It's been almost 34 years since man last set foot on the moon.  I can
almost certainly say that the next human to walk on the moon will not
be an American.

We have become so risk averse that anything that might, in any way,
cause a loss of life is unacceptable.  Consider your life insurance
policy.  Does it cover you while diving?  Mine only covers me for
dives above 132 feet.

Consider Apollo 1.  Less than two years after the fire, we had a
spaceship orbiting the moon.  How long did it take to get back in the
air after Challenger?  After Columbia?  We've become a nation of
cowards.  There's no risk too small that we won't take.  No advance
too great that we won't skip.

People say we should only use unmanned space exploration, since it's
so much safer.  Where would we be if Columbus had just sent an
unmanned ship to explore the "new world"?  We have to get off our
collective a.ses and start taking some risks.  Yes, people will die,
but people always die when you advance civilization.  When you fear
dying, you stop advancing.  When a society stagnates, it dies.

Carol took a calculated risk during her cancer treatment.  She
participated in a clinical trial of an anti-nausea drug.  True, little
risk to her life, but there was a risk to the quality of her life (and
mine).  Her attitude was "somebody took a risk to try these chemo
drugs, I can do the same and give something to the next person".

We, as a group, are risk takers.  I notice that quite of few of us are
also into fast cars and bikes.  And Grummy takes a great, and probably
uninsured risk, every time he gets in that contraption he calls an
airplane.

Okay, that's enough for 3 in the morning.  Time to take some serious
drugs and get some sleep.