Security Threat Remains Top Issue

While the run-up to Tuesday's midterm elections has centered primarily around economic issues, we're reminded once again that other things matter as an attempted terrorist operation is thwarted.

It ain't Over 'til It's Over

RealClearPolitics can be a interesting gold mine for political junkies to analyze election trends. For example, let's look at three prominent Senate races, those in Pennsylvania, California and Delaware.

Clicking on each link, you can see that, according to the RCP averages of recent polls, Toomey is slightly ahead in PA (Go Pat!) and Boxer is slightly ahead in CA (Please CA, take her back and send us Carly!), while in Delaware, Chris Coons is shown with a solid 17.2 % lead over Christine O'Donnell. But take a closer look at when the polls were taken. While the PA and CA averages are from polls taken within the last few days, the Delaware average comes from polls that were taken no later than Oct. 14, nearly two weeks ago. (This is as of 10 PM Wednesday evening. By the time you read this, the averages may be updated with more recent polls that either confirm or change the status of any of these races.)

So, did the major polling organizations stop polling this race in mid-October? (No doubt there are likely internal and local polls still being taken.) Aren't they being a little presumptuous if they've stopped polling because the think this race is over? So what is going on in this Delaware race this week?

I know Christine O'Donnell is facing a steep challenge in this race, but don't count her out. Besides, history shows us how presumed outcomes aren't always confirmed by reality.

Politically Correct Foolishness Just Keeps on Coming

The publicly funded National Public Radio (NPR) has embroiled itself in an immense controversy (and a possible funding crisis in the next Congress) by firing news analyst Juan Williams over comments made on Fox News, where he will go on to fill an expanded role.

Ailes, in making his announcement, said, "Juan has been a staunch defender of liberal viewpoints since his tenure began at Fox News in 1997. He’s an honest man whose freedom of speech is protected by Fox News on a daily basis."

Apparently, much more nasty speech is tolerated by NPR when it is directed at conservatives.

Of course, those who deem their liberal views as so much more enlightened and tolerant than those who disagree with them will just continue to rail against Fox News and other "right wing" media.

The Moon Becomes Still More Interesting and Useful

NASA today revealed new information about discoveries made during last year's LRO/LCROSS mission that impacted the lunar south pole. Substantial amounts of water plus a number of other useful resources were confirmed. The Moon will play an increasing role in the future human economy. More links here.

Speaking (and Showing) Truth to Power Rocks the Capital

Missy Smith is running to replace Eleanor Holmes Norton as DC's non-voting Congress member. She's unlikely to win the seat but may have more impact on our society than any other candidate running this year.

Missy Smith is taking advantage of an obscure federal election law to bypass media censorship of the gruesome reality of abortion. Jill Stanek explains further here with video links to the graphic ads.

These powerful and moving ads have already run on several local news and late night comedy shows, starting yesterday.

I've donated to Missy Smith's campaign to run the ads at her campaign web site. I know presenting the graphic reality of abortion is a controversial issue even among prolife people, but I think we've been blessed with a rare opportunity to cut through the BS of misleading euphemisms and political cliches to challenge those in power with the brutal consequences of the policies they defend.

This campaign in our nation's capital may go down in history as a start of a turning point in the long-running struggle over abortion. Please consider supporting this effort.

Comercial Space News from NM Conference

The International Symposium on Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) 2010 is underway in New Mexico and a steady stream of reports are coming out. Clarke Lindsey was unable to make it there this year but is doing a tremendous job of capturing reports from those who are there.

Most interesting are the reports coming out about Bigelow Aerospace and its plans for commercial space habitats. They have now booked six countries as first customers and are addressing a whole range of issues including launch sites for getting customers to the space stations. Wallops Island, VA is one of the sites Bigelow is considering.

Doug Messier has posted a number of pics of Bigelow's exhibit at the conference.

New Cardinals

Congratulations to Archbishop Donald Wuerl (of my Archdiocese of Washington) and Archbishop Raymond Burke, who is an outspoken leader on moral and political issues, and the 22 others who were designated by Pope Benedict XVI today to become cardinals of the Catholic Church.

Two Weeks and Counting

The midterm election that seemed so long in coming is now only two weeks away. While I'm cautious about making predictions, it's looking like the Republicans are holding on to a lead that could bring to substantial gains in Congress. One race nearby that would have seemed most safe for the Dems may actually be making a leading Democrat very nervous.

What's most exciting about this race is that even the Republican establishment is not in control of events. The rise of the Tea Party movement is not only taking on establishment politicians but also the establishment media, which for so long has portrayed events to its consumers through the lens of its own assumptions (fantasies) of what the world should be like.

Now President Obama thinks this political climate is a result of we the people being too fearful to think clearly enough to accept his obviously superior ideas and plans for us.

Those who think they are so much more intelligent and morally superior have recently given us more priceless gems than I can keep track of, but here is the latest howler.

China's Mineral Embargo

This developing story that China is withholding shipments of key rare earth minerals to the West may or may not precipitate an immediate economic and security crisis, but it is an ominous reminder of the fragile position we find ourselves in in a not always friendly world.

We're Finding Out What's In It

Among the most recent gotchas coming out of ObamaReidPelosi care include its negative impact on employees' health benefits and its role in the closing of some Catholic hospitals.

There is a bright side however. In the Monday hearing on Virginia's suit challenging the constitutionality of the plan's mandate for individuals to have health insurance (not the only state challenge to the plan), it was noted that the plan has no "severability" clause. In their rush to pass this monstrosity before anyone could find out what's in it, the plan's proponents forgot to include a usually standard clause for complex legislation stating that a finding that one part of the legislation is unconstitutional does not invalidate those parts that are not ruled unconstitutional. Thus, a ruling that the mandate is unconstitutional could threaten to bring down the whole plan.

In the meantime, many of those in Congress that voted for this debacle are discovering another gotcha: their pink slip to be delivered on November 2.

Rescued!

The 33 Chilean miners trapped below ground for over two months have been safely brought to the surface. (The final rescue team member will soon be enroute to the surface as I write.)

Give thanks to God and credit to all who were involved in planning and conducting this rescue. Assistance was provided by NASA to the rescue effort.

O Signs the Bill

President Obama today signed the NASA authorization bill that provides direction for a balanced plan for NASA to conduct exploration, attempt to develop affordable heavy lift, engage the commercial sector and develop new technology for advancing the frontier. Of course there's a lot of work to be done to see that Congress appropriates funds to back up the new direction and that NASA implements the plan effectively.

Virgin Goes Free Flight

Virgin Galactic carried out the first free flight glide test of its SpaceShipTwo commercial suborbital spaceship on Sunday. This test is an important step in the vigorous test program that must be carried out in order to meet Virgin's stated goal of providing paying passenger flights in eighteen months.

It's Not "Either/Or"

Dick Morris & Eileen McGann write that fiscal and economic issues are the sole driver behind the Tea Party movement at the expense of "social issues" (abortion, gun control, gay marriage, etc.).

This shift in Republican priorities is opening up the way for social moderates and libertarians to back Republican candidates in the 2010 elections. The libertarian strain in the American electorate has long been neglected by the mainstream media. But, through the Tea Party, it has gained ascendancy on the right. Those who want the government to stay out of both boardrooms and bedrooms have come to dominate the party and its nominating process.

Not so fast, say Kathryn Jean Lopez and Ramesh Ponnuru.

As Ponnuru says:

As for social issues not counting in the primaries, let’s look at the results of seriously contested primaries. Many of the pro-life establishment candidates won (McCain, Fiorina, Ayotte); none of the pro-choice establishment candidates did (Castle, Murkowski, and you could even count Crist and Specter depending on when you start the review). In three states establishment pro-life candidates lost (Lowden, Greyson, Norton) but in each case to pro-life insurgents. That none of the tea-party candidates in these races has been pro-choice is a fact so obvious that we don’t even think about it.

And as KJL says:

I actually believe we’re at this beautiful moment where people are in such a mood for common sense in governing that things like a universal Hyde Amendment and de-funding Planned Parenthood are absolutely coalition wins. Fiscal conservatives and the most dedicated anti-abortion activist can agree here. That’s not losing clout. It’s travelling the road to victory on the human-rights issue of our time.

I particularly like that last line as I've always been a little uncomfortable with abortion (and other direct threats to human life) being vaguely defined as a "social issue" when it is really "the human-rights issue of our time".

Finally, a poll released this past week actually indicates a high degree of overlap between Tea Party activists and "social conservatives".

It's the Policies, Stupid!

When faced with leadership that is seriously endangering the country (and the world) because it is trying to implement some awfully flawed ideas, it is important not to get excessively sidetracked on personal flaws. It's not about Obama, Reid or Pelosi as persons, it's the policies they are implementing, according to Charles Krauthammer, that is motivating the public to once more seek change this election year.

Renn Fest

I spent Sunday at the Maryland Renaissance Festival. The weather was overcast and cool but comfortable with a jacket (until it started raining at the end of the day). There was plenty of good food and drink and lots of good music performances for Celtic weekend. Particularly intriguing and powerful with an Australian accent was the music of a band called BROTHER.

Space Developments Keep Coming

With all of the nail biting intrigue leading up to Wednesday night's Congressional approval of the NASA authorization bill, we don't want to overlook some other interesting and significant recent space news events:

_ China launched its second lunar probe, Chang'e 2, on Friday. The Moon remains a prime object of interest among Earth's spacefaring nations, including the United States.



- A "potentially habitable" planet has been discovered around a nearby red dwarf star, Gliese 581, 20 light-years away. (That's right in the neighborhood by galactic standards.) It's been almost 15 years since the first confirmation of planets around other stars was announced, and these discoveries are only going to get more interesting over time.

- Sir Richard Branson says his company Virgin Galactic will start offering suborbital tourist flights in eighteen months. Meeting that schedule will require an aggressive program of test flights between now and then, but these passenger flights will surely raise a new level of excitement about this emerging industry.

Converging on Closure for NASA

I've been following the process on the House floor as S. 3729, the Senate passed NASA authorization bill is considered along with numerous other pieces of legislation as the House races to adjourn/recess before the election. Debates were held earlier and votes are now occurring. I've been primarily following this NasaSpaceflight.com forum along with the official floor proceedings. The NASA authorization should be occurring soon.

UPDATE 11:36 PM EDT: Bill passed!!! Now we have a chance to advance a space program that can plan exploration, attempt to develop affordable heavy lift, engage the commercial sector and develop new technology for advancing the frontier.

Check out the usual space sites. I can add links tomorrow. Time for bed.

UPDATE: 9/30: Here's the recorded roll call vote, the Spacetoday.net summary and links and the NASASpaceflight.com article. Numerous posts and links have been posted at HobbySpace.com.

The Power of a Video

There are many political ads circulating through the 'net and more traditional media this year, but here is a particularly powerful one that patterns the Reagan "Morning in America" ad of 1984 in the light of a more somber time.

House Republicans Pledge Action While Christie Takes the Lead

Republican US House leaders today unveiled their "Pledge to America", a document laying out some of their proposed policy initiatives including repealing ObamaReidPelosi health care, cutting spending and maintaining existing tax rates (as opposed to allowing them to rise).

The prolife Susan B. Anthony List applauds the pledge for including legislation to end all federal funding of abortion. The group goes on to urge a total defunding of Planned Parenthood (which is already in a panic over an apparent convergence of the prolife and Tea Party movements in this years' elections), a move already taken by NJ Gov. Chris Christie. I hope when they gain power, the GOP congressional leaders and other GOP governors will follow Christie's lead.

Robert Truax, RIP

Robert Truax, who pioneered innovative but simple rocket concepts for decades, died last week at age 93. I recall when he was trucking his Private Enterprise Volksrocket around the SF Bay Area ~1980. While it never achieved its manned suborbital spaceflight objective, it did undergo an impressive static test firing (video included on memorial Facebook page).

Religion and Science: Conflicted or Complementary?

Pope Benedict is making a number of significant headlines during his visit to Britain this week to mark the Beatification of John Henry Newman, one of which is on the topic of religion and science.

"The world needs good scientists, but a scientific outlook becomes dangerously narrow if it ignores the religious and ethical dimension of life, just as religion becomes narrow if it rejects the legitimate contribution of science to our understanding."

Meanwhile, Vatican astronomer Guy Consolmagno has some intriguing thoughts on religion and extraterrestrial intelligent beings. He also talks about a phrase that has taken on an altered and more controversial meaning recently.

On 'intelligent design', which claims that Darwin's theory of evolution cannot explain the complexity of life, he said: 'The word has been hijacked by a narrow group of Creationist fundamentalists in America to mean something it didn't originally mean at all.

'It's another form of the God of the gaps.

'It's bad theology in that it turns God once again into the pagan god of thunder and lightning.'

The phrase 'intelligent design' was centuries old and described the idea that God could be discovered in the laws of space and time and the existence of human reason.

Observing the Moon Tonight

Tonight is the first International Observe the Moon Night being observed at at least several hundred locations around the world to capitalize on the growing interest surrounding recent discoveries about the Moon. I just returned from the event at the Goddard Spaceflight Center in Maryland.

Primary Election Wrap-Up

Yesterday's primary elections in six states produced quite exciting news. The win by Christine O'Donnell for the Republican Senate nomination in Delaware highlighted the grassroots political movement upstaging the conventional political wisdom. While her nomination may make it more challenging for the GOP to win that seat, I'm always inclined to reject the kind of excessive pessimism that says she "can't win". May Christine O'Donnell be part of the wave that sweeps into Washington in November.

Closer to home, former Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich won the Republican nomination to take back the governorship from current Democratic Governor Martin O'Malley, despite a hard fought campaign by businessman Brian Murphy. While Murphy's strong prolife stand was more aligned with mine than Ehrlich's mixed views, the choice is now between Ehrlich and O'Malley, who shares the extreme pro-abortion position commonly held by liberal Democrats.

Bob Ehrlich favors cutting spending and taxes and improving Maryland's environment for business and jobs. Another key issue in this race is the redistricting that will take place next year. It is crucial to have a Republican governor in place to restore some sanity to the layout of the Congressional and state legislative districts, which will make it more possible to elect prolife and generally conservative candidates in Maryland for years to come. On to an Ehrlich-Kane victory in November!

Boeing Enters Private Human Spaceflight Business

The long established aerospace Boeing Corporation announced an agreement with private spaceflight broker Space Adventures to carry paying customers on their CST-100 spacecraft which is under development. This is one more sign of the quickening pace of commercial space developments.

In Remembrance of September 11, 2001

U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Michael W. Pendergrass

Nine years ago tomorrow morning, I overheard a coworker down the hall from my office telling someone else about planes hitting the World Trade Center. I checked in on the Internet and on news radio for reports on what would develop into the the modern era's day of infamy. We know of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, but there was also the attack that did not occur because of the heroic actions of the passengers on United Flight 93.

Nine years of daily living, along with increasing domestic rancor, may have dimmed the feelings of shock, horror, and outrage and the response of prayer, compassion, and resolve that united the people of America and most of the world. However, terrorist activity around the world should serve to remind us that the threat is still real.

This audio/visual Internet presentation developed by a New Yorker shortly after the attacks recaptures all of those experiences. The sequence is ~15 minutes long and some of the images and sounds are quite disturbing, others are inspirational. You can use the browser View/Zoom function and adjust the scroll bar to enlarge the slide show if needed. (I've also added the link to this video to my sidebar.)

It is important that we remember, not only to honor those who died and those who acted heroically that day, but to remain constantly aware of the ongoing dangers, of the presence of real evil in the hearts of some men, and to maintain constant vigilance and a determination to defeat this evil. Finally, we must always remember to trust in God and his mercy during trying times.

Time by the Sea

Just returned today from a few relaxing days with my sister at Ocean City, Md. this week that even a brush with the passing Hurricane Earl couldn't spoil.

Who's Calling Who "Extreme"?

One welcome development in current politics is that the Republicans are starting to stand up to the attempts of the liberal establishment to label conservative ideas as "extreme". This video ad looks at who's really out of step with a majority of public sentiment. Erick Erickson comments at RedState.



Here's another good ad addressing the timeless topic of who is and who is not speaking for the rest of us.



As far as I'm concerned, why should trying to defend life and liberty be considered "extreme"? Isn't that just extremely reasonable?

Honey, I Shrunk the Moon

Well, actually nobody's to blame, but NASA reports that the Moon is shrinking (slightly).

Carrying on the Good Fight

Charmaine Yoest and Alveda King (niece of Dr. Martin Luther King) had a recent op-ed in the Washington Times recalling the tenacity of the movement for justice for all human beings to assure us that sooner or later the prolife movement will win.

In 1857, when the Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sanford that black Americans essentially had no protection under the Constitution and therefore virtually no rights, abolitionists may have felt that their cause had been dealt a serious blow - yet they continued to press ahead.

They pressed ahead, as we do now, not because victory was immediate but because they were compelled by duty to do what is right. And in America, land of the second chance, we know there will be another opportunity.

Political Quakes

The past week saw some significant news on several hot political issues. ObamaReidPelosicare may not be a done deal as Deroy Murdock at NRO summarizes how last week the health care monstrosity was rejected by Missouri voters, open to question by a U.S. District Judge's hearing a Virginia constitutional challenge (as other states are also going to court to challenge the health policy) and maneuvering continues in Congress during the run-up to the midterm elections.

Meanwhile the ruling by a federal judge striking down California's Proposition 8 popular referendum on marriage (far from settled as appeals will continue) and the confirmation of Elana Kagan to the Supreme Court only re-emphasized the role of the courts as a political issue.

Images of California

I've been seeing people and places in California this week since the end of the NewSpace conference (for which Clark Lindsey has assembled a resources page of postings and videos). Here are a few selected pics as my trip winds up. (Click on an individual image to enlarge it.)


Here's looking at you. Telephoto image of harbor seals laying on the beach near Half Moon Bay.


Overlooking Emerald Bay at Lake Tahoe


Spectacular vista from deck of friends' house in Sierra foothills


That's me with the Golden Gate Bridge in background, taken by crewmember of boat on which I took a one-hour cruise on San Francisco Bay.

California, Here I Am

I'm in Sunnyvale CA where the Space Frontier Foundation's NewSpace 2010 conference is happening this weekend. In case you can't attend here in person, the conference is being webcast on SpaceVidCast.com.

Journolist Bombshell

A new online journal created by Tucker Carlson, The Daily Caller, has revealed the contents of a now disbanded online discussion group called Journolist. The discussion group of numerous liberal journalists displays the extent of their shared world view and how it impacts delivery of the news. Mark Whittington provides a descriptive summary of this developing story.

These revelations may be remembered as being pivotal in the downfall of the already compromised credibility of the Old/conventional/"mainstream" Media.

Lunar Blogiversary Tomorrow

NASA

Tomorrow is the 41st anniversary of the Apollo 11 pioneering expedition to the lunar surface, the day human beings first made landfall on another world. Check out Rand Simberg's ceremonial commemoration of that epic voyage.

UPDATE: 7/20 : Mark Whittington has a long list of relevant lunar links.

Tomorrow is also the seventh anniversary ('blogiversary') of the launch of this humble blog. Here is the inaugural post (Note that I was too inexperienced to think of giving it a title.) on Life at the Frontier.

Have the Rules Changed?

Jonah Goldberg looks at the current economic and political environment and asks if some of the fundamental political assumptions of the past century have changed here and abroad.

But what about when the rules change? For nearly a century now, the rules have said that tough economic times make big government more popular. For more than 40 years it has been a rule that environmental disasters -- and scares over alleged ones -- help environmentalists push tighter regulations. According to the rules, Americans never want to let go of an entitlement once they have it. According to the rules, populism is a force for getting the government to do more, not less. According to the rules, Americans don't care about the deficit during a recession.

Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back to Downtown Silver Spring

The giant shark (known as "Chompy" to locals) is once again piercing through the Discovery building in downtown Silver Spring MD, as seen in these pictures I took after breakfast this morning.

Of course it is no coincidence that "Shark Week" is returning soon to the Discovery Channel.

An Event That Changed History

As we celebrate the Apollo 11 moon landing 41st anniversary, another event occurred in 1969 that this article describes as the birth of a world-changing innovation that you are experiencing as you read this.

So Far, So Good

The Gulf oil well cap appears to be holding as BP and the government continue to monitor and contemplate further steps until the relief wells and permanent plugging are completed , hopefully within a few weeks.

As It Happened, the Apollo 11 Launch

Today is the 41st anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida to land the first men on the Moon. Here is a (10 min) video of the final minutes of the countdown and the first few minutes of flight. Relive the moment, or experience it for the first time.

Todays Senate Compromise on Space

In what for Congress would be a rare public moment of bipartisan camaraderie, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation unanimously approved the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 on Thursday morning setting the latest "new direction" for NASA, apparently in coordination with the appropriations committees and reportedly with the tacit assent of the White House.

The highlights include one more Shuttle flight next year, immediate start to development of a Shuttle Derived Heavy Lift Vehicle (SDHLV), technology development and transition to commercial crew/cargo service to the International Space Station (ISS). There still may be some action on the Senate floor to fine tune the funding for technology development and commercial space. (Apparently, it takes a day or so to publish the bill's details, including funding levels, so there still seems to be some ambiguity as to how the funding plan for each topic has changed.)

One thing is clear. The process of developing a new direction has entered a new phase, beyond the pitfalls of the previous program, the uncertainty of the last year and a half, and the rancor that followed the release of the Obama Administration's original proposal in February. Let's see to it that it draws upon the best of NASA's heritage and the emerging commercial sector to open wide the frontier of space.

HobbySpace has numerous links here and here. also stay tuned to Spacetoday.net and NASA Watch for continuing coverage and links.

Princess Palin Takes On Darth Berwick

The bizarre policies coming from President Obama and the Congressional Democrats have been too numerous to keep up with, but Stuart Schwartz tells how Sarah Palin's warning of "death panels" in the health care bill last year foresaw the bizarre vision of Donald Berwick, the new Medicare czar Obama rammed through in a recess appointment, who is enthused about rationing and redistribution of health care.

As Investors Business Daily headlined, "The President's One-Man Death Panel" has arrived. Berwick has come to Washington to play Vader to Obama's Emperor Palpatine. The Harvard health specialist's job is to transform Medicare, to make the primary medical insurance system for seniors into an instrument of social policy, to take wealth and years from seniors and redistribute them to favored segments of the population. This is not about health care, and it is especially not about seniors; rather, it is all about the social engineering.

As with many of these issues, the article points out that the outcome may be different than in years past because of the more diverse media environment.

Sarah Palin was right, stubbornly hanging in when the mainstream media -- sensing "a great disturbance in the [leftist] force" -- trained its batteries on her. She was ridiculed on network newscasts, in the White House briefing room, by the media "stormtroopers [who] represented the most visible extension of Imperial [Obama] might." Darth Vader and Star Wars serve as metaphor, Palin as Princess Leia, while network anchors, commentator after commentator, all the president's men showered ridicule on her. "Downright evil," screamed Keith Olbermann; "stupid as s**t," proclaimed a popular Democratic blog.

But she persevered, and the truth emerged. The president and his congressional allies were forcing a crazy quilt of statist bureaucracies, socialist dysfunctions, and authoritarian controls. Each day brought more revelations as Tea Party activists, Republican staffers, ordinary citizens, and new media combed through Obamacare legislation. Sarah Palin was right. Popular radio host Mark Levin put it best: "Sarah Palin's not scary. You know who is? Barack Hussein Obama."

Conflicting Rumors from the Sausage Factory

Two Media reports provide differing accounts of the specifics in the NASA authorization bill being developed in the Senate Commerce Committee’s space subcommittee. One, from Florida Today, indicates that the subcommittee has settled on a compromise that accelerates a Shuttle Derived Heavy Lift Vehicle (SDHLV) and a "flexible path" human exploration program while leaving the Obama Administration's commercial space and technology development largely intact, albeit with some trimming of funds and schedule stretch out.

The other report, from the Orlando Sentinel, indicates the subcommittee bill would represent a more drastic repudiation of the White House policy, drastically cutting commercial to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and technology development funding.

I really hope that the first report is more accurate, as I support the expediting of heavy lift and human exploration but also the commercial engagement and technology development that are so vital to becoming a true spacefaring civilization.

I suspect that the sausage factory (another name for the legislative process, according to Otto von Bismark and others) is still grinding away, though we'll know the result no later than Thursday when the subcommittee is due to report its authorization bill.

Asteroid Lutetia Closeup

ESA

Europe's Rosetta spacecraft flew by the asteroid Lutetia on Saturday gathering spectacular images and data on the resources of this interesting object.

The Moon, Mecca and Feelings

NASA Administrator Bolden stirred up a major controversy with his comments on Al Jazeera TV regarding NASA's role in helping Muslims "feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering." NASA spokesman Bob Jacobs has clarified the remarks to state that Bolden was speaking of his outreach priorities, not the total priorities of NASA. I can accept that explanation while I understand the backlash surrounding the original statement, given the Obama Administration's tendency to frame so much of its policies in a politically correct world view whether or not that really serves the national interest.

I wonder how many Muslims around the world interpret a statement that it is an objective of the US government to make them "feel good" about their accomplishments (perhaps a little condescending). If the Muslim world is concerned about its accomplishments and how it is perceived, that is a problem that Muslims are going to have to address among themselves.

All this talk about fe-e-e-e-lings just brings to mind an old seventies song.

Happy July Fourth!

As we join in the festivities of the Fourth, let's strive to keep to the values proclaimed in the Declaration that make it worth celebrating.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Kagan Divide

The nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court is drawing broad resistance from Republicans (here and here) and, according to a Rasmussen poll, a plurality of the public, though the Senate Democratic majority is still likely to confirm her.

The strong opposition is over a number of issues regarding Kagan's approach to constitutional interpretation and, in particular, her involvement in influencing medical opinion on partial birth abortion ban legislation.

More Space Convergence

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee will propose a plan to the White House on July 15 that would accelerate development of a Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV) and human exploration missions while promoting the transition to commercial service to the International Space Station (ISS), according to this MSNBC article. Of course, the devil is in the details, but hopefully this will lead to a sensible compromise that retains the innovative initiatives in the Obama space policy while strengthening the human exploration plan in an affordable and sustainable manor.

Obama National Space Policy

The Obama Administration released its overall national space policy, covering civil (NASA and other agencies), military, commercial and international issues. I haven't had time to read it, but it reportedly includes a strong emphasis on international cooperation (in general, a good thing, but how that is implemented by this administration in terms of looking out for the national interest could be a cause for concern), increased role for the commercial space sector (definitely a good direction) and a restating of the administration's exploration and technology goals for NASA.

Rand Simberg looks at some of the pluses and minuses of the new policy. Expect much reaction to come from a variety of space community sources.

Robert Byrd, RIP

Senator Robert Byrd, the longest-serving senator in American history, died early this morning at age 92. His career included a long legislative history and a rhetorical skill that frequently referenced the Bible, classical literature and history. His public life had a dark side from his early involvement with the KKK to his generally pro-abortion voting record.

Senator Byrd was known for being the master at "bringing home the bacon" in terms of federal spending to his state of West Virginia, which has resulted in his name being attached to all kinds of public facilities, including a large radio telescope.

Inching Toward a Consensus on Space?

The debate over the change in direction for space policy has been fast and furious over the past few months. Alan Boyle covers the most recent flurry of activity. But as he notes, a couple of letters issued this week may indicate some convergence among the warring factions.

A letter from 56 leaders including former astronauts and NASA executives, industry executives, scientists, journalists and activists strongly supports the Administration's plans to engage the commercial sector in transporting humans to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) while urging an acceleration of the Administration's plans and funding of human exploration beyond Earth orbit.

Meanwhile, 62 members of Congress issued a letter urging the President to change his plan to include "the immediate development and production of a heavy-lift launch vehicle that, in conjunction with the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle, may be used for either lunar or deep-space asteroid exploration to an asteroid and beyond, as you said in Florida." Unlike some previous criticisms on the Obama proposed policy, this letter omitted any attack on the commercial to LEO plan. That omission drew a positive response from entrepreneurial leader SpaceX, according to Boyle.

"It looks like Congress is on the right track, encouraging the administration to move forward as quickly as possible with heavy-lift," SpaceX Vice President Lawrence Williams told me in an e-mailed statement.

While it is too soon to be presumptuous, could these letters hint at a dance of convergence toward a sensible compromise that includes a strong push for commercial to LEO while retaining our existing Shuttle derived and/or commercial launcher assets to expeditiously develop a Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV), perhaps itself to be operated under a commercial arrangement, and an acceleration of human deep space exploration and development?

Nanny Statists v. Best Friends

This Big Journalism piece on an NYT article shows how bizarre some of the self-presumed enlightened are getting in our culture.

A Best Friend? You Must Be Kidding

After all, from Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn to Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, the childhood "best friend" has long been romanticized in literature and pop culture - not to mention in the sentimental memories of countless adults.

But increasingly, some educators and other professionals who work with children are asking a question that might surprise their parents: Should a child really have a best friend?

The NYT article goes on with the blathering of "experts" about the "need" to intervene in how children go about choosing friends. I get the part about not allowing some children to be neglected or excluded, but trying to change one more practice that has been intrinsic to human nature for thousands of years is just another example of fantasy do-goodism run wild.

Even if the voters act to restore some sanity to government this fall, we'll still have along way to go to clean out the nuttiness that has taken root in many of our institutions.

The Disaster That Won't Go Away

NASA

As President Obama addressed the nation tonight on the continuing oil spill that is wreaking havoc along the Gulf Coast, the oil continues to flow as BP continues efforts to try to stop it. The above image from NASA's Aqua remote sensing satellite shows the spread of the spill.

Japan retrieves Asteroid Sample, Unfurls Sail

Japan scored a couple significant space accomplishments over the past few days, unfurling the sail on its experimental solar sailing spacecraft and retrieving the Hayabusa capsule with asteroid sample in Australia.

No Time for a Truce!

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, who has a solid prolife record and is considered a potential 2012 GOP presidential candidate, suggests in a recent interview that the next president "would have to call a truce on the so-called social issues" including abortion in order to deal with the "genuine national emergency" of the economy and debt. Needless to say, the negative reaction to this suggestion is strong from grass roots organizations and from other prolife political leaders such as Mike Huckabee.

Governor Daniels' suggestion is flawed on several fronts. Yes, we've dug ourselves into a serious hole with deficit spending and other irresponsible economic policies, but we'll be working at getting out of this mess for years to come and can't just put other issues on hold in the mean time.

Our nation has the ability to deal with multiple pressing issues simultaneously, along with sudden natural or man made disasters such as the Gulf oil spill that occur from time-to-time. In case anyone has forgotten, we have troops involved in two significant wars and the nation was subject to recent terrorist attack attempts. That threat certainly hasn't gone away (though whether we are sufficiently vigilant in countering it is another issue).

Most of all, the subject of abortion and other direct threats to human life such as euthanasia is such a monumental issue of injustice that dealing with it cannot be postponed in spite of our need to also deal with serious economic and national security concerns. The life issues of today are as significant as the issues of slavery and racial discrimination that have plagued this nation for much of it's history and for which resolution could not be delayed indefinitely. The loss of a million unborn lives a year constitutes as great a "national emergency" as any we've ever faced.

Year of the Conservative Woman

Last night's primary results reflected the continuing discontent of voters toward incumbent politicians and perhaps more toward failed incumbent policies. One highlight of yesterday's results is the advance of women who are to varying degrees, conservative and prolife.

California's result setting Republican Carly Fiorina against incumbent US Senator Barbara Boxer is particularly exciting. I do hope my friends in California will do the nation a big favor this year and dump Boxer.

Wallops Open House

I drove over to the eastern shore and down to the NASA Wallops Flight Facility open House today. The main facility next to the airfield (which is serving as a staging area for the Ocean City Air Show this weekend) was open. Along with the Range Control Center, balloon and sounding rocket preparation facilities and engineering labs, exhibits from various organizations including Orbital Sciences Corp. and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) were present.

The launch sites several miles to the south were not open as cement laying and other construction activities are underway at Orbital's Taurus II launch pad, in preparation for cargo deliveries to the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled to start next year. As we toast yesterday's historic launch advancing commercial space, it is exciting to realize that SpaceX and Florida can't have all the fun, as some of the action is coming closer to home.



Inside the Wallops Range Control Center




Orbital's Cygnus cargo delivery vehicle (full scale model) from both sides

First Falcon 9 Roars into History

After numerous delays through the late morning and early afternoon, SpaceX launched its first Falcon 9 rocket this afternoon from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Be sure to follow the various links to some spectacular pictures and videos of the launch.

This day marks a historic advance for commercial enterprise in space and, whatever the outcome of specific policy debates about the future direction of NASA, commercial ventures will undoubtedly play a leading role in space, including human spaceflight, in the near future. Commercial enterprise will really help lead to human expansion beyond Earth.

Congratulations to the SpaceX team on today's accomplishment.

That Prelaunch Buzz

Tomorrow is the scheduled launch date for the first attempted launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The Falcon 9 rocket is the SpaceX company's vehicle for providing launch services to NASA and other customers (commercial, government and international).

Inevitably, the launch has gotten caught up in the debate over the Obama Administration's new space policy, which emphasizes commercial crew transport to the International Space Station (ISS). For a little perspective, a successful test will only be one step in demonstrating commercial readiness to carry humans to orbit. And a failure will by no means disprove the potential for commercial enterprise to carry humans into space. Space efforts, especially those involving a new vehicle, involve fits and starts and a lot of persistence on the way to providing safe and reliable new capabilities.

The Falcon 9 was raised on its pad at Cape Canaveral on Wednesday. Weather is forecast to be 60% favorable for launch, though prudently cautious management of this first test launch means that a a scrub to another day would not be surprising.
(SpaceFlightNow is providing mission status coverage here.)

Still, there is that feeling the night before a major launch attempt that we are about to witness history being made. Go SpaceX!

Using Humor to Frustrate Disinformation

A group of Israelis have put together a video parody of the so-called "peace and humanitarian activists" in the flotilla that was interdicted by Israeli forces on Monday. This is one more example of how new media allow cutting through the politically correct distortion of world events often projected by established media sources.

Atlantis Lands as Space Community Gathers

Space Shuttle Atlantis landed safely today in Florida after its last scheduled mission, though there is continuing consideration of one more flight.

Meanwhile, I'll be off to join many in the space community this week for this year's International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in Chicago.

The Lesson of Europe's Fading Fantasy

Europeans are finding the debts from their decades of social welfare states are coming due, according to this NYT article.

Across Western Europe, the "lifestyle superpower," the assumptions and gains of a lifetime are suddenly in doubt. The deficit crisis that threatens the euro has also undermined the sustainability of the European standard of social welfare, built by left-leaning governments since the end of World War II.

This is a timely lesson as the struggle of ideas is reaching a critical point in this country.

This is not the culture war of the 1990s. It is not a fight over guns, gays or abortion. Those old battles have been eclipsed by a new struggle between two competing visions of the country's future. In one, America will continue to be an exceptional nation organized around the principles of free enterprise -- limited government, a reliance on entrepreneurship and rewards determined by market forces. In the other, America will move toward European-style statism grounded in expanding bureaucracies, a managed economy and large-scale income redistribution. These visions are not reconcilable. We must choose.

Note: I don't agree with the assertion that the other cultural struggles, particularly over abortion, are passe. The prolife movement is growing stronger than ever. But life and liberty are intertwined and, getting past the first couple of sentences, the author is spot on in pointing out the clash of world views of free enterprise v. statism as a fundamental cultural issue.

Japan Launch Includes Venus, Solar Sail Demo

A Japanese H-2A launch (Friday morning Japan time, Thursday evening EDT) lofted a scientific probe to orbit Venus and several secondary payloads including a solar sail demonstrator.

Atlantis Docks with ISS

Shuttle Atlantis arrived at the International Space Station (ISS)today. Note that the mission patch shows Atlantis heading off into the sunset as this is the spaceship's last (planned) mission.

Atlantis Soars Once More

Photo Credit: NASA/Ben Cooper

The Space Shuttle Atlantis launched this afternoon on its last planned mission (then again?) to deliver a Russian module, batteries and other supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).

One Year Ago: Servicing Hubble

May 11, 2009 saw Space Shuttle Atlantis launch on its mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. It was a memorable time when I witnessed the Florida launch in person from a few miles away and then went on to Houston to support the mission. Here is my post of some of the photos I took of the launch. Here is the May 2009 archive where, scrolling from the bottom up, you can read my account of those exciting days.

Gee, I Wonder if He's Read Life at the Frontier

In a commencement address at Hampton University, President Obama bemoaned how some of today's technological and media innovations can be a distraction to citizens (and maybe a pain for political leaders).

"With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations, -- none of which I know how to work -- information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation," Obama said.

He bemoaned the fact that "some of the craziest claims can quickly claim traction," in the clamor of certain blogs and talk radio outlets.

"All of this is not only putting new pressures on you, it is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy."

Kathryn Jean Lopez on Pope Benedict and Church Scandals

I haven't posted anything so far on the latest round of reports on the shameful scandals of the small minority of priests who abused minors and of some bishops who tried to sweep these crimes under the rug. Kathryn Jean Lopez points out that attempts to bring down Pope Benedict XVI and the Church as a whole are misdirected, agenda driven and futile.

He weeps, too, because of all the priests and Catholics who walk around with a cloud above them, or who are confused and angry and hurt because of what a minority have done. He knows that there are men and women who are in grave danger of losing their faith because of others who have lacked the courage of integrity.

While MSNBC waits for the pope’s resignation, he, every day, leads a renewal. In our hearts and in the structure of the Church. I think even the New York Times realizes it. It’s why they grasp at old stories, trying to obscure what’s happening now. And even as they do that, they have to admit, as they recently did, that "there are indications that Benedict had a lower tolerance for sexual misconduct by elite clergy members than other top Vatican officials."

How to v. How not to Open Up the Debate on "Global Warming"

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has invoked a state anti-fraud law against climate scientist Michael Mann over use of $500,000 in grants that funded Mann's studies. This move has caused even some scientists skeptical of global warming, including Paul "Chip" Knappenberger, to question how the AG's actions could impact free scientific inquiry. (Hat tip to Climate Depot.)

The idea, I guess, would be to look for evidence that Dr. Mann produced results while working under his University of Virginia research grants (considered to be state money even though it may have come from non-state sources) that he knew to be wrong.

But, except in very rare instances - for example, completely fabricating data - scientific research and the results it produces do not fall neatly into being right or wrong, nor lend themselves to being judged as fraudulent under Virginia’s FATA.

Well, let me back up. I am not a lawyer, but I sincerely hope that scientific research cannot be judged that way. Because if it can, a FATA case can be built against virtually every practicing scientist.

Knappenberger says that more free scientific inquiry is the way to hold the claims of Mann and others accountable.

Nowadays, blogs are playing a larger role in this process, to the dismay of some but to the great pleasure of others.

The purpose of all of this is to stimulate discussion and thought about the new data, methods and results and how they add to the scientific knowledge base. And, of course, to inspire new investigations.

This process moves science forward. Perhaps not always smoothly and without setbacks. But, in the long term, there is ultimately progress.

Better ideas eventually replace outdated ones. Sometimes only after bitter debate. But the discarded results are not fraudulent. They are a normal course of science.

In no way will the threat of a civil lawsuit move science along more efficiently. More than likely it will have the opposite effect as intimidation will result in fewer ideas being put forth.

Breitbart on the Media

New media entrepreneur Andrew Breitbart points out that the real power on the left side of the political and cultural struggle is not in the White House or Congress but in the establishment Media.

"For these people to tell me with a straight face that they don’t come to the media and their jobs from a political perspective, from a left-of-center perspective, is just a bald-faced lie."

When facing mistreatment by the media, Breitbart urged conservatives not to play by the rules as defined by the mainstream media. "These people don't fight fair," he said. "The left does not fight fair, and so I'm basically saying to conservatives, you don't have to fight fair."

"I want to break down this politically correct paradigm. These are rules that tell conservatives: you're not allowed to say this, you're not allowed to think that. This type of Orwellian thought crime crap is what I'm fighting against."

Happy twentieth Anniversary Hubble!

New image of a stellar nursery called the Carina Nebula, located 7,500 light-years from Earth
Credit: NASA, ESA, and M. Livio and the Hubble 20th Anniversary Team (STScI)

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was launched twenty years ago today and has provided humanity with much groundbreaking knowledge and awe inspiring imagery of the universe since then. The anniversary is being marked with a new spectacular image of star birth. As HST continues its epic mission of discovery, bigger and more powerful space telescopes are being planned.

Two Launches of Military Space Technology

The Minotaur 4 Lite rocket launches the Hypersonic Test Vehicle 2a from California.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Andrew Lee

Thursday evening saw two launches on two coasts of experimental military aerospace vehicles that could have a profound influence on future military operations and also on future civilian and commercial space developments.

The X-37B robotic space plane, with a mission of undisclosed length and objectives, lifted off on an Atlas V rocket in a spectacular sunset launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Less than an hour before, the first Minotaur IV rocket launched the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2 from Vandenberg AFB, California. This vehicle is a test of hypersonic flight technology for a possible future weapon system known as Conventional Prompt Global Strike, or CPGS. More links here.

Discovery Arrives Home

The Space Shuttle STS-131 mission was completed today with a safe landing in Florida. This completes a busy mission resupplying the International Space Station (ISS). Here is a STS-131 archive of reports at SpaceFlightNow.com.

Obama's Space Policy Speech

President Obama gave his long awaited space policy speech at Kennedy Space Center this afternoon, marking some fundamental changes in the way the NASA space program is conducted. Among the highlights:

-Cancellation of the Constellation program designed to return Americans to the Moon, though retaining the Orion crew vehicle as a lifeboat for the International Space Station (ISS) and as a possible test bed for future exploration vehicles.

-Design studies of a new Heavy Lift Vehicle (HLV) leading to a decision by 2015 to proceed to build the selected HLV design for human exploration missions.

-Development of other key technologies including propulsion, resource utilization, etc.

-Procuring commercial crew access to the ISS. Before the speech, the President visited the Falcon 9 rocket on its pad awaiting its first launch.

-Robotic precursor missions to precede human exploration of the Moon, asteroids. Mars, etc., along with continuing Earth and space science missions.

-Human deep space exploration beginning around 2025 with an expedition to a near Earth asteroid. A Mars orbital mission around 2035 (I'm guessing establishing a presence on the Martian Moon Phobos) with Mars landings to come sometime later.

So, what does it all mean? On balance, the major changes in terms of turning to commercial access to the ISS and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in general and in developing ground breaking new technologies, an area where NASA spending has stagnated in recent decades, are extremely positive developments that can make our ventures into space more sustainable and enabling of human expansion and settlement on the frontier. The laying out of a long term timetable for exploration objectives is a definite improvement over the more vague promises expressed earlier when the policy change was announced as part of the FY2011 budget request.

The new proposals are still very controversial in the space community itself. One concern that I do share is whether it is really wise to spend up to 5 yrs and ~ $3 billion to design to study an HLV design before committing to building and flying v. taking some of the technology we have from the Shuttle program and developing a rather straightforwardly derived booster that could advance the technology development and exploration schedule by several years. (On the other hand, development of an all liquid fueled HLV would have some operational advantages.)

Also, President Obama seemed dismissive of any reason to return to the Moon as part of the "flexible path" agenda, but there is still much to be gained by establishing a presence on the Moon, perhaps as a public/private partnership, in furthering our expansion into space.

The bigger question is how this new direction is perceived beyond the space community. The cancellation of the Constellation effort (though perhaps inevitable given the apparent technical and financial problems of the Ares rocket family) has been perceived by many as an American retreat from the frontier. This is understandable given the direction and tone of Obama's Earth bound foreign and domestic policies. The long time scale before exploration really gets going also raises concerns about whether it can survive the inevitable shifts in politics over the coming decades.

Expect continuing discussion and debate in Congress and among the public as the new direction is rolled out and better understood.

Tax/Tea Party Day

Today is of course income tax deadline day in the US and it was marked by Tea Party rallies nationwide, including in Washington DC, where a new "Contract From America" agenda was promoted.

Circus on the Severn Folds Its Tent for 2010

The Maryland General Assembly adjourned its 2010 session last night as its members face a volatile election year. Here are reports from the Baltimore Sun and a wrap-up from the Maryland Catholic Conference.

Apollo XIII 40th Anniversary

This week marks the 40th anniversary of the heroic effort that brought the Apollo XIII astronauts safely home after the explosion and a subsequent series of calamities that nearly took their lives. The mission was recreated in the 1995 movie Apollo XIII which starred Tom Hanks as mission commander Jim Lovell.

Yuri's Night

It's that time of year for Yuri's Night, marking the April 12 anniversaries of Yuri Gagarin's pioneering spaceflight (1961) and the first US Space Shuttle flight (1981). Many of the Yuri's Night events are being held this weekend. I will be attending the event at Goddard Space Flight Center this evening.

NASA and Industry Space Buzz

Some news from NASA and the commercial space industry this week:

-NASA's leadership announced a breakout of assignments to its centers based on the new direction set by the FY2011 budget proposal. No clue on what if any changes to expect when President Obama addresses a "Space Summit" at Kennedy Space Center next Thursday.

-The annual Space Access conference in Phoenix, AZ is wrapping up today. This conference is a lightly structured gathering of the entrepreneurial space industry and its supporters. Clark Lindsey is capturing his own postings and those of other conference bloggers at this site. Look for the annual Space Foundation's National Space Symposium next week in Colorado Springs, CO as another possible source of breaking space news.

Discovery on its way to the ISS

NASA

Shuttle Discovery launched early this morning to the International Space Station (ISS), bringing supplies to sustain the ISS after Shuttle flights are retired.

Have a Blessed and Happy Easter!

At daybreak on the first day of the week
the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb;
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were puzzling over this, behold,
two men in dazzling garments appeared to them.
They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground.
They said to them,
"Why do you seek the living one among the dead?
He is not here, but he has been raised.
Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners
and be crucified, and rise on the third day."
And they remembered his words.
Then they returned from the tomb
and announced all these things to the eleven
and to all the others.
The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James;
the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,
but their story seemed like nonsense
and they did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb,
bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone;
then he went home amazed at what had happened.

Lk 24:1-12

Soyuz off to ISS

Image Credit: NASA/Carla Cioffi

A Soyuz spacecraft was launched Friday morning to the International Space Station (ISS) with three new crew members. They will be joined by more visitors next week if the STS-131 Shuttle mission launches as planned.

Holy Week 2010

This week is the one considered Holy by many with a strong Faith in God. For Christians, it is the observance of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Easter Triduum as observed in the Catholic Church is described here. Today, Pope Benedict XVI described the meaning of the observance.

At his public audience on Wednesday, March 31, Pope Benedict XVI offered a preview of the Easter Triduum, during which the Church will be "living through the holy days that invite us to meditate upon the central events of our Redemption, the essential nucleus of our faith."

The liturgical events of Holy Thursday begin with the Chrism Mass, which will have a special significance during this Year for Priests, the Pope said. He urged all the world's priests to be "heralds of hope, reconciliation, and peace."

This year, it also happens that this week marks the Jewish observance of Passover, the celebration of the Jews' passing over to freedom from the bondage of slavery they suffered in Egypt. This event was a historical manifestation of God's power recognized by Jews and Christians alike.

May this week of Holy Days bring blessings and peace to all.

Terri Schiavo: Five Years Later

Today is the fifth anniversary of the court imposed death of Terri Schiavo by dehydration and starvation. Her brother Bobby Schindler comments on the meaning of her death to our society.

Perhaps the "Death Panels" Sarah Palin spoke of sounded like bombastic language. Yet when Palin added this term into our nation’s debate on health care, I believe she did not realize that many hospitals and facilities already have something frighteningly similar. Ethics committees are making many life and death decisions about patients, including whether to withhold simple provisions.

In a seemingly clandestine way, these ethics committees - comprised of medical and legal professionals - are empowering facilities to make life and death decisions independent of the family or a person’s own wishes.

"Progressive" versus Progress

Michael Barone discusses two conflicting philosophies in American society today.

The Declaration of Independence's proclamation that "all men are created equal" with "unalienable rights" to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" has proved to be happily elastic. It still sings to us today, thanks to the struggles and sacrifices of many Americans who gave blacks and women the equality denied to them in 1776.

In contrast, the early Progressives' talk of an "industrial age" and an outmoded Constitution sounds like the language of an age now long past. Their faith in centralized planning seems naive in a time when one unpredicted innovation after another has changed lives for the better.

Space Servicing Study

A major NASA workshop on spacecraft servicing is being held here in Maryland this week. Most of the presentations are being posted here. Servicing of spacecraft is gaining attention as an enabling factor in opening up space to more human activities.

Suan B. Anthony List a Key Political Player

I'll be attending the Campaign for Life Gala of the Susan B. Anthony List on Wednesday evening. This effective prolife women's political action committee courageously led by Marjorie Dannenfelser has played a key role in many modern political battles including the struggle over supposed health care reform. A Gala program change was announced Sunday evening after the would-have-been "Defender of Life" award recipient surrendered at the height of the climactic battle over abortion and health care.

UPDATE: 3/25/2010: The Gala last night was a great and inspiring event highlighted by prolife champions Rep. Michelle Bachmann, Gov. Tim Pawlenty and others.