| Tuesday,
March 17, 2009
St. Patrick's Day
Speaking of eBooks
This may be an emergent model of the e-newspaper. My
brother's paper, the Rocky Mountain News, closed shop last Friday, but some
of its reporters are still out covering their beats.
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp
?id=101&aid=159500
Mike
===========
Keeping You Safe From the
Donkey Jihad
http://www.pennlive.com/
expresstimes/pdf/friday_pa.pdf
The last time Charlie Dent rode a canal boat at Hugh
Moore Park, he didn’t once think anti-terror ID for the mule drivers wearing
19thcentury garb would make him safer. “Absolutely not,” the Lehigh Valley’s
U.S. Congressman said Thursday, a day after he argued on Capitol Hill that
mule drivers at Hugh Moore Historical Park shouldn’t be subjected to a new
anti-terror rule. “We’re supposed to be operating on a risk basis as far as
homeland security,” Dent said. “I don’t think mule drivers in colonial garb
rise to the level.”
http://blog.lehighvalleylive.com/
easton_impact/2009/02/large_
hughmoore.JPG
(You see, Jerry, the old Lehigh Canal is considered a
navigable waterway, so the mule drivers who work the tourist barge must be
licensed by the US Coast Guard. And a federal anti-terror law requires
transportation workers to submit to criminal background checks.
As a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent put it:
"(The mules) go 2 miles per hour. There would be plenty of time to evacuate
if you saw them coming.")
An d now I find it has made the national news:
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/
newsflash/index.ssf?/base/
news-71/12356762426830
.xml&storylist=penn
I feel so much safer now.
Mike Flynn
==========
Workers and Capitalists Clash! Both Lose!
Jerry, you may find this book had an interesting
forecast: The Managerial Revolution: What Is Happening in the World, by
James Burnham (1941) described here:
http://www.thecatholicthing.org/
index.php?option=com_content
&task=view&id=1229
Mike
I consider Burnham's Managerial Revolution an
important book. Perhaps even more important was his The Machiavelians.
=========
Obama's situation and separating "conservatism" from
conservatism
Dear Sir:
You wrote: "I wish Obama well, and I have some
sympathy with his situation; but I fear things will get far worse before
they begin to get better."
I point out that, to his credit, he says as much,
publicly and openly. He may have "liberal" policy goals, but he is taking a
remarkably conservative-pragmatic tactical philosophy in achieving them. I
far prefer that to our previous Administration, which took "conservative"
policy goals and applied radical Jacobin tactical philosophies.
On that note, you and your readers might appreciate
these pieces by Sam Tenenhaus and Andrew Sullivan on how the Republican
Party has diverged from Burke and the classical liberal tradition:
http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?
id=9dfd540a-3d44-4684-a333-415ef34efa5b
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.
com/the_daily_dish/2009/02/conservatism-li.html
--Catfish N. Cod
I am not sure I need to turn to them for that
information, but thanks. I continue to wish the nation well. And to fear.
===========
The Ravening Wolves
http://online.wsj.com/article/
SB123206643514588079.html
Mike Flynn
This came in before the inauguration but got
caught by a spam filter. I thought it worth pointing to.
============
For your next flight...Airport Security game now on
iPhone
http://www.boingboing.net/
2009/01/23/airport-security-gam-1.html
Enjoy!
Charles Brumbelow
============
At our war college!!!!
Our future officers are not being taught who and what
the enemy is, what the enemy believes, and how the enemy fights?
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/024415.php
And a follow up
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/024447.php
Didn't Sun Tzu declare that knowing your enemy as well
as yourself is essential to winning?
{^_^}
I do not know this source and I know no more
about this story.
==============
Forcible Mixing of Cultures
Jerry, you wrote:
"Ain't diversity wonderful? I never lived in
England when they spoke of "foreigners" so I only know it from old Agatha
Christie and other drawing rom novels (including Leslie Charteris of
course) but it did seem a more pleasant place than the modern version. The
passion for equality seems to have had some consequences not entirely
foreseen. Of course I grew up in a legally segregated society, and I
certainly would not advocate going back to that or anything like it; but
forcible mixing of cultures does not seem to be working out very well, for
England or the United States. I can hope I am wrong."
I think it's rather important to point out here that
the norm throughout human history *has* been forcible mixing of cultures, or
in some cases pretty much the outright or near-obliteration of cultures by
more dominant ones.
The Romans, perhaps an inspiration for the "melting
pot" idea that has dominated American history, had little problem with local
cultures, providing that thin veneer of Roman political "religion" was
adhered to. Still, it's no accident that a lot of modern European law, art,
tradition, culture and language pretty much stems from the Latins. The
Romans were rather good at that sort of thing.
They weren't the first, and I think largely were
inspired by Alexander the Great, whose ushering in the last great stage of
Hellenism saw Greek cultural and political motifs spread everywhere from the
Ganges to Egypt, where the older cultures may still have, to some degree
survived, but utterly altered by the military and philosophical might of the
Greeks. People like to think of Hellenic Egypt as the last great stand of an
ancient culture, but in reality, it was just a bunch of Greeks prancing
around in funny costumes, reveling in Egyptian culture even as they
supplanted it. By the time of Constantine, Egyptian culture was little more
than half-remembered priestly rites; Greece and then Rome, and ultimately
Christianity and Islam pretty much wiped it out.
For examples closer to home, modern England was born
out of the forced mixing of Continental Norman and Anglo-Saxon cultures.
While there are new debates about just how much, linguistically, Norman
French may have influenced the evolution of the language, there can be no
doubt that the Normans put a very real stamp on English culture, and not by
any choice of the English.
The New World is replete with older cultures
undermined and all but wiped out (not that that is a bad thing, I doubt even
many of the Aztec's neighbors were all that sad to see them fall to the
Spanish).
The point, I guess, is that it's the norm that the
stronger culture will force itself upon the weaker, and either the weaker
culture adapts as some sort of tolerated minority (as Judaism has been to
one extent or another through the last 2500 years) or is wiped out (as the
ancient Persian culture was at the hands of the Muslim hoards).
That being said, I think the West is rapidly reaching
a point where a line is going to be drawn in the sand. It's one thing to
permit people their own religion in culture, and certainly that was the case
in the British Empire, but what's happened in many Western countries has
been a conscious retreat of Western ideals in an attempt to placate a vocal
minority, some of which, at least, have a rather distinct dislike for the
culture in which they have chosen to live. At some point we either say "We
will tolerate you, to the extent that you obey the laws and do not preach
sedition", or, ultimately, I suppose, we will become the weaker culture. As
much as I have no desire to tell my Muslim neighbor that they have to attend
one church service a year to prove their fidelity, I certainly don't want
Shariah courts springing up either.
I wonder, perhaps, if the West, as a civilization, is
that moment of critical, dangerous moment of self-doubt. A hundred years ago
most Western countries were sure that we were on the road to the best
civilization, that, for whatever flaws we recognized in it, it was worth
pursuing and worth shedding blood to defend. I'm not saying that the West
has been perfect, and certainly examples like the treatment of the
descendants of African slaves in the US are shameful moments. But I am
saying that I, at least, still believe, for all the foibles, flaws and
errors, that our civilization, with its belief in individual liberties,
democracy (no matter how messy. and it can get very messy) and ultimately
the sense of fair play, do make us the inheritors of a great civilization,
one that should not be surrendered by ideals taken to ludicrous extremes.
-- Aaron Clausen
===========
"They think it's a game to hit people in the head."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
wp-dyn/content/article/2009/
03/12/AR2009031203540_pf.html
-- Roland Dobbins
More diversity
==========
How about Ceres as a giant radio telescope:
http://www.opennasa.com/
2009/03/08/the-benac-orbit-keplers-follow-on/
The Benac Orbit, Kepler’s Follow On
Once Kepler finds the other Earths, it time to listen
to their radio stations!
So here is the next big thing: Craters as huge
satellite dishes for antenna feeds orbiting above them.
Think Arecibo, but a bagillion times bigger, and
instead of that little white thing hanging on cables with winches you have a
satellite flying above the dish.
Ceres, you big ball of radio wave reflective ice and
rock, this is what you–and your equatorial craters–were made for! Orbital
parameters copy write. (But if you must know:
http://www.twitter.com/johnbenac
)
SETI
==========
Harlan Ellison sues CBS over ST:ToS "The City on the
Edge of Forever" royalties.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2009
/03/17/arts/17arts-STARTREKWRIT_BRF.html?>
--- Roland Dobbins
===========
More on forcing Veterans to pay for combat
disabilities
Dr. Pournelle,
Here's another article on forcing veterans to pay for
combat disabilities:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnw/
20090316/pl_usnw/the_american_legion
_strongly_opposed_to_president_s_plan_
to_charge_wounded_heroes_for_treatment
I'm not sure I understood Mr. Hammit's comments about
private insurance and veterans. Of course a veteran should pay if he has a
cold or is in a car crash. That's a private citizen dealing with private
issues and the government shouldn't get involved. But if I lose a leg
serving in the military, surely the government pays for all related
treatment in perpetuity? If not, why in God's name does anyone ever join any
military ever?
Thanks,
Ryan Brown
==
The American Legion Strongly Opposed to President's
Plan to Charge Wounded Heroes for Treatment
""It became apparent during our discussion today
that the President intends to move forward with this unreasonable plan,"
said Commander David K. Rehbein of The American Legion. "He says he is
looking to generate $540-million by this method, but refused to hear
arguments about the moral and government-avowed obligations that would be
compromised by it.""
It looks more and more as if this really is serious.
Legionaire
============
Pocket Computers
This sounds an awful lot like Rod Blaine's pocket
computer ( e.g. p 19 of my copy of The Mote in God's Eye ).
http://www.computerworld.com/
action/article.do?command=view
ArticleBasic&articleId=334799&
source=NLT_PRN
Adjustable stretch display screen Projected keyboard
and monitor 10 TB of on-board memory Contextual awareness of external events
( e.g. somebody walking into a room that shouldn't see confidential data
causes that data to be blanked out ) Multiple form factors such as ring,
glasses, wrist watch, phone, ... that will fit in a pocket or be wearable
Less about computing and more a gateway into the cloud where the heavy
lifting is done Draws power from magnetic induction, light, heat or motion
Voice command Brain wave reading
I want one! And, may you live long enough to own one -
writing all the way!
Pete Wityk
Thanks!
==============
The "trillion-dollar plus porkapalooza Wreck-America
Bill."
Dr. Pournelle,
Your correspondent Frank J. Tipler hit the nail on the
head with his term "trillion-dollar plus porkapalooza Wreak-America Bill."
Just how much is a trillion dollars? There is a great
illustration at
http://www.pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html has a great
illustration. Ten thousand dollars is a half-inch thick wad of $100 bills
that will fit in your pocket.. A grocery sack full is a million. Ten pallets
of $100 bills is a billion. A trillion would then be ten thousand pallets of
$100 bills. That's the stimulus.
Those of us who don’t like it have been organizing
“Tea Party” protests, in response to the call from CNBC’s Rick Santelli
<http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232/?video=1040944991&play=1>
). They had about 1,500 in St. Louis, about 2,000 in Greenville, and now
almost 5,000 showed up in Cincinnati this past weekend
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/03/15/
huge-thousands-converge-for-cincinnati-tea-party/ . That’s not to
mention the 15,000 in Fullerton last week.
“Tax Day Tea Parties” are being organized nation-wide
for April 15^th
http://taxdayteaparty.com/ . It’s starting to worry the pols in
Washington
http://www.iht.com/articles/
2009/03/16/america/16assess.php?page=1 .
Our own 15 April soirée in San Antonio has its own
site, of course --
http://www.theythinkyouarestupid.com/ -- managed by Yours Truly.
Your thoughts on these protests would be worth
reading, I am sure.
Robin Juhl
A dollar bill can be overprinted to
make it worth a million dollars, of course. Or million dollar bills can be
printed. I have a German postage stamp 3 pfennigs overprinted to 3 mird
millionen marks.
I don't think there's any great
secret about my thoughts on the subject. But Obama's argument is
irrefutable: "I won."
It's pretty late now, but perhaps
people are waking up. One can hope.
=============
Max Hunter and airbreathers
Jerry:
Max Hunter in conversations with me, and in an article
he wrote, criticized air-breathing space planes on the grounds that they
were expensive and inefficient. Why carry an oxygen plant on the plane when
they are heavy, complex, and cheaper on the ground?
I did an internet search and did not find such an
article. Do you have a reference for Max's comments?
Thanks,
Jim Grote
I presume that's a quote from me above. He
certainly said that fairly often; it's the main reason that DC/X was VTOL.
Max published a lot of papers in his lifetime. I have no idea of which
ones are available on the Internet and which are not, but his views were
well known to the rocket engineering community. Max did have some
confidence in lifting body capabilities for cross orbital landing
capabilities.
The NASP project tried hard to build an
airbreathing spaceplane. My conclusion from NASP is that you don't want to
spend much time at hypersonic velocities in the atmosphere -- but that's
the only way you can get any appreciable fraction of orbital speed from an
air-breather. You have to fly at high Mach numbers to get up to hypersonic
velocity and then do some more to get up to orbital -- or even sub-orbital
-- velocities. The leading edges of your wings will get hot. The leading
edges of your input ram-scoops will get hotter. At the moment we don't
have materials that can do that. I don't see any prospects of obtaining
such materials.
The X-33 project attempted to use a Vertical
Takeoff - Horizontal Landing model. It was never built. Much of the
private rocket community has faith in a two-stage project, with horizontal
takeoff and horizontal landing of the first stage; but the first stage is
used to gain altitude, not high velocity, and separation takes place at
relatively low velocities.
Much of this is discussed in my SSX project
papers: start with HOW
TO GET TO SPACE, and then THE
SSX PROJECT.
============
: A penny for your thoughts
http://www.miamiherald.com/
news/southflorida/story/953497.html
I suggest it is actually a GOOD idea to do this while
the legislature is parked in their cars.
B
===========
For a PDF copy of A Step Farther Out:
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