Music of the Spheres

The Russians have put a little ball up in the air, and it seems that the United States is pretty excited about it. “We aren’t trying to win a race,” the scientists insist, rather half-heartedly staring into the sky. “No sir, it doesn’t mean the Russians are ahead in the missile techniques, no sir, it doesn’t.”

There has been, however, a noticeable lack of comment from the White House. This is in part explained by the fact that the President is golfing in Gettysburg, and Charlie Wilson is home thinking up an explanation.

Despite the comment and lack of comment, the fact remains that Russia has done something that looks pretty impressive to the average man. A 180 pound ball is a small one, no doubt about that, but what will follow this? A 1,800 pound ball, then a 18,000 pound ball. When the satellites get that big it seems that the Russians might want to put little men in them and give the little men big guns.

Let’s hope there’s no danger of that. This is just a big scientific good-will project, and the Russians are just trying to further the common scientific cause. But then again, maybe they’re not. Does anyone know the price of a one-way ticket to Uruguay?