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.

The President's Crystal Ball

Hurricanes are rather unpredictable things. Ophelia's erratic path today departs only in degree, not in character, from the paths of these monstrous storms.

Let us assume, for the purposes of argument, that hurricanes cannot be accurately predicted more than a day or two in advance. What are the implications for what happened in New Orleans in late August?

Specifically, one could question why exactly State and local evacuation plans called for the need to evacuate communities 72 hours in advance? Since when do hurricanes telegraph their plans three days ahead of time?

If they do not, and if one argues that mayors should not declare emergency until a path is determined, rather than probable, then what is the purpose of the 72 hour requirement?

As a matter of fact, probabilities are what the weather forecasters are responsible for.

Those who blame the President for not sending troops into the hurricane zone ahead of time (risking their destruction) must also answer for how exactly, if the Mayor of New Orleans could not be expected to evacuate his own city, the President, through some form of prescience, was supposed to predeploy his troops to New Orleans in lieu of Mayor Nagin's and Gov. Blanco's failed security measures.

Presuming that the President's crystal ball was broken that day, should some way be found to blame the First Lady? Why should she be exempt from the treatment accorded Nancy Reagan, whose taste in White House china was subject to much ridicule? Offered for one's consideration: Blame attributable to the Reagans!

Politics is strange, and I wouldn't be too surprised if someone actually took me up on this offer.

An Issue Of Class

Images of impoverished Americans suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina raise the question: What is the role of class under our Constitutional system?

I would venture the following analysis:

Discrimination on the basis of economic class is not considered precisely the same kind of invidious discrimination that is protected against by the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses as is discrimination on the basis of race.

However, many affirmative action programs are found to be more acceptable if the benefits are awarded on the basis of economic deprivation rather than on the basis of race. Indeed, the argument in favor of equalization of class supports the claim of the need for affirmative action on under the premises of some arguments in favor of it; under others (i.e., those against it), it vitiates it, since affirmative action often has a disproportionate effect if measured by criteria ancillary to those by which the program putatively applies.

A more general principle to consider is that economic inequality is not considered a harmful feature of American society. That is, the Constitution does not guarantee any equality of economic results; at most, it guarantees equality of economic opportunity in programs with a significant government component. The right to private property and the freedom of association -- both guaranteed by the Constitution -- are considered paramount over any possible privately annexed economic inequality.

To the extent, therefore, that class is an economic issue, the status and classification of Americans by class under the law is not in and of itself equalized, nor is equalization of it usually the proper objective of Constitutional protection. To the extent that individuals are discriminated against in the abstract by government, or in the provision of publicly available services that Constitutionally characterizable as implicative of the Commerce Clause, other than by pure economic disparity, that is a different matter. In that case, it would be analyzed as a question of equal protection pure and simple, rather than one attributable to class.

Questions For New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin

Much blame has been laid at the feet of FEMA concerning the recent humanitarian disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. However, a recent interview between NBC's Tim Russert and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin on Meet the Press has raised a few questions in my mind concerning why the local authorities are not being held to account.

Hurricane Katrina was predicted to come through on a Monday. According to the Mayor's own words, the New Orleans SuperDome was supposed to be a shelter for "two or three days", after which "the cavalry" was supposed to be coming. (See source, below.)

Question Set 1 - Hurricane contingency:

If, as widely known to have been planned, the evacuation of New Orleans was to begin no later than 72 hours (three days) before the hurricane was to strike, how exactly was "the cavalry" going to come in, in "two or three days"? Had the evacuation gone according to plan, it would have had to have been called and under way on the previous Friday. This meant that food and water would have had to be available for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (three days). Did the mayor believe that "the cavalry" was going to come in during the hurricane on Monday?

Question Set 2 - Flood contingency:

If the SuperDome had always been planned to be a shelter in case of flooding as well as hurricane, why was it expected that "two or three days" was going to a sufficient timeframe when it was clear that flooding (1) was a semi-permanent condition that would occur and continue (2) after a hurricane approached and passed? What "cavalry" could arrive in "two or three days" if the entire New Orleans area was flooded after a hurricane? Did the disaster plan contemplate the possibility that flooding would add an additional two or three days to this timeframe? If not, why not?

Question Set 3 - Organizational failures:

How, logically, could the arrival of the "cavalry" deal with the urgent needs of the evacuees inside the SuperDome? Again, let's keep in mind that under the plan, the evacuation was supposed to begin three days before a hurricane, leaving a three day period in which the distribution of food, water, and medical supplies, the provision of medical care, and basic sanitary needs would be essential. It would be logical to assume that hurricane relief could not arrive during the occurrence of the hurricane itself, in which case an additional day would be added during which essential supplies and services would be necessary. In the worst case scenario, it would be logical to believe that no fewer than three or four days would pass before any "cavalry" could even begin to deploy. Where was the requisite organizational and security structure inside the SuperDome during this time?

Question Set 4 - Evacuation errors:

Why did the Mayor not call for a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans 72 hours before the estimated arrival of Katrina, but instead, according the source cited below, called it less than half the time before it struck? Why was the unavailability of bus drivers not anticipated? Why were citizen drivers not recruited?

Question Set 5 - Planning deficiencies:

Why did the Mayor say on a previous occasion that evacuees were going to be "on their own"? How is this consistent with any defense of disaster planning and execution in connection with the hurricane and flooding? How is this consistent with claims that "racism" caused putative neglect of the people of New Orleans?

I would like to know why Mayor Nagin is not held accountable for these apparent issues. Only then will his complaints of racism, also cited in the interview, be taken seriously by a great many people.

See:

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=46271

And... Savage Bashes "Ethical Edge"

I could hardly believe my ears when Michael Savage issued his personal brand of stinging criticism in ridiculing MSNBC's special program, The Ethical Edge.

Describing the Catholic priest by what Savage thought of his apparent orientation, bashing a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and indulging in no small measure of rhetorical excess in various other respects, Savage outdid himself in an effort to seem ... whatever he is. Cutting through the ... carp, it seemed that he thought that the guests on the program were far too lenient on looters.

It's times like these that I wish I didn't feel it necessary to listen to his program. But I can't deny that it's addictive.

Today's diatribe, nevertheless, was incoherent. It's rare enough that a national program covering ethics can be found on cable. I would have expected Savage to have had a good word to say about it's bare existence. No such luck.

It's a shame, really. I wonder if he's still sore that it was on MSNBC that he lost his one and only television show.

L.A. Blackout Due To Human Error

Over two million residents of Los Angeles County experienced a brief power outage earlier today in an event attributed to human error.

Reports say that a worker's mistaken caused a power surge that tripped safety switches that shut down an entire power grid.

Power was restored shortly.

President Bush Tours New Orleans

President Bush paid his third week in less than two weeks to the devastated Gulf Coast area today.

I'm watching the President on C-SPAN as he was giving an interview in front of a public school today.

The President was shown posing for photographs with U.S. and Mexican troops a few minutes earlier.

Confirmation Hearing Begins For Judge Roberts

The U.S. Senate has begun its confirmation hearing for Judge John Roberts, nominated by President Bush to replace the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist.

The candidate made a formal statement before the Judiciary Committee convened to sit in judgment of his fitness to serve. The first day of the hearing occurred without much excitement except for the occasional rhetorical flourish as Senators filled the day with opening statements.

FEMA Chief Quits

FEMA chief Michael Brown has tendered his resignation.

Days ago, I called for accountability and described my growing anger concerning the way that Mr. Brown reacted to the recent tragedy in the Gulf Coast region.

His resignation is welcome, as is his replacement by a seasoned emergency response veteran.

Millions For Commercials Against Arnold

Every time I turn on the television, I'm greeted by commercials attacking Arnold Schwarzenegger. They're the ones run by teachers unions and the like.

Rather than spending money on such messages, it appears to me that this money would be better utilized to assist the missions of those who fund them. Should such money not be used for training better teachers, for example?

9/11 + 4

In a few minutes, it will be four years since 9/11/01.

I lost classmates in that most searing of tragedies.

I remember.

I will never forget.

God bless America.

American Red Cross Needs 40,000 Volunteers

The American Red Cross needs 40,000 volunteers to help with diaster relief, reports say.

The organization has made it easy for Americans to find out how to help, either by donations or volunteering.

A check of my local Red Cross chapter website reveals a comprehensive resource that gives step-by-step instructions on how to take the first steps to becoming a volunteer.

I wish the American Red Cross much success in meeting its goals.

See: http://www.redcross.org

On My Reading List -- September 10, 2005

I just purchased a number of books, among them the memoir of Sen. John McCain entitled, Worth the Fighting For.

Published in 2002, the book pre-dates his Faith of My Fathers.

Sen. McCain is not too popular with the political right, these days. He is seen as far too liberal. But like him or not, he is a classic American hero, and it seems only proper that he is given his proper due.

Perhaps I will write a review of this book. I hope it is everything I anticipate it will be.

Is Michael Savage A Nut?

To the uninitiated, Michael Savage seems a bit, well, nutty. He screams at callers, he refuses to make small talk, and he entertains folks with stories about his pet dog, Teddy.

He loves that little dog.

I think that what is key to understanding this most unusual best-selling iconoclast is the knowledge that what he does, he does for a number of reasons, none of which necessarily prevail at any given moment.

Oh, sure, there's the entertainment value. He consciously perpetuates an edginess that keeps his program fresh and his listeners interested.

But, even more than Teddy, Savage loves the America of his dreams. An America safe from harm, from threats, and most of all, from the degeneracy he truly thinks that extreme liberalism poses to its welfare. And can it be gainsaid that he has some good ideas?

Like most iconoclasts, for those who are not quite in on his scene, he is best taken in small doses and with a pinch of iodized salt. You have the feeling that there's a part of him who looks at what he does and takes pity on himself that he must act the part of the shock jock to do his part to protect America. He hides this well, but not perfectly, and his internal struggle to do what is right is part of the psychodrama that is his show.

Taken for what it is, it's good radio.

Remember Cindy Sheehan?

The entire newsday for the past week or two has been inundated with news of Hurricane Katrina. It looks like Cindy Sheehan's fifteen minutes are up.

But appearances are deceiving.

Soon, the public will be satiated with breathless reports from flooded and/or destroyed towns in the Gulf Coast area, and editors will be looking for "new" material. What better than to cover the cause of Sheehan and her incessant incantations?

Perhaps editors don't realize it, but the activism behind Sheehan only superficially appears similar to the antiwar movement. Most of America has learned the lesson of Vietnam, but it is an almost sure bet that the leftists who support Sheehan have not.

But it's a story they won't drop. Why should they? Journalists were never so powerful as in the days of Cronkite and the Tet Offensive.

French Feel Obligation To Louisiana

I read a news article in which it was reported that France feels a special obligation to be charitable to survivors of Hurricane Katrina. The reason for this is the historical connection between Louisiana and New Orleans, on one hand, and France, on the other.

The French were described as a great "ally" of the United States. Perhaps they were and technically are. But to some of us who remember France's behavior during the advent of the Iraq war, that description rings a bit hollow.

There is a new book on our relationship with France entitled, Our Oldest Enemy. In it is presumably described the statecraft that has positioned France as an interloper between Great Britain and the United States, and as a clever opponent of Anglo-Saxon power.

Let's not forget that it was the French who decided to situate New Orleans where it sits -- in a great soupbowl, subject to the whims of fate.

MSNBC's "The Ethical Edge" Covers Katrina

I caught a few minutes of MSNBC's new program, The Ethical Edge, today. The show, hosted by Chris Jansing, presents a round-table discussion of moral issues of the day. The issue at hand in this edition related to the full spectrum of dilemmas facing Americans caught in the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

A program such as this is rather unusual. There are no flashy graphics or thundering musical scores. Its power lies in an intellectual discussion of philosophical matters as applied to current events.

Bravo,

AP: Brown Removed From Operations

The Associated Press reports that Michael Brown, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), has been removed from operational control of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.

Sources: CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Channel.

Jose Padilla Held Legally, Court Rules

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has upheld the authority of the Executive Branch to hold Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen, in a military prison without trial.

The court decided that the detention was justified under the Congressional authorization of the use of force against Iraq and the powers of the Commander in Chief. The Court's opinion was rendered by the Hon. Michael Luddig, considered a prime candidate to fill the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court created by the retirement of Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

A further appeal may be directed en banc or to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Source: Reuters.

For a manuscript of the Court's opinion, see:

http://pacer.ca4.uscourts.gov/opinion.pdf/056396.P.pdf

And Then There Were Five....

Five dimensions, that is.

Depending on what cosmology turns you on, there are either three, four, eleven, or a number of other dimensions in our ordinary universe -- the one that you and I live in, and the one in which I just typed this sentence.

And this one.

And this one.

You get the picture.

But apparently, mankind will eventually peer beyond the edge of the visible universe and see...

Five dimensional space.

Why five? Why not four? Why not six? Why not eleven?

Who knows?

For more information, see this interesting article.

But is it really five?

What's the matter? Never mind.

What on your mind? No matter.

And so the infinite wheel of cosmology turns. Sort of like a soap opera, no?

And Now, Ophelia

In Shakespearean terms, Ophelia was a madwoman, destined to commit suicide in a world gone even madder.

And so we have the Hurricane, Ophelia, hot on the trail of the now-departed, and much-rued, Hurricane Katrina.

Ophelia's path, like that of her namesake, is erratic, but she threatens America still.

Has any seriously thought about doing something about these hurricanes? Maybe an atomic blast or two near their cores might possibly do the trick, to disperse them into the four winds?

Ah, how we underestimate the power of Mother Nature. For hurricanes pack the punch of entire nuclear arsenals.

When it comes to madness, Nature is a true tempest.

Strength In Numbers

I don't know about you, but I remember when the Navy had almost 600 major surface combatants to its credit. Under a certain Ronald W. Reagan, to be exact.

Today, the number is less than 300. Far less.

To be sure, in peacetime, we have plenty of ships to spare -- unless it's considered that sometimes we need our vessels in unexpected places. Such as Louisiana and Mississippi.

In fact, some serious naval firepower is being assembled off the coast of those states, and some of it are already there.

But I would almost wager that this throws a monkey wrench into the meticulously scheduled ship deployment plans of our Navy. After all, we have the seven seas to patrol!

It's times like these that I yearn for the days when we could spare a carrier group or two, or three, and not worry about robbing Peter to pay Paul.

As Good As Gold

The President, true to his word, has pushed through a bill authorizing more than $51 billion in relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

For more information, see this story from CNN.com.

May every cent be spent wisely for the relief needed by our fellow Americans.

Let us also never forget that charity begins at home, and that we should all contribute to charity so that our home can be what it once was -- free from the scourge that Katrina hath wrought.

Getting Carded At The Astrodome

About the discontinuance of the debit card relief program:

On one hand, we have Michael Brown saying that the debit program is the best thing since sliced bread. On the other, the agency that Brown heads says that the program has just been discontinued.

When asked why, a FEMA spokesperson by the name of "Passey" said that the decision was made by "program specialists".

Welcome to a mass of confusion. For example: 1. Is the debit card program good or not? 2. Why, exactly, is it being discontinued? 3. Who made the decision to discontinue it? (Anonymous faceless bureaucrats need not apply.) 4. Who authorized the distribution of cards outside of the Astrodome, as rumored and reported? 5. Why was the decision made to distribute only at the Astrodome? What about folks who were evacuated to other centers? Such as -- say -- hospitals? 6. If the debit card program is old hat, how are people supposed to get their aid, then? 7. What is the deal with this Passey guy, and does he in fact speak for Brownie?

What a mess!

The "Governator" And Gay Marriage

California is almost unique in that it has a proposition system.

Massachusetts has the same system -- and the Attorney-General there has just decided that an anti-gay marriage proposition qualifies for the ballot. This could mean the end of gay marriage in that state.

And because Californians recently approved a proposition that defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has decided to veto a controversial bill passed by both houses of the state legislature legalizing same-sex marriage. According to his spokeman, the matter is for the courts to decide.

Some complain that it is inconsistent to for conservatives who say that judicial activism should be discouraged to support Gov. Schwarzenegger's decision.

But such would not be inconsistent if one posits the following possible hierarchy relative to the determination of the propriety of same-sex marriage (excluding for the purposes of this consideration any federal effect, reaction or intervention other than through the federal judiciary).

1. Federal court constitutional review of the propriety of a particular proposition or State decisional or statutory law exclusive of any constitutionally permissible State decision of policy;

2. State court constitutional review of the propriety of a particular proposition or State law exclusive of any determination of constitutionally permissible propositional or statutory determination of public policy, provided that the propositional or statutory determination of public policy does not violate constitutionally enshrined public policy;

3. State propositions (a binding plebescite involving the direct vote of the people), in States that have this mechanism;

4./5. State court determination of the propriety of a particular law inclusive of a determination of constitutionality, the interpretation of law, and the intent of the legislature but exclusive of any determination of policy;

5./4. Legislative determination of policy through passage of statutory law. In the above, the third level is highlighted for its relevance.

Because (4) and (5) often over-rule each other, the two are alternatively numbered. This over-ruling occurs thusly: Either the legislature determines to pass a law reversing the effect of a prior State court ruling, or the state court determines that the legislature's acts are either unconstitutional or violative of constitutionally enshrined public policy. On some occasions, the legislature may attempt to reverse the effect of California Supreme Court or intermediate appellate decisions by passing further legislation; however, it is generally the case that where such decisions are based on constitutional grounds, the legislature defers to the judiciary.

(Note: The above is a general description only and may not obtain in all or even the majority of cases.)

Excuses, Excuses

There is no excuse for incompetent implementation of emergency plans, and there is no excuse for criminality. There is no excuse of a total breakdown in civil order resulting from an almost total lack of security. There is simply no excuse for denying reality. All of these excuses should be condemned.

But are they? No.

This is why I am increasingly angry at FEMA's leader, who seems to take startlingly little responsibility for his agency's failures -- including, it is now reported, the failure to transport hundreds of trailers to Louisiana, despite the promise to do the same.

A strong community identifies the mistakes that its members makes and attempts to address them in an honest way. I see nothing of this in Gov. Blanco, Mayor Nagin, or, in his own oblivious way, Michael Brown of FEMA.

Even the President has seen fit to deem the results of the response inadequate. If even he is able to concede this, why not someone like Brown? Or Blanco? Or Nagin? Apparently, for Brown, Blanco, and Nagin, either everything went fine, or, if anything went wrong, it was someone else's fault. Unacceptable.

And now, it is reported that Mayor Nagin and Gov. Blanco are at odds in regard to the evacuation of New Orleans. This is the result of a political culture of passing the buck, of failure to heed the requirements of rules, of marginal performance, and, perhaps worst of all, of hubris.

When our leaders fail to do their jobs, innocent Americans suffer. When they deny that they have done so, but instead point the finger of blame at others, then more innocent Americans will suffer in the future. For what kind of response would a Michael Brown, a Mayor Nagin, or a Gov. Blanco order when the next hurricane hits? Will there be more dithering, more turf-protecting, and more buck-passing?

As Republicans, we believe in accountability. We may not be perfect, but where we fail, we try not to make excuses where such excuses make little sense. None of the excuses that Brown, Blanco, and Nagin have made make any sense.

I join with many of my fellow Americans in welcoming a comprehensive and fair Congressional inquiry into the causes and results of this unnecessary tragedy. And, even more, I hope that people of good faith search their souls to determine whether baiting of all kinds -- political, racial, and otherwise -- will lead, as seems likely, to further conflict, destruction and decline ahead, to the terrible detriment of this great nation.

Poland's National Airline To Lease 787's

LOT, the national airline of Poland, has decided that it prefers Boeing 787's over A350's offered by the European company, Airbus. The company will lease seven of the jets, with an option for five more. The airline already operates 19 Boeing jets and a number of smaller aircraft.

European leaders had written letters in support of Airbus, which until this year was eclipsing Boeing in the manufacture of commercial aircraft. Boeing's long lead in commercial jets was lost to Airbus in 2003, but the company has since received hundreds of orders for its 737's and the all-new 787 Dreamliner. Boeing has also received an order from UPS, the package delivery company, for 747-400 freighters.

The good news comes as a machinists' strike continues at Boeing, which has caused at least one Boeing vendor to lay off its workers. The strike is not expected to harm Boeing unless it continues beyond the end of this year.

Boeing has outsourced a number of critical manufacturing requirements to factories in China and Japan. This approach, which is facing regulatory hurdles from a Bush Administration suspicious of technology transfer to the China, helps the company maintain contacts in both countries and makes it technologically attractive for China to buy Boeing. The company intends to maintain its outsourcing of certain parts fabrication for the 787.

To some extent, Airbus is playing a game of catch-up with Boeing in China, where the American company has built up a history of business relationships. LOT's order, however, is in Airbus's backyard, and therefore may represent a significant setback for the European manufacturer's plans for market expansion. For its part, Poland, a strong U.S. political and military ally, has placed its bets on the continuation of its relationship with the United States to the detriment of its ties to the EU, in which it is a new member.

In other Boeing news and comment:

Boeing may be facing a backlog of orders as a result of its recent sales success. Its stock has risen considerably since the depression caused in the airliner industry by 9/11 and other factors. Ironically, the volume of orders the company has received seems to have encouraged the machinists' union to bargain harder than it otherwise would have.

Some may even argue that that unions have been making concessions during bad times for the industry in the past and that this deserves consideration in the present strike.

No further negotations with the machinists' union are currently planned.

Sources consulted include: AP story.

Katrina Stirs Survivalist Talk

A brief survey of the airwaves on AM radio reveals that many talk show hosts share a disgust at the lateness of the government's response to the damage caused in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast area.

Some hosts, including Michael Savage, believing that the government cannot be relied upon in case of emergency, have asked what their listeners themselves are doing to prepare to survive when disaster strikes.

While it is easy to say that this kind of attitude plays into what one writer has called the "paranoid tradition" of American politics, prudence would suggest that now would be a good time to stock up on essentials anyway, such as food, water, and hygiene items. After all, even the government asks that citizens be fully prepared to do without essential services for several days after a disaster.

As they say, forewarned is forearmed, and it pays to be prepared.

TV's "Gilligan" Dies At 70

Bob Denver, best known for his role as "Gilligan" in the popular syndicated television show, Gilliagan's Island, has died. He was also known for his role as "Maynard G. Krebs" in the 1960
s show, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.

Mr. Denver died of complications from cancer, sources say.

He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and fans.

Sources of this information include: KNX-AM (Los Angeles); Associated Press story.

Singapore Chooses F-15 Over Rafale

The city-state of Singapore has decided to purchase a squadron of F-15's instead of Dassault Rafales, sources say. The deal is worth more than a billion U.S. dollars.

The venerable F-15 has been deployed since the 1970's but continual updates have kept it among the world's best fighter aircraft.

Designed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis, Missouri, the F-15 has long served as the premier air supremacy fighter in the U.S. arsenal. Approximately 1,500 have been manufactured and 1,150 are in service with the air forces of the United States, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and, soon, the Republic of Korea. Boeing, which acquired McDonnell Douglas, continues to manufacture the F-15E Strike Eagle for the U.S. Air Force, and is building the F-15K, which is an advanced version of the F-15E, for the Republic of Korea Air Force.

Lockheed Martin's F-22 is the designated successor to the F-15C.

Sources: Various.

Bill O'Reilly Condemns Oil Companies

Newsman, commentator, and talk show host Bill O'Reilly spent much of his morning radio show excoriating both American oil companies and foreign oil producers for making allegedly making huge profits at the expense of the American people.

O'Reilly said that the big oil companies were a cartel that charged the "same price" and identified Exxon as having made a profit of $35 billion.

There were only five majors in the entire business and it was a myth that they participated in a free market, according to the commentator.

The host also criticized the American people for insisting on driving SUV's, encouraged the use of alternative fuels, and said that the U.S. should wean itself from dependency on the Middle East.

Source: KABC-AM.

President To Speak At Chief Justice Service

President Bush will speak at the funeral to be held today for the late Chief Justice of the United States, William H. Rehnquist.

The Chief Justice has received universal praise from Washington politicians and insiders and will be greatly missed.

It is anticipated that the service will be covered live by C-SPAN and other cable outlets.

Sources: Various.

Nine Killed In Cable Car Accident

Nine passengers, including six children, were killed when a helicopter carrying building material dropped a block of concrete onto an aerial car at a ski resort in Austria, according to this Reuters report. The passengers were occupants of two separate cars.

John Roberts Tapped As Chief Justice

According to Fox News Channel, Judge John Roberts will be nominated by President Bush to replace the late Chief Justice of the United States, William Rehnquist. The President is expected to make the announcement shortly.

Judge Roberts was formerly nominated to replace the seat to be vacated by retiring Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

The change in the designation of the office he would occupy means that the President will nominate another candidate to succeed Justice O'Connor.

The nomination is subject to Senate confirmation.

As I write, the President is about to formally announce this nomination from the Oval Office.

Sources: Fox News Channel; MSNBC.

Mandala Airlines 737 Crashes On Take-Off

A 737-200 operated by Mandala Airlines has crashed in Indonesia, according to various sources. Between 111 and 117 of those on board were killed, according to two differing reports.

Sources: The Seattle Times website; The Boeing 737 Technical Site (third-party, unofficial).

In other Boeing news, machinists at the company's factories in several states are on strike after Boeing's last offer was rejected by their union last week.

CNN Shows Local Official Devastated By Loss

CNN Headline News has just shown a video clip of Aaron Broussard, the President of Jefferson Parish, New Orleans, crying inconsolably as he sat facing the camera with a government seal behind him. He was being interviewed on NBC's Meet the Press.

[EDIT: Broussard blamed federal officials, saying that "bureaucracy has committed murder". He demanded a Congressional inquiry and said that federal officials responsible should be fired immediately.^1]

Then, his voice hoarse from grief, Broussard grew upset as he further condemned the response of government officials to the destruction caused by Katrina. All week, he said, the elderly mother of a staff member sought rescue, and all that she received were promises. She drowned on Friday night, said Broussard. Instead of rescue, what he saw were officials holding press conferences, he said. "I'm sick of these press conferences! For God's sake! Shut up and send us somebody!" he said. Near the end of the clip, he hung his head in a futile attempt to compose himself as tears filled his eyes.

The official said that both Katrina and the failure of authorities to respond in a timely manner were responsible for the devastation in Jefferson Parish.

Source: CNN Headline News.

[EDIT 1 at 7:07 p.m. (Pacific) -- identification of Pres. Broussard and minor changes.]
[EDIT 2 -- see Note 1.]
[EDIT 3 at 8:52 p.m. (Pacific) -- correction of quotes.]
[EDIT 4 at 3:16 a.m. (Pacific) September 5, 2005 -- minor changes.]
______________________
Note 1: [EDIT 2 at 7: 33 p.m. (Pacific) -- insertion of bracketed language and augmentation of quote. Source: MSNBC.]

Unmoored

Having criticized the right
For bashing Clinton every day,
Some leftists now want to fight
As if turnabout is fair play.

It must be great to be unmoored
From a framework ethical
So as to bring on board
Such brass political.

Mr. Farenheit 9/11 can surely afford
That which he uses so all can sleep well
And sell it to salve whatever discomfort
The typical follower befell.

As both a balm reliable
And an intellectual substitute
For thoughts undeniable
It is the ultimate mental prostitute.

Thank You, Rescuers!

As I watch the tireless efforts of the rescuers who have continuously rescued thousands of survivors from the New Orleans floods, I am humbled by their persistence and filled with gratitude for them, and for God and for a nation that can assemble such a formidable force for good.

An entire section of our nation's Navy and Coast Guard, not to mention thousands from other agencies, has been working ceaselessly to help those in need.

To these brave and selfless heroes I say: Thank you! You are the pride of America, and the world.

It's Only Satire, Mr. Moore

Mr. Michael Moore has written a wry political commentary in the form of an open letter advising the President that his vacation is over.

How droll! Our cup truly runneth over, that your comedic talents have been turned to such "good" use.

Here is my considered advice to Mr. Moore:

There is apparently no such thing as "rally around the flag" for someone like you, a divisive influence if there ever was one.

It seems to me that everything smacks of political advantage to you. If there is a problem with America, it must be that "racist" Bush's fault, in your eyes.

If so, what a sick and twisted way for you to look at the world. Unbeknownst to a reader of your cant, America isn't just about politics. It's about helping others and bringing people together in times of crisis, not creating diversions into political partisanship.

Mr. Moore, your diatribes would be welcome in some circles because they are raw meat for leftists who hate the President. But to the rest of us, they are garbage, and they stink, pure and simple. During a time when President Clinton has called for people to unify, you seem to delight in what you may deemed "satire".

In the same "satirical" spirit, might I offer: I think that someone like you ought not worry about flooding, as your ample girth indubitably serves as a natural flotation device.

Did you like reading that, Mr. Moore? In that case, think of the rest of us who support the President. We don't care much for your "satire", either.

A Pet Peeve For The Day

Doesn't it seem to you that stores that close at a certain time should actually close at the appointed hour, rather than ten to fifteen minutes before?

Yesterday, at five minutes before the hour of closing at a local store, I was told by a clerk at the front door that the store was "closed". When I pointed out that there were still five minutes left until closing, he let me in.

I understand the need to close stores on a timely basis, but unless they've repealed the truth in advertising laws, perhaps stores should pose the actual times they close, rather than hope that a nonassertive prospective customer will be turned away regardless of what closing times are posted.

A Gentle Reminder

A gentle reminder to folks who haven't yet contributed to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina: The need is a continuing one, and it's never too early or late to help.

If you've contributed before, please consider contributing again. I have.

Some organizations suggested by the media for this purpose are:

1. The American Red Cross
2. The Salvation Army
3. Habitat for Humanity
4. America's Second Harvest

You can also check out the recommendations at http://www.fema.gov.

God bless you.

America's Loch Ness Monster

Surfing through the various cable channels late last night, I came across a program that told of the existence of America's version of the Loch Ness Monster -- "Champ," a large, mysterious creature who is said to inhabit the deep, underwater caves of Lake Champlain.

This is the first I've heard of this kind of "monster" off Champlain's ample shores, a beast whose existence has yet to be fully confirmed. However, there have apparently been many sightings there of a serpentine animal with many humps whose popular image in the area is rather indistinguishable from that associated with its more famous Scottish counterpart.

Is "Champ" a holdover from the days of the dinosaurs? Is it simply a huge sturgeon?

One thing's for sure: We don't know, but it's fun to imagine.

A Katrina Conspiracy Theory Arises

I am, at best, a casual listener of Coast to Coast AM, a radio program that focuses on the paranormal, the unusual, and the downright strange.

Yesterday, a caller who sounded like a regular guest spoke about what seemed to me to be a conspiracy relating to Katrina, saying that for the first time, ham radio operators were barred from assisting the authorities in the aftermath of that crisis.

Moments earlier, the listener said that he had spoken with Art Bell and related some information concerning the lack of jamming of emergency frequencies.

I was not in a mood to try to make sense from these allegations, so I tuned to another station.

Somehow I don't believe that this will be the last we will hear of these kinds of theories.

The Left's Bush Obsession, Yet Again

Reports say that Michael Moore has written yet another diatribe aimed at the President blaming him for the consequences of Hurricane Katrina. This is simply another indication that the left loves to bash the President regardless of the facts, most of which are not yet known.

There are also many reports on leftist sites claiming that the President is responsible for failing to provide enough funds for New Orleans levee construction, and that a section that broke during last week's flooding had only recently been built but had not yet been sufficiently reinforced.

Let's see what the Corps says about these issues:

''We could spend $20 million if the funds were provided,'' the fact sheet said. Two major pump stations needed to be protected against hurricane storm surges, the fact sheet said, but the budgets for 2005 and 2006 ``will prevent the corps from addressing these pressing needs.''

Acknowledging delays in construction, Corps officials in Louisiana said that those projects weren't where the failures occurred. ''They did not contribute to the flooding of the city,'' said Al Naomi, a senior project manager.

''The design was not adequate to protect against a storm of this nature,'' he said. ``We were not authorized to provide protection to Category 4 or 5 design.''

Source:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/front/12539792.htm

(Emphasis added.)

Thus, it was the design of the levees, and not underfunding, that is at issue.

Further, it is said that substandard reinforcement or outright non-reinforcement of levees was the cause of flooding. Some sources quote Sidney Blumenthal for similar comments. But the above statement from a Corps official disproves those allegations, and further, if substandard reinforcement was indeed utilized, how can this be the fault of the President rather than of those who authorized the use of substandard construction?

A counterargument may be posed that there should have been authorization of a design that was sufficient to withstand a Category 4 or 5 hurricane. There are three problems with this position. One is that it is anything but clear that such a design was possible. Another is that there is no evidence that I've found that such a design was proposed but denied by the President (or by Congress, for that matter). And a third is that the funds necessary to redesign the entire levee system to withstand such hurricanes would seem to be far more than the difference between what was requested and what was ultimately approved.

Once again, the facts that are available prove the left to be as wrong as they are politically obsessed.

Chief Justice Rehnquist 1924-2005

The Chief Justice of the United States, William Hubbs Rehnquist, has passed away.

The cause of death was thyroid cancer.

May he rest in peace.

See: CNN story.

The Moral Righteousness Of A Nation

...is judged not by the heights of its skyscrapers, or the treasures in its coffers.

It is measured by how it treats the least of its citizens.

Away from the hurly-burly of national life, it is in the quiet contemplation of the soul that moral right is found. And if we cannot in these moments find our conscience clear, then of what use is anything else?

Buildings crumble. Treasures are spent. But the soul lives on.

There is a lesson in the events of this past week.

From the fate of the least of us, we must learn.

1 America 2 America 3 America 4

Remember Sen. John Edwards and his "Two Americas" speech? Someone said recently that the impression one could gather from the New Orleans tragedy was that there were indeed two Americas.

I suppose one America would be the rich one that left town before the floods. The other America was the one that government allegedly has left to fend for itself.

I don't disagree that there should be a social safety net. Only a libertarian would disagree with that, and I'm not a libertarian.

It is possible to argue, however, that there must be recognition of the existence of two Americas because there are two Americas, because that's the way that people desire to live. Some people want to live a life of dependency on relatively meager government checks. And if that's true, then why not recognize it?

Why demand that America increase that funding to bring them up to the "other" America -- the one consisting of people who can or want to work? To be sure, we don't live in Victorian days anymore. There are no Oliver Twists asking, "Please, sir, may I have more?" That's not the America I know and love. That's not a Republican's vision of America. But neither is America a land where everyone makes the same amount of money, or enjoys a really nice life without even trying. It's just not doable. And it's not fair to those who actually are working.

Sen. Edwards' heart is in the right place. I think he wants an America in which everyone who wants a job, can get one. Who can object to that ideal? But by the same token, even this will not guarantee that there will not be "two Americas". In fact, there are more than two Americas. There are hundreds or thousands of Americas. There is the America of Donald Trump; there is the America of the Appalachian. There is the America of rock stars; there is the America of skid row. There is the America of brave men and women; there is the America of Ken Lay. And this is part of what America great -- our diversity of diversities. Our differences, coming together in the belief of the country and ideals that make up our beautiful land.

I think that we need to understand what it means to be just in this society. I am troubled that conservatives are not compassionate enough, as I've written. I think that many conservatives are simply incomplete, and this does not exclude me. But by the same token, liberalism cannot be taken at its face value, without acknowledging its severe limitations. We need to return to a true consensus as to what it means to support one's country, to do what is good for America, and not just ourselves. We need to understand what is socially just, and to understand that the law must be tempered by mercy.

Years ago, I asked folks if they had read John Rawls' A Theory of Justice. No one responded that they had. Rawls is a liberal, but his book is reasonable and rigorous, and I think we all should give his ideas, and others like it, a listen. And that includes me, you, and just about anyone else I can think of at the moment.

The world of ideas is both a labyrinth and a treasure trove. But it's one that politicians may need to explore far more than they do now.

Geraldo Rivera Breaks Down On Camera

On Fox News Channel moments ago, holding a little baby in his arms, reporter Geraldo Rivera, sobbing and sounding desperate, asked the government, "What the hell?"

Why are these people trapped in this cesspool, he asked. Why?

He was reporting live from outside the Morian Convention Center in New Orleans, where he said time appears to have stood still since Wednesday. Dead bodies are piling up, rapes and murders have occurred, and help is nowhere to be seen, said Rivera.

Source: Fox News Channel.

No Dice, Mr. President

Moments ago, I saw a taped report in which President Bush stated that he believed that the results of, and not the response to, Hurricane Katrina, were unacceptable.

I'm sorry, Mr. President, but on this issue, I must respectfully disagree.

The results would not be unacceptable had the response not been unacceptable. The federal response, beyond FEMA's public bungling, appears to be adequate. But overall, had the National Guard been called and deployed in a manner befitting our nation, and had supplies been provided more quickly, your fine distinction between "response" and "results" would be more appropriate.

As of now, I believe the both the response and the results have been unacceptable. And it behooves us to act accordingly.

Mr. President, your thoughts are for the victims of this tragedy, and they are diverted from the many other challenges that face this nation. Let them not be further diverted by thoughts of political correctness, for it is clear to me that the State of Louisiana did not do what it had to do, and required the federal government to step in in its stead.

We cannot, in the final analysis, separate the act from the consequence. I trust that as a true Republican, you understand the need to hold people to the results of their acts, and will henceforth act with due regard to this fact.

Questions On The Crisis In The Crescent City

A few questions, if I may, for those interested in the whys and wherefores of the current crisis in Louisiana:

Who was directly responsible for command and control of National Guard troops? Who was directly responsible for addressing the needs of the city? Who was responsible for crying on national television and saying that the first responsibility of police should be to save lives and not to enforce laws?

I'll give you a hint: It wasn't the President. The President is the fixer, the guy who comes in when all other authorities have failed. And in Louisiana, despite the best efforts of the mayor of New Orleans, folks upstream and downstream from him in the State of Louisiana failed him.

And I do not hold the citizens of Louisiana faultless, because a few of them did cause lawlessless and criminality in New Orleans. So let us acknowledge that the State of Louisiana failed to a major degree. And let us acknowledge that the President should have stepped in a day or two earlier. Let us even blame the head of FEMA for all his happy talk.

But to point the finger of blame solely at the President and the White House would be unproductive. The damage has been done. What we must do is realize that the response has been in many ways execrable, and that we must do all we can to assist people now, and to modify the lines of authority so that they run efficiently in the future.

Otherwise, blatant partisanship is pointless, and to me, it is unworthy of a great nation.

Troops Secure New Orleans Convention Center

Heavily armed U.S. troops have secured^1 the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Troops have formed a perimeter and distributed supplies to needy refugees who had converged at the building and its environs.

Meanwhile, the President is on a mission to inspect the Gulf Coast and has personally interviewed victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Landing in Marine One near New Orleans moments ago, the President was greeted by local officials, including the mayor of the city who has been relentless, vociferous and instrumental in calling for further assistance for his beleaguered constituents.

_________________
1. EDIT: According to a number of sources, as of the hour of 6:00 p.m. (Pacific), the convention center is not secure. Sources: CNN, Fox News Channel.

Bush Calls Katrina Response "Unacceptable"

In a short speech on the White House lawn earlier this morning, the President outlined his intentions for his visit to the Gulf Coast. Pres. Bush said that the response thus far was "unacceptable".

Source: MSNBC.

787 Flight Deck Looks Like "USS Enterprise"

(Excerpt)

The flight deck of Boeing's new dream machine looks like a real-life version of the USS Enterprise from Star Trek.

The first glimpse offered by the US aircraft maker yesterday revealed a dashboard crammed with full-colour LCD displays coupled to other hi-tech digital features.

Source: Story.

In other words, the future is looking good.

Pentagon Sends Aircraft Carrier To Gulf Coast

From CNN:

The nuclear aircraft carrier Harry S Truman will steam toward the Gulf Coast to serve as a mobile air base for land operations in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.

The Pentagon will also send an additional 4,200 military police officers to the area with the objective of helping to restore law and order.