JAMES FALLOWS ON why your flight is so late.

THE WAR AND STEALTH FUNDING: Bob Owens has thoughts that go beyond the undisclosed Soros influence. I have to say, though, that if the NRA funded a study on gun violence, the news media would tend to stress that aspect, along with pointing out obvious flaws in the study. They might even point out if it was designed to give political cover to the candidates of one political party in an election year . . . .

FROM DALE AMON: A roundup of developments in the commercial space business.

CHRISTIAN-NEWSOM UPDATE: Delays expected in Christian-Newsom carjacking trials.

ZIMBABWE ON THE CARIBBEAN: “Venezuela has more oil than than on the rubber sheets at a ’70s swinger party, but they can’t manage to keep foodstuffs on the shelves. Sad. Predictable, but sad.”

POLITICAL CORRECTNESS produces absurdities at Brandeis.

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’S HEALTH PROPOSAL: On the ropes?

FROM BECKY JACOBS: Brazil’s Agricultural Trade War: Success and Failure on the Southern Route to Antarctica.

Very interesting, but probably won’t be quite as big a hit as the piece on P.M.S.

LET WOMEN SKI JUMP IN THE 2010 OLYMPICS: A petition from my ski-jumping cousin, Karla Keck. I can’t believe the Olympic folks are still dragging their feet on this. More background here.

UPDATE: Here’s a picture of Karla, jumping. (Bumped to top).

FROM THE ANNALS OF BAD TIMING: “Fred Would Have Picked Up All 47 of Louisiana’s Delegates Had He Not Dropped Out?”

MOON WAR! Dissent Grows as Scientists Oppose NASA’s New Moon Mission.

UH OH: “The world’s rush to embrace biofuels is causing a spike in the price of corn and other crops and could worsen water shortages and force poor communities off their land, a U.N. official said Wednesday.” Cellulosic ethanol, and methanol from biowaste, etc., can do some good. Corn-based ethanol is a lousy idea.

ARNOLD KLING REVIEWS Jonah Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism. Which is still in the Amazon top 10.

JACK LAIL: “The departure of Jim O’Shea from the L.A. Times shouldn’t be construed as fighting the gallant battle for journalism. It was the battle for status quo and business as usual.”

RANKING THE ONLINE COLLEGES. Like most rankings, I’d take this with a grain of salt, but it’s interesting that people are paying more attention.

“COMBATIVE SOUND-BITE POLITICS:” Not so bad?

A ROUNDUP OF science fiction and fantasy links.

AMITY SHLAES: Bernanke should be worring about inflation, not deflation.

MONEYBALL COMES TO LEGAL ACADEMIA: NYU Pays $4.2m for Condo to Lure Columbia Prof.

THE RAINBOW COALITION EVAPORATES? “Black anger grows as illegal immigrants transform urban neighborhoods.” Judging by the photo, at least some of them need a man-bra. Excuse me, I mean a mansiere. “A bra is for ladies. I’m talking about a support undergarment specifically designed for men.”

TED FRANK ON Enron, “extortion,” and the Supreme Court.

TEENAGER BUILDS HIS OWN electric pickup truck. Plus, plug-in Porsche 914s.

SPACE TOURISM UPDATE: “The Virgin Galactic spacecraft, which was being unveiled in New York today, is already under construction. Test flights are expected to begin in June, with commercial flights starting 12 months later.” Bring it on!

And here’s more on the unveiling.

A LOOK AT next-generation military choppers, and more.

THE NEW YORK OBSERVER endorses Obama over Hillary.