🚀 go-pugleaf

>The presence of man in space is not just about getting "the job" done,
>it's also about getting the job done *right*. An ATM card is great for
>all my banking...until it accidentally gets erased or damaged. And a
>completely unmanned gas station would be useless for those without
>credit cards--and probably pretty dangerous as would would leave
>thousands of liters of *gasoline* available with no safety monitor.

>(Congratulations. You pressed one or my hot buttons.)
>-- 
>Ed Dravecky III is: <> "This isn't some Deep Space Franchise. This station
>dsheldon@netcom.com <> is about something!" Cmdr. Susan Ivanova, Babylon 5

And my human teller is great, until he/she come to work hung over, or 
signs my money into the wrong account or some other silly, stupid human 
error.  Personally, I don't think we'd be too hard up without ANY space 
exploration, even though people claim it has brought us so many fabulous 
advancements and such...perhaps that's all just hot air and propaganda...

I thin you're kind of missrepresenting my position by comparing it to all 
these automated conveniences on earth...nobody give a big shit (really, 
beyond the top levels of gov't and the nutty companies who sponsor these 
things) when a space probe hickups or fucks up.  I personally don't think 
we should bother automating to many things on earth, when we have so many 
healthy people who would happily do these jobs...might actually be more 
effeicient in the end, then having to drag around all these unemployed 
people all the time.  Anyway, the point is, I really don't care if you 
think humans get things done better than machines (and I don't think 
that's the most popular argument.  Remember, humans went up there 
originally to show off to the Ruskies, and it was ages before they did 
one iota of useful stuff).  Huamns make mistakes, and their mistakes are 
more expensive than machine mistakes.  Besides, who wants to see another 
human barbeque like that challenger, eh?  Pretty and all, but an awefully 
expensive (and tragic, I suppose) fireworks show.
-- 
Stu, King of CSCSS
umcroall@cc.umanitoba.ca

"Sara dear, our carriage awaits!"