Wanted: Mars Settlers...

     How is that midlife crisis treating you? Highschoolers--tired of school? Well, the good news is that there might be a way to escape from it all. The bad news? It will take the rest of your life.
      Not-for-profit Netherlands organization, Mars One, sent out a casting call last Monday for any and all volunteers for a decades long trip to Mars. Participants will also star in the consequent reality tv show, "Stars on a Planet." Mars One is looking for truly anyone: no prior experience as an astronaut or a degree in science required. Simply make a video stating why you should be shipped to Mars, and send it in. Great stuff, right?
      As of so far, the organization has received over 10,000 entries, from out of which the board of directors hopes to select 24 lucky [or unlucky depending how you see it] individuals. Mars One hopes to launch the first crew of four by 2023, with subsequent launches of four man teams every two years after.
       Money could be a problem though. Sending stuff into space has never exactly been cheap, much less getting humanity to Mars. Director and co-founder Bas Landsorp says he hopes the $25 application fee will waive some of that cost, though he notes that there is still much more fundraising to do. The accounting department estimates that final costs will be upwards of $6 billion. [sounds great. I'll send in the billion I found in the gutter the other day.]
      Props to private organizations [SpaceOne included] for showing explorative initiative. 

A Speciality...

     Describe outer space. Go.
What did you say? Maybe you mentioned that it's a vacuum, and that planets, stars, and asteroids hang suspended in it, and its infinity. Close to what you said?
    But back up for a minute. You said that space was infinite. Describe infinite.
Can you describe infinite? Can you really and truly wrap your mind around what it means to go on forever...and forever...and forever? It would be nice if our universe was like George Lucas' "Star Wars", where everything is categorized into "Inner Rim", "Outer Rim", etc; but it's not. Think about it though, how incredible is it that we live in houses on earth (which to us seems huge in itself), and that earth just floats in space, and that space goes on for infinity. We have no full reference points in space, so we can't even tell where in the universe we live. How scary is that? But, how amazing is it?
    The entire universe was created just for us. The entire, infinite, boundless, limitless, indescribable universe was given to us as a gift. We must be something special, huh?
     Daily life can seem like it is the only thing in front of us, and it is the only thing in life. Emotions can tell us that we are not cared for, loved, or special. But take a step back and see the whole picture. Look up, and realize that the blue sky above us goes on forever. Suddenly, our troubles seem rather insignificant, don't they? Look up, and realize that everything we see and cannot see was made especially for us by our loving Father. Suddenly, our lives seem rather significant, don't they?

    You are special.