Regular guest blogger Pete wrote the following for the Big Bad Blog, and sent it to me prior to the space shuttle taking off on its final mission.

Mr. Topp

Today is the beginning of the end of an era covering almost exactly 30 years. Today the Space Shuttle Atlantis will launch on the last ever space shuttle mission. I can’t speak for other science and technology geeks out there, but I was struck with a strong sense of nostalgia. The shuttle program really feels like it is “my” space program. Just
like how the Apollo program was the space program for my Dad, and the generation that came before me. Growing up I had at least 3 space shuttle models. I can tell you where I was when I first heard about the Challenger disaster. I know that manned space flight is going to continue, but it won’t be the same. When I won’t be a child when it starts, so it won’t seem quite so grand. All the previous space flights were historical, they seemed far away. All the future space
flights I will be able to understand the technology, in essence seeing the strings behind the magic.

Here are some quick facts for you. The Enterprise flew the first test flight was done on August 12 1977, the year I was born. The first actual mission was on April 12 1981. So we can round off a bit and say the program was 30 years and 3 months long. As nostalgic as I am for the shuttle program you have to remember that 30 years is a long time. Think about the safety and reliability of a 30 year old car, now imagine taking that into space.

Some people criticize NASA as a waste of money, and I have to disagree with them. First off I agree with Stephen Hawking when he said that the only future for the human race is off earth. If we all keep living here we are going to destroy the planet so we have to move out some time. Also here are some more facts for you. The most the US ever spent on the space program in was in 1966 when they gave NASA 4.4% of the federal budge. In 2008 it was 0.6%. A little more than half of one percent. Even if NASA is a waste of money it is a small waste when you compare it to how much the US spends bombing the Middle East.

Even with all I have said so far I still admire Barack for cancelling the Shuttle Program, and it’s follow up, the Constellation Program. At least he acknowledges that the US has some problems at home that they need to fix before they go back into space.

Photo by Trey Radcliffe.

The Canadian election season is officially open, and with the season comes the first online attack-website: ignatieff.me.

The site, about the Liberal leader, has a tagline: “It’s not about you. It’s just about him.” (emphasis theirs.) At the bottom comes the expected text: “Authorized by the Registered Agent for the Conservative Party of Canada”.

Here at the Big Bad Blog, we are well aware that politicians are prone to hypocrisy, but we feel the need to remind our Canadian audience of this headline in the Globe and Mail, which is now one month and three days old:

Tories re-brand government in Stephen Harper’s name.

That’s right, that same Conservative Party which is claiming that you shouldn’t vote for Mr. Ignatieff because he will put himself ahead of Canada is the same Conservative Party which, when given power, removed the word “Canada” from the government and inserted that of the Prime Minister.

Hypocrisy? Thy name is the Conservative Party of Canada.

Illustration of a star being torn about by a black hole by M. Weiss (NASA). Found at Bad Astronomy.
Webcomic is Buttersafe, by Alex Culang and Raynato Castro.

In anticipation of NASA’s press conference this afternoon (at 2 pm EST, 7 pm GMT), at which they will presumably announce the discovery of extra-terrestrial life, we have an alien and space themed morning coffee for you today!

(Blast Off by Ed Peterson)

(An ice sculpture of Optimus Prime by Antti Pedrozo and Michel de Kok. Optimus Prime is an alien, so this counts. Honest.)

(This one’s of an actual comet, named Hartley. Read and see more at Bad Astronomy)

Unfortunately, we could not locate a topic-appropriate webcomic this morning. So … unicown.

Heineken is, apparently, good at pranks:

(by Rob Kroenert)

NASA has discovered shrimp beneath Antarctica.

Roger Ebert on Glenn Beck. It occurs to me that one cannot discuss Glenn Beck without necessarily invoking Godwin’s law early in the discussion.