There’s little new in this piece at the Economist to people who have been following the issue. Well, there is one thing: some signs that the people who have been destroying the industry with this foolish policy may be starting to pay attention.
A Story About Joe Biden
…that I hadn’t heard:
At the Tuesday-morning meeting with committee staffers, Biden launches into a stream-of-consciousness monologue about what his committee should be doing, before he finally admits the obvious: “I’m groping here.” Then he hits on an idea: America needs to show the Arab world that we’re not bent on its destruction. “Seems to me this would be a good time to send, no strings attached, a check for $200 million to Iran,” Biden declares. He surveys the table with raised eyebrows, a How do ya like that? look on his face.
The staffers sit in silence. Finally somebody ventures a response: “I think they’d send it back.” Then another aide speaks up delicately: “The thing I would worry about is that it would almost look like a publicity stunt.” Still another reminds Biden that an Iranian delegation is in Moscow that very day to discuss a $300 million arms deal with Vladimir Putin that the United States has strongly condemned. But Joe Biden is barely listening anymore. He’s already moved on to something else.
Didn’t anyone point out to him that Iran is not part of the “Arab world”?
And we want to put this guy a heartbeat away from the presidency?
A Brief History
…and a depressing one, of the Vision for Space Exploration. There’s a piece missing in the chronology, though. “Safe, Simple, Soon” was not part of the original vision. That was a sales slogan that ATK came up with to promote their particular means of implementing it. As noted, though, it seems to be failing on all three counts.
Note the comment that PDR has slipped into next year.
[Update mid morning PDT]
More on the PDR slip. It’s all the way out to next spring.
How Big Is The Problem?
“…and what is the nature of it? An interesting post over at NASA Watch, but the comments are even more interesting. I have some thoughts, and they’re related to my earlier thoughts on systems engineering, but I’m curious to see what commenters here think.
Gustav Update
The good news (at least for Floridians, who are still recovering from Fay): it now looks like it’s going to stay south of Cuba, and unlikely to hit the peninsula (at least soon).
The bad news (particularly for Jamaica and points west): it’s going to stay south of Cuba, and given the upper level winds (i.e., not much shear) it’s likely to become the season’s first major hurricane in a very few days. Look out, Yucatan and/or the Gulf…
Being Back In LaLa Land
…I really appreciate reading about the seven most retardedmentally-challenged ways that celebrities attempt to go green.
These were all funny at the time, but it’s nice to see a well-annotated compendium.
Feel The Love
The healing continues, as the convention starts:
A handful of Clinton supporters also dogged MSNBC “Hardball” host Chris Matthews, calling him a “sexist pig” and booing him as he walked onto the network’s set.
Was his leg tingling?
A group of about ten protestors joined the fray, holding up signs saying, “Clintons 4 McCain.”
One woman holding a sign said, “We’ve been big Hillary Clinton supporters, we’ve been told to get over it… We want our party back.”
Gonna be one heckuva show.
Remembering DC-X
Jeff Foust reports on last week’s anniversary get together.
When we finally start flying affordable space transports, future historians will look back in amazement that policy could have been so screwed up for so many decades, and so stubbornly unamenable to being fixed.
Just When You Think
…that the LA Times can’t get any worse. Or funnier.
I have to say that I particularly enjoyed the comment by “Dick Stroker.” I’m sure he’s just a naif.
Speaking of LA, I’m flying out there tomorrow for almost two weeks. Blogging may be lightened somewhat–I’m supposed to be working. Or so the folks who are paying me tell me.
[Monday afternoon update]
Arrived safely, with luggage, even with a change in Dallas.
Unfortunately, just as I leave, it looks like Patricia is home alone to shutter up for Gustav next weekend.
It’s Not Over Until It’s Over
On the eve of the upcoming donkey fight, I just want to remind people again that Senator Obama is not the nominee until the delegates vote, and that the Clintons remain the Clintons. Don’t think that there aren’t a lot of delegates (and nervous superdelegates particularly) passing around recent polls showing Hillary outpolling Obama against McCain.
One could in fact speculate that the selection of Biden was an attempt by a desperate Obama campaign to hang on to the old guard of the party. I suspect that the coming week will be quite entertaining. It’s good that McCain can wait until the end of the week to announce his own running mate.
[Update a few minutes later]
It strikes me that if the superdelegates vote to make Senator Obama the nominee, they will have failed in their intended purpose, which was to prevent candidates who were too far left, in the wake of McGovern. But as I’ve been saying for months now, they’re in a no-win situation. They can anoint The One, and have him lose (and probably with negative coattails down ticket) or they can elevate Hillary! and tear the party apart, probably with race riots. Sux to be them.