The real cause behind the plane crash that killed Yuri Gagarin in 1968.
The real cause behind the plane crash that killed Yuri Gagarin in 1968.
Year: 2013
It appears that the IRS targeted a Homeland Security whistleblower.
It appears that the IRS targeted a Homeland Security whistleblower.
They slapped a lien on his home after investigating him for a year. They hassled him, determined that the government owed him money, and then poof! they were gone. The government still owes Black money.
It’s not just the tea party the IRS goes after, it’s anyone who causes trouble for those in power.
A billion pixel view from Curiosity.
A billion pixel view of Mars from Curiosity.
Flames in space.
They don’t look like you expect.
Manaical 4 Trombone Quartet – Carry on wayward son
An evening pause: Hat tip to commenter Frank for this gem.
After working out the decontamination procedures against mold, ISS astronauts today finally opened the hatch on the European ATV cargo freighter, one day late.
After working out the decontamination procedures against mold, ISS astronauts today finally opened the hatch on the European ATV cargo freighter, one day late.
A professor at a Tennessee college ordered her students to publicly express support for gay rights or fail the course.
Leftwing debate: A professor at a Tennessee college ordered her students to publicly express support for gay rights or fail her course.
Students in a general psychology class at Columbia State Community College were directed by their professor to wear “Rainbow Coalition” ribbons for an entire day and express their support for the homosexual community, said Travis Barham, an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom. …
The professor told students to write a paper about how they were allegedly “discriminated against” because of their support for homosexual conduct. Several students objected to the assignment because their religious convictions prohibit them from supporting conduct their faith teaches them is immoral and unnatural.
Barham said the professor made it clear they had to follow the rules of the assignment to receive credit and allegedly told the students their own beliefs and viewpoints were irrelevant – even when they wrote their papers. The students were also barred from defending or explaining any other views regarding homosexual conduct, dismissing such arguments as “throwing Bible verses” at her,” the attorney said.
A black politician explains why he switched parties.
A recap of the broken promises of Obamacare.
A recap of the broken promises of Obamacare.
Most of these will be familiar to regular readers of Behind the Black, though the article lays them out very clearly. However, this one is a new one to me:
If your state ran a program to help the uninsured, that’s also a violation, because Insurance is what the ACA is all about. It’s a mandate that you purchase insurance. Any unique solutions generated in one of our 50 incubators must stop even if they have served people well, because they will be in violation of the Affordable Care Act. One of the most successful state Medicaid systems was denied a waiver by the Obama administration despite its proven track record. The worst part of one-size-fits-all solutions is that they are tailored for no one. [emphasis in original]
If you are hoping to buy stock in Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, Musk now says you will have to wait until they have begun regular missions to Mars.
If you are hoping to buy stock in Elon Musk’s SpaceX company, Musk now says you will have to wait until they have begun regular missions to Mars.
This is a change from earlier comments by Musk, which to me suggests that the company’s recent successes and sales has made it profitable enough that he’d rather maintain control than get cash from an IPO. By keeping the company private, Musk can avoid being beholden to stockholders. He can do what he wants.
Russian concerns about a build-up of mold inside the European ATV, now docked to ISS, has caused a delay in the opening of its hatch.
Russian concerns about a build-up of mold inside the European ATV, now docked to ISS, has caused a delay in the opening of its hatch.
The Spaceflight101 portal said the delay was due to possible “mold and bacteria contamination on three cargo bags that are inside the spacecraft” and that a decision is yet to be made on whether the crew should use anti-mold kits to clean ATV-4 cargo before taking it inside the ISS.
The Russians had a lot of problems with mold in their early Salyut space stations, and understand the unpleasant consequences should mold spread into the station. Thus, I am not surprised if they are taking this issue seriously.
After six years of study, Venus Express has found that during that time the super-rotating winds of Venus have actually increased in speed.
After six years of study, Venus Express has found that during that time the super-rotating winds of Venus have actually increased in speed.
When Venus Express arrived at the planet in 2006, average cloud-top wind speeds between latitudes 50º on either side of the equator were clocked at roughly 300 km/h [186 mph]. The results of two separate studies have revealed that these already remarkably rapid winds are becoming even faster, increasing to 400 km/h [250 mph] over the course of the mission.