My disgust with Congress has found new depths. They’re buying votes for a troop withdrawal with pork.
[Update a few minutes later]
As Glenn’s emailer says, I guess we can now call them the coalition of the bribed.
[Update at noon eastern]
Porkbusters is on the case.
Based on Maia’s comment to this latest post on Cathy’s blog, by Lewis Fein, it sounds like the end is very near. Much of the blogosphere, even those who disagreed with her politically, is mourning already (happily, I only saw one mean-spirited tribute). She will leave a hole in it, and in Los Angeles journalism, that won’t be filled soon, or perhaps at all.
For those who didn’t know her, and want to get a sense of her, read Amy Alkon’s post:
At the party at Debbie and Morgan Gundel’s to celebrate her remission, she announced, “I just want to let everyone know having cancer hasn’t made me a better person.”
She also has a link roundup.
She
Unfortunately, Windows Media is demanding that I download a new version to view it, which generally involves a reboot, which I’m loathe to do right now, so I don’t know what’s going on. According to the latest reading from Clark, it’s still on.
[Update a little after 7 PM Eastern]
Apparently the scheduled launch was aborted due to a telemetry issue.
Could still go tonight, though.
[Update at 8:34 PM EDT]
OK, apparently not. Maybe tomorrow. Fortunately, my commenters are more on top of the situation than I am. Well, I’ve never attempted to be the site for breaking space news, unless I’m live blogging an event.
Here are some fascinating and beautiful computer graphics.
[Update a few minutes later]
A commenter says they’re not computer generated, that they’re paintings. Either way, very interesting.
This post by Ron Bailey on whether or not parents might do things to help ensure that their offspring are straight reminds me of this post of mine from a while back:
Suppose we find that there is something different about the brains of gay men and women (a proposition for which there’s already abundant and growing evidence). If we can come up with an affordable, painless therapy that “fixes” this and converts them from “gay” to “straight,” should we a) allow them to take advantage of it, or b) forbid them from doing so, or c) require them to? And should “straight” (i.e., exclusively heterosexual) people be allowed to become gay, or bi?
These are the kinds of issues that separate me from conservatives.
Jane Skinner just did an interview with Granger Whitelaw on the Rocket Racing League. Cool video simulations of the rockets played in the background throughout.
The giggle factor continues to dissipate.
One third of Washingtonians are functionally illiterate.
DC always struck me as a canary in a coal mine for what the fate of the entire country would be if liberal Democrats got all their federalized social-programs hearts’ desires.
Cathy Seipp, a witty, insightful and lovely journalist (and someone who I would like to think a friend, based on the many parties of hers to which I was invited, and attended, one a Halloween party in her home) has been waging a valiant fight against inoperable lung cancer for several years (and for those wondering, no, she never smoked). Sadly, it looks like the battle is almost over, and not in her or her family’s favor.
Please extend your best wishes (and prayers, for those who do that) to them, and particularly her brave daughter (now in college) Maia. And as she says, contribute to the American Lung Cancer Society, and give an impounded dog or cat a home in her honor.
Is Galileo the Airbus of space? It never made much sense to me to try to compete with a free service. The only thing that this project ever had going for it was anti-American paranoia and European pride. I don’t think it will be enough to save it.
Jeff Foust has a good summary of the current state of planetary defense.