Space travel boss behavior: Do you find this inappropriate too?

So here I am, on the cusp of this future year, reading a news story about the NASA chief and his wife's attempt to keep him on the job. I dunno about this.

This just strikes me as a little too aggressive. Don't get me wrong. I love space. I'd absolutely love to travel around and visit other planets. I am totally down with boldly going where no one has gone before. But this shameless self promotion is going too boldly.

And even space travelers need to mind their pennies. The story notes
"A cash-strapped NASA last week also sent — by priority mail costing $6.75 a package — copies of a new NASA book called "Leadership in Space: Selected Speeches of NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, May 2005-October 2008.""

Now darn it all, couldn't they have sent it by regular mail? Or better yet, not sent it at all? How about just posting his speeches on a website?

Yahoo news reported "NASA printed 2,500 books at a cost of $57,000 with the ability to produce more, NASA spokeswoman Sonja Alexander said."

I'm just not a big fan of self-publishing, especially at the taxpayer's expense, when that money could have been used on important supplies like Tang and other spaceworthy food. (As an aside, did you know that "space flight food" recipes are designed with significant flavoring to compensate for the freeze-drying process? If you are any kind of a cook, you know that good spices don't come cheaply. But our astronauts deserve tasty meals!)

And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that global warming is real. But Griffin has made public statements questioning whether it's a problem we should address.

I think a change of personnel is appropriate.

On to 2009! I'm optimistic for the first time in many years.