Give 'em Hell, Zell!
Georgia's retiring Democratic Senator Zell Miller is speaking now, saying that his family is more important than his party, and that W is the one he trusts to protect our country. He denounces Democratic 'manic obsession' to bring down W, unlike past history of bipartisanship in times of crisis. Praises our soldiers as liberators.

He's listing many of the U.S. armaments that John Kerry opposed. "US forces armed with what? Spitballs!" Contrasts Kerry's votes with campaign rhetoric.

John Kerry "more wrong, more weak and more wobbly" than any other leader. W committed to 'kind of forces to root out terrorists'. Now praising W's values.
"This Democrat is proud to stand with him!"

As background, here is an article on Zell's conversion from pro-abortion to prolife.

UPDATE (~10:30 PM) VP Dick Cheney is speaking to the convention now. He says he's 'glad Zell Miller is on our side'. Praising administration's record on education and the economy. "The Bush tax cuts are working."

Never lose sight of 'preserving the freedom and security of this nation'. Crowd chanting 'Four More Years'! "We're in a war we did not start, and have no choice to win." Terrorists 'did not know America, and did not know George W. Bush'. Listing positive outcomes in the world due to policy on terror. Now citing 'mighty debt to the US armed forces'.

VP says 2004 election one of most important in history. Cites differences between W & Kerry on national security. W 'will never seek a permission slip (from foreign leaders) to defend the American people'. We can count on W 'to get it right'.

Citing Kerry's changing positions spurs audience chants of 'Flip Flop!'. VP says W has 'a heart for the weak, the vulnerable and the afflicted' and 'calls evil by its name'. Signs are good for campaign 'even in Massachusetts'.

Post speech music: "Ain't No Stopping Us Now".

RNC Night 2
Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele spoke a few minutes ago and challenged stale conventional wisdom by stating how giving people more freedom helps to lift people up:

You can't help the poor by destroying the rich.

Now Governor Arnie is giving a rousing speech advocating freedom and optimism, urging critics not to be 'economic girlie-men'.

Coming up soon, W's daughters, then First Lady Laura.

BTW, transcripts & videos of Monday night's major speeches are linked here. Presumably, each day's speeches will be added.

More on the Old Media Meltdown
Glenn Reynolds has an article at TechCentralStation.

That decline is partly technological in origin. Monopolistic or oligopolistic newspapers and broadcast outlets were the result of technology: economies of scale and scope that rewarded consolidation and led to virtually no competition among newspapers and very little among broadcasters. Now that's changing, as alternative outlets like talk radio, cable television, and, especially, the Internet, have almost completely removed the traditional barriers to entry and allowed competition.

But the loss of those barriers isn't the biggest problem faced by the mainstream media. The biggest problem is that, like most monopolists, they've spent so many years enjoying their position and not worrying about quality that they're left floundering now that competition is exposing their faults. Like the folks at GM who couldn't understand why people were buying Toyotas all of a sudden back in the 1970s, today's Big Media folks are shocked to see ratings and circulation numbers falling while readership for Internet sites skyrockets. And, like the auto executives, they're even starting to mumble about the need for protection.

Old Media Meltdown
Beyond the specifics regarding John Kerry and Viet Nam, the Swift Boat Vets episode signifies the shift in influence from the Old Media to the Alt Media, according to John Podoretz in the NY Post.

Meanwhile, a Reuters editor became unhinged in his response to a prolife group's press release.

RNC on a Roll
With a narrow but increasingly consistent trend in the polls favoring W, the Republican Convention is off to a buoyant start. John McCain is currently speaking with a strong defense of W's leadership in defending America.

UPDATE (~10:45 PM) A moving Sept. 11 commemoration included three widows of heroes from that terrible day and a rendition of Amazing Grace. Rudy Giuliani coming on now.

Apocalypse Now
I haven't covered much on politics or anything else recently, but the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth seem to have evoked a desperate anti-free speech legal action by the Kerry campaign and some hysterical responses from the Old Media, such as Chris Matthew's implosion last night. Once again, the power of the Alt Media, including the blogosphere, to end-run the Old Media control and slant of information is contributing to the vitality of our democracy.

I've been reluctant to go full throttle on this whole thing since I appreciate the service of anyone who has served in combat. However, Mr. Kerry opened himself to this controversy by playing up his Viet Nam experience so prominently at the Dem Convention. Maybe he should get back to advocating for his Iraq policy of the week.

Robot on the Way
I'm behind in my blogging, and I know it's old news, but NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe's recent announcement on Hubble robotic servicing could mean some exciting and challenging work for me and my coworkers over the next few years.

Charley Hits Florida


NOAA

While Bonny fizzled out, Charley has done 'significant damage' in Florida and will likely be near here in the Middle Atlantic region tomorrow evening.

A Bold Agenda on Taxes
House Speaker Denny Hastert says its time to end the cumbersome tax system we all know and hate. This could become a centerpiece of W's second term domestic agenda.

"If you own property, stock, or, say, one hundred acres of farmland and tax time is approaching, you don't want to make a mistake, so you're almost obliged to go to a certified public accountant, tax preparer, or tax attorney to help you file a correct return. That costs a lot of money," writes Hastert. "Now multiply the amount you have to pay by the total number of people who are in the same boat. You can't. No one can because precise numbers don't exist. But we can stipulate that we're talking about a huge amount. Now consider that a flat tax, national sales tax, or VAT would not only eliminate the need to do this, it could also eliminate the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) itself and make the process of paying taxes much easier."

One promising alternative is proposed by Americans for Fair Taxation.

On to Mercury

NASA

The Messenger spacecraft is on its way.

Give Me a Break!!
Dems unhinged, accuse NASA of 'leaked photo' of Kerry in 'bunny suit'.

Blowin' in the Wind
Peter, Paul & Mary serenaded the Democratic Convention earlier this evening with their famous rendition of Bob Dylan's Blowin' in the Wind. The lyrics include these words:

Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?

Well, yes, too many people have died, because of the policies of the Democratic Party and the powerful interests that control it.

Prize Update
The Ansari X-Prize announcements were made today as expected, according to this SPACE.com article.

Rutan and his team have given its official 60-day notice, with the first X Prize attempt set for September 29 from the inland Mojave Spaceport in California. To win the $10 million, SpaceShipOne will need to make a second flight within two weeks, by October 13.

Hot on Rutan’s heels is Brian Feeney, leader of the Canadian da Vinci Project. Feeney also reported today that his team is rolling out on August 5 their completed X Prize vehicle -- the balloon-lofted Wild Fire rocket. The public unveiling will take place at the team’s Downsview Airport hanger in Toronto.

Ground Control to John Kerry?


NASA, link by Blogs for Bush

While the Democratic Convention would open later today in Boston, John Kerry visited the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. He addressed a number of issues, including the pushing of embryonic stem cell research, but did not propose a vision for the space frontier.

Kerry's record and statements on space are, on the whole, rather negative. On the other hand, President Bush will fight for the vision of our future in space.

BTW, check out Free Republic's 'caption contest' for the above photo.

A Space Race with ... Canada?
The Ansari-X-Prize has announced a press event for this coming Tuesday featuring several announcements about the competition, according to Space.com.

According to the X Prize Foundation press statement today, “representatives from major teams including Burt Rutan from the American Scaled Composites team and Brian Feeney from the Canadian da Vinci Project team will be present”.

9/11 Commission
I haven't had time to read the report myself, but by most accounts, the Commission report provided a sobering warning on our vulnerability to future attacks and serious recommendations to the country, while avoiding a partisan slant in either direction.

Two Anniversaries
Tuesday July 20, marks the 35th anniversary of when humans first made landfall on another world.
 

NASA
 
The day when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Eagle on the lunar surface and then Armstrong took that famous "Giant Leap" was one of the great moments in history. Here is the Apollo 11 page of the National Air and Space Museum, plus some interesting commentary by Rand Simberg and Mark Whittington. This anniversary comes with a renewed Vision for Space Exploration.
 
The other anniversary is not quite so momentous for humanity. Last year on the 34th Apollo 11 anniversary, I launched this humble blog. While a busy life and slow typing fingers keep me from covering every event or topic I'd like, this past year has been quite a ride.
 
September brought, among other things, Hurricane Isabel. October include the first Chinese astronaut and the critical point in the ongoing grassroots fight for the life of Terri-Schindler-Schiavo, (perhaps the Internet's finest hour). January was a particularly busy month, with probes exploring Mars & a comet while President George W. Bush heralded a new initiative for exploring space. Meanwhile, also check the January archive for my essay on Why we March for Life each year.
 
It's getting late and my memory is blurring on more recent events I've covered, but look forward for another exciting year of Faith, Life, Liberty & the Final Frontier.

Keeping Busy
Participated Monday in the first day of the Moon-Mars Blitz on Capitol Hill. (A number of additional organizations joined the Space Exploration Alliance after this press release was published.)

Later this week, I'm off to Vegas for Return to the Moon V.

Marriage Debate
For background info on this week's Senate debate on the Federal Marriage Amendment, see MarriageDebate.com.

John Kerry's Illogic on Abortion
Everyone's probably heard by now that John Kerry has picked John Edwards as his running mate. But we shouldn't overlook Mr. Kerry's latest contortion over the status of the unborn.

John Kerry stated "I believe life does begin at conception." But then he drags out that old fallacy that protecting those unborn lives would be imposing Catholic beliefs on people who subscribe to other religions. In reality, this is not some issue of abstract theological doctrine. The Catholic Church and its faithful followers (along with many Protestants, Jews, Muslims, atheists, etc.) are simply recognizing an objective natural reality.

The real question is, is our society inclusive enough to protect every human life at any stage or in any condition?