Is there a single word in the dictionary that has a more negative connotation than the word probe?  I think not.  We will probe the enemy.  Mr. Cowan, we will have to do a probe to see what is wrong with you. 

We have spent $ 24.5 billion dollars sending a probe to Mars.  The probe, which appears to have been made using an erector set and a tube of tinker toys, is sending back pictures that I have seen before.  Last October I went to Study Butte and Terlingua, Texas and I saw the same country that the probe is showing from Mars.  They claim to be making a real discoveries up there but I can assure them they could be doing the same thing in West Texas.  Did you happen to see how elated the room of people were that were tracking this probe?  You would have thought they hit the LOTTO,  It took 8 months for that little thing to get up there.  What were those people doing for 8 months.  I can assure you that they had not been furlowed at half pay or some sinsible thing like that.

Had they given a fraction of that money to me, say 10%, the next mega reunion would have been on me.  Full ride to Vegas for everyone alive who ever went to Pecos High.  There would have been some cash in everybodys pocket also.  It took me years to see the reason for the space race.  As soon as I found out that we werent going to be bombed with chimpanese poop I pretty much figured the old space race was a boondoggle.  However, they eventually came up with communications satellites and enabled us to keep up with each other at almost every single spot on the planet.  It is embarrassing to be on the pottie and have your banker or preacher call.  Of course they always ask if you are busy, and you lie and say no.  Just sitting around.

I am just sitting here wondering if anybody called those Martians and asked if they wanted to be probed.

Chewey