Stephen Smith has a post on NASA’s charter, and what it is and isn’t. It got waylaid by Apollo, but it’s time to restore things to what was originally envisioned. Though as I note in comments over there, space exploration wasn’t given to a civilian agency because of concerns over the military being a hide-bound bureaucracy.
Cruel Discrimination
Iowahawk has a guest editorial from an oppressed minority.
The Other European Volcano
Thoughts on the impending collapse of the European Union.
It’s Always Something
A loose ball bearing on a camera may prevent the shuttle Atlantis from making its last flight today.
For want of a nail…
[Update a few minutes later]
Guess they decided it wasn’t enough of an issue to scrub for, or they resolved it. Launch still on in a few minutes.
[Update shortly after lift off]
Sounds like everything’s going fine so far.
The Oil Spill
The arguments never change:
Instead of moving the debate on energy policy forward, the spill is being used to grind preexisting policy axes. Unfortunately, those axes were none too sharp to begin with, and the grinding now in play does more to confuse than to enlighten.
Unfortunately, that’s usually the case.
The Democrat War Against Science
Leaving aside the issue of whether the federal government should be involved in our diets and weight, the BMI is junk science.
Eight Websites
…you need to stop building.
[Via Geek Press]
The Biggest Bailout In History
John Hare has some thoughts.
The Democrats’ Civil War
…and its consequences for the fall. It’s not going to be a good election year to be running to the left.
Freeing NASA
Alan Stern explains why it’s crucial for NASA to go commercial for earth to LEO.