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Random thoughts on politics, current events, popular culture, and whatever else interests me.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A film version of Sgt Rock the iconic military comic book is going to be a film, although with an annoying twist. Until now, “Rock” has retained its World War II setting, with Silver and the studio trying to make a big-budget action adventure movie that was a throwback to flicks like “The Dirty Dozen,” which feature acts of American derring-do. Memo to Hollywood. "American Jingoism", which means Americans as good guys and enemies of America as bad guys, would be "in style" for American audiences. But one supposes one must not anger the all important European, not to mention Middle Eastern, markets by doing that. Here's an idea for something really edgy. If Hollywood doesn't like WWII flicks, makie the Sgt Rock film a War on Terror epic, with the howling commandos slaughtering gabs of Islamo terrorists. Get John Milius to direct; he would do a great job. Monday, November 09, 2009
Rand Simberg inveighs against Taylor Dinerman predictably for writing the heretical idea that maybe the plucky newspace companies are not going to open up the high frontier next week if only NASA would just go away. Then Rand takes on Defying Gravity with this little gem. Big media, like (apparently) Dwayne, remain stuck in the Apollo paradigm of space being about a few civil servants doing science and exploration, at great government expense. Here’s an idea. Try a show about real space pioneers and see how popular it is. IIRC, “Lost In Space” actually did pretty well back in the sixties, or at least a lot better than the schlock that Dwayne reviewed. It’s not the sixties any more, but let’s give it a try anyway. It’s not like LIS was based on the NASA paradigm, so that wouldn’t explain its sixties success, right? Of course the various incarnations of Star Trek, which depicts a government run Star Fleet, had various levels of success well into the 21st Century. And the new movie was a smash hit with sequels to come. Babylon Five was also about several big government space organizations, some alien, including Earth Force, and it did very well. On the other hand, Firefly which was about space cowboys/pirates, was also great, though bad scheduling doomed the series. The point is that good story telling will be rewarded whether the space heroes work for NASA, Star Fleet, or Captain Reynolds' band of misfit buccaneers. Rand is so caught up in his demons about NASA that he doesn't realize this. Fort Hood Massacre: Was it Terrorism, Part Two? A story on the ABC News site has raised new and disturbing questions about Malik Nadal Hasan. It seems that the FBI had been aware that Malik Nadal Hasan was trying to contact Al Qaeda operatives by "electronic means." Ralph Peters Inveighs Against Obama in the New York Post n a recent column in the New York Post, retired Colonel Ralph Peters expressed the opinion this is likely held by a lot of service people, both retired and active duty. When it comes to the War on Terror, the Commander in Chief is missing in action. In Augustine’s questionable adjective, Taylor Dinerman commits heresy by suggesting that commercial space is not quite ready to step up. Industry spokespeople have been realistic about this, but others have shown a tendency to expect too much too soon. I confess that I have made this mistake myself. These emerging firms show huge promise, but they are just getting started and the US government should not expect them to perform miracles. Neither they, nor the big contractors, have access to supplies of magic pixie dust. Plans cannot be made on the basis that they will have such a supply in the future. In some parts of the Internet Rocketeer Club that is grounds for being burned at the stake. Jeff Foust discusses A wild finish for the Lunar Lander Challenge. Dwayne Day remembers a awful TV show in Losing Gravity. Day makes a serious mistake extrapolating support for space exploration in general from the failure of a badly produced, badly written, badly acted show. Jeff Foust reviews Alan Boyle's The Case for Pluto. 'Dexter' Season 4, Episode 7: 'Slack Tide' In 'Dexter', Season 7, Episode 4, 'Slack Tide', Dexter explains the meaning of the term slack tide. It is a sailor's term meaning that moment between the tide going in and the tide going out where everything is in balance. 'Mad Men' Season 3, Episode 13: 'Shut the Door, Have a Seat' In 'Mad Men' Season 3 Episode 13 'Shut the Door, Have a Seat', the phrase in the title of the episode is uttered several times by one character or another. In a business setting, it is heard just before some momentous news is heard. How the Berlin Wall Came Tumbling Down No one who has come of age in the twenty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall can understand what it felt like to be alive on November 9th, 1989. To really understand, in the core of ones being, one would have to have been alive during the Cold War. Sunday, November 08, 2009
Health Care Reform Passes House in the Dead of Night As is traditional for attempts at theft, the House version of health care reform passed in the dead of night. The way was cleared for the passage of health care reform after the Stupak Amendment banned funding for elective abortions. Americans Are Starting to Miss President Bush The UK Telegraph has a remarkable story from America about a new trend that, so far, seems to be going unreported in the American media. Americans, turned off by President Obama's cold demeanor, are missing George W. Bush. Saturday, November 07, 2009
"Miss me yet?" I think just about now. In a sign that the Obama honeymoon truly is over, I began to hear this week the first stirrings of a wistfulness about Mr Bush. "I never thought I'd hear myself say it," one Democrat told me. "But Obama makes you feel that at least with Bush you knew where he was on something." President Obama is too busy trying to ram through a government seizure of health care to visit the wounded at Fort Hood. But it looks like George W. and Laura Bush were not. 10.2 Percent Unemployment and the Failure of the Stimulus Package The latest unemployment numbers for the month of October, 2009 are in. Unemployment in the United States stands at a twenty six year high of 10.2 percent. Add in discouraged workers and part timers and the real unemployment rate is north of 17 percent. Apparently Roland Emmerich did not want to do a sequel to Independence Day while Bush was in the White House. Now that Obama is President, it's a different matter. Emmerich mocked President Bush and Vice President Cheney in his visually impressive but scientifically implausible Day after Tomorrow. However he seems very wide of the mark. If anyone resembles Bill Pullman's President Whitmore from ID4, it has to be W. Let;s see, a former fighter jock President who is despised by the media who rises to glory at the time of ultimate crisis? Sounds like Bush to me. On the other hand, God help us if the aliens invade with Obama in the White House. He would still be dithering about what response was appropriate as the giant flying saucers blasted the rest of our cities. Friday, November 06, 2009
Courtney Stadd, formal NASA official, a champion of commercial space and a convicted felon, has been sentenced to probation. Courtney Stadd, of Bethesda, Md., was convicted in August of helping a consulting client — Mississippi State University — get nearly $10 million of the space agency's funds. The Fort Hood Massacre -- Was it Terrorism? A man enters a United States military facility and, shouting "Allahu akbar!", which is the battle cry of Islamic jihadis, starts to shoot everyone he can with a couple of hand guns. The man is later found to have praised Muslim suicide bombers. Kimberly Munley - hero. More 0n Kimberly Munley, Hero of the Fort Hood Massacre Kimberly Munley, a civilian police Sergeant assigned to Fort Hood, was the first on the scene along with her partner of what is now called the Fort Hood Massacre. Moments before Kimberly Munley had been directing traffic. Malik Nadal Hasan and the Fort Hood Massacre At about 1:30 Central Time, Army Major Malik Nadal Hasan walked into a processing center at Fort Hood Texas where soldiers were waiting for medical checkups with a pair of hand guns and started shooting without discrimination. Thursday, November 05, 2009
Just in the way of patting myself on the back, Associated Content has given Your Humble Servant an award for Best Political Writing. A Look into a Cat's Eye - Basic Feline Ocular Anatomy for the Pet Owner A cat's eyes are complex organs which use a variety of tissues and fluids to enable a cat to see. While feline eyes are in some ways similar to those of humans, there are some radical differences which are designed to improve a cat's night vision. Below is a basic overview of feline Nancy Pelosi to Ram Through Health Care Reform by Saturday House Speaker Nancy Pelosi thinks she has learned the lesson of the thrashing Democrats took in the elections in New Jersey and Virginia. Pelosi will try to force a vote on health care reform on Saturday. South Park's 'The F Word' South Park 'The F Word' is on one level a funny story about how our foul-mouthed heroes get rid of an obnoxious motorcycle gang. On another level, South Park 'The F Word' is a meditation on words, especially scatological ones, and their usage. Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Electron beam freeform fabrication is not exactly a replicator, but it does look like a good manufacturing tool for space colonies and long duration space flights. Roland Emmerich Spares the Kaaba in '2012' Roland Emmerich, the director of the upcoming worldwide disaster movie '2012', in which quite a few land marks are obliterated, decided against destroying the Kaaba on screen. He demurred for fear of drawing a fatwa and thus getting killed by a Muslim fanatic. Carly Fiorina Announces United States Senate Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewitt Packard, has formally announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in California, running against incumbent Senator Barbara Boxer. In what will be a Republican year, Fiorina stands a decent chance of winning. Houston Mayoral Election Results in Runoff The Houston Mayoral election results have caused a runoff scheduled for December for December 12 between City Comptroller Annise Parker and former City Attorney Gene Locke. It was the culmination of a fairly boring race. Dennis Wingo has an interesting analysis of the Augustine Report. Addendum: Rand Simberg, upon reading the Wingo piece, seems disposed to make the same mistake the Nixon administration did with the shuttle. Despite my initial misreading of it, though, I even think that it’s possible to do it without the extra three billion. Upon what basis Rand says that he does not choose to elaborate. Nixon, upon being told that a proper space shuttle would cost ten billion in 1971 dollars, demurred and ordered NASA to do it for roughly half. NASA saluted and did what it was told (it had no choice) but as a result that whatever was saved in development costs were more than outweighed by increased operational costs, something Dennis Wingo notes in his piece upon the various launcher ideas. Rand goes on to say, "And it had better be, because I doubt if they’re going to get it." He might be right there. The Obama administration's propensity for generous spending does not extend to space exploration. NY 23 Election Results: Why Did Hoffman Lose? During an election that was otherwise a triumph for the Republican Party, the question arises: Why did Doug Hoffman lose in the special election in the New York 23rd Congressional District? The explanation will depend on who is explaining. Virginia and New Jersey Results: Why Republicans Won The Republicans scored huge triumphs in Virginia and New Jersey, taking all three statewide offices in the former state and the Governor's office in the latter. The margins of victory in Virginia were especially crushing, in double digits. It seems that Islamic monuments are spared in Roland Emmerich's world ending disaster film, 2012. Allah uh-akbar, Tuesday, November 03, 2009
The new V is apparently about Obama if Obama was a humanoid looking woman who is really a flesh eating alien from beyond the stars bent on world domination. Joe Biden Takes on Sarah Palin Again Vice President Joe Biden went down to Watertown, New York to campaign for Bill Owens, the Democratic candidate for Congress in the special election in the 23rd Congressional District of New York. Then Biden went after Sarah Palin. Election Day November 2009 -- What to Look For Election Day November 2009 has a number of interesting races that some people will claim will be a harbinger for things to come next year and others will say that they do not. Who they are will depend on who wins and who loses. Here is what to look for on Election Day November 2009. Another story on the Galactic Suits Hotel project. But critics have questioned the project, saying the time frame is unreasonable and also where the money is coming from to finance the project. Monday, November 02, 2009
Considering the whipping she gave him during last year's debate, Joe Biden should have known better than to go up against Sarah Palin. Rand Simberg analyzes the problems he sees with the Ares 1, with an examination of the recent Ares 1-X test. He makes a conjecture about contact between the second and first stage that may or may not be true. He also makes a rather silly statement that for the development costs of Ares 1, "seventy" SpaceX companies could be formed. Now while there is an argument for going the commercial route insofar as ISS resupply/crew transfer goes, one would have to wonder why NASA would want to create seventy SpaceXs. In any case, unless Ares 1's defenders in the Congress have enough will and juice to insist that it be built, Rand is flogging a dead horse. If Obama chooses an exploration architecture it will likely involve a commercial solution for ISS and duo heavy lifters for the exploration program, likely Ares V Lite IMHO. There are certain advantages, mainly saving money and helping to jump start a commercial launch industry. On the down side, there is no plan b if the commercial sector does not step up with a space ship. Also Rand makes this assertion: Those who cling to the Augustine panel's supposed endorsement of the technical validity of the concept are ignoring the more devastating message from the panel with regard to costs. As Jeff Greason said, with the concurrence of co-panelist Sally Ride, "If Santa Claus gave us this system fully developed tomorrow, the first thing we'd have to do is cancel it, because we can't afford to fly it." If I am not mistaken, Greason and Sally Ride were referring to a scenario in which the current, projected budget is maintained, which the Augustine Commission has concluded is untenable for any exploration program. There has to be a plus up of three billion a year or else no humans beyond LEO in the foreseeable future. 'Mad Men' Season 3, Episode 12: 'The Grown Ups' Mad Men Season 3 Episode 12 starts pretty much like most episodes of Mad Men. The smarmy Peter Campbell gets the bad news that he has been passed over for a promotion. Don Draper is still suffering the consequence of his being found out by his wife. 'Dexter' Season, 4 Episode 6: 'If I Had a Hammer' Dexter Season 4 Episode 6 If I had a Hammer finds Dexter is the role of student and Trinity, the older serial killer played with such chilling effectiveness by John Lithgow, as the teacher, And what Trinity has to teach is not just the art of being a killer. Dede Scozzafava Becomes a Political Suicide Bomber It is understandable that Dede Scozzafava is upset. Dede Scozzafava was a liberal Republican who had been handpicked by the GOP party bosses in New York to run in the special election in New York's 23rd Congressional district. Jeff Foust discusses Boring but important policy developments such as launch indemnification and export control reform. Taylor Dinerman says, Don't forget the Robotss. Such as Mars Science Lab. Louis Friedman has An Open Letter to President Obama in which he touts the parts of the Augustine Report he likes. Jeff Foust discusses a DARPA project in Breaking up may be good to do. Lileks reports some disturbing news about the Red Dawn remake. Over the fire I chatted with a neighbor who’s working on the “Red Dawn” remake. Get this: in the new version, China and Russia invade the US – to put a stop to our greed. There are times you wish you had a mouthful of kerosene so you could do a flaming spit take. If this is how the film turns out, it’ll be hilarious; it’s as if the filmmakers were a bit ambivalent about all the horrible jingoism that such a film might unleash, so they had to temper it with a bit of theoretical altruism that could be true, you know, in a sense. I almost expect the Russians and Chinese to invade to enforce Copenhagen protocols, and the brave Americans fight back for a modified rollout of carbon emission standards that will allow domestic industry to perfect the new HydroWind Energy System, which the Chinese don’t want because they just signed a UN agreement to respect patents of other countries. This is similar to the remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still which had Klaatu coming to destroy the human race to save the Earth. Of course, no one would be able to teach either the Russians or the Chinese about greed. Of course one could be reading more into this than there really is. In the original Red Dawn, the godless commies were invading the United States because we were a threat to world peace. That did not stop audiences from being very excited indeed at the scenes of the Wolverines shooting, blowing up, and otherwise inflicting hurt on the Red invaders. Sunday, November 01, 2009
Rush Limbaugh Sits Down with Chris Wallace Rush Limbaugh sat down with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday for a rare interview. Much of what Rush had to say is familiar to anyone who has listened to his radio show. But some of the things Rush Limbaugh said will make news. Smart Diplomacy Watch Mark Steyn compares two modes of diplomacy, one from a swaggering Texas, the other from a smart, nuanced woman named Clinton. Ways to Save for the Thrifty Business Traveler Unlike high-powered corporate executives, most of us who must travel for business have to be careful of how much money we spend during business trips. Here are some tips for thrifty business travel. |