There’s been speculation about this for the past few months, but if this story is true, Senator Kerry’s war record and medals may be a little… less potent a weapon…in the campaign than many Democrats had hoped.
If they’re smart, though, they won’t release this stuff too soon. Better to hold it until after the convention.
Anne Applebaum may not know much about space, but her new Pulitzer is well deserved. As Andrew Stuttaford says, you could probably generate a few kilowatts if you hooked up Walter Duranty’s corpse to a generator right now.
Now this is fun engineering.
We may be at a very crucial point in Iraq. Laughing Wolf has some thoughts.
We may be at a very crucial point in Iraq. Laughing Wolf has some thoughts.
We may be at a very crucial point in Iraq. Laughing Wolf has some thoughts.
Victor Davis Hanson asks that question, a disquieting one.
…at some point the world is asking:
Instapundit points out an article in which a police union says that police officers and their families should be above the law, at least when it comes to traffic infractions, including speeding.
While this is outrageous in itself, it would seemingly put the lie to the notion that the purpose of such laws is for public safety, since it’s no “safer” for a police officer’s wife to speed than it is for anyone else. It’s a tacit admission that it’s all about revenue generation, and just as government workers shouldn’t necessarily have to pay taxes (since they’re paid from taxes), they shouldn’t be subject to this revenue de-vice either. Remember this the next time you hear a lecture from a cop about how dangerous it is to exceed the speed limit.
Jim Oberg forwards an amusing variation on the Nigerian email scam:
Date: Sat Apr 3, 2004 3:20:10 PM US/Eastern
Subject: Nigerian Astronaut Wants To Come Home
Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA)
Plot 555 Misau Street
PMB 437 Garki, Abuja, FCT
NIGERIADear Mr. Sir,
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE-STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL
I am Dr. Bakare Tunde, the cousin of Nigerian Astronaut, Air Force Major Abacha Tunde. He was the first African in space when he made a secret flight to the Salyut 6 space station in 1979. He was on a later Soviet spaceflight, Soyuz T-16Z to the secret Soviet military space station Salyut 8T in 1989. He was stranded there in 1990 when the Soviet Union was dissolved. His other Soviet crew members returned to earth on the Soyuz T-16Z, but his place was taken up by return cargo. There have been occasional Progrez supply flights to keep him going since that time. He is in good humor, but wants to come home.
In the 14-years since he has been on the station, he has accumulated flight pay and interest amounting to almost $ 15,000,000 American Dollars. This is held in a trust at the Lagos National Savings and Trust Association. If we can obtain access to this money, we can place a down payment with the Russian Space Authorities for a Soyuz return flight to bring him back to Earth. I am told this will cost $3,000,000 American Dollars. In order to access the his trust fund we need your assistance.
Consequently, my colleagues and I are willing to transfer the total amount to your account for subsequent disbursement, since we as civil servants are prohibited by the Code of Conduct Bureau (Civil Service Laws) from opening and/ or operating foreign accounts in our names.
Needless to say, the trust reposed on you at this juncture is enormous. In return, we have agreed to offer you 20 percent of the transferred sum, while 10 percent shall be set aside for incidental expenses (internal and external) between the parties in the course of the transaction. You will be mandated to remit the balance 70 percent to other accounts in due course.
Kindly expedite action as we are behind schedule to enable us include downpayment in this financial quarter.
Please acknowledge the receipt of this message via my direct number 234 (0) 9-234-2220 only.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr. Bakare Tunde
Astronautics Project Manager
tip@nasrda.gov.nghttp://www.nasrda.gov.ng/
The web site appears to be genuine. It makes no mention of stranded astronauts.
In comments on this post, Marcus Lindroos wrote, apparently from some other planet:
Simberg: I suspect that what the EU is really worried about is that, with Arafat’s death, as with Saddam’s downfall, a lot of dirty laundry may come out in terms of the depths of the corruption of their dealings with him. Old Yasser reputedly has a some pretty sizable European bank accounts. How much of his thievery has he been kicking back to the Eurocrats?
So you “suspect” this is the case… Where is the evidence? Why always suspect the darkest of motives when discussing something that (quite frankly) isn’t perceived as a very important issue over here?
Really, Rand, it’s sad to see how a previously level-headed intelligent guy like you keep firing one dumb anti-European tirade after another. Why do you keep undermining your credibility like this? Why not simply stick to (commercial-) space policy? You make so much more sense talking about that.
While it doesn’t talk about kickbacks, there’s obviously abundant evidence that EU money has been funding terrorism, and that EU bureaucrats have been studiously looking the other way.
The tragedy, of course, as I replied to Marcus then, is that corruption and under-the-table support of terrorism in the EU “isn’t perceived as a very important issue” over there. It explains much about the continuing decline of Europe. Why do I suspect the darkest of motives, Marcus? Because I’ve been observing them for too long, and I know their character.
As for my credibility, I’ll let others judge that, but you might want to consider that it’s not my level-headedness that’s being inconsistent.
Just a thought.