This morning, I was privileged to march in the local 4th of July parade with my daughter and her Y-princess tribe. My wife and younger daughter watch on the side, so they saw the whole parade, including something amazing.
A group of WWII veterans, all of whom must be in their 80's or older, rode a float, re-enacting the scene in the famous photo from the battle of Iwo Jima. These elderly gentlemen, in the blazing sun, held pose for the full two plus miles of the parade, for all to see. These amazing men, who a lifetime ago perhaps fought that very battle, or certainly one like it, then came home to re-tool and rebuild a nation.
Last week my grandmother died, at age 89. My grandfather passed away 20 years ago in his early 70's. Of course I'm saddened by losing her, even though her health over the last few years had made that an inevitable reality.
I remember the stories she shared with me over the years, of how her family had so little growing up. How she raised my aunt, who was stricken with polio, while my grandfather fought in the pacific. How they worked so hard after the war, raising a family, while my grandfather worked long hours in the steel mill. The stories of how they went without during strikes. How my grandfather did not own a car until he was 47 years old. Real sacrifice.
What strikes me mostly though, is I've lost the tie my family had to 'The Greatest Generation', as it's come to be known. In my family, my parents generation is now elevated to that 'patriarchal' level. It's perfectly natural, circle of life and all that.
But here's the thing. That 'Greatest Generation', we are nothing compared to them. That generation, born or raised in the Great Depression, hardened by World War II. Then building the great industrial giant that would be the United States in 20th century. Those remarkable men and women of vision who set out to go to the moon, then went. Who brought us most of the technologies we rely on every day. A generation that Boldly Went.
They, as a society, set out to do things, and did them. They WON wars. They went to the moon. They put a car in every driveway. They had a vision of the future and made it happen.
The generations that have come since got nothing on them. My own included. We have vision, sure. We do not have the drive to see that vision through. We let a bunch of baby boom era politicians screw it up.
This is not meant to shed a light of disrespect on the baby boom generation. My Aunts and Uncles were incredible role models for me, and helped teach me the value of hard work and education. After my parents split in the mid 80's they, along with my grandparents helped turn me from a boy to a man. The politicians on the other hand, are not about hard work. They are about poor leadership and entitlements.
Think about it. Who was the last President that was truly respected. Bush Sr?, Reagan? Bring on boomers like Clinton, & GW Bush, and there's no respect. Not like there should be. And nothing gets done. Does Obama qualify as a boomer? Probably not, but the congress who's bidding he does (Pelosi, Reid, etc) is. I wish President Obama would stand on his own, but he does not. He does their bidding on every issue, further dividing our great nation. Boldly going nowhere.
When President George W Bush addressed the nation after the 9/11 attacks, we all seemed ready to sacrifice. All ready to do whatever we had to in order to protect our nation. All ready to commit our nations resources to eliminating terrorism around the world. Until the politicians and pundits decided it wasn't popular anymore. So now we've half hearted war efforts, that despite the sacrifice of our troops are not well represented by our elected leaders. Men dying for our freedoms, working to liberate rogue nations and fight terrorists. It doesn't get much more red blooded GI Frakkin' Joe American than that. Our elected leaders and media pundits have turned it into a circus.
When it really came time to buckle down and make sacrifices, by and large, we didn't. Our politicians complained about the costs of war. Our media outlets turned fallen soldiers into a spectacle. What has the average non military American really sacrificed in the war on terror? Another buck or two a gallon?
The Greatest Generation sacrificed. They sacrificed to survive, from the time they were born, to the time they died. Born of the depression they had little to begin with. Then while the men went off to war, the women raised families and retooled our nation to build weapons of war. The war ended and our veterans retooled our nation into one of the greatest manufacturing societies in history. They accomplished amazing things, and sacrificed to do it. Raising large families in tiny bungalows, working through labor strikes and race riots. That generation's sacrifices shaped our futures.
So to those great men, holding the flag this morning, and to my grandparents, and and all those heroes of the Greatest Generation, Thank You. Thank you for so many things you did, and lessons we should have learned.
Maybe, just maybe my generation or the next can get us back on course. Maybe then, we can Boldly Go!
This entry dedicated to the memory of my grandmother, Martha Allie.
Monday, July 5, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Congress to the Rescue??
I'll be darned. Whod've thunk it.
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrastructure/NASA-Space-Flight-Funding-Plan-Embroils-Congress-Obama-Administration-503112/
Boy, I hope this gains ground. It's the glimmer of hope I haven't seen in a long time.
Bipartisan effort to Boldly Go!
http://www.eweek.com/c/a/IT-Infrastructure/NASA-Space-Flight-Funding-Plan-Embroils-Congress-Obama-Administration-503112/
Boy, I hope this gains ground. It's the glimmer of hope I haven't seen in a long time.
Bipartisan effort to Boldly Go!
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Hydrogen Highway
Now this is a project our stimulus dollars should fund.
http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/06/15/can-the-hydrogen-highway-exist/
One of the things keeping us from making a move to Hydrogen fueled vehicles is the lack of an infrastructure. So fund it. Put the stations in, and encourage the automakers t make cars that use it.
It'd be little different than the move from leaded gas to regular. Separate tanks, separate pumps, etc were needed for that back in the 70's. Start now, and the next generation of vehicles will be hydrogen powered.
Fund the infrastructure to put in the stations, or retrofit existing ones to carry hydrogen. Give automakers breaks, or funding to encourage partnerships areound development of hydrogen powered engines. Take bold steps.
Boldly Go!
http://liveshots.blogs.foxnews.com/2010/06/15/can-the-hydrogen-highway-exist/
One of the things keeping us from making a move to Hydrogen fueled vehicles is the lack of an infrastructure. So fund it. Put the stations in, and encourage the automakers t make cars that use it.
It'd be little different than the move from leaded gas to regular. Separate tanks, separate pumps, etc were needed for that back in the 70's. Start now, and the next generation of vehicles will be hydrogen powered.
Fund the infrastructure to put in the stations, or retrofit existing ones to carry hydrogen. Give automakers breaks, or funding to encourage partnerships areound development of hydrogen powered engines. Take bold steps.
Boldly Go!
Tons of water on the moon!
Scientists believe there is literally tons of water under the surface of the moon.
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/06/15/moon-vast-amount-water/
What does this mean? It means we're wasting an incredible opportunity.
Recall that part of the original plan for Mars was setting up a staging area on the moon, and embarking on the trip to Mars from there.
One of the key resources we need is water, as it can be converted to drinking water, and broken down into it's base elements for both fuel and breathable air.
It's not only already on the moon, but plentiful. It's almost as though it was left there for us, as a key to our destiny amongst the stars, just waiting until we were ready to use it.
We are ready. The time is now. Go to the moon, and harness this water. Drill baby Drill! That water will take us to Mars and beyond.
Boldly Go!
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/06/15/moon-vast-amount-water/
What does this mean? It means we're wasting an incredible opportunity.
Recall that part of the original plan for Mars was setting up a staging area on the moon, and embarking on the trip to Mars from there.
One of the key resources we need is water, as it can be converted to drinking water, and broken down into it's base elements for both fuel and breathable air.
It's not only already on the moon, but plentiful. It's almost as though it was left there for us, as a key to our destiny amongst the stars, just waiting until we were ready to use it.
We are ready. The time is now. Go to the moon, and harness this water. Drill baby Drill! That water will take us to Mars and beyond.
Boldly Go!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Go Soyuz Go!
http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/scitech/2010/06/14/russia-rocket-soyuz-prep/?test=faces#slide=1
Who would have thought it would come to this. Actually getting excited over a Russian spaceflight. As i started looking at this I caught myself thinking, wow, that looks pretty darned cool. Then the reality of what I was looking at set in.
Ronald Reagan is rolling over in his grave.
With 2 shuttle launches left is this what we've come to? We're relying on the Russkies to help us Boldly Go?
Sure we made nice with them after the cold war, but lately they've taken sides against us on a few little things. Terrorism, nuclear proliferation, Iran. You know, little things.
What in the world are the politicians thinking. We should have our own cool spacecraft. What a way to demoralize a nation. 'Yes we can' indeed.
Boy, do we ever need to Boldly Go!
Who would have thought it would come to this. Actually getting excited over a Russian spaceflight. As i started looking at this I caught myself thinking, wow, that looks pretty darned cool. Then the reality of what I was looking at set in.
Ronald Reagan is rolling over in his grave.
With 2 shuttle launches left is this what we've come to? We're relying on the Russkies to help us Boldly Go?
Sure we made nice with them after the cold war, but lately they've taken sides against us on a few little things. Terrorism, nuclear proliferation, Iran. You know, little things.
What in the world are the politicians thinking. We should have our own cool spacecraft. What a way to demoralize a nation. 'Yes we can' indeed.
Boy, do we ever need to Boldly Go!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Moon Dust and Alan Bean
Caught Alan Bean on the 6/10/10 episode of The Colbert Report. It was great to see him, and see the wonderful Apollo themed artwork he has created.
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/312115/june-10-2010/alan-bean
He has actually found a way to incorporate moon dust into his paintings by taking his American flag and mission patches, and incorporating tiny bits of them into his paint.
What I would give to own one of those pieces. I own no real 'art'. The peices in my home are mostly bought at stores like Target. But something like that, created by one of the few pioneers who set foot on the moon, with pieces of the moon in it. How wonderfully inspiring.
He reminded us as well, of the small group of men who actually made that amazing trip from the earth to the moon. They are all in their late 70's or older, and will be lost to us soon, as the inevitable happens to each.
What wonderful men they are. Those who had the privilege to live in a time when our nation looked to the stars. So fortunate we are to hear the stories they share.
These amazing men, who were able to Boldly Go.
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/312115/june-10-2010/alan-bean
He has actually found a way to incorporate moon dust into his paintings by taking his American flag and mission patches, and incorporating tiny bits of them into his paint.
What I would give to own one of those pieces. I own no real 'art'. The peices in my home are mostly bought at stores like Target. But something like that, created by one of the few pioneers who set foot on the moon, with pieces of the moon in it. How wonderfully inspiring.
He reminded us as well, of the small group of men who actually made that amazing trip from the earth to the moon. They are all in their late 70's or older, and will be lost to us soon, as the inevitable happens to each.
What wonderful men they are. Those who had the privilege to live in a time when our nation looked to the stars. So fortunate we are to hear the stories they share.
These amazing men, who were able to Boldly Go.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Hints of life on a Saturn Moon!
This is big news. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19005-hints-of-life-found-on-saturn-moon.html
Possible life on Titan. We should be able go see this firsthand by now. Instead, we're stuck hitching rides in low Earth Orbit, relying on robots and probes to do what Humans should be doing.
We are explorers by nature, and have always looked toward the unknown. Space is our next frontier. It is long past time we got serious about our destiny.
Time to Boldly Go!
Possible life on Titan. We should be able go see this firsthand by now. Instead, we're stuck hitching rides in low Earth Orbit, relying on robots and probes to do what Humans should be doing.
We are explorers by nature, and have always looked toward the unknown. Space is our next frontier. It is long past time we got serious about our destiny.
Time to Boldly Go!
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