Now That The Shuttle ISn't Going To Explode Today...

[stopbush]

Poll question: Now That The Shuttle ISn't Going To Explode Today...

what will bushco use to distract the media from Rovegate? (I know...I'm being cynical).

Vote below:

[northzax]

1. wait, there's a white girl missing in Aruba?

when did that happen?

[The Jacobin]

6. I don't understand.

I understand the reporting on the OJ trial, Michael Jackson trial, and even Monica. They were about celebrities or powerful people.

I don't get the random "child is missing" as a national story. It seems you need a cute white girl go missing with middle class or wealthy media-savy parents and *bango* you have a national story. The missing hispanic kids with poor moms who don't speak english get one paragraph stories on page 3 of the metro section of the paper.

[libhill]

16. Really?

They get that much attention?

[Richardo]

2. Horrible subject line...

[Kraklen]

3. You'd rather it read...

now that the shuttle exploded today...?

[libhill]

7. Well

call me a tinfoil hatter, but with all the doo doo Shrub seems to be getting into - let's just say I wouldn't want to be on that shuttle crew, and leave it at that -

[stopbush]

8. I know, but the sad fact is that had they green-lighted this

launch it could well have been another disaster.

I have a very, VERY bad feeling about the safety of the shuttles. I've seen too many people from NASA on TV this week (some are former NASA) who feel uncomfortable about where the shuttles aren't in certain safety respects.

It feels like they are pushing this launch to keep the funding going. To have a back-up shuttle ready to go on a rescue mission if this one gets damaged - what happens if the rescue vehicle also gets damaged?

This is 30-yr-old technology that is being retrofitted. I think it's time they scuttled this program and started with something fresh. We should be beyond needing humans in space for these missions. That was fine to put a human face on the early space program, but now? I don't think so. The "can do" cheerleading is no replacement for a dependable technology. This does happen to be rocket science.

Maybe my subject line was a bit strong, but there's a big dose of reality in it.

[jim3775]

12. No there isnt much reality to the subject line

Do you have any idea how many meetings and inspections took place before this launch? There was a new safety meeting every day leading up to this. This morning before launch an ice team inspected the shuttle for ice buildup, the fact that the launch was scrubbed because a backup of a backup of a contingency didn’t perform well is a good sign. Yesterday there was some concern because someone spotted a "blemish" in a protective blanket, after a full inspection it was found to be nothing.

On your second point, if the second shuttle fails then the Russian soyuz capsule is launched to mount another rescue mission.

You are right about 30 year old technology being retrofitted, most of the airplanes we fly on were built in the 60's and 70's, sure there are plane crashes but is doesn’t stop people from flying. But as opposed to airplanes the shuttle is being retrofitted by the best experts in the world and fitted with an amazing number of safety redundancies.

[libhill]

15. Yeah.

I'm impressed. Too bad they waited until after two disasters and the deaths of two teams of astronauts before getting so conscientious. They're a day late and a dollar short, in my book.

[ryan_cats]

4. I believe that since they filled the tank already

I believe that since they filled the tank already, that's over $500,000 worth of fuel wasted. I don't know why they can't re-use it.

[Kraklen]

5. Why not re-use?

Because the people that sell the new fuel have a vested interested in not reusing the old stuff.

[MadisonProgressive]

11. No they pump it back out and reuse it.

[XemaSab]

9. "Why did the shuttle fail to launch and

what will it mean for the future of the space program? Let's go now to our correspondant, who is standing by at NASA headquarters with the latest..."

ad infinitum.

[Bouncy Ball]

10. Ooo, bad title line!

[kliljedahl]

13. Chief Justice Rehnquist hospitalized

Posted on Corporate News Networkkk 25 minutes ago:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/07/13/rehnquist.health



Keith’s Barbeque Central

[slackmaster]

14. There's always the weather

It is hurricane season, after all.

ABNT20 KNHC 131515 2005194 1516
TWOAT
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
1130 AM EDT WED JUL 13 2005
FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC...CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO...
THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IS ISSUING ADVISORIES ON TROPICAL
STORM EMILY...LOCATED ABOUT 165 MILES SOUTHEAST OF BARBADOS.
THE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE LOCATED ABOUT 650 MILES WEST OF THE CAPE
VERDE ISLANDS HAS NOT BECOME ANY BETTER ORGANIZED THIS MORNING.
HOWEVER...THIS SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP INTO A TROPICAL
DEPRESSION AS IT MOVES WESTWARD TOWARD WARMER WATERS OVER THE NEXT
DAY OR TWO.
ELSEWHERE...TROPICAL STORM FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH
THURSDAY.
FORECASTER FRANKLIN
$$
wxtlist.k: done