Yesterday afternoon I sat down to watch the news while I got on with other projects. It so happened I chose the moment when the space shuttle Atlantis returned to base for the last time. It was a majestic sight, watching this bulky and heavy 'aircraft' swoop down onto the Florida runway at three hundred miles and hour, a testament to the co-operation between crew and control, never mind the technical gizmos that enable this accuracy.

Although the shuttle is going to be hangared and serviced, they don't plan to fly it ever again. With the tragic loss of two of the fleet, the rising cost of maintenance of an aging vessel, and the economic realities of our day, it's just too expensive to operate. I am genuinely saddened by this. I remember those heady days in the sixties when, as a child, we were all told to go into the school hall in front of one of those primitive black and white televisions mounted in a tall mobile cabinet, to watch men land on the moon for the first time. And we don't go there any more either.

meanwhile, Back At The College

What do I see in todays local newspaper? The government have made no secret of their plans to cut spending in order to tackle the mounting national debt, and that means the redevelopment of the old college site might have to be abandoned after all. It's expected the development agency will lose something like 7% of its budget anyway.

That kind of makes me curious. How does this affect the plans to rebuild the canal through Swindon town center? Their money was going to come from the EU (which means us, in a roundabout way) and they once told me it wasn't going to cost the local community anything. I wonder if they'll find the cash?

Stars of the Week

I am due to become more outsppoken, according the stars in my local paper. The influence of Uranus will not be thwarted (no jokes please). My claims advisor will be so pleased. She loves putting people in their place.