Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 6:58am

Jerry Pournelle is dead

From his blog:

I’m afraid that Jerry passed away
We had a great time at DragonCon
He did not suffer.

Awesome scientist, and scifi author– his co-authored book “Fallen Angels” was my first hint that there were people out there sort of like me, who had fun with puns, enjoyed science and scifi, weren’t reflexively hostile to religion, recognized people could do things that weren’t standard modern America as seen through the TV. (Note: “fallen angels” means guys who live in space whose ship crashed, not anything explicitly theological.)

May he rest in peace.

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Donald R. McClarey
Reply to  Foxfier
Friday, September 8, AD 2017 6:43pm

Sad news indeed.

Pournelle’s Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people”:

First, there will be those who are devoted to the goals of the organization. Examples are dedicated classroom teachers in an educational bureaucracy, many of the engineers and launch technicians and scientists at NASA, even some agricultural scientists and advisors in the former Soviet Union collective farming administration.

Secondly, there will be those dedicated to the organization itself. Examples are many of the administrators in the education system, many professors of education, many teachers union officials, much of the NASA headquarters staff, etc.

The Iron Law states that in every case the second group will gain and keep control of the organization. It will write the rules, and control promotions within the organization.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Friday, September 8, AD 2017 6:43pm

I hope he makes it to heaven. One of my all time favorites.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Friday, September 8, AD 2017 6:44pm

And every cleric in the USCCB should read this:

https://www.jerrypournelle.com/slowchange/Strat.html

Donald R. McClarey
Reply to  Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Saturday, September 9, AD 2017 5:20am

Pournelle’s last post was full of wisdom on the subject of the “Dreamers”:

Back from DragonCon with both a cold and the flu. Was supposed to go to the Mars Society meeting in Irvine, but I didn’t feel up to it and would have been a burden on Larry who generously offer to drive me. I suspected that would be sure exposure to this ConCrud and since he escaped it he doesn’t need it. But mostly I didn’t feel up to it. I’m still in pajamas. I type horribly as well. But that’s the way it goes. I did read all the mail and sort out a pile that needs answering.

The news is full of the Dreamers. The Constitution says the President must take care to see that the laws are faithfully enforced. Mr. Trump didn’t want to deport the “Dreamers”, particularly those who have integrated into the society, but the law gives him no leeway, and the Presidential Order Obama signed giving them amnesty is unconstitutional. He solved that dilemma by giving it back to Congress who created it. We’ll now see what happens.

I can solve part of the problem. Any volunteer of any age who serves 7 years overseas in Army or Marines gets a Green Card and an application to apply for Citizenship along with his honorable discharge. The Citizenship application and test need not be very difficult and I would expect all who applied to pass it. The swearing should be public and conducted by an officer of rank Colonel or above.

As to girls, we can think of something similar or suitable; they need not join the combat arms. Surgical Assistant comes instantly to mind.

Their parents are a more difficult problem, and it will take ingenuity to find a path that does not offend the legal immigrants who obeyed the law.

More later I’m experiencing a wave of nausea.

Bye for now.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus
Saturday, September 9, AD 2017 6:09am

“Pournelle’s last post was full of wisdom….”

Pournelle was full of wisdom.

😀

Dr. Maria Taheny
Dr. Maria Taheny
Saturday, September 9, AD 2017 7:46am

May his memory be eternal and may he enjoy the Beatific Vision!

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