If it makes you feel any better, next year may be worse.
Perrow writes about how the failure of a complex, highly-coupled system can be catastrophic. I used his book, Normal Accidents, as a source for my book.
Launch-Cost Bleg
I’m giving a talk on the economics of spaceflight on Friday in Omaha. Does anyone have a chart showing the cost per flight as a function of flight rate for both expendables and reusables? Doesn’t need to have citable numbers in it, just looking for something conceptual.
Recycling Programs
With city budgets declining, it’s time to rethink them.
It’s time to rethink lots of things, but we don’t usually do it until under duress. The virus has been helpful in that regard in many cases.
Democrats’ Reaction To Trump’s Illness
It’s about as classy as you’d expect. Kudos to Rachel Maddow, though.
Unassailable Ideas
Reviews of a new book about the cultural rot in academia.
The Right To Armed Self Defense
…in the face of abdication of law enforcement: A paper.
A reminder that the purpose of police is not to protect the public, but rather to protect the criminals from the inevitable vigilantism in their absence.
[Monday-morning update]
More thoughts at Captain’s Journal.
Trump And Biden
What if one of them dies before January 20th?
It could be an even bigger mess than we already expect.
The Covid Chaos
Space Force Members
…will only go to the moon if they’re selected by NASA.
They may have no current plans to send the spacers into space, but that could change with the advent of Starship.
[Sunday-morning update]
Sorry about the missing link. I’m surprised that no one mentioned it sooner.
Good Job, Guys
Wasting water to save water.