The Navy is deploying Swift Boats to Iraq. They’d better stay out of Cambodia, though.
Testing Key Technologies
Tariq Malik has an article on the Orbital Express satellites, launched as part of the payload on last night’s successful Atlas V launch. (By the way, that launch success is good news for both Lockheed Martin and Bigelow–a failure would have been a major setback in their stated plans to use the vehicle to deliver passengers to orbit).
During its planned 91-day mission, the Orbital Express vehicles are expected to go through a two-week checkout period, and then test initial refueling and equipment replacement techniques — while still mated to one another — using ASTRO
Standing Up For Free Speech
There’s been a lot of Buzz about Fred Thompson getting into the race, and some have been talking him up as Reagan reincarnate (though I think that a stretch). I think that he’s got a very big skeleton in his closet, though, that he’d have to exorcise to have a chance:
Thompson was one of only four Republican senators to endorse McCain
An Arms Race
A technical solution from Adobe (and Canon) may be appearing to solve the fauxtography problem, as I hoped and predicted. I assume that other camera companies will want to cooperate as well, if they want professional journalists to use their equipment. Interestingly, Adobe is sort of in an arms race with itself, simultaneously coming up with better image manipulation software while at the same time developing means of defeating it.
Then And Now
What Democrats were saying in Iraq before everything became George Bush’s fault and he “lied us into war.”
A Major Blow For Freedom
DC gun control laws have been stricken down, in accordance with the (properly interpreted) Second Amendment. It’s probably a good bet that this will go to the Supreme Court (which may get an opportunity to clarify Miller so that we can finally put a stake through the heart of the nonsensical “collective right” argument). This seems like a pretty big deal to me.
[Via Instapundit]
[Update a few minutes later]
If Giuliani has any political acumen whatsoever, he will laud this ruling, and pledge to nominate judges that would uphold it.
[Update after noon]
As Kathryn Jean Lopez notes, it would be useful to hear from all of the presidential candidates (both parties) on this issue.
[Late afternoon update]
For those who (like people in comments who shall remain nameless…errrr…unless you read the comment) are concerned that this won’t be heard by the court, Glenn Reynolds has a roundup of links on the subject, some of which lead to arguments that it’s very likely to (by Volokh, at least).
Of course, going to the SC is a double-edged sword. Given the current composition, be careful what you wish for…
Are We Approaching A Tipping Point?
“We are involved in a number of massive deals for Linux desktops, and those are the kinds of things that are indicators of critical mass. So we are really looking at it very hard,” said Doug Small, worldwide director of open source and Linux marketing at HP. “We are in a massive deal right now for … multi-thousands of units of a desktop opportunity for Linux. That’s an indicator.” He declined to give details about the Linux deals.
This, combined with the fact that Dell is now shipping Linux laptops, is an ominous omen for Redmond.
I think that Vista may have been a bridge too far for Microsoft. Windows has been an entrenched technology for well over a decade now (and MS operating systems in general for well over two). As long as the cost of switching over remains high in terms of user retraining, it’s hard for a newcomer to make much headway. But if the cost of continued use grows as well, and the benefits of the new technology start to become overwhelming, even the most entrenched technology can still lose out, when the curves cross over.
I’ve been fortunate enough not to have had to try Vista yet, but here’s an amusing parable.
Of course, it’s still an uphill battle until a standard GUI can be established, but I think that the Gnome/KDE wars continue.
The News Just Keeps Getting Better
…on that defecting Iranian general:
According to the report, the missing Iranian general was carrying documents and maps of Iran’s military and intelligence infrastructure as well as information regarding the relations between the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hizbullah and the Islamic Jihad.
In addition, the general was reported to possess information regarding the Iranian nuclear program as well as information about Iran’s strategic military plans.
Emphasis mine. If true, it will make it a lot easier to take out the key facilities at minimal cost and collateral damage.
This appears to be a major break in our struggle with Ahmadinejad and the mullahs. It would be nice if it also presaged a more general rebellion within the ranks, and the populace itself.
[Mid-morning update]
It’s a quagmire! More insurgent attacks. In Iran.
Laser-Guided Asteroids
This looks like an interesting technology, for both detection and deflection. I’m assuming they’d have to be space based, which implies a much more significant spacefaring capability than we have now.
Taxing Away The Wolverines
The WSJ has a piece today on the continuing decline of my home state, where I still have family. It really makes all that nonsensical talk a few years ago about trying to amend the Constitution so that Granholm could run for president seem even more absurd.