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The space shuttle program costs– uh, costed– on the order of $5 billion a year (give or take depending on which year). Let’s put that in perspective.

The TSA budget: $7 billion (them porno scanners ain’t cheap!)
Last year’s GM bailout: $60 billion
Amount the Fed just printed: $600 billion

Put it this way: Last week, the Fed just printed and gave away enough money to fund the Shuttle for another 100 years.

That said, can private industry do it better? Hells yeah. If Californians hadn’t fucked up their state so bad, I’d be working for SpaceX right now, who designed, built, and flew a rocket for the same price NASA spend on their Ares I tower. Musk said he wants to retire on Mars, and damn if he doesn’t have a good chance of doing just that.

But should we cancel all government-funded human spaceflight before we have a private industry to fall back on? Hells no!

You, sir, made an extremely convincing argument. While your interests were clear, you backed them up with facts and sound statements, and as a grammar nerd, I really appreciate the eloquently phraseology applied therein.

Also, you managed to reach the reader on an emotional level and even sprinkle some of your trademark biting humor in there too.

This was a professional-quality piece. I for one hope that it gets attention beyond the realm of this humble blog, and that in the future we see more of your insightful writing…you know, to go along with the hilarious angry rants. <:)