General

I’m An Auto-Bahner

What kind of driver are you?

Though, actually, I’m not a full auto-bahner. I rarely drive that much over the limit (typically ten MPH at most) unless I’m way out in the middle of nowhere (like back roads in Nevada), and I get a speeding ticket about once every five years or so. But I’ve never used a radar detector, either, which probably would have helped.

I never accept a red rental car, though. I think they’re cop bait. I also avoid the left lane except for passing. I’ve only gotten one speeding ticket in the right lane (back in ’99). I think that cops look for speeders in the left lane.

I recall one incident many years ago, when I was going up to Princeton from DC for Gerry O’Neill’s funeral, with another spacer (who was an early L-5 member, but shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) in his rental car. He was a left laner, and I told him repeatedly that he was asking for a ticket, particularly since we were in Maryland, which is notorious in regard to ticketing speeders. Sure enough, he got pulled over.

I also recall seeing another space enthusiast passing us, and laughing when he saw who just got pulled over. Not to mention chiding him after the service. I accepted no responsibility whatsoever. I’d warned him.

General

I’m An Auto-Bahner

What kind of driver are you?

Though, actually, I’m not a full auto-bahner. I rarely drive that much over the limit (typically ten MPH at most) unless I’m way out in the middle of nowhere (like back roads in Nevada), and I get a speeding ticket about once every five years or so. But I’ve never used a radar detector, either, which probably would have helped.

I never accept a red rental car, though. I think they’re cop bait. I also avoid the left lane except for passing. I’ve only gotten one speeding ticket in the right lane (back in ’99). I think that cops look for speeders in the left lane.

I recall one incident many years ago, when I was going up to Princeton from DC for Gerry O’Neill’s funeral, with another spacer (who was an early L-5 member, but shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) in his rental car. He was a left laner, and I told him repeatedly that he was asking for a ticket, particularly since we were in Maryland, which is notorious in regard to ticketing speeders. Sure enough, he got pulled over.

I also recall seeing another space enthusiast passing us, and laughing when he saw who just got pulled over. Not to mention chiding him after the service. I accepted no responsibility whatsoever. I’d warned him.

General

I’m An Auto-Bahner

What kind of driver are you?

Though, actually, I’m not a full auto-bahner. I rarely drive that much over the limit (typically ten MPH at most) unless I’m way out in the middle of nowhere (like back roads in Nevada), and I get a speeding ticket about once every five years or so. But I’ve never used a radar detector, either, which probably would have helped.

I never accept a red rental car, though. I think they’re cop bait. I also avoid the left lane except for passing. I’ve only gotten one speeding ticket in the right lane (back in ’99). I think that cops look for speeders in the left lane.

I recall one incident many years ago, when I was going up to Princeton from DC for Gerry O’Neill’s funeral, with another spacer (who was an early L-5 member, but shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) in his rental car. He was a left laner, and I told him repeatedly that he was asking for a ticket, particularly since we were in Maryland, which is notorious in regard to ticketing speeders. Sure enough, he got pulled over.

I also recall seeing another space enthusiast passing us, and laughing when he saw who just got pulled over. Not to mention chiding him after the service. I accepted no responsibility whatsoever. I’d warned him.

Mathematics

I Got Six Out Of Eight

I screwed up number two, because I didn’t read carefully, and thought it was asking about the minute hand (which was simple–a hundred twenty degrees). And I couldn’t manage number five in my head. I was trying to do the algebra, and couldn’t manage it. And a couple of them, as noted, are trick questions.

And I certainly wouldn’t have done that well at age eight.

Space

Cost

Clark Lindsey has some thoughts:

NASA lost public support after Apollo 11 for many reasons but cost was the primary factor. It didn’t help that no one could see themselves ever traveling on such a stupendously expensive throwaway system like Apollo. Today NASA managers should not be surprised that few people, especially young people, are excited about seeing NASA build yet another totally impractical and stupendously expensive machine to carry another small elite group of astronauts to the Moon by some arbitrary date.

[Update in the evening of the thirteenth]

Dan Schrimpsher, who is “just an engineer,” has some further thoughts.

War Commentary

Is Global Jihad Falling Apart?

Let’s hope so:

The end of Saddam was the end of a major financer of the Global Islamic Jihad Movement. His money no longer flows through Rahman into the madrassas and terror training camps. The stress of losing Saddam and his wealth, plus being soundly defeated in Iraq and Afghanistan, has caused the terrorist leaders alliance to crack. Add to that the loss of support from the UAE and Libya, and the financial cost to al Qaeda has been enormous. Not only has al Qaeda been defeated on the battlefield, funding has become a challenge for the Global Islamic Jihad Movement.

But the separation of Hekmatyar from the Taliban is not the only indication that the movement has fractured. Asia Times reporter Syed Saleem Shahzad has written this week that the relationship between al Qaeda and the Taliban has faltered. If it is true (his reporting before has been insightful) this is one of the most significant developments in the war on terror. Divide and conquer still applies as a useful maxim.

I never fail to be amazed at people who seriously believe that it would have been a good idea to leave Saddam in power.

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!