Build Date: Sat Nov 7 06:50:15 2026 UTC
I'm a lazy, drunken hillbilly with a heart full of hate.
-- HST
Stop Prohibition in Space NOW!!!
2000-11-01 16:07:55
Today marks the first day of the permanent occupation of the International Space Station (ISS) as one American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts move in for a planned 115 day stay.
It is likely that over the 15 or more years that ISS is operational, it will always have someone in residence. And hopefully, when it becomes time to retire ISS there will be a multitude of other human occupied space stations. That means it is possible that yesterday, Oct 31, 2000 was the last day EVER that a human being was not in space.
Which is a cool thought, but not what this article is about.
It seems that NASA has decided that alcohol is bad and much like the U.S. Navy has on its ships since the early 1900's, has banned booze in space.
Not that I'm surprised about this. NASA is one of the more conservative departments in the federal bureaucracy. "No Fun", seems to be their motto. But their Puritan policy are not only grating, but as far as I'm concerned, blatantly unconstitutional. States and not the federal government control alcohol - and there are no states in space. So as far as I'm concerned, outlawing liquor is space in a civil rights violation against anyone in a 400 mile orbit.
As an unabashed and unrepentant drinker, I find this policy to abhorrent and demand that NASA not only immediately rescind this policy, but also send up a large case of vodka in the next Progress resupply mission. And, I also demand that they immediately begin work on a bar/pub section for the space station that will serve a variety of mixed drinks, wine and beer.
And while I hate to be a single issue voter, I'm letting all the politician running know that I'll vote for whomever has the best Booze in Space policy.
I think everyone reading this article would like to visit space someday. But if NASA has its way, after a hard day's work in space, come 5 o'clock, you can forget about Miller Time. And that's just wrong!!! Write your Congressman folks and let them know that you find prohibition in space as unacceptable as you find it down here.
T O P S T O R I E S
John Dvorak has passed. I’m of mixed emotions. First off I’m more positive about his contribution to the overall technology journalism of the early PC days through the 90s, despite how many things he got wrong. He was a firebrand and commanded attention. (More...)
America's National Recording Registry Inducts Culturally Significant Artist - Weezer!
America's Library of Congress calls them "defining sounds of history and culture" and "audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage." Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... Weezer! (More...)
The Crossroads are real and The Blues is a place; The enduring myth of Robert Johnson (More...)
California Glory Hole attracts huge crowds
A glory hole at Napa's Lake Berryessa is drawing huge crowds. According to Chris Lee, the general manager for the Solano County Water Agency, the glory hole hasn't been active since 2019, and only restarted operations on Feb 4. (More...)
Republican State Senator busted after soliciting a teenage girl
Republican State Senator Justin Eichorn of Minnesota was arrested for soliciting a teen girl on Monday just hours after he introduced a bill proposing "Trump derangement syndrome" (TDS) as a form of mental illness. (More...)
Parents claim measles is not that bad after having only one child die
The parents of a Texas girl who died from the measles are defending their decision not to vaccinate their daughter. "She says they would still say 'Don't do the shots,'" an unidentified translator for the parents said. "They think it’s not as bad as the media is making it out to be." (More...)
C L A S S I C P I G D O G
Hooray! At long last, a NEW Spocktail of the Week! Kid-tested, mother-approved! (More...)
Juggler Vain attempts to wrestle with the issues around the KPFA shutdown; Big-time wrestling ensues. (More...)
It was early in May last year when I first heard about Spock Mountain Research Labs. I was working on a story about a Hungarian scientist's new approach to nucleopeptide synthesis when I got a call from my friend Albert. (More...)
Patient Joab's scientifick editorial discusses aspect of the space-time-beer continuum never before processed by sub-bush-robot minds!!! Too fabulantastic to contempulate! (More...)
It's not like I have a heroin problem, see. I'm just a self-indulgent brat who likes to live beyond her means. When I zip down to my corner Money Mart for a little cash-till-payday loan, I'm really not planning to spend it on drugs. I'll spend it on sushi. Seventy bucks of interest for a two-week $400 loan is perfectly reasonable, if you really need that hamachi. (More...)
Skunk School -- Learn Why Not To Keep Skunks As Pets
There is an alarming trend in pet purchasing habits this fall. People inspired by the WWII film, "Life is Beautiful" -- the one with that annoying Italian guy -- are buying descented skunks by the millions. (More...)
