Jeb Bush for US Senator

Now that Mel Martinez is not running for reelection for his US Senate seat from Florida, a familiar name has cropped up as considering a run for the seat, He is former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, the younger brother of the current President.

How Barack Obama Can Help the Ecomomy

What should be the first thing that Barack Obama does about the economy the moment he is sworn into office? Suggestions range from enacting a huge stimulus package to bailing out the automobile companies to helping homeowners and the unemployed.

A new poll, by John Ziegler confirms the first and has some other interesting results as well:

35 % of McCain voters got 10 or more of 13 questions correct.

18% of Obama voters got 10 or more of 13 questions correct.

McCain voters knew which party controls congress by a 63-27 margin.

Obama voters got the “congressional control” question wrong by 43-41.

Those that got "congressional control" correct voted 56-43 for McCain.

Those that got "congressional control" wrong voted 65-35 for Obama.

The poll also asked voters to name all the media sources from which they got information.

Those “exposed” to Fox News got "congressional control" correct 64-25 (+39)

Those “exposed” to CNN got “congressional control” correct 48-38 (+10)

Those “exposed” to Network news got “congressional control” correct 48-39 (+9)

Those “exposed” to print media got “congressional control” correct 52-37 (+15)

Those “exposed” to MSNBC got “congressional control” correct 55-35 (+20)

Those “exposed” to talk radio got “congressional control” correct 61-29 (+32)

Voters in the "South" had the best response rate on “congressional control” (+22)

Voters in the "Northeast" had the worst response rate on “congressional control” (+9)

Those “exposed” to Fox News voted 70-29 for McCain.

Those “exposed” to CNN voted 63-37 for Obama.

Those “exposed” to MSNBC voted 73-26 for Obama.

Those “exposed” to network newscasts voted 62-37 for Obama.

Those “exposed” to national newspapers voted 64-36 for Obama.

Those “exposed” to talk radio voted 61-38 for McCain.

Those that could associate Bill Ayers' name/story with Obama voted 52-48 for McCain (We added Ayers name to the "Zogby" question and it significantly increased the rate of correct response, indicating a very superficial grasp of the overall story).

Those that knew Obama had made negative comments about “coal power plants" voted 76-24 for McCain.

Those that knew Obama had his opponents knocked off the ballot in his first campaign voted 66-34 for McCain.
McCain voters did poorly (only 42% correct) on the Keating question and,in general, the voters did universally worse on questions where the negative information was about their candidate

Women under 55 did worse than they might have by guessing on four of the thirteen questions, and yet 95% of them knew that Palin was the candidate with a pregnant teenage daughter. Even 95% of those in this demographic group who didn't know “congressional control” got this question correct.

Those “exposed” to MSNBC “scored” 90% correct on the three Palin questions (including an incredible 98% on the “pregnant teenage daughter” question), while those not “exposed” to MSNBC averaged 84% correct on those three questions.

I can only look upon this was wide eyed awe.

Amity Shlaes, in The Forgetten Man, her examination of the New Deal, tells the story of the Schechter brothers of Brooklyn, NY, two kosher chicken butchers who were victimnized by FDR.

A great film could be made of how a fascistic government tried to crush a family of small businessmen and how the family ultimately pervailed against bigotry and overreaching government malice. But, because that government was the Franklin Roosevelt administration, I would not hold my breath.

Roman Polanski Files for Dismissal of Rape Charges

Film director Roman Polanski has filed a motion in the Los Angeles Superior Court to have thirty year old charges against him stemming from the rape of a then thirteen year old aspiring model named Samantha Geimer dismissed.

Robert Zubrin discusses how to live on Mars.

A remake of Captain Blood? I suppose if it will show the Somalis how real pirates behaved...

Robert Coppinger gives the back of his hand to planetary scientists who are down on human space exploration.

Apparently Barack Obama has already caused bipartisan cooperation in Texas over the issue of stopping him from gutting NASA funding.

It looks like the Student Senate at Carleton University has wisely decided to reverse itself and after all support cystic fibrosis research, even if it does not impact woman and minorities the hardest.

It looks like Space X's Dragonlab will be flying soon:

Demand from DragonLab Workshop Leads to New Business for Private Spaceflight Company

Hawthorne, CA - December 1, 2008 – Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) announces the addition of two DragonLab missions to its manifest, as a result of demand from a successful workshop held at SpaceX headquarters on November 6 to introduce the new DragonLab product. The first two flights are scheduled for 2010 and 2011 respectively from the SpaceX Falcon 9 launch site at Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX is currently working contractual arrangements with multiple prospective customers.

DragonLab is a free-flying, reusable spacecraft capable of hosting pressurized and unpressurized payloads to and from space. It is the newest commercial offering from SpaceX. DragonLab launches to orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle.

DragonLab provides a platform for in-space experimentation, including recovery of pressurized and some unpressurized payloads, as well as deployment of small spacecraft. As a complete system, DragonLab provides for all aspects of operation: propulsion, power, thermal control, environmental control, avionics, communications, thermal protection, flight software, guidance, navigation and control, entry, descent and landing and recovery.

"The response to our DragonLab rollout has been absolutely astounding," said Max Vozoff, Product Manager for Dragon and DragonLab. "Our workshop was at full capacity and we even had to turn away qualified people. With the U.S. Space Shuttle retiring in two years, clearly there is great demand from principal investigators, companies and institutions looking for ways to fly payloads in space and return them to Earth," said Vozoff. "We are adding these missions to our SpaceX manifest to provide firm launch dates for users to work toward. Definitely one mission won't be enough to meet the large demand."

Attending the November 6 SpaceX DragonLab workshop were representatives from six NASA centers, NASA headquarters, the Department of Defense, university research departments and commercial aerospace companies. Attendees discussed their needs for using DragonLab for materials research, life sciences, biotech, radiation effects, thermal protection system validation, and robotic spacecraft servicing applications. In addition, attendees toured the 550,000 square-foot SpaceX headquarters and manufacturing facility, viewing the Dragon spacecraft Qualification structure (just prior to its shipment to Texas for structural testing); heat shield material production and samples; the qualification and first flight Falcon 9 first stages; Merlin engines and other propulsion components; the transporter-erector and other launch pad systems being prepared for shipment to Cape Canaveral for the Falcon 9's arrival at its launch site by year end.

Christmas on the Moon: A Children of Apollo story

US Senator Mel Martinez to Retire

Mel Martinez, Florida's sole Republican United States Senator, has decided to retire instead of running for a new term in 2010. The retirement of Mel Martinez is bound to set off a scramble in both parties for candidates for a now open Senate seat.

Condi plays the piano for the Queen of England.

Chemical Ali Sentenced to Hang-Again

The former Iraqi General Ali Hassan al-Majeed, known to the world as "Chemical Ali," has received his second death penalty from an Iraqi court, Chemical Ali faces death by hanging for his role in the mass murder of his own people.

Why Rosie Live Died

It seemed like a sure thing. Rosie O'Donnell is a talented actress and comedian with a stack of Emmys. Why not give her an old fashioned variety show, in the style of Carol Burnett, with some comedy, some singing, and good wholesome entertainment?

Paul Spudis discsses ISS and whether it might have a role in human space exploration.

Harrison Schmitt, Bob Zubrin, Alan Dressler, Greg Fotti, and Richard Blomberg respond to Alan Stern's polemic about cost overruns plauging NASA projects.

Foreign Policy Problems Awaiting Barack Obama

Barack Obama has named his national security/foreign policy team at a time of great turmoil. While President-Elect Obama is not to be sworn in for another 60 or so days, a number of foreign policy problems await his immediate attention.

Susan Rice Named UN Ambassador

President Elect Barack Obama has rounded out his national security team by nominating Susan Rice to be Ambassador to the United Nations. It is an interesting choice, considering Rice's relationship to Secretary of State Nominee Hillary Clinton.