Superior life forms in our midst

Canadian astronaut, Steve MacLean's recent spacewalk has made me realize that astronauts are superior beings.

Here are people who are not only highly intelligent but also physically fit. Yet, they are not over-achieving corporate assholes who use their brains to serve shareholders then run on treadmills to stave off the imminent mid-life crisis. Rigorous NASA testing weeds out the possibility of an 'asshole in space'. These are well-adjusted and ripped eggheads who just want to go where few have gone before.

But back to Steve MacLean: during his 7 hour, 11 minute spacewalk, MacLean used positive Canuck talk to reassure everyone (“We’ll be taking care of business getting the solar arrays prepared”) and used Flanders-like language when his tool broke ("Son of a gun") while doing what was deemed a "tough and repetitive job". Sadly, in a similar circumstance on Earth, I would have been swearing a blue streak and used violence to solve my problem.

Steve MacLean and his fellow spacies are not as sexy as athletes but it's a shame that their understated excellence is often overlooked in the search for role models for the kids. Perhaps what NASA needs is the bitchy drama of a reality show where the prize is getting shot into space. When this show inevitably gets made, remember that you heard it here first.