American Ingenuity??

[DJ]

I think NASA is great, but, what a money pit!<br /><br />When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ball-point pens would not work in 0 gravity.<br /><br />To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a<br />decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300 C.<br /><br />The Russians used a pencil.<br /><br />Enjoy paying your taxes.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: American Ingenuity??

ahh, how true, but i'd feel much better giving 12million to a science project than to a politicians campaign budget at least when you realize how much $$$ is being blown you can switch off the Discovery channel and watch a ballgame or listen to the radio...<br />-but when the campaigning is in heat, its on every channel and airwave and you can only cry in your wheaties as you think of the $$$ being blown while one guy drills into your senses day & night how much worse his opponent is... <br /><br />ok it was alittle off topic <br />well, we have teflon cooking pans and kevlar and cool pens now...

 

[bobber head]

Re: American Ingenuity??

The better part of me wants to beileve that the ten years and 12 million bucks yeilded other discoveries along the way, but these have yet to grace the pages of our news.<br /><br />But isn't that the case with most all of our big brain ideas? We invest tremendous amounts of time and money only to have some kid walk up, out of nowhere, and suggest we "simply let the air out of the tires, instead"? <br /><br />I suppose if you were out on a space walk, outside the shuttle orbiting the Earth, and suddenly had some very important infomation to impart, with little time left to do so, a pencil would be of little use, eh? <br />Think I'd want a Marks-O-lot, though: you know, the big fat one.<br /><br />Nice post, made me stop and think, thanks.

 

[ob]

Re: American Ingenuity??

Wasn't that pen technology developed and manufactured by the same company that made the cockpit ashtrays in the military transport jets?If I remember correctly they were discount priced at around $1500.

 

[bobber head]

Re: American Ingenuity??

Dear IRS: <br /><br />Enclosed is my 2001 Tax Return & payment. Please take note of the attached article from the USA Today newspaper. In the article, you will see that the Pentagon is paying $171.50 for hammers and NASA has paid $600.00 for a toilet seat. <br /><br />Please find enclosed four toilet seats (value $2400) and six hammers (value $1029). <br /><br />This brings my total payment to $3429.00. Please note the overpayment of $22.00 and apply it to the 'Presidential Election Fund', as noted on my return. Might I suggest that you send the above mentioned to fund a '1.5 inch screw'. (See attached article - HUD paid $22.00 for a 1.5 inch Phillips Head Screw.) <br /><br />It has been a pleasure to pay my tax bill this year, and I look forward to paying it again next year. I just saw an article about the Pentagon and 'screwdrivers'. <br /><br />Sincerely, Bobber head<br /><br />

<br /><br />High speed, deep sea, trolling coming to a pier near you soon!

 

[derwood]

Re: American Ingenuity??

H#ll....I could run the whole darn shooten match with a couple-a-hundred bucks and free pickens at any dump of my choice.<br /><br />Heck....I bet I could find a few A$$tronats here on this fourm....I know sloopy and 12Fter are game....I bet for a 12 pack and a new T-Shirt crabby might even tag along for sh!ts and giggles.<br /><br />I'd have to ask JB and Peter to run mission controll....Nobody elese could go on TV and admit to sending a couple of rednecks into space and keep a strait face.<br /><br />I'll even bet JB's smart enough that he could figure out the exact coordinantes to send a big blue icecube (full of pea nuts) crashing down on saddam's big fat head.<br /><br />Imagen the first impression that we would make on a chance first contact with beings not from this wourld....50/50 chance of an invasion....better that them watchen the 11:00 news....If they saw that they would just bomb us from space.<br /><br />Astrowood.

 

[BassMan283]

Re: American Ingenuity??

Hay Astrowood, that sounds pretty good. I could be an astronaut, I think. I used to drive a truck. 18-wheeler, space shuttle, not that much difference. If you need a driver, give me a holler.

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: American Ingenuity??

Thunk uh dat me on dat der TB. Actually I would be all for a redneck space program. And I lay odds on it causing the first interstellar incident. Hell if a redneck can't ID it he shoots it to hang on his wall. Sounds like a plan now where is Sloopy with that jet engine?????

 

[bobber head]

Re: American Ingenuity??

Might want to take along a few extra buckets with good fitting lids. <br /> <br />web page for details. Good luck guys, and be to sure to post a launch date so we can keep our heads down.<br /><br />Bobber

 

[snapperbait]

Re: American Ingenuity??

I too am a big fan of NASA, but I can't see how they justify some of their outlandish spending...<br /><br /> I would also hate to see NASA go the way of selling themselves to the big corporate guys as an advertizing gimmic.... There's too much National Pride there to stick SubWay or whoevers name on the side of the space shuttle.... <br /><br />But they really need to find some cash other that what they get from John-Q-Taxpayer.... <br /><br />Thank you NASA for Velcro....