I’d like to thank all the good people who’ve been hitting the tip jar lately. Now is actually a good time for it, from my personal standpoint.

I was going to do a write up of the past weekend’s Space Access Conference, but Clark Lindsey over at Hobbyspace (which I’m also adding to the blogroll) has saved me the trouble.

Paul Hsieh found this neat page of various cellular automata. Click on the various universes to restart them.

There’s going to be an on-line chat with Brad Stone, author of the story about Jeff Bezos’ venture in space, tomorrow at noon, Eastern Daylight Time.

[Update on Thursday]

Sorry, my screwup. It’s tomorrow (Friday) not tomorrow from whatever day I originally posted this.

We’re used to hearing him shred dumb reporters’ questions in the Pentagon briefings. Here’s an interview of Rumsfeld in Kuwait by Middle East Broadcasting.

I haven’t had (or at least, made) the time to write up this past weekend’s Space Access Conference, but Jeff Foust has, in part, over at The Space Review (an excellent site that I would suggest adding to your bookmarks–I’ve updated my space policy links to include it). He has a good description of the issues and discussion of regulating suborbital flight that came out of that meeting, in a panel that included both vehicle developers and the FAA-AST.

Summary: As I’ve been saying for a long time, initial space transports will not be certified, even for passengers, because to do so would result in a stillborn industry. And Burt Rutan may end up losing the X-Prize because he’s not doing what’s necessary in order to be able to legally fly by the end of next year, regardless of the technical readiness of his vehicle.

Iraq’s new copyright laws are being drafted by Hillary Rosen.

Ford has produced its one hundred millionth V-8 engine.

I’ve never owned one (Ford or V-8).

A Japanese scientist has found some micro-organisms in panda scat that is very efficient at producing fuel from garbage.

Baghdad Bob, aka Skippy, aka Mohammad Said Al Sahaf, apparently survived his previous attempt at suicide, and is trying, unsuccessfully, to get arrested. Well, I’m glad to hear he’s not dead, but of course, I never really believed that he was, and won’t until I hear him deny it from his own lips.

He’s reportedly hiding in his aunt’s house, but they won’t come to get him because he’s not one of the playing cards.

Sure he is. He’s the joker…