Private space program rocket launch cancelled

Image at Wikipedia

We’ve heard little regarding the idea of a space program since losing our own in America several years ago.  Now and then though, we see a story covering some private space program in development.  So yes, while the program of national interest no longer itself stokes much passion, there are private pockets in the game for sure.

List of private space flight companies….

SpaceX’s Falcon 9 just missed its debut today, due to an overheated engine.  The flight was spared just in time.

Who here remembers the movie Moon?  I don’t want to do a spoiler here, but I do hope you at least hit the link and read the Wiki on Moon, if you’re unfamiliar with the story.  As a movie, it’s well worth your time to watch.

I think we’re headed quickly toward a Moon sort of future.  Don’t you?

Visual media, the friendly monster

They say that the most terrible things do not require pictures to  imagine.  I believe this to be true, and also that our media tactics today rely too much on the visual.  However, I am aware that we are all so visually intrigued today- this I believe to be another  affectation of the masculine psyche in power.  Still too I know that had I not been presented with the undesired visuals this morning over my soothing warm coffee and virtually had my day shattered, then I would not be writing this post now.  So, the authors, writers, journalists, bloggers- whatever you’ll call them (us)- they’ve done their job.  Awareness has been raised, with this one person at least, and then so also with others- ripe awareness.

I was set to enjoy my reading on this delightful Saturday morning- coffee out, along with all my usual morning writing comforts, and referring to my usual internet media readers when I realized that the topic for today chosen by many was to be that of female genital mutilation (FGM).  I’ve been aware of this- what I consider to be an horrendous- practice nearly my entire life, as someone born of the early 1970s era and in tune to the world politics of the time.  My first and steady opinion of FGM has been a negative one, strongly ANTI-FGM.  For this, many thanks are due to television news media, as seldom anyone in my family really spoke of politics that I recall.

I cannot deny that this is still a beautiful Saturday morning, and I cannot take personally the offense to the media bash this morning upon my conscience as I viewed my reader feeds.  I will never play those videos, because truly as a woman I do not need to.  But I saw the images.  Didn’t need to, but I did, and my day is changed.  Maybe there are men and women who truly do not understand and can be helped by seeing the practice, and swayed into a different mindset.  Certainly, the more compassionate among men could be video-shocked into the certainty of a wrong practice being done with female genital mutilations, where before they likely may have never thought of it, their educations in life being of such an opposing slant to the educations of women.

Just one point: I’ll bet MANY never realized (until they saw images) that female genitalia mutilation victims were of such an advanced age when they are traumatized by the practice, nor that community males were the ones doing the dastardly deed, nor that their own mother’s held them down.  (Even I had envisioned a party of men trekking to each girl’s house, acting over the mother’s screams of anguish- but NO).

Dear reader, thanks for reading.  I had to just get this off onto some kind of media so I wouldn’t carry it around the back of my  mind all day long.  The writers have done their jobs, the people now act.  That’s the way it goes.  Make change people.

Many thanks to:

Curation. The Counter Jihad Report. AMJA Senior Committee Member, Female Genital Mutilation is an ‘Honor’ per Islam. 27 Apr 2012. http://counterjihadreport.com.  (28 Apr 2012)

Holton, Christopher. Family Security Matters. Misinformation from US Dept of Health about Islam and Female Genital Mutilation. 16 Apr 2012. http://www.familysecuritymatters.org. (28 Apr 2012)

Posts of note:

Muslim brotherhood MP lobbies for FGM

Saudi Savages?

100,000 Women undergo genital mutilation in Britain and some are 10 year-olds.

Questions to consider:

Should one feel any differently about this cultural religious practice if it were done in the female’s infancy?  Why or why not?

How about if any othe aspects of the practice were changed and regulated?

The Data Cheese problem

While we’re mid-Earth Week across the globe and considering ways of condensing our lifestyles in order to be more Green, I’d like to shed light on a grossly multiplying peeve-monster of mine which we will call the video rat.  Now, I’m not certain exactly how Green this theory will seem, that data is expensive, and how much of it can really fit?  We already know our communications are perceptively conjested and often outright fail to perform.  The “data-lines” often become conjested with inadequate space and many users with even more objectives.

I purposefully left out the intensifying and descriptive adjective ‘too’  when referring to the many users of data.  Who is to say who shouldn’t use data?

Many years ago I read of the inspiring possibilities of the future of television.  There were to be many different television, exercise, and news programs, along with movies, and everything available all of the time.  To add the whipped cream- only what you wanted to see, when you wanted to see it.  The theory at the time was that residents would search a television guide as one would usually do, and upon finding the program one wanted to watch, they would pick up their phone (mobile communication device perhaps) and dial a number with a code for that program- and only that program.  That is the scenario I was looking forward to experiencing as an adult.

So how did they get everyone to roll over?

The future of technology was predicted to allow for such detail in life, something that excited me on a lot of levels.  I was one of the kids that lived far enough out from town that we never were provided access to cable.  I was acquainted with a few in town who did, and that was the bomb.

In fact, the future of technology performed just as predicted in the way of electronic progress.  However, in the way of advantage to the people, the benefits of recent changes in how we share information and access entertainment are quickly diminishing.  Now, I do live on my own small plot of the world.  I like to be mobile and so I do move about and never- I say never- have I run into a case of an ability to order up only the program I actually want to pay money to watch.   (Porn is a whole other category, so no raring up on that one, guys.)

Rather, I must be willing to buy an entire package of television that mostly will not be watched, and then to pay high monthly premiums to watch basically the same kind and amount of television that I once viewed for free.   I remember when this happened- everyone seemed to be in a fog when the news came down that their analog antennas would begin to suffer quality delivery of programming and communications, as these services were strategically phased out of public use in favor of the much inferior digital offerings.

The problem?  Data is so damn good, and everybody wants it all the time.

No wait, that’s not the problem.  The problem is that data- as any other commodity, albeit imposed- has value.  Data is the new oil and the prize cheese- everyone can fathom access and the more data we eat up every day- well, the more somebody earns in cash money.  Beside that, where does all the data tax go?  Video and gaming are the real rats, gobbling up data in seconds, driving the value upward at pathetic pace.   A good data plan is hard to find, and if you’re with my company- well, you don’t have much data.

Go ahead, chip your two cents.  Shouldn’t we be in yet less trouble, due to data value?  Why is our nation really so broke?

img crd nuttakit, click through to freedigitalphotos

Lady Business self-care kits + vending machine

I hope you’ll check this one out.  It’s not just for the ladies.  Anyone with a vote should appreciate this.  I think it’s a splendid concept and can’t wait to see it in effect.

Lady Business self-care kits + vending machine.

More feminist fodder: another group of women being “reprimanded”

So what is this the nuns have gotten themselves up to?

A whole group of adult women are being reprimanded by- essentially- a group of men.  (This is not to suggest that they are not equally reprimanded by a certain citizen population of men and women).  The religious context distorts things drastically.

Do you suppose that it’s about time these ladies be reprimanded?  Seriously, 4 out of 5 of these faithful women are in agreements regarding issues of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious.  They have apparently been having meetings regarding issues that are at odds with the Vatican and have been under investigation since 2008 (group founded 1956).

Is it a good thing that the Vatican is finally putting their foot down?

“…the reforms will take place over a five-year period, and will involve the approval by the archbishop of every speaker the Leadership Conference has at their public events.”

There are likely to be differing opinions regarding this report, but one thing is certain- stories like these highlight the importance of doing our homework and doing our best to understand all elements of a situation.  It is so important to know history to the best of our ability, and to be able to develop a true sense of right and wrong.

Ref:

Ohlheiser, Abby. “Vatican Reprimands US Nuns for Radical Feminist Themes.” ^{The Slatest  04-2012. Slate. 04-2012.}

“About LCWR.“ ^{Leadership Conference of Women Religious  04-2012.}

Popular opinion- is it mania, induced by prescriptions?

We all have a duty today- to involve ourselves, on an individual level, in the process of internet and neighborhood communications.  There is much guff on the value of sitting online versus getting out into the community.  However, the reality is that we now have both obligations.  If we’re all present within the internet community in addition to our own communities at home, then we can participate in the immense dialogue taking place across the globe.

Why is it so important today to be involved in our communities at home and the far-reaching internet community?

Take for example the following excerpt of sentiment:

“Is that our” White House” Burning in the picture.If so; we may be in trouble with all this “Hope & Change” .Grab the Garden Hose, I think I Smell” Black Smoke” blowing in the ” Mountain Winds” To many choices — “Muslim” or “Mormon”– .May “ALLAH Bless America”.Sounds different, but it may be a little hard to get used to, Don’t you think. –“Allah Bless you”– We Idahoans may need to save our Change , to purchase guns and ammunition , if that” Black Smoke” keeps blowing our way” Hope & Change” Mormon or Muslim.”

Following is the picture which was being commented on:

Bad Sentiment

Keep in mind that this has not happened.  This is what you call PROPAGANDA.  Many people, especially the young, have not yet learned the meaning of the word.  Propaganda is one of those words that people will hear and use without completely understanding it.  Even when they do, often they do not slow down enough (mania?) to consider when they are faced with some of the most influential- and not necessarily truthful-  information intended to produce a particular political outcome.

Prescription drug induced mania in the US

It’s important to also remember- to slow down enough in personal thought and reflection- that whatever political outcome manifests, we the people must live that life for an undetermined period of time, and possibly forever.

Fostering hope for our future and fostering the children

One of the most important mantras to remember, and easily forgotten today, is the aged “Don’t believe everything you hear”.  I’d add, “…especially when it is presented as fear-based fact from very influential people of any one religion”.

Too often our community leaders are [understandably] guilty of using their influence to turn tides of culture and of history.  One of the most perplexing concepts of politics to me throughout my education has been the fluidity of party lines, and- over history- the parties themselves.  Always flexible to the strongest tide, politics have no choice but to waver- and to this we owe the constant bickering which worsens in difficult times.

Yet for this we must likewise be thankful, and we must worship the value of it.  Today too many are worried about the spiritual worship of their brothers and sisters, when it is their democracy they should be in remembrance of and practicing fervently, so that it will not be lost.  It is difficult to see now, but once you’ve taken freedom away from your spirit sibs and neighbors, it will not be long before freedoms are are lost to you also.  Democracy is possibly never possible forever.  Once it is acheived it is of the most valuable of things.  Democracy is secularism.

How many of us are indoctrinating our chilren, and how many of us are leaving our children free to understand the importance of true democracy?  Christians, when we’re no longer the strongest hold of the nation, what kind of freedoms will we expect then?  The ones we are able to acquire will be much different from the freedoms we practice now- and it will be the fault of the far far right.

So, when the strictest of us strive to force our spiritual or religious agendas upon others, remember that one day it will be you.  You will be shuffled from job to job when you are discovered to be ‘not Muslim’ or ‘not Catholic’.  Eventually, you will be lucky to find ANY job, in a non-secular religious society.  You will be constantly bombarded with scriptures that you will NEVER be capable of deciphering- much less believing- samely as those in power over you.  You will then be in a truly losing battle.

All this, if you don’t get on board the secular bandwagon right now and thereby preserve the religious and non-religious freedoms for all the people of our nation.

Think about it.

 

Click the pic for a link back to it’s source.