“Tranquility” Gets the Nod For Node

Astronaut Sunita Williams revealed on last night’s Colbert Report that NASA has decided to name the new International Space Station module “Tranquility” after the Sea of Tranquility, the original landing spot for humans on the moon. But the agency did name a treadmill after Stephen Colbert, who was the top votegetter in a recent poll. The piece of exercise equipment is called a Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill–a COLBERT. Quipped Mr. Colbert, “”I think a treadmill is better than a node … because the node is just a box for the treadmill. Nobody says, ‘Hey, my mom bought me a Nike box.’ They want the shoes that are inside.”

I think this compromise is both diplomatic and clever. Mr. Colbert always seems to be running for something.