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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>>…</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> <b>On Behalf Of </b>John Grigg<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [ExI] Halloween costumes<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Spike wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>>>…</span>An astronaut is not a future themed character, it’s retro themed. <span style='color:#1F497D'>…</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>>…</span>I envision things heating up again in a big way when China builds a permanent base on the Moon (circa 2020-2025) and looks at putting taikonauts on Mars. If America still has financial muscle left, we will surely be competing with them as they carry out these ventures.<span style='color:#1F497D'> </span>And then Spike, you will not have to repeatedly say that to be an astronaut is retro! : )<span style='color:#1F497D'> …</span>John<span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Ja, it might work out that way, but for that to happen, we need to also envision an energy transition that isn’t clear to me. Oil is great stuff, but the supply is not infinite. There is oil left in the ground, but over time the available reserves get less attractive: heavier and more sour crudes come into play, which make it more expensive to refine. That will be a major factor shaping our future. As much as we talk about energy resources online here and at the Oil Drum and other places, it is hard to find convincing strategies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Regarding the US involvement in future space ventures, we need to first deal with our government having borrowed our retirement fund and spent it all with no convincing way to pay it back. What do we do about that?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>A third concern is the US transition from manufacturing to a financial services economy. What happens if the US becomes the new Nigeria? When you get any email which contains the terms “Sir” and “Nigeria” you already know it is a scam, ja? Easy to filter those, because Nigeria has exactly nothing to legitimately sell you. Their only exports (other than oil, which you personally are not buying) are reams and reams of absurd spam emails urging you to buy into this or that, or that you have such a good reputation they want to give 3,600,000.00 US dollars from some late bankers’ estate. You already know anything with Nigeria involved in any way is a scam. Nigeria can never establish a legitimate financial service, as long as you and I live. What happens if the US becomes the new Nigeria? We will not be going into space then.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>spike<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>