We’re flying to Miami this morning, then taking the Bright Line to Orlando for a few days. Tomorrow is my brother’s birthday, and Thursday is graduation for my niece (his daughter) who is becoming a physician’s assistant. Friday we have a tour of SpaceX at the Cape. So blogging may be light.
The Latest On The USSS
Rowe personally crippled Trump’s Secret Service team.
I ask again: If they didn’t want to get him killed, what would they have done differently?
[Tuesday-morning update]
Thoughts on the Secret Service.
[Bumped]
Safe Is Not An Option
Thoughts on flight rationale from Wayne Hale.
[Update a few minutes later]
OK, now I see why Wayne wrote that:
As NASA is working to balance all of these risks—the risk to crew on board Starliner, the risk of an uncrewed departure to the ISS, the risk to astronauts on board the space station, and more — Boeing has been lobbying to bring Starliner home with crew. Although NASA and Boeing engineers have yet to identify a root cause for the failure of the thrusters, Boeing has been urging NASA to accept “flight rationale” as a substitute. That is, Boeing believes it has provided enough data to NASA to be confident the thrusters will not fail in a catastrophic manner.
Boeing seems willing to risk the lives of the astronauts to save the vehicle. I don’t personally think it’s worth saving. I wonder what Boeing’s new CEO thinks?
Kamala Harris And The Masque Of Magical Thinking
The sugar high of the Harris coronation won’t last.
Joe Rogan Goes Live On Netflix
…and leftists lose their minds. As noted, this demonstrates just how far left the media has become.
An Ongoing Foreign-Policy DIsaster
A reminder of the continuing mess in Afghanistan. And it doesn’t even mention the fact that the Chinese probably have effective control of our former strategic air base there.
Muscle Growth And Strength
Some interesting results on strength training. I’m more concerned with strength (and flexibility) than how big my muscles look. Though maybe if I were in the market for women I’d think differently.
Starliner Woes Continue
Eric Berger has the latest.
NASA may be playing its cards too close to the vest here for its credibility.
Spaceport Las Vegas
No, funding is not his biggest issue. This is his biggest issue:
“And there are several companies building them right now,” he said in his presentation. “They’re basically an aircraft with a variety of engines, whether it’s a scramjet engine or rockets. It takes off and lands like an aircraft and it’s made of titanium. You can launch it and re-enter, and you can do it over and over again. And it’s a lot safer.”
Although some of Lauer’s website visuals and early plans call for a launching pad, Lauer said his development’s focus will be on horizontal takeoffs and landings and not launches.
Which companies? The only company that I’m aware of developing a horizontal takeoff and landing system is Radian, and they need a sled. To quote the former senator from Wisconsin in a different context, I wouldn’t give him one penny for this nutty fantasy.
Judith Curry
An interview with John Stossel.
Climate scientist @CurryJa tells me she "had to develop the hide of an armadillo" after she questioned climate alarmism.
— John Stossel (@JohnStossel) August 3, 2024
Former "friends" turned on her, writing things like, “Judith Curry abandons science.”
Did she? Here's my full interview with her: pic.twitter.com/yQBtWnC5ZJ