astronauts from American allies return to the moon. Trump’s Artemis project, unlike previous attempts to return to the moon, looks like it actually may succeed. Why does American want to return to the moon? Is it science? Is it riches? Is it glory? Or, perhaps, it is a combination of the three. Mark R. Whittington, author of Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon and Children of Apollo, seeks to answer that question in Why is America Going Back to the Moon.
Monday, November 20, 2023
Why is it So Hard to Go Back to the Moon?
Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, departed from the lunar surface on December 14, 1972. The last words he spoke, officially, were, “And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return: with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17." Decades later, despite the efforts of two American presidents, human beings have not returned to the moon. Why Earth’s nearest neighbor remains untouched by human footsteps after so long remains one of the vexing questions of modern times. Mark R. Whittington, the author of the Children of Apollo trilogy and The Last Moonwalker and Other Stories, attempts to answer this question in his new long essay Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon? The answer involves failures of leadership of multiple American presidents as well as political intrigue and backstabbing that shortened the Apollo program and left two return to the Moon programs stillborn. More important, Whittington seeks to set out a political blue print, learning from mistakes of the past, for setting course back to the Moon. Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon is not a typical future in space book. The author does not delve into technical designs for lunar voyages. Instead he looks at the much harder than rocket science art of politics in relation to returning to the Moon. Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon? is a must read for anyone interested in influencing future space policy or who are just interested in learning about the intersection between space exploration and politics.
Sunday, November 19, 2023
Could Musk’s Mars colony be a base for asteroid miners?
One of the plotlines for season 4 of the hit TV series “For All Mankind” is an attempt to use a Mars colony as a base to mine the asteroids of the main belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It turns out, that at least one study suggests that Mars would be the perfect jumping-off point for an asteroid mining operation.
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Bernie Sanders wants to bring socialism to space
“It’s no secret Musk wants to develop Mars. And by the way, the kind of riches that he could benefit from mining, literally mining, meteors is a huge amount of money. Do you know that? No one is talking about it. Right now, Musk and Bezos literally have the legal right to take rare minerals off a meteor for their own personal gain — which, to me, is literally beyond comprehension,” Sanders said.
Mining meteors? How does that work, exactly?
Friday, November 17, 2023
The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World #Ad
This book has an excellent chapter describing SpaceIl's Beresheet mission to the moon.
A Brother on the Moon #ad
On a December day in 1967, a pilot whose jet fighter is in the process of cracking up ejects a moment sooner and therefore lives when he otherwise might have died. A life that would have ended on the tarmac at Edwards Air Force Base continues on. Six years later, Major Robert Lawrence, United States Air Force, becomes the first black American to walk on the Moon.
Neither atheism nor theism adequately explains reality. That is why we must consider the middle ground between the two
Thursday, November 16, 2023
‘Napoleon’ Director Ridley Scott On Making The Epic His Hero Stanley Kubrick Could Not; Reminisces On ‘Alien’, ‘Blade Runner’, ‘Gladiator’ And When He’ll Finish That Sequel
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
The Moon, Mars, and Beyond: Two Tales from the Coming Space Age #ad
The Last Moonwalker – In the near future, as human explorers prepare to take the first voyage to the Moon in decades, Charles Gerald, the last Apollo Moonwalker, lends his advice to the crew of the expedition as he wrestles with his own legacy.
The Man from Mars: The Asteroid Mining Caper - Colin Fraser was the first man to walk on Mars as commander of the Ares. But little did he know that his greatest adventure would take place after he returned to Earth from the Red Planet. With further voyages of interplanetary exploration curtailed due to budget cuts, Fraser joined a private company that proposed to capture an asteroid and mine it for its almost limitless wealth. The only catch was that he would have to commit the first act of space piracy in history by stealing his old ship and using it to divert the asteroid named Daedalus. Stealing the ship, diverting the asteroid, and avoiding federal prison or destruction will be the least of Fraser’s worries, however.
Monday, November 13, 2023
Why is America Going Back to the Moon #Ad
The moon has held a fascination with Americans ever since President John F. Kennedy threw down the gauntlet and challenged the Soviet Union to a race to land a man on Earth’s neatest neighbor and return him safely to the Earth. 60 years later, a different president of the United States, Donald Trump, proposed that Americans and astronauts from American allies return to the moon. Trump’s Artemis project, unlike previous attempts to return to the moon, looks like it actually may succeed. Why does American want to return to the moon? Is it science? Is it riches? Is it glory? Or, perhaps, it is a combination of the three. Mark R. Whittington, author of Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon and Children of Apollo, seeks to answer that question in Why is America Going Back to the Moon?
Sunday, November 12, 2023
How United Launch Alliance’s new rocket expands the commercial space race
It looks like the often-delayed United Launch Alliance Vulcan Centaur rocket is ready for launch. A lot is riding on the new rocket, not the least of which is ULA’s hopes of competing with SpaceX, the one rocket company that rules them all, and its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.
Why is it So Hard to Go Back to the Moon? #Ad
Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, departed from the lunar surface on December 14, 1972. The last words he spoke, officially, were, “And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return: with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17." Decades later, despite the efforts of two American presidents, human beings have not returned to the moon. Why Earth’s nearest neighbor remains untouched by human footsteps after so long remains one of the vexing questions of modern times. Mark R. Whittington, the author of the Children of Apollo trilogy and The Last Moonwalker and Other Stories, attempts to answer this question in his new long essay Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon? The answer involves failures of leadership of multiple American presidents as well as political intrigue and backstabbing that shortened the Apollo program and left two return to the Moon programs stillborn. More important, Whittington seeks to set out a political blue print, learning from mistakes of the past, for setting course back to the Moon. Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon is not a typical future in space book. The author does not delve into technical designs for lunar voyages. Instead he looks at the much harder than rocket science art of politics in relation to returning to the Moon. Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon? is a must read for anyone interested in influencing future space policy or who are just interested in learning about the intersection between space exploration and politics.
Saturday, November 11, 2023
Friday, November 10, 2023
A Brother on the Moon #Ad
On a December day in 1967, a pilot whose jet fighter is in the process of cracking up ejects a moment sooner and therefore lives when he otherwise might have died. A life that would have ended on the tarmac at Edwards Air Force Base continues on. Six years later, Major Robert Lawrence, United States Air Force, becomes the first black American to walk on the Moon.
Thursday, November 09, 2023
‘You’re Just Scum’: Haley BODIES Ramaswamy, Warns Him to ‘Leave My Daughter Out of Your Voice!’ IMHO Vivek got off lightly. As I recall, Will Smith slapped a dude under similar circumstances.
Wednesday, November 08, 2023
Tuesday, November 07, 2023
Monday, November 06, 2023
The Man from Mars: The Asteroid Mining Caper #Ad
Colin Fraser was the first man to walk on Mars as commander of the Ares. But little did he know that his greatest adventure would take place after he returned to Earth from the Red Planet. With further voyages of interplanetary exploration curtailed due to budget cuts, Fraser joined a private company that proposed to capture an asteroid and mine it for its almost limitless wealth. The only catch was that he would have to commit the first act of space piracy in history by stealing his old ship and using it to divert the asteroid named Daedalus.
Stealing the ship, diverting the asteroid, and avoiding federal prison or destruction will be the least of Fraser’s worries, however.
Sunday, November 05, 2023
The great betrayal tearing the Democrats to shreds: ALAN DERSHOWITZ says vile Leftist anti-Israeli hate will turn millions of American Jews from Blue to Red - and he's one
Great Britain’s first commercial crewed spaceflight is in the works
Recently, the United Kingdom’s UK Space Agency and Axiom Space, a company based in Houston, Texas, signed an agreement for a possible space mission on board a SpaceX Crew Dragon with an all-British crew.
Related: Prelude to Space by Arthur C. Clarke
Texas is leading the way in efficient energy innovation
With fears of climate change coinciding with the growing need for more electrical energy, Texas has been at the forefront of energy innovation. From small, modular nuclear reactors to carbon capture technology to Exxon Mobil’s use of green hydrogen as an industrial energy source, innovators in Texas are tackling climate change while at the same time expanding electrical generating technology. It’s an approach that other states and the Biden administration could learn from.
Saturday, November 04, 2023
Why is it So Hard to Go Back to the Moon? #Ad
Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, departed from the lunar surface on December 14, 1972. The last words he spoke, officially, were, “And, as we leave the Moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return: with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo 17." Decades later, despite the efforts of two American presidents, human beings have not returned to the moon. Why Earth’s nearest neighbor remains untouched by human footsteps after so long remains one of the vexing questions of modern times. Mark R. Whittington, the author of the Children of Apollo trilogy and The Last Moonwalker and Other Stories, attempts to answer this question in his new long essay Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon? The answer involves failures of leadership of multiple American presidents as well as political intrigue and backstabbing that shortened the Apollo program and left two return to the Moon programs stillborn. More important, Whittington seeks to set out a political blue print, learning from mistakes of the past, for setting course back to the Moon. Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon is not a typical future in space book. The author does not delve into technical designs for lunar voyages. Instead he looks at the much harder than rocket science art of politics in relation to returning to the Moon. Why is it so Hard to Go Back to the Moon? is a must read for anyone interested in influencing future space policy or who are just interested in learning about the intersection between space exploration and politics.
Friday, November 03, 2023
Thursday, November 02, 2023
Sam Bankman-Fried found guilty on all seven criminal fraud counts
The question arises, does he start singing about all he know about those Democrats he gave money to? And, does he definately not commit suicide?
A series of videos depicting what happens between Season 3 and Season 4 of For All Mankind has dropped on the Apple TV+ network. One of the events depicted is the reelection of Pesident Ellen Wilson, the first female and first gay POTUS in the alternate timeline.