Well, it has been awhile. I got hit by a new novel concept and that always sucks me into another universe. Blame it all on Liftport, the space elevator people? You haven't heard of them? Ah, you need to visit their website They presented four part overview of what they are doing at the Norwescon SF convention and blew me away. Of course I spent a lot of time looking at the reality of the space elevator since that was my rationale for how we could have the four space platforms we do in 'Horizons'. But these folk are planning the 'how' of getting that ribbon up there, are working with the people creating the carbon nanotubes that will do it, and can see an elevator taking cargo the last 150,000 miles up to the moon now as opposed to the twenty four years they estimate that the elevator up from Earth will take. The reality of their plans really shook me. The reality of access to space, even near Earth orbit, has been diminishing pretty steadily. It's nice to really feel some hope that it not only could happen, but that I could at least see the start of the project, if not its completion in my lifetime. :-) Great group of people who have their heads on straight. They are dreaming, but very much within the limits of reality. Tha is SO cool.

I have to say that although we have pressing problems that desperately need to be resolved on our planet at this time, from overpopulation, to global warming, pollution, ocean health, and a multitude of other issues of survival, I think it is paramount that we do not use that as a rationale to take our eyes off the stars. We need to fix the problems we have created, but I believe that we have to keep dreaming large, looking outward, trying to answer questions that are far too large to answer here and how -- I think that is what defines us, what makes us who we are. If we stop doing that, stop dreaming, what are we going to be, no matter how well we keep house?

So go to the Liftport website and buy your lift ticket. You get to send 1 oz into orbit. I got mine!