The Home Stretch

A week from now, I'll know the election is over when:

-I get more sleep and exercise.

-I'm consuming less caffeine and more healthy red wine.

-I can start to seriously clean up the clutter around my house.

-The phone bank scripts begin to fade from my memory.

-I'm making no more political donations for awhile.

-I go back to spending more time at Space.com than I do at RealClearPolitics.com.

-I have more time to blog on more various subjects.

But that's a week from now. In the meantime, I'm signed up for phone-banking this weekend and on Tuesday. (I'm taking the day off from work.) Gov. Ehrlich is virtually tied with Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley in the Maryland Governor's race and Michael Steele is gaining national attention as he is closing in on Rep. Ben Cardin for the U.S. Senate seat.

We had our final Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) planning session in Montgomery County last night. The volunteer base here is fired up and ready to climax months of effort with the big push during these final days. And while there are some unique circumstances here in Maryland, I hear that grassroots efforts in other states are also large and energized.

This Picture Says It All



John Kerry has apologized for his so-called 'botched joke'. Whatever the political impact of his debacle, this response by some of our troops is precious. It's been circulating around the Internet like wildfire, apparently with no restrictions, so feel free to download and spread further.

It's a GO!!!


NASA

NASA Administrator Mike Griffin today announced the decision to proceed with one more Shuttle servicing mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). I attended the announcement which brought a standing ovation from the crowd of Hubble NASA and contractor staff at the Goddard Spaceflight Center. The event also included a stem-winding speech in support of the decision by Senator Barbara Mikulski, who has vigorously supported the Hubble project on Capitol Hill. (Yes, even with my feisty red-state of mind, I could stand and applaud Babs on this subject.)

While planning and preparation for this mission has been underway for some time, having it formally placed on the Shuttle manifest and having a crew assigned (including three Hubble servicing veterans) will expedite the activities leading to the (no earlier than) May 2008 launch date.

My colleagues and I will have much to do over the next eighteen months or so, working on this exciting mission.

An Ethical Stem Cell Breakthrough

British Scientists have developed a 'mini' version of a human liver which could lead to full scale transplants using laboratory developed livers. The scientists used umbilical cord blood stem cells and NASA developed technology to achieve this breakthrough.

Working in collaboration with experts from the US, the Newcastle scientists succeeded in separating out the stem cells from blood removed from the umbilical cord minutes after birth.

They are then placed in a 'bioreactor' - a piece of electrical equipment developed by NASA to mimic the effects of weightlessness. Inside this, the freedom from the force of gravity allows them to multiply more quickly than usual.

Then, various hormones and chemicals are added to coax the stem cells into turning into liver tissue.

Michael Steele Rising

Some recent developments have further energized the already passionate supporters of Lt. Gov. Michael Steele's campaign for U.S. Senate from Maryland.

First was Michael Steele's quick response to the Michael J. Fox ad supporting embryonic stem cell research and Steele's Democratic opponent, Rep. Ben Cardin.

Michael Steele said, "There is only one candidate in this race who voted against stem cell research and it's Congressman Ben Cardin. Ben Cardin had a chance to support stem cell research that would not destroy human embryos, and he voted against it - not because of his beliefs on the issue, but as a transparent political stunt."

Unfortunately, many other Democrats and some Republicans in the House also voted to reject this bill supporting promising and ethical stem cell research. It just shows that the agenda for this hype over embryonic stem cell research has less to do with advancing medical science and more to do with trying to further erode society's respect for the dignity of every human life.

Now, after flubbing a televised debate last night, Cardin was a no-show for a NAACP debate tonight in Charles County. Cardin's campaign says he never confirmed his participation, but this doesn't seem like a smart move while trying to hold onto the traditionally Democratic African-American vote. Still to come, another NAACP debate on Saturday and a nationally televised debate on Meet the Press on Sunday.

Stay tuned. This is getting really interesting.

UPDATE: 10/27/06
The Steele campaign has released a powerful ad featuring Dr. Monica Turner, Michael Steele's sister, speaking to the stem cell issue. Watch the video here. Here's a link to RCP Blog featuring the dueling ads.

We Band of Brothers (and Sisters)

Gotta love Laura Ingraham. On her radio show this morning, she noted the traditional feast of St. Crispin, playing a reading from Shakespeare's Henry V which recounted the battle of Agincourt, and rallying her audience for our current political and military struggles.

Here are the final verses:

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition:

And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

So much going on, so little time to blog. The deceptive cloning amendment in Missouri
is going down while Jim Talent is edging up. Here in Maryland, Michael Steele is on the move. So much more happening but it's past my bed time. Got to rest to carry on the fight.

State of Enchantment

I'm back from a meeting at JSC earlier this week, and will be doing more political activity this weekend. But if I could be somewhere else this weekend, it would be in Las Cruces, NM, where the X-Prize Cup events are being held. Events include vertical rocket launches, lunar lander demonstrations, space elevator demonstrations, exhibits, conferences, etc.

Within two or three years, this annual event will feature actual suborbital spaceflights like those accomplished by the privately funded and developed SpaceShipOne in 2004. Already it is a hotbed of entrepreneurial space and educational activity, and is laying the groundwork for our expanding future in space.

This event is being covered by Space.com, which is providing a live webcast of events (Friday and Saturday), plus several other web sites and blogs.

Tenth Anniversary Wishes

Wednesday evening I went into DC to Charley Palmer's Steakhouse to join the 10th anniversary celebration of National Review Online. I got to chat with some well known Washington people and many other interested citizens. Thanks to Kathryn Jean Lopez and the others at NRO for putting on a fine party.

Also celebrating their tenth anniversary this week, the Fox News Channel. Happy anniversary to both fine organizations.

Meanwhile, Back on Earth...

...as I was making the previous post on Mars before going to bed, Fox News has just broken an unconfirmed report that North Korea has just performed it's first nuclear weapon test. AP and Fox News are now reporting that NK claims a successful test.

Mars Exploration: Striking New Images


Image of Rover Opportunity at Victoria Crater seen from MRO
Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech


Ground view from edge of Victoria Crater from Rover Opportunity
Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

With so much going on in politics and other things these days, one can lose track of the continuing progress of exploration around the Solar System. But recent images from Mars, both from the ground with the Spirit and Opportunity Rovers, and from orbit with the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), are too spectacular to overlook. Here's more description from Space.com.

A History Lesson Today's Feast Day

Michael Novak reminds us of the historic battle that occurred on October 7 that made this date become the Feast of the Rosary.

The two greatest naval forces ever assembled — 280 ships in the Turkish Armada, some 212 on the Christian side — came into each other’s sight on the brilliant morning of October 7. So confident was the Turkish admiral, Ali Pasha, that he sailed proudly at the center of his own Armada, bringing with him on vessels just to his rear his entire fortune, and even a part of his harem.

Historians tell us that all over Europe a pall fell. Few had hopes that the Christian fleet could avoid the doom that seemed to hang over Italy. The pope had urged all Christians to say the rosary daily on behalf of the brave crews on the Christian galleys. The rosary is a simple prayer that can be said in almost any setting, and had already achieved a certain popularity among humble folk. With each decade of the Hail Marys they had been taught to reflect upon a different event in the life of Jesus. The beads went through one’s fingers as regularly as the blood through one’s body, as regular as heartbeats and the breathing of the lungs.

Abortion Politics

Friday evening, the Senate was hurrying to wrap up business on a number of issues before the election. The Child Custody Protection Act, originally passed the Senate in July by a vote of 65-34.

The purpose of this bill was to prohibit an adult from transporting a minor across state lines for the purpose of her having an abortion without notification of her parents. Polls have shown that ~80% of the public supports parental knowledge and involvement in an underage girl's abortion decision. Many people who would describe themselves as 'pro-choice' on abortion in general agree that this is a reasonable requirement. This would have been a good law that would have saved some unborn lives and protected some young girls from a most tragic experience.

Anyway, the Senate Democratic leadership then refused to appoint members to a conference committee to work out differences between the Senate bill and a similar House bill, effectively blocking action on the bill without going on record. Then the House passed a revised bill which included the Senate language thereby eliminating the need for a conference committee, but requiring one more Senate vote. Friday night's vote on 'cloture', required to end debate on a bill being filibustered, was 57-42, three votes shy of the 60 needed to go on to vote on the bill itself.

So what happened? Eight Democratic Senators who voted for the bill in July flip-flopped and effectively voted against it Friday night. (I guess they voted for the bill before voting against it.) Why? While I haven't seen any public statements and I cannot read their minds, I can only assume that the pro-abortion lobby that has so much influence in the Democratic Party pressured them into switching.

The eight who flip-flopped were Ken Salazar (Co.), Tom Carper (De.), Bill Nelson (Fl.), Daniel Inouye (Hi.), Evan Bayh (In.), Kent Conrad and Byron Dorgan (both ND), and Herb Kohl (Wi). Four of these: Carper, Nelson, Conrad, and Kohl are up for re-election this November.

The best outcome would have been for the bill to become law but, at least for now, it hasn't. So was this a smart move politically for the Democrats, or have they handed a hot issue to the Republicans? Of course, the Old Media is not going to bring the issue up, but whether the GOP raises it or not, the grassroots prolife movement surely will.

Touchdown!

The Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft carrying Anousheh Ansari, Pavel Vinogradov, and Jeff Williams has landed safely in Kazakhstan.

Handover and Return

It's hard to believe the flight of Anousheh Ansari is almost over. The crew of Expedition 13 handed over control of the International Space Station (ISS) to the incoming Expedition 14 crew before returning with Mrs. Ansari to Earth tomorrow.

Anousheh Ansari has inspired people around the world as shown by the many hundreds, if not thousands, of comments to her blog. CNN reports that she has especially inspired and encouraged women in Iran.

Space enthusiasts gathered Saturday at the Zaferanieh Observatory in Tehran were rapt as they followed the progress of the craft, visible to the naked eye for about two minutes, as it streaked across the sky.

"Anousheh is my hope," said teenager Delagah Dadbeh, watching the spacecraft as tears of joy rolled down her cheek.

"She will shine in Iranian history as a woman who broke barriers and succeeded in conquering space with her endeavor," Dadbeh said.

"Ansari has shown Iranian women the road to progress. We only need to believe in ourselves," Dadbeh said, as another woman, Homa Parvaei nodded in agreement.

Dennis Wingo also pays tribute to Anoushesh's accomplishment in this SpaceRef.com commentary, describing her as a 'Woman of Mass Instruction'.

Dynamic Politics

The winds in the political atmosphere of the mid-term elections are shifting. For much of the year, the pundits and prognosticators have been describing a possible Democratic takeover from the Republicans in Congress. While the gap has not been entirely closed yet in the all of polls , the GOP has been gaining ground these last few weeks. Larry Kudlow describes how a re-energized W is leading the charge on national security and the economy.

A particularly interesting situation is emerging in Maryland this year, according to Russ Smith at the WSJ, where I am active locally in the campaigns. Of particular national consequence is the race for U.S. Senate. Lt. Governor Michael Steele threatens to upset some of the political conventional wisdom.

...should Mr. Steele win the seat--he's currently several points behind in the polling--he'd be the first African-American senator from Maryland, and only the sixth in Senate history. That possibility sticks in the collective craw of local Democrats, who don't like Mr. Steele's cultural conservatism, for one, and are petrified, for two, that the next Barack Obama could be a Republican.

By the way, check out some of the Steele campaign's unconventional video ads.

Needless to say, nobody is getting complacent on either side, nationally or in Maryland. Events could still tip things either way. Looks like another nail-biting election season.

Growing Space Enterprise

This past week, while the Shuttle Atlantis returned safely to Earth and Anousheh Ansari and the rotating crews continued their International Space Station (ISS) activities, some really big space news came out of an AIAA conference in San Jose, California. (Sometimes I really wish I could get paid to go to conferences!)

Robert Bigelow, founder and President of Bigelow Aerospace announced plans that include accelerating development and flight of inflatable commercial human space habitats and that he is collaborating with Lockheed Martin to study use of the Atlas V launch vehicle for commercial human transport to his facilities. LM has already been considering use of the Atlas V for commercial human spaceflight.

This is big! The entrance of one of the traditional large aerospace corporations into the emerging commercial human space travel industry, blurring the difference between 'old space' and 'new space' activity, could really accelerate the emergence of commerce in space and all of its impact on the future of humanity.

(Disclaimer: I am employed by Lockheed Martin. Any comments posted here are purely my own personal views and do not claim to represent my employer.)

Space Travelers Coming and Going

Space Shuttle Atlantis is set to land tomorrow morning after a day's delay to check out the vehicle and the debris spotted nearby.

Meanwhile, the Expedition 14 crew plus paying passenger Anousheh Ansari arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) this morning. Among her other accomplishments, Mrs. Ansari is contributing to a blog during her trip. (I don't know if she's the first space blogger, but it was inevitable that the blogosphere would extend beyond the Earth's biosphere.)

Meanwhile, her trip is causing a split among media in her native Iran. A hardline newspaper worries that enthusiastic coverage by state media provides a role model inconsistent with the strict Islamic party line. Here's hoping their fears are correct and that this venture does inspire the flame of freedom in Iran.

Enraged Christians Riot, Burn Rosie O'Donnell in Effigy

No, there has been no such reaction to the celebrity's outlandish remarks. I couldn't resist this headline as a parody of the very serious situation involving the continuing reaction in parts of the Islamic world to words of Pope Benedict XVI in quoting Byzantine emperor Manuel II Paleologus, a historical figure.

Here is the controversial statement of the Holy Father and, most importantly, his following paragraph.

Without descending to details, such as the difference in treatment accorded to those who have the "Book" and the "infidels," he turns to his interlocutor somewhat brusquely with the central question on the relationship between religion and violence in general, in these words: "Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

The emperor goes on to explain in detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of the soul. "God is not pleased by blood, and not acting reasonably ("syn logo") is contrary to God's nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly, without violence and threats.... To convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person with death...."

These paragraphs were part of a scholarly address at the University of Regensburg in Germany, in which BXVI was discussing the relationship between faith and reason and the role of Greek culture.

Mid-Term 'Super Tuesday'

Primary elections were held in a number of states yesterday as the campaign for the November mid-term elections heats up. Here in Maryland, the race for U.S. Senate is set as Democratic Rep. Ben Cardin won his primary bid to face Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. I'm active locally in the Steele campaign, which is upsetting the conventional wisdom about politics in Maryland and could play a key role in the national political outcome.

Griffin on Science, Exploration and NASA Issues

NASA Administrator Mike Griffin addressed an all-hands meeting yesterday at Goddard Space Flight Center which I attended. His primary focus was on addressing concerns in the science community about NASA, including funding and the advisory process.

Just a few highlights:

On the Hubble Space Telescope

There has been a strong, visible, clear intent by NASA management to restore the previously cancelled Hubble servicing mission, if it is technically possible to do so. A final decision and an accompanying announcement should be made by November.

On the NASA science program funding situation

The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) FY07 budget request is $5.33 B, up from FY06 by 1.5%. And we have an Administration (not just NASA), that is committed to preservation of SMD funding in FY08-10, albeit at a lower growth rate, 1%, than we all would like. In FY11 and beyond, SMD funding tracks Agency top line growth.

On NASA and White House support for science

Science today comprises a larger piece of the NASA portfolio than ever before; 32% today as compared with 24% back in the mid-90s.

and

There's more, indeed much more, but my point is, I think, clear. These are not the actions of a science-hostile NASA, OMB, or President. Quite the contrary.

And on the broader view of the purpose of space exploration

But, as always, there is another view, best and most tersely captured by the President's Science Advisor, Jack Marburger, in his March '06 speech at the AAS Goddard Symposium. Jack noted that the Vision for Space Exploration is fundamentally about bringing the resources of the solar system within the economic sphere of mankind. It is not fundamentally about scientific discovery. To me, Marburger's statement is precisely right.

So a key point must be made: Exploration without science is not "tourism". It is far more than that. It is about the expansion of human activity out beyond the Earth. Exactly this point was very recently noted and endorsed by no less than Stephen Hawking, a pure scientist if ever there was one. Hawking joins those, including the Chairman of the NASA Advisory Council, who have long pointed out this basic truth: The history of life on Earth is the history of extinction events, and human expansion into the Solar System is, in the end, fundamentally about the survival of the species. So to me exploration is, in and of itself, equally as noble a human endeavor as is scientific discovery.

In Remembrance of September 11, 2001


U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael W. Pendergrass

Five years ago tomorrow morning, I overheard a coworker down the hall from my office telling someone else about planes hitting the World Trade Center. I checked in on the Internet and on news radio for reports on what would develop into the the modern era's day of infamy. We know of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, but there was also the attack that did not occur because of the heroic actions of the passengers on United Flight 93.

Five years of daily living, along with increasing domestic rancor, may have dimmed the feelings of shock, horror, and outrage and the response of prayer, compassion, and resolve that united the people of America and most of the world.

This audio/visual Internet presentation developed by a New Yorker shortly after the attacks recaptures all of those experiences. The sequence is ~15 minutes long and some of the images and sounds are quite disturbing, others are inspirational. (I've also added the link to this video to my sidebar.)

It is important that we remember, not only to honor those who died and those who acted heroically that day, but to remain constantly aware of the ongoing dangers, of the presence of real evil in the hearts of some men, and to maintain constant vigilance and a determination to defeat this evil.

Atlantis Aloft!


NASA

After numerous delays, today was the day for Shuttle Mission 115 to launch on a quest to add new truss and solar array components to the International Space Station (ISS). The addition of these components will make the ISS an even brighter object in the night sky. This NASA site and Heavens Above, a private site, are good resources for finding out when you can view the ISS, Shuttle, and other spacecraft from your local area.

Attempted Censorship of The Path to 9/11

The ABC mini-series The Path to 9/11 has certainly caused an unusual uproar over issues of accuracy and bias. As I've haven't seen it yet, I'll reserve judgment on the accuracy of the series' portrayal of events and the surrounding controversy. The accuracy and fairness of a Media presentation on public affairs is certainly fair game for public debate.

But the Senate Democratic leadership has crossed a line when they issued a letter to Robert Iger, CEO of Disney (ABC's parent company), implying they would use the power of government to punish Disney for airing a program containing content they don't approve of. Censorship by 'progressive', 'enlightened', and 'compassionate' liberal Democrats? I thought that was only expected of 'evil', 'mean-spirited', 'right wing extremist' conservative Republicans.

To Boldly Go...

Unfortunately, the Shuttle Atlantis Mission 115 launch was scrubbed again today (for the umpteenth time), because it would have been an auspicious occasion for a launch, the fortieth anniversary of the premier episode of Star Trek. I recall as an eleven-year old being excited about this new prime-time space show.

Rachel's Field

Forest and Aileen Graul, local friends of mine, are attempting to use their property here in the Maryland suburbs of DC for a noble and compassionate outreach to post abortive parents who mourn the loss of their children. The project will stand as a witness to the sacredness and dignity of every human life and is being implemented through Life Principles Trust. They've run into opposition from the local bank which is attempting to prevent this vision from happening.

The background page is the place to start to understand this situation and, if nothing else, pray for the Grauls and their vision. One way to do that is through their audio novena(wma file). I've also added the Life Principles Trust link to the prolife section of my sidebar so that it will be readily available long after this post has scrolled off the main page and into the archives.

Lockheed Martin Wins Moonship Contract

Lockheed Martin was awarded the NASA Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) contract. Here are press releases from NASA and Lockheed Martin. The Orion spacecraft is planned to be the basic vehicle for the vision for human exploration of the Moon and beyond.

Roll Reversal



In an unexpected first for NASA, the Space Shuttle Atlantis was being rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) when NASA officials decided to reverse direction and roll the Shuttle back out to the launch pad, based on forecasts of a diminished Tropical Storm Ernesto. The return to the pad likely allows a launch attempt late next week.

Storms: Now and Then


NOAA

Tropical Storm Ernesto is headed from Cuba and toward Florida, precipitating action to mitigate human and property loss and delaying the planned Shuttle Atlantis launch. Meanwhile, tomorrow's first anniversary of the devastating Hurricane Katrina is being marked.

Woman's Space Adventure Comes at a Pivotal Time

The unfortunate turn of events for would-be Japanese 'space tourist' Daisuke Enomoto, who failed a critical preflight physical, likely puts American entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari into the paying-passenger seat on September's Russian Soyuz flight to the International Space Station (ISS). Mrs. Ansari and her husband are already known in the space community for their prime sponsorship of the Ansari X_Prize. The prize was won by Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne in 2004 for demonstrating a privately developed suborbital spaceflight capability.

It seems to me kind of Providential that Mrs. Ansari would fly at this time. The Ansaris emigrated from Iran to America, and the official Iranian news agency matter-of-factly reported the story today. Her flight could be a real inspiration to the Iranian people, especially Iranian women, defying the Islamofascist idea of women's place in society. (What? No bag over her head!) This could pose an interesting challenge to Mahmoud & the Mullahs, especially as they continue their confrontation with the world over Iran's nuclear weapons development program

Dems' Population Crisis

An Opinion Journal Article by Arthur C. Brooks explains how the cultural attitudes, especially on life issues, prevailing in each of the two major political parties will profoundly influence the direction of American politics.

Given that about 80% of people with an identifiable party preference grow up to vote the same way as their parents, this gap translates into lots more little Republicans than little Democrats to vote in future elections. Over the past 30 years this gap has not been below 20%--explaining, to a large extent, the current ineffectiveness of liberal youth voter campaigns today.

Some of the elites react to this situation with a certain reality-challenged disdain.

As one liberal columnist in a major paper graphically put it, "Maybe the scales are tipping to the neoconservative, homogenous right in our culture simply because they tend not to give much of a damn for the ramifications of wanton breeding and environmental destruction and pious sanctimony, whereas those on the left actually seem to give a whit for the health of the planet and the dire effects of overpopulation." It would appear liberals have been quite successful controlling overpopulation--in the Democratic Party.

Don't those raising the old bogeyman of global 'overpopulation' realize that there are plenty of resources available for a growing human population?

And the Winners are...

...Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Rocketplane Kistler, who will share an approximately $500 million NASA will spend on the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) demonstration phase for commercially provided access to the International Space Station (ISS). Assuming these emerging companies step up to the challenge and that NASA follows through on it's commitment to this program, today's announcement marks a historic shift in the way NASA obtains access to Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

Counting Planets

A proposal to be considered by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) next week would raise the count of planets in our Solar System to twelve, with some of the smaller ones, including Pluto, being classified as 'plutons'. However, the issue is still being debated by astronomers.

Today Was Almost A Very Terrible Day

British authorities have apparently thwarted a horrific terror plot about to be implemented to explode numerous U.S. bound planes, possibly killing thousands of people. The details are still unfolding, but it appears to have the characteristics of an Al Qaida operation.

James Van Allen, 1914-2006

Physicist James Van Allen, whose experiment aboard Explorer-1, America's first satellite, revealed the radiation belts around Earth that bear his name, died today at the age of 91. Dr. Van Allen was involved in numerous other space research missions, although he was a severe critic of the human spaceflight program.

May he and his family be in our prayers.

A Close Race

It looks like Joe Lieberman will lose his Connecticut U.S. Senate primary battle to Ned Lamont by a narrow margin (now under 4% with ~86% of precincts reporting). This will put him in good shape for his planned run as an independent. This could be a most interesting outcome, having Joe L. in the Senate as an independent after being narrowly ousted by the left wing of the Democratic Party.

Adult Stem Cells Good For Business

An investment analyst recommends biotech investors put their money into adult stem cells.

Based in California, SmallCap Sentinel has been issuing investment information for 23 years and analyst D.R. Clark says adult stem cell research firms are a better buy.

"As the headline-grabbing battle regarding embryonic stem cell research rages, adult stem cell sources continue to provide an ever-broadening array of life-improving possibilities," Clark said in a statement LifeNews.com obtained.

"Researchers are using the far less controversial adult stem cells to attack enormous medical problems and are confident enough in their successes thus far to seek the protection of U.S. Patents," he added.

UPDATE 8/10: More investment analysts are bullish on adult stem cells.

"From a Wall Street perspective, adult stem cells are a much better investment," Stephen Dunn of Dawson James Securities, told CNN. "These are the guys who are going to be in the news in 2007 and 2008."

"Embryonic stem cell research hasn't kept up pace with adult stem cell research," Dunn added. "Adult stem cell research is advancing so far you might not need embryonic stem cells. If the federal government is reluctant to put their money into it, then Wall Street is as well."

Mars Society Conference

I spent the last three days attending the Mars Society Conference here in DC. While I didn't attend Thursday's session, NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk were the first days key speakers and a Mars Blitz on Capitol Hill accomplished 100 visits by teams of citizens in a three hour period. Friday's plenary speakers included NASA Exploration Systems head Scott Horowitz, SETI Institute's Scott Hubbard, and Space Telescope Science Institute's Matt Mountain. More plenary speakers and a rich selection of tracks and a lively banquet filled out the weekend.

The philosophical and policy tracks were particularly strong and I wound up attending these more than the technical tracks (although the Mars Society has a strong hands-on focus with its Mars Analog projects). My other impression was that while I saw some familiar faces, I met some people who joined the space community (outside of professional roles) through the Mars Society. Their overall thinking about space is the same as that of members of the other space organizations I'm active in. Look for several accounts of the conference at HobbySpace and Space Politics.

Videos from the War

Checkout Vital Perspectives for some unique information, imagery, and videos of Israel's war with Hezbollah. (Hat tip to PowerLine Blog.)

A prime example is this sequence which shows a Hezbollah terrorist carrying weapons into a house, then firing the missiles toward Israel. The Israelis get the last shot as the video concludes with the house being destroyed.

Back from Vegas and NewSpace 2006

Definitely a good trip, both fun and inspiring. Definitely a sense that a lot is going to happen in the space industry in the next few years. Clark Lindsey has a quick wrap-up including links to other sources, and he'll probably have more later at HobbySpace.

The timing and location of the conference was perfect, coming in the wake of the launch of Genesis-1 by Bigelow Aerospace. I was fortunate to be a part of a group that was given a tour on Thursday afternoon of the company's facilities by Mr. Bigelow himself. No picture taking was allowed, but a separate media group was allowed selective picture taking. Jeff Foust provides a photo gallery plus a very descriptive article on Bigelow's efforts and their new openess about them.

Outside of conference activities, I enjoyed time in the pool and good food and libations. Thursday evening I went to an enjoyable show up at the Sahara by the Scintas, a great family musical comedy act. Plenty to do in Vegas without losing all your $$.

Anniversaries


NASA

Thursday is the 37th anniversary of humanity's first expedition to the lunar surface. Check out Rand Simberg's ceremonial commemoration of that epic event.

I'll be off to attend the Space Frontier Foundation's NewSpace 2006 Conference. We'll be discussing how to bring about human settlement of the Moon and other places on the frontier in an appropriately dry place with temperature extremes and an artificial environment. The conference is being held in Vegas.

Thursday is also the third anniversary ('blogiversary') of the launch of this humble blog. Here is the inaugural post (Note that I was too inexperienced to think of giving it a title.) on Life at the Frontier.

Embryonic Conflict

As the Senate debates and the Old Media distorts, W is prepared to stand by principle and veto a bill funding embryonic stem cell research and sign two other bills prohibiting 'fetal farming' and promoting legitimate alternatives.

We are all Israelis Now

The situation in the Middle East which exploded in the past week calls for our prayers for peace and for the people of Lebanon and Israel. That does not mean there is a moral equivalence here. Hezbollah and their more powerful backers are clearly the aggressors, and this situation is only part of a global picture.

There has been much commentary, but Larry Kudlow in his NRO article says it as good as anyone.

All of us in the free world owe Israel an enormous thank-you for defending freedom, democracy, and security against the Iranian cat's-paw wholly-owned terrorist subsidiaries Hezbollah and Hamas. Israel is doing the Lord's work. They are defending their own homeland and very existence, but they are also defending America's homeland as our frontline democratic ally in the Middle East.

And on the connection to the war in Iraq:

Israel's next front may indeed be Syria, which is also directed by Iran and is a safe haven for terrorists - including former Saddam Baathists and others who move freely between Syria and Iraq in order to cause trouble. Many experts still believe that Syria is safe-harboring Saddam's unfound inventory of weapons of mass destruction.

Kudlow discusses the economic aspects, and the closes with a salute to Israel's courage in responding to this crisis.

When the dust clears the world will applaud Israel for its courage. Sensible freedom-loving people everywhere will realize that Israel's furious response in the face of senseless terrorist attacks will have made the world a better place.

In fact, we are all Israelis now.

Happy Landing

Shuttle Discovery landed safely today after a highly successful mission. The ship landed with one less crew member than when it launched as European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter stayed behind on the International Space Station (ISS). The ISS is now staffed up to three crew members, with major assembly Shuttle missions upcoming.

Contrasting World Views

The successes of Shuttle Discovery and Bigelow's Genesis-1 are good news to those who see human expansion into space as a vital way of providing for future generations. However, as Michael Huang points out in his Space Review article this week, there are some who not only see no human future in space but would prefer there be no long-term human future at all. Welcome to the bizarre world of the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement (VHEMT).

Of course, the repulsion of VHEMT lies in the end of humankind: the loss of cumulative achievements in the arts and sciences, the elimination of countless future human lives, and the end of intelligent life on Earth. Of great consequence is the loss of a future for life itself.

Do we take the path of seeking the death of the human species or the path of expanding to welcome and provide for future generations of human beings? This question once again frames what Pope John Paul II so aptly described as a conflict between a culture of death and a culture of life.

Welcome to the Hotel Bigelow

Well, the guest rooms aren't ready for checking in yet, but Bigelow Aerospace has launched its first inflatable test vehicle riding a converted Russian ICBM into orbit. The company reports that the vehicle, Genesis-1 has been successfully expanded and its solar arrays are deployed.

Bigelow Aerospace has received confirmation from the Genesis I spacecraft that it has successfully expanded.

We have also confirmed that all of the solar arrays have been deployed.

This is the first of a series of test flights using technology from a NASA program called TransHab (cancelled in the late nineties before any test vehicles could be flown). The goal is to commercially develop space modules for use as laboratories, manufacturing sites and, yes, hotels in the next ten years.

The Non-Conflict Between Ethics and Progress

With a crucial Senate vote coming up this week, Robert George and Eric Cohen last week pointed out the fallacy of the hype for embryonic stem cells.

Instead of engaging in fraud and coverup, or conducting experiments that violate the moral principles of many citizens, we should look to scientific creativity for an answer. Since the cloning fraud, many scientists -- such as Markus Grompe at Oregon Health & Science University and Rudolf Jaenisch at MIT -- have been doing just that. And others, such as Kevin Eggan at Harvard, may have found a technique, called "cell fusion," that would create new, versatile, genetically controlled stem cell lines by fusing existing stem cells and ordinary DNA. Scientists in Japan just announced that they may have found a way to do this without even needing an existing stem cell line.

In other words: all the benefits of research cloning without the ethical problems. Looking ahead, it is becoming increasingly likely that reprogramming adult cells to pluripotency, rather than destroying human embryos, will be the future of regenerative medicine. It offers both a more efficient and far more ethical way forward.

AOK

The STS-121 mission appears to be achieving its objectives so far, including docking with the International Space Station (ISS), validating the intactness of the Shuttle's thermal shielding, and yesterday's EVA (Extra-Vehicular Activity - the formal name for a space walk) which repaired some critical ISS hardware and tested the sturdiness of a boom that could allow the crew to do repairs on the bottom side of the Orbiter, a capability that is crucial for NASA potentially giving a go-ahead for a final Hubble servicing mission.

Check out the Space.com STS-121 mission page for links to mission reports as the flight progresses.

Rockets' Red Glare


NASA/KSC

Space Shuttle Discovery soared into space with today's spectacular July 4th launch. While some small debris were spotted falling from the External Tank, analysis so far does not indicate any major problem. Discovery is set to dock with the International Space Station on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Kim Jong Il had to grab attention with some fireworks of his own as North Korea test fired several missiles today around the same time as the Discovery launch. The anticipated test of a long range missile apparently turned out to be a dud, failing early in flight.

Happy Independence Day!

As we join in the festivities of the Fourth, let's strive to keep to the values proclaimed in the Declaration that make it worth celebrating.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Go for Launch

NASA has decided to go ahead with tomorrow's July 4 Discovery launch after analyzing an anomaly with the External Tank's foam coating.

Mexican Election Outcome

Felipe Calderon and his party appear to have won the Mexican national elections in a tight race. Calderon's win favors free market policies and a cooperative position with the US and is also a positive outcome for the prolife movement.

This is not an Old Saturday Night Live Skit

The state of New Jersey REALLY is still closed!

Hubble Eye Reopens

The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), a key Hubble Space Telescope instrument, was reactivated on it's redundant side after the instrument stopped operating nearly two weeks ago.

Let's Try This on Tuesday

Weather once again scrubs the Discovery launch. Next attempt will be for a July 4th launch.

Scrubbed for Today

Weather conditions have caused the Discovery launch to be rescheduled for tomorrow.

The Countdown Continues...



...for tomorrow's scheduled launch of the STS-21 mission of Space Shuttle Discovery, while the weather forecast remains doubtful. Follow developments at SpaceFlightNow's Mission Status Center and watch live video coverage on NASA TV.

Much is riding on this flight, which opens the final phase of the Space Shuttle Program. Our prayers are with you, STS-121 Crew.

Neutralizing the Word Games

Here's a great article on the what may be the most challenging frontier for the prolife movement, the topic of abortive contraception.

The truth is, it was the abortion rights and family planning movements that have been playing word games for the past few decades, and the pro-life movement is simply trying to correct the damage.

This decades old controversy revolves around the definition of a single word: conception.

The site No Room for Contraception is breaking ground on the whole topic of the impact of contraception on society.

Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Demythified

My friend Pete Backus, a leading scientist at the SETI Institute, describes three myths commonly held about SETI that don't correspond to reality. The common thread among the misconceptions is that people tend to think a much more extensive SETI search has been carried out than is actually the case. Thus any conclusion about the success or failure of this endeavor is quite premature.

More Info on WMDs?

Not surprisingly, the Old Media is playing down the story about the discovery of chemical weapons in Iraq. The finding of these older, but still potentially very dangerous, chemical weapons doesn't provide conclusive evidence about the scope of the Iraqi weapons program at the time of the 2003 war. But the information disclosed last week was only a tiny portion of a larger pile of still classified documentation that could shed light on the WMD situation.

Michael Ledeen at NRO argues for releasing all of the documentation.

And we should demand they honor their calling, we should demand that the whole document be declassified and released, so that we can evaluate it ourselves, and decide how important it is or isn't. Because we know that the fourth branch isn't going to give us the facts, unless they fit their agenda.

Declassify the WMD document now. We'll tell you what it means.

And while you're at it, how about producing the other Iraq documents, the stuff from Saddam's files, that you promised to give us? We haven't seen much of that of late, have we? I wonder why...

I tend to agree, with the caveat that information that might allow still hidden WMDs to fall into terrorists' hands or endanger informants be withheld, as described in this Strategy Page article.

If the United States were to have announced WMD finds right away, it could have told terrorists (including those from al-Qaeda) where to look to locate chemical weapons. This would have placed troops at risk - for a marginal gain in public relations. A successful al-Qaeda chemical attack would have been a huge boost for their propaganda efforts as well, enabling them to get recruits and support (many people want to back a winner), and it would have caused a decline in American morale in Iraq and on the home front.

So There Were No WMDs, Right?

Looks like another politically correct assumption is going down the drain. This developing story is breaking at Fox News and other sources tonight.

"We have found weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, chemical weapons," Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., said in a quickly called press conference late Wednesday afternoon.

Reading from a declassified portion of a report by the National Ground Intelligence Center, a Defense Department intelligence unit, Santorum said: "Since 2003, coalition forces have recovered approximately 500 weapons munitions which contain degraded mustard or sarin nerve agent. Despite many efforts to locate and destroy Iraq's pre-Gulf War chemical munitions, filled and unfilled pre-Gulf War chemical munitions are assessed to still exist."

While these weapons discussed in the declassified report are apparently degraded pre-1991 Gulf War weapons, they do raise a lot of questions about what we've been told is known about what was supposedly not found in Iraq.

The weapons are thought to be manufactured before 1991 so they would not be proof of an ongoing WMD program in the 1990s. But they do show that Saddam Hussein was lying when he said all weapons had been destroyed, and it shows that years of on-again, off-again weapons inspections did not uncover these munitions.

Hoekstra said the report, completed in April but only declassified now, shows that "there is still a lot about Iraq that we don't fully understand."

Asked why the Bush administration, if it had known about the information since April or earlier, didn't advertise it, Hoekstra conjectured that the president has been forward-looking and concentrating on the development of a secure government in Iraq.

Offering the official administration response to FOX News, a senior Defense Department official pointed out that the chemical weapons were not in useable conditions.

"This does not reflect a capacity that was built up after 1991," the official said, adding the munitions "are not the WMDs this country and the rest of the world believed Iraq had, and not the WMDs for which this country went to war."

The official said the findings did raise questions about the years of weapons inspections that had not resulted in locating the fairly sizeable stash of chemical weapons. And he noted that it may say something about Hussein's intent and desire. The report does suggest that some of the weapons were likely put on the black market and may have been used outside Iraq.

He also said that the Defense Department statement shortly after the March 2003 invasion saying that "we had all known weapons facilities secured," has proven itself to be untrue.

"It turned out the whole country was an ammo dump," he said, adding that on more than one occasion, a conventional weapons site has been uncovered and chemical weapons have been discovered mixed within them.

I've seen other reports on reliable Internet sources over the past three years that caused me to doubt the sweeping assumption that there were no WMDs in Iraq. There may be more declassified information forthcoming, according to Senator Santorum and Rep. Hoekstra.

Go For Launch



NASA Administrator Mike Griffin has announced that NASA is proceeding toward a launch of the next Space Shuttle mission, STS-121 on Saturday, July 1, even with the objections of the agency's chief engineer and safety office. The concerns center around the potential for debris falling from 'ice-frost ramps' on the Shuttle's External Tank which could damage the Orbiter. The rationale for the decision is explained in this somewhat lengthy SpaceflightNow.com article.

Griffin does base his decision on, among other things, the eventual redesign to the ice-frost ramps to mitigate the risk and the crew's ability to use the space station as a 'safe haven' in the event of damage to the Orbiter on ascent.

"So how do I justify that? With as much uncertainty as we have, I ... certainly would have to think harder about putting a crew on this vehicle if I thought they didn't have the space station safe haven option and the launch-on-need (rescue flight) option and for that matter, if push came to shove, to call up Russian Soyuz spacecraft for rescue. I do not see the situation we're in as being a crew-loss situation."

Just personally reading into this statement, but the status of the Hubble servicing mission, which will not have the space station 'safe haven' available, may depend on implementation of the eventual redesign.

Momentum Shift

Much has been written about the amazing recent turn of events. Two weeks ago, Democrats, much of the Old Media, and other political insiders were making cocky predictions about how the Republicans were doomed to defeat in an angry public tide demanding change. Columnist Tom Bevan points to the conjunction of events of the past two weeks that prove all bets are off.

For the first time in months the White House has gotten sustained positive news coverage out of Iraq, and Bush's poll numbers appear to be inching back upward. Democrats have been forced to stand in the president's shadow, offering meek criticisms that begin "Zarqawi's death is good news, but . . ." Suddenly, Democrats are back in the perilous position of trying to criticize the president without coming off looking like they're rooting for America to fail in Iraq.

Bottom Line: It's too soon for either side to proclaim victory and this will be another hard fought election campaign.

More from Stephen Hawking: Science and Religion

Physicist Stephen Hawking recalled a meeting he and other scientists had with Pope John Pull II at the Vatican, discussing the relation of science and religion.

Hawking said the pope told the scientists, "It's OK to study the universe and where it began. But we should not inquire into the beginning itself because that was the moment of creation and the work of God."

A probably more accurate description of the meaning of JPII's statement has been provided by Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

"Here is what the Pope actually said: ‘Every scientific hypothesis about the origin of the world, such as the one that says that there is a basic atom from which the whole of the physical universe is derived, leaves unanswered the problem concerning the beginning of the universe. By itself science cannot resolve such a question.’ The Pope then quoted Pope Pius XII as saying, ‘We would wait in vain for an answer from the natural sciences which declare, on the contrary, that they honestly find themselves faced with an insoluble enigma.’

When Stephen Hawking Talks, People Listen

Physicist Stephen Hawking says space settlement is required to ensure the survival of the human race in the event of natural or man-made catastrophe on Earth. While less well-known advocates of space settlement have been saying this for a long time, the Hawking announcement headlined the Drudge Report for much of the day, even with W in Iraq and Rove exonerated also happening today.

I would add that expansion into space is not only a way of ensuring the human race as a whole against extinction, but also a way of providing resources for future generations rather than fearing resource depletion from supposed 'overpopulation'.

A Child Sees Through The Handwaving

With all of the issues that are being discussed at a frenzied intensity these days, Nat Hentoff zeroes in on what has really been the major crisis in our society these last thirty-plus years, and cites the wisdom of a child who saw past all the verbal and mental handwaving.

"But," said her son, "that means killing the baby." The mother then explained that there are certain months during which an abortion cannot be performed, with very few exceptions. The 9-year-old shook his head. "But," he said, "it doesn't matter what month. It still means killing the babies." Hearing the story, I wished it could be repeated to the justices of the Supreme Court, in the hope that at least five of them might act on this 9-year-old's clarity of thought and vision.

The Week That Was

I got home late Friday/early Saturday from a week of payload safety training at Johnson Space Center. As usual, I'm a couple of days behind when a big story breaks. On the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, I'll cite a commentary from National Review Online for insight into the strategic and political implications.

The killing of Zarqawi and the completion of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government is a fortunate confluence that allows a new departure in Iraq. Zarqawi's killing will make the American public think progress is possible in a way that a recitation of optimistic statistics never will. The White House believes- correctly, in our view-that the portion of the American public that is persuadable on Iraq will listen to a message based on the argument that loss in Iraq will bring dire consequences, and that the U.S. is constantly adjusting based on conditions rather than mindlessly "staying the course." A redoubling of effort now could be sold in these terms, and it would be natural to couple it with the completion of Maliki's government.

And here is a report from SpaceflightNow.com on the vital role that space assets played in the operation to take out Zarqawi.

As a Christian, I have to pray that even such an evil man can find redemption from eternal damnation. However, in a lighter vein, I can't help speculating on what the appropriate form such a fate might be. Perhaps instead of enjoying eternity with seventy-two voluptuous virgins, it would be finding one's self stuck for eternity in the company of seventy-two clones of Hillary Clinton.

Memorial Day

Ben Stein delivered a moving message to families of those who have given their lives to defend our freedom.

Your loved ones' lives and deaths had as much meaning at the lives and deaths of every American who died for freedom from Valley Forge to the Battle of the Bulge to Cho-Sin Reservoir to the Cu Chi tunnels to the Balkans to Kabul, Afghanistan, to Falluja, Iraq.

And if the media doesn't know it, every other American does. This is a very difficult fight, but the ordinary American knows what your loved ones have done and respects them.

Democrats' Worst Nightmare

That is the title of Bob Novak's column describing Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele's campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Steele sees national implications and put it to me this way in a conversation before the recent rally in Upper Marlboro: "It's a breaking point. I've heard the talk: 'Hillary, Bill, Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, all are coming in to campaign against you. They can't bear to see you win this race.' If I win this race, I am sure that the whole dynamic changes."

This morning I was one of a large, enthusiastic group of supporters who walked with Lt. Gov. Steele in the parade in downtown Rockville, wearing the official Steele T-shirt I'd just received for the occasion. (Once you've got the T-shirt, you know the campaign is really underway.) The response of the crowds was as warm as today's summery weather, so it looks like it's going to be a good race for the Senate.

"--time for a great new American enterprise--"

I had not yet even reached my sixth birthday, so I don't remember watching a presidential speech forty five years ago today (though I do remember watching Alan Shepard's flight a few weeks earlier), but this one had a lasting impact on my life and my career.

First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.

President John F. Kennedy, May 25, 1961

Dud Vinci Code

With the long awaited/debated opening of the film version of Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code at hand, critics have turned thumbs down on the film's artistic traits, while Christians around the world are preparing to respond to its spiritual challenge. One of the best resources is Jesus Decoded, a TV/DVD documentary and an associated web site containing volumes of information challenging the myths portrayed in The Da Vinci Code. Both are sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Also, check out the many Catholic bloggers who are commenting (which makes this an opportune time to update the link to the Catholic Blog Directory (St. Blog's Parish) at the top of the 'Blogs' section of my sidebar).

I haven't read the novel and I don't expect to spend my money to promote the movie. Now if you want to see Ron Howard and Tom Hanks do something that they do well (portraying space exploration), check out a copy of Apollo 13 and enjoy it at home this weekend.

Newt on the Frontier

Meanwhile, a potential successor to W shares his thoughts in an e-mail interview on how to enable developments which will lead to migration into space.

Prez Speech

W proposed a multiple part approach to the illegal immigration issue, including National Guard deployment while Border Patrol forces are ramped up, enforcement against employers, and a 'guest worker' program. Commentary I've seen so far is ambiguous, although the combination of approaches proposed is what was generally expected.

Old Media v. Reality

As the Old Media continues its downward spiral into absurdity, it's about time I add the Media Research Center and its associated blog, NewsBusters, to my lists of links and blogs. In the blog, Rich Noyes dives into the Old Media hyperventilating over the NSA database story. My favorite paragraph is where he puts into perspective the relative intrusion into our privacy by the NSA v. that of another government agency.

Today’s article does not allege that any calls are listened in on. Indeed, as USA Today describes it, the program seems like a thoroughly innocuous database of the same information that appears on your phone bill, but with your name, address and other personal information removed. Given that another government agency — the IRS — maintains information on American citizens’ employment, banking, investments, mortgages, charitable contributions and even any declared medical expenses, this hardly seems like a major assault on personal liberty.

(Hat tip to Tim Graham at The Corner.)

ISDC 2006

So much information coming out of the International Space Development Conference just held in LA. There is a sense of hopefulness in the air that efforts to open the frontier are gaining momentum.

No time right now to recapture it all here, so I'll refer you to a compendium of many of the presentations and other web reports at HobbySpace.com.

Follow-up: Andrea Clark

Andrea Clark died peacefully on Sunday after her family successfully fought to reverse a Hospital decision to deny her life sustaining care.

Her family said she was not in pain but had developed a severe infection her body was unable to continue fighting.

"We hope that the battle that we fought for our sister will bring to light and bear witness to the horrible acts committed in the name of ethics in hospitals across the state of Texas," the Clark family said in a statement provided to LifeNews.com.

Important Matters

While I don't like the rising costs of fueling my car more than anyone else, I hope people will put things into perspective by the time they vote in this year's vital elections. Three things I did this weekend are reminders of what are really important matters.

On Saturday evening, I went to downtown Silver Spring to see the newly released movie United 93, an intense retelling of that horrific September morning five years ago and the courageous actions of a band of airline passengers and crew members who prevented one more devastating attack, probably on the U.S. Capitol. (Not the most soothing movie to see a few days before I fly out of town to the ISDC, but I had to go see it.) Definitely a reminder of what we're up against.

Leaving the theater after the movie, I went next door to Border's and bought a copy of Party of Death, the new book by National Review's Ramesh Ponnuru examining how the anti-life agenda of abortion, euthanasia, etc. were imposed on the nation by the courts and the media, and how the Democratic Party was coopted into becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Planned Parenthood & company. I'm looking forward to reading this account of how we got to where we are and how we can take back our future for a more life-affirming agenda.

Another situation where the dignity of human life is being blatantly disregarded is the genocide taking place in the Darfur region of the Sudan. I attended the rally on the Mall today with thousands of others to support action by our nation and the world to end the atrocities. This issue transcends the usual partisan divisions, with rally speakers from across the political and religious spectrums. Perhaps for that very reason, the situation has been undercovered in the media. Anyway, for more information and to sign an on-line petition, check out SaveDarfur.org.

Reflections on Space Policy Priorities

Dennis Wingo analyzes the keynote address given by White House Science Advisor Dr. John Marburger to the Goddard Symposium in March, pointing out the significance of integrating space into economic and security interests.

The Vision for Space Exploration, as laid out in amplified form by Marburger, is an incredibly positive vision - one that we as space advocates have been pining forever to be stated. It is incredible to me that this speech by Marburger is not on the wall of every single space advocate, and on the front of ever space advocate group's web page. Even Ad Astra left off almost 40% of the speech from its web page - ironically, the part where a cost/benefit analysis leaves space wanting. We as space advocates need to absorb this speech (space advocate in this context includes NASA), look at its "vision" and look to see what can be done to align NASA and other national space efforts to support space development as an engine of U.S. economic competitiveness.

Urgent Case: Hospital 'Ethics' Committee Threatens Woman's Life

Andrea Clarke, a patient at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston, TX, will be denied life sustaining medical treatment over her and her family's objections. More info at ProLifeBlogs.

Get on the phone. Again, the info: Andrea Clarke is at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston, TX. St. Luke’s is located at: 6720 Bertner Avenue, Houston, TX. Their phone number is: 832-355-1000. Here’s the website, and a general email address: generalinformation@sleh.com

Andrea's cause has been taken up by a diverse community including the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation, Democratic Underground, and Right Wing News.

Happy 16th for the Hubble Space Telescope


NASA, ESA

HST was launched sixteen years ago today and the Space Telescope Science Institute has released a new image of the galaxy Messier 82 (M82).

Habemus Papam! - One Year Later

Today is the first anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI's election to the Chair of St. Peter. Happy Anniversary BXVI!

Earthquake Anniversary

Today marks the one hundredth anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. When I lived in the Bay Area (from 1979 to 1996), I learned how such a singular event could have an impact on the history of a region, and of the resilience of humans and all life to come back and thrive in spite of adversity.

Have a Blessed and Happy Easter and Passover!


Link from www.truecatholic.org, artist not listed.

Brothers and sisters:
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears,
then you too will appear with him in glory.
Col 3:1-4

Have We Forgotten?

Whatever sentence is decided for Zacarias Moussaoui, perhaps the most important outcome of the proceedings is the reminder the public is receiving of the horrors of the September 11 attacks and of the heroism of ordinary people, particularly the passengers of United Flight 93 who prevented another devastating attack, perhaps on the U.S. Capitol. A transcript of the struggle onboard the plane is here.

Happy Anniversary

Today marks the anniversaries of Yuri Gagarin's pioneering orbital flight (45th) and the of first launch of the Space Shuttle (25th). Rand Simberg has an NRO column up on the significance for the future.

Finally, this double anniversary is being celebrated around the world with Yuri's Night parties. (I'm planning to go to the DC event tonight.)

Exploring a Planetary Neighbor

Europe's Venus Express has arrived.

Double Moonshot

NASA has added a secondary spacecraft mission to its planned 2008 launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission is designed by the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA and is explained in this NASA press release.

After launch, the secondary payload LCROSS spacecraft will arrive in the lunar vicinity independent of the LRO satellite. On the way to the moon, the LCROSS spacecraft's two main parts, the Shepherding Spacecraft (S-S/C) and the Earth Departure Upper Stage (EDUS), will remain coupled.

As the spacecraft approaches the moon's south pole, the upper stage will separate, and then will impact a crater in the south pole area. A plume from the upper stage crash will develop as the Shepherding Spacecraft heads in toward the moon. The Shepherding Spacecraft will fly through the plume, and instruments on the spacecraft will analyze the cloud to look for signs of water and other compounds. Additional space and Earth-based instruments also will study the 2.2-million-pound (1000-metric-ton) plume.

NASA added the option for a secondary payload since an Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) launch allows for additional payload weight in addition to LRO. This proposal was selected from nineteen responses to NASA's request and provides an innovative, economical and timely way to obtain additional data vital for future human lunar exploration and development.

Three Years After the Fall

Today is the third anniversary of the toppling of the Saddam statue in Baghdad marking the fall of that brutal regime. Just what kind of threat Saddam Hussein was is discussed in this Investors Business Daily article (hat tip to Power Line Blog) analyzing the information revealed so far by the release of captured documents and recordings by the government (with many more on the way).

The Pentagon has obviously been sitting on a treasure trove of paper incriminations against Saddam's regime. So far, just a minuscule amount of the more than 3,000 hours of tape recordings of Saddam and 48,000 boxes of intelligence documents has been translated and deciphered.

What has come out so far has confirmed Americans' worst fears about Saddam's evil regime. To review:

Saddam is heard on a 1997 tape predicting terrorism would soon be coming to the U.S., while his son-in-law — who was in charge of Saddam's weapons of mass destruction — gloats about lying to U.N. weapons inspectors to hide the extent of Iraq's WMD program.

Saddam, in a tape made in 2000, talks with Iraqi scientists about his plans to build a nuclear device. He discusses Iraq's plasma separation program — an advanced uranium-enrichment technique completely missed by U.N. inspectors.

The article also asserts why the Bush Administration would pass on an obvious opportunity to vindicate its justification for going to war.

At present, we're relying too much on translations by bloggers and other amateurs. House Intelligence Committee Chairman Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich., says the White House has been dragging its feet for fear of embarrassing supposed allies (such as Russia) whose links with Saddam would come under scrutiny.

Here is the web site where the government is posting the captured intelligence information.

ISS Crew Swap Completed

The Expedition 12 crew landed accompanied by the Brazilian crew member who launched with the Expedition 13 crew which replaced them.

Conservatives and the Frontier

In this week's Space Review, Taylor Dinerman challenges Stephen Moore's article in the April issue of American Spectator magazine (I could not find the article on the American Spectator web site.) which criticizes W's space exploration plans as just another wasteful government program. Many conservatives do not seem to realize how vital opening the frontier is to our national defense and economic prosperity. Of course, it is critical that the implementation of the NASA program enables the private sector to follow the explorers and develop and settle the frontier.

At last month’s Goddard Symposium Marburger made the point that “The ultimate goal is not to impress others, or merely to explore our planetary system, but to use accessible space for the benefit of humankind. It is a goal that is not confined to a decade or a century. Nor is it confined to a single nearby destination, or to a fleeting dash to plant a flag. The idea is to begin preparing now for a future in which material trapped in the sun’s vicinity is available for incorporation into our way of life.”

And as I have pointed out in this post, developing the frontier is a vital long term part of building a culture of life.

And All Without Even One Embryonic Stem Cell

We do live in exciting times. This Washington Post article describes how urinary bladders were regenerated in a laboratory and are functioning in several young patients.

The "neo-bladders," each one grown in a small laboratory container from a pinch of a patient's own cells, have been working in seven young patients for an average of almost four years, according to a report released yesterday by the British journal the Lancet. The organs have remained free of the many complications that bedevil the conventional practice of surgically constructing bladders from other tissues.

If ongoing studies continue apace, the researchers said, they hope someday to offer patients more than a dozen other homegrown organs, including blood-vessel complexes, partial kidneys and perhaps hearts.

Remembering Pope John Paul II

The first anniversary of Pope John Paul's death is being commemorated around the world. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI recalled JPII's impact on the world.

Benedict said John Paul had left a profound mark on the history of the church and all of humanity, ushering the church into the third millennium, visiting the world and meeting with heads of state, young people, believers and nonbelievers alike.

Pope John Paul II was the Vicar of Christ for half of my life and I'd say the most influential person in the world during that time. To see how the passing of Pope John Paul, the funeral rites, and the selection of his successor were reflected on this humble blog, check out my April 2005 archives. (Remember to go to the bottom and scroll up for chronological order.)

Irish in Silver Spring

Saturday evening I went to explore downtown Silver Spring's new Irish pub/restaurant, McGinty's Public House.

Good food and drink. I had a pint of Harp, Boxty (scallion & potato cake) and beef chili. They assure me the menu will soon be expanded to include that Irish pub standard, Shepherd's Pie.

Definitely a fun place to visit when you're in the area.

One Year Ago

Today is the first anniversary of Terri Schindler-Schiavo's cruel court imposed death by dehydration. This is how I posted the news (from my March 2005 archive) after hearing it announced by Laura Ingraham on her radio show.

Terri Schindler-Schiavo (1963-2005)
Terri died this morning of court ordered dehydration/starvation. I won't say that she 'passed away' because, in fact, she was pushed. Pray for Terri in eternal rest, pray for her family and pray for all of us. The work of Terri's fight will go on.

See BlogsforTerri and ProLifeBlogs for many other remembrances and reflections. And Dory of Wittenberg Gate has posted her final installment of Bloggers' Best for Terri Schiavo, including a recent post from this humble blog.

Let's pray that history will not record that Terri's death was when our civilization went over the cliff into barbarism, but that it marked a turning point galvanizing society to protect the dignity of every human life.

Happy Tenth Birthday...

...to NASA Watch.

Activities in Memory of Terri Schindler-Schiavo

On the day before the first anniversary of her cruel court-imposed death, Terri's family formally launched the Terri-Schindler Schiavo Foundation to help protect other disabled people.

For numerous other articles related to Terri published in the past few days, check out BlogsforTerri and ProLifeBlogs.