Pssst! Want to know a secret?

Hey, guess why some things are called Top Secret? You can figure it out pretty easily, right?

Apparently a lot of people can't.

There's been rampant speculation and rumor regarding the Air Force's classified space airplane, the X-37B.

Hey, guess why some things are called classified?

It looks like a mini space shuttle, and can stay in orbit for 270 days (big deal - with enough vodka and orange juice I can do the same thing). It seems like everyone wants to know why the Air Force isn't telling us every single detail about it. What it does. What they're planning on using it for. Who we'll use it against. Can we even use it that way.

Okay, here's the thing. We don't really need to know.

Yes I know our tax dollars are paying for it. Yes I know many people want every branch of the military to be totally transparent. Yes I know there's a certain mindset that says if we don't watchdog the military at every step we risk losing our freedom to it. But I also know no matter how badly people like Victoria Sampson of the Secure World Foundation - clearly named by someone who appreciates irony - wring their hands, go on CNN and say things like, "They just won't tell us anything." it's still none of their business.

I don't know whether Victoria and her pals have noticed, but defending and protecting the nation just isn't as easy as it used to be. Sure, we've got Rosie O'Donnell and Glenn Beck to scare people away, but these days that just isn't enough. Whatever advantage we can gain, for example not spilling every secret to those who'd like to see us all taking the big dirtnap, I'm for it.

I understand the concern about the militarization of space, but frankly, that satellite left the barn a long time ago. Between spy satellites, navigational satellites for military ships and aircraft, secure communications satellites, satellites that detect the launch of missiles and satellites that monitor the movement of military equipment (theirs, not ours), it's a little late to be worrying about that.

For me, it comes down to a balancing act. Us having enough information to keep the military on the up and up, and them being allowed enough secrecy to do the job we ask them to do.

Every once in awhile I find myself operating on a need-to-know basis.

And for the moment, in this particular instance, I don't need to know.