Lately we’ve seen a lot of hysterics in the media about the militia movement. For some reason they really want to portray some resurgence in the movement now that Big-O is in the White House. The militia movement was never my cup of tea, but I don’t think there’s any harm from people declaring themselves defenders of the Republic, and heading out into the woods with guns and playing army. But to hear the media, you’d think these folks were a few truckloads of semtex short of Al-Qaeda, rather than enthusiasts of a different stripe.
As proof that everyone is somebody else’s weirdo, we discover that there’s a group that likes to get together and play Mars astronaut in the Utah desert.
The Mars Society is a group that prepares for man’s eventual exploration of Mars with simulations in the Utahan desert. But their mission logs, posted regularly on the group’s website, reveal a tension that is very real—and very funny.
The two-week simulations, including various experiments and equipment tests, take place at the Mars Desert Research Station, located outside Hanksville, Utah. The volunteers who participate are expected to take the matter very seriously—after all, our future Mars colony depends on it. But of course, some pretend Mars astronauts are more dedicated than other pretend Mars astronauts and this is where the trouble starts.
Read the whole hilarious thing. The comments are pretty funny too.
…You realize this means the LDS has a critical advantage in colonizing Mars, er, New Deseret now….
Well, as long as they build a Marriott there I can stay at, I don’t have a problem with the LDS beating everyone else to Mars :)
I’ve spent time in the desert around Hanksville, and I think Mars has prettier scenery. There are parts of that area that look like the aftermath of a nuclear war.
I would scoff at these folks, but I’m a F&I War, Rev War, and Fur Trade Era reenactor myself….
Stones, glass houses, etc etc… :)
Then again, probably not too much music and homemade hootch getting passed around in the Mars lander heheh
I think they probably call the home made hooch “rocket fuel” :)
An acquaintance of mine just returned from the Mars mission simulation site. Since he is a Hugo-winning science fiction author, he was able to expense the trip. Doesn’t make him any less weird, though. The hooch is called either “bheer” or “reactor coolant”, BTW.
Perhaps this might interest you then….