Category Archives: Law

Education, Law, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Social Commentary

“General” Harris

45 Comments

We’ve been hearing these kinds of stories for a while now. I don’t think it mentions it here, but I saw another story that reported when she was California AG, she would demand that her staff greet her every morning with “Good morning, General!” I have no trouble believing it, both because it matches other stories about her ego, and stories about her intelligence.

One of my pet peeves is people (including media types) addressing a Surgeon General or Attorney General, as “General So-and-So.” “General” is the adjective, not the noun. Morons.

[Update a few minutes later]

How is it that this woman is “Acting President”?

It has been credibly reported that they threatened him with the 25th Amendment if he didn’t drop out of the race. So if that’s true, and they don’t believe that he’s not competent, but removed him anyway, then that would have been a coup. If they do believe he’s not competent, then they have a Constitutional duty to remove him. Either way, this is not “saving our democracy.”

Make up your minds. He can’t be Schroedinger’s President.

History, Law, Political Commentary

Literally Dodging A Bullet

5 Comments

It’s amazing how lucky we are that he had his head turned that way, and was scratched instead of killed like Kennedy. What chaos that would have been. Imagine the Republican convention tomorrow, when he hasn’t even named his heir in announcing his pick for VP, and no one claims to know who it is other than him. Who would be the leader of the party? Who would rise? I’d guess it would have to be Speaker Johnson. He is, after all, currently third in line for the presidency. But would he pick up the chalice, or simply supervise the process of choosing?

Business, Law, Political Commentary, Space, Technology and Society

The Falcon Failure

12 Comments

I can obviously understand the need for an investigation, and if SpaceX wants to do it with the FAA, that’s fine, but the FAA should have no say in when it flies again; that would be them doing mission assurance, which is not part of their charter. NASA, Jared Isaacman, or any of SpaceX’s other customers can decide when and whether they trust the vehicle, but FAA advisement should be just that. There was no public danger from this event (other than potential Starlink debris falling to earth), or reason to think there would be from any future similar failure.

Law, Mathematics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Biden Has A Weak Hand

7 Comments

Some game theory from Nate Silver.

I’m not sure why he doesn’t mention what to me is an obvious way to force Biden out. All they have to do is say that they’re going to “realize” that there actually is a lot of evidence of family corruption, and it would be very sad if they were to start to agree with the Republicans about it, but what are you going to do? Does Nate not discuss this because he really believes it doesn’t exist, or because he doesn’t want to give it credence himself?

Business, Law, Political Commentary, Space, Technology and Society

Fear, Uncertainty, And Doubt

19 Comments

Blue Origin and ULA (and they may soon be the same company) are pretty clearly threatened by SpaceX.

On the other hand, there have never been launch operations at this scale, anywhere. SpaceX should be getting on to sea launch as soon as possible, particularly given the much greater flexibility of orbital destinations this will give them.

[Update a while later]

More from Stephen Clark.

[Tuesday-afternoon update]

More from Jeff Foust. I was amused at this: “Ariane 6 is an answer to their needs. We’ll go through the inaugural launch, we’ll serve those customers, and we will continue to innovate.”

“Continue” to innovate? I’m still waiting for them to start.

[Bumped]

[Update a few minutes later]

Meanwhile, in French Guiana: