Monthly Archives: June 2004

Space

Why June 21st?

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this previously. I’ve been thinking it, but may have been too busy to post.

Here’s my theory on why they picked the solstice. It has nothing to do with the fact that it’s the solstice. I think that it’s because thirty days later is the thirty-fifth anniversary of the first moon landing. Burt (and perhaps Paul Allen) seem to be big on anniversaries.

[Update at 3:30 PM PDT]

Andrew Gray has an even better theory in comments:

Unless I’m miscounting, thirty days *less one*; isn’t Apollo 11 generally taken as being July 20th? (which is also the anniversary, I note, of the eventual recovery of Liberty Bell 7…)

But on that note, July 21, 1961 – Liberty Bell 7’s flight, being the second suborbital flight, might be considered not inappropriate as a date?

That aside, this does beg the question… what is in the two weeks after that, if he’s so keen on anniversaries? It’d be unusual to not have one for the second flight, if this is his plan as you suggest…

He’s right on the arithmetic–I forgot about the old “thirty days has September, April, June, and November.” And it would be an appropriate anniversary.

But as for the fourteen-day one, they would be foolish to wait fourteen days for the second attempt. They’ll do it as quickly as they can, so they have some margin in case they have weather or other problems. The first time you have the luxury of choosing an anniversary date, but the second one has to be driven solely by winning the prize.

War Commentary

The Need To Keep Score

Wretchard has (as usual) some very good points in this piece.

Offering up the objective of more United Nations legitimacy or adopting an “exit strategy” in Iraq, as the Democrats have done, does not amount to a strategy. But neither does the open-ended formula of bringing freedom to the Middle East constitute an actionable agenda. It may be a guide to action, but what is needed is a set of intermediate goalposts against which progress can be measured. Some of these might be:

1. The desired end state in Saudi Arabia: whether or not this includes the survival of the House of Saud or its total overthrow;
2. The fate of the regime in Damascus;
3. Whether or not the United States is committed to overthrowing the Mullahs in Iran and the question of what is to replace them;
4. How far America will tolerate inaction by Iraq security forces before acting unilaterally;
5. The future of the America’s alliance with France and Germany;
6. The American commitment to the United Nations.

Each of these hard questions must be weighed according to its contribution to the final goal of breaking the back of international terrorism. Somewhere in that maze, if it exists, is a ladder to victory. Leading the horse to drink presumes that we know what purpose watering them serves; what paths we will travel. Answering these questions will be a heuristic process, one that moves towards progressively better solutions. Finding ourselves in the place we first began is equivalent to defeat. Whether we are further along in Saudi Arabia in May 2004 than on November 2003 is one of the indicators of whether we are winning or losing. But someone has to keep score.

This would also make it easier to sell to the American people, because it would show that we have a plan, and that we are making progress in it. The problem, of course, is that it’s a plan of which much of the world (particularly the dictatorphilic part of it, including some of our “allies” in Europe) won’t approve.

General

Public Service Announcement

Apparently about eighty percent of spam is being generated by zombie machines (i.e., home computers that have been taken over by trojans, and are sending out massive emails without the owner even being aware).

Folks, if you don’t have at least a software firewall, like Zone Alarm (there is a free version), you are part of the problem. As cheap as hardware firewalls are these days, there is no excuse to have an unsecured machine with a permanent internet connection.

Political Commentary

No Special Treatment

I concur with the thoughts in this Freeper thread about Kerry’s potential plans to visit the Reagan Library. If he wants to pay his respects (and this isn’t just grandstanding), fine, but he should stand in line for hours with everyone else. None of this “Do you know who I am?” business.

Of course, as another commenter pointed out, he does have a natural face for mourning. I suspect he’ll get many opportunities to use it in the coming months, particularly in early November…

By the way, as I was driving up to Chatsworth this morning, the sign in Sepulveda pass said that there was an eight-hour wait at the library. I usually drive up the 405 to the 118 (the Simi Valley Freeway) and across, then take DeSoto down, but this morning, after hearing traffic reports, I decided to go across on the 101 instead.

[Update a few minutes later]

You know, this actually could be a good political move for him, as long as he does stand in line and take the bus (and that should include having his “family’s” SUV sit out on the 118 for hours as well, just like the rest of us). After all, he claims that he’s taking the week off from campaigning out of respect for President Reagan. What better way to show that he really is than by spending a few hours of his own personal time, on queue with the commoners? It would be all the more admirable, because it can’t be expected to be a friendly crowd to someone like him. It would be an opportunity to show, despite all previous evidence, that he really does have the common touch.

This, of course, is exactly why he won’t do it. I fully expect him to revert to character, and try (and maybe even succeed) to pull a “Do you know who I am?”. But maybe he’ll surprise me.

[Update]

He met my expectations, and Iowapresidentialwatch isn’t impressed, calling it “indecent exposure.”

At issue: The need for a Kerry visit to the Reagan Library in California. As reported by Rush Limbaugh, a Kerry spokesperson had already announced Kerry would attend the State Funeral for Reagan on Friday in Washington, D.C.

At issue: The photographer accompanying Kerry into the Reagan Library. Clear guidelines (handed out to everyone prior to entering the library to view Reagan

War Commentary

Gratitude

The Journal points out that the press hasn’t told people about this:

First in Arabic and then in English, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said in his inaugural address to the Iraqi people last Tuesday that “I would like to record our profound gratitude and appreciation to the U.S.-led international coalition, which has made great sacrifices for the liberation of Iraq.” In his own remarks, President Ghazi al-Yawer said: “Before I end my speech, I would like us to remember our martyrs who fell in defense of freedom and honor, as well as our friends who fell in the battle for the liberation of Iraq.”

Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told the U.N. Security Council much the same thing last Thursday: “We Iraqis are grateful to the coalition who helped liberate us from the persecution of Saddam Hussein’s regime. We thank President Bush and Prime Minister Blair for their dedication and commitment.”

[Update]

Morton Kondracke has more.

Space

Not NASA’s Space Program

Here’s a UPI story about alt-space. The writer, Irene Mona Klotz (of whom I hadn’t previously heard), seems to get it. It’s great to see this kind of coverage in the mainstream press.

What’s even better is that it’s the first in a series on the emerging suborbital industry.

Space

Not NASA’s Space Program

Here’s a UPI story about alt-space. The writer, Irene Mona Klotz (of whom I hadn’t previously heard), seems to get it. It’s great to see this kind of coverage in the mainstream press.

What’s even better is that it’s the first in a series on the emerging suborbital industry.

Space

Not NASA’s Space Program

Here’s a UPI story about alt-space. The writer, Irene Mona Klotz (of whom I hadn’t previously heard), seems to get it. It’s great to see this kind of coverage in the mainstream press.

What’s even better is that it’s the first in a series on the emerging suborbital industry.

General

Honor Principles

Via Brad Delong, an article about a guy who makes a living selling donuts and bagels on the honor principle. Take an item, drop some money in the box. There are some very interesting regularities in who cheats and when they cheat. Who cheats is basically in line with my expectations based on dealing with people in different lines of work. If it confirms my prejudices, it must be true 🙂

Anyway, grab a donut, drop your coins in the slot, and read the article.