Scott, you are brilliant. And your point is well-taken - we can't let tragedy stop us from doing what needs to be done.

Yes, nicely done.

Perhaps we need to develop robitic Congressmen to sent to Washington since Washington is so dangerous these days with all the madmen trying to smash planes into it.

Have you read the book "With Folded Hands" by Jack Williamson? It's a sci-fi story about some robots invented on another planet that are designed to protect mankind. They wind up doing everything -- to the point where the last scene in the book shows the main characters sitting in their living room "with folded hands". That story is one of the scariest I've ever read.

You're right Joel, that is a scary story. I've read it too. There's a couple others similar to it but I don't remember the names.

Still, I think it would be a good idea to work on an unmanned "transport" vehicle that would do the work of hauling girders and supplies and such up to the space station. This would minimize how many humans you put at risk by crossing our dangerous atmosphere. Leave the humans up there for long periods to work on the projects, but use robot craft to do face the peril of criss-crossing the atmosphere on a daily basis hauling supplies.

Scott -

My first reaction was "God bless you, Scott".

And that's saying something, since I'm an atheist...

-NZB

Heh. Back in my young and wild days of skydiving, various people would try to protect me from myself. You've skewered that mentality wonderfully.

"...the last scene in the book shows the main characters sitting in their living room "with folded hands".

Hey, as long as the TV is on and the remote control is accessible, I have no problem with that scenario.

Another great contribution to the world of satire. All the more funny since it probably is closer to the truth than we care to admit.

Are we becoming a nation of Wussies or what? (Though hopefully not weasels. Is it better to be a wussie than a weasel, especially considering that most [human] weasels are wussies?)

All we are saying, is give fear a rest.

John Lemon

Another sad commentary about the state of our society is that a big focus of the news media and government will be to afix blame for the shuttle disaster. Let's just fix the problem. Granted, I know that "finding fault" will be part of the process wherein we determine where the problem to be fixed lies. However, I would argue that there has been an increasing tendency to go overboard on this process. Nobody at NASA or any of the outsourcing firms wanted this to happen. I'm sure once the problem is discovered it will be fixed.

John Lemon -- now with an e-mail address!

I always like a good mix of Robots, humans, and "other" myself.

What would Joel and Mike have been without Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, and Gypsy?

Where would Fry be without Bender?

The Doctor without K-9 (ok, he actually did fine. But the point remains!)

Davros without the Daleks (ok, ok. They weren't exactly robots. But the point remains!)

Lister without Kryton?

Post-Red Dwarf Craig Charles without Robot Wars?

Post-WWF/E Mick Foley without Robot Wars?

Post-WWF/E Joanie Lawer without Robot Wars?

Or Dr. Smith without Robot? "Oh, the pain of it all."

Or Kirk without computer? (Computer actually made Kirk look like a good actor in comparison.)

Or those annoying humans without HAL?

And Lister withoute Ene?

Or Lemon without a Head?

Or me without my blender?!

All we are saying, is give Roe a Bot!

John Lemon
(Hands folded peacefully)

I was listening to NPR Sunday morning less than 24 hours after the shuttle was lost. They had on a guest with 20 / 20 hindsight placing all the blame on NASA. Couldn't they have waited before they started attacking NASA. The people they are attacking are friends of those who were lost, give them time to grieve.

That's the Nanny State for you!