I hadn't really turned on the TV or anything today (I still haven't), when I drove by the local Boy Scouts building and saw their flags at half-mast. I just figured that Joe ``Fag-hater'' Scoutleader had died or something and scoffed at it. Of course, now I feel like shit. It's sad to see anyone go, but it's even worse when they're highly intelligent and skilled people making shit for money in highly dangerous jobs, and doing it all for selfless reasons, whether they be astronauts or firemen or whatever.

Godspeed.

I just hope this incident dosen't cause us to run back under our rocks and stop looking upward. The Challenger incident had devistating results on our path into space.

This time we can't sit on our thumbs and contemplate. We've got astronauts in the ISS, and they can't live up there forever. I'm sure that the Russians could bring them back down, but I don't think anyone in our current government is likely to let that happen. Maybe it should, though, to show that we can deal with the rest of the international community on a rational and compassionate (even to our benefit) level.