Countdown To Mars (gimme A Break).

[HolyMoly]

It really pisses me off when a politician hypes a "big announcement" ... then, when it comes time to make it, puts it into such a far-off future that nobody will remember it. Heck, even the first step of this so-called countdown (a manned outpost on the moon) is 16 years away by Bush's reckoning. By that time, the Chinese will probably already have a manned outpost on Mars.

Oh, well. Best thing to do now is to start buying up lunar property so, later on, you can charge the government "rent" when they land (snicker). And, believe it or not, there's an interplanetary real-estate agent now selling deeds to such property:

(http://www.planetaryinvestments.com

[Shawn]

That's sort of sad.

You think some actually pay them?

[HolyMoly]

Their homepage said that two former U.S. Presidents bought lunar land from them. But, I think it's pretty much a "novelty" thing ... kind of like the National Star Registry (allowing you to name a previously numbered star after you or someone else). I believe there's a U.N. resolution stating that no country can claim ownership of extraterrestrial territory (except maybe Israel, hehe).