Yes, sorry, I know that it’s been non-existent (other than deleted whining about wireless problems and the overwhelmingness of it). But Bob Bigelow is the luncheon speaker, and he’s going to make some kind of news announcement at 1:30, so I’ll try to get the word out on that, at least.
Why Are We Afraid?
Hard to disagree, at least for me:
Culturally and religiously we are on the defensive in this War on Terror. And it makes no sense to me. We accept immoral expressions of outrage by Muslims across the world and yet fail to have any of our own justified moral indignation at their actions. Instead we apologize for causing their reactions. Perhaps I should apologize to my four year old for his little temper tantrum this morning and for the time he slugged his sister in the face with a toy.
We hold the high ground – we believe in individual liberty, we believe in religious tolerance, we believe in women
Crippled
Light posting due to being overwhelmed. One of the reasons these AIAA conferences drive me crazy is that it’s not like trying to drink from a firehose–it’s like trying to drink from Niagara Falls. There are a dozen or more sessions going on simultaneously, plus trying to network with various people in the hallways. There’s simply no time to sit down and write anything. This is compounded by the fact that I lost my mouse yesterday, and dealing with a touchpad really slows me down. And I have no time until after the conference tomorrow to run over to Fry’s and get a new one.
Warning To Deranged Anchors
Particularly those on cable news networks struggling to get enough viewers to even count as being in last place. Do not exude idiotic commentary if there’s any chance that James Lileks will hear of it:
Hear ye: if ever I announce that the lightning is sending me messages about how the government seeks to control what I think, please have me commited for paranoid schizophrenia.
He is also spectacularly unimpressed with Ahmadinejad coddlers.
Media Unsavvy
[Note: The dangers of blogging.
I put up a regrettable post last night. The title of it is all that remains (well, also comments), but it takes on a whole new, and appropriate meaning. As I said in it, I was grumpy from lack of sleep, and frustrated from a seeming inability to post all day, but that’s not an excuse. I can’t even claim that I had overimbibed, but that’s not an excuse, either–no one (at least as far as I can remember) has ever strapped me down, cackling, and thrust a one-gallon funnel down my gullet. Short version of it: I was childishly whining because I couldn’t log on from the conference.
I’m not deleting it completely because that always seems a little Orwellian, but it was, as Keith correctly notes in the comments that I am leaving up, an epistle that the AIAA neither would or should appreciate, and it should not remain on the web (this note is mainly for those who might still manage to read it if Google was so unfortunately overdiligent as to have cached it last night).
Even if it were true (I understand now that it was not), it was completely unjustified, and simply a symptom of how spoiled we (or at least I) have become in the early twenty-first century, with expectations, if not outright demands, of the instant gratification of ubiquitous abundant bandwidth. I have had my differences with AIAA over the years, but they are a vital institution to this industry. Like NASA, they are staffed and supported by great people operating under the constraints of their institution. This conference in particular is great (of which I’ll write more later), and despite that churlish growl, I do appreciate them much.
Mark Twain once wrote, “A dog will not bite the hand that feeds him. This is the principal difference between a man and a dog.” Although you can’t always tell on the Internet, I am not a dog.]
Made It
But the plane got in at 10:30, and it took me over an hour to get my luggage. Didn’t get to bed until after 1 AM. I’m headed over to the conference, so maybe I’ll check in from there, bandwidth permitting.
Off To California
But not LA, this time. Do you know the way to San Jose? I do. Fly into SFO via Dallas, rent car, and down the 101.
Excuse me. Make that down 101, just so the locals don’t confuse me with one of those degenerate hicks from southern California. In Sherman Oaks, it’s the 101, but no definite article is required in Silicon Valley. I’ve always wondered, driving up, just where it loses the “the.” I’m guessing somewhere around Paso Robles.
Anyway, that digression aside, I may do some conference blogging, but I’m there to schmooze mainly. I will feel an obligation to write up interesting things that go on there at some point, though. I have a press pass waiting. I hope.
The Sick Man Of The Midwest
Rich Lowry, on the self-imposed economic woes of my home state. In a lot of ways, Michigan reminds me of California. A place of great national beauty, being run into the ground by its elected officials.
Good News On The Life Extension Front
The Methusaleh Foundation just got a major donation.
Anti-Krugman 1
Paul Krugman brought some great analysis of economics, the dismal science, to the New York Times Op-Ed page, but has consistently beat the drum in recent years for being dismal about every Bush decision and inaction. I am going to start an anti-Krugman column to take apart each criticism. These antibodies might allow us to have a debate that would allow both less reactive talking points for Democrats and more constructive criticism for the Administration.
The Krugman column is behind the Times Select wall. The cheapest way to pierce this wall is to order home delivery of the Times and go on regular three-month vacations.
Today’s Krugman column has the title “King of Pain”.