A Rant From The Road

The ASSociated Press Strikes Again...


I was looking through Drudge this morning to see what was going on in the world when I came across this headline: "Rocket launched into space; carries satellite to guide weapons."

Holly Cow, the Russians or the Chinese are sending space weapons up into orbit I thought.

Nope...

After reading for five seconds I learned that it was the United States, not our enemies that's responsible; the so called "satellite to guide weapons" is in fact in space right now, and it was launched by a rocket, not a slingshot or a "super soaker."

Beyond those facts the implication of the Headline and most of the ASSociated press article is pretty much hyperbole and the usual innuendo laced BS.

CAPE CANAVERAL - A rocket carrying a GPS satellite to better guide military weapons was launched into space Thursday.The Delta 2 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral at 3:04 p.m. with the modernized NAVSTAR Global Positioning System Block 2R military navigation satellite aboard for the U.S. Air Force.

The satellite is part of a constellation of 24 and one of eight that were modernized to more precisely guide weapons and a variety of civilian applications.

See, this is another perfect example of what I'm always bitching about regarding the headlines and story text of the ASSociated Press and much of the balance of the Lamestream media.

Ordinarily this would be a non-story, but by tossing on a headline they probably got a couple of inches of column space in every little newspaper in the US.

What these rocket scientist media experts fail to tell you is that your "Tom Tom" or your Garman or Magellan GPS that you use to navigate your drive to the mall today or over to Grandma's house on Christmas has been using what were originally MILITARY SATELLITES that have been in orbit for decades and are wearing out and being replaced every year.

In reality, this event was just the latest launch of a replacement satellite, not some new ominous plan to militarize space beyond the level that's been common for the past thirty years. The Europeans and the Russians are also in the process launching their own GPS type systems because our system doesn't currently cover the entire surface of the earth.

What total unmitigated, useless, moronic CRAPPOLA. Don't you agree?

Now get back to wrapping packages and mixing egg nog...and all of you men head on over to the mall and get started with your shopping for your wife or girlfriend.

Let me worry interpreting the meaning of satellite launches...

You certainly can't count on the ASSociated press to tell you anything of value.

Dammit