SpaceX

Book Writing Open Thread

Mark Noonan36 Comments

Sorry I’ve been very slack lately, but over the past four days I wrote 38,000 words on Secrets. It just flowed out of me. I reviewed it today and it is really pretty good. No, scratch that; its very good. Having a hard time pulling away from it. Anyways, I hope you guys like it, when I put it out. Probably in a couple months.

The lockdowns were a mistake, in my view. I agreed with them and I fault no one who imposed them: but it is clear by now that the disease is not a super-killer. We needed do no more than a bit of social distancing and a reduction of venue capacity; maybe down to 25% at the start, and then slowly climbing as time went on. What has really driven deaths in the United States is old people and something like 40% of those deaths are in nursing homes…burdened by the orders of Democrat politicians to accept Coronavirus patients. Democrats are keeping up the lockdowns and fear mongering entirely for political reasons at this point: they are convinced it hurts Trump. Maybe it will – but always remember that they put politics in front of the good of the United States.

Meanwhile, Trump says he won’t go for a second lockdown if we get a second wave of Coronavirus. My view: this is the second wave and we’ll find out it got here in October.

The Flynn judge who is trying to act as prosecutor and judge over Flynn has been called out – and now has to explain himself to an appellate court. I believe that Sullivan will be smacked down quite firmly but it is worrisome that this is the sort of person who has been placed on the bench in the United States. This is a mockery of justice – and how many are there like him? I don’t think our Progressives realize what will happen if the broad mass starts to feel that the judiciary is partisan.

An idea has been put out there that no Blue State should be bailed out unless they agree to allow their Red areas to secede and form new States. This idea has merit, in my view.

With some luck, the USA will returned to manned space missions next week. I hope it works and part of why I’m voting Trump in 2020 is that he seems to understand that the United Stats needs to do the big things…that NASA is supposed to get us to Mars, no try to burnish the thin scientific achievements of Islam. A vote for Biden means a return to doing nothing in space…a vote for Trump means we go back to the Moon and go on to Mars.

Open Thread

Mark Noonan7 Comments

I did a little checking with Expert Opinion and its still pretty set: Trump is doomed. And I mean in the “he hasn’t got a chance” sense. But then you see the crowd at Trump’s rally in New Hampshire last night. Honestly, I can’t see how the man loses – his opponents can’t draw flies. But, the polls say he’s done. I guess we’ll find out next year.

As if you didn’t already know this, there’s leaked audio of the New York Times deciding to switch from “Russia” to “Racism” against Trump. Long time readers might remember my very long series of “What Media Bias?” posts. I stopped doing it because it was so obvious that it really didn’t need further explanation. But, still, nice to get some absolute confirmation.

China is cracking down on Hong Kong – some people are officially upset with Trump as he’s not being forceful about it. But, what’s he really supposed to do? He’s already engaged in a trade war with China. He’s already trying to detach North Korea from China’s orbit. He’s already buddying up to India and Vietnam against China. He’s rebuilding our Navy. He’s sending our ships into waters claimed by China. Short of war, there’s nothing we can do for Hong Kong: and I don’t think anyone wants to fight China over Hong Kong. It is sad, but it was inevitable: a tyranny simply will not tolerate the slightest bit of freedom. China only kept hands off until disruption wouldn’t roil markets too badly…and rely on it that Hong Kong’s rich will cut whatever deals are necessary with Beijing.

SpaceX is talking up its mission to Mars. I think we should go visit Mars, but I’m doubtful about our ability to live off Earth for any length of time. The more we learn about the planets, the more incredible it is that Earth has life…things just have to be so incredibly perfect for life to exist that the chances of it existing elsewhere are getting vanishingly small…and we’re also learning that what Earth has is not at all easy to replicate, even on a small scale. Among the massive problems, I see radiation as the largest. Living things don’t like it: our atmosphere and magnetic field keep out lots of it…but once away from Earth, you lose that protection and have to make the means of keeping it off you.

The Trump Administration has been facilitating talks between Israel and various Arab States…this is because Trump is just smarter than anyone we’ve had in the White House since Reagan.