Your Tax Dollars at Work?

I'm sure many of you have heard or heard about the planet that was found outside our system last week. It is said to be Earth-like and likely has water on it. It is also 120 lightyears from here. I'm a science enthusiast and write science fiction stories and avidly watched just about everything on the Mars landers a few years ago. My question is: why are we exploring anywhere beyond Mars? Why do we need to know about a planet no one from Earth is ever going to walk on? I can hear the Trekies grumbling.

Yes, I do believe that a lot has come out of the space program that has benefited the common person but how does knowing that Earths doppelganger is out there benefit anyone? Why does the Government hand out grants to research such things?

When I was growing up in the fifties it was predicted we'd have a human presence on Mars before the turn of the millennium. What happened? Government money wasted on innocuous programs, wars and armament got handed out. Defense budgets I have no gripe with. They're a necessity we can't do without.

If we're going to land people on Mars then lets do it. Test propulsion systems and habitats by going to the Moon. Don't hand out grants to people who are not going to earn it. There's a lot of large chunks of rock orbiting out there that the astronomers need to check up on and I wouldn't cut there funding at any time just don't waste time looking beyond our system. Where's the benefit to us there?

This, of course, is IMHO.

First Blog

After many false starts, writers block, artist block, illness and the constraints of a job that actually pays the bills I have my website, Digital Maniac up and running. It's a little crude for a first try and I haven't set up all the bells and whistles yet. I'm doing it to showcase my writing and illustration and writing talent. There are a few short stories there and the first installment of my novel, "Mask of the Crime Czar" with new installments every two weeks. Also there is the cover to the web comic I created Mindforce 7k with new pages added about every week or so.

Please go to http://digitalmaniac.net and have a look around. After you're done click on the Contact button and sign the guestbook. I'd appreciate any comments.

Anything and everything may be discussed in future blogs. The sky's the limit. There may be things I like, things that piss me off, politics, religion, science fact or fiction; whatever crosses my mind that day.