Gone East

We still have a pair (from some vendor that sent a review copy of some 3D photo-maker gizmo). At least as of last night, don't worry - you're not missing much. As our local Ultimate Critic, 5-year-old Greta, who is fascinated by the Mars landing thing ("are we Martians?" she asked after seeing some Nova thing that explored the possibility that Earth life resulted from a meteor strike on Mars) put it when she slipped on the glasses:

"BOH-RING!"

You know, usually I am big into the exploration of space and our solar system, but for some reason, which I cant explain, today I am feeling like “Why”?

What are we trying to accomplish by spending tons of tax payer dollars exploring Mars?

Do we wont to see if there was life or the possibility of life once on Mars. And if we find this evidence what does it do for mankind? Nothing.

So today I feel that the millions spent to look at Mars could be much better spent on things like Education, Health care reform, Deficit and cleaning up our current president mess…

Scientists have predicted that Jack will run out of available Earth girls to reject him by the end of 2006.

That's why Mars exploration is necessary: more potential women for our JGH3 to hit on.

Mars
Needs
Women.

Dave, because it's next. It's the next step in the mankind's exploration of the universe. It's a step toward mankind expanding off of planet Earth. It's what we've always done, and what we must continue to do it we want there to be a future.

Yes, I understand this. Remember I was the one who made the comment way back on "Why Go To Mars"
"Because its there, same reason I climbe Mt Washington last summer"

But,
"and what we must continue to do it we want there to be a future."
is a lame reason. So what you are re-enforceing here is that mankind is desroying earth and some day it will look like Mars. So we are just gonna run mother earth into the ground like that old Capri you once owned and when earth has sucked up to many alternators we will junk her. Along with this big delivery to the junk yard will be, say 99.9% of the earth population. of cource the .1% are the wealthiest of man who will venture off to some other planet ?....

p.s. feel free to correct any of my spelling errors here....

First of all, no, it's not like climbing a mountain. This is not some sort of academic, zenlike goal. It has practical, important value.

As for "run[ing] mother earth into the ground", that has nothing to do with it.

Yes, the reason we need to spread out might result from our own bad behavior, but even if we were to maintin earth like a paradise, there will still, eventially, come the day when something will happen that will do significant damage to every living creature on the planet. An asteroid, a plague, somthing out of our control and not of our making.

I'm not saying that it will happen soon. It might not be for 500 years, or it might be 50. But the best way to make sure that humakind survives that thing, is to not have all the eggs in one basket.