Humor

Three Cheers For Iowa Voters

Some encomia to his fellow hog wranglers and soy growers, from Iowahawk, who recently suffered a fourth-year bloggiversary:

As a native of the Hawkeye State, with family roots stretching five generations deep into the fertile black topsoil of America’s heartland pork basket, I have to roll my eyes when I hear these ignorant, envious complaints, which sometimes shows up in cruel jokes like “do you know what ‘Iowa’ stands for? Idiots Out Walking Around!” Hardy har har. Well guess what? You never hear Iowans joking about “Nerds Eating Weak Yellowy Overcooked Rubbery Kernels” or “Corn Appears Like It’s For Old Rats, Not Iowa Animals.” We could, but we don’t, because we’re not a bunch of jealous, insecure people with inferiority complexes about our corn production, and ear length and girth, like some ‘Super Tuesday’ states I could name.

Unfortunately, the jealous resentment of non-Iowa states sometimes takes a more pernicious form, such as trying to “leapfrog” Iowa by scheduling their primaries earlier and earlier. Nice try, non-Iowa states. You want to move to January 20th? Fine, we’ll reschedule to the 14th. January 7, you say? We’ll take Christmas Eve. No matter how early you set your political alarm clocks, Iowa will already be down in the electoral kitchen, waiting to serve you a couple of delicious sizzling strips of candidate bacon from our caucus frying pan. It’s our job, and it’s not like we’ve got anything better to do.

If you are a political activist from one of the various non-Iowa states, let me first say I understand the hurt and frustration and resentment you probably feel toward my state, and the overwhelming attention it gets during the campaign season. But I will also tell you that the most important step toward healing is acceptance: acceptance of your own natural insignificance, and the fact that Iowa will always be first because it is the one state uniquely qualified to be America’s official Presidential Sniff Tester.

Aren’t you glad we have Iowans to pick our presidents for us? Let us give thanks.

Political Commentary

Congress’ Low Approval

The numbers that indicate that Congress has record low approval ratings historically, is sort of like a political Rorschach test. People (and particularly the media) tend to project their own feelings about it on the rest of the population, and assume that others are unhappy for the same reasons they are, but in fact, the upset comes from two entirely different directions.

Democrats are unhappy with the Congress because it has failed to do many of the things that they thought they were promised when they elected them in 2006 (e.g., surrender in Iraq, raise taxes, socialize medicine, impeach Bush, etc.) The rest of us are unhappy because they’re attempting to do so (well, OK, only the loons are actually trying to impeach Bush). Their incompetence and inability to do the wrong things has gotten everyone angry at them.

They’re really in a no-win situation. And it couldn’t happen to a more mendacious bunch.

But having said that, this is just cruel. But in a funny way.

Political Commentary

Congress’ Low Approval

The numbers that indicate that Congress has record low approval ratings historically, is sort of like a political Rorschach test. People (and particularly the media) tend to project their own feelings about it on the rest of the population, and assume that others are unhappy for the same reasons they are, but in fact, the upset comes from two entirely different directions.

Democrats are unhappy with the Congress because it has failed to do many of the things that they thought they were promised when they elected them in 2006 (e.g., surrender in Iraq, raise taxes, socialize medicine, impeach Bush, etc.) The rest of us are unhappy because they’re attempting to do so (well, OK, only the loons are actually trying to impeach Bush). Their incompetence and inability to do the wrong things has gotten everyone angry at them.

They’re really in a no-win situation. And it couldn’t happen to a more mendacious bunch.

But having said that, this is just cruel. But in a funny way.

Political Commentary

Congress’ Low Approval

The numbers that indicate that Congress has record low approval ratings historically, is sort of like a political Rorschach test. People (and particularly the media) tend to project their own feelings about it on the rest of the population, and assume that others are unhappy for the same reasons they are, but in fact, the upset comes from two entirely different directions.

Democrats are unhappy with the Congress because it has failed to do many of the things that they thought they were promised when they elected them in 2006 (e.g., surrender in Iraq, raise taxes, socialize medicine, impeach Bush, etc.) The rest of us are unhappy because they’re attempting to do so (well, OK, only the loons are actually trying to impeach Bush). Their incompetence and inability to do the wrong things has gotten everyone angry at them.

They’re really in a no-win situation. And it couldn’t happen to a more mendacious bunch.

But having said that, this is just cruel. But in a funny way.

Space

What If The Singularity Doesn’t Happen?

Some thoughts from Vernor Vinge himself.

What’s a real space program … and what’s not

  • From 1957 to circa 1980 we humans did some proper pioneering in space. We (I mean brilliant engineers and scientists and brave explorers) established a number of near-Earth applications that are so useful that they can be commercially successful even at launch costs to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) of $5000 to $10000/kg. We also undertook a number of human and robotic missions that resolved our greatest uncertainties about the Solar System and travel in space.
  • From 1980 till now? Well, launch to LEO still runs $5000 to $10000/kg. As far as I can tell, the new Vision for Space Exploration will maintain these costs. This approach made some sense in 1970, when we were just beginning and when initial surveys of the problems and applications were worth almost any expense. Now, in the early 21st century, these launch costs make talk of humans-in-space a doubly gold-plated sham:
    • First, because of the pitiful limitations on delivered payloads, except at prices that are politically impossible (or are deniable promises about future plans).
    • Second, because with these launch costs, the payloads must be enormously more reliable and compact than commercial off-the-shelf hardware

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!