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Old January 15th 04, 02:47 PM
Martha H Adams
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Default NASA's 1$ billion windfall

I have to agree with Bill Clark's comments, and add further
observations.

First, that the "security" thing is not peculiar to NASA but seems to
be a basic policy from the people in Washington. It ranges from
net-dragging (mild pun here) the public domain to top policy that
financially and politically powerful groups are claiming possession of
anything they can define. Over the long run, our whole culture is
impoverished. I can't feel troubled over such policy with respect to
what is called "popular music" but the space program carries the germ
of our future and possibly even of our very existence in to the
future. So I think the "security" thing is bad trouble.

Secondly, there is that oh-so-photogenic Shawn O'Keefe. I've seen
very many genuinely working people in industry and universities.
These ranged from engineering draftsmen to predoctoral grad students
to professors to Nobel prize winners. And to my recall, none of them
in their productive years, gave attention to how they looked in front
of a camera. My first impression of O'Keefe and ever since, is does
he ever think about anything else? I cannot see that man as a working
administrator. He only reminds me of whats-his-name who headed up the
Postal Service a few years back.

As I try to guess what the future will see looking back at us, I think
the central question will be: Why all that buzzing around about "man"
and "exploration," when we needed to be putting *settlements* Out
There?

Cheers, sort of -- Martha Adams