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I find it rather funny that Bush Sr. and Cheney, who as republicans, are touted as champions of the defense industry, actually killed the industry, except for a very brief period during the Gulf War. 

This is close to home, because Grumman was founded a few miles from my house, and 35,000 people lost their jobs directly in that plant as a result of cheney cancelling contracts that the company was promised.

the war on iraq will do very little for the defense industry.  the aerospace industry will die if we dont move it into space.  All our defense industry does now is make spare parts, but very little new hardware.  we build about 10-20 new combat planes a year, and thats a high estimate.

When people point how you twist things around and avoid questions, you get hostile.

Whether you are 13 or 50, your know-it-all attitude is annoying.  It seems you've become less and less receptive to being told youre wrong.

Caltech, the average american drinks.  you think people who drink, including me (im no alcoholic, but i drink occasionally), drink because we like how beer tastes?

the simpsons is actually a brilliant plot.  its the average american family (2 1/2 kids: 2 kids+baby, average worker, alcoholic, springfield, there are like 15 springfields in the US).  Its no coincidence that homer is an alcoholic.

Who's asking you to take any hit?  Youre sounding more like a martyr every day. 

Stop dramatizing what people say.

I think he meant he doesnt really expect global warming to occur to that degree in our lifetimes.

But I havent seen him on the board for a while, anyone know where shaun is?

RLV research funding went up $300 million this year.  perhaps an SSTO by years end?

I don't think so.  I think the economy is near its bottom point.  With unemployment up, cheap labor is easier to find.  with cheap labor, more can be accomplished by companies, who begin to make a profit again, allowing for more work, etc.

i think we're almost out of the recession...by the next presidential election, unless bush hurts us with some stupid act.

but back on the topic.  what do you think we should do with our space program, josh?

if the thing could work, i would have no problem with it.  whats wrong with defense?  but i dont think it can work, so the simple economics of it makes me angry.

i like horizontal spaceplanes because they could replace airplanes.  theres no need to limit them to maximum payloads, because they could go into orbit on their way to say, tokyo, drop off their payload, and drop more people off.  they would always have a maximum payload of mail, passengers, etc.  and they could use existing runways.

the economy goes in cycles.  the 10 year boom we had after the Gulf War was almost bad, because it causes a prolonged bear economy.  It will go back up again, it always has.

there are some good monopolies.  telephone for example.  theres a reason europes cell network is 1000x better than the US's.  in some instances, regulated cable.  too many cable lines is bad.

regulated power.  no need for 15 different power lines. 

transportation-20 different transcontinental railroad companies would be dumb.  again, regulated monopoly.

There are certain monopolies that make sense for efficiency, and are good if regulated well.

i saw 

cool, now theoretically, warping gravity could allow us to go really really fast!

the miners would have little leverage.  there would always be other equipment, more could be had from earth, the town could cut them off from access to markets for their goods, and find another mountain to mine.