The Brink

A divided government that seems stuck in perpetual gridlock, took the US economy to the brink of default, only to be saved by a last-minute agreement last week. 
Apparently this was not enough for Standard & Poors (S&P), the debt rating agency which was not capable of warning about impending problems with Lehman Brothers, or with the mortgage debt crisis a couple of years ago.  
S&P downgraded US debt from AAA to AA+ and the stock market which had been having one bad day after another for the past two weeks, had an absolutely horrendous day today.  Over the last couple of weeks, the stock market has declined by a figure that is closing-in on 20%. 

Meanwhile, the President has a mere 42% approval rating and Congress has a dismal 14% approval rating! 
The polls notwithstanding, it should be immediately obvious to even the most casual observer that the citizens of the US do not think any of the politicians are doing anywhere near an acceptable job.

I think it is clear we are not simply approaching the brink of disaster; we are teetering on the very edge.  The question before us now is: can any one of the political geniuses figure-out how to keep us from tumbling over that edge? 

Adventures in Space

I experienced a bittersweet moment today, as news arrived that the shuttle Atlantis did manage to lift off from Cape Canaveral for the last time a few hours ago, despite the inclement weather in Florida -- here in Pittsburgh as well, it is overcast and rainy.
I liked this coverage in the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/atlantis-astronauts-ready-for-final-launch-as-nasa-keeps-watchful-eye-on-cloudy-weather/2011/07/08/gIQA8FcR3H_story.html?wpisrc=al_national).
I also recommend clicking on the second video link for a brief (less than 6 min) history of the Space Shuttle program from the 1st to this the 135th and final flight (http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/remembering-the-shuttle-era/2011/07/01/AG35yStH_video.html).

I have previously blogged about the "Coolest Job Ever", so my personal angle/excitement about the subject should be obvious. 
The truth of the matter however, is that the International Space Station is now manned and operational and the only existing means of moving people to/from it are the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.  Unfortunately, the Soyuz spacecraft can carry far less in both personnel and payloads/cargo than the Space Shuttles.
Since it will be years before NASA's successor to the Space Shuttle will be operational, I believe the adventures in space (OK, near-Earth orbit if you want to be nit-picky) are just beginning. 

From an economic/financial standpoint meanwhile, there will be thousands, if not tens of thousands of people currently employed by NASA, who will be added to the ranks of those seeking employment during these tough economic times.  I would like to wish each of them a speedy resolution to their personal adventure as well.