The John Batchelor Show

Wednesday 29 August 2012

Air Date: 
August 29, 2012

Photo, above: nanosatellite..STRaND-2, a twin nanosatellite mission from SSTL and the University of Surrey to test a novel in-orbit docking system using XBox Kinect technology that could change the way space assets are built, maintained and decommissioned. See sstl.co.uk for more information.

JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW

Co-host: Gordon Chang, Forbes.com

Wednesday 905P Eastern Time (605P Pacific Time): Alan Tonelson, Research Fellow at the U.S. Business and Industry Council Educational Foundation, in re:  the Republican's trade policies, especially U.S.-China trade. US accounts for 190.5% of China's trade surplus.  Romney has spoken of  using US leverage against China's trade surplus which seems to be the reason China has condemned Romney's candidacy for president.

Wednesday 920P Eastern Time (620P Pacific Time): Stephen Yates, CEO of D.C. International Advisory and former advisor to Vice President Cheney, in re:  Romney's foreign policies.  All around the Great Lakes, manufacturing-base devastation; if China opposes Romney, the Great Lakes region might vote in favor.  Romney said he'd brand China a currency manipulator (fixes the value of its currency each day by buying and selling to keep the renmibi cheap against the dollar) in his first day in office, and would cease buying from China until it [mended its ways].  Rob Portmann's speech: emphasized China as a currency manipulator. Not clear where Romney will go – depends on whom he hires and relies on. Condi Rice, or John Bolton, or others who'd challenge China on rule of law and other commitments it's made to us.

Wednesday 935P Eastern Time (635P Pacific Time): Hotel Mars: David Livingston, The Space Show, and Alan Stern, CEO of Uwingu.com, in re: Uwingu ("sky" in Swahili): a way to raise funds to finance space ventures, incl grad school for students, by selling unusual gifts, things, events.   Run by a band of astronomers and programmers; we're almost ready to launch – as soon as we pay the requisite, anticipated bills. Self-reliant model to advance space exploration; see Indiegogo, be a sponsor - $10 to over $1000 – where we're almost halfway to the $75,000 needed.  Could take a govt program with a privately-sponsored project within it. Cd be nanosatellite around Europa; wd take a panel to peer-review. High-school teachers can apply for funding for specialized teaching; a huge, broad swath, from the very smallest to the huge.  David Grinspoon, Pamela Gay, Jeff Marcy – all stars – are involved. Also Andy Chaiken, space historian.  JB: Once there was an East India Company; we don’t need it any more, nor do we need NASA.

Dr. Alan Stern is a planetary scientist, space program executive, consultant, and author. He is serving as an Associate Vice President at the Southwest Research Institute and has his own aerospace consulting firm, with current and former clients including Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, the Odyssey Moon Google Lunar X-Prize team, Boeing Aerospace, and the Johns Hopkins University. In 2007 and 2008, Dr. Stern served as NASA’s chief of all space and Earth science programs, directing a $4.4B organization with 93 separate flight missions and a program of over 3,000 research grants. During his NASA tenure, a record 10 major new flight projects were started and deep reforms of NASA’s scientific research and the education and public outreach programs were put in place. His tenure also featured an emphasis on cost control in NASA flight missions that resulted in a 63% decrease in cost overruns. In 2007, he was named to the Time 100’s list of most influential people. 

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Wednesday 950P Eastern Time (650P Pacific Time):  Fraser Howie, author, Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of China's Extraordinary Rise, and managing director of CLSA Singapore, in re: China's protestations that its economy will be just fine are a lot of hooey.  Huge stimulus a few yeas ago caused a property bubble, not able to crank up growth. Certainly can’t cause export growth, since the US and Europe aren't buying.  Purchasing managers' index: 49.3 mans it's dwindling; now has gone to 47.8. Ten straight months of contraction. 

Wednesday 1005P Eastern  (705P Pacific Time):  Condoleezza Rice speaks at the Republican National Convention.  ["Condoleezza" derives from the music-related term, con dolcezza, which in Italian means, "with sweetness".]

Wednesday 1020P Eastern (720P Pacific Time):  John Batchelor and Gordon Chang discuss current politics and East Asia.  Susan Martinez (New Mexico) speaks at the Republican National Convention. Paul Ryan speaks at the Republican National Convention. 

Wednesday 1035P Eastern  (735P Pacific Time):  Paul Ryan speaks at the Republican National Convention. "The first troubling time came at the stimulus. . . . Cost $831 billion – went to companies including Solyndra.  . . .   The debt wasn't just spent and wasted; it was borrowed, spent and wasted. If all the unemployed people had stood in line, it would have stretched across the American continent.  . . .   Elect Mitt Romney to repeal Obamacare.  Its coldest power play came at the expense of the elderly.  They took $716 billion funneled out of Medicare by Pres Obama.  The greatest threat to Medicare is Obamacare, and we're going to stop it.  . . .  Began with a perfect, triple-A credit rating for the US, and ends with a downgraded America.  It began with Greek columns. The moment has past.  . . .   Pres Obama keeps blaming the previous Administration; he assumed office four yeas ago – isn’t it about time he assumed responsibility?  Candidate Obama called the $10 trillion debt 'irresponsible.'  Now, one president, one term, $5 trillion more debt.  We need to stop spending money we don’t have."

Wednesday 1050P Eastern (750P Pacific Time):   Paul Ryan speaks at the Republican National Convention. "Pres Obama puts promises on the record – then calls that the record.  . . . I'll take [independent action] any day over the sanctimony of central planners."

Wednesday 1105P  Eastern (805PPacific Time): John Batchelor and guests – Devin Nunes (CA-19); Lara Brown, Villanova; Mona Charen, NRO –discuss the Republican Convention. 

Wednesday 1120P Eastern (820P Pacific Time): John Batchelor and guests –  Jeff Bliss, The Bliss Index; Larry Johnson, No Quarter blog; David Drucker, Roll Call; Salena Zito, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review –  discuss the Republican Convention. 

Wednesday 1135P Eastern  (835P Pacific Time): Michael Auslin, AEI, in re: what does the Obama “pivot” to Asia mean? What does it mean for our allies? China denounces Romney.

Wednesday 1150P Eastern  (850P Pacific Time): Lobsang Nyandak, Americas Representative of HH the Dalai Lama, in re: two more self-immolations in Tibet near the Kirti Monastery

Wednesday/Thurs 1205A  Eastern (905 Pacific Time): David Drucker, Roll Call, in re: the challenge of Romney's likability in swing states.

Wednesday/Thurs  1220A Eastern (920 Pacific Time): John Fund, American Spectator, in re: what is the Akin deal for Missouri? switching Akin for another?

Wednesday/Thurs  1235A  Eastern (935P Pacific Time): Ann Marlowe, in re: from Benghazi, Libya; the ongoing ecological failure of Libya - at Tripoli, at Zuwara,

Wednesday/Thurs  1250A  Eastern (950P Pacific Time): Reza Kahlili, author, in re:  Ban Ki Moon in Tehran, sitting with Supreme Leader-  to what end, and what does Iran get from the NAM [Nonaligned Movement]? ..  ..  ..  

Music (using New York City broadcast times)

9-hour:  Immortals; John Carter.   10-hour:  Thin Blue Line.    11-hour:  Burn After Reading.  midnight hour: Burn After Reading; Flight of the Phoenix.

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