There is a particular management style that keeps things in a constant state of crisis so that the manager can be a hero for salvaging the organization from it. This was Jimmy Carter’s style, except he wasn’t very good at fixing the messes that he created, which is why he lost to Ronald Reagan in a landslide. Unfortunately, even out of office, he has continued to be a foreign policy thorn in the side of subsequent administrations, including Clinton’s. For that (and for the opportunity to take a cheap shot at George W. Bush), he was awarded the Nobel Prize.
Along those lines, David Frum provides his own take on Jimmy Carter’s “Peace” Prize. He’s not impressed, with either the recipient, or the committee that awarded it.
Last night’s test of the missile defense system last night was apparently a success. They’re apparently expanding the test envelope. This one was against a non-cooperative target, with a number of decoys.
And for those who weren’t fortunate enough to see the show out of Vandenberg, here are some nice pictures, that demonstrate the “twilight effect“.
As usual, you can’t find these stories in the regular media–only the Weekly World News has the reporting wherewithal to dig them up. The story’s not available on the web yet, but there’s a non-permalinked picture of this week’s cover here.
Saddam has penetrated US waters with a submarine. Get out the gas masks, all you folks in Muskegon and Milwaukee…
Wendy McElroy has some handy tips for beating back the continuing encroachment of political correctness (aka censorship and abdication of actual thought).
There’s a possibility that viewers in the southwest US and northern Mexico will see a Minuteman launch lit by sunlight this evening (if the marine layer clears–Southern California residents may have to get away from the beach). If so, it usually makes for a spectacular sight.
The launch window opens at 7 PM PDT. If it’s delayed more than twenty minutes, it will still go (the window stays open until 10 PM) but it will be in the dark. Still worth watching, but not as beautiful.
[Update at 8:37 PM PDT]
Doug Jones from XCOR, up in the desert, in Mojave (where they weren’t socked in by the marine layer) reports:
We had a splendid view from Mojave, looking into a darkening sky after sunset. Great “frozen lightning” and the high-altitude expansion of
the plume grew to about 20 degrees across the sky. Too bad our professional photographer wasn’t on hand.
There’s still a faint fluorescing green patch remaining. World War III would be beautiful…