Dr. Sally Ride

[Guest]

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[_Quasimodo]

It has become politically correct lately (primarily in the United States) to label everyone that dies in tragic circumstances as a hero. I think it is completely idiotic and diminishes the term and the moral value of heroes. What moral story can be gleaned from Dr. Sally Ride exactly? Let's see - if you don't win the lottery of getting blown up (due to incompetence at NASA) trying to get into space on the space shuttle, well - isn't that just so heroic!?! But instead you die of natural causes - isn't that just so heroic as well. There is no moral here.

Tobin, you're kind of being a jerk. I worked for NASA for nearly five years. The people at NASA are the most competent, intelligent, accomplished and admirable people you could ever meet.

During my time there I was lucky enough to meet about half the astronauts (never Dr. Ride, though). There are thousands of people applying for that job. They only pick the best of the best. They are truly the best!

I can't think of anything that requires more courage than sitting on top of a rocket or in an orbiter and being exploded into space.

One of those astronauts became a friend. Laurel Clark. She died when Columbia burned up on reentry. Read up on her here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Clark

Now, tell us all what you have accomplished in your life.

[_Tobin]

Tobin, you're kind of being a jerk. I worked for NASA for nearly five years. The people at NASA are the most competent, intelligent, accomplished and admirable people you could ever meet.

During my time there I was lucky enough to meet about half the astronauts (never Dr. Ride, though). There are thousands of people applying for that job. They only pick the best of the best. They are truly the best!

I can't think of anything that requires more courage than sitting on top of a rocket or in an orbiter and being exploded into space.

One of those astronauts became a friend. Laurel Clark. She died when Columbia burned up on reentry. Read up on her here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Clark

Now, tell us all what you have accomplished in your life.

I think you are confusing NASA's robotic missions and exploration probes with manned missions. The prior have given us a lot of insight into our own solar system, galaxy and the universe. The latter is a complete waste of money and the risks (and deaths) were not worthwhile. If these astronauts were the heroic scientists they pretended to be, they would have advocated that the billions of dollars wasted to put them into space be instead spent more productively.

[_Blixa]

His misidentification of Sally Ride, followed by a shameless effort to back-pedal by editing his post, makes one ask, "What moral story can be gleaned from Tobin?"

[_Tobin]

His misidentification of Sally Ride, followed by a shameless effort to back-pedal by editing his post, makes one ask, "What moral story can be gleaned from Tobin?"

Well, the moral we learn from Blixa is she is unable to refute the point I made. Does that mean you concede I'm correct or does your need to be politcally correct prevent you from actually having anything intelligent to say at all?!?

[_Quasimodo]

I think you are confusing NASA's robotic missions and exploration probes with manned missions. The prior have given us a lot of insight into our own solar system, galaxy and universe at large. The latter is a complete waste of money and the risks (and deaths) were not worthwhile. If these astronauts were the heroic scientists they pretended to be, they would have advocated that the billions of dollars wasted to put them into space be instead spent more productively.

I'm not confusing anything. Both have a value. The astronauts don't need to pretend. They are heroic!

So, where is that list of your accomplishments that would give you some credentials to make judgements about the valor and intelligence of our heros?

[_Tobin]

I think you are confusing NASA's robotic missions and exploration probes with manned missions. The prior have given us a lot of insight into our own solar system, galaxy and universe at large. The latter is a complete waste of money and the risks (and deaths) were not worthwhile. If these astronauts were the heroic scientists they pretended to be, they would have advocated that the billions of dollars wasted to put them into space be instead spent more productively.

I'm not confusing anything. Both have a value. The astronauts don't need to pretend. They are heroic!

So, where is that list of your accomplishments that would give you some credentials to make judgements about the valor and intelligence of our heros?

Ah, to be heroic is wasting billions of dollars in fruitless efforts. According to Quasi, Wasthington bureaucrats are the most heroic people on the planet.

[_Quasimodo]

Ah, to be heroic is wasting billions of dollars in fruitless efforts. According to Quasi, Wasthington bureaucrats are the most heroic people on the planet.

I don't think I mentioned bureaucrats.

I guess you would think that it would have been better if Columbus had never sailed West.

Do you ever tire, Tobin, of looking like a fool? You don't seem to have any friends on this board. Do you ever wonder why?

[Guest]

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[_Tobin]

Ah, to be heroic is wasting billions of dollars in fruitless efforts. According to Quasi, Wasthington bureaucrats are the most heroic people on the planet.

I don't think I mentioned bureaucrats.

I guess you would think that it would have been better if Columbus had never sailed West.

Do you ever tire, Tobin, of looking like a fool? You don't seem to have any friends on this board. Do you ever wonder why?

Well, I could ask you if you ever tire of being a bigot, Quasi? And perhaps you haven't realized this yet - but this is a forum and not social networking or a dating website. If that is what you are looking for Quasi, you have made a mistake and might want to go to there instead.