Transterrestrial Musings

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Category Archives: Social Commentary

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Social Commentary

Who Are The Aggressors In The Culture War?

February 6, 2012 Rand Simberg 3 Comments

It is the people who falsely call themselves “liberal.”

Social Commentary, Space, Space History, Technology and Society

Gerry O’Neill

February 6, 2012 Rand Simberg 6 Comments

Today would have been his eighty-fifth birthday. Many of his dreams may have been unrealistic, in retrospect (they were based on the assumption that the Shuttle really would reduce the cost of space access, among other things), but he inspired, and reinspired a generation jaded by the letdown of Apollo.

On a related note, Alexis Madrigal has an interesting bit of space (and California) history, over at the Atlantic.

Humor, Social Commentary, Technology and Society, Weird

A New Twist On Nigerian Spam

February 6, 2012 Rand Simberg 3 Comments

I just got this one: “I am Special Agent,Fred Jones and am in Nigeria as an FBI delegate that has been delegated to investigate this fraudsters who are in the business of swindling Foreigners that came for transaction in Nigeria . Please be informed that during my investigation I got to find out that there is a huge sum that has been assigned in your name.Regard FRED JONES”

This one is real for sure.

Why Star Wars And SF Don’t Actually Suck

February 3, 2012 Rand Simberg 35 Comments

Brian Preston rebuts Kathy Shaidle.

Philosophy, Political Commentary, Social Commentary

Recasting The Dream

February 2, 2012 Rand Simberg 3 Comments

Part 2 of Walter Russell Mead’s thoughts on reforging America for the 21st century. I wonder if he’s read Albion’s Seed, which discusses at length the different flavors of the notion of liberty, depending on what part of England had settled that part of the new country.

Economics, Philosophy, Political Commentary, Science And Society, Social Commentary, Technology and Society

Merchants Of Despair

February 1, 2012 Rand Simberg 8 Comments

Speaking of Bob Zubrin, he has a new book out on the anti-human environmental movement, that looks interesting. Here are some blurbs.

Social Commentary, Weird

So What Is It With Joe Farah?

February 1, 2012 Rand Simberg 3 Comments

Does he not see himself as others see him? I noticed that myself when watching the show.

My guess. If he’s like me, his facial hair went gray first, so he started dying it. Then the rest of his hair started to go gray, but he decided that it was too much work, or cost, or something to dye it, but he kept doing the stache out of habit. Or something.

Social Commentary, Space, Technology and Society