The REAL Olympics

[mewickham]

NASA deserves a gold medal for successfully landing a rover on Mars. I'm in awe of the mental olympics necessary to accomplish such a feat and I can't wait to see what they discover.

[snakeskinner]

I'll reserve my gold for someone that can blow up mars

[fishbit]

I agreeMike.Space exploration should be high on this planets agenda!

[Jackielee]

Olympics and space exploration both huge wastes of money in these economic times. Sad we do not concentrate on fixing our energy needs and using our known resources here at home. Just the way it is though.

[fishbit]

Think of all the energy we can get from other planets,not to mention the cool new types of fish!

[dennysfishroom]

Interesting take on the Olympics and space exploration. I'm not sure how well the world economy would have done the last 50 years without silicone rubber, microchips, ever smaller computers, cell phones, GPS, and the internet to name just a few of the by-products of space exploration. Add in the vision and purpose all these events give us, and I'd say we're way, way ahead for having done them. Denny

[mewickham]

Olympics and space program both create jobs. Olympics is mostly paid by sponsors and donor. Think of all the workers it required. And olympians can earn big money in endorsements later. I heard that Gabby Douglas will probably get $100 million in endorsements, alone. I'd like to have that job!

The type of space exporation we've done lately-- orbital space station stuff-- is not so glamorous. I'm not sure what it's accomplished. But missions to the moon and other planets have been teaching us a lot. 100 years ago, they thought they saw ice caps on Mars. Now, we don't see them, but we did put a lander there that found water ice. The ice caps are there, but presumably shrunken back and covered in dust from previously melted snow. If nothing else, this may tell us that the global warming crowd, that blames the climate on man, may be wrong. Humans sure didn't warm up Mars! The space program could be made more efficient or more visionary, but we should not get rid of it. I hope I live long enough to see a manned landing of Mars.

The news is full of stories about humans behaving badly. Most of the time, it makes me embarassed to be a human being. Then I see olympic athletes and the endeavors of NASA scientists, and I'm proud again.

[slimbolen99]

It's amazing how they conceived this space crane concept and actually made it work.

The news is full of stories about humans behaving badly. Most of the time, it makes me embarassed to be a human being. Then I see olympic athletes and the endeavors of NASA scientists, and I'm proud again.

Agree 110%. Imagine if we didn't have to fight wars and drugs, etc what we as humanity could do. But, I suppose building M1-A1 Abrams tanks creates jobs too, so....

[Bilbo]

Olympics and space exploration both huge wastes of money in these economic times. Sad we do not concentrate on fixing our energy needs and using our known resources here at home. Just the way it is though.

I agree with you Jackielee. We have priorities here at home first. I don't understand it. We could eliminate a good portion of our struggles here in our country if our government would simply reroute some of that money.

[Bilbo]

As far as all that other good stuff that comes through NASA... guys, i agree with you but we have pressing things right now that in my opinion are vastly more important. Lets take care of those first. Then when we have a good handle on the things here at home; let us then dump billions into NASA and things of that nature.

[TerriM]

Oh man, now we're going here huh? As said earlier, the Olympics brings revenue in to the hosting country. The hosting country pays for the setup of hosting mostly via donors and sponsors. And as mentioned prior, lots and lots of jobs created.

So NASA is not important? Well exactly how "important and pressing" is the the $39 billion, yes billion, that USAID (U.S. Government funded) alone doles out for economic, civil and a myriad of other reasons for "developing countries." Add to this the Millennium Foundation, also receiving Federal grants to the tune of another measly couple billion and another couple for DoD, not for supporting our troops, but for humanitarian and education and social services, etc.... These are the things that make my blood boil. We're sending tens of billions of dollars over to other countries to help with famine, education, health care, socioeconomic, humanitarian aid, you name it. While we so many problems here at home. I shaddup now.

[mewickham]

As far as all that other good stuff that comes through NASA... guys, i agree with you but we have pressing things right now that in my opinion are vastly more important. Lets take care of those first. Then when we have a good handle on the things here at home; let us then dump billions into NASA and things of that nature.

Since I like to talk politics, I'm curious which pressing things specifically do you mean? If the pressing things are cutting government spending drastically-- the federal government is spending almost twice as much as it takes in!-- I'd very much agree (even if it means some NASA cuts). If, instead, you'd like to see NASA funds moved to some government handout program, I'd strongly be against it.

P.S. I just noticed a typo in my earlier message. I said we should get rid of the space program when I meant to say that we should NOT. I'll go back and edit that.

[Jackielee]

One of the best things about this country is that we can agree to disagree. We are lucky to have all the rights and freedoms that we do have. The political leaders my spend us to the poor house but we put them there and we failed to stand up and be counted if that happens. I love this country, my fellow fish keepers and the hobby we all share but I do not always agree with you and that is okay. I do not keep the same fish others do but I appreciate your right to keep what you want and say what you feel. God bless America.

[snakeskinner]

I think the biggest problem is management of the money and programs rather than the actual dollar figures spent. A good example is the horrific management of the US postal service. My mother spent several years as a route carrier and it was amazing just seeing the horrible waste and mis-management going on just at the local level. I can only imagine how poorly things are run at the higher levels. Everything the government does is managed poorly. Any private business would not survive the way we run our country. The problem is we keep electing politicians. personally, I think we need to elect businessmen who know how to get the most out of a buck instead of people who know how to spend as much as they can so people know who they are..... Kyle

[TerriM]

Well said, Kyle!! That hits the nail on the head right there.

[sumpnfishy]

At a cost of 2.6 billion dollars they could have spread the wealth instead! I want my $7.30. On second thought, the Mars landing was better.