Weird Science

President Obama's decision to support open-ended research exploiting human embryos raises all the issues about ethics, policy making and sound alternatives to a stark new level. Adam Keiper weighs in on how the President tries to downplay the serious ethical questions involved and minimize the real divide in public opinion.

First, the president claims that "the majority of Americans - from across the political spectrum, and of all backgrounds and beliefs - have come to a consensus that we should pursue" stem-cell research that involves the destruction of human embryos. This is a gross distortion. As Ramesh notes, the quality of polling in this area is terrible. The most comprehensive and balanced examination of public opinion was a poll commissioned by the Ethics and Public Policy Center and summarized by Yuval Levin here. That poll showed considerable public confusion about the stem-cell debate. Americans generally support scientific research, and so, unsurprisingly, when asked simply whether they support stem-cell research, a majority of the poll’s respondents said they did. But when the question was framed as an ethical matter, opinion shifted dramatically.

Bernadine Healy, the former head of the National institutes of Health and the American Red Cross points out the rapid pace of ethical alternatives that are more likely to yield the medical benefits promised for embryonic stem cell research.

"Even for strong backers of embryonic stem cell research, [Obama's decision] is no longer as self-evident as it was, because there is markedly diminished need for expanding these cell lines for either patient therapy or basic research," Healy explains.
"In fact, during the first six weeks of Obama's term, several events reinforced the notion that embryonic stem cells, once thought to hold the cure for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and diabetes, are obsolete," she adds.

One other thought came to me. Suppose they finally do manage to trick embryonic stem cells into working effectively without their dangerous side-effects. Under a health care rationing system that many suspect the Obama Administration to try to implement, how many patients would actually be allowed to benefit from such therapies?

Oh Deer!

A story here in my part of Silver Spring has received a little national and even international attention. On Thursday, a deer being pursued by two dogs crashed into a Greek restaurant that I've eaten at occasionally and then entered the Giant supermarket where I do most of my grocery shopping. (Local report and video.)

I went grocery shopping at the Giant earlier this afternoon. I didn't see any specials on venison in the meat department.

"A Mission for the Ages"

Image credit: NASA TV

That's how one NASA scientist described the Kepler mission launched tonight from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This spacecraft and mission is designed specifically to find Earth sized planets orbiting other stars in a zone that might allow them to be 'habitable' by life.

Space.com has posted an article describing how Kepler will search for other worlds and a descriptive video (~7-1/2 min) featuring some of the key people involved in the mission. Meanwhile, Jeff Foust describes the mission and its significance here.

Because multiple transit detections are needed to confirm an exoplanet discovery, it will take essentially the entire 3.5-year mission to detect planets in Earth-like orbits. (Closer in planets with shorter periods will be found more quickly; Kepler should be able to find any planets in Mercury-like orbits in its first year of observations.) "In about three or four years from now there will be a press conference at NASA Headquarters," predicted Alan Boss, a Carnegie Institution of Washington astronomer who studies extrasolar planets and recently published a book on the topic (see "Review: The Crowded Universe", The Space Review, February 16, 2009), where Kepler project officials "will stand up and tell us just how frequently Earths occur."

It is significant that even in perilous times, humans continue to explore and seek out knowledge of the universe around us. Kepler may show us worlds that may turn out to be inhabited by life, or else could in the distant future could be inhabited by humans (pending travel technology far beyond any capability we have today).

Rush to Judgement

Radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh has been in the news often since his rousing speech to the CPAC conference last week. Here is the Politico article on how the White House and Democratic operatives are trying to make Rush the new Republican bogeyman even as the economy crashes and burns on their watch.

While no one speaks for all Republicans or all conservatives, Rush does speak for many frustrated Americans with a lively and often humorous delivery. So if you feel you don't like Rush Limbaugh, my question to you is have you ever listened, not just to what someone else says about him or to brief and out-of-context soundbites, but to his program for at least a half hour? (Here is his web site where you can find out which station near you carries his program.)

So Much for "Pro-Choice"

When he is not busy pushing disastrous economic policies, President Obama is obstinately pushing the Culture-of-Death agenda:

-The nomination of Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who is more radical than your run-of-the-mill pro-abortion Democratic (or sometimes Republican) politician. Sebelius has a cozy relationship with notorious late term abortionist George Tiller. George Weigel explores a range of disturbing issues related to Sebelius.

-The intent to push for funding of embryonic stem cell research on Monday, even though it is ineffective and risky compared to ethical stem cell sources.

-Perhaps most onerous is the intent to reverse the conscience rule protecting individuals and organizations in the medical field from adverse consequences in adhering to their conscientious objection to abortion or other procedures. The move could result in Catholic hospitals defying pressure to participate in abortion or having to close, greatly impacting the communities they serve. This makes clear that the claim of abortion advocates of being 'pro-choice' is simply a gimmick to mask their fanatically pro-abortion agenda.

March Storm

No, not the ProSpace citizen space lobbying campaign, but an actual winter storm moving up the east coast as March comes in like a lion. The back-end is approaching DC as the storm proceeds to the northeast.

BTW, Mark Hemingway points out that fellow NRO blogger Greg Pollowitz actually called this storm for this date on December 18, as "global warming" protests seem to have an uncanny ability to attract severe winter weather.

Save the Date [Greg Pollowitz]

Anyone want to bet on a snowstorm hitting D.C. on March 2, 2009?

Make Climate Justice History - Mass civil disobedience March 2nd, 2009 in DC

Dear Friends and Allies-

We’re in the process of organizing a mass non-violent civil disobedience to coincide with Power Shift 2009. In late February 2009, the Energy Action Coalition will host over 10,000 climate activists focusing generally on making climate change, clean energy, and green jobs a priority for the new administration. Greenpeace, Rainforest Action Network, the Ruckus Society, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and a host of others are planning a mass non-violent civil disobedience, with a goal of organizing over 1,000 people, to cross the line and sit-in at the Capital Coal Plant.

Budgeting for Space

When you throw $3.6 trillion at the wall, some of it will inevitably stick to useful places. It appears that science, technology and education are treated fairly well in the FY2010 budget request. NASA receives an increase to $18.7 billion.

The NASA section of the White House budget document indicates that the Obama Administration is endorsing the Bush Administration policy of ending Space Shuttle operations in 2010 to concentrate on "development of systems to deliver people and cargo to the International Space Station and the Moon". (interestingly, the controversial Ares launch vehicle architecture currently under development is not specifically mentioned.) The budget statement also indicates an intention to "stimulate private-sector development and demonstration of vehicles that may support the Agency’s human crew and cargo space flight requirements".

There are two concerns with the NASA plans. For one, the Summary Tables (see p. 18) in the budget request indicate that, beyond this year's increase, the NASA budget is projected to be effectively flat for several years.

More immediately, there has been no appointment of a NASA administrator and senior leadership yet. The latest rumors point to Steve Isakowitz, an experienced and innovative individual in the space community. (I met him as part of a ProSpace delegation which met with him about ten years ago when he was Branch Chief of Science and Space Programs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).) But until he or someone else is appointed to lead NASA, important decisions regarding the exploration architecture will be delayed, possibly resulting in wasted tax payer dollars and delay in reaching our space exploration goals.

One additional note on NASA: Charles Miller, a long time friend, space entrepreneur and Advocate for the Space Frontier Foundation, has been appointed as "Senior Advisor for Commercial Space" in the Innovative Partnership Programs office. This is a hopeful sign that NASA may be ready to move toward more innovative, commercial friendly policies.

Yes, We Can Tax & Spend!

Public Domain Pictures.net

The Fiscal Year 2010 budget request was released on Thursday as President Obama continues to make his mark on economic policy. The $3.6 trillion budget requests includes major tax increases and a projected budget deficit of $1.75 trillion.

Just a reminder of what a trillion "with a 't' "is.

One trillion is 1,000,000,000,000 - 10 to the 12th power, or a thousand, thousand, thousand, thousand. To put things in perspective, current estimates put the number of stars in the Milky Way at somewhere between 100 and 400 billion. The U.S. population is slightly over 303 million, and the world population is around 6.6 billion.

$1 trillion would be enough money to buy about a 1,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies for every person in the United States. A trillion barrels of oil would - at current consumption levels - fuel the world for about 33 years.

Maybe they should just send each of us those 1,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. All that sugar should stimulate some economic activity.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday and here is Catholic Online's Lent/Easter page. Here's a report on Pope Benedict's comments today and the US Catholic Bishops' Lenten web site.

"In the homily, the pope focused especially on a phrase from the second Letter to the Corinthians: "We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God." (5:20). " Paul," he commented, "experienced in an extraordinary manner the power of God's grace, the grace of the Paschal mystery that is the vital force of Lent itself. He presents himself to us as an 'ambassador' of the Lord. Who better than him, then, to help us travel in a fruitful way this path of interior conversion?"

Pope Benedict XVI

Here is a symposium on Lent at NRO Online.

Space Blitz

I'm participating in today and tomorrow's Space Exploration Alliance Legislative Blitz on the Hill. This year's agenda items include continuing the Moon, Mars, Asteroids & Beyond vision, closing the post Shuttle 'gap', Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, space solar power & continuing a healthy science program.

My sense is a lot of general interest and support (including very enthusiastic interest from a certain woman on Rep. Mike Doyle's (D-PA) staff), but much uncertainty about budgets and policy from the Obama Administration. Some staffers (particularly, but not exclusively GOP) were asking what our sense of the situation is, though as volunteers on the Hill for a couple of days, we don't know any more than they do.

Note that the annual ProSpace March Storm will not be held this year due to resource and time limitations.

Something Stirring?

President Obama's announcement of a plan to deal with failed mortgages produced a predictable reaction along party lines in Congress, while the President's push for the 'stimulus' and the mortgage proposal seem to have hit Wall Street with a resounding THUD! This has an ominous impact on all of us.

What is going to turn this beast around, and what should the president do? First of all, let’s dispense with the antiquated notion that only rich people own stocks, and that the market’s ups and downs are unimportant. Almost everyone has a stake in our financial markets, either through owning stocks and bonds directly or through pension plans. Even the neediest Americans who are fed or clothed by charities are hurt when those organizations’ endowments crater or donations dry up.

What is most striking is what seems a growing popular movement reacting against an aggressive expansion of government with the mortgage proposal on top of the enormous 'stimulus' on top of the financial bailouts with more spending and regulatory initiatives expected.

Michelle Malkin reports on some citizen protests dogging the President and some members of Congress. But what really seems to have caught fire was the outrage expressed by Rick Santelli on CNBC from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, calling for a "Chicago Tea Party". His emotional words gained audible support from those on the floor around him and are reported to have generated a tidal wave of emails to pundits and talk show hosts and become a hot topic for blogs.



This could signal a rising tide of anger over over fairness and liberty. Let's pray and work that it be channeled constructively toward corrective action.

A Teaching Moment With No Photo-Op

Pope Benedict XVI had a private meeting with a delegation headed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. According to the Vatican statement issued after the meeting, the Pope made a point of stressing the Church's strong position on protecting human life, including the unborn. Nancy Pelosi futilely attempted to re-interpret that position last year.

His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church’s consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception until natural death, which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists, and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of development.

Pelosi's office later issued a statement on the meeting that avoided the points the Pope made regarding human life. George Weigel asks if they are talking about the same meeting.

Two things worth noting. First, the meeting was closed to reporters and photographers. This denied Pelosi and the other Democratic Congress members in the group a photo-op that could be used to imply papal toleration of their pro-abortion positions.

Finally, the Pope made it clear that the Church is simply observing the natural law concerning the dignity of human life. While Church doctrine cannot be imposed on those that are not Catholic or on the whole society, the natural law is knowable by and binding on every human being, including those in positions of power, even those who are not Catholic. (Are you listening, President Obama?)

The Anchoress has some good points and links to others' comments on this story.

Space Pioneers and Visionaries, RIP

The past couple of days have brought reports of three pioneers in advancing the frontier in space who have passed away.

Tom Rogers was an older gentleman, a curmudgeon in the positive sense of the word, who persistently advocated for greater human access to space, including space tourism, for decades with often innovative approaches. I enjoyed meeting and talking with Tom at a number of space conferences over the years, though I'd not seen him in the last few years.

Konrad Dannenberg, a leading member of Wernher von Braun's team of rocket scientists who developed the Saturn rockets that propelled the first humans to the Moon, passed away at age 96.

Finally, Charles Gehrke was a leading lunar scientist who studied the lunar rock and soil samples who returned by the Apollo astronauts. He was chartered by NASA to identify if any life forms existed in the samples (They don't).

Signed into Law

Public Domain Pictures.net

President Obama signed the enormous 'stimulus package' into law today in Denver. This experiment no doubt does include some beneficial measures, most of which would have been more appropriately handled in the regular appropriations process.

The downside is the huge addition to the debt in the coming years, plus the potentially dramatic policy changes involving health care, welfare, ACORN, and other areas that most people don't expect to find in an economic 'stimulus' package.

As for the overall impact, only time will tell. Sooner or later, the economy will improve, though the huge spending can have both positive and potentially serious negative impacts. (We probably have not seen the last of the pig.) Politically, the impact will depend on the timing of the effects of this huge spending measure and whether the Republicans can effectively communicate an alternative economic vision to the American people (over the heads of the Old Media).

NASA Direction Needed Soon

The inclusion of additional NASA funding ($1 billion, with $400 million for 'exploration')in the huge 'stimulus' package raises some intriguing issues (aside from the obvious one about the mix of useful and dubious measures in the enormous package that was just rushed through Congress). A NASA Spaceflight.com article discusses possible options to close the 'gap' between Shuttle operations and future US human spaceflight activity.

While acceleration studies have been taking place for Constellation’s Ares and Orion vehicles, the alternative options of utilizing EELV vehicles - such as the Delta IV Heavy or the Atlas V Heavy - have been touted, along with the "Direct" proposal of using their Shuttle Derived Jupiter launch vehicles - which has gained increased interest and publicity over the last couple of years - to, as they claim, save money, shorten the gap, and avoid the shedding of Orion’s capabilities, as is currently required by Ares I’s performance shortcomings.

However, any major decision on altering the architecture for future human spaceflight will depend on the Obama administration choosing new NASA leadership, which hasn't happened yet, to review the situation and make the decisions within the framework of Obama administration policy, which is still not clear. Thus, any benefit of the additional NASA money in the 'stimulus' package may be diminished by delay in decisions on new leadership and how to best proceed with the future human spaceflight program.

Satellite Collision Creates New Debris Problem

This week's collision of a US Iridium satellite with an apparently defunct Russian satellite raises concerns about why it was not predicted and the impact the resulting debris will have on other spacecraft.

Final House and Senate Passage

Public Domain Pictures.net

The enormous 'stimulus' package passed the Senate tonight after final House passage earlier today. President Obama is expected to sign it Monday.

Representative Tom Price (R-Ga) publicizes the haphazard process that produced this dubious legislation in this video.



In a sidelight to these developments, it was reported by Drudge that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was eager to get the bill passed quickly so that she could leave for Rome as part of a delegation that will meet with Pope Benedict XVI and with Italian legislators next week. Given her attempts to reinterpret Catholic teaching on human life, there is speculation on what kind of papal reception Pelosi will receive. More on this here.

Judd Gregg's Withdrawal Highlights Census Power Grab

Senator Judd Gregg announced yesterday that he was withdrawing his name from nomination to be Secretary of Commerce because of fundamental differences with President Obama over the 'stimulus' package and the decision to pull the 2010 census under direct White House control. While it can be argued that he should have seen the difference over economic policy before originally agreeing to be nominated, the census decision announcement came after his nomination was announced.

Given the potent political implications of next year's census, hopefully Gregg's withdrawal will attract the needed public scrutiny of the White House census plan.

Astronaut's video Lampoons NASA Bureaucracy

Astronaut Andrew Thomas has produced a video (with NASA's blessing) that depicts the frustrations of a young engineer working for a NASA contractor as she tries to introduce an innovative idea to a NASA project. The video is hilarious but sad, in that it is based on some real-life situations.

Working in the industry, I have seen some of this frustration myself, though I must also say that there are many dedicated people in management positions in the industry and at NASA who are open to innovation, and do their best in a sometimes difficult system.

'Stimulus': A Health Hazard, Senate Passage, A Mascot

Public Domain Pictures.net

The $800 B+ Senate version of the 'stimulus' bill passed today with votes from every voting Democrat and three Republicans, and will now go on to a conference committee to resolve differences with the House version. You can Read The Stimulus, which may be more than many senators and reps have done.

One of the most dangerous surprises coming to light in this bill is a provision that could potentially lead to health care rationing according to former New York Lt. Gov Betsy McCaughey.

Tragically, no one from either party is objecting to the health provisions slipped in without discussion. These provisions reflect the handiwork of Tom Daschle, until recently the nominee to head the Health and Human Services Department.

Finally, the pig. Animals often provide humorous images in political satire, and I felt that what this 'stimulus' bill needed was a mascot. So, I went to Public Domain Pictures.net, a source of images freely available for personal or business use and found the perfect mascot for this enormous piece of legislation (and probably other big spending bills to come). I haven't settled on a name yet (though "Porkulus", the nickname for the bill used by some pundits, radio talk-show hosts and bloggers, would be a good fit.)

Born Alive, Then Killed

A Florida abortionist has lost his medical license over a botched abortion, while it was the abortion facility's owner who, according to witnesses, killed the baby after a premature birth. Tom Hoopes at the National Catholic Register raises some questions for President Obama regarding this case and his past opposition to protection of born-alive infants after attempted abortions.

$827B + $350B + ?

Public Domain Pictures.net

As the Senate continues to debate the enormous 'stimulus' bill, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has postponed until Tuesday announcement of plans for the second $350 billion for the second installment of the Trouble Assets Relief Program (TARP) passed by Congress in October. Adding up the stimulus and TARP (parts 1 &2) plus interest payments approaches $2 trillion.

One trillion is 1,000,000,000,000 - 10 to the 12th power, or a thousand, thousand, thousand, thousand. To put things in perspective, current estimates put the number of stars in the Milky Way at somewhere between 100 and 400 billion. The U.S. population is slightly over 303 million, and the world population is around 6.6 billion.

$1 trillion would be enough money to buy about a 1,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies for every person in the United States. A trillion barrels of oil would - at current consumption levels - fuel the world for about 33 years.

To be fair, President Bush recently set the unfortunate precedent of rushing through the TARP package without a clear plan for making the measure effective at reviving the credit market. But that doesn't mean we should compound the error by letting President Obama intimidate us into passing an even larger spending bill with little focus or full knowledge of its contents.

A more focused and less costly bill should be passed reasonably quickly to help enable economic recovery.

A School for the Future

NASA is teaming up with Google and leading futurists to establish a 'Singularity Institute' to study some of the biggest issues facing humanity in thhe future. The biggest challenge to this type of enterprise is thinking outside the box of any of various sets of assumptions that could blind us to the promises and perils ahead.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Secular Utopian Fantasy

Actually, several things have happened in the two weeks since Inauguration Day was supposed to usher in the new era of Hope & Change. While two weeks does not an administration make, and President Obama is probably smart enough to regain some momentum, there are no longer any expectations of spotting him walking on the Potomac.

-If sex scandals are the worst embarrassment for social conservative Republicans, then tax scandals must be the most embarrassing for big government liberal Democrats. The administration hit the trifecta, with three tax scandals causing two withdrawals from nomination in a single day (the third one who got a pass being the new Treasury Secretary, the guy who oversees the IRS.) Any chance we can finally get some Democrat support for radical tax simplification?

-The tax scandals distracted attention from what the President wanted to emphasise, trying to win support for the 'stimulus' package. This entity continues to oink and lumber its way around Capitol Hill while public skepticism continues to grow.

-It's not the 'Hope' promised during the campaign. Iran's launch of a satellite called Omid, which is Persian for 'hope' (the disturbing part being not the satellite, but the missile capability that launched it), only complicates the foreign policy challenges already facing the new administration. We can only pray that the President overcomes any naivete in foreign affairs as he deals with the world, including those powers that mean us no good.

-Americans aren't happy with the Obama decision to fund abortions through aid programs to other countries. Even many Americans who may describe themselves as 'prochoice' are appalled by the prospect of the government supporting the Planned Parenthood agenda of encouraging and subsidizing abortions everywhere.

Video Documents the Big Event the Media Ignores

A professional movie team is acting to show the world the big event that most of the Old Media has been trying to ignore for decades. They've videoed last week's March for Life for a documentary, Thine Eyes: A Witness to the March for Life, to be released in March. (Hat tip to ProLife Blogs.)

Here is one of the promotional videos (~5 min). Turn up the speakers, as the U2 music adds to the power of the message.



Check out the web site for additional information, including words from actress Jennifer O'Neill, who narrates the documentary.

Steele's the Man!

Former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele was elected today by the Republican National Committee to be its new Chairman heading into the 2010 election cycle. I've met Michael Steele a number of times and was a campaign volunteer during his 2006 US Senate run. While there was a field of fine candidates, I feel this is the right choice to lead the GOP as the loyal but fiesty opposition to the Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda.

Steele's selection comes on the heels of united Republican opposition, joined by 11 House Democrats, to that lumbering, oinking $819 billion 'stimulus package', which is also gaining increasing public skepticism. The political field may be much more exciting and competitive then it has seemed since the election.

As for that stimulus package, a less bloated and more focused bill would likely gain bipartisan support, given the serious economic downturn, but this bill is looking more and more like a liberal and bureaecratic wish list.

Don't Miss This Video

This video (~40 sec long) has or will be aired on several major networks and already been viewed hundreds of thousands of time online. It takes a unique approach to engaging public opinion on a most divisive yet decisive issue for our society.


Originated at CatholicVote.com.

Billions and Billions!

No, this has nothing to do with Carl Sagan. Rather, it's about the humongous 'stimulus ' package that passed the House of Representatives this evening, but with every Republican and 11 Dems voting NO. This vote may be remembered as the opening move in the new political landscape that will affect the next couple of election cycles.

The Wall Street Journal lists some of the highlights (or lowlights) of the $819 Billion bill. As I posted earlier, you can dive in and investigate this evolving behemoth yourself at this link. Thankfully, Nancy Pelosi's favorite contraception boondoggle was removed from the bill.

Remembrance of Space Heroes

NASA is observing the anniversaries of its human losses in spaceflight: Apollo 1 (forty two years ago yesterday), Challenger (twenty three years ago today), and Columbia (six years ago next Sunday, February 1). Space.com remembers each of these events and their impact on the nation's space efforts.

Now He's on the Record

With the warm and fuzzy feelings of the Inauguration now behind us, President Barack Obama is quickly establishing a record of policy decisions, which are fair game for evaluation.

The President announced a decision to commit to closing the prison for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. While the 'Gitmo' system itself is not an ideal situation, the decision to commit to closing the facility without an established plan for how, and particularly where, to deal with the detainees currently kept there has raised real concerns about the future security of the nation. Marc Thiessen takes a broader look at how President Obama has a tough act to follow in protecting the nation.

While the 'Gitmo' decision may put lives at risk, another Obama decision directly supports the taking of human lives. That is the reversal of the 'Mexico City policy' that prohibited use of our tax dollars to fund organizations committing abortions in other countries. While supporters of this action claim it is for the 'health' of poor people in these countries, the reality is that abortion directly kills unborn human beings, can be hazardous to the women who undergo them, and support for abortion providers will divert resources from real aid to the poor.

Douglas Johnson, the legislative director for the National Right to Life Committee, emailed LifeNews.com about Obama's decision.

He told LifeNews.com how the executive order will hurt non-abortion groups that provide medical care and services to women and families in foreign nations.

"One effect of Obama's order will be to divert many millions of dollars away from groups that do not promote abortion, and into the hands of those organizations that are the most aggressive in promoting abortion in developing countries," he said.

"Obama's order will predictably result in a redirection of funds to groups such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which are ideologically committed to the doctrine that abortion on demand must be universally available as a birth control method," Johnson said.

Of course, a president's actions are not the end of the story. Citizens who see their government taking a wrong course can be expected to organize action that will eventually lead to correcting such grave errors.

International Year of Astronomy

Well, we've recently left the International Year of the Potato. Did you know that we are now in the International Year of Astronomy? This year was chosen for this observance to mark the 400th anniversary of Galileo's first use of the telescope to study the heavens.

Yes We Can! Prolife America Marches On

The March for Life activities last night and today served to bring the prolife community together for a renewal of energy for the cause in spite of a more adverse environment in the new US government.

Last night's vigil Mass celebrated by Cardinal Justin Rigali accompanied by many bishops and priests was, as always, a quite inspiring spiritual preparation for today's activities.

The Blogs for Life conference (video stream linked here) this morning provided numerous insightful speakers describing how to use new media technology for the cause of life and some big picture assessments on the state of the prolife movement. We're still strong and will press ahead. (One correction from a previous post, the Danny Glover who spoke today is not the actor, but a dedicated blogger/journalist).


Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas addresses today's Blogs for Life conference.

The rally and March itself, with a large crowd including many young people, took place with sunny average not-uncomfortably cold temperatures as the large crowd surged several blocks toward the Supreme Court.


March participants make their way up Capitol Hill.



A couple of signs (above and below) use President Obama's words to make the prolife case.



After the march, I attended an inspiring and informative event cosponsored by the Filipino Family Fund and the Culture of Life Foundation and then dropped by The Dubliner and joined some prolife friends for a little while before heading home.

While these events observe a most solemn and tragic anniversary of the imposition of abortion-on-demand in our nation, it is an occasion to meet or reunite with some of the nicest people and recharge ourselves for the challenging fight ahead.

Why We March

This is a slightly revised and updated article I first wrote and posted in 2004 at this time.

Thursday, January 22, marks the 36th anniversary of the infamous Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton Supreme Court decisions which imposed abortion-on-demand in the United States. Once again, concerned citizens will gather on Thursday for the annual March for Life, which in recent years has usually drawn well over 100,000 participants. Now, why do so many people consider it so important to take time on a weekday to come to Washington, DC at the coldest time of the year to make their voice heard on this matter?

Before I go on any further, I need to say a couple of things. First, nothing in this article is meant to condemn anyone who has had an abortion or has been involved in abortion in some way. Far from condemning those with an abortion in their past, the people in the prolife movement are about healing and forgiveness, and want it to be clear that there is hope after abortion. Post-abortion counseling can be found through many church denominations and pregnancy counseling centers.

And second, while the prolife movement consists largely of people with strong religious convictions who feel called by God to defend the defenseless, that doesn't make the protection of human life a narrow, religious issue. The facts that the defenseless exist and that they deserve protection in the human family can be persuasively advocated by non-religiously reasoned arguments.

First, let's start with a little scientific background (from the Science for Unborn Human Life website) about how each of us began our lives as unique human beings. A new human being is conceived when a sperm fertilizes an egg. The sperm has 23 chromosomes and so does the egg. But the fertilized egg has 46, half from each parent, and is genetically unique. These 46 chromosomes, which are fixed at conception, establish the child's sex and are a blueprint for how it will develop, both during pregnancy and after birth.

Blood vessels start to form very early, about 13-18 days after fertilization. Then, on about the 20th day - nearly the end of the third week - the foundation of the brain, the spinal cord, and the entire nervous system is established. The heart begins to beat on about the 22nd day after conception, circulating blood throughout the child. The arms begin to form on about day 26, followed by the beginnings of the legs on day 28, the same day that the mouth opens for the first time.

Both the eyes and ears are developing rapidly during the seventh week after conception. At this time, the thumbs, neck, heels of the feet and all of the fingers are also present. Taste buds begin to form during the eighth week after conception. All parts of the limbs are apparent at this time. In addition, the fingers and toes have lengthened and are completely separated.

By the end of the eighth week the overwhelming majority (several thousand) of the body's organs, structures and systems have already begun to develop. Few, if any, new structures begin to form after this time. During the remainder of the pregnancy, development consists mainly of growth and maturation of the parts of the body that are already present.

Isolated arm, leg and backward head movements begin at about 7 to 10 weeks after conception. During the ninth week, a regular pattern of breathing movements is observed, with a median frequency of about 30 breaths each hour.

These are just the highlights of how you developed during the first 2-3 months of your life. Now consider that a majority of abortions are performed during the tenth to twelfth week of gestation. Some are performed much later in the pregnancy, when the child has grown larger and any unbiased observer would recognize a baby when they see one.

So why if the evidence so clearly indicates that a unique human life begins at conception, how did the deliberate and violent destruction of that life come to be imposed as a 'constitutional right'? Time does not permit describing the whole history of abortion or the intertwining influences of the eugenics and population control movements. Let's start with the socially turbulent late sixties when a growing pro-abortion movement subversively exploited the legitimate aspirations of women for greater rights and participation in society.

Dr. Bernard Nathanson, former abortionist and co-founder of the pro-abortion group NARAL, has since changed his mind and heart and is now a leading prolife advocate. He points out the disinformation at the heart of the pro-abortion campaign.

- "The statistics that we gave to the American public about illegal abortions annually; the statistics we fabricated regarding the number of women dying from illegal abortions annually; all of these matters were pure fabrication and still persist to this very day."

- "We spoke of 5,000 to 10,000 deaths a year. I confess that I knew the figures were totally false. It was a useful figure, widely accepted, so why go out of our way to correct it with honest statistics?"

- "We in NARAL were in the business of coining slogans principally for the media . . . we scattered catchy slogans for them . . . to use . . . in their stories. Slogans like "reproductive rights", "freedom of choice", "pro-choice". For many years we've known them to be hollow and meaningless. They're just catchy and, essentially, without substance."

The movement made rapid progress. California, New York and a few other states passed 'liberalized' abortion laws (though some other states rejected them). But what imposed abortion on American law were two Supreme Court cases, Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, pronounced on January 22, 1973. The combined effect of the two decisions was to effectively impose abortion-on-demand throughout the nine months of pregnancy. Since that time, over forty nine million human beings have been exterminated by abortion in the United States.

Aside from the grave issue that was decided, the finding that abortion is part of a constitutional 'right of privacy' is considered an overreach of judicial power even by some legal scholars who describe themselves as 'prochoice'. The 'reasoning' was based on 'penumbras' the justices claim to have seen in the constitution.

Did you know that the two plaintiffs in the Roe and Doe cases, Norma McCorvey and Sandra Cano, have filed affidavits to the effect that they were manipulated into their roles and that the decisions should be overturned? You would think that this development would be considered unprecedented in Supreme Court history, but I guess Chris Matthews, Katie Couric, the New York Times, etc. forgot to inform you.

One fact that is becoming evident that abortion-on-demand is not such a great thing for women. Abortion has left many women emotionally and sometimes physically scarred. Campaigns such as Silent No More and Women Deserve Better are tapping into this hidden anguish.

Also evident is the effect on our society, with conflicting attitudes on how we treat not only the unborn, but also the sick, disabled and elderly. Consider the heart wrenching case of the judicially imposed death of Terri Schindler-Schiavo. Abortion has torn marriages and families apart, and led to a hardened and increasingly violent culture. The raging debate over embryonic stem cell research and human cloning shows the growing risk posed by a disregard for the dignity of every human life.

So, we have had for the past thirty six years, a culture that in some ways has grown cynical, forgoing the promise of a hopeful future for instant gratification, or more often, the resignation to unimaginative 'solutions' that pit mother against child or people against the planet. One is reminded of a quote from the great Irish poet William Butler Yeats:

"The blood-dimmed tide is loosed and everywhere a ceremony of innocence was drowned."

These Supreme Court abortion decisions were assumed to have 'settled' the issue in our society. Yet much to the consternation of the pro-abortion establishment, the movement of concerned citizens to protect life has only grown in strength over the past thirty six years. The prolife movement has pursued multiple paths: educating the public, lobbying and litigating for change, participating in politics, and especially reaching out to help women with unplanned pregnancies. On the political front, abortion played a decisive role in the confirmation hearings of John Roberts and Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court. Polling data consistently indicates that, even when economic or other issues determine the outcome of an election, those voters that consider abortion decisive in their voting swing overwhelmingly for the prolife candidates. Presidents, economic cycles and other national controversies come and go, but the struggle for life goes on.

Particularly significant is that the change in public attitudes on abortion is most striking among young people (who've lost peers they've never met). This is manifested in polling results and an upsurge of prolife activism among teens and college students, much to the consternation of their professors and, in some cases, their parents. Sort of adds a new twist to some lyrics from the sixties by Buffalo Springfield:

"Young people speaking their minds, Getting so much resistance from behind."

So the buses are starting to roll, as thousands from distant states once again journey to Washington, where many will gather in prayer the night before or the morning of the March. Then we will rally and march, knowing that those we are trying to defend would some day defend our nation, write great literature, cure disease, compose stirring music, and explore and begin to settle the Solar System.

But more than for their potential accomplishments, we speak out for them simply because of the inherent dignity of each of their lives. In so doing we are responding to a great calling as individuals and as a civilization. And we'll continue to speak and march and work and pray, confident in the hope that, one of these years, we'll no longer face the cold winds. Instead, we'll gather on a warm spring day to celebrate the inclusion of the youngest in the human family within the protection of the law.

Our New President is Inaugurated

Barack Obama became our 44th President today with the usual inauguration drama and ceremony and an estimated 2 million people out on the cold day witnessing the events.

Here are the videos of the oath of office and the inaugural address and the inaugural address text.

Barack Obama is known for his rhetorical skills. As a speech, the address was pretty good, a mixture of soaring rhetoric tempered by acknowledgement of the current economic and international difficulties (while I differ with a few of the specific remarks).

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

The real question is whether the policies will match the rhetoric. Do the words "the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness" really apply to all, at every stage or condition of life? Do the words of praise for "the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things" favor pro-entrepreneurial free enterprise not inhibited by excessive government interference?

Our prayer should be that our new president be successful at doing the right things and that, when our leaders go astray, we as citizens be engaged to fight for the right things.

Inauguration Day and a Week in America

Tomorrow, Barack Obama will take the oath of office and become the 44th President of the United States. Power will be transferred peacefully from President George W. Bush, who has served us nobly under difficult circumstances these past eight years. This is quite an event on a number of levels.

The Inauguration has become the expected mother-of-all-crowded-events. Locally, we’ve been hearing non-stop reports for weeks on heavy security measures, changes to traffic and public transportation patterns, porta-potties, etc. Overnight, lying in bed, I can hear the sounds of fighter jets on patrol overhead to protect the capital, reminding me of the days after 9/11/01.

This Inauguration is definitely the fulfillment of a dream of inclusion in terms of race relations. I can remember as a child hearing of Martin Luther King, civil rights marches and the struggle against segregation. Hopefully, Obama’s presidency will irreversibly put many of the remaining racial divisions behind us.

Along with real differences over policies, there is a real risk, however, that expectations have been raised to such a euphoric level that no mortal human could meet, no matter how effective a leader. Obama himself is trying to temper expectations with reality. The difficult economic situation will add to the frustration of trying to maintain a spirit of unity while forming a policy that will revive our economy without doing more long term damage.

Most of all, no leader can unite the country while the gravest issues remain unresolved. The movement toward inclusion that enabled Barack Obama to reach the White House is undermined by violence committed against the most vulnerable among us: the unborn, the elderly and the disabled. Unfortunately, Mr. Obama has bought into the lethally erroneous arguments that try to justify the denial of the right to life to some. He threatens to reverse the life affirming policies implemented by his predecessor and expand the imposition of abortion and other life denying practices. We should pray for his conversion on these matters.

Whatever our new president does, we as citizens have a responsibility to fight for the protection of every person’s life at every stage and condition. On Thursday, many thousands will once again peacefully assemble and participate in the annual March for Life and associated events, ensuring that these issues will not be ‘settled’ until every human being’s life and dignity is recognized.

The peaceful transfer of power and the people peacefully assembling to petition their government, both happening in America this week.

You'll Wonder Where Your Money Went

Actually, a number of organizations are performing a public service by publishing the $850 billion (and climbing) stimulus package bill. Imagine, the people actually finding out what's in one of these monstrous bills before it becomes law.

Planet with Life or a Living Planet

Scientists have announced the discovery of plumes of methane emerging from the surface of Mars. This 'could' be evidence of microscopic life, but also might be explained by geological activity. This discovery suggests a new path for further Martian exploration.

A New Tool To Protect Us

According to this report, our new president, our military and our intelligence community may have a new tool in the sky to eavesdrop on those who threaten our nation.

National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009

In one of his final acts, President Bush proclaimed today as National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2009.

The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.

Thank you President Bush. We will prevail. We shall overcome!

Thank You President Bush

President George W. Bush gave his farewell address to the nation tonight. (Video here, text here)

As we address these challenges - and others we cannot foresee tonight - America must maintain our moral clarity. I have often spoken to you about good and evil. This has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This Nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense and to advance the cause of peace.

President Thomas Jefferson once wrote, "I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past." As I leave the house he occupied two centuries ago, I share that optimism. America is a young country, full of vitality, constantly growing and renewing itself. And even in the toughest times, we lift our eyes to the broad horizon ahead.

The President showed the grace and class he has always shown under fierce and vicious attacks. While he has made his share of mistakes, I believe the perspective of history will be kinder and more realistic than the emotions of our time.

What is Your Perception of Reality?

Especially concerning people in public life. Jay Nordlinger describes how common perceptions of certain people in public life are really distortions of reality.

And what is his widespread image? He is a kind of Dr. Evil to people, although, unlike the Austin Powers one, not a comical Dr. Evil. He is a right-wing menace, a scourge of civil liberties, a Torquemada. This is absolutely perverse.

And what of President Bush’s image - at least one aspect of it? They say that he is less than bright: that he is stupid. And stupid is the last thing President Bush is. Call him willful, call him stubborn, call him petulant or cussed or difficult. Stupid, he is not.

Consider one more public figure: Sarah Palin. I keep hearing and reading, in various quarters, that she is a "bimbo." That is the word I hear about her, rather a lot: "bimbo." This is a woman, of course, who has been married since her early 20s. She and her husband, Todd, have five children. Sarah is governor of her state; Todd works in the oil fields. From what anyone can tell, they delight in each other, and in their family. They seem almost an advertisement for monogamy: for the married life. And yet people say "bimbo."

There is hope that the cultural establishment that creates these ugly distortions will be increasingly challenged by a conservative cultural emergence which includes Andrew Breirbart's Big Hollywood. Also, actor Danny Glover will be speaking at the Blogs for Life conference next week.

CORRECTION: 1/24/2009: The Danny Glover who spoke at the Blogs for Life conference is not the actor, but a dedicated blogger/journalist).

Freedom of Speech Lives!

While the Supreme Court may not be ready to recognize the right to life of unborn human beings, at least it recognizes the free speech right of citizens to educate others of the horrific results of abortion.

The Vision at Five Years

Five years ago today, President Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration, the initiative to return to the Moon and eventually go beyond. Rand Simberg assesses the current situation and future prospects in this article.

But Mike Griffin’s departure, and even the end of his vehicle designs, doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the Vision for Space Exploration. The two are not synonymous, though many supporters of the current plans would like people to think they are. The vision isn’t about any specific vehicle concept, or even any specific destination, even though many talk about it as the "Moon program," or the "Mars program." Regardless of implementation, it was never any more - or any less - than establishing a national goal, for the first time since Apollo, to once again send humans beyond low earth orbit. All else is simply details. There are many ways to do it, and perhaps the new administration and administrator will be more imaginative in doing it in an affordable way that permits much more activity, instead of redoing what we did forty years ago. The money currently being spent on redundant dedicated launch vehicles for the space agency could finally be invested in actual space exploration hardware, such as earth departure stages, lunar landers, and even propellant depots, and leave the earth-to-orbit task to private enterprise.

Meanwhile, speculation continues about the choice of the incoming Obama Administration for NASA Administrator. Space.com reports they have the name, but it has not yet been confirmed by other sources.

Here Comes the Circus on the Severn!

Look out! If you're a Maryland resident, hold on to your wallet and your sanity. The 2009 General Assembly has opened in Annapolis today. Here is an assessment from the Maryland Republican Party.

Why Space? A Question of Providing for the Future

NASA, Artist concept by Denise Watt.

With the ongoing discussion of the future of NASA under the incoming Obama Administration, Dennis Wingo reminds us that it's time to go back and ask the fundamental question of why space is so important to our future.

The economic development of the solar system, beginning at the Moon and extending on from there addresses the critical national and even global problem of energy and resources, while providing the opportunity for mankind to incorporate the vast riches that await us there. Any other reasoning for the exploration of space is a hollow effort who's prestige value is no more than adding an additional footnote in some future civilization's history book.

I made a similar case in this post from February 2006 which also includes a moral imperative for expansion into space.

However, many foresighted people see human expansion into space and development of the resources and energy there as the long term positive alternative to the more dismal agendas. Protecting and providing for future generations is the moral imperative behind our expansion into space. Part of a culture of life is to take the long view, to take risks on the frontiers to provide for the lives of future human beings, each of whom have a unique God-given dignity.

An Inventor Repudiates His Invention

Carl Djerassi, the Austrian chemist considered a primary inventor of the contraceptive 'birth control' pill now regrets the "demographic catastrophe" caused by his invention.

Djerassi outlined the "horror scenario" that occurred because of the population imbalance, for which his invention was partly to blame. He said that in most of Europe there was now "no connection at all between sexuality and reproduction." He said: "This divide in Catholic Austria, a country which has on average 1.4 children per family, is now complete."

Not All Bad Economic News Is Bad News

The notorious Madoff scheme collapse has hurt many individual investors and legitimate charities. They have my sympathy but I won't shed any tears over the fact that Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion organizations have lost major funding because of the scandal.

Fr. Richard John Neuhaus, R.I.P.

Father Richard John Neuhaus, passed away Thursday morning after a struggle with cancer. He founded the journal First Things and was a leader in uniting Catholics and Evangelicals to take on the great cultural issues of our day. Fr. Neuhaus was also seen frequently on EWTN co-anchoring coverages of major events such as Pope Benedict XVIs US visit last year.

In an article just published, Fr. Neuhaus describes how the prolife movement is the natural heir of the civil rights and democracy movements of the sixties.

Whatever else it is, the pro-life movement of the last thirty-plus years is one of the most massive and sustained expressions of citizen participation in the history of the United States. Since the 1960s, citizen participation and the remoralizing of politics have been central goals of the left. Is it not odd, then, that the pro-life movement is viewed as a right-wing cause? Reinhold Niebuhr wrote about "the irony of American history" and, were he around to update his book of that title, I expect he might recognize this as one of the major ironies within the irony.

Fr. Neuhaus also wrote articulately about his conversion to Catholicism and how his previous bout with cancer prepared him for death.

Feast of the Epiphany

Today is the final highlight of the Christmas Season, the liturgical observance of the Feast of the Epiphany (The traditional date is January 6), which celebrates the journey of the Magi, the 'Three Kings' or 'Wise men' to visit the child Jesus.

EWTN has posted an article from L'Osservatore Romano explaining the significance of this observance.

The story of the "Adoration of the Wise Men" is one of the best known in the life of the Lord. However, the episode recounted by the Evangelist Matthew is not primarily an exact historical chronicle. Rather, the focus of interest is the content, which concerns the history of salvation in the message passed on by this witness of faith.

This is why the story of the Three Kings has become a favourite subject in the theological expressions of art. The star that guided the Magi has become an example of the Gospel proclamation to all.

The brief account in Matthew's Gospel (2:1-12), which says that Wise Men from the East, guided by a star, arrived in Bethlehem to worship the newborn Child, was well-known from the Church's beginnings.

The Star that draws the Magi to Judea has long been a subject of wonder and scientific curiosity as explained in this BBC article.

A comet, an eclipse, a supernova, an alignment of planets - was the Star of Bethlehem, said to have led the wise men to the Baby Jesus, a real astronomical event?

Some 2,000 years ago, wise men saw an incredible star shining over the Holy Land. It was their signal to embark on an epic journey to visit the new Messiah. But what exactly was the Star of Bethlehem?
... perhaps it was a comet

Modern science is unravelling the mystery behind one of the most famous astronomical stories in history. New developments in technology allow astronomers to map the ancient night skies with extraordinary accuracy.

As they study the movements of the planets and stars, experts are challenging the traditional assumption that it was a blazing comet - instead there are several unusual astronomical events that the wise men could have seen in the skies.

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What a Trip!

As I usually say at the New Year or on my birthday, "just one more trip around the Solar System". But, to borrow from Jerry Garcia, what a long, strange trip this year has been (but with some real blessings, too).

A year ago, it looked like our next president would be Hillary Clinton or one of several Republicans.

The US shot down a failing satellite in February, gaining some missile defense experience in an increasingly dangerous world. Civilian and commercial space activities made significant advances this year, particularly in the year's final weeks, while the final Shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope has to wait until 2009.

Spring time brought a particularly blessed time with Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the US, which included the April 17 Mass in DC which I attended.

The year saw the most serious economic dislocations world wide in many decades, with spiking energy prices, the housing and credit market collapses and ongoing fear and uncertainty going into the new year.

The seemingly endless presidential campaign concluded with the historic election of Barack Obama while introducing a dynamic prolife conservative leader to the nation in the person of Sarah Palin, who will surely be a part of our future.

Our new president should be in our prayers so that he gains the wisdom and strength to do the right things (even if they differ from some of his past positions and promises). Those prayers are also needed in light of the continuing and growing dangers in the world, as seen this year in the Russian invasion of Georgia, the terrorist atrocities in Mumbai and in the Middle East violence provoked by Hamas in the closing days of the year. It is possible to pray fervently for peace without assuming a false moral equivalency in every conflict.

Well, we say good bye to one wild and crazy year, and look forward to a challenging new year with our prayers and hopes.

Have a Holy and Merry Christmas!

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment,
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David,
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child,
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger,
because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them
and the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
"Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you:
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes
and lying in a manger."
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2:1-14

Apollo 8 Launched 40 Years Ago Today

NASA

On December 21, 1968, the Apollo 8 mission with astronauts Borman, Lovell and Anders launched on the first manned mission of the Saturn V rocket from Cape Kennedy, Florida. While the actual landing on the lunar surface by Apollo 11 the following summer is generally more often remembered, it was this mission that first marked humanity's breaking away from the immediate vicinity of Earth to visit another world. This Christmas time mission was a major inspirational moment for me.

Paul Spudis remembers and comments and provides several other links (Hat tip to HobbySpace).

Coming at the end of a very troubled year for the nation and the world, the journey of Apollo 8 provided an uplifting and unifying experience for the world and inspired Time Magazine's Men of the Year selection.

SO it seemed to Christopher Columbus in 1500. In the closing days of 1968, all mankind could exult in the vision of a new universe. For all its upheavals and frustrations, the year would be remembered to the end of time for the dazzling skills and Promethean daring that sent mortals around the moon. It would be celebrated as the year in which men saw at first hand their little earth entire, a remote, blue-brown sphere hovering like a migrant bird in the hostile night of space.

The year's transcendent legacy may well be that in Christmas week 1968, the human race glimpsed not a new continent or a new colony, but a new age, one that will inevitably reshape man's view of himself and his destiny. For what must surely rank as one of the greatest physical adventures in history was, unlike the immortal explorations of the past, infinitely more than a reconnaissance of geography or unknown elements. It was a journey into man's future, a hopeful but urgent summons, in Poet Archibald MacLeish's words, "to see ourselves as riders on the earth together, brothers on that bright loveliness in the eternal cold - brothers who know now they are truly brothers."

The inspirational highlight of the mission was the Christmas Eve telecast from lunar orbit where the crew read from the first verses of Genesis.



Some addirional thoughts and videos on this epic mission are posted at The Discovery Enterprise.

Hanukkah and Our Attitude about the Future

(This is a post I originally made in 2003 and feel is worth repeating each year, especially in light of ongoing and emerging developments that can provide resources for future generations.)

Rabbi Daniel Lapin has a provocative column in WorldNetDaily on a message of Hanukkah that is relevant to people of all faiths. He shows examples, ancient and modern, of how a pessimistic Malthusian worldview have been repeatedly disproved by the Creator's providence of material resources and the ingenuity to utilize them to provide for the future. Rabbi Lapin says:

It only seemed that we lacked sufficient copper, whale oil or wood. In reality, our God-given ingenuity developed exciting new technology that eliminated our need for each commodity just as it was becoming scarce.

Hanukkah's miracle was that, day after day, the Temple's menorah just kept on burning in spite of an apparent shortage of fuel - a metaphor, surely, for all apparent shortages that can be overcome with faith. Hanukkah invites us all to express gratitude to the Creator whose beneficence is boundless. It stimulates discussions that can spur our spiritual growth. It reminds us that with His gift of creativity, challenges become optimistic opportunities to partner with God in creatively solving all material shortage.

Obama Announces Science and Tech Team

Barack Obama has announced some key appointments related to science and technology (although no word on the NASA administrator job yet). There are some good, some bad and still some uncertain aspects as to where his sci-tech policies are going, about which I'll have plenty to say as things develop.

Space Solar Power Highlighted

A position paper (PDF) submitted by the Space Frontier Foundation to the Obama transition team has been linked on the transition web site, where it has already generated three pages of comments, pro and con (and you can join in).

The one page paper summarizes the potential benefits of collecting solar energy in space and transmitting it to Earth and makes recommendations on the role the federal government can take in researching and developing space based solar power as a part of our mix of energy sources in the future. As an Advocate of the Space Frontier Foundation, I'm happy that this proposal is receiving such prominent public exposure and discussion.

Fitz Blitz

Reports and commentary are everywhere regarding the arrest of Illinois Governor Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his chief-of-staff on multiple corruption charges, including the attempted selling of the Senate seat being vacated by President-Elect Barack Obama. Federal Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald emphasized that Obama is not implicated in these charges (and in fact, he refused to go along with the Governor's alleged dealings and was one of many targets of Blago's foul-mouthed tirades recorded by the FBI during the investigation).

ABC's Jake Tapper notes that there is a discrepancy between the accounts by Obama and senior adviser David Axelrod over his contacts with Blago, though there may or may not be any significance there.

Fitzgerald, who prosecuted Scooter Libby and investigated others in the Bush Administration over issues related to the 'Valery Plame affair', has focused much of his efforts as a federal prosecutor investigating corruption in the Chicago area. The incoming president did spend his rising political career in the milieu of Chicago politics, so Fitzgerald's continuing investigation of corruption in Illinois may remain as a shadow during his presidency. Today's developments are only the start of an ongoing story.

Real Change We Can All Believe In

While it was overshadowed by the national presidential and congressional elections and the approval in California of the Marriage Amendment, California voters also made history and showed common sense in voting for another initiative.

Proposition 11, which passed with the narrowest of margins (50.8 percent), could mark the most serious challenge to the political class by voters since the foiled term limit movement of the 1990s. It strikes at the core pillar of power: incumbency guaranteed through gerrymandered districts. Californians took away from their legislature the power to draw its own districts--a key element of nearly uninterrupted Democratic control since 1970. The task will now be handled by an eight-member commission chosen much like a jury, whose members cannot come from the political class.

Hopefully, this will become a wave across the country. The practical result would be to make other states such as Maryland, like California, less dominated by Democratic legislative control, while loosening Republican domination in other states such as Texas. In short, legislative races across any state that adopts this reform could become more competitive and citizens would feel they have more influence in how they are governed.

Georgia On Our Minds: Saxby Chambliss Wins!

Republican incumbent US Senator Saxby Chambliss won tonight's run-off election in Georgia, denying the Democrats an absolute 60 seat margin in the US Senate.

Meanwhile, Kathryn Jean Lopez debunks a lingering scurrilous accusation against Chambliss over an ad run during his first Senate campaign six years ago.

Saxby Chambliss, of course, did not question Cleland’s patriotism. He ran an ad that, yes, included images of Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, as well as images of the American military. They were reminders we’re at war. The ad attacked Cleland for voting 11 times against a homeland-security bill that would have freed the president from some union mandates in setting up the new department. Agree or disagree with the bill (which was co-sponsored by then-senator Zell Miller of Georgia, a Democrat), the non-union employee measure, or the establishment of the department itself (National Review wasn’t a fan of the idea), but it was absolutely fair game for Chambliss to bring it up during the course of his campaign for Cleland’s Senate seat.