Can it be used on the moon?
Maybe, but only on the near side. It really needs its own constellation (and the satellites wouldn’t be in stable orbits).
The MLP
It’s only 44% over budget.
At what point will it be generally recognized what a fiasco SLS is? Maybe when Starship flies?
The Restaurant Business
I’ve never been a big patron of restaurants, both for reasons of cost and health (plus I hate being waited on and having to tip for it), but I’m glad that people who were are trying to help with gift cards.
[Update a few minutes later]
I should note, here or someplace, that so far this has barely affected my lifestyle at all. I rarely go out to eat, and am generally a hermit when I’m not traveling.
Al Worden
America’s Micro And Macro Efforts
…to combat the epidemic. At the least, it’s an interesting experiment.
[Update a few minutes later]
Meanwhile, the Manchurian media.
[Update w while later]
South Korea infections are dropping; what’s the key to its success?
Basically, testing and tracing. I’ll feel better once there’s a lot more testing going on here.
[Update late morning]
When will it be over, and how will be know? TL;DR, it’s about getting R naught below 1.
Meanwhile, despite the slow start, there’s a lot we can be proud of.
The Density Pushers
Lileks takes them on.
When The Virus Departs
The world will be changed.
Yes, and in many ways, for the better.
The New Lie That Will Not Die
No, Trump didn’t disband the pandemic team.
The Gateway
…has been taken off the critical path for 2024.
This is probably the beginning of the end for it. Long before 2026, it will have become very clear that the road to the planets lies with the private sector, not NASA.
The Toyota A/C
The A/C in our RAV4 quit working a few weeks ago (we discovered it during a winter heat wave in January). Turns out that the condenser sprung a leak, and won’t hold refrigerant. A new one is $278 from AutoZone. I’ve been looking at the manual, trying to work up the gumption to replace it. I called a local shop to get a quote on labor, and he told me they’re not doing A/C work right now, because they think discharging the system is too risky for lungs, but when they start doing it again, it would be about $600, including recharging it. Fortunately, it’s a cool, rainy week, and repairing it isn’t urgent, even with our planned trip up the coast this weekend.