Administrative

Firefox Question

I like the new version 1.5 overall (particularly the feature that opens a new window when I click on a URL in Eudora, instead of changing the last window viewed, which was what it did before, and the ability to move tabs), but one thing drives me crazy about it (as it did in previous versions).

When I download a file from a site, it automatically puts it on my desktop. It doesn’t offer any other options. I think I can go in and change the default to some other location, but I don’t want a single default location–I want to specify at the time of download where I want it to go. Does anyone know if this is possible, and that there’s something I’m missing?

Political Commentary

A Culture Of Corruption

That’s become Nancy Pelosi’s latest catch phrase about the administration and the Republicans, but Rich Lowry says it’s true.

Of course, I don’t think that it’s any worse than it was when the Dems were running the Hill. But we’ve come to (or at least we used to) expect better of Republicans. He’s right–they need to clean up their act before someone does it for them.

Oh, and while we’re on the subject, for those who nonsensically persist in thinking that I’m a conservative, or a Republican, or even a great fan of George Bush, just because I don’t believe that he’s a retarded Chimpy McHalliburton, I agree with Andrew Roth, who has a list of grievances.

The problem is, as it was in last year’s election, that as unhappy as I am with this administration and Congress, there’s no reason to think that putting Democrats in charge would improve any of the things that I’m unhappy about, and most of their rhetoric and policy statements lead me to think that it would make most of them even worse.

Space

Watching COTS

In my opinion, the most important thing that NASA is doing right now, in terms of ultimately opening up space for the rest of us, is their first tentative steps toward procuring commercial orbital services. Michael Mealing seems to agree, and has set up a new blog to monitor progress, or lack of it. I’m adding it to the space blogroll.

[Update at 9:20 AM EST]

Michael Belfiore has some industry reaction to the announcement.

Short answer–t/Space is pleased.

Space

Where Are The Anti-Nuke Protestors?

Jeff Foust notes that there’s surprisingly little opposition to the RTGs in the upcoming New Horizons Mission (with some interesting discussion in his comments section).

I think that his take is right–back in 1997, when Cassini launched, loony leftists didn’t have a lot of better things to do, but now they’re so consumed with the war and George Bush that they don’t have the time or energy to focus on non-issues like this. As I pointed out in comments over there, when even perennial loony tune Bruce Gagnon doesn’t have time to organize anything against it, no one else will, either.

[Update a few minutes later]

Thomas James (Bruce’s occasional nemesis) has more New Horizons info.

Media Criticism

Could Exodus Get To The Screen Today?

Torah Portion says that Stephen Spielberg is no friend of Israel:

For some time I’ve asked this question – would Leon Uris get “Exodus” to the screen in this climate? I keep coming up with the same answer. No! Things have changed and not only for movies but for books as well. Again, personal experience, as with my latest, “The Bathsheba Deadline,” that’s running as a serial on Amazon.com. Lucky for me that Amazon.com came along, the largest of them all put together.

But not so fast. The novel was turned down by a dozen New York publishers for being too pro USA and much too Jewish, too pro-Israel. One top publisher said it plainly, or half plainly: “I really got caught up in your novel; enjoyed it very much; powerful stuff. But I will not make an offer, and I think you know why.”

Yes, I knew why and I know why.

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!