"Won't You Blog About This Song?"

You betcha.

Up, Up and Away in My Beautiful Space Elevator

Building such an enormous structure would probably require treaty-level negotiations with the international community, for example. A $10 billion price tag, however, isn't really extraordinary in the economics of space exploration. NASA's budget is about $15 billion a year, and a single shuttle launch costs about half a billion dollars.

I want one of these, I really, really do, but the U.S. government couldn't buy a Coke for that much money, and "probably require treaty-level negotiations with the international community?" Statements like those make the whole thing look much more improbable than anything to do with the science. And, what happens if it falls down?! But I still really want one. A lot. Did you see the pictures? I want one.

Dukakis Looked Better

November 1st Pic of the Day. For comparison purposes, the governor in a tank.

European Emotions

“Europe was not as outraged by Auschwitz as by Guantanamo Bay”

Well, of course not. The proper European reaction to Auschwitz isn't outrage, it's shame. It's no wonder the Europeans choose to focus on US "outrages," they have to distract themselves from what would otherwise be a crippling sense of their own heinous moral failing. Good on Tom Lantos for calling them on it.

Fred on Healthcare

The former U.S. Senator from Tennessee talks sense:

A lot of people don’t seem to have noticed but, in recent years, the grand experiments in bureaucratic medicine are coming apart at the seams. Nearest home, it was the Canadian Health Care system that lost its luster. Despite paying nearly half their incomes in taxes, and as much as 40 percent of each tax dollar on health care, many Canadian experts have recognized that their health care system’s in a state of crisis.

Now, top officials of the British National Health Service, often held out as an example of the kind of socialized medicine America should adopt, have acknowledged that they have similar problems. One in eight National Health Service hospital patients has to wait more than a year for treatment. Thirty percent wait more than 30 weeks. The poorest Americans are getting far better service than that.

The Mama's own experience with the British NHS has been horrible. My grandmother, then in her late 70's, was hospitalized after a bad fall requiring surgery. I tried to call her to cheer her up. When I reached the nurses station on her floor I was told I couldn't talk to her.

"Why not?"

"Because she isn't in a room."

"You mean she went home?"

"No. We're a bit crowded here. We had to put her in the passageway."

"The what?"

"Between the rooms."

"In a bed?"

"Well of course. What else would she be in?"

"Why can't I speak to her?"

"There's no phone out there."

"Can't you take it over to her?"

"It won't reach."

"When will she be in a room?"

"Not likely she will be. It's very crowded here."

Naturally, she developed a post-surgical infection while in the hospital. Other family experiences with the NHS have been just as bad. In fact, except for childbirth, I don't think there has been a good experience.

If we are too quick to litigate here, and we are, being reasonably free from litigation has done nothing to improve bedside manners or service of healthcare providers in the UK.

And for those who think the Canadian system would be better than what we have, here's a link found in Fred's comments: http://www.onthefencefilms.com/video/deadmeat/ Watch the whole thing.

The Daughter Is An Adult!

Well, she's 18 and can vote now, which is sorta like being an adult. In honor of this momentous occasion, I've added Fred Thompson's fund raising link. So far, Fred's the only candidate who doesn't give me that "yeah, but..." feeling. Fred on immigration:

"No matter how much lipstick Washington tries to slap onto this legislative pig, it’s not going to win any beauty contests. … We should scrap this "comprehensive" immigration bill until the government can show the American people that we have secured the borders -- or at least made great headway."

Son of a Geek

And a righty in the music business. Glenn and Helen have a podcast with the Anti-Dixie Chick, John Ondrasik (Five For Fighting). Listen, then go and make a video for his new charity, What Kind of World Do You Want?

You Want More Trees? Waste More Paper

This one's just for The Daddy -- Charles Johnson links to Penn and Teller's show on recycling.