Today is my critical day - I decided - so, when reading my regular digest of news this morning (it is 5:43 a.m. and I haven’t slept yet) I came upon this great piece of journalism. On CNN.com, author Thom Patterson provided an entertaining piece (unintentionally so) of the “Return to Space”. Here is a link, it may not work for long, though . . .
These are the quotes from the article:
Discovery roared into orbit Tuesday in NASA’s first shuttle flight since the 2003 Columbia disaster, and afterward engineers began evaluating pictures of falling debris to determine the chances of another mishap.
All right let’s look at the dictionary entry for ‘mishap’: mis*hap : an unlucky incident
In what world does the Columbia disaster qualify as a ‘mishap’? I would underline this in my college composition students’ papers as being plain wrong. So, Mr. Patterson, go see the writing center.
Video also showed the fuel tank’s nose cone hitting a bird about 2.5 seconds after liftoff, apparently without damage, he said.
Well, at least not to the fuel tank. And really, what did the bird do there in the first place. I mean, really, didn’t it read the signs everywhere: “Today: Enormous phallus symbol being shot into space to impress aliens with tiny weiners. Bring your own buns and beer.” [ . . . and yes, this was intentional]
I have always been thrilled by the promise of Space Flight- the heroism, adventure, and essential optimism that NASA represented afforded my brothers and I a source of fun and fantasy that remains one of my favorite childhood memories. That youthful naivete is entirely crushed now; the exigencies of the Space Program stand as another harbinger of the delusion of American hegemony. The coverage of this shuttle launch reminds me more of Stalinist-style propoganda than the documentation of the purity of human endeavor. All my hopes go with the Astronauts for a safe return, but my spiritual connection to their role and mission must wait a change in the current climate to find expression.