The Google Lunar X Prize has announced the final roster of teams competing for its $30 Million prize.
‘Watson’ the computer creams human ‘Jeopardy!’ champs. Key quote:
“I for one welcome our new computer overlords,” contestant Ken Jennings — who holds the “Jeopardy!” record of 74 straight wins — cheekily wrote on his answer screen at the conclusion of the much-hyped three-day showdown.
Homeland security strikes again! Two TSA agents were busted today at JFK for stealing $160,000 from checked bags.
The squealing of puppets! The Muppets (and Democrats) lobbied today in DC to save funding for public television.
Thousands of previously unknown ruins in Saudi Desert spotted from space.
The House votes to shift $298 million from NASA to local law enforcement.
What idiocy. I can accept the idea of cutting NASA considering the state of the deficit. However, for Congress to instead spend the money for local police work, something that is definitely not the responsibility of the federal government, is plain foolishness. The need now is to cut, cut, cut, until the budget is under control. Only then can we reasonably consider spending money on these programs.
Meanwhile, up on ISS two Russians have successfully completed a five hour spacewalk, getting all their work done early.
Europe’s second ISS freighter, dubbed Johannes Kepler, launched successfully today.
Freedom of speech alert: The federal government shut down 83,990 innocent websites this past weekend, mistakenly labeling them as child porn traffickers.
It was a mistake, I know, but think about how this power can so easily be misused.
Why high-speed rail makes no sense. Key quote:
High-speed rail would transform Amtrak’s small drain [on the government] into a much larger drain. Once built, high-speed rail systems would face a dilemma. To recoup initial capital costs — construction and train purchases — ticket prices would have to be set so high that few people would choose rail. But lower prices, even with favorable passenger loads, might not cover costs. Government would be stuck with huge subsidies. Even without recovering capital costs, high-speed rail systems would probably run in the red. Most mass-transit systems, despite high ridership, routinely have deficits.
China on the march! The next flight of their Shenzhou manned spacecraft could be a three week unmanned mission designed to test rendezvous and docking with their soon-to-launch Tiangong 1 space laboratory.
The delay yesterday of the launch of the European cargo ship to ISS might also delay the next Shuttle launch.
This is how we rationally debate the budget? Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee (D-Washington) today accused Republicans of wanting kids to get asthma by their effort to trim the budget.
The great wind scam. Key quote:
“With demand for power at record levels because of the freezing weather, there have been days when the contribution of our forests of wind turbines has been precisely nothing,” wrote Richard Littlejohn in the Daily Mail Dec. 27. “It gets better,” Mr. Littlejohn continued. “As the temperature has plummeted, the turbines have had to be heated to prevent them from seizing up. Consequently, they have been consuming more electricity than they generate.”
Right on! New Jersey Governor Chris Christie slammed both Democrats and Republicans yesterday over out-of-control spending.
The governor of Florida has joined two states in rejecting Obama’s proposed $53 billion federal high-speed rail program.
This is beyond belief: The White House has decided to make believe the interest payments required to pay back the federal debt do not exist in their claim that their budget is reducing that debt. Key quote from Senate hearings yesterday:
To justify the administration claim, [White House Budget Director Jack] Lew said the administration was merely referring to “primary balance” — or federal spending minus interest payments. Lew sought to forgive the public for their confusion. “The terminology that we use in Washington of primary balance is a little confusing,” Lew said.
“It’s because I believe it’s dishonest,” [Senator John] Ensign (R-Nevada) shot back.
Australian space beer ready for micro-gravity test.
The computer has crushed the human champions in the second of three rounds of “Jeopardy!”
Wanna bet? A new study predicts the sea will rise by one meter by 2100.
How they come up with this number is a mystery to me, as every study I have read, including every IPCC report, says the sea has been rising about 1 to 2 millimeters per year for the last few centuries. At this rate, it will take between five hundred and a thousand years to get a rise of one meter.
Holy moley! Do pigs fly? Yesterday Senate Democrats joined Republicans in attacking the timidity of Obama’s budget cuts.
Another liberal shows how he tones down the rhetoric: NYU fellow and leftwing journalist Nir Rosen appears to justify the rape of CBS reporter Lara Logan because he doesn’t like her politics. Key quotes:
The left once again shows how it avoids harsh rhetoric: Two Republican Utah state lawmakers get a letter threatening violence for their support of an Arizona-style immigration law.
Another look at the GOP budget cuts: Republican proposal will zero out programs and puts serious limits on many Obama initiatives. Key quote:
“In the last two years, under President Obama, the federal government has added 200,000 new federal jobs,” said [House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio)]. “If some of those jobs are lost, so be it. We’re broke.”
Not surprisingly, Democrats are squealing.
Democrats challenged the 200,000 job number and said he showed a callous attitude toward those who would be out of work. “Maybe ‘so be it’ for him, but not ‘so be it’ for people who are losing their jobs,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye, Hawaii Democrat, said Republicans’ cuts amounted to a “meat cleaver” approach.
Now its Wall Street regulators and their Democratic friends in Congress who are squealing over the Republican budget proposals.
The launch of Europe’s freighter to ISS was scrubbed today. They will try again tomorrow.
