One small rocket ride for a man on a bicycle.

Out on the tarmac, Tim Pickens of Orion Propulsion just demonstrated his asphalt-powered rocket bike (which, by the way, may have been featured on the Daily Show yesterday–Tim was telling us about his visit from Jon Stewart earlier this week).

It wasn’t one of his better efforts. The burn seemed short. As he glided past the press tent, Robin Snelson yelled out, “That was punk!”

Sigh. When will the media discover that they’re supposed to cover the news, not make it?