How much are life experiences worth? What, exactly, are success and failure? And how do you react when a catastrophe happens that is so big that the thing many people use as a measure of their entire lives and self-worth suddenly turns up negative? This is the story of a project that was supposed to be an exercise in fulfilling the American Dream through starting up … [Read more...] about The Sunrise Story
Personal Adventures
This will be an index page to various personal stories about “Fulfilling the American Dream”: My grandma was almost a teenager in 1904 when she overheard a couple guys talking about a story about the Wright Brother’s first flight. Her son got his aeronautical engineering degree in the 1930s. And both of her sons eventually worked on the project that put people on the … [Read more...] about Personal Adventures
We Should be Going Nuclear
There is a bit of hypocrisy among people who make claims about being friends of the natural environment. On the one hand, they claim that our need to reduce carbon emissions is critical – a global emergency wherein each year that goes by increases both the proximity and the level of approaching doom. And many of them refuse to even consider using nuclear energy. THIS IS … [Read more...] about We Should be Going Nuclear
I’m not going to Mars. (But maybe you can)
Yes, we’ll deal with both of the statements in the title of this article. Amazingly, they are both true. (although the second one is a bit more amazing than the first.) First of all, I’d like to say that I’m definitely in favor of someone going to Mars. Just not me. It wasn’t always this way. In the 1960s, during the actual “space race” to the moon, I was a geeky little … [Read more...] about I’m not going to Mars. (But maybe you can)
Why should we allow exploration of space instead of fixing poverty on Earth?
Why do we not push for getting everyone everywhere on the same level first? I recently answered this question on a discussion forum. Here it is: It’s silly to think we should solve every problem on Earth before we explore anywhere else for a large number of reasons: First of all, space exploration takes a comparatively tiny amount of Earth’s resources. … [Read more...] about Why should we allow exploration of space instead of fixing poverty on Earth?
The Space Shuttle was a Failure
The loss of both the Challenger and the Columbia were tragedies. But they were both just part of a much greater failure. It’s not a popular thing to say. And, to some people it seems unpatriotic. Especially space geeks and other technology enthusiasts who grew up during the Apollo program and caught the bug of excitement over the development of space flight don’t like anyone to … [Read more...] about The Space Shuttle was a Failure
Was it Aliens?
Some people look at the tech explosion of the 20th century and think that aliens must have helped us with it. Or maybe we “reverse engineered” it from crashed alien space ships at Area 51 or something. And I’ll have to admit that it can look magical to someone who isn’t a techie. Quote Arthur C. Clarke’s law: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable … [Read more...] about Was it Aliens?
Commercial Space Flight
The idea of space travel is embedded deep within the collective psyche of the United States of America and has been for a very, very long time. It saw its first light in the public’s fascination with the novels of H.G. Wells (War of the Worlds) and Jules Verne (From the Earth to the Moon and a Trip Around It) and the fantasy stories of John Carter of Mars written by Tarzan … [Read more...] about Commercial Space Flight
What about the Gold Standard?
Use of the gold standard is a controversial topic. Proponents insist that it would limit inflation as well as government oppression and overreach. They say that the currency that we use should be tied to and be able to be exchanged for something physical which has intrinsic value. In 1966 Alan Greenspan, who later became a long-term Chairman of the Federal Reserve, wrote … [Read more...] about What about the Gold Standard?
The Percent Wealth Tax Heist
Let’s just start right in on the obvious: First of all, taxes are necessary in a well organized society. Capitalism – yes, the “free market” capitalism that so many freedom lovers love to promote – requires a certain amount of taxation to pay at least for a court system to adjudicate both torts and commercial disputes and infractions of the various regulations that are … [Read more...] about The Percent Wealth Tax Heist