That’s the leading headline in today’s print edition of that paragon of reportorial objectivity, that serious newspaper, the LA Times.
Yes, those wascawwy wepubwicans can try to fool us by doing high-profile things like tossing out their Jim-Crow-worshiping Senate Majority Leader, but we know what’s in their hearts. They’re opposed to diversity!
Oh, the humanity.
Of course a more accurate headline (which would actually line up with the text of the story) would be “Bush Opposes Racial Discrimination At University.” But that wouldn’t convey the desired message, would it?
Everyone else has mentioned it by now, including Glenn and Andrew Sullivan, but I want to offer my moral support to Iain Murray and his family, who just lost his job due to his blog.
Unfortunately, I’m not in a position to offer much else right now, but hit his tip jar if you can afford it.
Know Your Product: Space tourism is no different from Barnum’s wax museums, giant elephants and General Tom Thumb. You’re not selling paraffin, big pachyderms and small men. You’re selling what Barnum would call “humbug,” or “ballyhoo.” You’re selling exotic experience. Bear in mind that this product is at the other end of the universe from the “space product” that NASA “sells:” they sell safe, routine government operations. Consider how few people pay to watch tax-legislation proofreading… and that about as many watch the feed from NASA TV. If you try to sell the NASA product, you won’t be in any business very long.
This is a message that I’ve been trying to get through peoples’ heads for more than a decade. The success or failure of Space Camps says nothing about the market for space tourism. We need to stop selling NASA, and start selling Space.