'The Right Stuff' / OT I guess

[Nick]

Apollo 14 - Alan Shepard brought a head to stick on a toll handle - but promised he'd only do it if everything went okay. He brought 3 balls and hit two of them - both he and his golf pro went to their graves without revealing the brand of golf ball - he said that info was worth too much marketing money.
The "buggy" - the Lunar Rover - enabled the crews to go far beyond the landing area to get some fantastic rock samples.

[Ace]

Whilst it is sad that 7 people died, lets put it into perspective. NASA spend billions on their space programme every year. Think what those billions could do to help this planet. Before we start to explore the possibilities of space habitation on other planets, we ought to save this one before we fuck it up past saving. I will probably get crucified for sounding insensitive, but also on the news today were tragic deaths that could have been averted, but because they happened in pissy countries with little exposure, those stories get 'relegated' to page 120 on ceefax, all because NASA is in the public eye. This has nothing at all to do with my 'xenophobia' of 'poncy' Americans.

[WinkWink]

Ace - You are right. Today over 30 people killed in Lagos Nigeria. Any death be it doing the job you are trained to do or being caught in an explosion is one death to many.

[jj]

The difference is, I think, that the NASA deaths meant a lot to a lot of people, whereas unfortunately the daily deaths of 100s of kids do not.
I suppose we ought to be grateful that the emotion of common mourning is still able to be provoked, in however a limited fashion.

[jj]

If that's the oil industry, be assured that their accountants have calculated that it's cheaper to buy-off the victims' families and replace the workers than to invest in adequate safety-measures.

[magoo]

Your right Ace. Its sad that these people died but while people are still starving to death on this planet every day in vast numbers seven people being killed in a risky job is not really that remarkable. More people die on our roads every day.

And the theres war in Iraq looming. Many innocent civilians will die or be collateraly damaged to use a military euphanism for death of innocents. The shuttle crew were no doubt aware that there was a risk and they made the choice to go. Victims of famine or war dont have a choice.

[WinkWink]

Unfortunenatly tomorrow & the day after & for every more, more people will lose loved ones due to accidents, terrorism, illness etc.

Each death will be mourned by one person, two people, a hundred people or a million people.

We are in the 21st Century we must make the world better for eveyone.

May the sun shine in your lives & may your loved ones be looked after, but remember the ones that have been lost.

[Crimpo]

You just feel for the families and friends involved - a very public tragedy which can't help them at all.

[Nick]

Billions?
And yep - it goes straight into the ATM in space - never gets spent on earth...
The sad thing is you can get Saddam and Arafat and some israelis and alot of other head bangers up in space to see it all the same damn planet - there are no property lines ..

[jj]

...if the West (yes, and those corrupt 3rd World Govts. as well) spent the cash they waste on arms on food/housing/sanitation/
education for all instead, we'd still have tons left over for space research.
And maybe a day-trip to Llandudno, as well.