Travelling along Route 66 I think about TV in the 50's. There were not a lot of TV's in private homes back in the 50's. I then remember movie theatres - especially the theatres in Hamilton: 'The Palace Theatre". The "Palace" was the grand movie theatre - so grand that the "National Ballet of Canada" and the new "Hamilton Philharmonic" performed in the Palace Theatre until the 1970's when a performing arts building was constructed. Advances in Western culture.
Today - May 27, 2020 was to be the first SPACEX launch in over a decade.
As a "snow bird" I love Florida during January, February and March and even mid April. I have never stayed here until end of May. Thanks to COVID, I was avoiding the Canadian reality of weather, and chose to stay in Florida instead of running back to get free health care in the event that I did contract the virus!
Today, I was so excited to watch the first SPACEX launch, but sadly it was scrapped due to weather.
WEATHER???
There has been nothing but weather for the past few weeks - thunderstorms and unbelievable rainfall.
Weather is not the important message of today - the point today was to comment on the first US launch into space in a decade. As of today, USA no longer needs Russia to launch astronauts into space. Today was to be a BIG day: the first launch in a decade. Then: launch time froze.
I had the great fortune to meet Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon. He is the most accomplished human I have met. Gene Cernan's Grandmother crossed the US in a covered wagon. She lived to see her grandson land on the moon. Gene Cernan used a slide rule, in flight, to do calculations for his flight while in space. The 20th century saw great changes - two great wars and reaching the moon. Breath taking changes.
I would LOVE to ask all of the elected official in CANADA - and ask all of the USA Congress and the Senate representatives to do a basic calculation on a slide rule. The test would not ask for anything that would affect personal safety or influence any important life determining calculation. The test would be limited to a simple use of the technology that was available to Gene Cernan - while he was in space calculating his survival.
I can guaranteed - this a skill NOT considered important today when a cell phone can do the math and certainly not a skill pondered when voting to elect a "representative". It certainly isn't an important skill if your candidate is offering you "free health care", or free " FILL IN THE BLANK".
"Vote for me - I can't do math but I will give you free stuff!" COVID? Here is a good freebie. Please "Stay at home - we will send you a cheque and you can buy anything online. Everything will be delivered to you!".
I was so excited to watch the launch today and just like this virus is affecting the entire planet earth, nature held the trump card today. It is an amazing co-incidence, the launch was cancelled by nature just as our normal day to day lives have been cancelled by a virus!
Please note"There is a very fine line when walking in a Darwinian world view". I believe in good and in reaching for the stars and the moon and I believe that nations should be wary of group and ideas that tempt people with "What is in it for me?"
There is a big contest going on planet Earth. Big human ideas that are fighting against small ideas.
Free leads to nothing. Free really means "When it is gone, it is gone".
