Unlike the socialist French captain of the Enterprise, the original star ship captain thinks that space is important:

What’s Shatner’s assessment of NASA’s mission to head back to the moon and Mars?

“I think the country needs a noble objective, and among the notable objectives are peace, democracy and all the political things that abound,” he said. “One of the other things we need is a goal, which becomes unattainable. As soon as we go to the moon, we want to go to Mars, and as soon as we go to Mars, then it’s somewhere else.

“A constant need for a goal is a human condition, almost like a dream. It’s almost unattainable, but you continue to strive, and a journey through the stars will be a means of identifying this great country.”

Pretty nice words, coming from a Canadian, eh?

Ann Althouse has a post about a byegone day.

I didn’t like playing outside that much myself–I’d always rather stay inside and read a book, but I did have a good time, generally, when I did.

We overtoy our kids. At the risk of sounding like a codger, or worse, Grandpa Simpson (“Let me tell you how it was in my day, sonny”), we used to go over to my grandmother and grandfather’s house to visit. In the basement he had taken a steel rod, bent a handle at one end, and on the other, put a wagon wheel (a children’s wagon, not a Conestoga). He made two of them. One would grip the handle end, and push it up and down the driveway, sidewalk and street, often at high speeds. One would also attempt to do it on the softer lawn, but this was a rapid education in physics.

We used to fight over them. One of them, for reasons long forgotten, was considered superior. We had a great time. And turned out all right, I think, comments from the anonymous loons here notwithstanding.

Lileks’ adventure continues:

Gnat

Lileks goes to the Magic Kingdom. (Not so) shockingly, he writes about the experience:

The breakfast? The best hotel breakfast ever. They don

Lileks goes to the Magic Kingdom. (Not so) shockingly, he writes about the experience:

The breakfast? The best hotel breakfast ever. They don

Lileks goes to the Magic Kingdom. (Not so) shockingly, he writes about the experience:

The breakfast? The best hotel breakfast ever. They don

OK, I have to admit that this is great stop-motion photography. The choreography is great. But you still have to think–don’t these guys have lives? I’d be a lot more impressed if they were junior high schoolers.

[Via the Star-Trek conservative]

Lileks has (among other things) a tribute to Wally.

On its thirtieth anniversary (boy, does that make me feel old) John Derbyshire has a long review of Saturday Night Fever.

I learned a lot about it that I hadn’t known before. But then, I’ve never seen the movie, for two reasons. First, it had John Travolta in it. Second, it was chock full of disco, which I’ve long thought a tool of the devil, and did at the time. Like rap, I’ve never had much interest in music in which the drums (and occasionally bass) carried the melody. Also, as many have since noted, it destroyed vibrancy of the club scene for years, when it was a lot easier and cheaper to hire a deejay with his disco records than a live band. And because
of that, despite his rave review, I think I’ll continue to remain an SNF virgin.

[Update a few minutes later]

Here’s an endorsement:

Disco–favorite music of the deaf!

On its thirtieth anniversary (boy, does that make me feel old) John Derbyshire has a long review of Saturday Night Fever.

I learned a lot about it that I hadn’t known before. But then, I’ve never seen the movie, for two reasons. First, it had John Travolta in it. Second, it was chock full of disco, which I’ve long thought a tool of the devil, and did at the time. Like rap, I’ve never had much interest in music in which the drums (and occasionally bass) carried the melody. Also, as many have since noted, it destroyed vibrancy of the club scene for years, when it was a lot easier and cheaper to hire a deejay with his disco records than a live band. And because
of that, despite his rave review, I think I’ll continue to remain an SNF virgin.

[Update a few minutes later]

Here’s an endorsement:

Disco–favorite music of the deaf!