Screw NASA

OK Elliot, here's your blog: (Edited with LOTS-o-Links!)

NASA is being run by idiots, and aside from being an embarassment (love triangle/assault anyone?), they are sorry excuses for scientists as well.

This story on NPR yesterday and this morning pretty much made me mad. I don't get it at all.

NASA apparently isn't sure that Global Warming is a problem that they should worry about helping to fix, because it might not be a "long term problem" and they aren't sure that people can really do much to change it.

Then NASA administrator Michael Griffen says this, "I guess I would ask which human beings — where and when — are to be accorded the privilege of deciding that this particular climate that we have right here today, right now is the best climate for all other human beings. I think that's a rather arrogant position for people to take."

Um, hi, is draught, massive hurricanes, tsunamis and millions of potential refugees, melting arctic habitats, and the death of many endangered species (plant and animal) not enough to warrant taking action to stop the climate change? For pete's sake, female sharks are reproducing BY THEMSELVES! (6 years ago!!!) The marine biologist from the university in Belfast that is studying the sharks was quoted as saying:

"if self-impregnation was occurring in the wild because female sharks cannot find male partners amid rapidly declining shark populations, it would represent 'an evolutionary dead end that compromises the survival of the species.' He said he suspected this was 'already a problem in the real world', and noted the population of blue sharks off the west coast of Ireland had fallen by 90 percent in the past 12 years."

Alright, I really should get back to work. I'm playing secretary this week. It's really great.

The Cube

I absolutely never would have thought that I would be pleased to be sitting behind a cube wall. But I am, and I am pleased. It's not a full blown cube, and I have a LOT of space, in addition to a new 7ft/4ft L-shaped desk. Plus I have privacy to concentrate and get stuff done. I might get some little speakers for my iPod now that I have a little noise barrier. Also, I have been here just about three months. I can't believe it! I think some people thought that I was trying to avoid them by asking for walls (that were offered to me, btw), but I am the only person, aside from our admin, whose desk was just sitting out in front of everyone. I felt like a glorified secretary, and also like whatever work I was doing wasn't quite important enough to warrant privacy and quiet. People would stand right in front of my desk by the file cabinets and have conversations that didn't involve me at all. I'd just look up from time to time to see if they noticed that I was trying to work, but I rarely got a response.

Anyway, maybe it's a little sad to be so excited for something like a cube wall, but I don't care. Yippee for me! :)

Whoa.

I am not really sure if anyone reads this anymore (why would you? I don't write anything, not because I don't have anything to say, but more because I realize more and more every day how damn small St. Louis really is, and I have to watch what I say).

But..............there was a guy with a gun in my office building today and he assaulted some guy from the parking lot company over a $5 fee in the office right below me and after the guys threw a few punches, the angry customer reached for his gun, and tried to cock it but luckily it jammed and he ran out. The cops took about 10 minutes to get there, and I work downtown! They never found the guy, but they impounded his car (he got away on foot!), and they have the wallet and credit card he had with him.

It was really really really scary. We locked ourselves in the office, called 911, and stayed away from the windows (interior ones that face the hallway). They had a canine search the building, and apparently a bunch of cops cleared it, but they refused to come up and let us know that everything was ok. We just got brave, cracked the door, and asked another curious tenant if it was ok.

I heard the woman in the office below screaming "no, no, stop! help!", and lots of thumping and banging around. It was very surreal. We need better security there, apparently. And people need to not be so damn crazy that a "no credit card" policy at a $5 flat rate parking lot doesn't incite such violence. For pete's sake, there's an ATM attached to our stupid building, just around the corner from where this guy was parked.

I don't get it. I am just glad to be ok. But I am freaked out that he will come back. What would stop him?