Some thoughts from Razib, over at Gene Expression.
Huh?
Travis Johnson writes about SpaceDev’s prospects, with the loss of its COTS bid. I’m not sure he understands Rocketplane Kistler, though:
Rocketplane Kistler arguably has the design that’s most like SpaceDev’s DreamChaser, in that it’s based on a spaceplane design somewhat like a smaller version of the current shuttle, so if there was a spot for SpaceDev on this contract I expect we have Rocketplane to blame for them not getting it. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft is essentially a capsule that rides on the Falcon launch vehicle.
I have no idea what he’s talking about here (perhaps because he has no idea what he’s talking about, either). There is no resemblance whatsoever between the Shuttle, Dreamchaser or the Kistler orbital vehicle.
Well, all right, there’s a superficial resemblance between Dreamchaser and the Shuttle, in that they’re both vertical takeoff/horizontal landing vehicles. But neither of them look anything like the Kistler vehicle, which returns a capsule with no wings at all (via parachute, I believe). Perhaps he is confused by the Rocketplane XP (a Learjet derivative), but that has nothing to do with COTS–it’s a suborbital vehicle only.
Well, So Far…
Doomsday isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’m sure the end will be along any minute, though…
Replacement Fertility and Eternity
In today’s Wall Street Journal, “The Fertility Gap” between Democrats and Republicans is analyzed:
According to the 2004 General Social Survey, if you picked 100 unrelated, politically liberal adults at random, you would find that they had, between them, 147 children. If you picked 100 conservatives, you would find 208 kids. That’s a “fertility gap” of 41%. Given the fact that about 80% of people with an identifiable party preference grow up to vote the same way as their parents, this gap translates into lots more little Republicans than little Democrats to vote in future elections.
For a less politically correct treatment, here’s an earlier article with stark graphs (that’s free):
The white people in Republican-voting regions consistently have more children than the white people in Democratic-voting regions.
But that’s just the facts. The philosophy question is more interesting.
The Tehran And Gaza Franchises Should Be Lucrative
Probably won’t do that well in Brighton Beach or Boca, though.
Behold, the Hitler-themed restaurant.
Maybe they could make a Broadway musical about it. Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “soup Nazi.”
[Update on Monday evening]
Per the comment section, can anyone come up with a menu for the (obviously) much worse George Bush Cafe? Instead of a swastika, it would have the Halliburton corporate symbol, of course.
And Now For Something Completely Different
A man with two penes.
I expect Trojan endorsement offers any day now.
Peace In Our Time
About a week ago, I asked:
I wonder if I could dig up an old interview by Mike Wallace with Hitler, in which Mr. Wallace told us how reasonable, rational and serious he seemed? All they wanted was Lebensraum, after all.
In fact, I thought about seeing if I could dig it up on Routers, but I didn’t have the time, and it now turns out that Philip Klein already did it.
The Evil Walt Disney
Lileks has a long but entertaining (and, can you believe it?–dripping with snark) screed disguised as a bleat today, on childish pseudointellectuals who fancy themselves courageous for speaking truth to the Man. Errrr…actually to the Mouse.
Three hundred years from now they
For Those Interested
Some people, unaccountably, are curious as to how my rib barbecue turned out last night.
Pretty good, though not as tender (read, falling off the bone) as the Fourth of July version, because I was attempting to avoid that, so the meat wouldn’t fall off the bone while grilling it and be wasted in the nether regions of the grill.
I made up a marinade of apple vinegar, lemon juice, a bottle of Shiner Bock (just to piss off the Texas haters in the crowd), garlic, hot sauce and other chile derivatives, bay leaves, oregano, thyme, salt, fresh-ground pepper, and whatnot (sorry, I’d provide quantities, but I didn’t pay much attention–you’ll have to do it to taste, and I know that novice cooks hate those words…). I put it in the bottom of the pan and slow cooked the ribs, rib side down, in the oven at 250 F for about three or four hours. Then I put the ribs on the grill (indirect heat) and continued to baste with the marinade, turning occasionally, for another hour and a half or so. I took about half the marinade, added honey and tomato sauce and paste for a sauce, and heated it on the stove. I basted this on for the last few minutes (so as not to allow the sugar to burn), then saved the rest for adding at the table.
They came out pretty good, definitely cooked, and little left but bone after eating, but they held together throughout until time to actually pull the meat off with teeth.
So I’d say it was a success.
Oh, and I should add, not to name drop or anything, that the guests were fellow and recent (though he was born and raised here) south Floridians Bob Poole and his wife Lou Villadsen, of the Reason Foundation. I may have an interview with him on the current airline security fiasco shortly, in conjunction with the fifth anniversary of 9/11. Which makes it all the better that the ribs came out well…
No Teeth In The Bulldog
You know, there was a time in the British Empire that this would be considered an act of war:
The Sunday Telegraph revealed in April that Iranian-made de-vices employing several EFPs, directed at different angles, were being used in Iraq.
And in June, this newspaper obtained the first picture of one of the Iraqi insurgent weapons – designed to fire an armour-piercing EFP – believed to have been responsible for the deaths of 17 British soldiers.
Apparently, for all the talk of the “war mongers” Bush and Blair, war (or at least waging a war that one is actually in, like it or not) has gone out of fashion in the west. And the Iranians and Syrians are taking full advantage of that fact.