Competition in outer space đ
And between cupcake shops! Plus, our thoughts on political polarization around Big Tech policy.
In Washington, D.C., a heated debate has lasted for years on end: Is Georgetown Cupcake overrated? On this question, I consider myself an enlightened centrist. The people who line up around the corner for a bite are, of course, insane â there are other places that sell better cupcakes without the endless queue! But those who claim that their cupcakes are trash are pure reactionaries. They are delicious. If youâre in Georgetown, Baked & Wired is better.
A few years ago, the Washington Post boldly published an article comparing various D.C. cupcake outfits and declaring that Georgetown Cupcake reigned supreme. Iâll give them the benefit of the doubt, since it might be the case that other cupcakes have improved since 2018 and their winner has gone downhill. But even if not, in their direct comparison of the vanilla and chocolate flavors at each eatery, they neglected to consider some crucial factors. Key among them is creativity. Georgetown Cupcake only offers variations on chocolate, vanilla, and red velvet. Whereâs the playfulness? Whereâs the joy? Baked & Wired has the same basic offerings, but it also boasts more inventive flavors like dirty chai, Texas sheetcake, and (my favorite) phat mint Oreo. A bite of a Georgetown Cupcake is reliably pleasant. But digging into a treat from Baked & Wired is an adventure.
Baked & Wired is the best, hands down. Theyâre so good that I can almost forgive them for the âquirkyâ (pretentious) choice to call their cupcakes âcakecups.â Their âcakecupsâ are also big enough to share, justifying their slightly higher price. But donât take my word for it! Grab one from each bakery next time youâre in Georgetown, and let me know if you prove me wrong.
Space. Jim gets asked to do interviews on a fairly regular basis about things happening in outer space. He usually ends up with a quote or two in an article. This time, for whatever reason, the journalist published the interview almost verbatim. Jimâs counter to the argument that billionaires should spend their fortunes fixing problems on Earth before venturing into space:Â âYes, the âprivilegedâ will be the early adopters in space. And you better pray that they do, because otherwise weâre never going to get anywhere.â
We also filed reply comments in the FCCâs proceeding on commercial space launch frequencies, noting the need to protect space spectrum from terrestrial encroachment, and to provide additional spectrum for space operations. The failure to do this in the U.S. cedes the âhigh groundâ for commercial space operations to adversaries such as China.
Polarization. On the latest Tech Policy Podcast, Corbin speaks with Marshall Kosloff, a media fellow at the Hudson Institute, about the ongoing realignment of American politics, tech, culture, and media. Marshall has a whole podcast of his own on this ârealignment,â so he has a lot of great stuff to say. He spends most of the episode picking apart shallow talking points on both the Right and the Left. Is Big Tech âout to getâ conservatives? Is Facebook a monopoly? Should Facebook and Twitter have banned Donald Trump earlier? Is Ben Shapiroâs success on social media evidence of ⊠anything? What does political centrism look like in 2021? How do we move beyond angry tribal populism? Marshall has thoughts.