THIS WEEK’S CARNIVAL OF CORDITE is up. If you’re interested in gun-blogging, don’t miss it.

A STEP FORWARD FOR SPACE ELEVATOR TECHNOLOGY:

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Borrowing a page from the playbook for the X Prize spaceship competition, NASA has set aside $400,000 over the next two years for competitions to encourage the development of wireless power transmission systems and super-strong tethers.

The Beam Power Challenge and the Tether Challenge, announced here Wednesday, are the first two of NASA’s Centennial Challenges, which aim to provide incentives for technological achievements that could be applied to future space exploration.

Although the space agency will put up the prize money, the contests will be administered by the Spaceward Foundation, a California-based group that started planning the contests last year.

Power-beaming technology looks good, too. Solar Power Satellites look a lot better when you’re thinking of hydrogen cars, and when oil is over fifty bucks a barrel. I’m also happy to see NASA taking the prize approach, too.

MORE ON THE TAIWAN PROTESTS HERE.

UPDATE: Robert Mayer sends a link to this very cool panoramic photo of the protests.

Meanwhile, they’re coming down hard on protesters in Belarus.

ACTING LIKE THE LEFT, CONT’D: Donald Sensing is getting flamed over the Schiavo matter:

Some of you have questioned whether I am truly Christian because of my position on the Terri Schiavo case. This speaks volumes because it is not I or my ideological allies who are casting people into the outer darkness because they disagree. The speed at which some of you have reached to condemn me – in the most literal way, since as a not-true-Christian I am obviously Hellbound – reveals much more about your spiritual condition than mine.

Likewise, I’ve gotten some email from people who are actually angry at me for having the temerity to disagree with Hugh Hewitt (an anger that Hugh certainly doesn’t share). We’ve seen what the you’re-the-enemy-if-you-don’t-agree-with-me-on-everything approach has done for the left. It’s disappointing to see people on the right imitating it. But read this post by Dan Riehl for evidence that it doesn’t have to be that way.

UPDATE: Jeff Goldstein thinks that this will actually make it harder for Bush on the judicial confirmation front. I’m not sure.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Charles Johnson has comments.

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: So does Michele Catalano.

And it’s worth reading this Terri Schiavo FAQ from Football Fans for Truth (no lefty front group!), which suggests that an awful lot of things people have been saying about the case are, well, wrong. And read this, too:

Courts, however, rely on facts. Facts are determined by a predetermined process. In this case, the process has gone on for a very long time. Both sides have had every opportunity to have their say on several occasions. Independent factfinders and physicians have made their reports. Several courts have upheld Judge Greer’s rulings, including one in which the appellate court reviewed all the evidence. The end result of this long process are several factual determinations: Terri Schiavo is in a persistent vegetative state, she would not want to live in this condition, and Michael Schiavo has given his wife excellent care.

But this isn’t enough for Last. He goes into classic “Free Mumia” mode, declaring that these factual determinations are “tyranny by other means”. Much like Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover with Mumia, Last declares that to defer to the judicial process is to defer to “an imperfect system implemented by imperfect men.”

Free Mumia! Yeah, that’s pretty much the flavor of it.

MORE: Reader Charles Rutt emails:

While I agree that the Schiavo case has been handled by the courts in a way that is at least competent, it is the true innocence of this victim that arouses the passion of so many of her supporters. Mumia killed a policeman and was convicted. Terri Schiavo’s husband wants to end her life for what seem to be suspicious reasons. There is no written accounting of her wishes, her parents have said they would take care of her and release him from any responsibility, there is some money involved (to be honest there are so many “set the record straight” articles circulating.I’m not sure there truly is any money involved), and there are curious associations Mr. Schiavo’s lawyer seems to have with some strange “right to death” groups. I am not trying to convince you of the merits of the Schiavo case or that her supporters are right, but it comparing it and them to the “Free Mumia” crowd is borderline insulting.

That said, I enjoy what you do and really enjoy when you share your thoughts in depth.

Well, the “Free Mumia” comparison only applies to the unwillingness of some commentators to look at the actual record, and the willingness to posit a huge and implausible conspiracy on the part of numerous judges, attorneys, etc. (And Schiavo-partisan Randall Terry is just Al Sharpton with an inferior tailor. At best.). But the point is taken, and I apologize for any suggestion that the cases are otherwise comparable, because of course they’re not. There’s nothing tragic about what happened to Mumia.

I DIDN’T NOTICE AT THE TIME, but InstaPundit had its hundred millionth pageview a couple of days ago. Actually, it was a while longer ago than that, as this counter only went on when the site moved off blogspot, but it still seems like some sort of a milestone.

UPDATE: Reader John MacDonald jokes: “Yeah, but let us know when it’s a hundred million a day.” Just a dollar a pageview, that’s all I ask . . . .

ANOTHER UPDATE: Yes, I would actually settle for a penny per pageview.

ANN ALTHOUSE RESPONDS to Hugh Hewitt.

ROGER SIMON SAYS “BRAVO!” to Taiwan’s independence marches.

THE INSURGENTS’ “EXIT STRATEGY?” Turning in Zarqawi.

IF YOU’RE WATCHING THE TUBE TONIGHT, an episode of A&E’s City Confidential focuses on the same Lillelid murders that the Insta-Wife’s documentary addressed — she actually worked with them a good bit, and they used some of her footage, too.

YESTERDAY’S RAZORBLOGGING produced a surprising amount of email. First, several readers happily assured me that I’d love the razor that I meant to buy. Yeah, I actually own one, and it’s quite good. (Just worn out).

Several readers wanted to know what razor I bought by mistake. Hunting around, I found it on Amazon, and it’s this one. Note the strong resemblance.

A buyer from Target asked how I liked the knock-off. My response: It sucks. Or, more accurately, it plucks, rather than cutting, often enough that I quit using it and went back to the old one. I just ordered the Norelco from Amazon; the other one will go back to Target next time I’m there.

UPDATE: Lots of razor-mail, too. A reader named “Will” (no last name) recommends this rather pricey setup, saying: “I’ve tried many electrics, this is the best for me. Better than the three-head Norelco.” But is my face worth that much money? No need to respond; I think I know the answer . . . .

Reader Dart Montgomery emails: “Razor trivia – straight razors cut hair evenly, while electric razors act like shredders and leave the end of the hair follicle with a ragged edge. Of no practical importance that I’m aware of, but makes me glad I use a straight razor. :)”

You’re a brave man, Dart Montgomery, if you mean one of these lethal implements.. Or do you just mean a blade? Perry Eidelbus thinks that’s the way to go:

While stationed in Panama during World War II, my father won an electric shaver in a raffle. I believe it was a Remington, which wouldn’t be surprising
considering how bad it was. He said it would “jump” at him, and it just wasn’t a good shave.

He used blades for the rest of his life. He and I generally favored Sensor Excels.

I seem to alternate, on no fixed pattern, between electric and blades. [LATER: “Pricey setup” link above was bad; fixed now.]

ANOTHER UPDATE: The email is pouring in. Reader Christopher Hagin emails:

As a former straight-razor user, I’d just like to say that straight-razors are very overrated. They are undeniably glamourous (as the cult of straight-razors attests), but they don’t give you as close a shave as modern cartridge blades. If you are prone to ingrown hairs, as are many black men, straight-razors are good because they do not cut the hair as closely as modern blades. In an emergency I once used a cheap disposable-it shaved as well as the straight-razor. I believe that the difference is the little rubber microfins you find on modern blades. Instead of a marketing gimmick, it seems IMHO that they actually make a big difference.

Go figure. Of course, if you want to be retro, but not that retro, Countertop Chronicles recommends the Shick Injector. Reader Mark Hessey likes the M3Power Razor:

It’s the best shave I’ve found. I guess, because it has an AAA battery that it’s hybrid blade/electric. They’re still overcharging for the blades as the volume goes up, but the less expensive blades for their previous models fit this one with no discernable difference in performance.

Well, hybrids are stylish this year! But reader David Needham wonders why we’re wasting our time in front of the mirror:

I decided some years ago that since

a.) my wife frequently commented on the beard I had when we met and married (and how much she liked it) and

b.) I dislike the process of scraping my face anyway

that I’d just grow it and trim it with the same clippers/scissors/razor combo I use to cut my own hair. (Yeh, I also decided some years ago that griping about the loon that butchered my hair would be better directed at the loon in the mirror.)

Noticeably warmer in winter. Extra care keeping clean in summer (sweat & dirt from yard work–more care than bare face).

Added benefit? I get to shave it once a year for my April 15 “National Day of Mourning” ritual. (I keep hoping that holiday will catch on… )

Added benefit #2? I buy about 4 disposable razors a year.

Problem? My beard is MUCH grayer than anything else. On second thought, not so much of a problem…

My brothers both do the facial-hair thing, but I’ve always been clean-shaven. I’ve considered a beard, but never enough to grow one.

MORE: Reader Michael Kim emails: “Don’t overlook Panasonic. I have tried them all, from Braun to Grundig. Panasonic is by far the best. Various models priced from less than $100 to $200. I think this is the top of the line.” At that price, it ought to be.

Donald Sensing emails with similar sentiments:

Glenn, I used for a long time a Panasonic Wet-Dry electric razor. Magnificent shave, best I’ve ever had. I smeared shaving cream all over my face just as if I was using a blade razor, and the Panasonic shaved more comfortably and closer than anything I’ve ever used, including the M3 Power Razor I’ve been using lately. Rinsed the Panasonic under running water, too.

Anyone transitioning to an electric of any kind needs to remember that it will take 1-2 weeks to achieve maximum comfort and closeness. I don’t know why, but all three electric razor’s I’ve owned said so in their manuals, and they were right.

It’s true. Michael Demmons, meanwhile, says to stick with a blade if you can:

Men, in general, always had smoother skin when they became older because they shaved with a blade. What do you need when you shave with a blade? You need cream. Where does that cream go? On your face, obviously. What’s in the cream? Moisturizers. Since men have largely stopped using blades, they’re now as wrinkled up as old ladies are, when they never were in the old days!!

Interestingly, my grandmother has made that claim for years.

STILL MORE: Michael Ubaldi hasn’t had enough razorblogging: “Don’t end the discussion there – these are serious matters. Canister cream or soap and brush?”

I favor Barbasol menthol when I’m using a blade. Nice and cool. But it’s gone out of style.

Fraters Libertas is claiming primacy: “We were razorblogging before razorblogging was cool.”

MORE STILL: Kevin Menard emails:

If you’re still razorblogging…

I used all three but 10 years ago grew a beard and stay with that. I use a straight razor to trim around the edges because the longer edge gives a neater appearance, but it does not shave as close as a modern cartridge does (or a modern electric). You got to sharpen the sucker about once a year too. . . .

I imagine so. Douglas McIntosh, meanwhile, thinks that shaving cream is for sissies:

I shave in the shower with shampoo. Prell conditioned shampoo. Gives me a closer shave than with any cream I have ever used. Plus, I can shave in the shower.

Not with a straight razor, I trust.

THREE MONTHS LATER: Arthur Chrenkoff has a huge roundup of post-tsunami news.

A BIRD FLU VACCINE is being tested. Let’s hope it works; I have a feeling we may need it.

DEFENSE TRANSFORMATION: Interesting look at the Navy’s reorganization. “For some time since this war started I have been saying that given the Cold War deployment schedules we would need at least two and possibly three more CBGs (Carrier Battle Groups). Well we have them without increasing the size of our Navy.” The price is a higher maintenance load.

MORE ON BELARUS, HERE.

HUGE PRO-INDEPENDENCE PROTESTS IN TAIWAN: This won’t play well with the Chinese.

UPDATE: Tom Maguire emails:

On Taiwan, I am just thinking of Lucy Liu, and realizing that Taiwan will be unstoppable if they play the “protest babe” card.

Is it OK for me to be deeply sympathetic and deeply scared?

OTOH, their problem with Taiwan may become our opportunity with No Korea –they help us, we help them…

Condi had *really* better get this one right.

Indeed.

TODAY WAS NORMAN BORLAUG’S 91ST BIRTHDAY: As the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize who probably did the most good, and who probably gets the least credit therefor, he deserves the tribute that Jay Solo posted. Gregg Easterbrook’s excellent article on Borlaug has been moved behind The Atlantic’s subscriber wall, but you can read this article for a sense of his accomplishments.

UPDATE: You can read the Easterbrook article for free here.

WOMEN IN COMBAT: They seem to be doing pretty well at it, judging by this after-action report reproduced by Blackfive. Most amusingly, the insurgents were videoing the raid, and the captured video is available. Perhaps we can offer it to Al Jazeera.

UPDATE: After reading that after-action report, it’s hard to take this column by Jed Babbin very seriously. He’s fighting the last war; the women in the report are winning the current one.

BAD NEWS FROM BELARUS:

Belarusian demonstrators tried to rally outside the office of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko on Friday to demand his ouster in a self-declared attempt to emulate a popular uprising in Kyrgyzstan, but they were beaten back by riot police swinging truncheons.

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, harshly assailed the Kyrgyz opposition, warning that protests that drove longtime leader Askar Akayev from power this week could destabilize the entire region.

Lukashenko, who has largely retained the Soviet system and hasn’t changed the name of the KGB in his country of 10 million, has stifled dissent, persecuted independent media and opposition parties, and prolonged his power through elections that international organizations say were marred by fraud.

He’s not going to go easily.

UPDATE: As one of Daniel Drezner’s commenters noted, “not enough hot chicks.”

Yeah, if Salma Hayek had been protesting, things would have been different. And Dan would have had many, many posts.

BILL QUICK seems to have decided that it may be worth trying to salvage the Democratic Party after all.

“IRAQ’S INSURGENTS SEEK EXIT STRATEGY:” Heh. Indeed.

DEMONSTRATIONS TAKING PLACE “ALL OVER IRAN?” Reports of this sort of thing have tended to be overoptimistic in the past, but this bears watching. I certainly hope it’s true.

WHAT’S NEXT IN THE ‘STANS? Gateway Pundit looks at how events in Kyrgyzstan are playing in neighboring regions.

MIKE KREMPASKY finds an earlier draft of the FEC regulatory proposal for the Internet, and concludes that Brad Smith is owed an apology.

I APPRECIATE Andrew Sullivan’s quoting me, but he’s wrong: Unlike Andrew, I don’t think that America is in danger of being taken over by religious Zealots, constituting an American Taliban and bent on establishing theocracy. I think that — despite their occasionally abusive emails (and most aren’t abusive, just upset) — the people that Mickey Kaus is calling “pro-tubists” are well-meaning, sincere, and possessed of an earnest desire to do good. I don’t think that they’re nascent Mullah Omars, and I think that calling them that just makes the problem worse. This is a tragedy, and it’s become a circus. Name-calling just makes you one of the clowns.

But I do think that process, and the Constitution, matter. Trampling the Constitution in an earnest desire to do good in high-profile cases has been a hallmark of a certain sort of liberalism, and it’s the sort of thing that I thought conservatives eschewed. If I were in charge of making the decision, I might well put the tube back and turn Terri Schiavo over to her family. But I’m not, and the Florida courts are, and they seem to have done a conscientious job. Maybe they came to the right decision, and maybe they didn’t. But respecting their role in the system, and not rushing to overturn all the rules because we don’t like the outcome, seems to me to be part of being a member of civilized society rather than a mob. As I say, I thought conservatives knew this.

UPDATE: I very strongly recommend this post by Donald Sensing, who doesn’t sound like one of the American Taliban to me.

ANOTHER UPDATE: More evidence of why this process stuff matters:

MIAMI – Hours after a judge ordered that Terri Schiavo wasn’t to be removed from her hospice, a team of Florida law enforcement agents were en route to seize her and have her feeding tube reinserted – but they stopped short when local police told them they would enforce the judge’s order, The Miami Herald has learned. . . .

For a brief period, local police, who have officers around the hospice to keep protesters out, prepared for what sources called a showdown.

In the end, the state agents and the Department of Children and Families backed down, apparently concerned about confronting local police outside the hospice.

It’s good that things didn’t escalate as they might have. Shooting matches between different law-enforcement agencies are real banana-republic stuff, and that’s what you get when you ignore the rules.

THIS WEEK’S CARNIVAL OF THE RECIPES IS UP! Enjoy it!