Satire

So That’s What He Meant

It seems to be a work in progress–the HTML is crude, and the scoring isn’t working correctly on the “Coalition” question yet (what do you expect from a UN project?), but I think I’ve found the Global Test that John Kerry was talking about the other night.

[Update at 5:30 PM EDT]

For those into sixties nostalgia, Iowahawk has dredged up a long-lost script of that old western, Johnny Nuance. I’ll bet that guy could have passed the Global Test blindfolded, and with one treaty tied behind his back.

[Sunday afternoon update]

The scoring seems to be working properly on the coalition-building portion of the test now.

Technology and Society

They Never Learn

Another victory for the blogosphere over a professor who tried to resurrect the authenticity of the fake CBS memos.

But, hey, what’s a little academic fraud? It’s all in the service of the cause, right? The most important thing is to get rid of chimpie.

What frightens me is that the ability to create such fakery without getting caught (given a little intelligence, something in short supply so far on the part of the Bush haters) is improving every day. Authenticating documents (and records of events) is going to become a major societal issue in the future, and it’s starting to become one already.

Political Commentary

I Have Just One Question

…about tonight’s debate.

Has Kerry learned his lesson yet, or will it still be possible to get hammered by playing the simple drinking game of taking a sip of wine every time he says the word “Vietnam”?

[Friday morning update]

OK, credit where credit’s due. By my count, he referred to his service only three times, and used the actual word “Vietnam” once. Maybe he is learning. However, ultimately, while Bush could have done better, Kerry finished himself off with the “global test,” and the notion that the US can’t be trusted with nukes. It’s the same old nuclear freeze mentality from the eighties. He appealed to his party’s left to hold the base, and he’s lost the center.

Space

My Theory

Which is mine.

The fact that the roll problem seems to get worse as the burn progresses could be a result of:

  1. higher acceleration as the vehicle gets lighter
  2. less atmosphere as altitude increases, with correspondingly less aerodynamic control
  3. increasing thrust asymmetries as the nozzle erodes

I’m guessing that it’s a combination of all of the above and that the vehicle doesn’t have enough RCS control authority to muscle past the (unplanned) thrust asymmetries. The pilot is probably fighting to keep the nose pointed forward, and as Brett Buck suggested, yaw and pitch moments are getting coupled into roll.

If so, this is a problem that could be solved with a better engine nozzle design, thrust vector control on the main propulsion (a more expensive fix), more powerful RCS jets, or all of the above.

As I said previously, though, this shouldn’t necessarily prevent them from winning the prize, as is.

says it was caused by a “known deficiency”:

The unplanned corkscrew maneuver Wednesday was characterized as a “spin-stabilized” roll. Rutan said there

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!