NationStates Jolt Archive

John McCain mentioned that Obama got 3 million(?) for an overhead projector at a planetarium (The Adler Planetarium) in Obama's home town (Chicago). I don't know how many of you have been to the Adler and seen their "overhead projector" in action.
I went a number of times when I was in grade school (I lived in a suburb outside of Chicago when I was a kid). The "projector" is a large chunk of metal with a series of heavy duty gears and twenty or more lenses that displays and moves stars, planet and other stellar bodies across the domed cieling. This occurs while someone talks about these stellar bodies (at least that it is how it was done in the late seventies). The show was fantastic, probably still is.
I heard recently on the radio that parts of this "overhead display" have ceased to function due to the age of this piece of equipment. I think Mr. McCain should go to the Adler and see the show. Maybe talk to some of us who have been there. It was a wonderful learning experience that made me curious about the universe. $3 million is a deal if it opens up a bunch of children's eyes to something greater, gets them to think and maybe do some amazing things.
What do the rest of you think?
Have any of you been to the Adler Planetarium?
It is on the lake, next to the Shedd Aquarium, a short distance from the Field Museum. The Chicago Art Museum is on the other side of Grant Park. I think you can still take a shuttle bus to the Museum of Science and Industry which is by the University of Illinois, Chicago.
If you get a chance check out this area of Chicago. I saw some amazing stuff when I was a kid and little of what the ever cheap Mr. McCain calls pork-barrel spending that truly enriched my life.

While I like John McCain he is a crusty old cheap skate who will degrade the things that make living better and inspiration more common to young minds.

Is education and trying to open up peoples eyes worth it or should we just pump money into the mind numbing testing of No Child Left Behind?

I think it is a bit obvious where I stand.

science is bad. start kids down that road, and next thing you know they're getting gay married to their own failed abortions

I already loved your thread just from seeing the title. <3

Something else about that 'Overhead projector", you know, probably the most impressive planetarium projector in the country. Yeah, overhead projector... Pshh. Anyhoo.... They didn't get the money. That's right, that earmark was NOT approved. Fortunately, Illinois managed to scrounge the money up anyway. As they should. It's not as if encouraging children to enjoy math and science at a young age benefits the whole country or anything. :tongue:

science is bad. start kids down that road, and next thing you know they're getting gay married to their own failed abortions

You forgot that science is WITCHCRAFT. The only good science is the kind of science that blow shit up. Like nuclear physics.
REAL Americans don't have anything to do with sissy science. We leave that to Europeans.
Bunch of prancing, cheese-eating, homosexuals that they are.
Except the British. The British are sort of like the USA's little brother, you know?

*Runs from the thread before some nasty sarcastic remarks are made.*

While I like John McCain he is a crusty old cheap skate who will degrade the things that make living better and inspiration more common to young minds.

Is education and trying to open up peoples eyes worth it or should we just pump money into the mind numbing testing of No Child Left Behind?

I think it is a bit obvious where I stand.

It's not opening kids' minds you silly person, its propagandizing them into the atheist scientific lies about the universe and its' origins. You think the Planetarium's innocently trying to educate our youth? Hah!

Yeah, the head of the Adler had a really huffy press conference about this, pointing out that a) it's not an "overhead projector", it's a complicated piece of fancy planetarium-specific equipment, b) it's over 40 years old and the manufacturer isn't servicing that model anymore, c) Republican congressmen also requested the same earmark, and d) the $3 million was actually to aid an overhaul of the entire theater, which included $300K for the projector itself.

He didn't mention how awesome it is to get high and then sneak into the back of the theater for a show, but I assume that's because most of the journalists in attendance had already had that experience.

You can still, I think, take the Grant Park Treasures bus from downtown (during the summer at least) which will drop you off at the Art Institute, The Spertus, and the museum campus (The Field, The Shedd, The Adler, and Soldier Field.) Once you're by Soldier Field you can check out one of the few monuments (possibly the only one) donated to the USA by Benito Mussolini.

Once you're by Soldier Field you can check out one of the few monuments (possibly the only one) donated to the USA by Benito Mussolini.

Wow, really? I didn't know that. What was Mussolini looking to get out of it?

I have not been to the Adler planetarium, however I know projectors for a planetarium are expensive and very useful in the study of astronomy so 3 million doesn't seem that bad.

I have not been to the Adler planetarium, however I know projectors for a planetarium are expensive and very useful in the study of astronomy so 3 million doesn't seem that bad.

$3 Million, really? That all it cost? Here we are, we just spend $70 BILLION on a bailout, and McCain is bitching about $3 million?

Jeez, that's like me bitching to my wife (if I have one) about her spending $20 on shoes, when I spend $500 on aviation.

Wow, really? I didn't know that. What was Mussolini looking to get out of it?

This was back in 1933. The head of the Italian Air Force under Mussolini, Italo Balbo, lead a transatlantic flight (not non-stop, but still very impressive for that time) that ended at the '33 expo. Apparently it was hugely dramatic, all of these warplanes flying into the fairgrounds from across Lake Michigan with the sun behind them. Chicago went nuts and renamed a street after Balbo, and Mussolini gave us a genuine Roman column to stick on a pedestal and commemorate the event so we would remember how cool the Italian Air Force was.

In the end it didn't stop us from siding against the Axis, but it was a nice piece of propaganda. The column is on a pedestal just East of Soldier Field.

Wikilink (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italo_Balbo)

$3 Million, really? That all it cost? Here we are, we just spend $70 BILLION on a bailout, and McCain is bitching about $3 million?

Jeez, that's like me bitching to my wife (if I have one) about her spending $20 on shoes, when I spend $500 on aviation.

700, not 70.

700, not 70.

Right, thanks.

Science is evil. It distracts kids from important things, like Jesus.

Science is evil. It distracts kids from important things, like Jesus.

What if you have a Jesus sex doll? Will that make "touching yourself" alright?

Science is evil. It distracts kids from important things, like Jesus.

Hitler did what he did because of science. It's true, I swear.

What if you have a Jesus sex doll? Will that make "touching yourself" alright?

Masterbation is ok as long as you think about Jesus when your doing it. Thats what James Dobson says.

Hitler did what he did because of science. It's true, I swear.

Yep. Thats what Ben Stein says. It must be true.

Masterbation is ok as long as you think about Jesus when your doing it. Thats what James Dobson says.

There's loving Jesus, and then there's loving Jesus. *nod*

There's loving Jesus, and then there's loving Jesus. *nod*

Like Faith + 1

Masterbation is ok as long as you think about Jesus when your doing it. Thats what James Dobson says.

*grabs Bible and box of tissues*

O rlly :D

Like Faith + 1

LOL! That was a great episode of South Park.

LOL! That was a great episode of South Park.

My favorite in fact.

its just McCain sinking deeper into the "I'll do anything for election" pool.