Political Commentary

It Won’t Go Away

Congressman Rohrabacher is calling for a new investigation into the Oklahoma City bombing:

“The official position today, defended by the FBI and Justice Department, is that the OKC bombing, which left 168 persons dead, was planned and executed solely by two disgruntled veterans, Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols, with the limited involvement of Michael Fortier,” writes Rohrabacher. “After my inquiry I have concluded that others were involved and that information about the bombing is being kept from the public and from the Congress. The jurisdiction of my Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations extends only to the possible international and foreign involvement in the crime. Even within that framework there is ample evidence to justify an investigative hearing.”

…Rohrabacher concludes in his memo to Hyde: “(I)t is highly likely that the Arab connection and or the Strassmeier connection played a significant role in the planning and execution of the murderous bombing of the OKC federal building. In both possible scenarios, the official investigation fell short and further investigation has been discouraged ever since.”

He’s been working with Jayna Davis (who, in my opinion, should get a Pulitzer, particularly in light of all of the official noncooperation she’s encountered). This botched investigation (and continuing coverup) is one of the many things for which the Clinton administration has never been held to account.

[Update a few minutes later]

After a phone conversation with Jayna Davis, “Doug from Upland” has some questions for Congressman Rohrabacher.

Political Commentary

It Won’t Go Away

Congressman Rohrabacher is calling for a new investigation into the Oklahoma City bombing:

“The official position today, defended by the FBI and Justice Department, is that the OKC bombing, which left 168 persons dead, was planned and executed solely by two disgruntled veterans, Timothy McVeigh, Terry Nichols, with the limited involvement of Michael Fortier,” writes Rohrabacher. “After my inquiry I have concluded that others were involved and that information about the bombing is being kept from the public and from the Congress. The jurisdiction of my Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations extends only to the possible international and foreign involvement in the crime. Even within that framework there is ample evidence to justify an investigative hearing.”

…Rohrabacher concludes in his memo to Hyde: “(I)t is highly likely that the Arab connection and or the Strassmeier connection played a significant role in the planning and execution of the murderous bombing of the OKC federal building. In both possible scenarios, the official investigation fell short and further investigation has been discouraged ever since.”

He’s been working with Jayna Davis (who, in my opinion, should get a Pulitzer, particularly in light of all of the official noncooperation she’s encountered). This botched investigation (and continuing coverup) is one of the many things for which the Clinton administration has never been held to account.

[Update a few minutes later]

After a phone conversation with Jayna Davis, “Doug from Upland” has some questions for Congressman Rohrabacher.

Media Criticism

Find The Missing Word

Here’s a story about thousands of youths starting to attack protestors and others in Paris.

Pumped up by news coverage, these youths boast of trying to steal mobile phones and money and vow to take revenge for the daily humiliation they say they endure from the police…

…The police and independent analysts say that most of the vandalism and violence that has marred the protests has been by young men, largely immigrants or the children of immigrants, from tough, underprivileged suburbs, who roam in groups and have little else to keep them busy.

Funny, nowhere in the article can one determine the country from which these “youths” immigrated, or what their religious background might be. One might almost think it irrelevant to the story. But I suspect that it’s not…

And what kind of moral midgetry is at work here?

In live coverage of the mass protests in Paris, CNN compared the protests to the 1989 Tiananmen Square uprising in Beijing. What worries the authorities now is that the targets of anger are shifting, moving beyond attacks on property to attacks on people as well.

Let’s see, in one case we have throngs of peaceful protests of people seeking liberty, brutally put down by an army with tanks. In the other, we have rampaging young men, nihilistically smashing, stealing and burning property, and brutally attacking its owners, seeking nothing but gratification and destruction. That’s how I’d compare them, anyway. But then, I’m not CNN.

Space

Reconsideration

OK, I’ve had a long day, I’m coming down with a cold, and I’m tired, but I’ve got one more post before I go to bed, and the day is over. Just in case I do end up posting a little more, because it’s such an important post, I’m going to keep it at the top until the end of the day.

I’ve been really depressed for the last week as a result of the failure of the SpaceX launch attempt. It was a major blow and disappointment not just to SpaceX, but to the whole notion of private space. I’ve gone through a lot of soul searching, and am starting to question everything I thought I believed about the best way to open up the new frontier.

I’ve come to realize that we do in fact have launch systems that work, most of the time, even if they’re expensive. We have a space station, if we could just muster up the gumption to finish it, and start to turn it to the useful ends for which it was intended. Shuttle is risky, but any new frontier is risky. We need to work hard and spend whatever it takes to continue to minimize the risk of losing our priceless astronauts, even if we don’t fly it for another three years. We have a president with a vision, a Congress willing to support it to a degree, and a new NASA administrator (a genuine rocket scientist–something we’ve never before had as a NASA administrator, and isn’t it about time?) with great ideas about how to get us back to the moon quickly (or as quickly as the stingy folks on the Hill are willing to fund).

Maybe it’s just because I’m getting old, or don’t feel well, but I know now that relying on guys in garages, operating on shoestrings, is never going to get us into space. The skeptics are right–Rutan’s done nothing except replicate what NASA did over forty years ago.

Furthermore, I realize now that it’s not important that I get into space myself–what’s important is that the opportunity is there for my children. Or my grandchildren. Or my great-grand children. It may take a long time, because we know that space is hard.

What’s important is that we have to keep striving, keep supporting these vital efforts, never let our interest flag or wane, in getting our people back to the moon, and on to Mars, no matter how long it takes, no matter how much it costs. Yes, it costs a lot, but we are a great country, and a rich one. There are so many other things that the government wastes money on, it’s very frustrating that we can’t get the support we need to ensure that this NASA human spaceflight program, critical not just to our nation’s future, but to that of humanity, can’t move faster. I now realize that Mark Whittington is right, and that there’s a very real chance that the Chinese will beat us to the moon, and lay claim to the strategic high ground. But we must accept that, and work to change that potential outcome, whatever it takes.

Ad Astra.

Space Education

Space Journalism Prize Revised

Space Journalism Prize submissions have been light this year. It has been revamped as follows.

  • Deadline has been extended to May 31
  • 3rd party submissions now allowed
  • Author permission no longer required
  • Clark Lindsey is replacing me as judge

Note that the judging criteria are the same as last year except that there is only nine months worth of material to compete against. If you entered last year, do it again this year. Winner will be announced at Space Frontier meeting.

Political Commentary

Condimania

Apparently the Secretary of State is quite the diplomat:

A few hours earlier, Mr Armstrong had been declaiming the war in Iraq in forceful tones in front of the nation’s media. Now, he appears to have undergone a quasi-religious conversion. But you can’t blame him. This, it seems, is quite simply the Condi effect.

However much people might dislike the thought of Condoleezza Rice, 51, one of the key architects of the Iraq war, defender of Guantanamo Bay and staunch ally of George Bush, it seems that they cannot help but be won over by the reality.

I don’t know if she can win an election, but as SecState, so far, she seems to be a hit overseas.

Humor

Wrong Building

A Japanese burglar picked the wrong place to burgle:

The burglar, who was unemployed, admitted he was baffled to find himself among sumo wrestlers.

“First I was caught by a massive man. When the lights turned on, I was surrounded by more than a dozen sumo wrestlers. I was surprised,” Kawabata told police, as quoted by Jiji Press.

I’ll bet he was.

This reminds me of the scene in “Tremors,” when the sandworms break into the survivalists’ basement, whereupon it’s blasted by every weapon know to man that’s not belt fed, and the Michael Gross character says “Guess you broke into the wrong God damn rec room, didn’t ya!”

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!