Continuation

The New Blog

For future articles, please click on the following link:

http://www.universalobserver.blogspot.com

Futuristic Ship Part Of Military Sealift

An official image of a futuristic catamaran currently in service with the U.S. Navy may be accessed at the following address:

http://www.msc.navy.mil/inventory/pics/HSVSwift.jpg

The vessel is the HSV Swift.

NASA Administrator Visits Japan

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin is on a trip to Japan, according to a recent news report. Dr. Griffin's tasks include the renegotiation of Japanese contributions to the work of the agency in the wake of NASA's cancellation of a component of the International Space Station that was to be manufactured in that country.

Source consulted: SpaceRef.com

Boeing Announces Guggenheim Aviation Order

Guggenheim Aviation has ordered the conversion of two 747 "Combi" aircraft to serve as aerial freighters, according to The Boeing Company.

(Excerpt)

Guggenheim Aviation Partners has ordered two 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter combi-to-freighter conversions. Both deliveries will take place in 2008, according to an agreement signed by Guggenheim and Boeing.

Guggenheim previously ordered five 747-400BCF passenger-to-freighter conversions. Boeing launched the Boeing Converted Freighter program for passenger conversions in 2004; it was known as the 747-400 Special Freighter program until recently. A Boeing-approved modification facility will convert the airplanes, a process that Boeing's Commercial Aviation Services unit will manage.

The above is an excerpt from an October 18, 2005 press release issued by Boeing and all responsibility for same lies in the originator of the release.

Source: http://www.boeing.com

Media Stir Abortion Controversy Over Miers

In watching the coverage of the Harriet Miers nomination, I couldn't help being impressed by how some in the media seem to be fixated over the issue of abortion.

One reporters claimed that efforts to calm the waters over the Miers nomination have only inflamed controversy over Miers' pro-life position.

However, in days past, a judge's pro-choice position seemed perfectly acceptable to the mainstream media.

This strikes me as a double standard, indeed.

Hurricane Wilma Threatens Central America

Hurricane Wilma is roiling the seas off the coast of Central America heading toward the coast of Mexico, according to CNN. At the time it makes landfall, it may be a Category 3 hurricane.

CNN said that the storm's projected track takes it in a northeasterly direction toward the southern coast of the United States.

Iraq Trial Postponed To November 28 -- CNN

CNN reports that the trial of Saddam Hussein has been postponed to November 28, 2005, to allow the defense more time to prepare.

The judge granted the defense motion minutes ago, according to CNN.

During the day's proceedings, Saddam faced the judge from the first of three rows of a white-colored dock seated next to another defendant. Behind him, separated by bars, were two rows each containing three other defendants, according to videotape aired by the network.

Leasing Company Orders 20 Dreamliners

Boeing has bagged an order from International Lease Financing Corp. for 20 of its brand-new 787 Dreamliners in a deal valued at $2.4 billion at list prices, according to recent news reports.

The deal places Boeing in an even stronger position relative to Europe's Airbus, whose A350 will not be fielded until 2010. By comparison, Dreamliners may begin flying in mid-2008, reports say.

Charles Rocket, 1949-2005

Charles Rocket, known for his role in Saturday Night Live and for an appearance in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, has committed suicide, according to a state coroner. Mr. Rocket also appeared in various other roles and was a former television journalist.

For more information, see:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/ae/3399742

Another Earthquake

...here in sunny Southern California.

Isn't it nice when Mother Nature makes her presence felt?

EU Complains About India's Boeing Decision

The European Union has made clear its misgivings over India's preliminary approval of a planned purchase of 50 new aircraft from Boeing worth an estimated eight billion dollars, according to a recent report. The EU complains that India gave in to U.S. pressure and claims, among other things, that Boeing's sales proposal narrowed the width of its passenger seats to give its 787 an advantage over the Airbus 330.

For more information, please see:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/5983_1339425,00430005.htm

Robot Detonates Suspicious Package In Norwalk

A police robot has detonated a suspicious package at a light rail station in Norwalk, California as authorities held up local freeway and road traffic. An investigation into its contents is under way.

Sources: MSNBC, Fox News Channel.

Shuttle, ISS Not Blunders, Says NASA

From Administrator Michael Griffin's October 3, 2005 letter posted at NASA.com:

(Excerpt)

At the strategic level, I think all of you know that I believe we have been restricted to low Earth orbit for far too long and that the proper focus of our nation's space program should be the exploration of our solar system. I do understand that others will disagree. In that context, it is useful to recall Norm Augustine's observation that most people believe we should have a robust space program; it is just that no two people agree as to what that program should be! But it is my sense that this debate has been had and has been resolved for the time being. The Vision for Space Exploration is the right path, and it is the path that we are re-engaging our agency to follow. I am committed to it.

With that said, I do hope you know that I would never speak of our efforts, past or present, in a way that would be intended to denigrate the efforts of the engineers, technicians, managers, scientists, and administrative personnel who "make it happen" at NASA and at our contractors.

As I have often said publicly, the shuttle is the most amazing machine humans have ever built, and it has been the recipient of the most brilliant engineering that America can provide. The station is a more difficult engineering project, by far, than was Apollo. It is true that we have not met our original goals for these programs, for myriad reasons dating back 35 years or more, involving strategic and budgetary decisions made, properly or otherwise, above NASA. Although this is not the fault of the dedicated people, past and present, who have worked in these programs, I think we all know that we can do better, and that we will. But even if everything were in our favor -- and it is not -- it would be several years before we could have available a successor to the shuttle. In the interim, we must complete the station and the only tool with which we can accomplish that is the shuttle. At this point, an expeditious but orderly phase-out of the shuttle program, using it to complete the assembly of the station while we develop a new system, is the best thing we can do for our agency and for the nation.

These are the messages I have tried to convey. It is not my intention that they should be used to criticize or diminish the efforts of those who have devoted their lives -- and in some cases given their lives -- to the space program. Space technology is still in its infancy. To criticize the shuttle and station because our best efforts have fallen short of the goals we have set would be like criticizing the early aviation pioneers because they did not understand, then, how to build transcontinental aircraft. In this business, our goal is to push the frontiers of technology, to learn what we can by doing so, and then move on. And that is what we will do.

Thank you all for your time and attention.

Source:

http://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/mg_message_20051003.html

The CEV Versus The Soyuz

Some have proposed that the Soyuz-TM be converted to serve as a lunar vehicle. The question is raised: How would NASA's CEV stack up against the Soyuz?

It would appear that the Soyuz is far too small to be part of a sustained lunar or Mars mission of the kind of which the CEV is capable. Unlike the Soyuz, CEV is not only a taxi vehicle, but, in its advanced configurations, a lunar-bound and interplanetary vehicle. The CEV would be part of dual-vehicle design.

To start with, the Soyuz is about half the size of the CEV and lacks any transorbital capability. By contrast, the much larger CEV is itself part of a system that will allow it to attain lunar insertion and, in its interplanetary configuration, break free of Earth's gravitational field altogether.

The CEV will be capable of supporting six astronauts. The Soyuz is capable of supporting only three cosmonauts.

The CEV is twice as large as the Apollo capsule, while weighing only slightly more. The Soyuz was never intended to be capable of any independent extended operations lasting many weeks or months and would need to be completely reconfigured or expanded for any such purpose. It would need to be a completely new ship.

It's important not to confuse the Soyuz with the Mir Space Station, or the Mir's predecessor, the Salyut design. Both the Mir and the Salyut were eminently capable of sustained operations. Mir is no more, having been intentionally destroyed through a de-orbit burn that plunged it into the Earth's atmosphere. Neither does the Salyut exist.

The CEV consists, notionally, of two separate internal sections: The crew capsule, and a large service module. The Soyuz does not have an equivalent service module. The CEV is also designed to link with transorbital upper stages for lunar flight. The Soyuz program has no such compatible stages.

The CEV is designed to be capable of sustained lunar operations. The Soyuz is not. It would be a mistake to characterize the CEV as merely a shuttle per se, since a shuttle would not need to be capable of independent operations 200,000 miles from Earth, or far more distantly in interplanetary operations. But it could be said, that the Soyuz, by contrast, is a taxi.

In terms of size, the maximum diameter of Soyuz craft is 2.7 meters, versus 5.5 meters for the CEV.

One would do well to consult with the following resource concerning the capability of the Soyuz, which is definitely not a lunar ship (e.g., see pp. 15 ff.): Link. Note the multiple launch failures of even unmanned attempts as well as the abortive attempt to expand the Soyuz concept. Further, even under the original 1962-1963 lunar concept (which was never realized), the expanded Soyuz would have required half a dozen launches for a lunar mission.

The CEV will be capable of reaching Mars. Will others, flying the Soyuz or an equivalent, have such technology in a decade?

Lockheed Martin's take on the CEV is available at

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/data/assets/5565.pdf

In competitive terms, it's Northrop/Boeing versus Lockheed Martin. The Boeing design has been popularized through NASA's recent release of graphics showing a "super-Apollo"-style CEV.

By contrast, in the following view of Lockheed's proposed design, note the winged configuration. http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/1534782.html

Northrop Grumman and Boeing have just taken steps toward making our CEV a reality. See, e.g.: http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=18022

In a competition between the CEV and the Soyuz, there is thus no doubt in my mind which is the more advanced vehicle.

A Rarity Among Rarities

There is nothing so rare in the world, as a human being of good will.

The role of good will was explored in 19th Century philosophy, and my recollection is that Immanuel Kant was a great exponent of the need for good will.

What, then, is good will? It is nothing more -- or less -- than the willingness, the desire, and the belief in the need to be as helpful and as generous to one's fellow human beings as one possibly can be.

I am an admirer of Kantianism, and I believe that Professor Kant helped elaborate on what it means to be a good person. I think that he helped established a very good rationalist basis for ethics and morality in a post-modern world, and one far better than the so-called "post-modernists" of today. Immanuel Kant, living in the 18th Century, saw that the future was one of challenge. He spoke of things that most people did not believe possible -- the existence of things beyond the human ken, a scientific version of Plato's cave. Of all the European rationalists, he is foremost among my heroes.

Despite his rationalism, he was also a deeply respectful, deeply religious man. As professor at Konigsberg, he conveyed his respect for future generations, bowing before his students, telling them that he was humbled by the presence of so many scholars and representatives of the potential for a the greatness of the future.

I am saddened that in the world of today, we have no equivalent scholar, other than the religious ones that delve deep into the mystical surroundings of ancient texts, for all their tremendous contributions and value to society. I think that a Kant of today would be a Galileo of ethics, a post-post-Aristotelian who could reduce some of our most perplexing dilemmas into more easily cognizable precepts -- equations, if you will, of the social condition. And all I have read, all I have seen, all I have hoped for, in science fiction such as Star Trek and beyond, expresses my personal, internal need to discern this system of cognition, a firmly grounded, well-defended route toward moral certainty.

The journey continues. Morality, no less than death itself, is the undiscovered country.

The Shuttle: An Appreciation

It seems that there are plenty of detractors out there who desire to deride the U.S. and our efforts whatever they may be. Might it be agreed, for example, that the Space Shuttle a mistake?

Despite what NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said recently, the Shuttle is a uniquely impressive vehicle. It was and remains the only manned ascent and descent vehicle capable of acting in a multimission capacity as a crew vehicle, a cargo carrier, and a space laboratory all at once. Other vehicles can do only one of these missions at at time.

During its storied career, the Shuttle carried tons of supplies to the ISS, but even more importantly, it was the only ship dedicated to both carrying the structures for, and assembling, the ISS. None of the other ships (Soyuz, Progress, etc.) could approach these capabilities.

Without the Shuttle, the ISS would never have been assembled. And no ship could bring the numbers of passenger and supplies that the Shuttle could on a routine mission. And with the addition of Europe's Spacelab, which took up a sizeable portion of the Shuttle's vast payload bay, the Shuttle itself became a space station during certain missions.

Further, no other craft allowed either the lofting or the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope, whose scientific contributions are immeasurable. The Shuttle was capable, still further, of launching satellites into high orbit far beyond its own from its payload bay. Various pallets allowed the Shuttle to, among other things, image the Earth using shallow-penetrating radar, yielding treasures beneath the ground long hidden from view. Hundreds or thousands of important science experiments were conducted through the Shuttle.

The Shuttle has its shortcomings, but let it never be said that any other nation was capable of both building and sustaining such a wondrous vehicle. By the same token, let it not be said that any other space power can boast of the accomplishments of the United States, either in regard to the Shuttle, or in regard to recent interplanetary exploration.

Will the PRC soon overtake the U.S. in space? Will the EU? Will even Russia, with its vast experience in near-Earth orbital habitation? Extremely doubtful, indeed.

Absolutism And Morality

If morality is not entirely relative, then what moral values are absolute?

There are several possible answers, and each one must decide which one one believes. These answers relate to concepts such as any one or combination of the following:

1. Those absolutes that arise from one's faith.

2. Those absolutes that arise from one's solemn contemplation of the human condition, past, present, or both.

3. Those absolutes that arise from one's reflection upon one's personal history.

4. Those absolutes that arise from one's aspirations for a better future.

5. Individual precepts arising from the Golden Rule (do unto others only what you would have others do to you), or related concepts such as the Kantian idea of categorical imperatives.

6. Absolutes arising from the mere state of existence (existentialism, essentially positing the idea that nothing is certain except for one's own existence).

7. Pure religious tradition.

8. Critical analysis of specific situations generalized to rules.

9. The rule of utilitarianism itself -- that is, that which defines good as only that which benefits the greatest good for the greatest number.

10. Rules arising from utilitarianism (e.g., rule-utilitarianism).

These are only a few of the possible permutations of absolutism in morality.

It may be easier to associate absolutism with a tradition -- the Western tradition, for example, or the Eastern tradition -- than to broadly and inductively derive claims about specific absolutes as if they themselves were certain. Morality is, in practice, relativist, but by its very nature, it may be absolutist, in precisely the traditions to which I've alluded. The value of having moral absolutes depends on whether one subscribes to any of the above threads in the Western tradition of morality. (There are equivalents for Eastern traditions of morality.) If one does not, then one arguably sees no value in morality at all.

In fact, in some cases, morality cannot be absolute from the point of view of the moral agent if one subscribes to particular views of morality.

Is Morality Absolute?

Some morality is absolute. Some morality is not.

It may be difficult to classify all morality as absolute, and yet, it is impossible for me to visualize a completely relativistic morality. Perhaps it's in the nature of individual mortals to think in this way. Perhaps an absolute law-giver could determine that morality shall be one way or another. Considered as an author, God could certainly define His morality in accordance with His wishes, since He is by Christian lights usually seen as omnipotent. By the same token, an absolute power could in another sense determine what morality he deems is absolute, and which he deems is not, and in that sense, he could be deemed to have made morality relative. So the answer is anything but ontologically certain. If it were, there wouldn't be so much philosophical disagreement concerning it.

If morality is not and cannot be absolute, on the other hand, then it is simply a way of looking at the world -- a philosophy, in a sense, and not a binding set of rules. This does not take away from philosophy, but it would take away from our concept of morality.

China Launches Second Manned Space Mission

China's Shenzhou 6 blasted off from a remote base in that country's northwest, according to this story published minutes ago at the ABC News website.

Many other sources confirm this news and apparently the event was carried live on Chinese television.

The Iran Question

I do not support a full-scale invasion of Iran, for a multitude of reasons. Such an invasion would not be advisable from the standpoint of logistics. As they say, armchair generals talk strategy; real generals talk logistics. And there is no way we can launch a full-scale invasion of Iran while being tied up in Iraq, unless the draft is reinstituted. And the draft will not be reinstituted.

It is true, as some say, that Iran need not be invaded in order for warfare to be visited upon her, by means of an air campaign. The U.S. has the means to take out important structures including those determined by intelligence services, both American and Israeli, to be most directly responsible for Iran's nascent nuclearization. These need not be the actual locations where nuclear weapons are being developed; rather, they can be secondary and tertiary sites, such as possible launch sites for any nuclear-tipped rockets, supply sites, supply lines, critical infrastructure, and the like. The list of these targets is limited only by the first strike weapons we have on hand. These targets are relatively soft and can be struck by conventional weapons launched from our naval submarines and destroyers.

The question is still, however, whether we should, not could, engage in such a first strike. The answer to that is not certain at this point.

"No Religious Test"

What does it mean when folks say that there should be no religious test for public office?

In regard to the courts, at least, I believe that legal analysis should have no express or implicit religious basis, and there should be no discrimination in favor of certain religions over others, or over the areligious.

However, other than that, religious feeling should not be outlawed among public officials. Why should it?

Indeed, there should be no religious test -- which to me means that if one is religious, and even extremely so, one should not be prevented from holding office.

Morality And Constitutionalism

A central difficulty that surrounds political discourse is the question of the limits of morality in public life.

As an adjunct, there is considerable dispute that arises from an inability to resolve the proper role, if any, of morality relative to constitutionalism. This difficulty is also why there are shortcomings in both the strict and the liberal interpretations of the Constitution: The Constitution is sometimes made the vessel of rights for which it is not particularly suited.

On the right, the Constitution is simply discounted as a source of moral rights that could be argued to be part of the requirements of such things equal protection. For example, some strict constructionists think that the Civil Rights Act should not be Constitutionally enshrined (justified) in any way, directly or indirectly. This seems to be rather limiting, because even such constructionists would agree that equality of the races under law should be given some Constitutional purchase.

On the left, you have those who want to enshrine abortion rights as part of the Constitution. This runs afoul of the fact that the Constitution says nothing about abortion, and indeed does not use the term "right of privacy". Further, there is no moral consensus that abortion itself is a good thing, so the "right" to choose what many people a great evil is very problematical.

This is not an issue that will soon go away.

China's Internal Immigration

Some say that China is the world's next superpower. What does the future truly hold for the world's most populous nation? Perhaps a look at its internal numbers can shed some light on this issue.

The People's Republic of China has about 200 to 300 million urban-dwellers, leaving about a billion who reside in the countryside. China's per capita income is very low (around $400.00 to $500.00 per year, although I've seen figures up to $1,000.00) precisely because 80% of the population basically practices semi-subsistence agriculture: They grow enough for themselves, with little left over.

The "purchasing parity" criterion may also be factored in when one considers any of the above figures. For example, a single dollar equivalent goes a long way in the PRC, particularly where rents are the equivalent of $50.00 per month in some areas. The rural agricultural sector can afford basic health care only because of Communist policies. There is, as it stands, an internal migration of seasonal workers from the countryside who want to find city jobs but evidently are not allowed to settle in the urbanized areas.

It is true, I believe, that if one were to factor out the rural population, the per capita income of the PRC would be considerably higher. Nevertheless, the claim that 80% of the population is still rural is not subject to much dispute. Domestic poverty is a national problem and must be resolved if China is to advance toward the rank of the world's most powerful nation.

Financial Rigor Will Assure U.S. Dominance

There are signs that U.S. debt is becoming a vulnerability to the world's only superpower. Indeed, I believe that the financial argument is the most powerful one on the side of those who do not believe the U.S. can sustain its current comparative strength. While I haven't researched this issue, I do believe that a growing economy is at least in part ameliorative of the negative effects of overspending. That said, I find it hard to gainsay the position of those who say that federal spending should be reined in.

I have never been satisfied with our balance of payments or the trade imbalance we have with China, Europe, and other regions around the world. This is a fairly complex area of discussion that requires some degree of sophistication in dealing with the relevant concepts. For example, in a world where each country is to some degree both the debtor and creditor, what means are available to leverage these positions? For not only is the U.S. the recipient of investors' money, but it is also directly and indirectly an investor in the PRC and other developing nations. The U.S. is also a major, if not the predominant, voice in international financial institutions such as the World Bank, which as always had an American president.

Another factor to consider is the revaluation of the yuan. Since we have pressured the PRC to increase its value, and the PRC has definitely made some moves accordingly, there may be some relief in sight from the point of view of our trade deficits.

The continuing deficit should be reduced; nevertheless, I do not agree, at this point, that it is a critical factor that threatens U.S. dominance overall. It is much too early to forecast this effect, which may never occur.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Rides Media Circuit

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made several appearances at various public venues today, conducting lengthy interviews with radio talk show hosts Sean Hannity and Larry Elder. The Governor detailed reasons for passage of the four Propositions he sponsored for the State's special election on November 8, each of which he said would help bring California back on track after years of financial disaster caused by the Democratic Legislature.

The Governor's efforts have also received the endorsement of U.S. Senator John McCain of Arizona.

Propositions 74, 75, 76, and 77 affect teacher tenure, use of union dues for political purposes, State spending for schools, and redistricting. The Governor has received a chorus of opposition from public employees unions for these efforts, particularly in the form of media ad buys, as a result of which the California Teachers Association has run out of money.

I urge all Californians to support these Propositions. Vote "Yes" on Propositions 74, 75, 76, and 77. I will be supporting Arnold in each of these important causes.

For more information, please see: http://www.joinarnold.com/

Edward R. Murrow Film Will Lionize Broadcaster

A new Hollywood film on Edward R. Murrow will be almost certain to paint a positive picture of the late broadcaster, whose personal influence on television news is still felt today.

Murrow's clash with Sen. Joseph McCarthy appears to be a highlight of the film. McCarthy was believed by some to have abused his position on the House Un-American Committee, which concentrated its efforts on rooting out Communist influence in a range of American institutions in the 1950's.

Michael Savage Touts Prediction

Controversial talk show host Michael Savage expressed pride in his statement during the recent New York City subway alert that the alarm was a hoax. He took the opportunity to remind listeners that he had published 21 books and directed them to his website, where a trilogy of his most recent works were for sale.

Critic Decries Lack Of Civic Vision

New York Times architectural critic Nicolai Ouroussoff has written in an article published today that the national vision of great civic works projects that helped sculpt cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New Orleans has long disappeared, leaving us with nothing more than a decaying urban infrastructure neglected by a generation of mistrustful suburbanites.

The article is not atypical of the mournful elegiacs among many who see the energies of municipal creation migrating to places in Europe and Asia.

The article is well worth one's attention, in my view.

Michael Jackson Mobbed By Adoring Fans

International pop star Michael Jackson, fresh from a California trial that acquitted him of charges of child molestation, was greeted by a throng of adoring fans as he attended a musical in Britain, according to a recent report.

For more information, see this story.

SpaceShipOne Inducted Into Museum

The world's first privately funded spacecraft, SpaceShipOne, was officially placed on display yesterday at the National Aerospace Museum in Washington, D.C.

In a ceremony attended by Burt Rutan, the ship's primary designer, and other dignitaries involved in the two successful private missions last year to send a man into space, SpaceShipOne joined the ranks of dozens of other aerospace vehicles of note in the history of flight. Rutan's efforts won his team the X Prize, a million-dollar award given to the first private organization to send astronauts into suborbital flight. The SpaceShipOne team included Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen, whose financial backing help make the missions possible.

For more information, see this link.

Strong Earthquake Strikes South Asia

A devastating earthquake has killed over 1,300 people in South Asia, news reports^1 say.

CNN Headline News reports that the the quake has caused widespread casualties and destruction across the region. The United States and other nations have promised to provide aid in response to the disaster.

May God help those affected by this tragedy.

_______________________
1. Edit, 12: 53 a.m.: The New York Times reports that over 18,000 have been killed in the earthquake. See: Story dated October 9, 2005.

ESA's CryoSat Breaks Up In Flight

A European Space Agency satellite designed to gather information on the state of Earth's ice formations has been destroyed in flight, according to news reports.

Russia's Federal Space Agency said that all contact was lost with CryoSat during a period of 20 minutes after it was supposed to have achieved orbit. The agency was trying to determine the exactly why the failure occurred.

The spacecraft fell harmlessly into the ocean.

Sample source: Link.

Official news report: Link.

Androids And Spiders And Humans, Oh My!

NASA will develop robotic technology in hopes of using it for far-flung missions across the Solar System, according to a recent article posted at ABC News Online.

For more information, see: Link.

Boeing Looking Closely At 747 Advanced

Boeing may be about to launch a new, larger version of its wildly successful 747 jumbo jet, sources say. A Boeing official recently confirmed rumors that the company was preparing to make a statement concerning the aircraft.

In other Boeing news, the recent strike of machinists at Boeing has ended as the company's latest offer to their union was accepted by the rank-and-file upon recommendation of their leadership.

Further, adding to a string of successes with some of its newest aircraft, the company recently received an order for an additional 777 from Austrian Airlines.

(Excerpt from Boeing press release; responsibility for accuracy is in originator of release)

SEATTLE, Oct. 6, 2005 -- Austrian Airlines has signed an order for the purchase of one Boeing 777-200ER, taking a significant step toward simplifying the operations and reducing the maintenance costs of its long-haul fleet. Austrian Airlines already operates three 777s on routes to Melbourne via Singapore and Sydney via Kuala Lumpur. Its fourth 777 will be used primarily for flights to the U.S. and Asia. The airplane is valued at $181 million at list prices and is currently scheduled for delivery in late 2006. The agreement includes the cancellation of a previous order by Austrian Airlines for a 737. "The 777 has proven to be a most economical and reliable aircraft and one that is well liked by our passengers," said Austrian Airlines Chief Financial Officer Thomas Kleibl. "Standardizing with the 777-200ER will deliver immediate economic and operational benefits and help keep our fleet amongst the youngest in the world."

Rights In Marriage

There is a widespread suspicion that marriage isn't what it used to be.

From the point of the view of the right, it is quite arguable that liberals want to remove the right of men to have children and give the entirety of that right to the woman, therefore lessening the value of marriage and family.

In all fairness, at the very least, husbands should not be left powerless if, after both parties agreed to be married, his wife intentionally aborts a child that neither of them initially opposed. The risk that a wife takes has its counterpart in the risk that a husband takes in having to support the child for eighteen years, as the large majority of child support is transmitted from an ex-husband to his former spouse. Indeed, a father is often held liable for this child support since mothers are often award physical custody of the children of divorce, which, as a practical matter, places the father in a position of having to give money while not being able to exercise as much control over the raising of the child.

From the point of the view of the left, since child support is not dependent on marriage, marriage and relations between men and women are simply more equal than they once were.

Perhaps it's me, but I don't see how a disproportionate concentration of power in one party equalizes anything.

An Objection To Arguments Against Deterrence

It is sometimes said that the President hasn't done anything to make America safer from terrorist attack. In this connection, it is sometimes said that the only kinds of attack on U.S. soil that could be deterred would be major ones, and that such efforts take years in the making. Therefore, it is said, the absence of such attacks proves nothing.

However, there have been significant arrests made in connection with smaller efforts here in the U.S. The existence of such arrests suggests a large-scale attacks is not the only ones that our enemies desire to inflict.

The argument against the absence of successful attacks is therefore invalid.

Democrats Have No Answers To Bali

If the Democrats actually had reasoned arguments concerning their position -- for example, that what the President has done is worse than what he could have done, more of the American people would take their positions seriously.

As it stands, there is only the vaguest of notions presented by the President's detractors as to how he could have taken a better position on foreign policy issues, which are of the greatest import today.

Indeed, the left's explanation for the President's success in preventing terrorism on American soil -- that terrorists rarely attack twice in quick succession -- was soundly disproved by the events of Bali. And despite proof of this nature that the left is full of nonsense of this kind, the left refuses to learn its lesson and continues to rail on about how bad this President allegedly is. It's simply an appeal to emotionalism without much logic, which is why many inexperienced people, who necessarily must work on instinct because they lack the personal background to apply common sense or reason, tend to buy it.

Thomas Jefferson And Prayer

Thomas Jefferson is often cited for this sentiments that there should be a wall of separation between church and state.

But, Jefferson himself was a religious man. Jefferson even led a prayer in his Second Inaugural Address. And, it has been written:

What Jefferson omits in his letter, and which is under-examined in the book, is that the primary distinction for Jefferson is not the issue of direct and indirect support, or proclamation and recommendation. Rather, the primary distinction for Jefferson is promoting religion for the health of the republic (the political purpose of religion) versus promoting it for the salvation of people's souls. It seems that government may indirectly support the former but never the latter. This is the import of his asking Americans to join him in prayer in the Second Inaugural. Doing so assists the republic; whether it assists people in attaining salvation is of no concern for government. Whether there can be a conflict between one's conscience (what "Nature's God" commands) and the health of the republic (what the "Laws of Nature" commands [see Declaration of Independence]), depends on how one comprehends Jefferson's understanding of natural right, which is outside the scope of this book.

From a review that may be found at the following: Link.

Abortion And Criminal Laws

In many places, a fetus is a person under the law and protected by the laws against murder.

How can you tell? Because, in many cases, if a man kills the fetus inside the mother's womb without the mother's consent, he's liable for murder. However, if he fails in his attempt, the mother can abort the living fetus the very next day because it's "her right".

How strange!

A Hearty Welcome To Our New Contributors!

A hearty welcome aboard is due our new contributors: John, Clint1987, and Peach Wookiee!

I am pleased that they have decided to join Team Enterpriser and wish them much success in publishing to this Blog.

To our new contributors: Thank you for the privilege of hosting your posts and comments! I look forward to many days of interesting reading.

Once again, welcome aboard!

-- Enterpriser.

To our loyal readers: The Enterpriser Zone is accessed each and every day by a wide range of intelligent and perceptive readers from all over the world. Thanks to you, every day presents an opportunity to discuss issues of public concern as well as matters of personal opinion. Please contact me at EnterpriseFan001@aol.com if you wish to become a Member of Team Enterpriser. Nothing is required of you except the ability to communicate thoughtfully. Privileges include posting your own messages and leaving comments on any messages that appear. Requests to join will be carefully considered, although not all such requests can be honored. Again, thank you, and be well!

Faith Is The Least Of His Problems

Some folks on the left seem to take pleasure in criticizing the President for his faith.

I think that the President is weaker today than at any other point in his Presidency. However, his faith is the least of his problems. His main problem is that conservatives or former conservatives seem to be attacking him more and more viciously.

Folks from Paul Craig Roberts to Ann Coulter have fallen upon him and his Administration. Even Rush Limbaugh feels obliged to express dissatisfaction on multiple media platform about the President's pick to replace Justice O'Connor.

Perhaps, instead of fearing a President who seeks refuge in faith, we should be concerned that a siege mentality is developing at the White House. Sadly, I suspect that for many on the left, a Nixonian White House is their greatest fantasy come true.

ESA To Study Strange Lightning

The European Space Agency plans to take special cameras aboard the International Space Station in order to study high-altitude lightning and related phenomena, according to a recent report.

For the full story as well as graphics on ESA's investigation, see this article.

NASA: Shuttle Foam May Have Been Damaged

NASA believes that a piece of foam that fell off the Discovery during its launch in July and caused on-orbit inspections to be improvised to assure the safety of the crew may have been accidentally cut or crushed by technicians working on an adjacent area of the spacecraft, according to a news report.

For more information, see this story.

Japanese Car Sales Rise As Gas Spikes

How do they do it?

Once again, Japanese automakers seem ahead of the curve as sales of their smaller, more efficient cars advance as orders for SUV's decline.

For more information, see this story.

The first time this happened was in the 1970's. Three decades ago, the lesson of Japanese dominance over increasing areas of the automobile market still hasn't sunk in.

And now, the Big Three in America has been reduced to what amounts to the Struggling Two, with GM and Ford fighting for market share crowded by foreign automakers. Chrysler, the absent third, is owned by a German carmaker.

And so it goes.

Roe Versus Innocent Life: Equality, Evolved

Can Roe v. Wade be reversed?

The underpinnings of the "right to privacy" in this respect may yet be re-examined, since there will be a parental consent case on the roster during this term.

There are many ways to reverse Roe, and one of them is to use the liberals' "evolving standards of decency" argument against them. As medicine and technology permits more and more reliable means of contraception, there is no longer a need for women to engage in the destructive act of abortion, whose effects are now known to be emotionally traumatic for the mother and extremely painful to the fetus. An "evolving society" can no longer stand by idly as great injury and death is created in the name of "privacy" when, by virtue of increasingly effective contraceptive measures, the woman has had every chance to exercise dominion over her own body.

Further, standards of equality have also "evolved". The risk of having a child for the mother is not unlike the risk of having pay for one on the part of the father. In this, there are nine months of great inconvenience for the mother, compared to eighteen years for the father, who is often held accountable for child support. A decent society strives to equalize the risk of sexual behavior between men and women, and an argument that pretends that abortion does not disproportionately empower women over men, for many reasons, fails the test of time. Equality of choice requires equality between the sexes.

For these and many other reasons, the Court should hold that the "right" to privacy in this area is limited to the period before conception only.

On Harriet Miers (From Kenneth Melman)

A message from Kenneth Melman, head of the Republican Party, in a nonconfidential e-mail:

(Excerpt)

Today, President Bush announced his choice to succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor as the next Supreme Court Justice: Harriet Miers. Ms. Miers is the third woman to be nominated for the Supreme Court, and like Justice O'Connor is a legal trailblazer. Ms. Miers is an extremely well-qualified and fair-minded individual who is committed to interpreting the law instead of legislating from the bench.

President Bush selected Ms. Miers after embarking on a thorough and deliberate thought process. This confirmation however promises to be much more contentious than the confirmation of Judge John Roberts. Before Ms. Miers was even announced many Democrat groups said they would oppose her. They have no interest in giving Ms. Miers a fair hearing or vote. They are promising to throw every punch, make every accusation and pressure every Senator to oppose this nominee no matter what her qualifications may be. We have to be prepared to counter their actions and that is why Harriet Miers needs your help.

NASA's New Vehicles

NASA's New Lunar And Martian Vehicles
(Source: NASA.)

NASA intends to launch two new classes of vehicles with a view toward landing astronauts on the Moon for the first time since 1972, and on the planet Mars for the first time in human history.

Attorney Harriet Miers President's Choice

White House Counsel Harriet Miers.
(White House photo.)


An attorney who has never served as a judge has been chosen by President Bush to replace U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

The announcement was officially made this morning by President Bush with Counselor Miers at his side.

President Bush on Monday nominated White House counsel Harriet Miers to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, reaching into his loyal inner circle for another pick that could reshape the nation's judiciary for years to come.

Source: Yahoo! News.

The Dark Side Of "The Dark Side Of Faith"

An opinion piece was published in today's Los Angeles Times, to which the following pertains.

A writer has recently claimed, in an article entitled, "The Dark Side of Faith", that religious extremism in America is dangerous. The claim was based on a new study that alleged that sinful behavior was more prevalent in the more religious areas of the United States.

It is my considered view that the writer's claim is nonsense, because while it may be true that some aspects of religious faith seem incompatible with what actually occurs in a practical sense, the writer seems to fail to understand that religion is not for the perfect, or even the noble. Religion is particularly needed for sinners. So, given the premise evident from the reliance on the study's claim, there is no real reason to believe or even read the article, other than to be specific about why the premise and conclusion are fairly misdirected. The facts are what they are. But let us review some of what the writer wrote, nevertheless, and what was taken as a gloss upon it.

[The study] ranked societies based on the percentage of their population expressing absolute belief in God, the frequency of prayer reported by their citizens and their frequency of attendance at religious services. He then correlated this with data on rates of homicide, sexually transmitted disease, teen pregnancy, abortion and child mortality. He found that the most religious democracies exhibited substantially higher degrees of social dysfunction than societies with larger percentages of atheists and agnostics. Of the nations studied, the U.S. — which has by far the largest percentage of people who take the Bible literally and express absolute belief in God (and the lowest percentage of atheists and agnostics) — also has by far the highest levels of homicide, abortion, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Here is a particularly banal observation in my view:

The claim that religion can have a dark side should not be news. Does anyone doubt that Islamic extremism is linked to the recent rise in international terrorism? And since the history of Christianity is every bit as blood-drenched as the history of Islam, why should we doubt that extremist forms of modern American Christianity have their own pernicious and measurable effects on national health and well-being? Arguably, Paul's study invites us to conclude that the most serious threat humanity faces today is religious extremism: nonrational, absolutist belief systems that refuse to tolerate difference and dissent. My prediction is that right-wing evangelicals will do their best to discredit Paul's substantive findings. But when they fail, they'll just shrug: So what if highly religious societies have more murders and disease than less religious societies? Remember the trials of Job? God likes to test the faithful.

The absurd argument that is made is that since Christianity once was excessive, therefore nothing that advocates Christianity today can be freed from that stain, such, and to the extent, that Christianity today can be compared to the worst of Islamic extremism. This hateful approach would consider America itself irremediably evil, since the South once held slaves.

There is truly nothing new under the sun, and religion- and America-bashing are apparently the only remaining acceptables prejudice among some opinion-meisters at the Times.

What's Not Cool

Some of us who remember the 1960's find the current fixation on defined political ideologies rather amusing. There are two ways, and only two ways, of looking at the world, if you believe the various exponents of America's two main political parties.

But that's arrant nonsense, really.

Politics has been simplified to a ridiculous extent, as any of us who have attended both the philharmonic and the rock concert can tell you. The yin and yang of give and take have been reduced to ossified shells, and the internal viscera that move each of them have shrunk into a pitiable state of nonrecognition. What has been left unloved, unattended, and unbelieved are nothing less than the core values of existence.

The core values of existence, that have propelled human endeavor for millennia. The irreducible values that move us.

It's all been talked down, and unto death.

And that is very, very uncool.

The Cultural History Of A New Day

A skeptic looked askance at a new invention, and sniffed, "Of what possible use is it?" Came the reply: "Of what use is a newborn baby?"

The fact is that every human being alive is the beneficiary of cultural adaptations that have allowed his or her ancestors to defeat a hundred thousand years of evolutionary challenges. The achievements of each race relate in large measure to environmental issues, and to the extent that each race has failed to live up to its potential. each has failed in that way.

But the issue of race has, in any event, little to do with the survival of each individual person. Likewise, the same must be said of the merits of each individual person. It is as unimportant to take pride in one's race as to take pride in the fact that one was merely born in a particular country. It is one's own ideals, arising from various national and other sources, and personal efforts that matter. This is the American way, in my view. It is the new day that matters, and not the past.

"Said The Joker To The Thief"

Contrary to the stereotype, Republicans aren't concerned solely with money. No more than Democrats.

It is sometimes said of the Republican Party is that it seems to have a lack of understanding for the human condition, which was and is often explored in literature of the highest order. One associates the likes of Upton Sinclair with leftism for good reason, since writers of that era who commented on society did so with a view toward reform. The same impetus for reform exists today in the left, and among Democrats, and this explains in part the unpopular themes of many among that party.

But let this not be said to detract from a counterpart on the part of conservatives. Alexander Pope, for example, is considered among the very best among poets, and yet he was quite conservative, in my view. The left is concerned with its own agenda on the pretext that it moves the world forward. The right has an agenda, as well, and that is to understand that the world of today can be what past generations have already considered ideal and worked toward.

In this respect, the left reaches for the unknown; the right perfects what is already known. By the same token, both sides should realize, and sometimes do, that money is only a means to an end, and not an end in itself. Taxation is only as good as the ends which it achieves.

So, to use the iconography of the immortal U2, let us all realize that the hour is getting late, and both the joker and the thief have much to say.

Hundreds Flee So. California Wildfires

Fire on the Horizon

Southern California's perennial encounter with the effects of hot, dry weather is reflected in this photo, taken on September 29, 2005.

(Photo credit: Enterpriser.)

Fire in the Hills

One section of the raging wildfires that have struck the state in the last three days, spread across 17,000 acres. At the time this photo was taken in the evening of September 29, 2005, the fire was five percent contained. As of today, thousands of acres are no more than scorched earth.

(Photo credit: Enterpriser.)

U.S. Senate Confirms John Roberts 78-22

Moments ago, the U.S. Senate approved the nomination of Judge John Roberts to be Chief Justice of the United States by a vote of 78-22.

Judge Roberts is expected to be sworn in later today, news reports say.

Source: C-SPAN2.

NASA, Google To Collaborate

NASA and Google have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together in the fields of supercomputing and technological convergence, according to a report published by ZDNet.

Google is best known for its popular Internet search services. The outcome of its joint venture with NASA could be the capability to search resources relating to the entire Solar System, the article said.

Since its founding, NASA has led the world in a wide variety of scientific endeavors. For quite some time, the ability of private enterprise to supplement NASA's work in developing and promoting aerospace ventures has seemed obvious to many futurists, but until now, a formal attempt on its part to integrate the public and popular spheres of technological achievement has not been widely publicized. The article says that both venturers that their joint enterprise will be of most benefit to the American public. If, as is possible, access to the resources afforded by NASA helps stimulate further interest in space exploration and scientific endeavor, then collaboration between the agency and Google may yield encouraging results indeed.

For more information, see the source of the basic news provided above.

Some Turks Disilllusioned With EU

Turkish nationalism is on the rise as resistance to its admission to the European Union solidifies in Germany and other members of that organization, according to a recent commentary carried by the Reuters news service.

The article notes that Turkish support for EU membership has fallen by ten percentage points in a national survey. Meanwhile, political activists have called for an independent Turkey free from association with either the United States or the European Union.

Turkey has always been a friend of the United States. Its unexpected decision to bar American forces from overflying its territory during the initial stages of the war in Iraq was a departure from an otherwise strong U.S.-Turkish alliance. Nevertheless, signs of change in Turkey have been unmistakeable as popular sentiment remains opposed to American actions in Iraq and elsewhere.

Prospects for a Turkey apart from both the U.S. and the EU remain highly uncertain. As internal processes of reform have freed the population to express its political inclinations, growing alienation from both the U.S. and the EU suggests that the neither the U.S. nor the European Union can afford to take Turkey for granted.

For more information, see this article published today.

Minuteman Founder A Congressional Candidate

Jim Gilchrist, the founder of the Minuteman Project, a citizens' border patrol, was interviewed on the Al Rantel program on KABC radio yesterday. Gilchrist is running as an Independent in the special election scheduled for next week to fill the seat vacated by Christopher Cox, who was appointed by President Bush to head the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The candidate is best known for his strong views on illegal immigration and promises to cause an "earthquake" on the issue if elected to Congress.

Gilchrist has received the endorsement of Congressman Tom Tancredo of Colorado as well as radio talk show host Al Rantel.

Additional information is available at http://www.jimgilchrist.com.

President Bush To Nominate Second Justice

The expected Senate approval of the nomination of Judge John Roberts to replace the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist will clear the way for President Bush to name a successor to retiring Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Many believe that the President has held off his second nomination to the Supreme Court to assure that attention remained focused on Judge Roberts and to prevent political considerations surrounding a second nominee from interfering with his confirmation.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah, said today on MSNBC that he hoped that the President would nominate on the basis of qualifications rather than diversity. Interviewed on the Don Imus program, Sen. Hatch said that the President might postpone a diversity-based decision until a third appointment, and that Attorney-General Alberto Gonzalez might be a candidate for that nomination.

Judge Roberts To Be Confirmed Today

Judge John Roberts is expected to be confirmed today by more than three-quarters of the U.S. Senate, clearing the final hurdle on the road to Chief Justice of the United States.

There have been no surprises in the confirmation process except for the willingness of some liberal Democrats, such as Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, to cast their vote in his favor. About twenty-two Democrats are expected to approve the nomination.

Nuclear Arms For Japan?

I came across an interesting article about Japan and the possibility that it may seek to acquire nuclear weapons.

It seems to me that this would be a perfectly bad idea. Japan has no experience in dealing militarily with nuclear-armed states, except the obvious one at the conclusion of the last World War.

However, this article is presented for your perusal.

Media Focus On Tom DeLay Indictment

The mainstream news media wasted no time in reporting about the latest misfortune to beset the Republican Party as it presented news concerning the indictment of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay by a Texas prosecutor.

The indictment was for alleged conspiracy in connection with campaign funds.

Only time will tell whether the case has merit, but there are surely many in the liberal camp who take much delight in this news.

Boeing's V-22 Receives Praise

The V-22 Osprey, a next-generation vehicle that takes off like a helicopter but can fly like a winged aircraft, has received praise from the Pentagon.

(Excerpt)

Boeing and Textron's V-22 aircraft received high marks from the Pentagon's top tester, paving the way for a decision to begin full-rate production.

The craft is effective, reliable and capable of conducting its primary missions, David Duma, acting director of the Pentagon's Office of Operational Test and Evaluation, told Congress yesterday. The V-22, known as the Osprey, is a fixed-wing plane with rotors that tilt so the aircraft can take off and land like a helicopter.

For more information, follow this link.

Bismarck In An Age Of Cholera

(With apologies to Gabriel Garcia Marquez.)

Why were we friends with Saddam?, they ask, indignantly. "They," in this case, would be critics of the President, the kind who shout: Bush lied! People died!

As a nation, I think we've always cared about what friends we have. It's just that in the past, our standards were different, and determined by the needs of the moment.

There are two strains in American foreign policy, as I think most folks are taught: The idealistic, and the realistic. Wilsonian policies would be an example of the former; Nixonian the latter. Before you condemn Nixon, consider that "only Nixon could go to China".

What is the bottom line? It is simply this: We forget that, as Bismarck said, nations have neither permanent friends, nor permanent enemies. Rather, they have permanent interests. The security interests of the United States are those interests.

Once every so often, we have the idealist in the White House, like Jimmy Carter, who gave back the Panama Canal (as someone else has mentioned), and who fretted over our hostages until it became our national obsession. Such idealism is not always helpful, unless it is made to serve the national interest. (In this regard, JFK's idealism was used in service of a very clear element of realpolitik -- the pursuit of supremacy over the Soviet Union, our mortal enemy.)

To be honest, I don't know how idealistic the leftists are who support Cindy Sheehan and the like, or who criticize the President's foreign policy on the basis of a photo op involving Saddam and Rummy. I tend to think that some of these folks let their heart do their thinking for them -- whether, in that, their motives are pure or impure. The world tends to treat those of pure sentiment (in more than one sense) very poorly. They are often the first to go. The revolution eats its own.

And therefore -- friendship between nations? Pure sentiment. And thus ultimately irrelevant, or anathema.

If the Hegelian dance of creative destruction is the contradiction they seek, then I think it's one that exists. There is no contradiction, otherwise, between our support of temporary friends in the support of permanent interests.

That Bitch, That War In Vietnam

You know, I remember that LBJ said that his true love was civil rights, but that he threw it all away for that bitch of a war, Vietnam.

I'm not endorsing that statement, but I think it shows exactly why LBJ wouldn't run for President even if he were nominated. The war was simply too divisive.

America lost a dream state in the 1960's. It lost its innocence, yes, but it was more than that. I think that we were in a trance, a state of denial about the wider world, and that this -- ironically -- empowered us beyond what we could actually accomplish.

There is a story from Viking myth that seems appropriate to consider here: A young hero was tested to his limits. His test ended in failure -- utter failure. Or so it seemed, until it was revealed to him that he had taken on the very sinews that girded the Earth, and that the gods themselves trembled at his power.

We failed in Vietnam. We failed in our aspirations in space, because our vision died in decreptitude. We didn't have, in that sense, the "right stuff". When one fails, sometimes it is a failure that teaches us what we can do, if only we knew our true strength.

Christmas Already?

Flipping through cable today, I found a Christmas-themed movie running on one of the obscurer channels.

And they've already begun to use the fireplaces again, around in the neighborhood.

Whatever the heck happened to Fall?

Before The Decade Is Out...

I think that JFK's stock has risen and fallen through the years.

In the last decade, JFK's reputation reached a low with conservative expressions of disgust about his constant womanizing. Prior to that, JFK had been lionized almost without opposition, mainly by the media and most of his biographers.

However, I sense that this country has become a bit tired of what is increasingly seen as a form of revisionism. Coupled with this is the fact that there is apparently some new scholarship that says that JFK would not have sent so many American troops into Vietnam after all.

The pendulum is swinging back again.

I need not tell folks how much I support the space program. If only there were a Kennedyesque supporter of our efforts in space in the Democratic Party.

If only.

Myopia

No sooner does NASA propose a reasonable plan for getting people back in the business of exploring the Solar System than the reliable old critics come to the fore with their ninny-like nitpicking -- particularly on the issue of cost.

NASA's proposed budget for Project Constellation is less than $10 billion per year. Basically, its entire budget, including the initiative, is going to be around $10 billion per year, if I'm reading this right.

We can't afford $10 billion for the future of mankind?

If we're not serious about NASA, let's just scrap the whole agency and let other countries leap ahead of us. I'm tired of this short-sightedness by half-measure. Let's just give the whole universe away because of a couple of storms. Shall we?

You Get What You Deserve -- Fair?

Does one have a right in America to live comfortably?

I think it would be more acceptable to say that whether one is rich or poor, one has a right to happiness and comfort if one can achieve them. It is naturally easier for richer people to achieve it than poorer, but it must be considered that there is no role in our form of government to equalize the actual achievement.

Suppose that John Doe goes to a privileged private school because his family can afford the high tuition. His family can afford it because his father is a banker and his mother is a corporate lawyer. On the other side of town, Jane Roe is born to working-class parents who barely make enough to scrape by. She cannot possibly go to the same school that John does, even if she could afford private school at all. She goes to public school, which, in her neighborhood, is not particularly good, for a number of reasons both economic and noneconomic. Suppose that John Doe graduates from his privileged schools with a "B" average, gets into Harvard, gets into law school, and becomes a young lawyer earning $150,000.00 per year as a first-year associate. Jane Roe, let's say, also got an "B" average, but because she couldn't afford a private college and didn't want to become burdened with loans, went to community college, and became a manicurist making $8.50/hour.

Now, should Jane Roe have the same right to be happy after she is graduated from her high school as John? If so, why?

I agree that both John and Jane have a reasonable expectation that society would not let them fall into a horrific state of poverty; but strictly speaking, Jane will never be as "comfortable" financially as John. She will never be able to afford to buy a new Mercedes Kompressor the way that John could right out of law school, nor a spacious condo in a nice area of New York City. Does she have a right to be as financially comfortable?

Is there a way for a leftist to answer this question without resorting to traditional canards of racism and classism?

The bottom line, I think, is what is "fair".

"Fairness" is like air -- everyone knows it's around, but no one can really see it. Likewise, people can see the effects of unfairness, but relatively few people can actually define unfairness itself in the abstract. That's always been a major problem, I think, in our political process. What, exactly, is "fair"? I agree that in a just or fair society, the least of our citizens should not have to suffer grinding poverty, but how can the vast majority of people reliably be persuaded of this fact through an intellectually rigorous argument based on fairness?

The importance in being able to do this lies in the fact that the argument might be used to support objectives far more difficult to justify by other means than commonly supported ones.

I hope that we can all work together toward such a definition

Spaced

Random thoughts on space elevators:

Is it possible to build a perfectly balanced highway to space? A space elevator? The news is full of reports on progress on this rather exotic concept.

It seems to me that even if the space elevator were perfectly balanced (whatever this means), if an accident broke the elevator in the middle, the top half would be released and eventually would drift away not because of atmospheric drag, but because of irregularities in the orbit of the asteroid or other weight used as an orbiting anchor. Not to mention the orbital velocity of the orbiting elements.

On the other hand, it might break apart. I haven't decided what would happen to the bottom half, although intuitively, it would seem likely to sheer apart. The reason is that while parts of the lower half might be going at orbital speeds, other parts would not.

Think of it this way: The Shuttle, at about 300 miles above the Earth, moves at about 17,000 miles per hour (MPH) relative to the Earth. Since the maximum speed^1 of Earth's rotation is about 1,000 miles per hour relative to a theoretical, non-rotating Earth (or, alternatively, to the celestial sphere projected inversely upon the Earth), the difference would have to have an effect on those elements of the space elevator whose orbital speed is not at the appropriate speed. Consider, further, that the lower one orbits, the faster the speed that one must travel relative to the Earth maintain that orbit. For this reason, escape velocity is about 25,000 miles per hour close to the surface of the Earth.

After writing the above, I found a great site simulating accidents involving space elevators.

Space elevators -- a far-out idea? Or one whose time has come?

___________________________________

1. The speed of the Earth's rotation varies depending on where on is on the surface. Rotational speed is at or very near its maximum at the Earth's equator, which is why rockets are launched there (e.g., Cape Canaveral for NASA and French Guiana for ESA). The linear speed of Earth's rotation at the exact poles is exactly zero.

[Editing for typographical corrections or enhancements, or for purposes of clarification, not specifically noted.]

Psyched

As a scientific type, I try to be skeptical of things, but sometimes you can't deny the vision thing.

All right -- not necessarily a vision, mind you, but a feeling. An impression.

And sometimes it's not evident until you look at it in hindsight. For example, recently I dreamed that I had something silver in my hand, and the next day, I was given a silver bracelet as a gift. Straight out of the blue.

The silver thing was a nice example of the kind of thing that I really feel, and felt, happy about, though.

This is also why I'm interested in time travel stories, by the way. I think that time is enormously more complicated than we think it is.

Precognition? Well, maybe it's just relative.

Ranking Democrat Says He Favors Roberts

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democratic Senator on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has announced that he will vote to confirm Judge John Roberts for the post of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, lending his imprimatur of legitimacy to what otherwise might have been been seen as a purely partisan vote. While the party affiliation of members of the Judiciary Committee is 10-8 in favor of the Republican Party, the confirmation recommendation therefore will be likely to be no less than 11-7 to confirm Judge Roberts.

Shortly thereafter, Sen. Edward Kennedy announced he would vote against Judge Roberts. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts has also said he also vote against the nominee, but he is not on the Judiciary Committee. Senators who are not part of the Committee can vote only when the full Senate considers the nomination.

The latters' decisions notwithstanding, Judge Roberts is expected to receive a favorable recommendation from the Judiciary Committee and thereafter receive the final approval of the entire Senate, no earlier than tomorrow.

Source consulted: Yahoo! News.

To Slip The Surly Bonds

The fatal flaw of the Shuttle inhered in those heat protection tiles.

Those damned tiles.

Had we been able to develop a thermal protection system that wasn't so utterly failure-prone, we'd be living in a different world, from a space exploration point of view. Society lacks much confidence in NASA. And can one blame it? After all, heat tiles were a problem as early as the late 1970's, when they flew off in droves during airborne trials of the Enterprise, OV 101. And while they did not cause the loss of Challenger, they did cause the death of Columbia and all its crew.

The Columbia I once knew -- the one I saw with mine own eyes at Edwards Air Force Base in 1981 -- died, because of those damned thermal tiles.

The new vehicles promised under Project Constellation leave behind the legacy of those horrific tiles. We go back to the tried and true.

And the hopes of many Americans are inspired once again.

Go with God, NASA. We need you to succeed.

America needs you to succeed.

Education Revisited

A few points to consider:

1. Education is extremely important. America spends more than any other country per capita on spending, except for Switzerland. However, education resources are not equitably distributed, and this is not always the fault of government. Many young teachers find themselves discouraged with inner-city conditions, leaving those with fewer choices (and perhaps those with fewer qualifications) to remain. It's meritocracy at work.

2. The above failure to provide education at a reasonable level of competence is not acceptable in a society that values all of its citizens. Hence, some form of equalization of resources may be defensible here, but only if considered as an overall plan to impose order in impoverished areas. It may not be ideal to put armed guards and "get tough" policies in schools in such neighborhoods, but one must start somewhere.

3. No. 2, above, is nevertheless not enough. There must be the imposition of a strict sense of morality and a discouragement of juvenile delinquency and disorder in stricken areas. This problem cannot be addressed unless the community outside the school is made safe. And this demands that the entire neighborhood cooperate, that criminal activity be swiftly addressed, and that parents and teachers collaborate in the entire education process, considered as an environmental phenomenon. Only when such things are adequately implemented may it be said that sufficient resources, in general, are not allocated to education.

Large Parts Of New Orleans Nearly Dry

Ahead of schedule, the authorities have pumped so much floodwater out of New Orleans that the city is nearly dry, reports CNN Headline News.

However, the city is now threatened by Hurricane Rita, which has swept through the Gulf Coast region on its way to Galveston.

Louisiana State Governor Kathleen Blanco has issued a state of emergency declaration "just in case", according to CNN.

Judge Roberts To Be Confirmed Tomorrow

Despite the opposition of Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid, the confirmation of Judge Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States is expected to take place tomorrow in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Chairman of the Committee has already announced that he will vote for the nomination.

The full Senate is also expected to decide in favor of the nomination after it receives the results of the Committee's vote.

Republicans hold a solid majority in both the Committee and the Senate, and at least a few Democrats are expected to vote in favor of Judge Roberts during the final Senate vote.

Gasoline Prices Fluctuate As Futures Rise, Fall

The price of a gallon of unleaded has fallen significantly over the last week, but it seems that the overall trend of rising gas prices will eventually continue. Prices for gasoline futures reportedly fell slightly yesterday after rising the day before. However, my impression is that overall prices are somewhat lower than they were about a week ago.

Kate Moss Drug Allegations Spark Inquiry

Kate Moss, the face of several fashion designers, has been investigated by police authorities who were tipped off to possible drug abuse connected to the model by press accounts of alleged cocaine use and wild sex, according to various news sources. The stories first appeared in the British press.

Will the tabloids be proved right? Stay tuned.

Bad News In Iraq

According to KABC-AM radio, twelve Americans were killed in the last 24 hours in Iraq. The figure included nine U.S. soldiers and three civilians.

Surely these kinds of figures are sobering to those who have entrusted the Administration to fulfill its pledges to work toward a peaceful, stable, democratic Iraq.

Expansion Possibilities For The Proposed HLV

Modern rockets use SRB's as "strap-ons". The Heavy Lift Vehicle has plenty of room for additional SRB's.

Adding another pair, for example, would add another 6.6 million lbs. to the total sea level thrust. 8.69 + 6.6 million = 15.29 million lbs. There could be room for additional strap-ons beyond that.

A further consideration is that strap-ons are not necessarily limited to pairs. There could be a third strap-on, or a fifth, and so on. The strap-ons would probably need to be arranged equicircumferentially (equally distanced from each other along the spacecraft's fuel tank circumference).

Where more than two SRB's (total) are used, the structure of the spacecraft would probably need to be reinforced, unless the design was initially sufficiently overbuilt.

On My Reading List -- September 21, 2005

On my reading list today is Andrew Chaikin's wonderful book, published some years ago: A Man on the Moon.

Naming The New NASA Vehicles

A question remains as to what to name the HLV.

In the tradition of Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Saturn, Titan, and Atlas, I propose the name "Zeus", the chief god of Greek myth. "Jupiter", the Roman name for Zeus, is already taken.

The name "Zeus" could apply to the HLV, the CEV, or the entire project. However, the project already has a name -- "Constellation". And NASA already has alternative naming traditions for specific individual spacecraft (e.g., Eagle).

Nevertheless, the following are three alternatives to consider: Odysseus Prometheus, or Hercules.

The CEV as a generic model could be referred to as the "Odysseus", "Prometheus" or the "Hercules" spacecraft. Further, if "Zeus" is not used for the HLV, then the others are also free to be considered, and "Zeus" may be consdered for the CEV. However, at this point, I prefer "Odysseus-Zeus".

Finally, a name to consider for the first manned lunar lander, or, alternatively, the first manned Martian lander, is "Eagle II", or "Eagle-A".

NASA Heavy Lift Vehicle Thrust Estimate

For those who may be interested, I have done a rough calculation of the total sea-level thrust of the proposed Heavy Lift Vehicle as set forth in NASA's September 19, 2005 plan:

For comparison purposes: Saturn V = 7.68 million lbs. total thrust at sea level.

New NASA Heavy Lift Vehicle:

Space Shuttle-derived Solid Rocket Boosters (each): 3.3 million lbs. at launch. (Source: NASA.) Note: Thiokol's site says that the average thrust throughout flight is 2.6 million lbs.

Space Shuttle-derived Main Engines (each): 330,000 lbs. at launch. (Source: NASA.)

Configuration as noted in NASA plan: There are two (2) Space Shuttle-derived solid rocket boosters + five (5) Space Shuttle-derived liquid-fueled engines.

Calculation:

(A) SSSRB = 2 x 3.3 million lbs. of thrust (sea level - NASA)

[[(B1) SSME = 5 x .33 million lbs. of thrust (sea level - NASA)]

OR

[(B2) SSME = 5 x .418 million lbs. of thrust (sea level - Boeing)]]


A + B1 = 8.25 million lbs. of thrust = Heavy Lift Vehicle total thrust at sea level (launch - using NASA figures)

OR

A + B2 = 8.69 million lbs. of thrust = Heavy Lift Vehicle total thrust at sea level (launch - using NASA figures except for Boeing figure for SSME)

Thus, the estimated HLV total thrust at launch is either 8.25 million lbs. or 8.69 million lbs.

Variables / Anomalies / Comments:

1. Variable: Precise thrust of actual derived boosters and engines not found but presumed to be similar to current generation.

2. Possible anomaly: NASA figure for SSSRB varies from manufacture figure but may be accounted for since Thiokol figure is a flight average.

3. Anomaly: NASA figure departs from Boeing figure for SSME thrust. Boeing figure (418,000 lbs.) is for 100% thrust and gives an even higher thrust for 109% (achieved in flight).

4. Variable: Launch weight determines actual thrust requirement.

5. Variable: Total energy must factor in time that thrust is generated or required to be generated.

6. Comment: Since a single manned mission requires the launch of both the HLV and the CEV, the thrust of the CEV vehicle (presumed to be approximately 330,000 lbs. at sea level) may need to be added in any comparison with any single manned lunar mission of the Saturn V.

N. Korea Agrees To End Nuke Program

North Korea has agreed to end its nuclear program, sources say. The Communist country made its announcement in a deal brokered by China.

The U.S. has welcomed this change in policy but has said that it looks forward to its implementation.

North Korea's previous promise under an agreement with the United States to curtail nuclear production was broken when it said that it was in possession of nuclear weapons.

"Apollo On Steroids" Outlined By NASA

NASA officially announced its plans to return human beings to the Moon and eventually to land astronauts on Mars. The announcement was widely covered on all the various news channels and sources.

Here are a few highlights:

Anticipated year of manned lunar landing: 2018.
Cost: $104 billion.
Vehicles: CEV and booster; heavy lift booster.

Administrator Michael Griffin noted that additional funds would not be necessary to achieve the objectives of the program and that NASA's budget would therefore not need to be increased much beyond its present level.

Citizens First

Many Democrats have recently attacked the current Administration and Congress for excessive federal spending.

There are two major causes to this surprising turn of events, the nature of which have caused free-spending Democrats to experience a townhall conversion to deficit hawks: The war in Iraq, which is opposed by most Democrats, and the reconstruction in New Orleans, which may by itself incur an unanticipated $200 billion expense.

However, Democrats have said nothing of spending to assist illegal aliens, which is indirectly done through federal subsidies to State coffers for education and other services, nor of hundreds of millions for aid to Africa.

Some, but usually not Democrats, have observed that the welfare of illegal aliens should always be subordinate to the welfare of American citizens. If any part of the $200 billion should come from existing spending, then all of the spending to assist illegals, logically, should be redirected for that purpose. Where are the Democrats on this rather obvious extrapolation of logic?

Shouldn't American citizens be given first priority by the U.S. government?

The Real Lords Of War

The media love Sheehan, but what does this say of them?

If there is one thing that the right seems to, it's that liberals are Americans. And Americans are no fools.

Having worked among journalists, I know that the intentions of virtually all of them are good. I know that they are not the deluded fools that the extreme right believes them to be. And I honor and respect the aims of profession of journalism -- to tell the truth, to hold a mirror to society.

I would hope that we all can become a more mature society, in the realm of politics, and stop slinging putrid slime at each other long enough to realize that neither Sheehan nor Savage represent America; that they represent extremes; and that God, love, and America demand that we understand the seriousness of our endeavor throughout history, our enterprise through time.

Politics is as politics does. If some consider a lucrative sandbox for their personal vendettas, then let that be on their head.

Journalists must stand proudly apart.

You Don't Know What You're Missing

I subscribe to the Platonic and Kantian idea that there is noumena apart from the phenomena that we're capable of sensing -- or even intellectualizing.

All our thoughts are linearly encapsulated by virtue of our existence as three- or four-dimensional beings. Even by virtue of imagination, thought-experiments, and avant-gard actualizations, there is no way to escape the linearity of thought. A constant rethinking of our own thoughts is the only way we can go about trying to escape this linearity; the use of objective mathematics is another, but even in the realm of mathematics, it is impossible to go beyond what logic tells us. And our logic is fundamentally anthropomorphic.

Hence, until (1) we can perceive other dimensions as easily as we can perceive the existing set, and (2) until a form of meta-logic is developed that explains certain things that are impossible to understand under current logical constructs (something as fundamental, for example, as the impossibility of defining x divided by zero, where x is any real number), then we can have no hope of believing that we know all there is to know about the universe.

We might have a hope of knowing all we can perceive about our universe, but not of the universe in the largest possible objective sense.

Indeed, the very process of thought, shapes that which is thought about.

Tradition On Trial?

As I noted before, a California federal court has decided that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional because it includes the words, "under God." The matter will probably be taken up on appeal by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Tradition, which I think underlies the Pledge, matters in this country, but, ultimately, how much? Apparently, the Supreme Court will have to make that decision.

John Roberts Aces Confirmation Hearing

Judge Roberts aced his confirmation hearing last week, presenting himself as anything but an ideologue.

Not that it matters as far as the ultimate result, since unless Republicans join in, a 10-8 decision of the Senate Judiciary Committee favoring Judge Roberts is almost assured; but Democrats were unable to create an issue that would derail his eventual confirmation by the full Senate.

It looks increasingly like a sure thing.

New Spaceships To Be Announced By NASA

NASA announced its intent to build several new spaceships as part of a plan to launch manned missions to the Moon by 2018, according to various news reports.

NASA will hold an official news conference this Monday (September 19, 2005).

I, for one, look forward to the event.

Apple's New iPod Nano

I must admit to being impressed with Apple's new iPod Nano. Steve Jobs in particular seems to have the passion to develop new things and not rest on his laurels.

An article in last week's TIME magazine covered this new development rather well.

Kudos to Apple for a job well done.

No Progress On Middle East Issues

A couple of items of note: Iran has said that it might decide to share information concerning nuclear technology with other states, and apparently there has been a breakdown in Palestinian Authority control over Gaza-related matters.

This is not good news for peace, but in that area of the world, good news seems very difficult to find.

Cindy Sheehan, Again

Remember what I said about Cindy Sheehan a few days ago? I wrote about it in this very blog. The media would find some way to cover her again.

Well, comes now, news from The Drudge Report that Cindy has said that federal troops should removed from "occupied New Orleans".

I really feel that folks should ask Cindy whether she realizes that New Orleans is part of America, and that New Orleans was actually complaining about the lack of troop support in the days after Katrina.

If the article is correct, then Cindy has lost more credibility than I ever thought, and that's saying quite a bit.

Trek Realities

For many folks, it's fun to think about how and why our reality is so much different from that seen in fictional contexts, such as Star Trek. So let me indulge in a bit of sci-fi speculation. The following is a bit of fantasy, for hard-core SF fans only.

You have been warned.

Here goes:

I think that all the time-traveling that was done in the various series have precipitated changes in the "proper" timeline -- that is, the one in which we exist.

Whether a "proper" timeline exists is a whole 'nother story.

In Trek, we can even "go back" (relative to the real production timeline) to the events relating to the antiwar activist, Edith Keeler. Supposing that Edith Keeler existed; it remains possible that the death of Ms. Keeler was not intended. It remains possible that the events predicted to occur were she not killed would still have not occurred, due to future intervention in the "City on the Edge of Forever" ("COTEOF") timeline by a subsequent timetraveler.

Or, alternatively, regardless of Kirk's actions in the COTEOF timeline, the intervention of the TNG crew in "Time's Arrow" -- merely by existing in the past (see: butterfly effect) may have altered this universe in important ways.

I would say that the Eugenics War-related exodus has transpired, if at all, in a way that seems improbable, as sleeper ship technology is still unknown. (I do realize that a novel has addressed the Eugenics War issue in general.)

Ahem.

Part of the process in speculating about these matters involves testing one's sense of history, together with one's creativity.

Historians call it "counterfactual hypothesizing".

To me, it's just plain old fun.

The Recent Pledge Decision

A U.S. District Court in California has ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional. The ruling was on a Federal Rule of Civil Procedure motion to dismiss.

The text of the opinion is available at the following website:

http://207.41.18.73/caed/DOCUMENTS/Opinions/Karlton/05-17.pdf

The above takes you to the manuscript published by the District Court. It is not necessarily the final version which will actually appear ("to be published") in official reports.

An appeal to the Ninth Circuit has apparently been denied as the appellate court refused to take the case.

A further appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is likely.

The decision relates to three school districts in California.

According to news reports, at least one major school district will continue administering the pledge until further clarification.

Boeing Wins Order For 747-400's

The Boeing Company has won an order for six jumbo jets from an international consortium led by a Chinese firm.

The press release states as follows:

(Beginning of press release.)

SEATTLE, Sept. 15, 2005 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and Jade Cargo International, the first cargo airline in China with foreign ownership, have completed a firm order for the carrier's purchase of six Boeing 747-400ER (Extended Range) Freighters.

The airplanes, with a list price value of $1.3 billion, are scheduled for delivery beginning in 2006 through January 2008. Jade Cargo, based in Shenzhen, China, plans to begin operations in 2006. The airplanes were recently included on the Boeing Orders and Deliveries Web site, attributed to an unidentified customer.

"China is a key manufacturing center for the world, producing a number of high-value goods that are good candidates for air shipment," said Dr. Rudolf Tewes, general manager -- Jade Cargo International. "The highly efficient and industry-standard 747-400ER Freighters will allow us to capitalize on the growing China market and provide the best start for long-term profitability."

Boeing projects in its World Air Cargo Forecast 2004/2005 that the air cargo industry will grow at an average annual rate of 6.2 percent over the next 20 years, significantly higher than passenger traffic. The forecast also projects that China's domestic air cargo market is expected to grow annually at a rate of 10.6 percent, the world's highest growth rate.

"This is a great move for Jade Cargo to enter the early stages of the rapidly growing China cargo market," said Rob Laird, vice president, China Sales -- Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We look forward to a long-time partnership with Jade Cargo International, working together to help them build a successful air cargo operation."

The 747-400ERF has a maximum takeoff weight of 910,000 pounds (412,775 kg), a maximum payload of 248,600 pounds (112,760 kg) and a maximum range of 4,970 nautical miles (9,200 km). The airplane's distinctive nose door allows increased revenue by accommodating high-value outsize shipments and, with the side door, provides superior efficiency and flexibility in ground operations.

Jade Cargo International, founded in October 2004 and the first joint venture airline of its kind in China, is owned by Shenzhen Airlines Company Limited, Lufthansa Cargo AG and DEG - Deutsche Investitions - und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH, a subsidiary of KfW-Bank Group.

Along with destinations within China, the airline plans to serve additional Asian, European and American destinations.

About Shenzhen Airlines (SHZ):Shenzhen Airlines, Co., Ltd., began operations in September 1993. It commands a fleet of 32 Boeing 737 aircraft and employs a staff of 2,700. The airline operates on more than 80 routes between Shenzhen and destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Nanjing, Harbin, Chengdu and Haikou. Based in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, the Chinese carrier ranks highly in terms of load factor, earnings and capacity utilization.

About Lufthansa Cargo:Lufthansa Cargo AG is world leader in the international airfreight business. In 2004, the logistics services airline flew more than 1.75 million tonnes of freight and mail, logging 7.9 billion revenue tonne-kilometers. The cargo carrier employs a workforce of around 5,000 people worldwide. Its core activities focus on airport-to-airport business. In its global route network, Lufthansa Cargo serves about 450 destinations with a fleet of 19 freighters and by utilizing the belly capacities of more than 300 Lufthansa passenger aircraft. The bulk of its cargo business is trans-shipped through Frankfurt, Europe's biggest cargo airport.

About DEG:DEG - Deutsche Investitions - und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH is one of the largest European development finance institutions for long-term project and company financing. For more than 40 years, it has financed and structured the investments of private companies in developing and transition countries. Its aim is to support the establishment and expansion of private enterprise structures so as to contribute to sustainable economic growth and lasting improvement in the living conditions of the local population. The company invests in profitable and sustainable development projects in all sectors of the economy, from agriculture and infrastructure to manufacturing and services.

(End of press release. Contact information omitted herein. Source: Boeing.com.)

Sole responsibility for the press release rests in the originator, the Boeing Company.

In A Million Years....

They say that in a million years, nothing we do will matter.

Is that really true?

Frank Tipler of Tulane University wrote an interesting book some years back, entitled, The Physics of Immortality. Prof. Tipler's thesis, backed by some impressive-looking calculations, is that "God" does exist, and that "God" is an infinite computer at the end of time that ultimately slows entropy to permit the maximum reification of the universe and itself. We exist in the fullness of the universe created by this "God". Such a thesis, if true, would have rather profound implications for the future of our species.