Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cornell!rochester!rutgers!att!homxb!homxc!mrb1
From: mrb1@homxc.ATT.COM (M.BAKER)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Where is Challenger?
Summary: One big happy family......
Message-ID: <6494@homxc.ATT.COM>
Date: 29 Apr 89 20:09:10 GMT
References: <11360@well.UUCP> <1989Apr23.000034.7797@utzoo.uucp> <1989Apr26.232023.2988@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: AT&T BL Holmdel NJ USA
Lines: 71

In article <1989Apr26.232023.2988@utzoo.uucp>, henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes:
> In article <256@cbnewsh.ATT.COM> mrb1@cbnewsh.ATT.COM (maurice.r.baker) writes:
> >> Mars in 1980s:  USSR, 2 tries, |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
> >> 2 failures; USA, 0 tries.      | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.ed
> >
> >Has anyone heard any info. lately about the University 
> >of Tornoto Zoology Dept. probe to Mars?  Perhaps they are waiting for an 
> >open slot on an Energia launch!
> 
> Couldn't say about the University of Tornoto; never heard of them. :-)
> The Zoology department *here* isn't going to launch any Mars probes until
> somebody (i.e. the Soviets) finds life there.
> -- 
> Mars in 1980s:  USSR, 2 tries, |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
> 2 failures; USA, 0 tries.      | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu

Thank you, Henry.  I appreciate the :-) !  I felt that a smiley
was implied in my message.  However, I did receive the following
email [sender's identity removed to protect his/her privacy]:

--------------email message follows--------------

If you are going to read only signatures and not actual articles, could
you possibly POST only signatures and not actual articles?  Henry makes
an excellent point, that the US space program has rested on its laurels
while the rest of the world (the Soviet Union, ESA, China, Japan, India,
and soon even Australia) has not.  Trumpeting about how we HAD the best
space program in the world is useless.

And before you think to accuse him of being anti-American, he HAS said a
number of good things about the American space program (in those articles
whose bodies you evidently don't bother to read); in particular, you
might grep through /usr/spool/news/sci/space for his recent discussion of
Pegasus.  But it is an absolutely undeniable fact that it has been 11 years
since we last launched ANY interplanetary probe, and there is NO excuse
for that.  As Henry would be the first to state, the US could and SHOULD
have a premier space program -- it has chosen not to.  Too many people just
haven't chosen to admit that.

If it really annoys you that Henry claims that the US hasn't sent anything
to Mars in the 1980's, instead of flaming Henry on the net, call up your
Congressasshole and demand to know what ITS excuse is for this sorry state.

I'm sorry that the tone of this message is probably more obnoxious than is
warranted, but I am tired of seeing these ill-thought-out complaints about
Henry's signature.

-----------------my posting continues--------------

for the record:

	1.) I do read the articles....have been reading them since 1986.
	2.) When the signature expands beyond name/address type of
		info., it becomes part of the article.  No problem
		there.  It's very distinctive.
	3.) Why can't we trumpet about how we had the best space
		program?  How does it hurt anyone?  I'm not promoting
		complacency, mind you, but there is a lot to be proud
		of (admittedly from a bygone era).
	4.) "Congressasshole"?  Sounds like you are the anti-American.
	5.) "ITS excuse"?  For all its faults, and there are many,
		our system of government does pretty well.  Unless
		you were referring to my Congressman.  That kind of
		slur doesn't even deserve a response.
	6.) I sometimes get tired of the NASA-bashing, too ---
		but free and open debate is healthy.  Especially in
		a light-hearted form like Henry's signature and my
		response.

M. Baker
homxc!mrb1