Last night’s test of the missile defense system last night was apparently a success. They’re apparently expanding the test envelope. This one was against a non-cooperative target, with a number of decoys.
And for those who weren’t fortunate enough to see the show out of Vandenberg, here are some nice pictures, that demonstrate the “twilight effect“.
As usual, you can’t find these stories in the regular media–only the Weekly World News has the reporting wherewithal to dig them up. The story’s not available on the web yet, but there’s a non-permalinked picture of this week’s cover here.
Saddam has penetrated US waters with a submarine. Get out the gas masks, all you folks in Muskegon and Milwaukee…
Wendy McElroy has some handy tips for beating back the continuing encroachment of political correctness (aka censorship and abdication of actual thought).
Duct tape can remove warts.
Duct tape can remove warts.
Duct tape can remove warts.
Go add your ummm…not name…to the Not In Our Name petition against the war.
As Iowahawk says, it’s supposed to be not in our name, right?
My favorites so far (from the Hawk):
I. M. Cornholio – Postmodern Vegan Poetry Activist / bag boy at Whole Foods
Gitalong Lildogi, Artistic Communitarian Community Activist Activator/Artist
Zack De La Roachclip, Lead singer, Rage Against My Allowance
Fetid Birkenstock, Scandinavian Film Director
There’s a possibility that viewers in the southwest US and northern Mexico will see a Minuteman launch lit by sunlight this evening (if the marine layer clears–Southern California residents may have to get away from the beach). If so, it usually makes for a spectacular sight.
The launch window opens at 7 PM PDT. If it’s delayed more than twenty minutes, it will still go (the window stays open until 10 PM) but it will be in the dark. Still worth watching, but not as beautiful.
[Update at 8:37 PM PDT]
Doug Jones from XCOR, up in the desert, in Mojave (where they weren’t socked in by the marine layer) reports:
We had a splendid view from Mojave, looking into a darkening sky after sunset. Great “frozen lightning” and the high-altitude expansion of
the plume grew to about 20 degrees across the sky. Too bad our professional photographer wasn’t on hand.There’s still a faint fluorescing green patch remaining. World War III would be beautiful…
Only if it occurred at sunset or sunrise…
For anyone wondering why Iraqi children are really starving, here’s a site that claims to have aerial photos of some of Saddam’s palaces.
For whatever value it has, if we look at the death/population ratio, given that Australia’s population is less than ten percent of that of the US, once all the bodies are counted, this is likely to be a bigger blow for them than September 11 was for us (especially considering that many of the victims of that were not American citizens).