Schiza!!!

First off, I apologize if any German-speaking readers who might stumble onto this entry acidentally be offended. But I've been told that "schiza" -- which translates into English as "shit" -- is actually about the English equivalent of saying "darn". Similarly, the word "cunt", forbidden in America by the female population at large (at least, most of the American women I know) is often used as a term of affection in England, the way Americans might say "Whaddup, fool?"

Anyway, I'm way off-topic.

Just read that the earliest Atlantis will go up to the ISS is now June 8th. :(

And if you recall, this is VERY likely to knock them off their ambitious schedule for completion of the International Space Station by 2010. The schedule used to be Atlantis in March, Endevour in June, Atlantis again in September, Discovery in October and Endevor in December. And that would put them a large way ahead in the rush to complete the ISS before the Shuttle program is retired in 2010.

NOW, however, if you look at the above link you'll see that the schedule has been all scrunched up, and if something -- like, maybe, another unexpected hail storm -- should set this new agenda back, one of the missions set for this year will undoubtedly get bumped to next year.

:(

Sorry I'm geeking out about this BUT I WANT A SPACE STATION!!! I mean, I know we've got one now, but I want a BIGGER ONE! I want the whole world to share a space station to rival that of Hugo Drax in the Moonraker movie, or the Justice League in their animated series!!!

Is that too much to ask?

Can't a (36-year-old) boy have his dream realized?!!

You know what? Even if the ISS is completed by 2010, if I ever become a billionaire I'm building me a badass space station and donating it to the planet Earth! I mean, I'm sure Ted Turner and Bill Gates, and probably Exxon and Pfizer, already have their space stations under construction as we speak. But I want a PUBLIC space station! I want regular, non-billionaire folks to be able to hang in space.

And, like, if someone wants to do some research in space for PURELY SCIENTIFIC REASONS -- in others words, not for the purpose of making billions of dollars selling a pill, but just to see how stuff happens differently in space as opposed to on Earth -- then they'll be able to book time on the space station I've donated!

It'll be cool!!!

And, like, if NASA wants to use my space station to help build the first Moon base, or to get to Mars, I'll make it affordable and inexpensive for them! (I'll, like, build that into the terms of operation or something when I donate it.)

Actually, I'm tempted to keep it myself to make sure no government or coporation takes it over and starts misusing it... But then what about after I die? Or when I'm off shooting a movie and can't be bothered with the logistics of who gets to use what parts of the space station when? I'll need to figure out a way to ensure that the EPSS (or "Earth People's Space Station") belongs to the REGULAR population of the planet and never falls into greedy hands.

Anyway, until I become a billionaire, my hopes are that the ISS gets completed by the time I turn 40.

Which means that I'm hoping the Shuttle missions all go off as currently scheduled, and that no more set-backs foul-up the agenda!

Pray with me, won't you?

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(That's a little praying face. Hee-hee!)