Today is the forty-fifth anniversary of the first man in space, and the twenty-fifth anniversary of the first flight of the Space Shuttle. If you want to celebrate, it's also the fifth anniversary of Yuri's Night. Go find a party near you.

[Update a few minutes later]

I have some thoughts on this anniversary over at National Review (note, it's been edited somewhat from what I submitted).

[Update in the afternoon]

Mark is whining again:

First, Rand has presented a breath taking lack of specifics in his suggestions on how to improve the space program.

I only had nine hundred words. I've offered many specifics, many times, in many places. It was an anniversary commemoration, not a policy white paper.

Rand, had you anything that wanted saying that got left out on edit?

curious, de Doc

Not much. It was more rewording in ways that I don't necessarily agree with, but it's not worth fussing with the editor over. I may put up a director's cut tomorrow.

Rand, it was not a whine (something I never do), but a critique. If the piece was meant to be an anniversary commemoration, then why include all that snarkey stuff that didn't seem to be related?

Also, the managing editor of NASA Space Flight is about to backpedal on the weight problem story. (Check my own blog for a link to the thread where he states this.) Looks like there was less to it than it seemed. A warning to all those (and you know who you are) who jumped to conclusions.

Mark, you really need to enable comments on your blog, so that people can respond directly to you.

any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods

I'd say that NASA fits that definition pretty darn well.

Actually, Ed, no I don't. If I were to allow comments, then I would get thousands of trolling missives from people like Ed Wright using the word "socialist" and my name in the same sentence (also a misuse of the world, in general.)

If I were to allow comments, then I would get thousands of trolling missives...

Think highly of ourselves, don't we?

Yuri's night with a passover moon? Hmm...