Another Halloween, another quiz

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Halloween Myths Quiz - MSN Encarta

I got a 9/10 on this one, (Results here http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/quiz/quiz.aspx?QuizID=283&qpt=results)

Some things about this quiz... (Spoilers so don't read below until AFTER you take the quiz!)

I enjoy taking these quizes, testing usless information is a hobby of mine.  Besides trival pursuit there is little else this welth of usless information comes in handy for!

1. I was in Detroit when this was going on in the mid 1970's, and yes the emergency rooms were flooded with parents x-raying candy the following years, the media picked it up and it went national for many many years following that
2. This is just silly
3. Classic ghost story covering a morality theme to discourage kids from 'parking'
4. I guessed and got it right, America is too full of idiots
5. Urban legend
6. Anyone from the 1970's and 1980's knows this
7. Very tricky, technically can't happen, however medical advances over the years have lessoned this, as well as embalming!
8. Urban legend
9. Well, publicized every year
10. See #4 (I got it wrong because with 2 of the same I spilt the difference so to get at least 1 right, tricks on me!)
    

This week is pretty busy for space and science buffs.  "Space, the final frontier..." as the famous prologue that started each Star Trek episode is the emphasis of this article.  As America celebrates yet another shuttle launch with Discovery making a noon accent in a seemingly all to routine series of events another launch is being conducted tonight APA time.  Before Discovery can rendezvous with the International Space Station and have her heat shield tiles checked prior to delivering the Harmony module another space craft will be orbiting the planet.  Chang'e I, the Chinese lunar surveying satellite will be flying a year long mapping and surveying mission, but not alone, a Japanese satellite, Kaguya, is in a 60 mile (100Km) orbit around the moon after blasting off on September 14th and beginning its mission October 4th.  Just as Sputnik, ironically launched just a few weeks over 50 years ago, issued in the mother of all spaces between Cold War rivals the Soviet Union and the United States.  The overtones of Japan's launch, delayed 4 years but still technologically way ahead of Russia's Luna and the US's Clementine and Lunar Prospector projects was the first salvo which tonight was answered by China and next April will be answered by India who is launching their own lunar explorer satellite, Chandrayan 1.

Historically speaking the past space race, or space race 1.0 between the USSR and the USA was little more then trying to prove which country was superior, economically, scientifically, and militarily.  While it was highlighted by many changing positions and tragedies it did advance science, understanding, and ultimately elevated mankind into the realistic possibilities that space exploration was realistic and no longer science fiction.  Of course the US ultimately won with numerous lunar landings and missions giving all huge amounts of information about our closest celestial neighbor.  Sixty years later Russia and America are not only partners, but majority contributors to the ISS efforts which are bringing together many countries scientists together into a collaborative effort to advance science yet again.  Now, this year, we are witnessing the rebirth of the space race, now between 2 of the most populous countries on the planet and the richest technologically advanced country in Asia.  This contest has all the same tones and markings of the last, but with the wisdom of how the last one ended, albeit I doubt that will be taken into consideration or even pondered as the players are too arrogant to head the lessons of the past 50 years.

Modern Asia is a kaleidoscope of differences.  There are no doubts the top nations are Japan, with technology and industry that is tried and true, China, with a decade's worth of double digit economic growth feeding a population and government capable of achieving anything they want, and India, with strong ties to the West and a wealth of human resources and history of science, all are leading the next space race for a claim at national superiority and advances that will prove they are not only better then their rivals, but better then the old men who have rested on their laurels and let 30 years of complacency erode the momentum and advances they had built up over just a short 20 years of breakneck advances.  Japan has probably the most noble motives, science and exploration above their reputation, although they would love to trump China, their long time rivals, and regain their past prestige of being Asia's premiere civilization.  China is sore over its 40 year hibernation and is quickly emerging as the 500 pound gorilla in the room and is longing for the respect and fear that accompanies the superpower status they feel they have been cheated out of since forming the communist regime 50 years ago.  India, the worlds largest democracy, is intent on showing determination and hard work can pay off in the long run as it leverages its allies and human resources to built the capital necessary to join the race and establish itself as worthy of being a regional and world power, remember they do have nuclear weapons too.  Yes indeed, Asia is in a full blown race for the moon, winner gets first pickings on a close celestial body and prime real estate that could be full of much needed resources and territory for further space exploration in the future. 

In the previous modern space era, that of the US and Russia, the tense race cooled to a collaborative truce of sorts where Russians ride on US space shuttles and American payloads are shot into space on Russian space vehicles.  The race has cooled, it is not over but it has cooled to the point of allowing both countries to work together in an effort not imagined 50 years ago.  Over the past 7 years the International Space Station has been a mutual collaborative effort by both the US and Russia, or at least their respective space agencies.  The ISS has a purpose of advancing our science and understanding of the effects of space and how we can prepare for extended stays in space.  The science of the station is shared, the findings published for others to learn from.  Now it is true that there are still state based secretes each country is keeping under wraps and sciences they are working on in private, however the ISS is fairly transparent in its mission and its findings, a shinning example of sharing and spreading the wealth of opportunities to countries who do not have the opportunity or capability to do so at this time.  Friendship, partnership, and the thirst for knowledge are all exhibited by the ISS.

What are China's space ambitions?  That is the $100,000 question everyone has been trying to answer for 35 years now.  China is taking their space destiny into their own hands, exampled by their steps thus far, and their published time tables.  It is odd how the press, exampled by 2 of the articles I have attached below, point out the negative more so then the positive.  Sure, China has military and economic reasons behind their space program, as well as good old fashioned patriotism.  China has proven they can put satellites into space, people, and even shoot down satellites with land based missiles, no one else can claim that.  China wants to put a man on the moon in 15 to 20 years (that is 2022 to 2027, Japan is aiming for 2025, as is the United States and India has not given a date just strongly hinted at it).  China, having the largest population and needing more energy when less is available is hungry to be on the forefront of any new energy discoveries without having to depend on others to facilitate its retrieval, look at their efforts in Africa.  This is not an evil or uncharacteristic reason for lunar exploration. 

All countries want to be able to make their claims on any discoveries the moon has hidden, as long as they aren't long rectangular black blocks that emit high pitched noises.  China is still a secretive and communist country, they have secrets and military as well as monopoly minded motives behind their actions.  Instead of opting to share in the ISS China plans to build its own space station to conduct its own experiments.  China's pride and resistance to share is going to become a larger problem as globalization become more and more engrained in the near future.  China needs to remember that the strict control they enjoyed for most of their history will no longer be possible and that goes even more for space exploration.  30 years ago it would have been thought that the US or Russia would be racing to militarize space, bringing conflict beyond our planet, now China looks to be on track for doing so.  From independent space stations, the US had sky lab and the Russians Mir, to anti-satellite killing missiles China is now the one everyone else has trust issues with.

China's emergence into the space club has been very short.  Both Russia and the US have been playing one-ups-manship since the 1950's and have evolved into mature space program states capable of achieving any goal scientifically possible.  China started getting their feet wet in 1970 by getting a satellite into space.  Unfortunately just 2 years later the program was shut down due to financial and other internal issues.  Efforts did not begin again until 20 years later after China opened up a bit, began capitalizing on a fledging market based economy model and gaining some scientific curiosity, something hard line communism does not allow.  Just 13 years later, 2003, China joining Russia and the United States as being the only country to put a human into space and retrieve them.  In a short 2 years China emulated the 1960's Gemini program and got 2 taikonauts, Chinese for astronauts, into Earth orbit for 5 days.  Now just 2 years later this weeks lunar mapping mission is underway, and by 2012 they expect to have one of 2 rovers on the moon's surface (hoping to beat Japan at this as well).  While Japan has a mature program, economic and financial problems, as well as a couple of high profile failures, have slowed their efforts and now given China the small crack in the door they needed to barge in and ruin their party.  With double digit economic growth for over a decade, strengthening one-party control, massive cash and trade reserves, and nearly endless human resources China has the perfect recipe to win the new space race.

So now we have looked at all this data from hopefully a balanced viewpoint what are the implementations?  If China wins what do they get?  Pride in being the most advanced, powerful, scientific, richest, and spoils of space... well, sure they will get this but in today's world of 'what have you done for me lately' and cutting edge everything it may last only 3 to 5 years.  If China is the first to colonize the moon will they get all the good real-estate and potential minerals?  I bet the UN has already thought of this, thanks to Russia and the US and their past ambitions, and there is a mechanism in place to fairly handle moon colonization.  While China may be the short tem winners, their isolationist efforts and actions are hampering continuing this momentum for long.  The Americans last were on the moon in 1972 when Apollo 17 came home and have studied it for 30 years, so if something really valuable was up there don't you think we would have gotten it by now?  The moon is more a propaganda prize then anything else.  Japan is already trying to explore Mars, as well as the US, Europe, and Russia.  While the moon is an important next step, and one that will cement China's ability as being able to do something their big brother and patriarch never could, it is the efforts of the ISS and mars explorations that hold the future of mankind in space.  The moon will be a good launching pad for space exploration, but we have to take the lessons of how we are dealing with this planet and not repeat them on the moon.  There is no doubt the next space race is well underway, and at stake is the pride and prestige of an entire region, and possible more.  The winners will be announced in 20 to 25 years, and that boys and girls in a very long way away, and if history teaches us anything it teaches us that long term national plans are as concrete as long and the present can sustain its current trajectory into the future and our modern global world is no longer that static or stable.  One is for sure, man kind only performs great feats of accomplishment under great pressure.  This space race 2.0 will provide pressure from Asia's richest, most technologically advanced, and most proud nations into a competitive match many will watch and some may even join in on, and that will make us all better for the advances that come out of the contest.

Resources and interesting articles:
China's Long March to the Moon, WSJ
Japanese Lunar Probe Reaches Orbit in a First
Spacefaring India - Moon Flights
China Launches 1st Lunar Probe
China Launches its First Lunar Orbiter, LA Times

As everyone close to a television, newspaper, or internet connection this week knows there was an international mess created by the US House Foreign Affairs committee.  As I have not seen connecting of the dots at this point, I will share my insight as it is very important people realize what exactly is going on with this seemingly minor non-binding resolution from the American standpoint (Turkey of course sees these vote as a huge issue!)

As we all know the Democrats have been unable to do anything about the war in Iraq since taking power in the last election.  The inability of being able to cut war funding, establish withdrawal timelines, prevent the surge, do anything meaningful has been a large torn in their side since their "mandate to change" of the last election, evidence by the low approval ratings of the Democratically controlled congress.  Democratic frustration has grown to such a level in-fighting and bickering has made the party lose sight of its original goal and begin to eat themselves in this presidential election cycle.  Now the Democratic leadership is not dumb, despite what ever people like Rush Limbaugh says, and they want to keep some kind of order and purpose.  "Non-stop" Nancy vowed she would bring the Armenian resolution to the floor if it passed the committee, thereby greenlighting the Democratically controlled committee to thumb its nose at the Republicans and making their anti-war statement. 

This seemingly non-matter vote comes is not a hap-hazard maneuver and anyone who believes it is ignorant of how politics is orchestrated. 

1. Turkey has been itching to get retaliation strikes into northern Iraq to stop Kurdish incursions across the border in the disputed areas between the two countries for more then 2 years now.  Only the promises and actions of the current Foreign Relations staff of the President has kept Turkey in the mix, and they are a very key alley in this war and strategic regional partner.
2. Despite all the hard talk, votes, and rhetoric the Democrats have failed to gain enough support to stop the war on all levels, from funding and time limits to the recent Petraius testimony, the war is progressing despite all their good intentions.  The Speaker of the House has seen these defeats pile up, one right after the other helpless to stop it.  She has set the timing and agenda for the committee voting as a stop gap method for sabotaging the war in the dirtiest and slyest yet.  She can't defeat Bush or war support on the hill so she is going after the next weak link, the coalition.
3. Pelosi and this Armenian vote is not coincidental as she knows it will piss off the Turks, she knows it will cause a response, and she knows that overall relations with Turkey will not suffer, just the immediate cooperation at hand between our two countries, the war.
4. By pushing Turkey into a corner and knowing they have to respond, she has hinged her bets on the vital importance and necessity between our two countries that all they will do is cause disruption in the war effort and hoping it will be so significant that the war will fall apart as the northern border will be logistically cut off.  She knows Turkey will not attack or harm American soldiers, just prevent us from using their bases, waterways, ports, air space, border crossing points, hospitals, etc.

Politics is chess, plain and simple.  Don't believe they statements that Nancy is making this measure is just symbolic and that no real harm will come between our two nations.  Do you believe Nancy Pelosi's statement of that of the statements of 8 past Secretary of States who have stated "the passage would harm US security interests, including the use of bases and making it harder for US diplomats to persuade the Turkish government to stay out of Iraq." according to reports in the Boston Globe, LA Times, and Washington Post.  All three point to the same scheme, Turkey has warned since the information of the vote before the Foreign Affairs commission was made that any approval would be an insult to Turkish nationalism and not tolerated.  Turkey let everyone know that if this vote was approved in committee and made it before the full House there would be consequences.  As these consequences were never spelled out it was made apparent it would involve current war support.

Now why is America concerned with Turkeys' past and the Armenian genocide situation?  Well, Turkeys' is still trying to get into the EU and while the Europeans are on top of this issue it seems America is sticking her nose into another countries business yet again.  While Pelosi is smugly smiling for the camera and counting her domestic success and win she has opened an international can of worms with strategic partner vital in our operation in stabilizing Iraq and getting us out of their faster.  What right does this Democratically controlled committee have saying Turkey committed genocide against the Armenians when the US government practiced even worse against my people and race for over 200 years in this country?  Why are we pushing Turkey over genocide now and not the Sudanese over the Dufar region killings, which by the way is still going on now where the Ottoman Empire purge of the Armenians happened almost 100 years ago?  Why not take such actions against the Northern Irish over their elimination of Catholics and practices of oppression in their control of the island nation?  If people stop to ask why now and why this matters to be pushed so hard by the current Congress then look no further to a crafty way to stop the war by alienating our armed services and diminishing their logistic channels of getting troops, supplies, and gear to the battlefield.  No Nancy, we did not learn the lessons of Vietnam, we are still trying to fight a war from Congress with legislation instead of on the battlefield with generals and soldiers on the ground.

Turkey has recalled their ambassador, students have marched on the US embassy and painted the Turkish flag on the wall, the parliament has voted to allow military operations into Iraq for reprisal operations against the Kurds, right or wrong Turkish law condemns the calling of the Armenian incidents genocide as a crime and here we are, in the face of all this, still pushing hard on a key alley to force them into taking an action contradictory to our national interests and current national security involving ongoing military operations in an active theater of war.  So here we are, Democratically controlled committees voting on non-binding resolutions condensing another countries actions a century ago in a war we had no involvement in at a time we were not a major player on the world stage or in diplomacy.  By strategically eroding the cooperation of a key alley and logistic pathway into Iraq Pelosi has cleared the way to accomplish something they were unable to do directly.  By alienating a key NATO alley, she has orchestrated a blow to the war effort, mission accomplished.  However, she has done so at the cost of logistic and material support for our troops already in the field, opened a new front on the war, complicated our foreign relations greatly, and done so without most Americans being able to tie the two together.  When the bill comes before the full House, it will be voted on, and if it passes all the efforts the Turks have made thus far will be escalated further.  If any harm comes to troops in Northern Iraq, embassy personnel in Turkey, or this becomes the turning point for things worse to come, it all falls squarely on her feet.