A flat-out rant about Toy Story, which may or may not eventually relate to astronomy.

I left the house for a few hours on Sunday to go to my Germany Spring Break Reunion Party, and when I got back, do you know what I found?

Actually, nothing.  But my sister-in-law found it in the guest bedroom closet.

Anyway, I'm sure you've guessed by now that it's Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl we found, trapped in a closet that hasn't seen a working lightbulb in living memory and suffering sensory deprivation torture thusly.  And upon her rescue, she was nearly put in the garage sale pile.

Yes, I do see the parallels, thanks.  I am sufficiently ashamed--perhaps excessively so, actually, and this is where the ranting begins.

Where does Pixar get off ending the movie that way?  Disney-Pixar, no less!  Inflicting guilt for ignoring one's' toys upon unsuspecting children--it's unjustifiable.

Rest assured that Jessie is resting comfortably in a place of honor in my bedroom now.  She won't be neglected again.  And perhaps that means I'm a little left of center, but such is life.  Jessie and I can take turns suffering the insanity caused by the Toy Story franchise now.

So yes, the tie-in is that Buzz Lightyear is an astronaut, and they go to space.

More relevantly,  The FINANCIAL released, five hours ago, that the shuttle Atlantis will begin one final voyage to the International Space Station on May 14.  And I would like to point out that the ISS is neither infinity nor beyond, so what's up with that?