My Internal Monologue

My Husband's Letter to NASA

2006-02-10T12:50:00.000-05:00

George C. Deutsch, a Bush political appointee to NASA's Public Affairs Office stepped down this week. My husband sent this letter to Mr. Deutsch's boss. Keep your fingers crossed!

February 8, 2006

Mr. Dean Acosta
Deputy Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
300 E St. SW
Washington, D.C. 20024

Dear Mr. Acosta,

It has recently come to my attention that a position in your section has become vacant. I am writing to you today in hopes of making personal contact with a key decision maker before this vacancy becomes general knowledge.

I am sure that, in the interest of preserving the integrity and professionalism of the Public Affairs office, you are concerned about possible interference from meddlesome bloggers, disgruntled scientists, and political gamers.

Let me first assure you that I have two college degrees that can be easily verified by the registrars’ offices at the universities I attended. Also, while I have written many emails and even posted to a community weblog over the past several years, none of my writings advocate modifying scientific data for political ends, nor have I attempted to curtail the free flow of scientific discourse. (Although I must admit I publicly struck a skeptical note when the Raelian cult claimed that they had successfully cloned humans.) While I was once employed by someone who later worked for the Bush administration, it seems that I damaged our collegial relationship when I told the investigator conducting his background check that I felt that the degree to which his identity relied on his affiliation with the Republican Party was “probably unhealthy.” In short, our friendship ended when he left the heartland for the beltway.

While it seems that knowledge of science is not required for this position, I do, at least, have a passing interest in the subject. I can identify three constellations. I have had heard the name Tycho Brahe mentioned in conversation. I once got up from the television on a cool spring evening to brave the elements and watch the International Space Station pass overhead (Is there any empirical evidence that the American module has a brighter reflection than the Russian? It seemed so to me.). I was born and raised in Ohio, well known as the prime breeding ground of American astronauts. I even share a last name with America’s most beloved astronaut; a fact which I’m sure would be an asset in NASA’s public relations office, or at least a possible starting point for a modestly amusing intra-office joke.

While my resume will clearly demonstrate my qualifications for this position, I wanted to take a moment to explain my affinity for NASA, and why my life’s passion would make my time with the Public Affairs office a successful partnership for each of us. As a young boy I delighted in the illustrations produced by NASA that showed the glories of our technological future. Huge revolving space stations, hydroponic agriculture (isn’t Bruce Dern a wonderful actor?), scramjet spaceliners, and space elevators were the stuff of my dreams. When I saw one particular NASA illustration the die was cast for my destiny, and a lifelong dream was born. I knew that some day I would become the founder and owner of the most successful jet pack dealership in the country, perhaps building an even more successful franchise business out of my initial success. As of yet, commercially viable consumer jet packs are not available, but I know that our nation’s progress toward that glorious jet pack fueled future I glimpsed 20 years ago will be led by the same organization that dared to dream it in the first place: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

God Bless America, and Godspeed.

Jim Armstrong

P.S. You may want to consider having John Glenn conduct the initial interview. His home is only a mile or so from my office, so I’m sure it would be the most convenient arrangement for all involved.

Al Gore Channels Dr. Martin Luther King

2006-01-20T15:47:00.000-05:00

Yeah, I know. I haven't been around for a while. The holidays are always rough. Luckily, Vice President Al Gore has brought me out of my holiday blues.

Did you hear his speech for the Liberty Coalition on January 15? See the coverage of it on the network news? If your answer is no, don't feel bad. Most Americans didn't either.

Well, I wanted to hear it so I went to C-span. Tuesday I was able to listen to the whole thing, all 1:06 of it. Moving, thoughtful, powerful. I tried to play it for my husband later and for whatever reason, the podcast was no longer available from the c-span site So, I tried to download it from the itunes store c-span podcast, and it won't work through there either. Finally, I tried the real video feed from c-span, and nothing. Frustrated I tried to find it from another source and it is nowhere. I mean nowhere. It was like it never happened. The conspiracy hairs on the back of my neck started to stand up.

So today my husband helped out and apparently I needed to open real player before clicking on the link on the c-span site. I recommend you do that. Listen to the speech. Hear, really hear what he is saying and act. I encourage everyone to pass it around. Give this speech the attention and airplay it deserves and respond to his call for every American to do their part in protecting our Constitution.

Rick Meyerowitz is my Hero

2005-12-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

Finally, a light in the darkness!

This is a suggestion I have been making to my husband for months! And I don't think it should be limited to Avian Flu. These dark ages jesusian pseudoscience mongers should be denied all benefits of modern medical science until they admit that with all of the evidence in, Darwin was right. Want to reframe the debate here in the USA then contact news reporters, scientists, doctors and politicians and tell them to stop talking about viral mutations and call it what it is EVOLUTION !!

I mean come on. When the Catholic church, one of the most archaic and reform resistant institutions known to civilization can embrace science while the president of the United States is unsure you know it's time for regime change. And while we're at it, how is mandating the religious idea of "Intelligent Design" upholding the separation of church and state in our public schools? If that's what you want to teach your kids-- homeschool--then try to "intelligently design" your own anti-biotics and cancer treatments.

Keep off the Grass

2005-12-05T09:39:00.000-05:00

I'm sure you've been wondering why I haven't had anything to kvetch about for several days. I simply had to pack away my grump to celebrate my dear husband's birthday. Those festivities are over, and now I can express myself fully again.

I hope I'm not the only one to have read this article in the New York Times. It seems that golfers in Newark, Ohio have decided that our human cultural heritage should never handicap their game. I know nothing about golf, and frankly I don't want to, but I do know a little about the Newark Earthworks. My family has visited the site several times, and it really is amazing. In fact, we last visited the weekend that the museum on the site closed. Sad really, it was the first museum in the country to be dedicated exclusively to Native American artifacts. So after visiting the amazing state park we had to get in the car to drive to the Moundbuilders Country Club, where they have built a wooden platform for you to view the mounds located on their golf course. You can't walk onto the course without being a member or at least no one would tell us how to take our children closer. That's right folks they built a freaking golf course around the mounds. Nice.

There is blame to go around. The Ohio Historical Society leased the property to the golf club. How that could have ever been a good idea is beyond me. But, now the country club doesn't want to play by the rules they agreed to, or by the bounds of decency needed when taking charge of an historical site. Especially one of this magnitude and importance.

It is their responsibility as stewards of this site for the remainder of their lease to enable visitors to fully experience it. If that means they have to spend cash to do so, that is their problem. They took the name Moundbuilders to promote their country club and now they need to do what is right by the people who built this site, and by the hundreds of visitors who come to honor it every year. Or better still OHS should, if possible, cancel their lease for violations of the agreement. So, send OHS and Moundbuilders Country Club an email to let them know your opinions on the matter. And if you want to help get everyday folks onto the octagon to experience the Moonrise, or if you want to learn more about the Newark Earthworks check out octagonmoonrise.org

What?

2005-12-01T18:30:00.000-05:00

So you may be wondering about the title of my blog. Well, there are often times when what we're thinking is best left unsaid. In my case this happens daily. So My Internal Monologue is where you get to share my secret snarky comments and bask in my hidden genius. Instead of me talking back (in my head) to the radio, television, other drivers, strangers and my family, I'll post it here. Maybe not an original idea, but far less expensive than therapy.