Isn't it amazing that only 100 years ago humans got off the ground, and today we're flying in space? That's within the lifespan of a couple hundred thousand people worldwide.

Did you see that the new Mars lander transmitted a full-color panorama? It's been put into QuickTime VR for a look-around experience: High-res Mars panorama. This ain't no science fiction. It's seeing the surface of another planet. I think that's really cool.

But I'm not so sure that people should be going to Mars right now, or even to the moon. A while ago I would have been much more supportive. We as a species have to do it sooner or later, but there's so much wrong on this planet that going to another one doesn't seem like the best idea to me at the current time. It would take an aweful lot of money to get there, money that could be going to other purposes.

It would be grand adventure, and humans have a need to explore and so on and so forth. But there's still quite a bit to explore in the deep sea and lots of other ways to spend money that could improve peoples' lives directly here on earth.

I dunno. Mixed feelings on it. Maybe if some other president prescribed it then it would be easier to swallow.