There is one time a year I eat too much (or any) candy, and it’s in October.
But it’s not Halloween. It’s at the International Symposium on Personal and Commercial Spaceflight, where they have candy bars and big bowls of M&Ms in the afternoon.
Pay The Americans Now, Or Pay The Russians Later
I have a post up at Open Market about the penny-wise-pound-foolishness of Congress with Commercial Crew.
What Could Go Wrong?
The EU is considering banning publication of European bond ratings. While they’re at it, they might also want to consider removing all the batteries from their smoke detectors, as a fire-prevention measure.
Back Space Taxis
…or pay more to the Russians. A rapid-fire Reuters dispatch on Lori’s talk this morning, from Irene Klotz, who’s sitting behind me.
[Afternoon update]
Alan Boyle (who’s sitting next to Irene): Pay the Americans now, or pay the Russians later.
The European Identity Crisis
The real problem isn’t financial:
A disciplined Teutonic economic order does not suit the French way of life; orderly, inflation-fighting Prussian capitalism is only slightly less horrible than the Anglo-Saxon law of the jungle from a French point of view. At the end of the day, France may simply be incapable of adjusting to the rigors of a German economic style; if so, the question of the nature of the monetary union turns into an irreconcilable contest between two fundamentally different approaches to political economy. Either France (and the rest of the Latins and Greeks) must live under German rules, or the Germans (and the other thrifty and orderly northern countries) must become more like Zorba the Greek.
The inability to square this circle is the real reason it is taking Europe so long to figure out how to deal with the euro crisis. Europe is having an identity crisis — and this is not something that can be settled in a weekend.
Or perhaps ever. At least not peacefully.
The Obama Rule
“Anytime the president sermonizes about civility and the need to curb partisan rhetoric, this is a telltale sign that in a few days a savage partisan attack will surely follow.”
An Extinction Event
Did we dodge one a hundred and thirty years ago?
Faster please, on detection and space-faring capability.
Integrity At NASA
The Tea Party in Space is very concerned about the Shuttlyndra.
Lori Garver’s Speech
It’s Wednesday morning at ISPCS, and the deputy administrator of NASA is the keynote speaker.
Are Most Women Bisexual?
I think another factor is that while men tend to compete on power and money, rather than looks, women primarily compete on appearance, so they have to be more naturally attuned to what makes women attractive. But I think that a lot of men are bis3xual, too. Anyone who really believes that sexuality is a “choice” has to be, logically, and it would explain the behavior of a lot of sailors and prisoners. But the only way I’d do it with a guy would be if I were raped.