Your behavior appears to be a little unusual. Please verify that you are not a bot.


Da Capo: Pardon Me, Boy, Is That the Galileo Choo Choo?

February 1, 2012  - By
Image: GPS World

Our Paris correspondent, Ms. Axelle Pomies, writes that “The Galileo Train is about to depart, but European GNSS applications incentives are still at the station.”

“Despite a vast potential for industry growth and new jobs in Europe,” she continues, “European government bodies are not taking up the challenge. The budget dedicated to GNSS application research in European Commission FP7 was dramatically cut in 2007, and no specific budget line for GNSS application R&D is foreseen for the period post-2013. In times of much-needed jobs, decision-makers seem to plan to leave out the GNSS application R&D. This short-term strategy, depriving European citizens of the opportunity to take full advantage of a booming market, is going to cost European GNSS downstream industry and Europe dear.”

See the full Galileo Services press release.

Hear melodic accompaniment and see very flashy footwork for the following doggerel.

And now, with apologies to Mack Gordon, Harry Warren, and Glenn Miller,

Pardon me, boy
Is that the Galileo choo choo?
Track twenty-nine
Boy, you can give me a shine.
Can you afford
To miss that Galileo choo choo
And miss the ride
That R & D would provide?

You leave the Gare du Nord ’bout a quarter to four
Read a magazine and then you’re in Dusseldor(f)
Dinner in the diner
Nothing could be finer
Than to have your ham an’ eggs in Thurin-gai-ya

When you hear the whistle blowin’ eight to the bar
Then you know Oberpfaffenhoffen’s not very far
Shovel all the coal in
Gotta keep it rollin’
Woo, woo, Galileo, there you are

There’s gonna be
A certain party at the station
But if EU won’t show support
Our downstream market will fall short
We’re all gonna cry
Without a Framework Programme loan
So Galileo choo choo
Won’t you choo-choo me home?
Galileo choo choo
Won’t you choo-choo me home?

This article is tagged with and posted in Opinions