heh Barry -

I know it's a whole lot of fun p'ing off the Mars Nuts here, but don't we both have better things to do with our time? Does it really gain us anything? Or isn't it really simply a waste of our time....

This BBS thing is just strangely addictive.... it's practical purpose for me has long since ended, back when MSNBC Space BBS shutdown, and back when Bush Jr took office.

It's true that Nick, raoul, Larry J, and others often bring up items of interest, but take a look at the total amount time wasted... Given the Mars Nuts' mental states, you may as well talk to your cat as to Eby and Vancil... So why waste your time? Why?

It's strangely addictive - kind of like a note pad of thoughts - a blog (b? log) - with feedback, but who really cares? For that matter, mwho reads it anyway. It's not like its real work, or that it pays anything, or that it's anything more than just bits of current or light running along lines..

I know some of the Mars Nuts are really pretty vicious swine, to quote Hunter Thompson, and by letting them roam free we endanger others, but what the hell... who made it our job to deal with them?

sorry to hear about your posting problems. I hit the same thing this morning, but given that these Mars Nuts are pretty much a waste of time, it would not be all that much of a loss....

You ought to tally up some of the cash money numbers for all that "oxidizing environment" research that NASA funded... as far as money goes, the Mar Society is not all that big of a deal - look into Space Frontier Foundation, and their sugar daddy Walt Anderson's (communication magnate) money, political ties, donations, and good old FCC licenses and the legal rulings that made it all possible - there' some real money...

On the problem proper, I think that Rummel's explosive welding ought to handle any contamination problem from Mars sample return, when they get funding for it. My main problem is that given the limited range of NASA's rovers - with their extremely limited contorl systems - the samples NASA will get will be relatively useless... but then being useless has never stopped NASA before... My guess is that some in NASA may try to use a limited sample for showing the planet safe... and that's when the stuff will hit the fan - that's about the only time you'll make any money with it, either

As to what's on Mars, if anything, I don't know. What I do know how is exactly how to find out, and the technology that NASA will have to acquire to do that... But I don't look for them to do any better with this than they did with TMIS, but then that's another story...

In closing, Barry, the only time you ought to be giving these people is the time they pay you for.

all the best,
ep