Space Station Austronaut Answers Pensacola Students' Questions Live via Satellite Link

Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli answers Pensacola students' questions live from the Space Station via a real-time satellite link-up, 11-15-2023

I get invited to a lot of really cool events as a County Commissioner.  And I am always thankful for the invitation to attend great events in our area's schools.  Yesterday was a perfect example of this.  

Pensacola's Creative Learning Academy hosted a huge crowd from the community, to include elected officials, military officers, business leaders, parents and students--to watch a real-time conversation between students and an Astronaut aboard the international space station. 

These sorts of events don't come around often, either.  

In fact, this Pensacola school was the only school in the entire state of Florida approved for a real-time, satellite link up with the space station.

Another interesting point to note about this event: two of the four Astronauts aboard the station, including Astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli--the host of the interview and the Astronaut that would be answering the students' questions--began their flight training as Naval Aviators studying right here in Pensacola.  

So, at 8:30AM sharp, Head of School Kim Stafford welcomed the crowd of hundreds that had assembled in the packed school gymnasium, prior to the link up.  

Once the video call started, Astronaut Moghbeli floated in an open area of the space station, surrounded by all kinds of wires, boxes, tubes, equipment, and other paraphernalia--and fielded more than a dozen recorded questions from students.  To make the conversation more interesting, she let the microphone free float in front of her and/or spun it in the weightlessness of space a couple of times--to the delight of the students.  She even floated upside down to answer at least one question.  This move--along with her answer to the question--drew laughter from the students. 

The questions posed to Moghbeli came from first graders all the way through eighth graders--so the questions ranged from simple to amusing to interesting to thoughtful to complex.  Most of the answers were enlightening to the majority of participants in the room.  Each question was answered succinctly-- with informative video clips and personal, firsthand testimony from Moghbeli added in.  

How do you get power with no cords or generators?  What is your job on the station?  How do you wash your laundry in space?  What do stars look like from space?  How long does it take to put on your space suit? How do you exercise in Space?  When you float upside down does the blood all rush to your head like it does on Earth? --were some of the questions posed by CLA students. 

Who knew that Astronauts wear their pants for thirty days then simply dispose of them?  Who knew about the specialized machines created for exercise (2 1/2 hours per day per astronaut) that add resistance in zero gravity--and what they actually look like?  Who knew it takes nearly 6 hours to completely, safely put on a space suit prior to a spacewalk? Who knew how Astronauts actually bathe?

There were a lot of enlightening answers to all of the questions; a lot of us had a-ha moments, not just the elementary school students in attendance!  😀

Mayor DC Reeves Delivers a State of the City Address to Citizens

We work closely with the city on several issues, and three of my counterparts have large swaths of their districts that are also within the city limits.  So, there will always be some synergies and some crossover that requires city/county cooperation.  The homelessness issue and the related problems are a big topic that will require us working together. In addition to this, my employer ESA South is very interested in the happenings in the city so they asked if I would attend this event. So, I made it a point to attend last evening's "State of the City" Civicon event at the Sanders Beach Community Center.

Here are some highlights of his hour and ten-minute presentation.

First, the mayor focused on describing his progress in addressing his initial promised improvements in safety, housing, and jobs.  To illustrate his progress, he utilized data from a UWF Haas study the city commissioned of only city residents, and he also utilized data from the recently completed PYP Quality of Life Survey of area residents (including Escambia County Residents).

Highlights:

--94% of residents rated Pensacola Fire Department Excellent or Very Good

--87% of residents rated Pensacola Police Department Excellent or Very Good

--89% believe the city is heading in the “right direction.”

--new North City Police Substation will be opened at the PSC campus within the next 60 days

--City Fire Service enjoys the Highest ISO Rating, a 1

--$840,000 grant received for the installation of high tech “Shot Spotter” technology that will enable law enforcement to react to gunfire in real time and at the precise location where the gunfire occurred

--He discussed the ongoing efforts and legislative requests this upcoming session for $18 Million for demolition and re-purposing of the 50-acre legacy campus of Baptist Hospital for housing and other city needs.

--He discussed the current effort and #1 legislative ask from the state legislative delegation for a 5-gate expansion at the Pensacola International Airport-from 12 to 17 gates and additional concession options.  The funding necessary for completing this project will be split between the city, the state, and the federal government, according to Reeves.  Initial design is underway.

--Pensacola’s Airport throughput is at a record high already this year, and the projection is that by year’s end we will have had more than 2.65 million enplanements, which represents an 89% increase over enplanements in 2013

He next described what the survey data revealed to be the most desirable features of the city.  Access to

Beulah Master Plan Charettes are Coming Up!

 And every resident in the Beulah area is encouraged to participate!

I'll be on 1370 WCOA's Real News with Rick Outzen Tomorrow Morning at 7:00

I'll be on Pensacola's highest quality, highest rated, most accurate and trusted morning drive news program--"Real News with Rick Outzen" tomorrow morning at 7:00AM.

Rick Outzen, host of the area's best, highest-rated, most trusted and accurate source for morning-drive news programming--"Real News with Rick Outzen"--has invited me to be the week's lead-off guest tomorrow morning at 7:00AM.

The county won't be having any meetings anytime soon--however there is never any shortage of topics for discussion, so I'll be prepared to field any questions Rick wants to throw at me.

Perhaps we will discuss the garbage guest-editorial in today's PNJ--lionizing the clerk and slamming the BCC?

Perhaps we will discuss the ongoing homeless issue the city is enduring? 

NFCU's new park facility opening?

Who knows, maybe he'll ask me about my free speech rhetorical question I posted on my blog that is getting hammered by hits?  Or the whole bruhaha in Tallahassee?

Or maybe the issue of the "who" it will be running the new Beulah fire station once it is completed in the next few months and the old one is decommissioned.

Or the latest on OLF 8 and/or the Beulah Master Plan, or Perdido Incorporation?

There's never a shortage on what we can discuss.

So tune in live on 1370 WCOA at 7:00 or catch the podcast here, I'll post it once Rick publishes it.

Fickle Free Speech Warriors Found their Limits, Apparently

We either have free speech in America or we don't.  

Speech that is disgusting, stomach-turning, and vile is precisely the type of speech that requires the protection of a Constitutional Right to vocalize it.  In America we have that protection, it's called the First Amendment to the constitution--a vital part of the Bill of Rights.

But do we really have free speech though, in 2023's America?  Everyone knows there are guideposts and some speech is NOT protected (e.g. yelling "FIRE" in a crowded theater)--but what about political speech?

Sometimes it seems as if free speech is only permitted if certain groups, political parties, individuals, beliefs, cultures, constituencies, and ideologies are specifically NOT targeted.

We know about cancel culture.  

We know some comedians get away with saying anything they want, about anyone they want, with no real risk of financially-costly blowback.  Sometimes, folks in this camp financially benefit from their outrageously offensive speech.   Others, however,  have artificially constructed and universally mandated but unvocalized "boundaries" that, if crossed, bring immediate cancellation, stigma, and financial ruin.  Many have met this fate and never recovered.

Christians are routinely targeted for hateful speech, disgusting "artistic" depictions, and shameful cartoons.  Ho hum, nobody cares, and few stand up to decry attacks on Christianity, which is telling.....

Other religions, however, enjoy universally embraced, accepted, and projected "boundaries."  As an example:  the National Endowment for the Arts paid an artist to display a Crucifix in an aquarium full of urine.  They gushed that this was "ART" and a protected form of self expression.

By contrast, when the disgusting spectacle of the buring of the Holy Quran was advertised, promoted, and threatened by a "reverand in Florida"---free-speech warriors were AWOL. 

See how that works?

To be clear:  I do not support disgusting attacks based upon the immutable or specific characteristics of any particular religion, race, culture, or person.  NOBODY should engage in this.  I certainly don't.

But if we truly have free speech to protect disgusting, vile, appalling and gut-turning speech aimed at such persons, institutions, and cultures----------it is only a real thing if it is not selective and not punitive.  

In America--the left, the media, and some special interest groups with smiling faces and determined sincerity say cute things to demonstrate their alleged "support" of the First Amendment.  They say "We have the First Amendment----you can say anything you want but you have to understand there may be real consequences for what you say."  (translation: say something they don't 'like' ----and they will seek your absolute destruction for hate speech----- if they deem it to be 'offensive'....)

No, while they blatantly distort  their support of free speech--they've already tacitly adopted and normalized the European model on "free"speech--which surpresses much of it based upon artificially manufactured and politically correct driven "norms".  

Recently--these very same fickle free-speech warriors have apparently found their limits within a wedge issue among their comrades.  Yes, the left and many media outlets are currently embroiled in what appears to be an uncharacteristic, unusual display of internal squabbling which is driving a wedge through their caucus. (normally, they swim like a school of fish with uber liberals, moderates, and conservative Democrats ALWAYS closing ranks and moving together as a unit--which has been incredibly EFFECTIVE for them.  Republicans, by contrast, never seem to get this--particularly lately--which leads to splinter groups, infighting, and a [figuratively speaking, of course] circular firing squad effect that allows Republicans to LOSE when it counts the MOST).  And I say all this as a LIFELONG Republican!!)  

Now, it seems, the left are divided on the Israel/Hamas war.  And America's handling of it.  And President Biden's response.

Many Democrats want an immediate cease fire and decry the loss of Palestinian lives.  Others, perhaps fewer, openly purport to support "Israel's right to defend herself" while privately (and sometimes publicly) equivocating the violence of the October 7th Hamas terror attack with their perception/understanding of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, historically).  It is ripping the Democrats to pieces and President Biden's re-election polling numbers are showing the outcome.  And it get's even worse for Biden if Joe Manchin runs in the No Labels party next year, to boot.

But setting those political implications aside--here comes something interesting and curious.

As I saw very talented editorial cartoonist Michael Ramirez' cartoon going viral (depicting HAMAS doing what HAMAS actually does--hiding behind innocent civilians as human shields)--these same selective free-speech warriors demanded and succeeded in having that cartoon pulled.  And the complicit Washington Post--a  compromised left-leaning newspaper --compliantly pulled the cartoon down and issued a gushing apology to appease the hard left.

This cartoon was attacked by the left and some in the media and subsequently pulled from publications in 2023

New Beulah Fire Station will Remain a Volunteer Station

Folks were concerned and I was approached.  Apparently there were rumors flying around that I supported changing the way the Beulah Fire station was going to be operated after the old facility was decommissioned and the new one opened.  

One individual with whom I spoke even told me the volunteers who run that station currently with the assistance of a full time day shift crew were given notice that the station would become all professionally staffed once the new facility is opened.   And that I supported that?!?

That was news to me--and nothing could be further from the truth.  

So I have subsequently spoken to multiple others affiliated with that station who have told me, unequivocally, that the current arrangement is working well; this is a combination station that is functioning properly with a day shift of career firefighters running calls during the day Monday thru Friday and the ample volunteer component running the evening and weekend calls.

"We haven't missed one call, not one" said a volunteer at the station with whom I spoke at an event this week in Beulah. "So why are they doing this to us--we don't miss calls?"  he asked me.

My response was straightforward:  "They're not going to do this."

Apparently there was going to be a move to make the station fully professional and manned 24/7 with carreer staff after the construction--but after speaking with several senior administrative staff members and voicing my extreme disapproval of such a plan---I have been told subsequently it will remain volunteer run after the changeover.  

That is a relief to hear--as in many respects this new station will be a great recruiting tool for volunteers, and Beulah has a rich history as a station that has typically had a robust volunteer roster.  I, along with many others, would like to see that continue forward after we cut the ribbon on the new station, which will be named in honor of two Volunteer Firefighters who served at the station.

So as of this writing, once the new Station 2, the Bradshaw McNair Fire Station, opens in Beulah in January----the staffing model will remain as it has been:  a combination station run by the volunteers with a day time staff of career firefighters.  I mean, why change something that is working so well?

I suggest we utilize the career staff that were slated to move into Station 2 in other areas of the county where perhaps there is greater need for coverage and where calls are missed.

A Great Day and a Great WIN for Beulah Yesterday!

I was honored to be asked to participate in a fantastic ribbon cutting ceremony this morning at Navy Federal Credit Union's Pensacola Campus. The facility opening is a beautiful athletic complex with pickleball courts, beach volleyball courts, basketball courts, a large softball/baseball field, a huge open-air pavillion and miles of walking trails. The assembled gathering of more than 200 citizens heard greetings from NFCU CEO Mary Mcduffie, who traveled down to Pensacola for this event. According to the folks from NFCU, this park will be accessible and usable by the citizens of our community--not just NFCU employees--which is a HUGE win for Beulah, District 1, and Escambia County! Can't wait to walk those trails!  Check out the coverage of this great event from WEAR channel 3, here.  NorthEscambia covered it here. Troy Moon of the PNJ also did a piece and it has a very nice photo gallery of 35 shots from the event, check it out here