Really, they only like science when it gives them the “correct” answers.
Category Archives: Social Commentary
The Valley
…remains uncanny. They’re certainly making a lot of progress in realistic androids, though. I suspect that at some point this technology is really going to be driven by the s3x toy industry.
Pick-Up Artists
…and evolutionary psychology. These are ugly truths for gender feminists who deny human nature.
The Paleo Rodeo
I’ve really got to start paying more attention to this stuff, because my blood pressure has gotten ridiculously high to the point where I need to be pretty drastic about it.
For Those Who Want A Flavor
A scene from the upcoming Atlas Shrugged movie.
They’re not going to pull any punches on the sanctimonious scum.
What You Can’t Say At The Pentagon
It was pretty obvious to me and many at the time, but it’s becoming more and more clear that soldiers were murdered at Fort Hood out of political correctness and an insane multi-culturalism, in the one institution in which we can least afford it.
[Update a few minutes later]
I should add that while I have a generally low opinion of Senator Collins, she deserves kudos, along with Senator Lieberman, for continuing to prevent this from being swept under the carpet.
On The Difficulty Of Being An Adult
I think that this is a problem for the nation in general, including me. But it’s not so bad in my case that I voted for Barack Obama.
Who Would Have Thought?
There are documentation problems at NASA. It’s endemic to the industry. It’s one of the causes of high costs. And failures. Be sure to read the comments.
One of the advantages that SpaceX has is that with a tightly integrated co-located team, the knowledge is much more accessible, though individuals become more critical
The Lunacy Of Federal High-Speed Rail
A take-down by Robert Samuelson.
[Update while later]
Florida Governor Rick Scott has turned down funding for it.
* My decision to reject the project comes down to three main economic realities:
o First – capital cost overruns from the project could put Florida taxpayers on the hook for an additional $3 billion.
o Second – ridership and revenue projections are historically overly-optimistic and would likely result in ongoing subsidies that state taxpayers would have to incur. (from $300 million – $575 million over 10 years) – Note: The state subsidizes Tri-Rail $34.6 million a year while passenger revenues covers only $10.4 million of the $64 million annual operating budget.
o Finally – if the project becomes too costly for taxpayers and is shut down, the state would have to return the $2.4 billion in federal funds to D.C.
That last “if” should be a “when.” Good for him. Too bad we don’t have as much sense in Sacramento.
[Update a couple minutes later]
This seems to have been influenced by my friend (and fellow member of the Competitive Space Task Force) Bob Poole of the Reason Foundation:
the Reason Foundation issued its report nearly two weeks ago. Using estimates for a proposed rail line in California, it projects the Tampa-to-Orlando link could cost $3 billion more than estimated.
Research by the Reason Foundation and the study’s main author, Wendell Cox, regularly offers a skeptical view of rail, so the findings are not particularly surprising. What’s notable is the work was overseen by Robert Poole, a foundation director who served on Scott’s transition team for transportation issues.
“It’s understandable that some are dreaming of flashy high-speed rail trains carrying tourists and residents between the two cities,” Poole said in a news release. “When you look at realistic construction costs and operating expenses you see these trains are likely to turn into a very expensive nightmare for taxpayers.”
Hey, Jerry, I’m sure Bob’s available for a similar analysis for CA. In case you haven’t noticed, you have budget problems, too.
Be Careful
Don’t hurt the burglars. I liked this comment:
Don’t leave bottles of brown-coloured bottles of pesticides in your shed – burglars might think you have left them some beer. Don’t leave a supply of bird nuts – burglars might get food poisoning – thinking you were leaving them some munchies to go with the previous item. Don’t put pitch forks in your sheds – burglars might stab themselves on them as they clamber through the window. Don’t put glass in the window frame – burglars might get a scratch followed by blood poisoning. Make sure there is adequate lighting – in case burglars accidentally step on a rake and whack themselves in the gob. Please provide an adequate seating arrangement – so that weary burglars can take a rest, before taking the rest of your stuff. A bucket is NO substitute for slopping out, sorry I mean going to the ‘boudoir’. Burglars expect a proper netty! Adequate toilet paper should be on supply AT ALL TIMES!
Somehow, Great Britain doesn’t seem so great any more.