According to SiliconValley.com, our government's computer security systems in the largest agencies improved last year and now rate a D-. Or, said in a different way, U.S. computer security sucks. Recently, we learned that the vaunted Star Wars defense system, sucking money out of the federal budget with the enthusiasm of a new born at its mother's breast, can't even get its stupid missiles to launch. Forget about knocking down incoming missiles.
Incoming missiles. From where? Newton was a very smart man with his 3 laws, one of which is that a body in motion will continue in motion until whacked on the head with a rolled-up newspaper. Even Clinton didn't kill that stupid program. So why should we be surprised that the government can't secure its computers. Think of the expression blindingly obvious. Some things are so obvious, they blind you to them.
For one more pet peeve, continue.
NASA boss Sean "safe space flight or die" O'Keefe has decided to call of the mission that would fix the ailing Hubble telescope, one of the greatest scientific tools of all time. Because of new safety guidelines, O'Keefe, despite pleas from scientists around the world, decided to let the Hubble telescope die.
How appropriate, then, that the founder of the Hubble Institute is getting the National Medal of Science. The prize is a small telescope that he can use to watch Hubble's firey descent into the atmosphere.
Yes, yes, yes, I've heard all the dumb arguments about how money on space is taking the food out of the mouths of starving Lithuanians, that we should take care of problems here on earth before launching into the universe. Perhaps one reason this country has become a collection of whiners and complainers is that we've lost the ability to think beyond our own narrow interests. How can one look out into the cosmos with all its majesty and mystery and not feeling an overpowering need to explore, to seek out new worlds and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man (or "one" depending on which version you like) has gone before? Blatherwhistles.
Stay home and tend your gardens, all you Dr. Panglosses.
