Thursday, June 18, 2009

LCROSS Anecdote

About two years ago, I was completing an Aerospace Project Management Certificate course. The Risk Management module was taught by a gentleman (in the purest and best sense of the term) named Steve Carman. His regular 'day job' was being Northrop Grumman's Program Manager for the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) program.

As part of the course we discussed potential risks (and opportunities!) he was dealing with in delivering the LCROSS to NASA. He described the LCROSS mission to us and the question arose (I'm not saying WHO asked it):

What if the impact indicates there was water at the Lunar pole...until we blew it to smittereens?

The answer was pretty staightforward.: It was a calculated and accepted risk that NASA was willing to take [;-)

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Best Take on David Letterman

Victor Davis Hanson has the best take on Letterman's latest steps on his descent into absolute irrelevance:

"The self-serving, creepy apology was as bad as the initial slur. Letterman is emblematic of an aging, baby-boomer culture, that dresses up street vulgarity with a tie and coat."

A boor and a coward indeed.

Monday, June 08, 2009

Dowd Conundrum Indeed

Best subtitle ever!: Why Vulcans and Other Intellectuals Don't Belong in the Big Chair

Bill Whittle absolutely skewers the fawning media coverage of President Obama and the 'Smartest Man' myth in one thrust.

The only point I would take issue with is his use of the term 'intellectuals'. Perhaps it is accurate in the sense the term is currently applied and as they view themselves, but I think of those people as more pseudo-intellectuals...or suckers (take your pick).

(Be sure you watch all the credits at the end)

Sunday, June 07, 2009

"Disdain for U.S. Policies"

You call that a defense?

Instapundit, links to another news story concerning the two 'govnoed' (see previous post) who were allegedly (wink wink) selling out our country due to some perceived disillusionment on their part.
Hmmm.
I wonder, what tipped them over the edge? Was it perhaps the disappointment of being able to only save up enough Dinero for a 38' yacht on a State Department salary? I mean, would a bigger one have kept them from selling us out?

But Gee! I thought they were happy with the one they had:

We have the most beautiful boat!
It is 8:00 PM here; we are having a drink and are practically melting in our chairs while repeating to one another, ”we have the most beautiful boat.”

Today the temperature was around 60 degrees and the wind from 4 to 8 knots. We sailed the good ship Helene on the Bay for 4 hours. Kendall sailed then napped for an hour on a pad behind the helm’s seat. I used a finger to occasionally touch the wheel while the boat sailed herself. Clouds were mesmerizing. No other boats around so thoroughly relaxed. Our only comments were how well balanced she is, how smoothly she sails, and how fast she is in any wind.
Two weeks ago we took her on her first sail of the spring and were surprised by a 24 knot gust. She took the blow like a champ, rounding up to wait for us to ”come to!”
We just want you to know our happy we are with our decision to purchase this gem from you!

Cheers,
Gwen and Kendall


Somehow I think the link to the above will disappear soon. Update 06/10/09 1020hrs: The link no longer works. No worries though, as I saved a copy:


We will next begin to hear that what they gave the Cubans wasn't THAT important. That will be even more disgusting.

Friday, June 05, 2009

Cuban Spies In The State Department?

Who'd a Thunk?

If the case is valid (and I'd say we have every reason to believe it is) these people are disgusting. The Soviets used to call them 'govnoed' (Sh**eaters):
Officers of both the GRU and the KGB have very much more respect for their agents than for the sh**-eaters. The motives of agents are clear — an easy life and plenty of money. If you take risks and lose, then no money and no easy life. To the end of his life the agent will not be able to tear himself away from this servitude — as is the case in the criminal world. But the behaviour of the numerous friends of the Soviet Union is utterly incomprehensible to Soviet people. --Victor Suvorov
Or could it just be the Conservative in me that makes me too easily disgusted? Well, that's probably what Psycheboy Pizarro thinks anyway.

~Sigh~ @#^*!%! Freaking Hippies and punk-a** Postmodern Academes.