Through The Mist Darkly

Subject: Nigerian Astronaut Wants To Come Home
From: Dr. Bakare Tunde

Astronautics Project Manager
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA)
Plot 555
Misau Street
PMB 437
Garki, Abuja, FCT NIGERIA

Dear Mr. Sir,

REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE-STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL

I am Dr. Bakare Tunde, the cousin of Nigerian Astronaut, Air Force Major Abacha Tunde. He was the first African in space when he made a secret flight to the Salyut 6 space station in 1979. He was on a later Soviet spaceflight, Soyuz T-16Z to the secret Soviet military space station Salyut 8T in 1989. He was stranded there in 1990 when the Soviet Union was dissolved. His other Soviet crew members returned to earth on the Soyuz T-16Z, but his place was taken up by return cargo. There have been occasional Progrez supply flights to keep him going since that time. He is in good humor, but wants to come home.

In the 14-years since he has been on the station, he has accumulated flight pay and interest amounting to almost $ 15,000,000 American Dollars. This is held in a trust at the Lagos National Savings and Trust Association. If we can obtain access to this money, we can place a down payment with the Russian Space Authorities for a Soyuz return flight to bring him back to Earth. I am told this will cost $ 3,000,000 American Dollars. In order to access the his trust fund we need your assistance.

Consequently, my colleagues and I are willing to transfer the total amount to your account or subsequent disbursement, since we as civil servants are prohibited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (Civil Service Laws) from opening and/ or operating foreign accounts in our names.

Needless to say, the trust reposed on you at this juncture is enormous. In return, we have agreed to offer you 20 percent of the transferred sum, while 10 percent shall be set aside for incidental expenses (internal and external) between the parties in the course of the transaction. You will be mandated to remit the balance 70 percent to other accounts in due course.

Kindly expedite action as we are behind schedule to enable us include downpayment in this financial quarter.

Please acknowledge the receipt of this message via my direct number 234 (0) 9-234-2220 only.

Yours Sincerely, Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager
tipnasrda.gov.ng

http://www.nasrda.gov.ng/

EyeNo Uncategorized Space

Apologies to David Bowie. The blog looks different because the CSS sheet I was using didn’t resolve well in Internet Explorer (does anyone still use that???).

I’ll try and stick with this one for a while until I get better at the whole Cascading Style Sheet thing.

EyeNo Uncategorized

I’m posting this for no particular reason. Ran across it and somehow it made me think that it’s time for us to go shopping in St. Jacobs. (clicky to enlarge)

EyeNo Uncategorized

So the Liberals managed to hold on to power. A minority government is the result as predicted but stronger than most thought. The pollsters really blew it on this one.

I’m happy. The Conservative hidden agenda peeked out from under its rock and the voters saw it for what it was. Destructive and divisive.

Either the New Democrats or the Blocheads hold the balance of power and should be able to keep the Liberals honest. No idea how long this minority will last but it certainly won’t be politics as usual. And that’s a good thing.

EyeNo Uncategorized

Chris Allbritton, a free lance journalist, posts blog entries from Baghdad. Here’s his posting on the surprise handover ceremony this morning. Be sure to check out the main page for up to the minute news.

EyeNo Uncategorized

Forget who I support, the most important thing for Canadians to do today is:

VOTE

EyeNo Uncategorized

I hate Larry King and will not watch his show unless I’m forced to at gunpoint. Which means I didn’t catch his conversation with Jon Stewart of The Daily Show. Luckily, you and I can read the transcript here.
A couple of my favorite lines:
When asked what God thinks of Canada (after stating that God supports the U.S only) ” Happy to have them in the attic, but not so crazy about them in general. “
Asked to comment on the upcoming handover of power in Iraq “It’s great. I’m a big handover guy. I’m a big sovereignty guy. I love handing over sovereignty. I prefer to hand it over knowing who I’m giving it to, but I like the way this administration’s doing it. They’re just saying, we’re just handing it over. Maybe it will be a raffle. Maybe it will be the eighth caller. We don’t know yet. It’s very exciting.”

UPDATE: So they jumped the gun and had the handover ceremony this morning. Slick trick. Will this make the militants mad and cause an escalation of the bloodshed? We’ll see.

EyeNo Uncategorized Canada, general

It took this picture back in 1999 on one of my trips to Hamburg, Germany. It was part of a display that we ran across one day while out walking. I love it when government has a sense of humor.

EyeNo Uncategorized

Tomorrow, Canadians go to the polls. The fact that we’ll end up with a minority government is a certainity but who will be in power is up for grabs. Polls commissioned by Toronto’s major newspapers just happen to point to whatever party the paper supports (The Star – Liberals, The National Post – Conservatives).
I’ve already made it clear that I’m voting Liberal even though I have to hold my nose when I cast my ballot. We’ve lived through over a decade of patronage and waste and I’m not sure that Paul Martin has enough control over the party to change things.
The Conservatives make my choice much easier. Their platform is a recipe for disaster for our country. If we were to give them majority control, here’s what we’d be able to look forward to seeing:
- Canadian support for the war in Iraq including a commitment to send in our troops.
- Canadian involvement in the US Missile Shield plan, a half baked make work project of epic proportions.
- The erosion of Medicare and a move to a two tier healthcare system.
- Dilution of The Charter Of Rights And Freedoms and slavish acceptance of whatever the US Department Of Homeland Security spouts.
- A return to restrictions on abortion and same-sex relationships.
- The return of Brian Mulroney. **shudder**

No thank you, that’s not my idea of Canada.

EyeNo Uncategorized Canada, Toronto

Paul Wolfowitz, Donald’s Rumsfeld’s Deputy Secretary of Defense made an interesting comment after the 9/11 commission concluded that Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda had no collaborative relationship:
“I don’t need proof of involvement in Sept. 11 to be conerned that Saddam is providing mutual support to Al Qaeda. It seems to me it’s like saying if someone breeds Rottweilers and leaves the gate open but doesn’t tell the dog who to attack, that he’s not operationally involved in the thing.”
I’m not sure what the hell is trying to say but it comes across as an ironic comment after the revelations that his boss okayed the use of vicous dogs by US guards to threaten Iraqi prisoners.
Perhaps, Mr. Wolfowitz, you should be looking for another metaphor.

EyeNo Uncategorized