Well, the launch of space shuttle Endeavour was postponed due to another hydrogen leak this morning. Too bad, since I was looking forward to watching it go up on HDNET. It’s about as close as I’m ever likely to get to a launch. It’s kind of sad, really. When I was a kid, NASA was young and shiny and strong. Now that they’re getting on in years, the shine is gone, and they seem to have trouble getting it up.

One person who apparently doesn’t share NASAs problem is Nevada Senator John “Insane” Ensign, who was forced to admit to having an affair with a staffer who is the wife of another staffer. I see this as improvement for the GOP, scandalwise, since a typical Republican politician would have been forced to admit having an affair with the husband.

“I violated the vows of marriage. It’s absolutely the worst thing I’ve done in my life.”

Am I wrong to doubt that?

Want to work for free? Boy, has British Airways got a deal for you! The struggling airline (is that redundant?) sent a memo to its staffers, offering them the option of up to four weeks of unpaid leave. But, if they ask nicely, workers can opt to work for free instead. Hmm, let’s see. Tough choice there.

Speaking of Britain, I’ve avoided mentioning the whole kid flushing the puppy down the toilet thing, mostly since I can’t bear to think of it (let alone look at the pictures and/or video). The only saving grace is that the puppy is OK. I know the kid didn’t do it maliciously, but I think I’d flush him down the toilet, too, just to let him see what it’s like, and perhaps reinforce the idea that it wasn’t a good thing to do. Waterboarding him would also be an acceptable option.

We could be about to see some really interesting shit go down in Iran, according to Iran expert Reza Aslan.

There are very interesting things that are taking place right now. Some of my sources in Iran have told me that Ayatollah Rafsanjani, who is the head of the Assembly of Experts — the eighty-six member clerical body that decides who will be the next Supreme Leader, and is, by the way, the only group that is empowered to remove the Supreme Leader from power — that they have issued an emergency meeting in Qom.

Now, Anderson, I have to tell you, there’s only one reason for the Assembly of Experts to meet at this point, and that is to actually talk about what to do about Khamenei. So, this is what I’m saying, is that we’re talking about the very legitimacy, the very foundation of the Islamic Republic is up in the air right now. It’s hard to say what this is going to go.

Ironic, isnt’ it, that the US having a president who isn’t a blithering idiot spewing venomous hate speech threatening Iran’s government might actually have been the impetus for a (relatively) peaceful revolution overthrowing said government?

Have to get an early start today, since the van needs to go in and get inspected. Shouldn’t be much wrong with it – I kinda quit driving it when gas got up around $4 a gallon.