Imagine a world much like our own—only with no Iraq war, no housing/mortgage/credit crisis, no “rendition” programs and no Bush!

Sounds pretty good,doesn’t it? But, alas, just a pipe dream? Maybe not?

News comes now that NASA says its scientists have discovered a fifth planet orbiting a star in another solar system and that, while bigger, seems similiar to Earth in many ways.

The planet is about the same distance from its sun as Earth is from ours; and, the other sun is a star much like our own.

The newly discovered planet is fourth from its sun…its year is 260 days long, and, says planetary scientist Jonathan Lunine, “It would be a little warmer than the Earth, but not very much.”  Sort of sounds like Los Angeles, doesn’t it?

It’s moon may harbor life–but the most important thing is it shows that solar systems much like ours are probably a dime a dozen, increasing the chances that someday ,someone out there will say “hello.”

We can only hope that someone won’t be a politician.