Earth, best friends, cricket and the things that we hold dear

Posted at 12:21 PM on April 22, 2008 by Bob Collins

Completely unrelated news stories... unless you work hard to connect them.

First, on this Earth Day, a reminder that we have to leave it behind... someday. Stephen Hawking, genius, gave a speech on the occasion of NASA's 50th birthday and made it clear if we're to survive, we have to get off the planet. "There will be those who will argue that it would be better to spend our money solving the problems of this planet, like climate change and pollution, rather than possibly wasting it on a fruitless search for a new planet. But we can do that and still spare a quarter of a percent of world GDP for space. Isn't our future worth a quarter of a percent?"

When we leave, perhaps we'll be allowed to take a friend with us. Who should you choose? According to the Physorg.com (by way of the NYT Lede blog), it better be someone that you keep in touch with at least once every 15 days, because otherwise the two of you will never make the forever requirement of B.F.F.

Where can you find a friend? If you're into Bollywood stars, cheerleading girls, stilt walkers, cyclists furiously riding around the ground, acrobats hanging from the stadium roof, at a local cricket match. It's only a matter of time before the soccer fans stop trying to convince us it'll catch on in America, anyway.

Just be sure to stay in the shade. Earth is a dangerous place.

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