Tuesday, June 15, 2010

If time goes faster the older you get...I'll soon be at warp speed.

What you see is the best science fiction could offer for a space vehicle my generation could dream about. Pretty sad when you think about it.

A disk or saucer and three cylinders fixed together with flimsy looking pylons. Yet, millions of young people in the late 60's started dreaming just how far we could reach as human beings as we watched Apollo 11 touch down at Tranquility Bay with two of our own riding aboard. Man had reached beyond our world and galactic lifeboat...things would most certainly never be the same.

Today, I complete my 46th revolution around the heat source of our solar system we call the Sun. Almost 41 one years after that historic moment for all of mankind, it seems beyond imagination that the moon was as far as we could reach with our quickly advancing technology back then. Just look how far we've come.

Wait a stinking minute...

We've not gone ANY farther! How did that happen? We should be at least be making regular visits to Mars with an establish outpost on the Moon. How did we lose all that momentum of breaking free of our planet's gravity, and just whose bright idea was that billion dollar space bus that on a good day might make it far enough from the Earth to actually see it has curves?

Well...at least we've solved the problem of world hunger finally.

What? That's not the case either? But I can get six different cuisines with five miles of my house! How can people be starving on one part of our planet while I throw food away almost daily?

At least we've conquered the life-robbing plagues of cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson's just to name a few.

You've got to be kidding me! Not a chance? But people are living so much longer today and seem so much healthier. Childhood obesity? How did that happen to such a health conscience society like ours?

Well, I'm not exactly sure what my generation considers our greatest accomplishment. It's not like we've been sitting on our hands since the 70's and 80's. At least we gave the world the cell phone, personal computers, cable television and world peace.

Oh for crying out loud...3 out of 4 is a passing grade people! What do you want from me on my birthday? A Flash Gordon-esque videophone wristwatch?

Seriously? 3 years ago? But I thought Steve Jobs hated flash...


9 comments:

David said...

Happy Birthday little brother! (1 out of 2 is good, right?)

The Star Trek generation has ushered in a few good things. The fall of the Berlin Wall and a reprieve from the Cold War along with a decisive win during the gulf war.

The rest is tough to swallow. The decline of the family, the rise in Christian persecution, the lack of energy solutions that are both good for the environment and national security - Maybe we can mine the asteroid belt?

But in an instant, the twinkling of an eye, the trumpet will blow and these years will simply be a vapor.

It's a good retirement plan.

Megan (Best of Fates) said...

Happy Birthday!! And I don't know - that spaceship looks pretty real to me.

Shauna said...

Happy Birthday Tony!

Tracy said...

Happy Birthday!

If you really want a good laugh at 60s techie futuristic, watch an old "Lost in Space" episode.

Michelle said...

Happy Birthday! May the world be more productive in your next 46 years!

And David, the rise in Christian persecution? What?! I know you have done missions so I surely hope you're not talking about the home front?!

David-FireAndGrace said...

@Michelle - here are the facts.

More Christians died for their faith in the twentieth century than at any other time in history, says Christian Solidarity International. Global reports indicate that over 150,000 Christians were martyred last year, chiefly outside of the United States. However, statistics are changing: persecution of Christians is on the increase in the United States.

Michelle said...

Thanks for the info Dave. Not hijacking your post, Tony. :)

I definitely can see the persecution abroad but not here. I do see that it will happen, but not yet. Of course, when I talk about persecution I'm saying all out death, not simple discrimination. I'm saying either deny Christ or die. I just don't see that happening here, yet.

photogr said...

Tony. Happy Birthday but you are still a young wipper snapper. wait 20 years and you will really see time fly by at warp speed.

I think we have come as far as we can go in the space travel category with today's technology. It will take many centurys and a lot of genetic alterations and scientific advancement before we can travel through the cosmos un harmed and at a warp speed. Our best hope will be robotics as far as long distance space travel, even to Mars.

Since the polio vaccine, medical science break throughs are slow in comming to fruitition. We can't even cure the common cold yet.

World peace will never happen as long as zealots with a hatred to others can come into power and not be stopped. See world history 101.

Other than some techno wizzardry gadgets, we are still in the dark ages.

Unknown said...

Happy Birthday, Tony!

After watching Back to the Future when I was younger, I always thought that houses would be in the air and cars would be flying.

It seems like ions ago people were more open with their beliefs. Now they are afraid to even say that they are Christian.

Though I don't have a flying car, I do have a house in the sky that I will go to one day.

Stay POSITIVE. HAVE NOT JUST A GREAT DAY, BUT A GREAT AND FULFILLED LIFE!