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Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Potpourri CIX

An interesting mix of stuff this evening, so let's get started.

This is filed under "humor," for reasons that mystify and horrify me. The guy is joking about the conservative obsession with "freedom" by taking it to ridiculous extremes, but then turns around and makes truly bad ideas (like government-run healthcare) and actually make them sound worse. How, exactly, is this humorous?

A researcher in Australia claims that modern humans are a bunch of wimps. I can hear the Neanderthals now: "You kids had it easy. Why, when I was your age, we had to hunt mammoth for three or four days at a full gallop, in six feet of snow, with glaciers crumbling underneath us...now you kids have it soft with that global warming thing..."

One of my next future vacation stops. Very cool!

If you feel the need to hear one more time how there's scientific "consensus" that "global warming is an absolutel fact," feel free to read the latest brow-beating from the International Panel on Climate Change.

New from Hu: I like this blog on Ares I-X. It sort of crystallizes the moment for me.

Speaking of Ares I-X, Bob Ess (Mission Manager) and Ed Mango (Launch Director) will be giving a mission status briefing on Friday, October 23, at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

From Yohon, an article on the new electronic book reader from Barnes & Noble, with the added question on whether I'm ready to trade in my Kindle. Answer: not bloody likely. Besides, I like the idea of keeping my physical book shopping (B&N) separate from my electronic book shopping (Amazon). Competition keeps capitalism thriving and prevents monopoly behavior.

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