Ofyre Blog

The estimated cost of the recent Phoenix Martian polar lander is $453 million dollars. Let’s round it up to $500 and compare it to the cost of the Iraq war. The BBC recently reported that the US has “lost” $23 billion dollars, meaning that this money cannot be accounted for. The total cost of the Iraq war so far is estimated at $800 billion or more.

So that means that the “slop” of $23 billion could pay for 46 Mars missions. It’s too hard to think of billions, so just convert it to Mars missions. We could have had 1,600 Mars missions by now, and no dead people.

BP

Well, I am stunned. A woman and a black man vied for the Democratic Presidential Nomination. They both ran excellent campaigns, and every state and territory got to have it’s say. More people than ever before got to vote, and the votes really did count right to the end. Turnout was huge for the Democrats. A truly historic moment.

I must confess, I never thought I would actually see this happen in my lifetime. I’ve been aware of these things since about 1963, and had to confront Viet Nam head-on, being subject to the Draft. I’ve lived through JFK, MLK, RFK being killed, Kent State, the riots, and Nixon, Reagan, and the Bush Dynasties.

I never thought I’d see the day that the two best candidates for the Presidency were a black man and a woman, and that it was “official". Either of them could easily beat John McCain for the Presidency. It will be a rout this year against the Republicans. Now that Mr. Obama has won the Nomination, I think Ms. Clinton should be appointed to the Supreme Court in due time.

This is a dramatic and historic moment for our times, all around the world. I sit here stunned in disbelief, grateful to both Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama for the historic race.

BP

PS: my terms of “woman” and “black man” are my feeble attempt at historic context. Women in the 1820’s and black men in the 1860’s were having to struggle for their rights to vote and be heard. I feel this event today really nullifies that mindset, which would call Ms. Clinton a mere “woman", and Mr. Obama a mere “black man". No insult was intended on my part to anyone who took these terms to be offensive.

Now that Obama seems to be actually about to win it, the rumor is that Clinton will hint at the VP spot. I would say NO! We have already had a Presidency with a malignant VP who is actually more powerful than the President. Ms. Clinton would also bring along Bill, and there is no need to have a power balance between Obama and the Clintons. Any power sharing agreement with the Clintons would be a disaster, and I am sure Obama is too smart for that.

Instead I think the absolute best place for Ms. Clinton is on the Supreme Court. She would have a far greater reach, and a much better platform for women’s rights. The VP spot is just for years, the Supreme Court is for life. That seems a natural progression for her, to me.

BP