November 28, 2008
Bombay Blitzkrieg Day 2
Thanks to ACE who provided the link to the IBN live feed.
Amongst the Indian Bloggers
UltraBrown is still blogging see here.
Retributions has updated and added several posts just scroll.
Mubai-Help is a blogspot blog set up to cover this. They have the casualty list amongst other things.
The Counter Terrorism Blog has unkind words to say about India's counter terrorism efforts here. Note though that it is early and hindsight is 20/20. There are a LOT of false alarms and once the terrorists are in the city this was a very challenging situation. Note that most of the hostage rescue operations seem to have been fairly successful, though unconfirmed reports indicate that the Aussies bore the brunt of the deaths amongst the tourists
.
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UPDATE: All of the Jewish hostages in the Mumbai Jewish center were killed. Damn...
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As I type this IBN reports that fighting has resumed at the Jewish center.
The Captains Journal has some analysis here that is worthy of a read.
I'm sure there will be second guessing of the Indian response. We would likely do better to apply any lessons learned.
The attack on Mumbai is exactly the sort of thing we feared for several years after Sept. 11. Now it is coming to pass.
With the possible exception of New York City, I doubt that any US city would fare appreciably better than Mumbai did if faced with a similar assault. It is only a matter of time before something very much like this happens here.
Everyone needs to give serious thought to where they sit in Jeff Coopers color coded mindset scale...mentioned here by Amanda Ripley...via
Such color coding has become something of a joke of late as a result of the DHS warning system but Cooper's point is still quite valid.
No adult should be in "white" except possibly when asleep or having sex. Part of being an adult is being aware and acknowledging that there is always some risk and being willing to deal with calamities in a calm adult way when they happen.
Dr. Helen has some related thoughts here...
Be aware of your surroundings, and be aware that YOU are responsible for yourself. Sheep are led to slaughter just as easily as they are led to captivity. Don't be a sheep.
This applies to any type of calamity...not just terror attacks.
For example...as we head into winter, how well are you prepared for 10 days without power in subfreezing weather because of an ice storm?
Happy Holidays gentle readers...
Semper Paratus
Amongst the Indian Bloggers
UltraBrown is still blogging see here.
Retributions has updated and added several posts just scroll.
Mubai-Help is a blogspot blog set up to cover this. They have the casualty list amongst other things.
The Counter Terrorism Blog has unkind words to say about India's counter terrorism efforts here. Note though that it is early and hindsight is 20/20. There are a LOT of false alarms and once the terrorists are in the city this was a very challenging situation. Note that most of the hostage rescue operations seem to have been fairly successful, though unconfirmed reports indicate that the Aussies bore the brunt of the deaths amongst the tourists
.****************************************************
UPDATE: All of the Jewish hostages in the Mumbai Jewish center were killed. Damn...
****************************************************
As I type this IBN reports that fighting has resumed at the Jewish center.
The Captains Journal has some analysis here that is worthy of a read.
I'm sure there will be second guessing of the Indian response. We would likely do better to apply any lessons learned.
The attack on Mumbai is exactly the sort of thing we feared for several years after Sept. 11. Now it is coming to pass.
With the possible exception of New York City, I doubt that any US city would fare appreciably better than Mumbai did if faced with a similar assault. It is only a matter of time before something very much like this happens here.
Everyone needs to give serious thought to where they sit in Jeff Coopers color coded mindset scale...mentioned here by Amanda Ripley...via
The four colors are White, Yellow, Orange and Red. If something goes horribly wrong when you are in the White state, you will fail, Cooper wrote. White is a state of relaxation and complacency. Yellow is the ideal--a state of relaxed awareness, when you are not conscious of any particular threat but you are conscious of the horizon, of what is happening around you and of the possibility that anything could happen at any time. Orange is when you are acutely aware that something is wrong, and Red is when you are in the thick of it.
Such color coding has become something of a joke of late as a result of the DHS warning system but Cooper's point is still quite valid.
No adult should be in "white" except possibly when asleep or having sex. Part of being an adult is being aware and acknowledging that there is always some risk and being willing to deal with calamities in a calm adult way when they happen.
Dr. Helen has some related thoughts here...
Be aware of your surroundings, and be aware that YOU are responsible for yourself. Sheep are led to slaughter just as easily as they are led to captivity. Don't be a sheep.
This applies to any type of calamity...not just terror attacks.
For example...as we head into winter, how well are you prepared for 10 days without power in subfreezing weather because of an ice storm?
December 23, 1998, "The Christmas Ice Storm": A major ice storm struck central and southeast Virginia beginning on Wednesday, December 23 and lasting into Friday, December 25, Christmas Day. Icy conditions caused injuries from slips and falls and numerous vehicle accidents. Ice accumulations of up to an inch brought down trees and power lines. Outages were so widespread (400,000 customers on Christmas Eve) that some people were without power for up to ten days.
Happy Holidays gentle readers...
Semper Paratus
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November 27, 2008
Calamity at Pinedale.....
Heart wrenching on the scene footage of the incident....
Happy Thanksgiving Everybody.....
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Mumbai Attacked
A devastating terrorist attack has taken place in Mumbai India (Bombay).
Numerous bombs have been set off, and an amphibious assault was
launched from small boats. An unknown (but large) number of terrorists ran from the waterfront and stormed several hotels and transportation nodes. Over a hundred civilians are dead. It is unclear at this time if the assault was from the Ocean, Thane Creek or both.
More here here here and here.
The CounterTerrorism Blog, ACE and Rusty are blogging this extensively as is Allahpundit.
Indian bloggers liveblogging this include, The Khalma Bhat Show, Retributions, Youth Curry, and UltraBrown, whose last post, as I type this, was from the thick of things.
Hemant Kakare, the head of India's Counterterrorism Task force has been killed in the line of duty as has Mumbai's near legendary cop, Vijay Salaskar.
One odd bit. At least some of the terrorists were armed with Sten Guns.
Though this bastard is armed with some AK variant.
The terrorists attacked the train station as well and left this in their wake...
A few thoughts.
No atom bomb, nerve gas or large airplanes appear to have been used, yet this was a devastating attack carried out by the straightforward technique of approaching the cities waterfront, getting out of the boats, running ashore and proceeding to kill people and break things.
There do seem to have been some pre-planted bombs and this required a lot of planning, but this could, in theory, wreak havoc in an American coastal city.
The US Coast Guard needs to ensure that its port state control, pollution and facilities personnel are up to date on their weapons qualifications. These personnel are the first line of defense or at least raising the alarm against an attack of this nature. Those of us on shore side, even reservists, need to be very, very aware of that.
An attack like this on any number of coastal locations on the US and its territories would likely be a suicide mission for all involved, but it would be a devastating morale hit for the nation and in certain locations could cause serious infrastructure damage. The Gulf Coast ports are much closer to largely deserted stretches of South America, or actively hostile Venezuela than Mumbai is to Arabia or even Pakistan.
India is at war, but we are too. If as seems likely this is the work of AlQuaeda or an ideologically related group, then this is an attack on an ally by our common enemy.
Image Via BBC
There are reports that the terrorists were particularly targeting citizens of the UK and USA. It is unclear how sucsessful they were in his but it is obvious that they were not too discriminating and the people of Mumbai suffered terribly tonight. More here here here and here.
The CounterTerrorism Blog, ACE and Rusty are blogging this extensively as is Allahpundit.
Indian bloggers liveblogging this include, The Khalma Bhat Show, Retributions, Youth Curry, and UltraBrown, whose last post, as I type this, was from the thick of things.
Hemant Kakare, the head of India's Counterterrorism Task force has been killed in the line of duty as has Mumbai's near legendary cop, Vijay Salaskar.
One odd bit. At least some of the terrorists were armed with Sten Guns.
The terrorists attacked the train station as well and left this in their wake...
A few thoughts.
No atom bomb, nerve gas or large airplanes appear to have been used, yet this was a devastating attack carried out by the straightforward technique of approaching the cities waterfront, getting out of the boats, running ashore and proceeding to kill people and break things.
There do seem to have been some pre-planted bombs and this required a lot of planning, but this could, in theory, wreak havoc in an American coastal city.
The US Coast Guard needs to ensure that its port state control, pollution and facilities personnel are up to date on their weapons qualifications. These personnel are the first line of defense or at least raising the alarm against an attack of this nature. Those of us on shore side, even reservists, need to be very, very aware of that.
An attack like this on any number of coastal locations on the US and its territories would likely be a suicide mission for all involved, but it would be a devastating morale hit for the nation and in certain locations could cause serious infrastructure damage. The Gulf Coast ports are much closer to largely deserted stretches of South America, or actively hostile Venezuela than Mumbai is to Arabia or even Pakistan.
India is at war, but we are too. If as seems likely this is the work of AlQuaeda or an ideologically related group, then this is an attack on an ally by our common enemy.
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November 24, 2008
John Corbett Talton 1921-2008
My Great Uncle John has passed away.
Born in 1921, he was one of 7 children. He survived a bout of whooping cough in his early years. By the time he was 10 the nation was in the throes of the Great Depression and he frequently missed school doing odd jobs to help feed his parents and 7 siblings.
When the US finally became involved in World War 2, he enlisted in the Navy. After serving in various capacities in the battle of the Atlantic, he volunteered for a spot on an underwater demolition team. Despite their name, their concept of operations at the time involved rather little swimming. Rather, they planned to use rubber rafts to approach obstacles and plant their explosives, swimming only a fairly short distance and freediving. It was hoped that darkness and surprise would cover them.
On June 6 1944 the folly of this became clear.Uncle John's unit was tasked with clearing obstructions on what would be known to history as "Easy Red" sector of Omaha Beach.
On approach their raft bottomed out, forcing them to swim nearly half a mile under the tender ministrations of Rommel's crack machine gunners. The swimmers on ether side of took rounds in their satchel charges, detonating them and blasting his shipmates to the four winds.
Uncle John found himself unable to contact anyone else in his squad but swam through a hellish fusillade of enemy fire to plant his charges. After that, he waded ashore with the first wave and, dodging machine gun fire, pulled several wounded allied soldiers and sailors from the blood red surf. He grabbed a rifle from a fallen soldier and, despite having next to no infantry training, moved inland off the beach.
Due to the fact that his insignia (and wetsuit) had been lost when his shipmates exploded, he entered battle wearing swim trunks, a scavenged rifle and an ammo belt. As he had no way to prove that he was navy, he was pressed into Army service wearing a dead mans uniform and served along with other members of his unit in France as an infantryman for several weeks before he was returned to what was left of his unit. Of 175 UDT swimmers engaged at Normandy, 91 were casualties, including all but one of the other members of John Talton's squad.
After the war, he went to college and became a mechanical engineer. He worked at the Radford Arsenal and for Hercules Engineering where he worked on rockets and missiles. He was involved in several NASA projects involving solid rockets, particularly trans-stages, and assisted in the development of the Nike-Ajax and Nike-Hercules AAA missiles. He was also instrumental in the development the innovative solid rocket motor for the ridiculously fast accelerating Sprint point defence ABM.
He did charitable works through the Masons and Kiwannis International for 50 years as well as his church.
He can be seen interviewed at length in Peter Jennings 50th anniversary D-Day special and in the History Channel's Suicide Missions of D Day .
Update: Fixed link. Corrected text. (John Talton did not serve in the Pacific. His brother, my great uncle Doug, served as a Landing Craft Coxwain after commanding a landing craft at Normandy.)
Born in 1921, he was one of 7 children. He survived a bout of whooping cough in his early years. By the time he was 10 the nation was in the throes of the Great Depression and he frequently missed school doing odd jobs to help feed his parents and 7 siblings.
When the US finally became involved in World War 2, he enlisted in the Navy. After serving in various capacities in the battle of the Atlantic, he volunteered for a spot on an underwater demolition team. Despite their name, their concept of operations at the time involved rather little swimming. Rather, they planned to use rubber rafts to approach obstacles and plant their explosives, swimming only a fairly short distance and freediving. It was hoped that darkness and surprise would cover them.
On June 6 1944 the folly of this became clear.Uncle John's unit was tasked with clearing obstructions on what would be known to history as "Easy Red" sector of Omaha Beach. On approach their raft bottomed out, forcing them to swim nearly half a mile under the tender ministrations of Rommel's crack machine gunners. The swimmers on ether side of took rounds in their satchel charges, detonating them and blasting his shipmates to the four winds.
Uncle John found himself unable to contact anyone else in his squad but swam through a hellish fusillade of enemy fire to plant his charges. After that, he waded ashore with the first wave and, dodging machine gun fire, pulled several wounded allied soldiers and sailors from the blood red surf. He grabbed a rifle from a fallen soldier and, despite having next to no infantry training, moved inland off the beach.
Due to the fact that his insignia (and wetsuit) had been lost when his shipmates exploded, he entered battle wearing swim trunks, a scavenged rifle and an ammo belt. As he had no way to prove that he was navy, he was pressed into Army service wearing a dead mans uniform and served along with other members of his unit in France as an infantryman for several weeks before he was returned to what was left of his unit. Of 175 UDT swimmers engaged at Normandy, 91 were casualties, including all but one of the other members of John Talton's squad.
After the war, he went to college and became a mechanical engineer. He worked at the Radford Arsenal and for Hercules Engineering where he worked on rockets and missiles. He was involved in several NASA projects involving solid rockets, particularly trans-stages, and assisted in the development of the Nike-Ajax and Nike-Hercules AAA missiles. He was also instrumental in the development the innovative solid rocket motor for the ridiculously fast accelerating Sprint point defence ABM.
He did charitable works through the Masons and Kiwannis International for 50 years as well as his church.
He can be seen interviewed at length in Peter Jennings 50th anniversary D-Day special and in the History Channel's Suicide Missions of D Day .
Update: Fixed link. Corrected text. (John Talton did not serve in the Pacific. His brother, my great uncle Doug, served as a Landing Craft Coxwain after commanding a landing craft at Normandy.)
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November 23, 2008
Enlightened Opinion.....
Many of you have seen this bootleg vid of the trailer for the new Star Trek Movie....
There has been some grumbling from fans as there always will be. To me it looks seriously kewel despite the unspockular Spock. However John C. Wright has obtained the opinion of the only person who's opinion we care about...
Oh Well....
Still gonna see it.....
Still gonna see it.....
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November 14, 2008
Thoughts and Prayers to Wonderduck
Wonderduck is having a very bad week.
Send him your best.
Send him your best.
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November 12, 2008
Rocket Girls!
Rocket Girls has been mentioned here in passing (mostly via pictures in science posts) a
couple of times. Having been quite taken with the first few episodes that I saw at a party a while back, I eagerly looked forward to the US release.
Well, I recently saw the complete series in DVD format, alone, and unprotected on a comic store shelf. So despite financial issues, I went ahead and picked it up.
I watched it with a friend in one sitting.
The show had decent production values despite some jarring CGI. Rocket Girls is, as I hoped, an optimistic and uplifting show. Pro-technology pro-space with a very alt-space feel, the show at least tries to look realistic on the technical side.
Despite some very real technical quibbles, and a decidedly unlikely series of events setting up the cast, the show provides an inspiring vision of near future manned crewed space exploration. While not, strictly speaking, a comedy, it is quite cute and has some funny bits. This show, however is above all an adventure yarn and it builds steadily to a thoroughly satisfying climax.
Alas, the show then continues for 6 more episodes with decidedly mixed (but still generally positive) results. Describing the setup of the first 2 eps necessarily involves spoilers and as such is below the fold. Subsequent spoilers are behind spoiler tags.
more...
couple of times. Having been quite taken with the first few episodes that I saw at a party a while back, I eagerly looked forward to the US release.I watched it with a friend in one sitting.
The show had decent production values despite some jarring CGI. Rocket Girls is, as I hoped, an optimistic and uplifting show. Pro-technology pro-space with a very alt-space feel, the show at least tries to look realistic on the technical side.
Despite some very real technical quibbles, and a decidedly unlikely series of events setting up the cast, the show provides an inspiring vision of near future manned crewed space exploration. While not, strictly speaking, a comedy, it is quite cute and has some funny bits. This show, however is above all an adventure yarn and it builds steadily to a thoroughly satisfying climax.
Alas, the show then continues for 6 more episodes with decidedly mixed (but still generally positive) results. Describing the setup of the first 2 eps necessarily involves spoilers and as such is below the fold. Subsequent spoilers are behind spoiler tags.
more...
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November 11, 2008
Thank You
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November 10, 2008
Cannibalism, Self Mutilation and Consensus Building
Lord...I wanna break from politics. I've got partial posts in the "tube" on Rocket Girls, Haruhi, Space, water purification, energy and curmudgeonism. Ubu Roi however, has posted a long and passionate comment on politics that deserves a full response. So...below the fold we go....
more...
more...
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The future is unwritten and always full of potential. November 05, 2008
Post Election Roundup
No kids...it is not yet the appropriate time to resort to cannibalism...
Seriously guys....
It may surprise some of you that this is almost never an appropriate response to anything...well, at least in politics...
more...
It may surprise some of you that this is almost never an appropriate response to anything...well, at least in politics...
more...
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Black Lagoon, Second Barrage,Third DVD
Black Lagoon is a fairly dark show. Rather darker than I ordinarily like.
The improbable story of 3 Americans and a Japanese Salaryman operating as a band of more or less ruthless modern day pirates out of northern Borneo is not happy or lighthearted in any way. It has, however been a perversely fun show, heavy on the action, snark, and over the top situations.
Volumes one and two of the second series had fallen into a pattern of one or two gruesome shows followed by a sad episode and then one or two shows very satisfyingly stocked with violence sarcasm, and girls in hotpants committing all manner of improbably spectacular theoretically reproducible violence while shouting obscenities. In other words "win".
Volume two in particular had this delightfully gratuitous bit of dreadfulness...
....Sawyer, the local corpse disposal expert who sidelines as an assasin is an implacable, mute, chainsaw wielding goth chick delivering her sinister one liners through an ultravoice.
I mean really....THAT is quality entertainment boys and girls!
When volume 3 came out I picked it up at once. I headed over to Allans house, we broke out the popcorn and popped the dvd in. Our reactions can be accurately summed up via the following illustration.
Holy hell that was merciless! We have finally discovered the point of diminishing returns in pathos, gratuity, and gutpunchery. Yikes!
The improbable story of 3 Americans and a Japanese Salaryman operating as a band of more or less ruthless modern day pirates out of northern Borneo is not happy or lighthearted in any way. It has, however been a perversely fun show, heavy on the action, snark, and over the top situations.
Volumes one and two of the second series had fallen into a pattern of one or two gruesome shows followed by a sad episode and then one or two shows very satisfyingly stocked with violence sarcasm, and girls in hotpants committing all manner of improbably spectacular theoretically reproducible violence while shouting obscenities. In other words "win".
Volume two in particular had this delightfully gratuitous bit of dreadfulness...
....Sawyer, the local corpse disposal expert who sidelines as an assasin is an implacable, mute, chainsaw wielding goth chick delivering her sinister one liners through an ultravoice.
I mean really....THAT is quality entertainment boys and girls!
When volume 3 came out I picked it up at once. I headed over to Allans house, we broke out the popcorn and popped the dvd in. Our reactions can be accurately summed up via the following illustration.
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November 04, 2008
It's Official...(Hail to the Chief!)
Congratulations! President Elect Obama!
Update: McCain has given one of the classier concession speeches ever.
more...
Update: McCain has given one of the classier concession speeches ever.
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Well That is Disapointing...
I am not convinced that we are not seeing a rehash of 2000 regards the early call of PA (which as I type this has been called with only 5% of the votes tallied and only urban areas reporting). However, that is indeed a long shot.
Barring a miracle, it appears that Barak Obama, an individual with virtually nil executive experience, and very disturbing economic and political views is going to be our president.
Lets say that again, our president.
He is the President of the United States in a trying and dangerous time and his obvious inadequacy for the job means he needs our support more than most.
On January 20th the weight of the world is going to be on this mans shoulders and he is going to have to deal with actual problems in real time, not through the comfortable filter of 20/20 hindsight. He will, as all presidents do, screw up occasionally (OK...a lot in his case). However, he is going to be our president, the captain of our team. We need to remember that and treat him with respect even as many of oppose him on the myriad issues on which he is likely to be wrong
"Gird yer loin's" kids. It's going to be a rough 4 years.
In the meantime, Brickmuppet Blog hereby assigns everybody homework.....
Actually read the Federalist Papers. Then get ready for 2010.
On the upside, we can certainly take as consolation the fact that after 221 years a man of color has finally been elected the president of this great nation. That is a historic moment and certainly cause for bipartisan nationwide celebration!
Barring a miracle, it appears that Barak Obama, an individual with virtually nil executive experience, and very disturbing economic and political views is going to be our president.
Lets say that again, our president.
He is the President of the United States in a trying and dangerous time and his obvious inadequacy for the job means he needs our support more than most.
On January 20th the weight of the world is going to be on this mans shoulders and he is going to have to deal with actual problems in real time, not through the comfortable filter of 20/20 hindsight. He will, as all presidents do, screw up occasionally (OK...a lot in his case). However, he is going to be our president, the captain of our team. We need to remember that and treat him with respect even as many of oppose him on the myriad issues on which he is likely to be wrong
"Gird yer loin's" kids. It's going to be a rough 4 years.
In the meantime, Brickmuppet Blog hereby assigns everybody homework.....
Actually read the Federalist Papers. Then get ready for 2010.
On the upside, we can certainly take as consolation the fact that after 221 years a man of color has finally been elected the president of this great nation. That is a historic moment and certainly cause for bipartisan nationwide celebration!
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VOTE! (Bumped)
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Tim Kaine's Home Court Advantage
I voted.
Being pressed for time, and a bit curious, decided to use the lonely, shunned touch-screen machine in the corner of the Palmer Elementary school gym.
The layout was....interesting.
The first screen has one choice in big bold letters
BARAK OBAMA
Now it is not at all clear from the first screen that there are any other choices, but, if you look closely, there is a "next" button. In order to see the other presidential candidates. One must click the little touch button marked "next"...which adjoins the "vote" field. If you do not fumble finger the vote/next field and vote for Barak Obama you are taken to the next screen the POTUS wannabe ghetto which contains the 4 other presidential candidates in smaller type.
The Senatorial and House fields are laid out the same as the mere non-Obama contenders.
As we have a secret ballot (until at least January 20th) I will leave you guessing ( yeah right) and refrain from disclosing my choices, except to say I voted for whom I intended.
This touch screen may be as bad as the butterfly butterfly ballots of Boca Raton.
12 hours & this horrid election will be over.
Now go vote...and stay away from the touch screen machines!
UPDATE: Well, I've left E-mails and comments with a couple of A and B list bloggers, and called the McCain-Palin fraud hotline (it was busy...which bodes ill I suppose )
Also called a local news channel (busy) and tried to use the "ureport" function on FOX...but it seems to have crashed. (update..successful )
This is, of course really, really small potatoes compared to the Black Panthers taking over the polls in Philly, but it's just sleazy and passive aggressive enough to have really pissed me off.
Being pressed for time, and a bit curious, decided to use the lonely, shunned touch-screen machine in the corner of the Palmer Elementary school gym.
The layout was....interesting.
The first screen has one choice in big bold letters
BARAK OBAMA
Now it is not at all clear from the first screen that there are any other choices, but, if you look closely, there is a "next" button. In order to see the other presidential candidates. One must click the little touch button marked "next"...which adjoins the "vote" field. If you do not fumble finger the vote/next field and vote for Barak Obama you are taken to the next screen the POTUS wannabe ghetto which contains the 4 other presidential candidates in smaller type.
The Senatorial and House fields are laid out the same as the mere non-Obama contenders.
As we have a secret ballot (until at least January 20th) I will leave you guessing ( yeah right) and refrain from disclosing my choices, except to say I voted for whom I intended.
This touch screen may be as bad as the butterfly butterfly ballots of Boca Raton.
12 hours & this horrid election will be over.
Now go vote...and stay away from the touch screen machines!
UPDATE: Well, I've left E-mails and comments with a couple of A and B list bloggers, and called the McCain-Palin fraud hotline (it was busy...which bodes ill I suppose )
Also called a local news channel (busy) and tried to use the "ureport" function on FOX...but it seems to have crashed. (update..successful )
This is, of course really, really small potatoes compared to the Black Panthers taking over the polls in Philly, but it's just sleazy and passive aggressive enough to have really pissed me off.
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November 03, 2008
Workboat Warships
Eagle One has a modest proposal.
Typically for him, it's also a dangerously sensible one, read the whole thing
Taking fast offshore workboats and crewboats and arming them as auxiliaries is a very reasonable idea. The vessels would serve the sort of niche the Royal Navy envisioned for the old Flower class corvettes of WW1. The broad cargo deck of the type of vessel he illustrates could handle secveral daughter craft or carry containerized disaster relief supplies.
As many of them are designed for oil rig supply and pollution response, they might make good cost effective tenders for the USCG too.....
Typically for him, it's also a dangerously sensible one, read the whole thing
Taking fast offshore workboats and crewboats and arming them as auxiliaries is a very reasonable idea. The vessels would serve the sort of niche the Royal Navy envisioned for the old Flower class corvettes of WW1. The broad cargo deck of the type of vessel he illustrates could handle secveral daughter craft or carry containerized disaster relief supplies.
As many of them are designed for oil rig supply and pollution response, they might make good cost effective tenders for the USCG too.....
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Well...Nice of them to Quietly State the Obvious Late on Election Eve!
Governor Palin has been cleared of ethics charges in the firing of that child abusing, poaching, drunken cop.
No doubt there will be extensive coverage on Wednesday.
(Asshats!)
No doubt there will be extensive coverage on Wednesday.
(Asshats!)
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The Romance of Space, Its Rationality and Some of its Fallacies
Returning from space after enduring a cosmic ray bombardment, one of
the 
Brickmuppet's crack team of science babes heads to medical to be
checked out for any...umm...side effects (oh dear) ...er, but not
before pointing to this interesting if utterly blasphemous post at Chizumatic.
In it Steven Den Beste takes up the Sagan argument, namely that we should not be sending people into space because exploration can be done much more safely and efficiently via robots.
I heartily agree that many, applications can be done better via robots, but I part ways with the assumption that that is the point.
To me the ultimate point of a space program is not exploration per se' but settlement. While it is easy to pooh-pooh the idea that we shouldn't put our eggs in one basket, the fact is that Earth is a small place in the great scheme of things. If we believe that there is any intrinsic value to humanity and its works then we should begin to decentralize our population. This is not an irrational view.
There are other reasons to go into space of course....
A society in the hostile environment of space is not likely to embrace luddism to any great extent as there will be no doubt that technology and its advancement is necessary to survival. (Even the most human friendly non-terrestrial environment in the Solar System....Titan...will require some serious technical skill to live on).
Frontiers are the birthplaces of liberty and innovation. Our own history here in the USA is a fine demonstration of that. Note that these 2 things, Liberty and innovation, are getting stymied world wide by expansive government regulation on one end and rising Islamic radicalism on the other.
Now a space colony is not likely to be the libertarian slackers paradise that some seem to think. Everyone will have to pull their weight and there will be a few things like smoking, serving natto and opening windows that will be disallowed with extreme prejudice. However, what regulation there is is likely to be practical and necessary as opposed to inane.
This last bit is speculative to be sure and is based in those most irrational of human traits hope and aspiration. However these qualities are intrinsic and necessary to Humanities survival...and they don't figure well into auto-cad.
What can be modeled empirically are the cold equations and they are not nearly as pessimistic as Mr. Den Beste suggests.....
It is true that launch costs are currently exorbitant, but that is due to a series of bad decisions dating from the early 70s. There is no reason that the cost of launching a person into space cannot come down dramatically in a decade or two.
A while back we posted a brief primer on how to get to space without using vaporware like space elevators or anything involving a long lost Tesla patent. Nothing there is terribly far fetched and most has been developed to one degree or another. The problem is misdirected priorities.
Getting to orbit is 3/4 of the battle. Once there the energy expenditures to get anywhere else are pretty modest.
As for long term survival and settlement, assuming that we are using nuclear power, there are places with enough metals, air and water to sustain us if we are clever. With no major breakthroughs necessary, Mars, Ganymede and Titan have everything we need to build large settlements and Titan is particularly benign due to its thick nitrogen atmosphere, which provides good radiation shielding as well as (obviously) nitrogen. There is nothing particularly far fetched about this. All that is lacking is will and money.
Note though that while the math has been pretty well worked out, and the hurdles are not nearly as difficult as they appear such an endeavor is not nearly as easy or as inevitable as some of the advocates assume.
But....
While we strongly disagree with Steven on the practicality and benefits of becoming a multi-planet species, he is right that there is a strong streak of religiosity to some of these space advocates...and not only can they get tedious, they can lobby for and get space programs to go into utterly counterproductive directions.
One of these is the idea that pushing space based solar power will open the stars to us all. Space solar power involves big solar collectors (about the surface area of Manhattan) gathering solar energy, converting it to microwaves and beaming it to big antenna farms on earth where it is converted into electricity. Now the reasoning goes that putting these heuge solar power satellites in orbit will solve all our energy needs and build a space infrastructure that will make manned exploration of the planets an incidental expense....
OK there are a few problems with this cunning plan....
Launch costs are currently ridiculous...(admittedly that is fixable, see above.)
Additionally, a space based solar power array is likely going to be built by robots.
Well this is about as useful for building a human friendly infrastructure as the current program. Assuming the launch costs are brought down THAT would help but this alone nixes a lot of the appeal that the program has to my fellow space cadets.
"But space solar power will solve all of our energy needs"
Alas no...while space based solar power is theoretically possible it is unlikely to ever be practical. Even given very cheap launch costs or the handwavium of a space elevator it is not going to be competitive with terrestrial power sources such as nuclear power. You have to build these things in GeoStationary orbit...which is pretty crowded and more expensive to get to than the moon.
You have to maintain them on station and repair meteorite damage.
Geostationary orbit is a high radiation area and degrades solar panels so the satellites must be replaced regularly.
Station keeping is a hurdle I've never seen dealt with in the literature. Peter Glasser's baseline SPS designs have the area of Manhattan and the mass of a battleship...the broad face must be pointed toward the sun. This light structure has huge sail area and little mass. What you have is a big, expensive and inefficient solar sail. (Space exploration bonus...hitch a ride to L-5
)
Then there is the environmental impact statement necessary for beaming microwave radiation into an area the size of the National Mall at orders of magnitude the intensity allowed for human exposure. The idiot Luddites currently frenzy over power lines...a rectenna array will get their knickers in a wad and their lawyers rich to be sure. Finally one problem with a rectenna array.....the microwaves will interfere with regular WiFi and cell transmissions...not part of the equation in the 60's and 70's when these were proposed.
This does not even look into the wisdom of putting the nation energy infrastructure in one very fragile exposed basket in geostationary orbit. A basket that a few ASAT devices could smite with little trouble.
SPS arrays are not he key to space or energy independence. To the contrary they are most unhelpful and a waste of time, rescources and mental capital.
And I say that as somebody who would move off planet in a heartbeat and considers that only slightly far-fetched....
UPDATE: Space elevators are frequently brought up as a solution to all things spacey. They certainly have potential in theory but there are sufficient hurdles that we should continue development of reusable rocketry. Now everybody's favorite killjoy has a long, informative post explaining why even assuming we get needed breakthroughs in materials, they are not entirely straightforward in their execution.
No source available for astronekonaut
Brickmuppet's crack team of science babes heads to medical to be
checked out for any...umm...side effects (oh dear) ...er, but not
before pointing to this interesting if utterly blasphemous post at Chizumatic.In it Steven Den Beste takes up the Sagan argument, namely that we should not be sending people into space because exploration can be done much more safely and efficiently via robots.
I heartily agree that many, applications can be done better via robots, but I part ways with the assumption that that is the point.
To me the ultimate point of a space program is not exploration per se' but settlement. While it is easy to pooh-pooh the idea that we shouldn't put our eggs in one basket, the fact is that Earth is a small place in the great scheme of things. If we believe that there is any intrinsic value to humanity and its works then we should begin to decentralize our population. This is not an irrational view.
There are other reasons to go into space of course....
A society in the hostile environment of space is not likely to embrace luddism to any great extent as there will be no doubt that technology and its advancement is necessary to survival. (Even the most human friendly non-terrestrial environment in the Solar System....Titan...will require some serious technical skill to live on).
Frontiers are the birthplaces of liberty and innovation. Our own history here in the USA is a fine demonstration of that. Note that these 2 things, Liberty and innovation, are getting stymied world wide by expansive government regulation on one end and rising Islamic radicalism on the other.
Now a space colony is not likely to be the libertarian slackers paradise that some seem to think. Everyone will have to pull their weight and there will be a few things like smoking, serving natto and opening windows that will be disallowed with extreme prejudice. However, what regulation there is is likely to be practical and necessary as opposed to inane.
This last bit is speculative to be sure and is based in those most irrational of human traits hope and aspiration. However these qualities are intrinsic and necessary to Humanities survival...and they don't figure well into auto-cad.
What can be modeled empirically are the cold equations and they are not nearly as pessimistic as Mr. Den Beste suggests.....
It is true that launch costs are currently exorbitant, but that is due to a series of bad decisions dating from the early 70s. There is no reason that the cost of launching a person into space cannot come down dramatically in a decade or two.
A while back we posted a brief primer on how to get to space without using vaporware like space elevators or anything involving a long lost Tesla patent. Nothing there is terribly far fetched and most has been developed to one degree or another. The problem is misdirected priorities.
Getting to orbit is 3/4 of the battle. Once there the energy expenditures to get anywhere else are pretty modest.
As for long term survival and settlement, assuming that we are using nuclear power, there are places with enough metals, air and water to sustain us if we are clever. With no major breakthroughs necessary, Mars, Ganymede and Titan have everything we need to build large settlements and Titan is particularly benign due to its thick nitrogen atmosphere, which provides good radiation shielding as well as (obviously) nitrogen. There is nothing particularly far fetched about this. All that is lacking is will and money.
Note though that while the math has been pretty well worked out, and the hurdles are not nearly as difficult as they appear such an endeavor is not nearly as easy or as inevitable as some of the advocates assume.
But....
While we strongly disagree with Steven on the practicality and benefits of becoming a multi-planet species, he is right that there is a strong streak of religiosity to some of these space advocates...and not only can they get tedious, they can lobby for and get space programs to go into utterly counterproductive directions.
One of these is the idea that pushing space based solar power will open the stars to us all. Space solar power involves big solar collectors (about the surface area of Manhattan) gathering solar energy, converting it to microwaves and beaming it to big antenna farms on earth where it is converted into electricity. Now the reasoning goes that putting these heuge solar power satellites in orbit will solve all our energy needs and build a space infrastructure that will make manned exploration of the planets an incidental expense....
OK there are a few problems with this cunning plan....
Launch costs are currently ridiculous...(admittedly that is fixable, see above.)
Additionally, a space based solar power array is likely going to be built by robots.
Well this is about as useful for building a human friendly infrastructure as the current program. Assuming the launch costs are brought down THAT would help but this alone nixes a lot of the appeal that the program has to my fellow space cadets.
"But space solar power will solve all of our energy needs"
Alas no...while space based solar power is theoretically possible it is unlikely to ever be practical. Even given very cheap launch costs or the handwavium of a space elevator it is not going to be competitive with terrestrial power sources such as nuclear power. You have to build these things in GeoStationary orbit...which is pretty crowded and more expensive to get to than the moon.
You have to maintain them on station and repair meteorite damage.
Geostationary orbit is a high radiation area and degrades solar panels so the satellites must be replaced regularly.
Station keeping is a hurdle I've never seen dealt with in the literature. Peter Glasser's baseline SPS designs have the area of Manhattan and the mass of a battleship...the broad face must be pointed toward the sun. This light structure has huge sail area and little mass. What you have is a big, expensive and inefficient solar sail. (Space exploration bonus...hitch a ride to L-5
)Then there is the environmental impact statement necessary for beaming microwave radiation into an area the size of the National Mall at orders of magnitude the intensity allowed for human exposure. The idiot Luddites currently frenzy over power lines...a rectenna array will get their knickers in a wad and their lawyers rich to be sure. Finally one problem with a rectenna array.....the microwaves will interfere with regular WiFi and cell transmissions...not part of the equation in the 60's and 70's when these were proposed.
This does not even look into the wisdom of putting the nation energy infrastructure in one very fragile exposed basket in geostationary orbit. A basket that a few ASAT devices could smite with little trouble.
SPS arrays are not he key to space or energy independence. To the contrary they are most unhelpful and a waste of time, rescources and mental capital.
And I say that as somebody who would move off planet in a heartbeat and considers that only slightly far-fetched....
UPDATE: Space elevators are frequently brought up as a solution to all things spacey. They certainly have potential in theory but there are sufficient hurdles that we should continue development of reusable rocketry. Now everybody's favorite killjoy has a long, informative post explaining why even assuming we get needed breakthroughs in materials, they are not entirely straightforward in their execution.
No source available for astronekonaut
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Condolances to Senator Obama on His Loss
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November 02, 2008
A Few Quick Closing Points
Day after tomorrow the election will be held. Silly season will be over.
There is very little to cover that hasn't been said already. For those who still look at me like I've grown a third eye, then point and screech when they find out who I'm not voting for I suggest looking in the politix category .
There are a few points of interest concerning recent news.....
more...
Day after tomorrow the election will be held. Silly season will be over.
There is very little to cover that hasn't been said already. For those who still look at me like I've grown a third eye, then point and screech when they find out who I'm not voting for I suggest looking in the politix category .
There are a few points of interest concerning recent news.....
more...
Posted by: The Brickmuppet at
11:24 PM
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