Author Archives: Bok
Come Fly With Musk
We depend on Russia to launch our astronauts into space at $70 million a pop.
Here’s The Wire in The Atlantic back in 2014:
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden voiced his concern, saying it would be better if the U.S. could launch its own astronauts to space. Because, who knows, it might turn out the Russians are trying to rig our elections.
Just kidding. He actually said, “we might enter into a Cold War-style territorial dispute with Russian President Vladimir Putin and want to be able to credibly pose a financial threat.”
Come Fly With Musk
But maybe America is getting its space mojo back thanks entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and his SpaceX program. Here’s BBC video of the launch of his Falcon Heavy Rocket earlier this month. And the release of its payload – a red Tesla Roadster headed for Mars piloted by a mannequin named Starman.
You can track Starman here.
Professional School Shooter
A Wall Street Journal story says the FBI failed to follow up on a tip that Nikolas Cruz was a dangerous threat to others.
On Jan. 5, the FBI received a call on a tip line from a person close to Nikolas Cruz, the 19-year-old charged in this week’s shooting, the bureau said in a statement on Friday. The caller provided information on “Cruz’s gun ownership, desire to kill people, erratic behavior and disturbing social-media posts, as well as the potential of him conducting a school shooting,” the FBI said.
The FBI said the information should have been assessed as a possible “threat to life” but “no further investigation was conducted.”
Professional School Shooter
BuzzFeed reports that last September a Mississippi bail bondsman named Ben Bennight tipped the FBI to a disturbing YouTube post by a Nikolas Cruz. The post said “I’m going to be a professional school shooter.” The FBI followed up with a visit to Bennight’s office but he had no further information. At a press conference after the shooting the Bureau said it “could not uncover any details from the account.”
Florida Governor Rick Scott called for FBI Director Christopher Ray to step down.
The End is Coming
Republicans pushed through a pro growth tax cut. But then they passed a budget full of deficit spending. On Face the Nation Rand Paul called his party hypocritical.
The End is Coming
Kevin Williamson at National Review calls Senator Paul “fantastically bitchy.”
But he also says “the end is coming.”
North Korean Cheerleaders
North Korea brought 229 famous but mysterious cheerleaders to the winter Olympics. But the biggest North Korean cheerleaders were to be found in the American media.
They fawned over Kim Yo Jong, a sibling Kim Jong Un did not have murdered. She works in North Korea’s propaganda department.
North Korean Cheerleaders
The media obsession was too much for BuzzFeed. It wants to know “what the hell is wrong with you people?”
Amtrak
Timing is everything. Last year was the safest ever for airlines. There were no fatalities worldwide. Unfortunately that ended yesterday when a Russian airliner went down outside Moscow killing all 71 aboard.
I drew this cartoon on Friday with the train wreck involving a load of congressmen and a truck in mind. One truck passenger died in that mishap. So far this year there have also been fatal Amtrak wrecks in South Carolina and Washington state.
