Spot, there is no Katie column today. I thought when she had a column on Monday, there was supposed to be one on Thursday, too, right?
Yes, grasshopper, that is Spot's understanding as well.
Maybe she just has writer's block. That happens to you, too, doesn't it Spot?
Never.
Oh come on, Spotty, it must happen once in a while. What do you do?
Okay, maybe once in a great while. Katie might try what Spot does: go over to SCSU Scholars and hope against hope that there is a recent post by Janet, like this one:
At this very moment my husband and I are sitting in our office watching an incredibly clear, spectacular lunar eclipse. There is not a cloud in the sky. As we're watching, we're recalling where we were on July 20, 1969, almost 40 years ago - when NASA landed an American space capsule on the moon. It was a night (in the US, daytime in other places) to celebrate, cheer, be proud of what we Americans have always been good at - setting our minds to something and doing it.
It is sad that we dismantled the program and all the engineers who pulled off that achievement. It was awesome. Since then, we have dumbed down our education system, taught our kids most of where we have erred. They do not understand that massive accomplishments of countless men and women of the US. They don't learn that off shoots from the space program drove the computer industry, powdered drink beverage industry, metal alloys applied to wheelchairs, especially those for wheelchair athletes. Countless other inventions came from the space program because it demanded the best of everyone and our society thrives on continual [Spot thinks continuing would have been a better word choice] improvement.
It is my sincere hope that that we will find a way back to setting national goals (vs vapid platitudes) and showing the world why we are what we are. We have much to be proud of - much. It's time we teach our children, and do it soon.
If you can, get the DVD for the movie, In the Shadow of the Moon which tells the story of US astronauts landing on the moon wonderfully. [Spot thinks that Janet means that the astronauts didn't crash.] Summary is here.
It makes you wonder what Janet and the hub were smoking in the "office." Janet is doing a little waxing and waning of her own, apparently. It's not even good stream of consciousness. Stream of semi-consciousness, maybe.
As a writing exercise boys and girls - and Katie, you too - Spot wants you to take the observation of a physical phenomenon and in three paragraphs, draw from it an entirely unrelated conclusion. This is harder than it looks.
You got some ideas for us Spot?
Sure, grasshopper:
A leaf falling to earth: John McCain's presidential campaign. [Sorry, bad example.]
A strawberry parfait: segregation is God's will.
A woman runs for president: Western Civilization will end.
A same-sex couple holds hands in public: Western Civilization will end.
Those examples aren't as good as Janet, Spot.
Well, she's a pro, grasshopper.
Before you're dismissed for the day, boys and girls, let's examine a couple of the things that Janet wrote.
Imagine a world without Tang. It's the kind of future we would have been consigned to had the astronauts not demanded synthetic orange juice to go with their synthetic eggs and synthetic toast. A grim prospect, indeed!
Or take racing wheel chairs; can you imagine a less efficient method of assisting the disabled than shooting people to the moon? Offhand, Spot can't.
Ah, but computers, you say! Without the space program we wouldn't have computers! Actually, Janet, the digital computer was invented in 1939, and most of the things we associate with computers today such as massive storage capability, miniaturization, computing power, and networking, all arose after the lunar program ended.
Most touching is Janet's plaintive cry at the end:
It is my sincere hope that that we will find a way back to setting national goals (vs vapid platitudes) and showing the world why we are what we are. We have much to be proud of - much. It's time we teach our children, and do it soon.
Yes, Janet, we are at such loose ends these days! Nothing like a good Mars rocket or the invasion of a third-rate country to take our minds off of rapid climate change, peak oil, and the fact that the US is dead broke.
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