Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Review of poker hand rating::does 4 of a kind beat a straight flush







Review of poker hand rating::does 4 of a kind beat a straight flush








In               my               book               there               is               nothing               better               than               a               classic               movie               featuring               the               Hollywood               stars               of               yesteryear.

Why               do               I               make               such               an               outrageous               claim?

It               is               because               I               am               not               in               to               all               of               the               gratuitous               sex,               overt               violence               and               blood               and               gore               that               are               so               much               a               part               of               today's               films.

As               naïve               as               it               may               be,               I               want               to               be               entertained,               amused,               tickled,               touched,               or               moved               by               the               movies               I               watch.

I               don't               care               to               be               disgusted,               annoyed,               angry,               disillusioned               or               sickened.

It's               that               simple!
               With               the               rash               of               bad               films               that               Hollywood               has               put               out               in               recent               years,               I               find               myself               watching               more               and               more               of               the               classic               films.

The               one               I               am               about               to               review               was               never               a               blockbuster               or               even               a               sleeper.

On               the               other               hand,               it               is               fun,               funny,               sophisticated               and               entertaining.
               The               name               of               the               film               is               "Designing               Woman"               and               is               stars               Lauren               Bacall               and               Gregory               Peck.

Bacall               plays               Marilla               Brown,               a               fashion               designer               who               always               looks               like               she               walked               out               of               the               pages               of               Vogue               magazine.
               Peck               plays               sports               writer,               Mike               Hagen.

He's               a               no               nonsense,               tell               it               like               it               is               reporter               who               doesn't               think               about               the               consequences               of               his               words               when               he               sometimes               should.
               The               two               meet               quite               by               accident               one               evening               after               Mike               wins               some               money               at               the               racetrack.

He               offers               to               buy               everyone               drinks,               including               the               lovely               Marilla.

But               then               he               proceeds               to               get               drunk               and               lose               track               of               his               time,               his               money               and               himself.
               The               next               morning,               when               he               runs               into               Marilla               at               the               pool,               he               doesn't               remember               her.

She               takes               it               matter               of               factly               and               simply               hands               him               $700;               the               money               he               had               given               her               to               hold               in               order               to               keep               himself               from               blowing               the               whole               wad.
               One               thing               leads               to               another               and               before               long               it               becomes               obvious               the               two               are               in               love.

They               get               married               and               return               to               New               York               to               resume               their               respective               careers.

That               is               when               the               real               fun               begins.
               Mike               learns               that               his               recent               columns               about               a               fighter               promoter               in               league               with               the               mob               have               put               his               life               in               jeopardy.

At               first               he               tries               to               ignore               it               but               it               soon               becomes               obvious               that               he               cannot.
               The               real               fun;               however,               begins               when               the               two               worlds               of               the               bride               and               groom               try               to               come               together.

Mike               likes               poker               with               his               cronies.

Marilla               prefers               the               company               of               vivacious               entertainment               folk.

The               two               mix               like               oil               and               water,               which               makes               for               some               lively               moments               on               screen.
               Then               there               is               the               old               girlfriend               Lori               Shannon               (played               by               Delores               Gray).

The               jilted               actress               soon               becomes               a               part               of               Marilla's               crowd.

Although,               Mike               denies               it,               Marilla               can               see               that               he               and               Lori               have               some               kind               of               connection.

She               worries               it               might               not               be               an               old               one               and               sets               out               to               find               the               answers.
               Mike               is               afraid               of               hurting               his               beloved               bride               so               he               does               what               men               often               do               in               that               situation               --               he               lies.

But               every               lie               is               evident               to               Marilla,               which               makes               her               even               more               suspicious.
               All               of               these               plots               eventually               merge               to               make               for               a               hilarious               romp               that               the               audience               gets               to               enjoy               right               along               with               the               players               themselves.

In               particular,               the               ending               sequence               is               absolutely               hilarious.
               Bacall               remains               true               to               herself.

She               is               chic,               glamorous,               beautiful               and               cool.

Yet,               she               has               masterful               comedic               timing               and               a               face               that               registers               every               emotion               with               elegance               and               grace.
               Peck,               who               isn't               well               known               for               his               comedic               talents,               manages               to               pull               off               a               tour               de               force               performance               nonetheless.

He               is               charming,               witty               and               sexy               without               losing               his               edge               of               aloof               restraint.
               Gray               is               good               in               the               role               of               the               ex-girlfriend,               but               not               great.

This               would               have               been               a               perfect               role               for               someone               with               more               comedic               charm               like               Betty               Grable               or               even               Lucille               Ball.
               Director               Vincente               Minnelli               gets               great               performances               out               of               his               actors               across               the               board.

He               also               milks               every               word               of               the               script               written               by               George               Wells.
               "Designing               Woman"               is               a               good               film               but               it               isn't               a               great               one.

It               doesn't               have               to               be.

It               fulfills               its               goal,               which               is               to               entertain               and               there               isn't               a               thing               wrong               with               that.

I               give               it               three               stars.
               RATING               SCALE               USED:               
               0               =               A               stinker.

Don't               waste               the               money!


               1               =               Bad.

Rent               it               at               your               own               risk.


               2               =               Below               average.

See               only               if               you               have               time               to               kill.


               2.5               =               Average.

A               toss               up.


               3               =               Good.

Worth               a               looksee.


               3.5               =               Very               Good.

I               recommend               it.


               4               =               Excellent.

Don't               miss               it!


               4.5               =               Outstanding.

What               are               you               waiting               for?


               5               =               Destined               to               become               a               classic.

You               will               be               sorry               if               you               don't               see               it.






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    Review of poker suits order::What is a Straight in Poker







    Review of poker suits order::What is a Straight in Poker








    On               the               Verge               of               the               Third               Space               Age               The               next               President               will               enter               office               in               January,               2009               with               a               space               program               under               his               or               her               purview               that               is               in               transition.

    Since               December,               1972,               America's               human               space               efforts               have               been               confined               to               low               Earth               orbit,               with               exploration               and               scientific               study               beyond               confined               to               robotic               probes.

    However,               in               the               wake               of               the               Columbia               space               shuttle               accident,               President               George               W.

    Bush               instituted               the               most               sweeping               change               in               space               policy               since               President               Richard               Nixon               approved               the               construction               of               the               space               shuttle               fleet.

    In               the               coming               years,               by               both               Presidential               directive               and               Congressional               authorization,               human               explorers               will               voyage               beyond               low               Earth               orbit               for               the               first               time               in               a               generation.
                   If               the               Apollo               Program               constituted               the               First               Space               Age               and               the               space               shuttle/space               station               era               constituted               the               Second               Space               Age,               the               nation               stands               on               the               verge               of               the               Third               Space               Age.
                   The               development               is               taking               place               against               another,               perhaps               far               more               important               occurrence.

    In               the               summer               and               fall               of               2004,               a               privately               financed,               built,               and               operated               vehicle               known               as               SpaceShipOne               flew               a               series               of               suborbital               flights               to               just               over               an               altitude               of               100               kilometers.

    SpaceShipOne,               which               was               built               by               a               company               called               Scaled               Composites               was               flown               as               part               of               a               private               competition               known               as               the               Ansari               X               Prize.

    As               a               result               of               SpaceShipOne's               winning               the               X               Prize,               a               number               of               private               companies               have               begun               the               development               of               space               vehicles               designed               to               take               paying               customers               on               suborbital               jaunts.

    In               the               meantime,               a               company               called               Bigelow               Aerospace               has               successfully               orbited               a               prototype               of               an               inflatable               module               of               the               type               that               will               eventually               become               part               of               a               private               space               station.

    Under               NASA's               Commercial               Orbital               Transportation               Systems               program,               two               companies-Space               Exploration               Systems               Inc.

    and               Kistler/Rocket               Plane               are               development               space               craft               to               take               people               and               supplies               to               low               Earth               orbit.

    Even               a               large,               mainline               firm               such               as               Lockheed               Martin               is               contemplating               turning               its               Atlas               V               rocket               into               a               launcher               of               manned               space               craft.
                   The               Space               Shuttle               and               the               International               Space               Station
                   The               space               shuttle               fleet,               which               has               been               in               operation               since               1981,               will               be               retired               by               2010,               after               having               finished               the               construction               of               the               International               Space               Station.

    The               space               station               would               be               henceforth               maintained               with               vehicles               provided               by               international               partners               (primarily               Russian               Soyuz               and               Progress               space               craft)               or               commercially               available               vehicles               if               and               when               they               become               available               at               least               until               2014,               when               a               shuttle               replacement               vehicle               called               the               Orion               is               planned               to               be               in               operation.

    The               International               Space               Station               itself               would               be               maintained               at               least               until               2016               and               perhaps               even               until               2020               or               beyond.
                   The               Vision               for               Space               Exploration
                   With               primarily               the               money               saved               by               retiring               the               space               shuttle               fleet,               President               Bush               ordered               NASA               to               undertake               the               Vision               for               Space               Exploration.

    Under               the               VSE,               NASA               will               return               astronauts               to               the               lunar               surface               by               the               year               2020,               using               a               new               set               of               vehicles.

    There               will               be               a               new               space               craft,               called               the               Orion,               which               will               be               capable               of               carrying               three,               four,               or               six               astronauts               in               various               versions.

    The               Orion               will               be               lofted               into               space               by               a               new               launch               vehicle               called               the               Ares               1,               built               from               various               space               shuttle               and               Saturn               V               parts.

    For               trips               to               the               Moon,               a               larger               launch               vehicle               called               the               Ares               V               will               be               built               to               carry               a               Lunar               Surface               Access               Module               (LSAM),               which               would               land               astronauts               on               the               Moon,               and               an               Earth               Departure               Stage               which               will               boost               the               Orion               and               the               LSAM               into               lunar               orbit.
                   After               an               initial               series               of               expeditions               to               the               Moon,               NASA               proposes               to               establish               a               small,               four               person               base,               probably               near               the               lunar               South               Pole.

    The               lunar               base               would               be               a               center               of               scientific               exploration,               studying               the               geological               and               geophysical               makeup               of               the               Moon               and               doing               lunar               based               astronomy.
                   There               are               also               less               well               defined               plans               to               send               an               Orion,               along               with               other               hardware,               to               Mars               later               in               the               twenty               first               century.

    A               study               is               being               conducted               to               send               an               Orion               to               rendezvous               with               an               Earth               approaching               asteroid,               to               conduct               studies               and               to               ascertain               how               such               a               body               could               be               diverted               should               it               be               on               a               collision               course               with               the               Earth.

    The               mission,               which               would               take               place               over               three               to               six               months,               might               actually               be               conducted               before               the               lunar               landing,               but               would               certainly               occur               before               the               Mars               expedition.
                   NASA's               plan,               including               the               hardware               architecture,               for               fulfilling               President               Bush's               mandate               has               come               under               a               degree               of               criticism.

    Some               critics               disagree               with               the               hardware               choices               that               NASA               has               made               and               have               offered               their               own               ideas,               most               of               which               are               some               variations               of               current,               commercial               launchers               (Delta               IV               or               Atlas               5).

    These               alternatives               would               involve               extensive               modifications               of               these               launchers               to               make               them               "man               rated"               and               capable               of               launching               the               Orion               into               low               Earth               orbit.

    NASA               maintains               that               their               selection               of               the               Ares               family               of               launchers               is               the               best               one,               given               trade               offs               of               cost,               safety,               and               reliability.
                   A               more               fundamental               criticism               lays               in               the               methodology               NASA               has               chosen               to               return               to               the               Moon               and               eventually               send               explorers               to               Mars               and               other               destinations.

    NASA               has               chosen               the               tried               and               true               method               for               returning               to               the               Moon,               which               is               a               government               program               that               produces               the               hardware               and               infrastructure               by               government               fiat,               and               then               sends               astronaut               explorers               to               the               Moon               under               government               direction.

    It               worked               for               Apollo.

    It               will               work               in               fulfilling               President               Bush's               mandate.
                   The               problem,               as               critics               point               out,               is               that               this               method               does               not               open               the               Moon               or               any               other               celestial               body               to               other               than               highly               paid,               highly               trained               government               employees.

    NASA               envisions               a               lunar               base               of               just               four               astronauts               resulting               from               the               return               to               the               Moon               program.
                   The               critics               of               this               approach               are               rather               vague               as               to               what               alternative               they               might               propose.

    Some               people               make               ambiguous               statements               about               making               the               return               to               the               Moon               "more               commercial"               without               actually               spelling               out               what               that               means.

    Unfortunately               there               are               no               commercial               space               craft               capable               of               sending               people               and               supplies               to               the               Moon.

    There               are,               as               we               will               later               see,               ways               to               enhance               NASA's               return               to               the               Moon               program               to               open               the               Moon               up               to               other               participants.

    These               ways               are               based               on               two               other,               lesser               known               NASA               initiatives               recently               started.
                   The               Commercial               Orbital               Transportation               Systems               Program
                   The               Commercial               Orbital               Transportation               Systems               (COTS)               program               is               designed               to               enable               commercial               services               to               transport               people               and               supplies               to               and               from               low               Earth               orbit.

    Under               COTS,               two               entrepreneurial               space               launch               companies,               Space               Exploration               Systems               Inc               (SpaceX).

    and               Rocketplane/Kistler               (Rp/Kistler)               with               divide               among               themselves               a               half               a               billion               dollars               which,               added               to               money               raised               from               private               capital               markets,               will               finance               the               construction               of               space               launch               vehicles.

    The               money               from               NASA               will               be               doled               out               in               increments               in               a               "pay               for               performance"               arrangement               in               which               the               companies               must               meet               certain               milestones               in               order               to               receive               the               funds.

    It               is               hoped               that               one               or               both               of               the               aforementioned               companies               will               fly               prototype               vehicles               by               the               end               of               the               decade.
                   The               second               phase               of               the               COTS               program               will               involve               a               competition               for               contracts               to               provide               crew               transfer               and               resupply               services               for               the               International               Space               Station.

    The               competition               will               not               be               exclusive               to               SpaceX               or               Rp/Kistler,               since               it               is               recognized               that               other               firms               might               be               able               to               develop               space               flight               hardware               even               without               NASA               seed               money.
                   The               COTS               program               is               considered               an               experiment               and               something               of               a               risk.

    But               if               it               works,               it               could               constitute               a               new               way               for               NASA               to               do               business,               using               private               business               more               as               a               partner               and               provider               of               services               than               as               a               contractor.

    It               could               serve               as               a               win/win               situation               in               which               NASA               gets               an               inexpensive               way               to               service               the               International               Space               Station               and               private               business               gets               the               means               to               service               other               markets,               such               as               space               tourism               or               servicing               private               space               facilities,               for               example               the               Bigelow               private               space               station.
                   The               Centennial               Challenges
                   The               Centennial               Challenges               consists               of               a               series               of               competitions,               inspired               by               the               Ansari               X               Prize,               designed               to               develop               certain               technologies               or               capabilities               that               could               prove               useful               in               opening               the               high               frontier               of               space.

    The               competitions               are               held               in               partnership               with               private               organizations               and               have               occurred               in               October               of               2005               and               October               of               2006.

    Another               round               of               competitions               is               planned               for               October,               2007.
                   Currently               funded               are               the               following:
                   The               Tether               Challenge,               designed               to               produce               super               strong               tethers,               crucial               for               the               development               of               space               elevators.
                   The               Power               Beam               Challenge,               designed               to               build               a               wirelessly               powered,               ribbon               climbing               robot,               also               crucial               for               the               development               of               space               elevators.
                   The               Lunar               Lander               Challenge,               designed               to               build               and               fly               a               VTVL               (vertical               take-off,               vertical               landing)               suborbital               rocket               that               can               achieve               the               altitudes               and               launch               energies               that               are               equivalent               to               what               would               be               needed               for               a               lunar               lander.
                   So               far               no               one               has               won               any               of               the               challenges.
                   Also               planned               are:
                   The               Astronaut               Glove               challenge,               designed               to               build               and               test               a               dexterous               astronaut               glove               in               order               to               facilitate               use               for               long               space               walks               and               planetary               excursions               while               minimizing               fatigue.
                   The               MoonRox               Challenge,               designed               to               demonstrate               the               ability               to               extract               oxygen               from               simulated               lunar               regolith.
                   The               Regolith               Excavation               Challenge,               designed               to               build               autonomously               operating               systems               to               excavate               lunar               regolith               and               deliver               it               to               a               collector.
                   The               Personal               Air               Vehicle               Challenge,               to               promote               the               popular               use               of               self-operated,               personal               aircraft               for               fast,               safe,               efficient,               affordable,               environmentally-friendly,               and               comfortable               on-demand               transportation               as               a               future               solution               to               America's               mobility               needs.
                   Further               in               the               future,               depending               on               availability               of               funds,               such               competitions               are               envisioned               as               delivering               a               payload               to               the               lunar               surface,               micro               space               craft               reentry               missions,               and               solar               sail               demonstrations.

    The               Centennial               Challenges               is               currently               funded               with               thirty               million               dollars.

    The               FY2008               budget               request               contains               an               additional               four               million               dollars               in               funding.
                   Everything               Else
                   Everything               else               can               be               said               to               include               non               Vision               for               Space               Exploration               robotic               probes               (Cassini,               New               Horizons,               etc),               various               space               telescopes               including               the               Hubble,               basic               space               science,               aeronautical               research,               and               other               activities.
                   The               Question               of               Why               Have               a               Space               Program
                   When               the               next               President               takes               office,               he               or               she               might               consider               answering               once               and               for               all               the               question               of               why               the               United               States               has               a               space               program.

    It               is               not               something               that               has               been               very               well               articulated,               especially               in               the               modern               era.
                   During               Apollo,               the               reason               might               best               have               been               defined               as:               "To               beat               the               Russians               to               the               Moon."               That               goal               was               achieved               on               July               20th,               1969,               though.

    If               beating               the               Russians               to               the               Moon               had               been               the               reason               for               having               a               space               program,               then               NASA               could               have               been               disbanded               at               that               point,               mission               having               been               accomplished.
                   But               the               United               States               decided               in               the               early               1970s               that               it               would               be               unthinkable               not               to               have               a               space               program.

    The               reasons               for               this               vary               according               to               the               individual.

    For               the               space               advocate,               the               space               program               might               represent               an               opening               of               the               high               frontier               of               space,               much               in               the               same               fashion               that               the               western               frontier               of               America               was               opened               a               century               before.

    For               a               member               of               Congress               who               would               not               ne               cessarily               care               about               all               that,               the               space               program               might               represent               jobs               in               the               district               and               government               contracts               to               corporate               campaign               contributors.

    For               others               the               space               program               meant               everything               from               national               prestige,               to               the               pursuit               of               scientific               knowledge,               to               opportunities               for               commercial               development.
                   Whatever               the               real               reason               for               keeping               the               space               program,               the               stated               reason               became               to               build               the               space               shuttle               in               order               to               reduce               the               cost               of               space               travel,               hence               to               make               useful               things               like               space               stations               more               affordable.

    Later,               despite               the               fact               that               the               space               shuttle               failed               to               achieve               this               goal,               building               a               space               station               to               do               some               useful               things               (science               research               primarily)               was               added               as               a               reason.
                   When               President               Bush               announced               the               redirection               of               NASA               to               the               exploration               of               space,               the               reasons               he               gave               were               quite               vague.

    "We               have               undertaken               space               travel               because               the               desire               to               explore               and               understand               is               part               of               our               character,"               he               said.

    "And               that               quest               has               brought               tangible               benefits               that               improve               our               lives               in               countless               ways.

    The               exploration               of               space               has               led               to               advances               in               weather               forecasting,               in               communications,               in               computing,               search               and               rescue               technology,               robotics,               and               electronics."
                   He               went               on               to               say,               "Mankind               is               drawn               to               the               heavens               for               the               same               reason               we               were               once               drawn               into               unknown               lands               and               across               the               open               sea.

    We               choose               to               explore               space               because               doing               so               improves               our               lives,               and               lifts               our               national               spirit.

    So               let               us               continue               the               journey."
                   In               other               words               we               have               a               space               program               because               of               our               inherent               desire               to               explore               and               because               of               technological               spin-offs.

    This               strikes               the               analyst               as               somewhat               insufficient.

    Government               funds               should               be               expended               to               address               the               concrete               needs               of               the               United               States               that               cannot               be               met               any               other               way,               not               to               assuage               vague               desires.

    And               technological               spin-off,               while               they               do               exist,               have               often               been               oversold               as               a               reason               for               a               space               program.
                   So               is               there               a               national               reason               to               have               a               space               program?

    The               answer,               fortunately,               is               yes               and,               oddly               enough,               has               been               articulated               with               surprising               eloquence               by               NASA               Administrator               Michael               Griffin               in               a               number               of               speeches.
                   In               an               address               before               the               AIAA               on               August               31st,               2005,               Griffin               made               the               following               statement:
                   "The               human               imperative               to               explore               and               settle               new               lands               will               be               satisfied,               by               others               if               not               by               us.

    Humans               will               explore               the               Moon,               Mars,               and               beyond.

    It's               simply               a               matter               of               which               humans,               when,               what               values               they               will               hold,               and               what               languages               they               will               speak,               what               cultures               they               will               spread.

    What               the               United               States               gains               from               a               robust               program               of               human               space               exploration               is               the               opportunity               to               carry               the               principles               and               values               of               western               philosophy               and               culture               along               on               the               absolutely               inevitable               outward               migration               of               humanity               into               the               solar               system               and,               eventually,               beyond.

    These               benefits               are               tangible               and               consequential.

    It               matters               what               the               United               States               chooses               to               do,               or               not               to               do,               in               space."
                   In               a               speech               before               the               California               Space               Authority,               Griffin               had               much               to               say               about               the               relationship               between               exploration               and               national               greatness.

    "Throughout               history,               the               great               civilizations               have               always               extended               the               frontiers               of               their               times.

    Indeed,               this               is               almost               a               tautology;               we               define               as               "great"               only               those               civilizations               which               did               explore               and               expand               their               frontiers,               thereby               ultimately               influencing               world               culture.

    And               when,               inevitably,               some               societies               retreated               from               the               frontiers               they               had               pioneered,               their               greatness               subsided               as               well."
                   More               recently,               at               the               Quasar               Award               Dinner               held               by               the               Bay               Area               Houston               Economic               Partnership,               Griffin               expanded               on               the               theme               of               why               we               have               a               space               program               in               which               he               contrasted               the               "acceptable               reasons"               why               we               have               a               space               program               (science,               economic               benefits,               etc),               to               the               "real               reasons."               He               maintained               that               the               "real               reasons"               (i.e.

    competitiveness,               curiosity               and               monument               building)               actually               relate               to               the               acceptable               reasons,               the               ones               that               Congress               and               investment               bankers               get               told.

    As               a               case               in               point,               Griffin               brings               up               medieval               cathedrals.


                   "What               did               the               cathedral               builders               get?

    They               didn't               just               build               cathedrals               and               then               stop               there.

    They               began               to               develop               civil               engineering,               the               core               discipline               for               any               society               if               it               wishes               to               have               anything               more               than               thatched               huts.

    They               learned               how               to               build               high               walls               and               to               have               them               stand               up               straight.

    They               learned               how               to               put               a               roof               across               a               long               span.

    They               learned               which               materials               would               work,               and               which               ones               would               not.

    And               by               finding               the               limits               on               how               high               walls               could               be,               how               broad               roof               spans               could               be,               and               what               materials               wouldn't               work,               they               created               the               incentive               to               solve               those               problems,               so               that               they               could               build               things               beyond               cathedrals,               so               that               they               could,               fundamentally,               build               Western               civilization.
                   "They               gained               societal               advantages               that               were               probably               even               more               important               than               learning               how               to               build               walls               and               roofs.

    They               learned               to               embrace               deferred               gratification,               not               just               on               an               individual               level               where               it               is               a               crucial               element               of               maturity,               but               on               a               societal               level               where               it               is               equally               vital.

    The               people               who               started               the               cathedrals               didn't               live               to               finish               them;               such               projects               required               decades.

    The               society               as               a               whole               had               to               be               dedicated               to               the               completion               of               those               projects.

    To               be               able               to               do               that               for               cathedrals               was               to               be               able               to               do               it               in               other               areas               as               well.

    We               owe               Western               civilization               as               we               know               it               today               to               that               kind               of               thinking               -               the               ability               to               have               a               constancy               of               purpose               across               years               and               decades.
                   "The               medieval               builders               formed               guilds,               establishing               professional               trades               beyond               that               of               agriculture.

    Now,               agriculture               is               at               the               root               of               human               technology.

    Nothing               good               happens               to               human               beings               without               getting               beyond               the               hunter-gatherer               stage,               and               agriculture               is               that               first               step.

    But               the               second               step               is               to               be               able               to               build               physical               works               that               didn't               previously               exist.

    The               organization               and               systemization               of               that               in               Western               society               today               began               in               medieval               Europe,               with               the               cathedral               builders.

    They               learned               how               to               organize               large               projects,               a               key               to               modern               society.

    And,               probably               most               important               of               all,               the               cathedrals               had               to               be,               for               decades               at               a               time,               a               focus               of               civic               accomplishment               and               energy.

    A               society,               a               nation,               a               civilization,               needs               such               foci."
                   Think               about               what               Griffin               is               saying.

    He               is               suggesting               that               the               expansion               of               human               civilization               beyond               the               Earth,               far               from               being               an               impossible               dream,               is               inevitable.

    He               is               also               stating               that               the               purpose               of               the               US               space               program               should               be               to               make               sure               that               expansion               carries               with               it               the               western               (i.e.

    American)               values               of               freedom               and               capitalism.

    He               further               states               that               exploration               of               new               territories               ensures               the               greatness               of               the               nation               that               undertakes               it.

    Finally               he               maintains               that               even               the               "frivolous"               and               the               intangible               motivations               for               space               exploration               must               lead               to               practical               benefits.
                   What               a               noble               purpose               that               is!

    We               have               a               space               program               not               just               to               do               good               science,               or               provide               jobs               for               Congressional               districts,               or               technological               spin-offs,               or               corporate               welfare,               but               to               expand               our               civilization               to               the               stars.
                   If               this               is               to               be               the               goal               of               the               United               States               space               program,               then               it               should               follow               that               the               initiatives               undertaken               under               its               auspices               should               advance               that               goal.

    The               next               question               the               next               President               should               ask,               does               the               current               US               space               program               advance               the               goal               of               expanding               our               civilization               to               the               stars?
                   The               answer               is               no.

    Or               rather,               the               answer               is               not               sufficiently.

    In               order               to               advance               the               goal               of               spreading               civilization               to               the               stars,               the               main               thrust               of               the               American               space               effort               should               be               the               establishment               of               human               communities               beyond               the               Earth,               on               the               Moon,               on               Mars,               and               other               places.

    The               lunar               base               contemplated               in               the               Vision               for               Space               Exploration               will               have               a               crew               of               four               people.

    Four               people               do               not               constitute               a               community.

    It               barely               constitutes               a               hand               of               poker.
                   Fortunately               the               solution               does               not               require               a               wholesale               change               of               direction               which               would               be,               at               best,               politically               difficult.

    In               fact               NASA               already               has               the               embryonic               germ               of               a               solution               in               the               COTS               and               Centennial               Challenge               programs.
                   Recommendation               One:               Expand               the               Centennial               Challenges               to               the               greatest               extent               possible.
                   Prize               competitions               can               prove               useful               in               developing               high               risk/high               reward               technologies               that               would               further               the               goal               of               expanding               humanity               beyond               the               Earth.

    They               can               also               enable               private               space               missions               that               will,               among               other               things,               gain               the               commercial               sector               operational               experience.
                   Examples               of               a               technology               development               competition               would               include               such               things               as               space               based               rocket               propellant               storage,               materials               built               of               carbon               nanotubes,               and               rocket               engines               that               can               be               reused               many               times               without               maintenance.
                   Examples               of               a               mission               competition               would               include               landing               a               small               payload               on               the               Moon               and               launching               microspacecraft               to               destinations               such               as               an               Earth               approaching               asteroid.
                   The               question               arises,               if               prize               competitions               are               so               effective,               why               not               cancel               the               Vision               for               Space               Exploration               and               replace               it               with               a               prize               awarding-say-five               billion               dollars               to               the               first               private               group               to               land               four               people               on               the               Moon               and               return               them               safely               to               the               Earth.

    The               problem               is               that               there               are               diminishing               returns               as               the               purse               becomes               larger               and               the               time               frame               necessary               to               win               the               competition               becomes               longer.
                   Consider               a               thought               experiment.

    Suppose               that               a               future               President               were               to               persuade               Congress               to               cancel               VSE               (and               with               it               jobs               in               the               district,               contracts               to               campaign               contributors,               and               so               on)?

    Five               billion               dollars               would               be               deposited               in               a               Lunar               Return               Trust               Fund               to               be               awarded               to               the               first               group               to               fulfill               the               parameters               of               the               competition.
                   Because               the               prize               is               only               awarded               upon               conclusion               of               the               mission,               a               private               group               would               have               to               raise               funds               to               return               to               the               Moon               from               private               capital               markets.

    Let               us               suppose,               for               the               sake               of               argument,               a               group               estimates               that               the               mission               will               take               a               billion               dollars               and               five               years.

    The               group               develops               a               mission               plan               that,               on               a               technical               level               at               least,               looks               very               promising.

    With               that               in               hand,               they               go               searching               for               private               capital.
                   There               is               one               question               that               an               investment               banker               would               be               compelled               to               ask:               Can               it               be               guaranteed               that               the               prize               purse               will               still               be               there               when               the               competition               is               won?

    One               thing               we               know               from               history               is               that               government               are               often               fickle.

    What               a               government               can               give               with               one               hand,               it               can               take               away               with               another.

    Suppose               that               half               way               through               the               competition,               Congress               decides               that               five               billion               dollars               would               be               better               spent               on-say-health               care               rather               than               a               private               Moon               race?

    The               venture               capitalist               who               puts               up               money               for               that               competition               would               be               out               of               luck.

    Hence,               the               difficulties               of               raising               what               would               seem               to               be               an               immense               amount               of               money               would               likely               be               too               overwhelming.
                   Best,               then,               to               break               up               prize               competitions               into               smaller,               more               digestible               segments.

    As               the               prizes               are               won,               technology               and               private,               operational               experience               is               gained,               helping               to               bring               closer               the               day               that               commercial               flights               to               such               places               as               the               Moon               become               reality.
                   Recommendation               Two:               Establish               a               Lunar               version               of               the               COTS               program               at               some               point               in               time.
                   It               has               been               pointed               out               by               a               number               of               critics               that               the               Ares               family               of               space               vehicles               will               likely               be               more               expensive               to               operate               than               something               that               can               be               developed               commercially.

    There               are,               however,               no               commercial               space               vehicles               at               this               time               that               can               take               people               to               and               from               the               Moon.

    Even               the               EELV               (Delta               IV               and               Atlas               V)               was               rejected               by               NASA               as               a               means               to               loft               the               Orion               to               low               Earth               orbit               because               of               safety               issues               and               the               difficulty/expense               of               "man               rating"               them.

    Finally,               NASA               feels               that               it               needs               a               heavy               lift               launcher               such               as               the               Ares               V               for               the               eventual               human               missions               to               Mars.

    Carolyn               Parco,               a               planetary               scientist               writing               in               the               New               York               Times,               suggested               that               the               Ares               V               would               greatly               expand               our               capacity               to               send               unmanned               probes               to               destination               at               the               Outer               Planets.
                   Clearly,               though,               commercial               means               should               be               explored               to               conduct               resupply               and               crew               transfer               missions               to               the               base               NASA               contemplates               building               at               the               lunar               south               pole.

    Decreasing               the               cost               of               such               missions               is               also               crucial               for               expanding               that               base               into               a               full               fledged               settlement.
                   The               key               phrase,               though,               is               "some               point               in               time."               What               point               in               time?

    The               current               COTS               program               is               considered               an               experiment,               which               means               that               failure               is               a               possibility.

    Fortunately,               though,               the               success               or               failure               of               COTS               should               be               apparent               between               and               middle               and               the               end               of               the               first               term               of               the               next               President.

    If               COTS               succeeds               and               leads               to               a               commercial               means               of               maintaining               the               International               Space               Station,               then               a               precedence               will               have               been               set.
                   A               lunar               COTS               like               the               current               one               would               be               financed               by               performance.

    The               competing               companies               would               be               doled               out               specific               amounts               of               money               based               on               achieving               certain               milestones.

    The               participating               companies               will               also               have               to               raise               a               greater               part               of               their               financing               from               private,               capital               markets.
                   The               question               arises,               as               per               the               discussion               on               Centennial               Challenges,               at               what               point               will               venture               capitalists               be               assured               that               the               return               to               the               Moon               is               a               done               deal               that               cannot               be               realistically               revoked?

    Certainly               that               will               be               the               case               when               the               lunar               base               is               established.

    Unfortunately               that               won't               be,               on               the               current               schedule,               until               2024.

    One               might               want               to               establish               a               lunar               COTS               program               before               2024,               perhaps               even               before               the               first               return               to               the               Moon               is               scheduled               to               occur               late               in               the               next               decade.
                   One               possible               way               this               could               change               is               the               recent               revelation               that               Bigelow               Aerospace               is               working               on               an               idea               that               could               establish               a               fully               functional               lunar               base               a               long               time               before               2024,               before               the               first               astronaut               returns               to               the               Moon.

    The               idea               is               to               use               a               number               of               Bigelow's               inflatable               modules               to               assemble               the               base               intact               at               the               L1               point,               where               the               Earth's               and               Moon's               gravity               cancel               one               another               out.

    Once               assembled,               the               base               could               be               lowered               slowly               onto               the               lunar               surface               and               be               ready               for               the               first               astronaut               explorers.

    Reading               between               the               lines               of               Bigelow's               proposal,               one               imagines               that               the               base               could               be               ready               as               early               as               2014.

    NASA               appears               to               be               very               interested               in               the               idea.
                   In               that               particular               case,               with               a               tangible               market               for               lunar               transportation               (i.e.

    taking               people               and               supplies               to               and               from               a               lunar               base               already               deployed               and               ready)               the               lunar               COTS               program               could               commence               earlier               rather               than               later.

    In               this               particular               case,               the               first               people               back               to               the               Moon               may               not               be               NASA               astronauts,               at               least               those               flying               on               the               Orion-Ares               space               craft,               but               rather               someone               flying               on               a               private               space               vehicle.
                   Recommendation               Three:               Expand               NASA               partnerships               with               small,               entrepreneurial               firms.
                   NASA               has               recently               entered               into               agreements               with               firms               such               as               Virgin               Galactic,               t/Space,               and               PlanetSpace.

    The               space               agency               is               in               discussion               with               a               number               of               other               firms,               such               as               Bigelow.

    None               of               these               agreements               involve               the               transfer               of               money               for               services,               however.

    The               Virgin               Galactic               agreement               is               a               memorandum               of               understanding               that               could               lead               to               further               collaborative               efforts               in               areas               including               space               suits,               heat               shields               for               spaceships,               hybrid               rocket               motors               and               hypersonic               vehicles               capable               of               traveling               five               or               more               times               the               speed               of               sound.

    The               t/Space               and               PlanetSpace               agreements               involve               the               dispensation               of               advice               and               other               free               support.
                   These               arrangements               are               a               good               start               in               making               NASA               a               support               agency               for               small,               entrepenuerial               firms.

    They               should               be               expanded               to               allow               for               the               purchase               of               goods               and               services               from               these               small               firms,               joint               ventures,               and               the               use               of               NASA               facilities               (such               as               wind               tunnels,               for               example)               by               these               firms.
                   Recommendation               Four:               Place               the               lunar               base               under               a               private               non-profit               consortium               that               would               lease               space,               as               well               as               other               services               such               as               air               and               water,               to               companies               and               governments               which               will               then               pursue               their               individual               goals,               such               as               energy,               research,               tourism,               or               developing               the               technology               and               supplies               needed               for               further               space               exploration.
                   That               would               include,               of               course,               NASA.

    Placing               the               lunar               base               under               such               a               consortium               would               be               a               way               to               enable               its               evolution               into               an               extraterrestrial               community.
                   At               some               point,               presumably,               the               inhabitants               of               such               a               community               will               want               to               run               their               own               affairs,               to               establish               for               themselves               in               effect               a               government.

    There               should               therefore               be               some               provision               that               will               invoke               a               resolution               transforming               the               consortium               into               a               self               governing               community.
                   Recommendation               Five:               Establish               the               right               of               private               property               in               space,               especially               the               Moon.
                   The               Outer               Space               Treaty,               which               currently               governs               the               activities               of               states               in               space,               is               largely               silent               about               private               property.

    However,               the               treaty               does               prohibit               the               establishment               of               sovereign               control               (i.e.

    claiming               territory)               on               other               worlds.

    Sovereign               control               is               the               means               by               which               states               ensure               the               private               property               rights               of               its               citizens.
                   There               are               a               number               of               ways               to               establish               private               property               rights               on               other               worlds,               such               as               the               Moon.

    One               is               to               adhere               to               a               "loose               interpretation"               of               the               Outer               Space               Treaty               to               allow               for               private               property               rights.

    Another               would               be               to               negotiate               an               amendment               to               the               treaty               establishing               a               private               property               regime.

    The               last,               and               perhaps               the               most               radical,               would               be               for               the               United               States               to               withdraw               from               the               treaty               and               claim               the               Moon               as               its               national               territory.

    This               last               method,               while               it               has               the               most               certainty               for               establishing               the               sort               of               private               property               regime               desirable               for               the               United               States,               is               also               the               one               that               is               the               most               diplomatically               hazardous               for               obvious               reasons.
                   Amending               the               Outer               Space               Treaty               has               its               own               dangers.

    While               the               nature               of               property               rights               remains               the               subject               of               political               argument,               even               in               the               United               States,               Americans               traditionally               hold               with               the               least               amount               of               government               interference               with               the               use               of               property               as               possible.

    Other               countries,               even               European               democracies,               hold               a               differing               view.

    Other               countries               believe               in               massive               government               control               of               private               property               and               high               taxes.
                   America,               as               the               likely               senior               partner               in               any               program               of               space               exploration,               especially               a               return               to               the               Moon,               needs               to               insist               that               private               property               be               treated               on               the               American               model.

    Indeed               it               would               be               best               if               property               holders               on               other               worlds               be               given               even               more               rights               that               are               currently               enjoyed               on               Earth.
                   Recommendation               Six:               Establish               a               Lunar               Land               Office               and               Sell               Lunar               land.
                   A               number               of               companies               calling               themselves               names               such               as               the               Lunar               Embassy               purport               to               have               the               right               to               sell               land               on               the               Moon.

    They               have               made               considerable               money               selling               lots               on               the               lunar               surface,               along               with               nice               looking               certificates               of               ownership.

    Unfortunately               these               transactions               have               no               basis               in               law               and               the               alleged               "owners"               of               lunar               land               own               nothing               but               their               certificates.
                   As               part               of               arranging               for               private               property               rights               on               other               worlds,               the               United               States               should               push               for               the               establishment               of               an               international               Lunar               Land               Office               which               will               sell               tracts               on               the               Moon,               exempting               only               those               areas               of               cultural               or               historical               significance               such               as               the               Apollo               landing               sites.

    The               proceeds               for               these               transactions               should               go               to               the               private,               non               profit               consortium               mentioned               above               as               running               the               lunar               base.

    In               turn,               the               consortium               will               use               the               funds               to               build               infrastructure,               using               private               contractors,               to               support               the               settlement               and               economic               development               of               the               Moon.

    There               would               also               be               a               lunar               land               trading               market               that               will               allow               property               owners               to               buy               and               sell               lunar               land.

    Lunar               land               holders               would               receive               rents               and               royalties               from               companies               and               individuals               that               seek               to               perform               activities               such               as               mining               on               their               property.
                   Recommendation               Seven:               Enact               tax               and               other               incentives               to               foster               private               space               development               and               private               development               of               technologies               that               would               further               space               exploration               and               travel.
                   A               few               years               ago,               Congressman               Dana               Rohrabacher               proposed               an               amendment               to               the               Internal               Revenue               Code               called               "Zero               Gravity,               Zero               Taxes."               The               idea               was               to               exempt               from               federal               taxes               goods               produced               in               space               as               a               means               to               provide               an               incentive               for               the               economic               development               of               space.

    In               effect,               space               would               become               an               enterprise               zone.

    This               bill               should               be               part               of               a               package               providing               tax               incentives               for               private               space               endeavors.

    Another               idea               would               be               to               provide               for               a               tax               credit               for               technologies               developed               for               the               purpose               of               space               travel               and               other               space               activities.
                   Conclusion
                   The               prospect               of               a               Third               Space               Age,               one               in               where               the               dream               of               humankind               spreading               civilization               across               the               Solar               System               and,               eventually,               to               the               stars,               is               brighter               than               ever.

    Given               smart               and               far               sighted               policy               decisions,               that               dream               can               become               reality               within               the               lifetimes               of               most               people.

    It               will               not               be               and               cannot               be               a               process               primarily               driven               by               government               policy,               however.

    Government               can               enable               the               process,               encourage               it,               even               guide               it               to               a               certain               extent.

    But               government               cannot               be               the               driving               force.

    That               role               is               best               left               to               private               individuals               and               entities               doing               things               for               their               own               reasons               and               motivations.
                   NASA               will               play               a               role,               but               it               will               increasingly               be               a               smaller               role.

    That               is               not               because               NASA               is               going               to               be               abolished               or               downsized.

    Even               if               it               were               desirable,               it               would               be               politically               very               difficult               indeed               to               get               rid               of               NASA.

    And               that               doesn't               even               consider               other               government               players               such               as               the               military,               which               will               increasingly               see               space               as               another               venue               for               war               fighting,               much               as               the               air,               sea,               and               land               is               today.
                   NASA's               role               will               diminish               because               the               role               of               the               private               sector               will               become               so               much               greater.

    It               behooves               government               policy               deciders               to               encourage               rather               than               discourage               that               process.

    NASA               can               be               a               customer               for               the               private               sector.

    The               private               sector               can               benefit               from               NASA's               expertise               and               ability               to               do               and               encourage               cutting               edge               exploration               and               research.

    And               thus,               in               the               exploration               and               settlement               of               space,               everybody               wins.






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