Note from Down Under

If you're interested in helping with relief efforts in New Zealand, the Down Under Defense Expert (DUDE) sent the following email:

There is an urgent requirement for nearly everything in Christchurch right now. I'm e-mailing everyone I can think of to ask them to donate anything they can to a charity that will provide support to the people affected by the earthquake and aftershocks.


These are the charities Mrs. DUDE and I are giving to:

http://www.airrescue.co.nz/

http://www.spca.org.nz/general/home.htm

Rescue helicopters in New Zealand get only 40% of their funding from the government; the remainder comes from donations. The SPCA here, like SPCAs everywhere else, gets 100% of its operating money through donations.

There are of course plenty of better-recognized charities that operate worldwide, such as the Salvation Army, medical providers, and various church foundations. If you can donate, select any charity you favor, making sure you earmark you donation for Christchurch earthquake support. And remember to take your income tax deduction.

Potpourri LXXV

My Google news feed picked up an Aviation Week article on vibration testing delaying the Ares I-X stacking. Well, sorry to break it to AvWeek, but stacking started 7/8, more or less as stated in their article. And if you'd like another view of this vibration issue, you can check out the Ares I-X blog here. Any resemblance between the writing style there and here is purely coinky-dink.

Robert Zubrin, eminent Mars exploration advocate, debated with former Apollo 17 astronaut and Senator Harrison "Jack" Schmitt on the virtues of going to Mars vs. the Moon next. It seemed like a fitting occasion. Today is the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 lifting off for its historic landing on the Moon. Saaaaa-lute!

Here's a random poll on the utility of the space program.

From Martin, a new lunar landing game.

From Tracy, a good catch from an interview of Michael Collins:

Q. Has the space program helped young people become interested incareers in math and science? Don't you tell kids to opt for thesechoices?

A. Yes and no. We definitely have a national problem in that kids seemto be going for money rather than what they consider 'nerdy' careers. Other countries are outstripping us in the quality and quantity of math and science grads, and this can only hurt in the long run. But a liberal arts education, particularly English, is a good entry point no matter what the later specialization. I usually talk up English. (Emphasis mine. HOO-wah!)

The Down Under Defense Expert (DUDE) reports no adverse effects by him despite the 7.8 earthquake off the coast of NZ.

And from Lin, a Glen Beck rant on Goldman Sachs. Not a huge fan of Beck, but he does provide a lively illustration of what Fred Barnes recently called crony capitalism.