"Russia plots return to Venus"-BBC article title

Look that one up and give it a read.

Now THAT is a space mission that I really am able to support.

The reason I want to blog about it, just quickly, is because reading the BBC article, young people who don't remember the time before the Russians solved the mystery of Venus are missing out on one of the really exciting historic space developments of the time.

Because the planet is shrouded in clouds, it has been a total mystery. It was very cool growing up as a kid and sharing with the scientists the genuine wonder of what the atmosphere and surface of Venus was like. The remote sensing was very primitive, so scientists in those early days had no clue if Venus was shrouded in water or dry land, or a mix, and what the atmosphere was like, or the temperatures. People were of course curious about signs of possible life, but they weren't as fruitcake about it as they are today.

So the Russians really pioneered a series of groundbreaking space probes to find out what at all was going on with the planet Venus, and we all eagerly awaited any results after each mission. It was a very cool time for space exploration. You can then imagine how bizarre it was to find it was all land, no water, and in fact so hot that metal is molten and none of the spacecraft can survive for more than an hour!

This is why I think the Russians had a fantastic piece of groundbreaking space history with their classic Venera etc. programs and would welcome their returning to Venus and find out more about it. That is the kind of space priority we need, globally. Why? Well, think about it. One tends to find out more about life (including its preciousness) when one explores extreme conditions, such as the heat of Venus plus one tends to make great engineering strides when one must design spacecraft for such challenging conditions. And, of course, learning more about the physics, chemistry, geography, meteorology etc of Venus adds vastly to overall science knowledge and ultimately wisdom. It's not agenda driven "research," but good open minded fact based research, with very cool engineering challenges, which could pay off also on earth as humans need to design ways out of possible extreme situations and conditions. So I applaud the Russians thinking about returning to what was a fantastic solo initiative of theirs many years ago. I hope other countries support them as well. And, as I've said, I really think that the USA space program must focus more on studying the moon and the engineering issues that again, are dual purpose, of helping establish scientific stations on the moon, but also help with developing rational fact based engineering knowledge for problems here on earth.

Satan loved the "Left Behind" series, but...

... here's the problem when Satan is your fan (to say nothing of when he whispers in your ear when you are writing).

Bible readers know that Satan is intellectual and well versed, since he even quotes by memory from the scripture. Believers also know that one of Satan's main "jobs," in his eyes, is to raise and encourage false prophets (puffed up false spiritual pride is one of his best TOOLS).

Well, the "Left Behind" series was just his cup of tea. For those of you who, fortunately, have not read it, the basic premise is that Protestant "dispensationalists" believe they know what God "really" is prophesying in the Bible, and so only they will be "saved" in the "Rapture." Not only are Muslims s*** out of luck (doomed) but so are Catholics, and the Pope even becomes the busy little Antichrist helper.

Many behind the scenes supporters of President Bush are BIG "Left Behind" fans by the way. Think about that and Iraq (site of the Antichrist according to "Left Behind.")

Well, here's a juicy one.

The opening premise of "Left Behind" (written over ten years ago) is that Israel discovers some great formula for agricultural prosperity, which everyone wants, especially that bad old Russia. Russia sneak attacks Israel using their mighty jet bombers, but LO AND BEHOLD, since God is "prophesied" to "protect Israel" "against Russia" (according to their "understanding" of "scripture), God actually intervenes and burns those bad planes (and pilots) with no loss of life in Israel, except those Rooskies who deserve it (Orthodox Christians aren't raptured either, apparently). This is the "sign" of the coming "tribulation."

Well, not so much. Satan loves to tempt the false prophets, but then give them "just what they were asking for." Enjoy. Meanwhile, the sane of us offer prayers to all who died and are suffering in this crash.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1228728229459&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

snip

Eyewitnesses on Wednesday appeared to back reports that a race between two tour bus drivers was to blame for one of the buses tumbling into a ravine near Eilat the previous day, killing 25 Russian travel agents.

snip

Two planes carrying medical staff and relatives of the Russian casualties arrived in Israel from Russia on Wednesday. Defense officials said an IAF plane would fly the dead and wounded back to Russia.
Twenty-four people died Tuesday when the bus carrying Russian travel agents overturned and rolled into a ravine near Eilat. Dozens more were injured. It was the deadliest traffic accident in the nation's history.
Earlier tolls put the number of dead at 25 and 26, but the Russian embassy said Wednesday the final number was 24.

Well, so the first wave of planes, the Russian travel agents, sure crashed and burned, but it wasn't because of God. Took maniac bus driver(s) to do that.

Now the second wave of planes from Russia just brings doctors and grieving relatives.

And only Satan is laughing. And Israel, who takes money from dispensationalists, now has on the "record book" their deadliest traffic accident in the nation's history.

St George escorts Boris Yeltsin to his reward

Boris Yeltsin, 1st President of the Russian Federation, passed today, on St. George's Day, reportedly of a heart attack. I find it no coincidence.... no, not as a conspiracy theory, but rather, one of those occasional universal justices that acknowledge the great significance of a man. No matter what mistakes President Yeltsin made, and they were many, in the implementation of post Communist "democracy" in the Russian Federation, he deserves an enormous amount of credit as a real father of democracy and over-thrower of tyranny. (I am also fond of Gorbachev, who was the last President of the Soviet Union and who also deserves enormous credit for bravely steering the Soviet Union toward some freedom. I remember seeing Gorbachev in a motorcade driving by my office in NYC and I thought, there is a brave man who will at last usher in freedom in the Soviet Union.) Today though I want to heap praise on the memory and man of Boris Yeltsin.

Boris Yeltsin is the answer to everyone who thinks about a politician "Wow, I could do a better job." Could you? Would you? He had to ride a tank, and two years later, send actual firing tanks, and not as a publicity stunt for USA media, but to fight those who still supported Godless Communism (and there is no other type is there? Though I have great hopes for China's conversion!) I think he had the most dangerous job in the world... he who was born a peasant, worked in construction, joined the Party, came to the attention of Gorbachev. He didn't get to read the Harvard Business Review, or have a Big Five consultant team guide him and his country from the chains of Communism and freedom. He had morals, he had nerve, he had his family, he had ingenuity, and yes some bottles of vodka... and he did what many of us despaired of ever seeing. And he deserves a lot of praise, and prayers for his salvation. He opened the door back up for the Church in Russia, and that should never be forgotten. And so I think it's just fine that he passed on, perhaps on the coattails, of the great St George.