Joe Cocker – The moon’s a harsh mistress
An evening pause: Joe Cocker, “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress.” Performed live August 20, 1983, Loreley, Germany.
Year: 2011
Is NanoSail-D alive? Only your ham radio operator will know!
Is the NASA solar sail satellite NanoSail-D alive? Only your ham radio operator will know!
Congressman says that Congress has the right to force people to buy insurance
Behind the curtain, a dictator: Congressman John Lewis (D-Georgia) said yesterday that he not only thinks that Congress has the power to make people buy insurance according to the Constitution, it is his obligation to force them to do so. In his own words:
“I think people should be required to get health insurance. We require people to get insurance for their automobile state by state but the federal government has an obligation to encourage by law, moral persuasion, to get people to get health insurance,”
Climate change study had ‘significant error’: experts
Climate scientists admit that a climate change study which claimed the Earth would warm by more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit in about a decade had “significant errors”. Key quote:
Scientist Scott Mandia forwarded to AFP an email he said he sent to Hisas ahead of publication explaining why her figures did not add up, and noting that it would take “quite a few decades” to reach a warming level of 2.4 degrees Celsius. “Even if we assume the higher end of the current warming rate, we should only be 0.2C warmer by 2020 than today,” Mandia wrote. “To get to +2.4C the current trend would have to immediately increase almost ten-fold.”
By a vote of 245-189, with three Democrats joining all 242 Republicans, ObamaCare repealed in House
Progress! By a vote of 245-189, with three Democrats joining all 242 Republicans, ObamaCare has been repealed in the House.
A Mars Map app for Android phones
A Mars map app for Android phones.
Injured astronaut replaced for next shuttle flight
NASA has named a replacement for astronaut Tim Kopra, who injured himself in a bicycle accident, for the next shuttle mission.
Union Protesters Overwhelm Security and Barge Into Banking Meeting
The left demonstrates how they tone down the rhetoric: Union protesters today overwhelmed security and barged their way into a meeting of bankers at a hotel.
Text of Obamacare repeal
Here is the text of the bill to repeal Obamacare, as introduced today.
200 Economists Ask Lawmakers to Repeal Obamacare
I’m not the only one saying it: Two hundred economists ask lawmakers to repeal Obamacare. Key quote:
The letter from economists said the law is “fiscally dangerous at a moment when the United States is already facing a sea of red ink. It creates a massive new entitlement at a time when the budget is already buckling under the weight of existing entitlements. At a minimum, it will add $1 trillion to government spending over the next decade,” the letter stated. “Assertions that these costs are paid for are based on omitted costs, budgetary gimmicks, shifted premiums from other entitlements, and unsustainable spending cuts and revenue increases.
The state of Virgin Galactic
The state of Virgin Galactic. Key quote:
One of the great things about Galactic is that it’s still built on a non-government market — that is to say, the individual spacefarer market, the space tourist market, call it what you will. As you know, we’re now over 400 people [who have paid deposits for a spaceflight], and over $55 million dollars in deposits. None of that is based on a government program. I think that’s really encouraging. It’s a sign that there are markets outside the government, and that you can build a human spaceflight business around those markets.
Astronauts4hire is still looking for astronauts
Want to become an astronaut? Astronauts4hire is still looking for a few good candidates.