Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Potpourri XXVIII

Lots to cover here, so I'll minimize the Mickey Mouse.

After some downtime for repairs and upgrades, the Large Hadron Collider will be back online soon. I still hope to do a side trip there whilst in Europe. I'll have to talk to Rick Steves' people.

Even CNN is starting to notice the increased sales of Atlas Shrugged. It's actually a very good article.

Some folks are writing a proposed set of amendments "constituting a bill of federalism." I'm printing it out as I type this, so I haven't had time to read it yet. However, if you understand what federalism is supposed to mean in the American government sense, you can guess at its content.

Found this organization--Scientists and Engineers for America--while searching for information on party affiliation among scientists and engineers. Darlene the Science Cheerleader noted that they are strong supporters of reviving the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), but hasn't advocated (as Darlene and I have) citizen participation.

Welcome to the self-licking ice cream cone. A scientist writes about the dangers of rocket propellants to the atmosphere. The news picks up the article and writes about it. Bloggers like me pick it up and react. The scientist posts the bloggers' links as proof of the spread of his work. The blogger then kicks back and notes the link. Welcome to the circle of life that we call the Internet.

NASA News:
Congresswoman Kosmas (D-FL) has successfully removed the 2010 deadline for retiring the Space Shuttle.

The Orion crew exploration vehicle has changed from a six-person baseline crew to the International Space Station to a four-person crew with the six-person crew as a backup.

From the I'll-believe-it-when-I-see-it department, Obama pledged to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) that he would increase science spending to 3% of GDP. No word on funding for NASA, or where the money would come from. But then I'm still waiting for where the $3 TRILLION is coming from.

The media elite's secret dinners. I'm shocked, shocked...

Speaking of being shocked, shocked, Senator Arlen Specter (PA) has switched from Democrat to Republican. Whoopee. He's been voting liberal for years now. So long, farewell, auf wiederzehen, goodbye...

Playwright Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote an op-ed taking on the real pirates.

Air Force One does some publicity shots over the City of New York, and nobody bothers to tell anyone. Chaos and 9/11 flashbacks ensue, as the 747 flies closer to the city than some folks feel is comfortable. Eight years ago, I would've found this a credible story. Today? Jeez, folks, it is eight years later. Even my PTSD has settled down.

If you've never visited his site, Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation) has a pretty interesting web patter. Like this item, which talks about an application that generates unicorns on one's screen. Wheaton is also a nearly-out-of-control Twitter user. Fair warning if you decide to become a follower. I Twit (er, Tweet) about once a day, if that. I don't think my thoughts are worth sharing quite that often. But what the heck, I'm there, aren't I?

Another hat tip to Melissa for this article about how viruses mutate. She also sent a better video of the 1:10 scale Saturn V launch and a background story on it.

Okay, then there's this item, which Burton Lee posted on Facebook this morning, called "Building a Scaffold for Social Change." The Bartish summary can be explained thusly: it's a liberal/progressive view of how we can use the current economic slump as a way to "transform" society. People didn't vote for transforming society last November--at least most of them didn't--they just voted to put someone NOT George W. Bush into office. The article bothered me enough that I felt like responding to him. I did so by direct mail/message, but decided to post my response here, where there are a lot fewer readers and less likelihood for "flaming."

We have a recession going on, but it was originally only a recession. Government
action is making it worse, which results in people wanting somebody to do SOMETHING. The president and his people are using that as an excuse for MORE government action, social engineering, etc. This cycle will stop until we hit bottom or until people realize that intensive government interference in market processes is a bad thing and start voting a different way.

I don't want a bunch of "experts" engineering my society. Their best interests are not necessarily MY best interests, and the point of freedom is to maximize freedom of action for the individual, not the government.

Obviously that article bothers me a bit, which is what caused me to write. Just doing my part of engaging in civil discourse...or whatever.

And with that, I'm about done. I would recommend reading my blog on how a reconstitute Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) might work.


Okay, more came into my inbox...

Found this on Jerry Pournelle's site: the rise and fall of the teacher whose calculus teaching inspired the 1988 movie Stand and Deliver.

Oh yeah, and did you notice that the UAW and the U.S. Government are looking to get controlling stakes in General Motors? I was an "alarmist" when I called Obama socialist in January. If you define socialism as government ownership or control of the economy--as most economists do--then I'm accurate in April. What does that make me now?

I've posted this before, but it's still cool, and might be's best moment...a worldwide version of "Stand By Me." And, again, they're selling the CD/DVD online at

A friend of a friend who helped me out with some business-related questions has opened her own store. If you're in the Arcadia, Florida, area (about 20 miles NNE of Port Charlotte, about 50 miles N of Fort Myers), Kim Johnson has opened an organic this-and-that store there called "Good Life in Arcadia." Here's how the ad reads:

We are excited to bring you certified organic, fair trade and eco-friendly products. We have brought together the highest quality organic teas, herbs, coffees, baby and beauty products, honey, candles, jewelry and artisan products that we can find in the market.

I consider Kim a friend, so I'll add be adding her site as a permanent link for this page. I don't get all the ideas behind this stuff, but I appreciate the aesthetics of them. If you do drop in, please let her know that Bart sent you. It won't get you a discount, but it will let her know where you heard about her store.


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