Following on the heels of the Antares launch from the Mid-Atlantic Space Coast, several other new developments point to an accelerating pace toward a new space age where space travel becomes more common and more a part of the everyday economy.
The most prominent was Monday's successful first powered flight test of SpaceShipTwo by Virgin Galactic. The test integrated the performance of the spacecraft with its hybrid rocket engine and paves the way to succeeding flights where the engine will burn longer, taking the spacecraft higher. Virgin Galactic expects the flights will reach the altitude defined internationally as the edge of space (100km/62.5mi) by the end of the year. Once the test program is complete, the company plans to begin commercial flights of tourists and researchers early next year. Here is a video of highlights of the flight with commentary by Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson.
In a couple of other developments, there was a recent flight extending the performance of SpaceX's Grasshopper test vehicle, which is an experimental rocket being tested to develop the capability for a reusable booster for carrying payloads into orbit. Finally, on Wednesday, the U.S. Air Force performed the final test of the X51A hypersonic vehicle succesfully. This type of propulsion could have some interesting military, civil and commercial applications including possibly faster intercontinental travel and another way to reach orbit.
Friday, May 03, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The Antares Launch, The Mid-Atlantic Space Coast And The 21st Century Space Age
The Antares rocket clears the launch pad on its way to orbit. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Sunday's launch of the Antares rocket, developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, was a significant step toward achieving NASA's goal of acquiring a second American provider of commercial delivery of supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). It was also a significant step for the Mid-Atlantic region, in particular the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland, in participating in the the growing 21st Century Space Age which is based on increased partnership among commercial, government and international players.
Orbital will now proceed to a demonstration of its Cygnus spacecraft delivering cargo to the ISS, tentatively scheduled for late June. The Cygnus demonstration will complete NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program and Orbital will then join another company, SpaceX, in providing this service over the next several years under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract. NASA is also partnering with several companies, including SpaceX, to develop commercial crew transportation to ISS, however Orbital has no plans to compete to provide that service.
This launch was a significant step not only for the Antares rocket and the commercial supply of cargo to ISS. It opens a wider future to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), colocated at the NASA facility at Wallops Island, VA. Located on the Eastern Shore shared by Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, the NASA Wallops Flight Facility has hosted suborbital and small orbital launches for decades, but Antares is the largest rocket ever to launch from this site and is comparable to the medium lift rockets that have frequently launched from Cape Canaveral, FL.
Along with providing cargo resupply to the ISS, Orbital hopes to market the Antares to other government and commercial customers, launching out of Wallops and other sites. Meanwhile, the company will use its Minotaur V rocket to launch NASA's LADEE spacecraft to orbit the Moon. This mission is scheduled to launch from Wallops in August.
With a growing list of private ventures to explore the Moon, asteroids and even Mars, the MARS at Wallops Island is in a position to participate in these ventures. The runway at Wallops could also eventually host suborbital companies such as Virgin Galactic and XCOR carrying researchers and tourists into space for brief flights.
The area around Wallops includes Chincoteague, a laid back resort town most famous for the wild ponies residing on the nearby wildlife refuge. The surrounding area is largely rural and is facing trying economic times. The communities are excited about the new business and jobs the spaceport is bringing to the area. Other nearby Virginia and Maryland communities, including Ocean City, MD, a major family vacation resort, stand to benefit from the high tech jobs and additional tourism the spaceport will generate.
This area could become known as the Mid-Atlantic Space Coast as the activity and excitement at Wallops Island grow in the new and dynamic 21st Century Space Age.
NOTE: I observed the launch on Sunday from a site ~ 3 miles from the launch pad. Here is the amateur video I took of this historic launch. The first noise you hear is the wind, but the rocket's roar can be heard after launch.
Sunday's launch of the Antares rocket, developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, was a significant step toward achieving NASA's goal of acquiring a second American provider of commercial delivery of supplies to the International Space Station (ISS). It was also a significant step for the Mid-Atlantic region, in particular the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland, in participating in the the growing 21st Century Space Age which is based on increased partnership among commercial, government and international players.
Orbital will now proceed to a demonstration of its Cygnus spacecraft delivering cargo to the ISS, tentatively scheduled for late June. The Cygnus demonstration will complete NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program and Orbital will then join another company, SpaceX, in providing this service over the next several years under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract. NASA is also partnering with several companies, including SpaceX, to develop commercial crew transportation to ISS, however Orbital has no plans to compete to provide that service.
This launch was a significant step not only for the Antares rocket and the commercial supply of cargo to ISS. It opens a wider future to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), colocated at the NASA facility at Wallops Island, VA. Located on the Eastern Shore shared by Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, the NASA Wallops Flight Facility has hosted suborbital and small orbital launches for decades, but Antares is the largest rocket ever to launch from this site and is comparable to the medium lift rockets that have frequently launched from Cape Canaveral, FL.
Along with providing cargo resupply to the ISS, Orbital hopes to market the Antares to other government and commercial customers, launching out of Wallops and other sites. Meanwhile, the company will use its Minotaur V rocket to launch NASA's LADEE spacecraft to orbit the Moon. This mission is scheduled to launch from Wallops in August.
With a growing list of private ventures to explore the Moon, asteroids and even Mars, the MARS at Wallops Island is in a position to participate in these ventures. The runway at Wallops could also eventually host suborbital companies such as Virgin Galactic and XCOR carrying researchers and tourists into space for brief flights.
The area around Wallops includes Chincoteague, a laid back resort town most famous for the wild ponies residing on the nearby wildlife refuge. The surrounding area is largely rural and is facing trying economic times. The communities are excited about the new business and jobs the spaceport is bringing to the area. Other nearby Virginia and Maryland communities, including Ocean City, MD, a major family vacation resort, stand to benefit from the high tech jobs and additional tourism the spaceport will generate.
This area could become known as the Mid-Atlantic Space Coast as the activity and excitement at Wallops Island grow in the new and dynamic 21st Century Space Age.
NOTE: I observed the launch on Sunday from a site ~ 3 miles from the launch pad. Here is the amateur video I took of this historic launch. The first noise you hear is the wind, but the rocket's roar can be heard after launch.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
FY2014 Budget And Asteroid Retrieval
Asteroid retrieval mission concept: Image Credit: NASA/Advanced Concepts Lab
More than two months overdue, the Obama Administration released its FY2014 budget proposal yesterday. The proposed budget is already being picked over from left and right over its priorities and levels of spending and taxes.
The proposed budget for NASA is $17.7 billion, covering a range of programs including human and robotic exploration International Space Station (ISS) and associated commercial crew and cargo resupply, Earth science, aeronautics, technology development, etc. The most intriguing item is a new program to go and retrieve a small asteroid and park it in a stable orbit near or around the Moon, where it could be more easily accessed by astronauts to investigate the object hands-on. This proposal has the support of the two major asteroid mining ventures, Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries, provided NASA engages the commercial sector in a major way in carrying out this mission.
Some lawmakers are skeptical about the asteroid retrieval proposal, saying they'd prefer more emphasis on a return to the Moon. Achievement of either of these goals would probably depend on NASA engaging the private sector in a large way, as it has done for ISS cargo resupply and crew transfer, in order to accomplish missions at lower costs in what may be a long term tight fiscal environment.
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
Sine Die: The Circus on the Severn Folds Its Tent
The Maryland General Assembly adjourned last night after its ninety-day rampage. Governor Martin O'Malley was eager to start signing the torrent of legislation. Higher taxes and gun control are two of the high - err, mostly low-lights of this year's ninety-day session.
The repeal of the death penalty is one move I tend to support because its deterrent effect is doubtful while the risk of executing the innocent is real. While the death penalty may not be essential to defending members of society, allowing them to defend themselves and others through exercising their Second Amendment rights is essential. The Second Amendment v. gun control question will remain among the most contentious issues in the state and in the nation.
The repeal of the death penalty is one move I tend to support because its deterrent effect is doubtful while the risk of executing the innocent is real. While the death penalty may not be essential to defending members of society, allowing them to defend themselves and others through exercising their Second Amendment rights is essential. The Second Amendment v. gun control question will remain among the most contentious issues in the state and in the nation.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Have a Blessed and Happy Easter!
At daybreak on the first day of the week
the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb;
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were puzzling over this, behold,
two men in dazzling garments appeared to them.
They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground.
They said to them,
"Why do you seek the living one among the dead?
He is not here, but he has been raised.
Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners
and be crucified, and rise on the third day."
And they remembered his words.
Then they returned from the tomb
and announced all these things to the eleven
and to all the others.
The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James;
the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,
but their story seemed like nonsense
and they did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb,
bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone;
then he went home amazed at what had happened.
Lk 24:1-12
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Holy Week 2013
This week is the one considered Holy by many with a strong Faith in God. For Christians, it is the observance of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the most pivotal events of human history. The Easter Triduum as observed in the Catholic Church is described here. Today, Pope Francis began Holy Week observances with Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square
This year, it also happens that tomorrow (Monday) night is the start of the Jewish observance of Passover, the celebration of the Jews' passing over to freedom from the bondage of slavery they suffered in Egypt. This event was a historical manifestation of God's power recognized by Jews and Christians alike.
May this week of Holy Days bring blessings and peace to all.
This year, it also happens that tomorrow (Monday) night is the start of the Jewish observance of Passover, the celebration of the Jews' passing over to freedom from the bondage of slavery they suffered in Egypt. This event was a historical manifestation of God's power recognized by Jews and Christians alike.
May this week of Holy Days bring blessings and peace to all.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Happy Saint Patrick's Day
,
Artist unknown, Link by Saints.SQPN.com
Today is March 17, St. Patrick's Day. Be blessed, safe, and happy however you are celebrating Ireland's patron saint.
Catholic Forum provides links to descriptions of St. Patrick here and here.
Saint Patrick's Breastplate
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
In the spirit of the holiday, check out LiveIreland.com for webcasts of Irish music and other media direct from Ireland.
Artist unknown, Link by Saints.SQPN.com
Today is March 17, St. Patrick's Day. Be blessed, safe, and happy however you are celebrating Ireland's patron saint.
Catholic Forum provides links to descriptions of St. Patrick here and here.
Saint Patrick's Breastplate
Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.
In the spirit of the holiday, check out LiveIreland.com for webcasts of Irish music and other media direct from Ireland.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Habemus Papam! Pope Francis
After the historic retirement of Pope Benedict XVI, the election of Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina as Pope Francis was announced on Wednesday. He is the first non-European pope in centuries, the first from the Western Hemisphere and the first from the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he was known for his pastoral approach of living simply, serving the poor, and strongly and faithfully speaking out for the Church's teachings on the moral issues of the day, including protection of human life, the definition of marriage, etc. Perhaps most of all, his election confirms the emergence of a proactive approach of Catholic evangelism to spread the Gospel of Christ globally in the face of increasing secularism.
Thanks be to God and may His blessings be on our new Holy Father!
This short video captures the highlights and excitement of the election of Pope Francis.
As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he was known for his pastoral approach of living simply, serving the poor, and strongly and faithfully speaking out for the Church's teachings on the moral issues of the day, including protection of human life, the definition of marriage, etc. Perhaps most of all, his election confirms the emergence of a proactive approach of Catholic evangelism to spread the Gospel of Christ globally in the face of increasing secularism.
Thanks be to God and may His blessings be on our new Holy Father!
This short video captures the highlights and excitement of the election of Pope Francis.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Inspiration Mars: A Most Audacious (But Perhaps Doable) Venture
Image: Inspiration Mars Foundation
In the last year or so, announcements of audacious space ventures by private business ventures and non-profit foundations have almost become common. However, today's announcement by space tourism pioneer Dennis Tito of the Inspiration Mars Foundation and its goal of sending an American man and woman (likely a married couple) on a nearly year-and-a-half mission to fly by Mars and return to Earth in 2018 may be the most breath-taking venture yet announced.
Using existing or nearly ready capabilities enables Inspiration Mars to target the exceptionally favorable Mars launch window that will open in January 2018. The simple "free return" fly-by mission trajectory is a major reason this audacious plan may just be doable in five years.
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Asteroids Getting Attention After Friday Encounters
P. Chodas (NASA/JPL) (Click on image for enlarged view.)
The topic of asteroids encountering the Earth have suddenly received plenty of media and public attention following Friday's explosion of a large meteor over Russia, injuring over a thousand people and causing significant property damage, and the previously expected close flyby of the larger asteroid 2012 DA14, later that afternoon. The two objects approached Earth from different directions so they are not directly related. However, both objects were rocks moving in space, so the Russian meteor was the size of a small asteroid before it entered the Earth's atmosphere.
The two events have brought increased attention and urgency to detection of potentially threatening asteroids and how they might be diverted from colliding with Earth. NASA does have an asteroid detection program underway, although asteroid 2012 DA14 was detected by a serious amateur telescope. Thousands of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) have been detected already, particularly the largest ones that would be most devastating, but the Russian incident shows that many objects capable of causing casualties and damage remain undetected. The situation is getting attention in Congress. Meanwhile, the private B612 Foundation is raising money to fund a spacecraft capable of detecting many more of these objects and two business ventures, Planetary Resources and Deep Space industries are planning to prospect and eventually mine asteroids for their resources that could immensely benefit the future human economy.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Ash Wednesday Starts the Season of Lent
Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season of preparation for the glorious celebration of Easter. Pope Benedict XVI calls people to return to God in the homily of his Ash Wednesday Mass, which will be his last public Mass as Pope.
One recent activity that has become aligned with Lent is the 40 Days for Life campaign, which organizes prayer vigils at local abortion facilities. I'll be participating in the event here in Silver Spring, MD.
"May the invitation to conversion, to 'return to God with all our heart,' resonate strongly in us," Pope Benedict said at St. Peter's Basilica on Ash Wednesday Feb. 13.The Holy Father also expressed gratitude during the emotional occasion as shown in this video.
"Accepting his grace that makes us new men and women, with the surprising news that is participating in the very life of Jesus," he said during the Mass held at 5 p.m. local time.
One recent activity that has become aligned with Lent is the 40 Days for Life campaign, which organizes prayer vigils at local abortion facilities. I'll be participating in the event here in Silver Spring, MD.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Pope Benedict Retires
For the first time in about 600 years, a Pope has left the Chair of St. Peter by resignation rather than death. Pope Benedict startled the world this morning by announcing that he will be retiring from the papacy at the end of the month. This move was likely taken with much prayer and discernment by the Holy Father, as discussed in this article by William Fahey.
As can be expected, there is much speculation on who the papal successor would be. I have no clue as to who that may be, but I believe the Holy Spirit will guide the selection toward someone able to lead the Church with vigor and moral clarity in proclaiming Jesus Christ in the face of hostility from much of our contemporary culture.
As can be expected, there is much speculation on who the papal successor would be. I have no clue as to who that may be, but I believe the Holy Spirit will guide the selection toward someone able to lead the Church with vigor and moral clarity in proclaiming Jesus Christ in the face of hostility from much of our contemporary culture.
Woman Dies From Late-Term Abortion in Germantown, MD
It has been revealed that a young woman has died, along with her child, as a result of a late-term performed by LeRoy Carhart in Germantown, MD last week. Background on this terrible event, media links and an update on the Memorial Service held this morning are provided at Pray For Germantown. More details are provided by Jill Stanek.
Prolife leaders urge action to prevent Carhart from causing more deaths of women and their children.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Robotic Refueling Demonstration Success
The International Space Station's DEXTRE robot grasps the RRM hardware during the key demonstration last Thursday, Jan. 24.(Image from TV downlink/credit: NASA)
The latest project I worked on during my career achieved its major goal last week by demonstrating how an existing satellite would be refueled in orbit robotically. The Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM), sponsored by the Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office (SSCO) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, used tools designed to remove caps and wires from valves used on existing satellites and then attached a hose that would allow the demonstration of refilling a satellite's fuel tanks. The demonstration was performed on hardware attached to the outside of the International Space Station.
The SSCO plans to follow up (pending funding by Congress) with an actual free flying spacecraft to demonstrate the capability on a couple of actual satellites currently near the end of their planned missions, with the ultimate goal being to turn the capability over to commercial industry for routine servicing of satellites.
More detail on the RRM demonstration can be found in these articles by SpaceflightNow.com and by NASASpaceflight.com.
Remembering Fallen Pioneers
NASA, the nation and the world are observing this week the anniversaries of human losses in spaceflight: Apollo 1 (forty six years ago Sunday, January 27), Challenger (twenty seven years ago yesterday, January 28), and Columbia (ten years ago this coming Friday, February 1).
Here is a link to a NASA multimedia presentation for today's Day of Remembrance.
NASA - Day of Remembrance
Alan Boyle has more on the impact of these tragedies on space exploration and links to media coverage of each event.
NASA celebrates its fallen astronauts
Sunday, January 27, 2013
March for Life 2013
This year's March for Life held on Friday may have been the largest ever despite cold temperatures and a light snowfall that started as the March reached the Supreme Court. Hundreds of thousands came from great distances to join together to call for protection of preborn human lives forty years after those lives were disregarded by the Supreme Court in 1973.
In the morning of the March, I attended the annual ProLifeCon, a social media conference that features some of the leaders on the cutting edge of the many facets of the prolife movement.
Hundreds of thousands surge along Constitution Ave. up Capitol Hill to stand for protecting the smallest among us.
The March for Life Banner leads the March along Constitution Ave.
Women and men wounded by abortion proclaim that they are "Silent No More"!
The young "ProLife Generation" was out in force proclaiming the goal of abolishing abortion.
The facade of the Supreme Court, with its proclamation "Equal Justice Under Law", is currently veiled for renovation. May the veil of imposed abortion on demand in this nation fall so that that proclamation may become more real.
In the morning of the March, I attended the annual ProLifeCon, a social media conference that features some of the leaders on the cutting edge of the many facets of the prolife movement.
Dean Nelson of the National Black Pro-Life Coalition describes the impact of abortion on the black family.
Investigative activist Lila Rose of Live Action described the important role of new media in investigating the abortion industry and spreading the message of life.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Why We March
This is a slightly revised and updated article I first wrote and posted in 2004 at this time.
Today, January 22, marks the 40th 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 Friday, the 25th, for the annual March for Life, which in recent years has usually drawn an estimated several hundred thousand 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.
The late Dr. Bernard Nathanson, former abortionist and co-founder of the pro-abortion group NARAL, since changed his mind and heart and became a leading prolife advocate. He points out the disinformation at the heart of the pro-abortion campaign.
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 fifty five 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, Diane Sawyer, 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 in 2005. 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 forty 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:
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 forty 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 Continues to play a pivotal role in the debate over health care and other public legislation. 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 tend toward voting 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, college students, and new media savvy activists who are exposing the dark side of the abortion industry. This is 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:
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.
Today, January 22, marks the 40th 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 Friday, the 25th, for the annual March for Life, which in recent years has usually drawn an estimated several hundred thousand 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.
The late Dr. Bernard Nathanson, former abortionist and co-founder of the pro-abortion group NARAL, since changed his mind and heart and became 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 fifty five 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, Diane Sawyer, 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 in 2005. 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 forty 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 forty 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 Continues to play a pivotal role in the debate over health care and other public legislation. 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 tend toward voting 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, college students, and new media savvy activists who are exposing the dark side of the abortion industry. This is 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.
Deep Space Industries Announces Asteroid Resources Business Plan
Some of my friends in the space community announced a new asteroid mining venture, Deep Space Industries, Inc. The company plans to start launching small precursor prospecting missions in 2-3 years. As I posted last year at the announcement of another asteroid prospecting/mining enterprise, Planetary Resources, Inc., this industry will have deep societal implications.
Jeff Foust provides some major media links here.
Here is the video of today's announcement.
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Circus on the Severn Opens For Its 2013 Run
The Maryland General Assembly opened today for its 2013 ninety day session. Once again, various contentious measures will be debated and some, for better or worse, will probably pass.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Putting Another Year Behind Us
As we are about to turn the calendar on another year, it's been quite a ride, leaving more questions than answers. The year began with a contentious start of a GOP presidential primary season, a growing struggle over life, conscience and religious liberty, and continued economic uncertainty. The year ended with Barack Obama re-elected for a second term, Congress divided roughly as it was before, and contentious battles over the looming "fiscal cliff", debt limits, and the overall vision of the economy.
The world continues to be on edge as old dictators in the Middle East give way to what may be even more extreme militant Islamist regimes. The attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya resulting in the death of the US Ambassador and three others sparked new doubts about the administration's handling of foreign and military affairs and about America's place in the world.
Violence struck closer to home with shootings by disturbed individuals at a movie theater in Colorado, a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and at an elementary school in Newtown , CT (including the deaths of twenty young children) renewing the debate over gun control v. more guns in the hands of responsible citizens, mental health issues, and whether the cultural and moral directions of our society are to blame and whether or how those directions can be changed.
Advances in science, technology and medicine appear to be continuing apace. The announcement of an apparent confirmation of the Higgs Boson, a fundamental elementary particle of matter, and the continuing discovery of a variety of candidate planets around other stars, highlight the basic discoveries. The landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars, the initiation of commercial cargo deliveries to the International Space Station, and the announcements of a number of bold ventures to increase access to space and its abundant resources indicate the human expansion into space may proceed in the midst of economic uncertainty.
In the midst of all the good and bad, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed a Year of Faith that will extend through most of 2013 to spark renewed faith in God among Christians throughout the world during a time of increased secularization and uncertainty. Faith is something we'll need plenty of as we deal with issues of life, liberty, economic uncertainty and expanding frontiers in the new year and beyond.
The world continues to be on edge as old dictators in the Middle East give way to what may be even more extreme militant Islamist regimes. The attack on the US mission in Benghazi, Libya resulting in the death of the US Ambassador and three others sparked new doubts about the administration's handling of foreign and military affairs and about America's place in the world.
Violence struck closer to home with shootings by disturbed individuals at a movie theater in Colorado, a Sikh temple in Wisconsin and at an elementary school in Newtown , CT (including the deaths of twenty young children) renewing the debate over gun control v. more guns in the hands of responsible citizens, mental health issues, and whether the cultural and moral directions of our society are to blame and whether or how those directions can be changed.
Advances in science, technology and medicine appear to be continuing apace. The announcement of an apparent confirmation of the Higgs Boson, a fundamental elementary particle of matter, and the continuing discovery of a variety of candidate planets around other stars, highlight the basic discoveries. The landing of the Curiosity rover on Mars, the initiation of commercial cargo deliveries to the International Space Station, and the announcements of a number of bold ventures to increase access to space and its abundant resources indicate the human expansion into space may proceed in the midst of economic uncertainty.
In the midst of all the good and bad, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed a Year of Faith that will extend through most of 2013 to spark renewed faith in God among Christians throughout the world during a time of increased secularization and uncertainty. Faith is something we'll need plenty of as we deal with issues of life, liberty, economic uncertainty and expanding frontiers in the new year and beyond.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
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
Two Christmas Favorites
Here are two stirringly beautiful Christmas music videos by Enya and Trans-Siberian Orchestra I'm posting again this year.
Trans Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Canon
shadow | MySpace Video
Trans Siberian Orchestra - Christmas Canon
shadow | MySpace Video
Monday, December 10, 2012
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 some very dark anti-human views of
the future vs. 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 has 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:
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 has 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.
Thursday, December 06, 2012
Golden Spike Company Announces Lunar Venture
On the cusp of the fortieth anniversary of Apollo 17, the last of the initial human expeditions to the Moon, a new commercial venture was announced today that could take humans back to the Moon within less than ten years. (More links here.)
The Golden Spike Company plans to use existing launch vehicles and capabilities as much as possible to make the cost more affordable. A new lander to take people to the lunar surface will be required, though the experience gained from the Apollo program plus new technology developed by various NASA and private ventures, including those vying for the Google Lunar X-Prize, could aid this effort.
Tuesday, December 04, 2012
Science From Mars And Mercury
This is a view of two of the trenches made by the 1.6-inch-wide (4-centimeter-wide) scoop on NASA's Mars rover Curiosity in October 2012 at a site called Rocknest.
NASA made its much anticipated announcement of results from the first months of exploration of Mars by the Curiosity rover on Monday. The results are intriguing, if not yet so "earthshaking" as some recent speculation had indicated. There is still some question as to where the interesting compounds detected originated from. The performance of the rover and its science instruments are not in question, and NASA today announced plans to send a similar design of rover to Mars in 2020 to continue exploration of that planet.
Meanwhile, new discoveries on the planet Mercury were announced last week. The findings include deposits of water ice and traces of organic compounds at the planet's polar regions.
Sunday, December 02, 2012
Advent 2012
Today marks the first Sunday of Advent, a time of preparation
for the coming celebration of our Savior's coming at Christmas. To mark
the beginning of this season, Here are Pope Benedict XVI's remarks from his weekly Angelus address today and a video (~23 min) I first posted last year of a group from
Christendom College singing on the Ponte Sant'Angelo in Rome. (Thanks
to RealCatholicTV.)
Catching Up With Planetary Explorers
Long overdue, I've added links to three major planetary exploration missions to my sidebar. Check out the links for MESSENGER (orbiting Mercury), Dawn (having explored asteroid Vesta, now en route to asteroid Ceres) and Curiosity (Mars Science Laboratory - the sophisticated rover now exploring Mars).
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
A special day set aside in our nation to give thanks to God for all His gifts to us.
Thanksgiving has a long history in our country, but the theme of giving thanks goes much further back in history, as recorded in the Bible.
Have a good time with family and friends and don't eat any more than I would. ;-)
Thanksgiving has a long history in our country, but the theme of giving thanks goes much further back in history, as recorded in the Bible.
Have a good time with family and friends and don't eat any more than I would. ;-)
The Ordered Complexity of the Universe
This thoughtful commentary by Pope Benedict XVI illustrates the compatibility of faith and reason despite the attempts by some secularists and some fundamentalists to create antagonism between the two.
In the great human enterprise of striving to unlock the mysteries of man and the universe, I am convinced of the urgent need for continued dialogue and cooperation between the worlds of science and of faith in the building of a culture of respect for man, for human dignity and freedom, for the future of our human family and for the long-term sustainable development of our planet. Without this necessary interplay, the great questions of humanity leave the domain of reason and truth, and are abandoned to the irrational, to myth, or to indifference, with great damage to humanity itself, to world peace and to our ultimate destiny.
Friday, November 09, 2012
Election: Where We Go From Here
Tuesday's election results are a great disappointment to many of us (to put it mildly). I'm not going to engage in the Monday morning quarterbacking right now as some of the underlying details of the vote are still unclear, except that we should not give up the fight for our fundamental principles of defending life and liberty.
There were some positive results from yesterday's elections and the most significant was probably the rejection of an assisted suicide measure in Massachusetts. Thankfully, there is still a broad spectrum of opinion that doesn't want to go there.
For a little perspective, the results still leave the "people's house" and a majority of state governorships in strong opposition control. Federal, state and local elections in two years will be the next major opportunity for the people to express their desires electorally. If the current trends toward financial and social crises aren't altered, the political climate will be dramatically different. For those tending to gloating or glooming about the election results, Wes Pruden says a little perspective is in order.
Also, much of the struggle for civilization occur outside the political process. Infiltrating existing institutions in education, culture, etc. and forming new associations will keep us engaged. New networks of communication that bypass the old-style media have been growing and form the basis of our 21st century counterculture. (Interesting that those of us who adhere to more "traditional" values are now the counterculture.) Often the culture will lead and the politics will follow.
Finally, remember Who is still King and He is not up for re-election. Interesting times ahead.
Sunday, November 04, 2012
A Time For Choosing: Real Progress v. "Progressive" Fantasies
After all the ads, debates, polls, and punditry, the day of decision arrives on Tuesday. (Yes, many of us have voted already.) This election will determine who will serve as president for the next four years, along with members of the House and Senate and various state and local offices and referenda.
President Obama was elected four years ago on a wave of enthusiasm in the belief that he would be a "post-partisan" president who would unite the nation and heal its racial past. To be fair, he did inherit a bad economic situation (the causes of which deserve a fair analysis that time does not allow here). Unfortunately, he (and Democratic Congressional leaders) chose a path that did not unite the nation nor focus on reviving the depressed economy and enabling the creation of new jobs. Instead, they pursued a path of highly ideological actions, highlighted by the passage of Obamacare without even a full disclosure of that legislation's content or ramifications.
The Obama administration's foreign policy seemed to be based on a world view indifferent to or hostile to traditional western values so that strong allies (Israel, Britain, etc.) were treated poorly while extreme socialist and Islamist governments were treated more leniently. The emerging scandal surrounding the recent terrible events in Benghazi, Libya do not square with the kind of national leadership required in this dangerous world.
The policies of this administration and most Congressional Democrats do not support the protection of human life at every stage and condition of life and threaten the range of personal, religious and economic liberties that our nation is dedicated to upholding.
The fundamental issue is not President Obama personally himself, but that he is the point-man for a philosophy that labels itself as "progressive" that has little in common with real progress but indulges in fantasies that ignore the fundamentals of human life and dignity. This world view rejects the reality of the existence of unborn human lives and society's obligation to protect them, yet endorses government micromanagement in trivial matters such as what kind of light bulbs we can use or what size sodas we can drink. "Progressivism" believes that human nature can be molded through shame, intimidation, and if necessary, force of government power. It needs to be soundly rejected in this election.
Mitt Romney has a background immersed in business, governing a state and managing the 2002 Winter Olympics. He emerged this year (his second attempt to run for the GOP presidential nomination) sharpened by hard fought contests and debates with some tough and principled oponnents.
Mitt Romney's background is that of a pragmatic executive who wants to get things done. In order to ensure he is able to get the right things done, it is critical that we send to Washington a strong Republican House and turn control of the Senate to the GOP. Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid share responsibility with President Obama for the disastrous policies of the past few years.
Mitt Romney favors a program of lower and simpler taxes, cutting excessive government spending and reforming regulation to allow robust economic growth that will create jobs. Mitt Romney favors replacing Obamacare with healthcare reform that gives more control to patients and doctors, not government. Mitt Romney favors restoring US leadership in the world and treating our friends with respect and standing up to our adversaries. Mitt Romney favors policies that will enable more protection for human life and that respect our personal, religious and economic liberties. And Mitt Romney has chosen a capable running mate in Paul Ryan who could step in and strongly fight for these principles if called upon.
Politics and government are not the ultimate solution to the questions of life and no candidate or party is perfect, but sometimes one alternative is clearly preferable to the other. Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and the candidates for the other offices have closed this campaign with a call to our more positive, optimistic natures over the cynicism of much of our current establishment. It's time to reject "progressive " fantasies and choose real progress.
President Obama was elected four years ago on a wave of enthusiasm in the belief that he would be a "post-partisan" president who would unite the nation and heal its racial past. To be fair, he did inherit a bad economic situation (the causes of which deserve a fair analysis that time does not allow here). Unfortunately, he (and Democratic Congressional leaders) chose a path that did not unite the nation nor focus on reviving the depressed economy and enabling the creation of new jobs. Instead, they pursued a path of highly ideological actions, highlighted by the passage of Obamacare without even a full disclosure of that legislation's content or ramifications.
The Obama administration's foreign policy seemed to be based on a world view indifferent to or hostile to traditional western values so that strong allies (Israel, Britain, etc.) were treated poorly while extreme socialist and Islamist governments were treated more leniently. The emerging scandal surrounding the recent terrible events in Benghazi, Libya do not square with the kind of national leadership required in this dangerous world.
The policies of this administration and most Congressional Democrats do not support the protection of human life at every stage and condition of life and threaten the range of personal, religious and economic liberties that our nation is dedicated to upholding.
The fundamental issue is not President Obama personally himself, but that he is the point-man for a philosophy that labels itself as "progressive" that has little in common with real progress but indulges in fantasies that ignore the fundamentals of human life and dignity. This world view rejects the reality of the existence of unborn human lives and society's obligation to protect them, yet endorses government micromanagement in trivial matters such as what kind of light bulbs we can use or what size sodas we can drink. "Progressivism" believes that human nature can be molded through shame, intimidation, and if necessary, force of government power. It needs to be soundly rejected in this election.
Mitt Romney has a background immersed in business, governing a state and managing the 2002 Winter Olympics. He emerged this year (his second attempt to run for the GOP presidential nomination) sharpened by hard fought contests and debates with some tough and principled oponnents.
Mitt Romney's background is that of a pragmatic executive who wants to get things done. In order to ensure he is able to get the right things done, it is critical that we send to Washington a strong Republican House and turn control of the Senate to the GOP. Democratic leaders Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid share responsibility with President Obama for the disastrous policies of the past few years.
Mitt Romney favors a program of lower and simpler taxes, cutting excessive government spending and reforming regulation to allow robust economic growth that will create jobs. Mitt Romney favors replacing Obamacare with healthcare reform that gives more control to patients and doctors, not government. Mitt Romney favors restoring US leadership in the world and treating our friends with respect and standing up to our adversaries. Mitt Romney favors policies that will enable more protection for human life and that respect our personal, religious and economic liberties. And Mitt Romney has chosen a capable running mate in Paul Ryan who could step in and strongly fight for these principles if called upon.
Politics and government are not the ultimate solution to the questions of life and no candidate or party is perfect, but sometimes one alternative is clearly preferable to the other. Mitt Romney, Paul Ryan and the candidates for the other offices have closed this campaign with a call to our more positive, optimistic natures over the cynicism of much of our current establishment. It's time to reject "progressive " fantasies and choose real progress.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sandy Blowing In
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
In Remembrance of September 11, 2001
U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael W. Pendergrass
Eleven years ago this, 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.
Eleven 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. However, terrorist activity around the world should serve to remind us that the threat is still real.
This anniversary stirs abundant remembrance and reflection and many stirring pictorial and video items have appeared on the web and on Facebook. I still find this audio/visual Internet presentation developed by a New Yorker shortly after the attacks as one of the most powerful portrayals of those times. The sequence is ~15 minutes long and some of the images and sounds are quite disturbing, others are inspirational. Use the browser View/Zoom function and adjust the scroll bar to enlarge the slide show.
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. Finally, we must always remember to trust in God and his mercy during trying times. The story of the cross formed by two beams found among the ruins of the twin towers is recounted here.
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Conventional Wisdom (Or Not)
The Republican Convention held last week in Tampa, FL and the Democratic Convention underway now in Charlotte, NC convey contrasting worldviews. GOP nominee Gov. Mitt Romney challenged President Obama's record in office while emphasizing a positive vision for the future.
The Dems convention kicked off today in Charlotte. First Lady Michelle Obama just finish a rousing call to rally supporters of her husbands re-election, but the rest of the roster of speakers tonight seemed to be a repetition of traditional Democratic themes claiming to be the party looking out for the poor and middle-class and trying to attack Republicans for undermining those efforts. Their claim to caring for the vulnerable is open to questioning both in terms of the effectiveness of traditional Democratic government-centered solutions and of moral consistency, given the openly proclaimed obsessive support for abortion-on-demand.
An underlying story of this election campaign has less to do with the efforts of the candidates and parties themselves and more with the changing nature of media that convey information to the public. Social media, talk radio and other alternatives are broadening the flow information and allowing things to be known that are often filtered by the traditional "old media" sources. Conventional media types are frustrated that they are finding it increasingly "impossible ... to change the conversation". Actually, that's a good thing!
If I am elected President of these United States, I will work with all my energy and soul to restore that America, to lift our eyes to a better future. That future is our destiny. That future is out there. It is waiting for us. Our children deserve it, our nation depends upon it, the peace and freedom of the world require it. And with your help we will deliver it. Let us begin that future together tonight.VP nominee Paul Ryan delivered a stirring call the previous night. The convention highlighted a number of rising stars in the party. Marco Rubio, Susana Martinez, Nikki Haley, Mia Love are among the names that may become more familiar to the nation.
The Dems convention kicked off today in Charlotte. First Lady Michelle Obama just finish a rousing call to rally supporters of her husbands re-election, but the rest of the roster of speakers tonight seemed to be a repetition of traditional Democratic themes claiming to be the party looking out for the poor and middle-class and trying to attack Republicans for undermining those efforts. Their claim to caring for the vulnerable is open to questioning both in terms of the effectiveness of traditional Democratic government-centered solutions and of moral consistency, given the openly proclaimed obsessive support for abortion-on-demand.
An underlying story of this election campaign has less to do with the efforts of the candidates and parties themselves and more with the changing nature of media that convey information to the public. Social media, talk radio and other alternatives are broadening the flow information and allowing things to be known that are often filtered by the traditional "old media" sources. Conventional media types are frustrated that they are finding it increasingly "impossible ... to change the conversation". Actually, that's a good thing!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Neil Armstrong Passes away
 |
| Credit: NASA |
Neil Armstrong, who became the first human being to step onto another world, passed away on Saturday, August 25, 2012 at age 82. Armstrong actually remembered the landing, where he skillfully brought the lunar lander to the surface with fuel running low, as the more challenging part of the lunar excursion. Here is the NASA page honoring Neil Armstrong with links, videos, etc.
May the Lord grant Neil eternal rest on the final Sea of Tranquility.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Romney/Ryan
Mitt Romney had a field of strong candidates to chose from for his vice-presidential running mate, but he couldn't have made a better choice than Paul Ryan. Romney's VP pick is already energizing grassroots activists for his campaign and the pair drew huge crowds at rallies over the weekend.
Ryan, as chair of the House Budget Committee has demonstrated his grasp of the fiscal and economic realities facing the nation and his ability to be "quick on his feet" to explain them to the public. This episode from President Obama's health care summit a couple of years ago is a prime example.
Ryan is a Catholic who holds strong views in support of protecting human life, religious liberty and the definition of marriage while engaging in a thoughtful dialog with Catholic bishops on the prudential application of the Church's social teaching as regards to how to help the poor in ways that avoid imposing crushing debt on future generations.
Ryan, as chair of the House Budget Committee has demonstrated his grasp of the fiscal and economic realities facing the nation and his ability to be "quick on his feet" to explain them to the public. This episode from President Obama's health care summit a couple of years ago is a prime example.
Ryan is a Catholic who holds strong views in support of protecting human life, religious liberty and the definition of marriage while engaging in a thoughtful dialog with Catholic bishops on the prudential application of the Church's social teaching as regards to how to help the poor in ways that avoid imposing crushing debt on future generations.
Ryan replied in a brief statement that he shared their “commitment to a preferential option for the poor” — a key element of Catholic social teaching — but added that the option “does not mean a preferential option for bigger government.”
Speaking at Georgetown, Ryan said that some Catholics “for a long time have thought they had a monopoly of sorts … not exactly on heaven, but on the social teaching of our Church. Of course there can be differences among faithful Catholics on this.”
Monday, August 06, 2012
Curiosity on Mars!
One of the first images from Curiosity after landing on Mars overnight. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) (left); Image of curiosity descending to the Martian surface under its parachute taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona) (right)
NASA's Curiosity (Mars Science Laboratory) rover landed on the Martian surface early this morning (EDT), successfully completing a daring arrival sequence that had flight controllers and the world waiting in suspense. Curiosity contains state of the art sophisticated instruments that will add to our knowledge of Mars, including possibly clues on whether life could have existed there or could exist currently on the Red Planet.
Friday, August 03, 2012
Moving Toward Commercial Orbital Travel
NASA today officially announced that SpaceX, Boeing and Sierra Nevada Corp. have won funding awards in the final development round of its commercial crew program, now called Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap). This is a major step toward commercial transportation of people to orbit later this decade.
Thursday, August 02, 2012
A Desperate Mandate and a Quiet Revolution
Two significant events occurred yesterday. The Obama Administration's HHS mandate went into effect imposing requirements on individuals and institutions to provide contraception (including abortion inducing drugs) and sterilization in health care coverage regardless of conscientious objection. It's just the latest example of how certain powerful elements in society are so convinced that their opinions are so "enlightened" and "forward thinking" that they have the right to impose them on society. (Meanwhile, while contraception coverage is guaranteed, will Obamacare be there for people facing life threatening conditions, or will their care be rationed because the whole program is unsustainable?)
But yesterday may be remembered in history for the start of a peaceful revolution against the insanity being imposed by the cultural establishment. Who would have thought that something as ordinary as going out for a casual chicken meal could have such social and political significance? The attempt to marginalize Chick-fil-A over the owner's views and activities regarding same-sex marriage resulted in a massive hunger for the company's chicken by Americans rejecting the notion that a disagreement over that issue constituted 'hate' toward individuals or certain groups. (The trouble is that words like 'hate' are being cast so widely, would we recognize real hate when confronted with it? Think Syria, Iran, etc.) It's always difficult to predict how these things will play out politically, but just maybe that was the early rumbling of a seismic social shift being heard yesterday at lunch time.
But yesterday may be remembered in history for the start of a peaceful revolution against the insanity being imposed by the cultural establishment. Who would have thought that something as ordinary as going out for a casual chicken meal could have such social and political significance? The attempt to marginalize Chick-fil-A over the owner's views and activities regarding same-sex marriage resulted in a massive hunger for the company's chicken by Americans rejecting the notion that a disagreement over that issue constituted 'hate' toward individuals or certain groups. (The trouble is that words like 'hate' are being cast so widely, would we recognize real hate when confronted with it? Think Syria, Iran, etc.) It's always difficult to predict how these things will play out politically, but just maybe that was the early rumbling of a seismic social shift being heard yesterday at lunch time.
Friday, July 27, 2012
NewSpace 2012
The Space Frontier Foundation's NewSpace 2012 conference is underway (starting yesterday going through tomorrow). I'm not there but I'm following much of it via live streaming of most of the sessions at this link. (Kudos to Spacevidcast!).
In another NewSpace development, Clark Lindsey (who is attending the conference) has signed off his Space Transportation News blog and will now monitor and report on developments in the commercial spaceflight industry at the NewSpace Watch site, which I've added to my side bar directly under the HobbySpace link where Clark will continue to post general space related items.
In another NewSpace development, Clark Lindsey (who is attending the conference) has signed off his Space Transportation News blog and will now monitor and report on developments in the commercial spaceflight industry at the NewSpace Watch site, which I've added to my side bar directly under the HobbySpace link where Clark will continue to post general space related items.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Anniversaries: One Great, One More Modest
NASA
Today is the 43rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 pioneering expedition to the lunar surface, the day human beings first made landfall on another world. Check out Rand Simberg's ceremonial commemoration of that epic voyage. Here is a brief video capturing highlights of the first two explorers on the Moon.
Here is a poetic video piece by Rick Tumlinson (produced last year).
Today is also the ninth 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.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Will This Be The Defining Moment Of The Campaign?
President Obama's remarks in Roanoke, VA last week may be remembered as a pivotal moment in the 2012 campaign. It is this line that has touched a nerve: "If you’ve got a business, you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen."
As this Christian Science Monitor article points out, taking the president's words in context as referring to public infrastructure still reveals a lack of understanding of how the economy works.
"It’s not the government’s money!" (Rep. Raul) Labrador said. "It was business people who gave the government money so we could have roads and buildings and infrastructure. That is what is fundamentally deficient in this administration.... He completely and fundamentally misunderstands what creates business, what creates a thriving economy."Pat Sajak has a pithy commentary on this whole situation, concluding that
These defining moments take hold most devastatingly when they confirm what a large portion of the electorate already believes. Taken alone, it seems unfair that a single moment, an unguarded remark or a slip of the tongue can carry such weight. They're often dismissed as "gotcha" moments, but when voters are able to nod and say, "I knew it," these moments stick and do terrible damage. We have witnessed such a moment.The statement has been the subject of numerous photo cartoons on Facebook this week, but this Romney ad seems to have really hit home.
Wednesday, July 04, 2012
Happy July 4th!
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.
This is a time to be mindful and protective of the full range of personal, religious and economic liberties. Some additional thoughts from around the web remind us of the significance of some words from the second stanza of America the Beautiful and thoughts on the Stars and Stripes from a famous Catholic English writer.
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.
This is a time to be mindful and protective of the full range of personal, religious and economic liberties. Some additional thoughts from around the web remind us of the significance of some words from the second stanza of America the Beautiful and thoughts on the Stars and Stripes from a famous Catholic English writer.
Wow. Think about that line: "by whose stars we are illumined, and by whose stripes we are healed." Have you ever thought about your flag that way - so Christ-like? G. K. Chesterton did. It’s a stirring interpretation of America and its mission.
Tuesday, July 03, 2012
It's Up to We the People
Thursday's Supreme Court decision allowing the legislative health care monstrosity known as Obamacare to stand has drawn a range of reactions. Predictably, many liberal supporters of the bill waxed misty-eyed about how this law would ensure that no-one would have to worry anymore that healthcare for themselves or their children would be totally covered and would ensure that ice cream cones would grow on trees - well, the two results would be about as equally likely.
Conservative reaction was more mixed with some praising Chief Justice Roberts' brilliance for painting Pres. Obama into a corner for violating his promise not to tax those with incomes below $250,000 and for setting up precedent for limiting federal powers in future cases. Others labeled Roberts a turncoat who has probably doomed our society to expansive statist policies.
Actually, whatever one's assessment of the Chief justice's decisive role in this case or what his own motivations were is beside the point. One thing that Roberts made clear is that the Court's role is to rule on the constitutionality of a law, not its wisdom. As Kathryn Jean Lopez clearly points out, that's up to We the People. It would have been nice to have the Supreme Court make it easy for us by ditching Obamacare. But we'll have to do it the way the Constitution lays out, to bust our butts and our personal schedules to elect the right people to office in order to defend life and liberty.
Friday, June 01, 2012
Succesful Dragon Flight Heralds New Way of Doing Business in Space
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Dragon Takes Flight and Spreads Its Wings!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Launch Anticipation
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Circus on the Severn Back for a Brief but Taxing Session.
The Maryland General Assembly came back to Annapolis for a special session this week with the specific purpose of raising taxes to sustain the state's big spending ways.
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