Every time I have heard Elon Musk talk about journeys to and colonization of Mars by human beings, I had to wonder. Here we are on a small, blue planet at the edge of the Milky Way galaxy in space beyond comprehension.
I wondered whether deep space exploration by humans is really realistic. Then I came across a book by Dennis Meredith called, “Earthbound”. From reading it, I have concluded deep space trips by humans requiring months or years to complete are not going to happen. We, human beings, are children of the Earth and are tied to our planet except for near Earth orbiting or trips to our own moon.
I want to quote from the last chapter of the Meredith book. He writes, “As this book has revealed, deep space is an invariable killer. Whether the lethal source be radiation, weightlessness, disease, or the trauma of isolation, humans cannot exist for any length of time beyond the sheltering environment of Earth orbit.”
He write further, “Nor is exploring deep space economically feasible. It is just not worth the massive expense of building the elaborate infrastructure of human deep-space travel and exploration.”
We have already seen the negative health effects on astronauts even from lengthy stays on the International Space Station in relatively close Earth orbit. These are minuscule when compared to what would be experienced in year long or more trips at extreme distances from our home planet.
So, what is the answer. It is clear. We have already sent probes and landers to distance places. The Voyager I and II space probes still function decades after launch as they have sailed into interstellar space. And we have already sent landers and rovers to the moon and Mars and even to one comet.
Humans, people, require oxygen to breathe, water intake, a rather narrow temperature range in which to live, nourishment for life biological processes, handling of human waste products, spacial orientation for mental health, and much more. Human bodies are biological, living beings based largely upon a very limited number of chemical substances: Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Potassium plus a few more minor others.
Robots and other electronic devices require none of this. The only requirement is a power supply like the sun’s radiant energy or, perhaps, nuclear energy or solar energy generally. Humans are capable of developing very sophisticated silicon based robots that require only an outside energy source.
So, we need to get out of our ego and recognize our limits. As stated, we are deeply rooted in our home. We are children of the Earth from which we cannot venture far. We should put our efforts into the development of AI and robots to send into space exploration with communications back to Earth about what is found. This we can do and have already taken early and pretty complex steps in this direction…. And it won’t break the bank.
Carl Sagan, an astronomer from our past, described Earth as the Pale Blue Planet floating in space. It is our home that we need to preserve and cherish.
End “Home Rule” of D.C.
With all that has gone on in Washington, D.C., it is time for Congress to take serious action. All of you and I know the governance of the District of Columbia is corrupt and incompetent. It is time to revoke “Home Rule” for the District; something Congress has the full power to accomplish.
Now we even have D.C. judges trying to over rule decisions made by the President of the United States. The worst of them is U.S. District Judge James Boasberg. He even ordered President Trump to turn plane loads of illegal criminal aliens around and bring them back into our country when they were headed for prison in El Salvador. I am thinking, “Just who in the Hell do these judges think they are???”. And this comes on the heels of J6 decisions a couple of years earlier that jailed American citizens for years when they peacefully stepped foot in the U.S. Capital in January 2021. Thankfully, President Trump pardoned most, but D.C. judges are responsible for incredible injustices and even suicides. And now those judges want to be President. They even resisted the release of citizens who had been pardoned. The U.S. Marshalls had to be sent in.
If I read things correctly, the establishment of “Home Rule” for the District of Columbia took place on December 24, 1973 under the President Richard Nixon administration. I’m not sure it has ever worked. The U.S. Constitution provides Congress has plenary (total) legislative authority of the federal district (District of Columbia). Home Rule delegated some of the day-to-day work of municipal government to local entities.
We know as of today, the governance is abysmal. We know the physical maintenance is terrible. We know crime is out of control. We know actions of judges and the courts are not only bad, but may be illegal themselves. And I was surprised to learn the D.C. judges are specifically appointed by the President of the United States.
It is time for Congress to take back control of and governance of the District of Columbia. I have no idea why this has not been done before now. If Congress does not take back control of the seat of the federal government, it is derelict in its duty. As for the federal judges; maybe they cannot be summarily removed, but Congress has total control of purse strings that support their courts. Time to bring those budgets to zero. And, frankly, Judge Boasberg should be impeached immediately.
We cannot have a country where the balance of power between the three branches of the United States federal government has been bastardized to such imbalance as presently exists. Federal District courts cannot rule over the Presidency and every decision coming out of the Executive Branch. My biggest issue is with the U.S. Supreme Court that has allowed all of the overstepping to happen. Too long Supreme Court justices have remained silent or cowards. The Supreme Court could stop all of the nonsense, but has not.
The Executive Branch through the President cannot act by itself to stop all of the roadblocks being put its way. The Congress and the Supreme Court have the power to correct all. It is time if we want to have a strong, healthy Constitutional Republic. Article II of the Constitution states, “The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America”…… not in Congress or the Courts.
Tax $$ and NPR/PBS
It is long past time for taxpayer dollars from the federal government to be sent off to the Public Broadcasting System and the National Public Radio. We are not talking a few dollars but hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting takes federal tax dollars north of $500 million a year. Time for it to come to a screeching halt.
As one who drives a lot for business, I do a good deal of radio listening. An Indianapolis PBS station is one I frequent from time to time. I finally had to give it up. The reason was I became irritated with the politically left Democrat messages that came through either explicitly or subtlety in even the words or the slant of reports much too often.
Then I did a bit of research. I ran into an OpenSecrets report that 100% of political donations from PBS employees went to Democrats during the 2024 political cycle. And since 1996, going back nearly 30 years and more than $85,000 in donations, according to OpenSecrets data, there has only been one cycle (2004) in which Republicans received more in campaign contributions than Democrats from PBS employees.
Among NPR employees, the imbalance is even worse. OpenSecets NPR data of nearly $60,000 in donations goes back 33 years to 1992. There has never been an election in that period in which NPR employees donated more to Republicans than Democrats. OpenSecrets states in fact, in those 16 political cycles, Republicans only received any funding at all in just two cycles, and that includes a paltry $1 — yes, one buck — last year to then GOP presidential candidate Doug Burgum.
Do you think something is amiss? NPR/PBS are Democrat political propaganda arms and have been forever.
I come from a journalism background in newspapers. I don’t think any newspapers ever were supported with tax dollars from the government — state or federal. Newspapers in their day were supported by subscription dollars and dollars from advertisers. The lived by being relevant to their subscriber readers. Their time passed for several reasons, which I intend to write about in the future, and new media, primarily electronic, means are and have been emerging.
It is long past time, again, for tax dollars to stop going to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, NPR, and PBS. If they are to live, they must earn the support of listeners and advertisers. If enough want the kind of biased news and messages they broadcast and will pay for it, they will prosper. If not, they will fold up and fade away.
Our nation is in a financial crisis and this funding is certainly one that is no longer justified, if it ever was. And this is not over. The next look needs to be at the “Voice of America” which received over $250 million in 2023. It needs to be axed as well.
Water, Water, Water!
Dear (Kokomo Tribune) Editor:
We the people of Kokomo, Indiana (www.wethepeoplekokomo.com) are concerned that some groups are using propaganda to try to make us think that we have “ample” water in our county. There have been two newspaper articles (Kokomo Tribune) in the past few months citing the same Indiana Finance Authority studies. The March 15th article states, “A state water plan would be used in similar fashion to a municipal comprehensive plan, with collected data being used to make decisions about how Indiana’s water resources are tapped.”
The reason we are concerned about any of our officials saying we have plenty of water is because we do NOT. Period. Howard County is not drinking water rich — even from the IFA studies which, according to several analysts, is a flawed study. Currently, 60% of Kokomo City water comes from the Wildcat Creek. Indiana American Water would not be using that source IF there was abundant ground water available. This is very important because the water needed for the Electric battery projects here in Kokomo are huge (3 million gallons per day) and has to be extremely pure — even exceeding drinking water needs.
The flaws in the IFA requested studies are major because they don’t separate out drinking water from what is called “brown” water. Sure you can clean up any water, but it becomes EXPENSIVE. The better the source water, the less expensive the clean up. Our suggestions to the city are to require major water hogs to recycle and pay more per unit will help with how much the rest of us have to pay for our water usage.
Never take water for granted. It is invaluable. Never take clean water for granted. It is a HUGE blessing. Indiana is blessed to have this natural resource in abundance, but that does not mean there is “ample’ water for pet projects that could destroy this natural resource forever.
Mr. Mike Day has done an extraordinary job of evaluating the IFA studies and here are his three key statements:
- A reduction of non-consumptive water withdrawals provides ZERO justification for water grabs (redistributions) or regional planning.
- A reduction of water at the tail of a river provides ZERO justification for water grabs (redistributions) up stream.
- A reduction of brown surface water provides ZERO justification for taking pure ground drinking water.
Lots more to discuss about all this. Please ask our officials about what companies they are giving tax abatements to and why and if these companies are protecting our (water) resources rather than sucking them dry.
Very Sincerely,
We the People Kokomo
A Prayer for You Today
[I ran across this prayer a friend of my mother had sent to her many years ago. Thought I would share it with you.]
I said a prayer for you today
And I know God must have heard~
I felt the answer in my heart
Although He spoke no word.
I didn’t ask for wealth or fame,~
I knew you wouldn’t mind,
I asked Him to send treasures
Of a far more lasting kind.
I asked that He’d be near you
At the start of each new day
To grant you health and blessings
And friends to share your way.
I asked for happiness for you
In all things great and small~
But it was for His loving care~
I prayed the most of all.
Blessings, Kent