Category Archives: Political Commentary

Political Commentary, Space

An Interesting Letter From Lyles

6 Comments

There are two points about this letter from General Lyles to Frank Wolf about NASA’s funding priorities. First, if I were Congressman Wolf, I wouldn’t know what to do with it. It seems pretty vague on actual recommendations:

The burden of proof thus now lies with Congress and NASA to define and to develop a human spaceflight program that does not re-inflict damage on the breadth of NASA’s activities and that serves the nation well. It is possible to do this.

If you don’t think that such a program exists now, it would be helpful it if were a little more specific about in what way it’s deficient. If it’s possible to make it so, couldn’t the general have provided a little guidance? It’s not clear exactly what the source of his unhappiness is, other than that he thinks that manned space is now “under-resourced.” What does that mean? Just send more money?

The other interesting thing about the letter is that he sent it to Frank Wolf, the ranking member, rather than Alan Mollohan, the chairman (who may lose his primary tomorrow). Is this a sign, like David Obey’s resignation, that he expects Wolf to be committee chairman next year?

Education, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

The Left’s War On Science (Cont.)

4 Comments

More thoughts on the Harvard law controversy, from Peter Berkowitz. I wish that the student had stood up for her beliefs. She had nothing to apologize for, and in doing so, she only encouraged more of this anti-scientific oppression. In fact, I wish that she’d file a defamation suit against Minow. That might get these idiots’ attention. I wonder if FIRE is on the case?

[Looking……..]

Nope, don’t see anything. Maybe we should establish a legal fund. Of course, you probably won’t do very well in law school if you sue your dean for libel. Which is why she was so quick to needlessly apologize.

Also, this seems related somehow. The continuing struggle of the left to understand the Tea Partiers:

It’s like watching a 3 year old struggle with a jigsaw puzzle for AGES 14 AND UP.

The 3 year old thinks he’s grown up enough to do the puzzle, but after hours of frustration, throws the box of pieces at the wall in anger and screams “RACISTS!”

Well, they’re sure not going to learn how to do it at Harvard.

[Mid-morning update]

Via Derb, here’s an interesting piece by a refugee from a school of education, anonymous for obvious reasons, on the three views of racial disparity — the “progressive” view (and the only one acceptable in education colleges), the “values” view, and the “Voldemort” view. If we had schools of education based on the latter two views, we’d be a lot better off, but the very notion would be an oxymoron, which is why schools of education should be razed to the ground.

Political Commentary, Technology and Society

We Control The Horizontal

22 Comments

We control the analog output.

OK, I don’t get it. I don’t take the input for my audio receiver and recording devices from my television — it comes from my satellite receiver. Functionally, the television is just a video monitor. Are they saying that they’ll be cutting off analog output on the satellite receivers/cable boxes as well?

[Update a few minutes later]

OK, I think I understand now. They’re saying “set top-boxes,” so I guess that means the cable box (though apparently satellites are going to be a separate issue). That would probably also apply to digital fiber from Verizon or AT&T. And the sets that are affected are the ones without digital inputs? I still don’t see how this prevents piracy, unless you don’t have HDMI or other digital inputs to your DVD recorder.

Business, Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Four Ways

6 Comments

…that Congress caused the financial crisis. And they seem determined to continue (completely leaving Fannie and Freddie out of the new legislation).

[Update a while later]

Some thoughts on popping bubbles and the demonization of short sellers by clueless politicians.

[Update mid afternoon]

Don’t know what happened to the second link above — it was working when I put it up.

Meanwhile, Matt Welch points out that we are out of money. Or more precisely, we are out of other peoples’ money, which is, as Lady Thatcher famously pointed out the point at which socialism quits working.