…the motion picture?
Don’t hold your breath.
Category Archives: Media Criticism
Commercial Crew
Jeff Foust is reporting that the sequestration will bring it to a halt. And then there’s this:
NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion crew exploration vehicle would not be directly affected by the cuts.
Insanity.
[Update a couple minutes later]
A commenter says it may not be as bad as it appears (or at least, it’s not much worse than the status quo, given that Congress refuses to fund it adequately).
It always hurts my head to try to get it wrapped around the entrails of budget issues, but I’ll dig into it further (and be interested to see what Major Tom has to say).
The Crippled Cruise Ship
I’ve been thinking of writing a piece about how the passengers were transported back in time to when immigrants came over in steerage (or worse, were slaves chained in the hold, lying in their own filth for weeks), and still may, but Lileks has some biting criticism of the media coverage so far.
The National Conversation On Guns
Apparently it’s supposed to be a monologue:
At a meeting, two firearms experts came forward to speak, bringing with them two common Ruger 10/22 rifles that had been cleared by security. The purpose of their presentation was to explain how the gun-control laws currently being proposed would outlaw only a gun’s cosmetic features while not affecting the functionality of the firearms in any measurable way in terms of rate of fire and accuracy.
In the video, DFL legislators simply arise and exit without explanation. They avoid learning details from the presentation about the very firearms they seek to legislate out of existence.
By “national conversation” they always mean “We’re going to lecture you, and you’re going to knuckle under, because shut up.”
Women
How some of them ruin everything for women.
Obviously, an unwelcome stolen kiss is rude. But “rapey”? Really?
Just another example of how the seventies feminists went more than a bridge too far.
And no, I’m not going to do my standard spiel about how Valentine’s Day is part of the war on men, but Jim Geraghty has some good thoughts.
But I will repeat that I always laugh when I hear about women wanting to know what men want on Valentine’s Day. Just show up. We’re not that hard to please. Especially for those of us who don’t have women.
And it’s not that long until Steak and a BJ Day (though I have to confess that when it comes to oral s3x, I think it’s far better to give than to receive, and I have no interest in watching fel**tio in pr0n).
The Hagel Filibuster
Dan Foster asks, “what’s the point?”:
Okay, so what are you going to learn about Hagel in the next ten days? Is there some bombshell you’ve got ready but you need a little more time to cross the Ts and dot the Is? Are you using this holdup as leverage to get something else you want? Do you think peeling ten days off the calendar is going to prevent Harry Reid from bringing some odious measure to the floor? If the answer to all of these questions is “no”, just what the hell is the point of waiting to confirm Hagel?
Don’t get me wrong. I think Hagel is an awful candidate who reflects his would-be boss’s low regard for the Pentagon. I think Hagel’s ceiling — his ceiling, people — is ineffectual bumbler disliked by Pentagon lifers. And I don’t think he has a floor. But, if you’re going to let this guy get confirmed, who’s soul do you think you’re saving by waiting ‘til next Monday to do it?
Well, there may be more things like this:
Chuck Hagel, whose nomination is currently being filibustered by Republicans, reportedly argued in a previously unknown speech that the U.S. State Department is controlled by the Israeli foreign ministry.
Picky, picky, picky.
Want A Concealed-Carry Permit In LA County?
Just make a campaign contribution to Lee Baca.
As Glenn notes, this is why the sheriff should have no such arbitrary power, which is only prevented by “shall issue.” Particularly since California took away open carry, making it almost impossible to defend yourself outside your home, I’d think that this would be ripe for a court challenge under Heller as a Second-Amendment breach.
Farewell To The New Republic
[Update a few minutes later]
The magazine has become a Stormfront for “liberals.”
Yes, there are racist aspects to it, with Tannenbaum’s piece.
From The Asteroid Hunters
A warning:
The chance of another Tunguska-size impact somewhere on Earth this century is about 30%. That isn’t the likelihood that you will be killed by an asteroid, but rather the odds that you will read a news headline about an asteroid impact of this size somewhere on Earth. Unfortunately, that headline could be about the destruction of a city, as opposed to an unpopulated region of Siberia.
The chance in your lifetime of an even bigger asteroid impact on Earth—with explosive energy of 100 megatons of TNT—is about 1%. Such an impact would deliver many times the explosive energy of all the munitions used in World War II, including the atomic bombs. This risk to humanity is similar to an individual’s odds of dying in a car accident. That risk is small, but would you drive a car without air bags and seat belts? The question is apt because our society is effectively doing so with regard to the risk of a devastating asteroid strike.
I’ve been concerned about this for years (actually decades, ever since Alvarez first came up with his dinosaur theory, which seems to have been recently confirmed).
Teachers Gender Stereotypes
…are holding boys back:
…boys are basically being graded on their behavior, not their merit. They have different styles of doing homework and don’t sit still in class. Teachers often hate this and reward girls for their conformity to their rules and penalize boys for their non-conformity and behavior. Teachers can no longer discipline in school, and the only punishment is often suspension. I wonder how the lack of discipline has played a role in teacher’s using grading, perhaps subconsciously to punish boys.
Sending kids to public schools is more and more becoming bad parenting.