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A journey to space: Artemis by any other name

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Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Written by Pitt Dickey

Celestial Events Desk: It is beyond debate that the greatest movie made in 1959 was the Three Stooges interstellar l epic Have Rocket Will Travel. The Stooges were working as janitors at a space port and accidentally launched themselves into space. Mankind has always reached for the stars. The Stooges were no exception. I bring this up because in early April, NASA launched the Artemis II crew to circle the Moon with a crew of four intrepid astronauts. This is one more astronaut than even the Three Stooges. The Artemis II mission is to ride an Orion rocket around the moon and back.
When you weren’t marveling how Dook managed to blow a 19-point lead to lose to Connecticut on a buzzer-beater half-court shot, did you ever wonder where the colorful names for Space Missions came from? If so, today is your lucky day. Return to the wild and wacky world of Greek Mythology to learn who Artemis was. For extra credit, discover how Orion fits into the naming of this space mission.
Artemis, as Frank Sinatra described Luck, was a lady. Her mom, Leto, and her Baby Daddy, Zeus, were free spirits, unhindered by the holy bonds of matrimony.
Zeus, at the time of Artemis’ conception, was married to Hera. As might be expected, Hera was not amused by this situation. Leto produced not only Artemis but her twin brother Apollo, who went on to own a very famous nightclub in Harlem.
To escape Hera, Leto took her two children into the hinterlands of Asia Minor, where she stopped in Lycia to drink some water and bathe her kids. The local villagers were inhospitable. They stirred up the pond’s mud, making the water undrinkable and yucky for bathing.
Leto was so torqued off at the villagers that she turned them into frogs. She later had trouble with a giant named Tityos, who took a hankering for Leto. He made some unwelcome moves on her. The twins peppered Tityos with arrows, which cooled his ardor considerably. Leto did some magic, stretching Tityos’ body over nine acres, leaving him like a thin mint for vultures who ate his liver and heart every day.
Artemis was a Goddess with responsibilities and a short temper– She was a protector of young children (She apparently was out to lunch during the Epstein extravaganza). She was a huntress who frequently bathed naked in the woods. This led to an awkward situation where Actaeon, who was out innocently hunting in the forest accidently saw Artemis in her birthday suit. Artemis was not amused and turned Actaeon into a deer. Her transformation of Actaeon into Bambi’s father was so convincing that his own hunting dogs did not recognize him. His dogs turned on him, chewing Actaeon into bite-sized pieces of venison. Myths, being old, tend to have many versions of the same story.
In another telling, King Agamemnon shot and killed one of Artemis’ sacred deer. Artemis demanded Agamemnon’s daughter, Iphigenia, be sacrificed to pay for the killing of her sacred deer. This story was later made into a disturbing movie called The Killing of a Sacred Deer, which is still available for your viewing pleasure on HBO Max. Watch at your own risk.
After several other misadventures in which lots of Greeks were killed by Artemis and her brother Apollo, Artemis hooked up with a hunting buddy named Orion. Orion was a loudmouth, constantly bragging about his hunting skills. He boasted that he was going to kill every animal on Earth. The Earth Goddess, Gaia, was not amused.
In one version, Gaia sent a gigantic scorpion to kill Orion. Artemis saved Orion by tossing him up into the skies where he became a constellation. Orion became famous for wearing a belt instead of suspenders. In another version, Orion tried to make unwanted whoopee with Artemis’s friend Opis. Artemis was having none of that. She killed him and tossed his dead body into the sky, where he also became a constellation. Yet another version has Artemis falling in love with Orion. Her brother Apollo tries and fails to talk her out of marrying Orion. He tricks Artemis into an archery contest in which he challenges her to shoot at a tiny speck way out in the ocean.
Unfortunately, the speck was Orion swimming. Artemis hits him with her arrow, causing Orion to expire. His body floats back to the beach. Artemis, consumed by grief, tosses him up into the skies where he becomes a constellation.
Now you know how the Artemis crew and the spaceship got their names. Bonus points for learning about the Three Stooges in Have Rocket Will Travel.

(Illustration by Pitt Dickey)

Fighting the good fight: The truth about legacy

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Tuesday, 07 April 2026

Written by Dan DeBruler

Legacy is more than what we leave at the end of a life—it’s something we’re building each day we live and breathe. True legacy is made of the things that outlive us.
How do we build our lives in a way that leads others to conclude we finished well? That we completed the course of our life, remaining faithful to what we said really matters? How do we fortify ourselves, our minds, and our attention span against drift?
I look to someone I think pulled it off. As a Pastor and Christian communicator, the Bible is a natural go-to for me.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
2 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)
This is Apostle Paul’s final letter to his young protégé, Timothy. Paul is near death and he knows it. He wants to make sure his parting words are something of substance.
He’s saying:
I fought when it was difficult…
I put one foot in front of the other even though it was long and there was no end, no victory in sight.
And while everything didn’t go the way I might have preferred, I didn’t quit. I didn’t abandon anything. In short, he says, I stayed. That’s faithfulness.
Much of what we do is unseen. Others may see the results of what you do, but they don’t notice that you do it. You may not SEE someone love others more than themselves, but you see someone who listens instead of winning the argument.
You can’t SEE someone choose integrity, but you can see an employee who does the right thing when no one is checking. You can’t always SEE someone forgive, but you see relationships that don’t fall apart. You don’t always SEE someone pray, but you see the peace that doesn’t make sense.
You might not SEE someone stay faithful in reading the Bible, but you see wisdom show up at just the right time. You can’t SEE someone fight temptation, but you see a life that didn’t derail.
That seems like faithfulness to me. Remaining true to what we say really matters. What would compel a man whose life was marked by beatings, imprisonment, rejection and ridicule to keep on the path that resulted in so much pain, so much turmoil?
The answer to that question appears in his next line:
“Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)
He knew there was more. And he says it’s not just for him, but for everyone who lives their lives according to God-honoring principles.
Guard yourself against the ease of drifting from what really matters. Refuse comparison. Resist bitterness and return to God’s perspective. Legacy is lost more often through distraction than it is through disaster.

Leandro Should Have Ended Long Ago

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Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Written by John Hood

For all the confusion, finger-pointing, and rancor that accompanied the North Carolina Supreme Court’s final ruling in the Leandro school-finance case, the primary emotion it conjured in me was relief. This is likely the last time I’ll feel compelled to comment on the matter.
I have many acquaintances, and some cherished friends, who are very angry at the Supreme Court for bringing an official end to the litigation without delivering its intended outcome: a court order compelling the state to spend billions of dollars more on public schools, necessarily financed by tax increases.
I mean no disrespect to them, but such an outcome would have been outrageous. Begun in 1994 as a legal claim that school systems in low-wealth counties should receive additional state funds so they could offer programs and facilities comparable to higher-wealth counties, the Leandro case then morphed into a broader claim that all of North Carolina’s public schools were funded below a minimum level required by the state constitution.
An “equity” lawsuit, in other words, became an “adequacy” lawsuit. Why? Because unlike the prior states targeted by similar equity lawsuits, North Carolina already funded its schools primarily with state taxes, not local ones. Because urban school districts intervened to lodge their own fiscal claims. And because the organizations behind the Leandro litigation believe increases in education spending would be good public policy.
They have every right to believe that. But Article IX of the state constitution, the one requiring that the state legislature “shall provide by taxation and otherwise for a general and uniform system of free public schools” wherein “equal opportunities shall be provided for all students,” isn’t the whole of the document.
Other sections require that all legislative power be vested in the General Assembly, that the legislature enacts state budgets, that “no money shall be drawn from the state treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law,” and that “the people of this state shall not be taxed or made subject to the payment of any impost or duty without the consent of themselves or their representatives in the General Assembly, freely given.”
Nothing in the design or operation of North Carolina’s constitutional order could reasonably be construed to allow the judicial branch to decide how much money taxpayers must spend on education, or for a governor and court to collude to produce a “settlement” drawn up by a left-wing advocacy group and about which the legislative branch, possessing the power of the purse, has no say.
Moreover, the state constitution is full of explicit and implicit protections of rights other than that of the opportunity to receive a sound, basic education. It protects, for example, the rights of North Carolinians to enjoy “the fruits of their own labor.” It promises that “every person for an injury done him in his lands, goods, person, or reputation shall have remedy by due course of law; and right and justice shall be administered without favor, denial, or delay.” And it states that the “benefits of The University of North Carolina and other public institutions of higher education” should “as far as practicable, be extended to the people of the state free of expense.”
Would it be proper to taxpayers to file a lawsuit alleging that North Carolina’s tax code imposes too heavy a burden on their right to “the fruits of their own labor,” and then for some future governor to negotiate a “settlement” that required state lawmakers or county commissioners to lower their tax rates by a set amount? What about litigation to force the state treasurer or state controller to transfer funds to the Department of Public Safety, the Administrative Office of the Courts, or county sheriff‘s departments for specified programs to ensure swift justice? Should the Supreme Court decide what specific amount of UNC tuition is as “free of expense” as “practicable”?
These are weighty matters, but not justiciable ones. So is the amount annually appropriated to public schools.

Editor’s note: John Hood is a John Locke Foundation board member. His books Mountain Folk, Forest Folk, and Water Folk combine epic fantasy with American history (FolkloreCycle.com).

Troy's Perspective: Data centers could be good for community

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Tuesday, 07 April 2026

Written by Troy Williams

Cumberland County and Fayetteville often overlook valuable economic and growth opportunities, leaving residents feeling disconnected from the region's potential for development and prosperity. Identifying community leaders and stakeholders who can champion these ideas can make residents feel valued and motivated to contribute to shared progress and inclusion. Change is a natural part of life, and when we overlook opportunities, they can be challenging to reclaim. Embrace the moment and act before it's too late.
Data centers are increasingly seen as a key opportunity for innovation and economic growth in Cumberland County. Highlighting their key features can help community members see the benefits and foster pride among political and business sectors. However, understanding the investment requirements and potential risks involved can help stakeholders make informed decisions and support sustainable growth initiatives.
Environmental risks are the primary concern for those opposing data centers in our community. Recognizing established environmental issues can help underscore the significance of sustainable development. We can also highlight how data centers are implementing eco-friendly practices, such as renewable energy use and water conservation, to reassure residents and promote responsible growth.
Are there any economic initiatives we can implement in our community that are completely risk-free? The answer is likely no. This response is not intended to undermine the valid concerns expressed by individuals who have legitimate opinions about the potential downsides of introducing data center technology to our community.
We are living in the 21st century, and reverting to only using landline telephones while avoiding AI technology is not a solution-oriented approach in this global economy. The options are like a classic animated showdown: The Flintstones against The Jetsons. Which timeless tale will we choose to embrace?
There is no need to overemphasize past mistakes. However, Fayetteville and Cumberland County have historically missed opportunities, leaving residents frustrated or resigned. Now, we face a familiar crossroads again. By ensuring everyone who needs to be at the table is included, we can foster hope and motivate proactive participation to shape a better future.
Individuals over 70 years old, the baby boomers, are the most politically active group and are leading the opposition to data centers. This observation is more anecdotal than scientific, as it is based on responses from people who have completed surveys so far. The upside is that they are aware of community change; however, some seniors tend to downplay the importance of technology and are averse to using unfamiliar devices.
We need greater involvement from citizens in their 20s, 30s, and 40s in community decision-making, as these age groups are more likely to be affected by these decisions than the older generation, who tend to have a shorter lifespan.
For the record, I am also one of those baby boomers in my seventies. However, I understand that we live in a world that is constantly changing. If the community I love—Fayetteville and Cumberland County—wants to keep pace with the global landscape, we must embrace unfamiliar changes. This could include the introduction of data centers.