Can anyone imagine why, when I drag a wmv file over to my local drive from my file server, and play it from the local drive, the file transfer occurs quickly, and Windows Media Player plays it fine, but if I try to play it directly from the server, it runs like molasses?
“Welcome To The New Political Discourse”
“Welcome To The New Political Discourse”
“Welcome To The New Political Discourse”
A Cancer Cure?
Phil Bowermaster has an interesting interview with a researcher who think he may have one, that will start being tested in human subjects next year.
SBSP In Pop Mechanics
I finally just got around to reading the report that Colonel “Coyote” Smith (that’s Michael Valentine Smith–no kidding) and company came up with on Space Based Solar Power, and will be commenting on it, but I should note for now that the January issue of Popular Mechanics has this as its cover story. I haven’t read it yet, but may post some thoughts after I do.
On a related note, while a ten buck per ton carbon tax on coal probably would be good for the nuclear industry, as Randall Parker notes, it wouldn’t hurt SBSP, either.
[Update a few minutes later]
OK, not much to the Pop Mechanics piece. I think it’s quite an overstatement to say that powersats are “all the rage” at either the Pentagon or in private industry. I would think that something that was “all the rage” would be getting significant funding, and so far the amount that’s been appropriated to this recently is…zero. In fact, one of the significant things about the Pentagon report was that it was done with no DoD budget, entirely by volunteers, other than the Colonel’s time. It might be a useful model for future such studies that have trouble otherwise finding government champions, but it hardly justifies the notion that this is now a major priority, either within the five-sided building, or in the government in general.
As for the article itself, my only quibble is to note that the seventies studies were jointly by DoE and NASA, not just DoE. It’s been noted many times in the past (and Coyote’s report notes as well) that one of the reasons that this concept has had trouble getting acceptance and ownership within the government is that it’s had no natural home. DoE thinks it’s a space program, and NASA thinks it’s an energy program, and both agencies consider it to be outside their charters. I do like the idea of the establishment of a quango, perhaps using COMSAT as a model, to provide a government-blessed (and at least initially, funded) focus for this.
[Update a couple hours later]
I see from his comments that Monte Davis now has a blog, which I’ll be adding to the sidebar.
Her Own Space Carnival
Jesse Londin has a nice roundup of space links. She also notes the other legislative barrier to space entrepreneurs–not ITAR, but SOX. I’m working with a company that has been chased off shore by this.
Slowly Opening The Kimono
Alan Boyle has a story and link roundup about the the Rocket Racing League, X-Racer, and Xerus.
An Iwo Jima Moment?
If things continue to go well, this photo should win a Pulitzer.
But probably not in today’s media environment. After all, it goes against the narrative. And of course, we know how today’s media would have treated that moment.
[Late evening update]
“Wretchard” (aka Richard Fernandez) has related, and more articulate (as usual) thoughts.
[Update on Thursday afternoon]
Here’s some more good news:
A rare visit by a delegation representing Sunni tribes in the Province of Anbar to the predominantly Shiite Province of Qadissiya is yet another signal that Iraqis are keen to put an end to sectarian strife.
The Anbar delegation included major Sunni tribes who have formed a coalition and raised a tribal force to check Qaeda influence in their areas.
Sheikh Mohammed Shaalan said both Sunni and Shiite tribes in the two provinces have vowed to bring national reconciliation to success.
Shaalan, who spoke for the meeting, said a tribal delegation from Qadissiya would also travel to Anbar in the near future.
Richard Garriott: Space’s Next Generation
Here’s Richard Garriott on a recent Austin ZEROG flight
Fellow Austinite Richard Garriott talks more in the December issue of PC Gamer about his upcoming trip to space:
I grew up with an astronaut father, and space has been my pinnacle interest since I was young…. the probability of me going [to space] the same way my dad did was zero….
Since earning my earliest profits in the games industry, I have been investing in privatizing space….
Here’s how he enabled Dennis Tito to get into space with his investment in Space Adventures.
I am also involved in Zero G, which has given me a taste of what I might experience in space. Zero G uses a modified Boeing 727 to take people on parabolic flights into microgravity. Anyone can book these flights and I tell you, it will change your life. People get giddy on these flights; they experience true happiness and living in the moment. I enjoy these flights so much that I recently chartered four of them to help promote the release of my space epic MMPORG Tabula Rasa. And my experience on them solidified my desire to get private citizens into space as well–even those without bazillions of dollars.
… I am lucky enough to be able to go into space myself through our work with the Russian Government! Earlier this month, we announced that I will be going into space as the seventh private space explorer, and the first second-generation astronaut, next year. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this. But I’m still my father’s son[;] I will be part of a team conducting experiments and bringing back new knowledge and data concentrating in four areas: commercial, educational, environmental, and artistic. This isn’t just a joy ride for me; it’s something I need to do.
Amen on the ZEROG flights.
There’s a little more in his trip-to-space blog.