So what the shuttle is being retired! Space tourism is poised to blast off in the next two years.
Scientists have uncovered the oldest cremated human remains ever discovered in northern North America at a dig site in central Alaska. Key quote:
Archaeologists discovered the remains last spring in a fire pit in an abandoned living area from 13,200 years ago and dated the child’s death to about 11,500 years ago.
The cries and squeals are now coming from all sides: A former undersecretary for Science in the Energy Department during the Bush administration, Raymond L. Orbach, has joined the chorus of scientists whining about the House’s proposed cuts. [His full editorial, available here as a pdf, can only be downloaded if you subscribe to Science.]
Like all the other squealers, he admits that “the budget deficit is serious.” Nonetheless, the idea of cutting his pet science programs remains unacceptable.
It is when I read stuff like this that feel the situation is most hopeless. Is there no one willing to accept the reality that if we don’t start gaining some control over the federal budget the country will go bankrupt and we will not be able to afford anything?
Instead, all I hear are cries of “Cut! Cut! But don’t cut my program!”
The squealing of mayors: the U.S. Conference of Mayors attack the proposed House spending cuts.
More civility on the left: Five-foot, one-inch female assaulted by union protester because she was videotaping him. Video at the link. Key quote:
“It’s one thing to be called a violent teabagger. It’s another to be called a violent teabagger while you’re being assaulted.”
A new record! On January 19, the Pan-Starrs telescope in Hawaii discovered 19 near-earth asteroids, the most for a single night of asteroid-hunting by anyone.
An evening pause: Tommy Makem and the Clancy Brothers at the National Stadium in Dublin February 1977.
More launch news: The launch of the climate satellite Glory was postponed again today. No new launch date is set.
More station news: The shuttle Discovery has lifted off on its last mission.
Europe’s Kepler cargo vehicle has docked with ISS.
Virtual meets reality: Watch Discovery’s launch today from your virtual yacht on your Playstation 3 game machine.
More on the New Zealand earthquake: Curfew imposed as death toll climbs to 75.
O joy. The EPA today issued revised, scaled back regulations for commercial-grade boilers and incinerators.
The automatic docking of the European Kepler freighter to the space station is now set for 10:47 pm (Eastern) tonight.
Glory launch postponed until early Friday.
An evening pause: For anyone who likes to watch modern British movies, whether on public television or in the theater.
The right response to violent rhetoric: The Indiana attorney general has fired his deputy for suggesting that the police use “live ammunition” on the Wisconsin union protesters.
What could go wrong? Scientists have developed technology allowing someone to steer a car by thought alone. Key quote:
“In our test runs, a driver equipped with EEG sensors was able to control the car with no problem — there was only a slight delay between the envisaged commands and the response of the car,” said Prof. Raúl Rojas, who heads the AutoNOMOS project at Freie Universität Berlin.
Gingrich was pressed yesterday about his extramartial affairs by a forum audience member.
A new dinosaur, dubbed “thunder-thighs” because of its powerful leg muscles, has been discovered in Utah.
Why the Democrats might be making the wrong assumptions about a government shutdown. Key quote:
In many ways, 1995 was the last year of the old media world. It was the year before the launch of FOX News and the year before the Internet exploded into American life. The three broadcast television networks and the major newspapers still had a stranglehold on political news in 1995. Shaping the public narrative would be much harder for Democrats in today’s more diffuse and more balanced media world.
Wisconsin has begun reviewing complaints over doctors who were issuing fake sick notes to union protesters.
Why have I been highlighting recent examples of liberal “incivility” and calls to violence? Ed Morrissey at hotair explains it all in this piece about a Democratic Congressman who yesterday told union supporters that they “need to get out on the streets and get a little bloody.”
It isn’t that these vicious statements are only being made by the left. I have never said that. It’s that the press is only willing to condemn the right for it, while leftwing violent rhetoric is either ignored or made light of.
Vicious and violent statements by anyone are wrong, and should never be defended or excused. Ever.
A Clinton-appointed DC judge, in ruling that Obamacare is constitutional, also declared that the commerce clause allows the federal government to regulate “mental activity”.
The uncertainty of science: New evidence suggests that rather than postulate the existence of dark energy and dark matter, scientists need simply to revise their theories of gravity.
Is there a crack in the monolith? A play about the persecution of a scientist who expresses skepticism about global warming is running in London, with favorable reviews!
The Christians whom Dearborn officials and police had falsely arrested for preaching to Muslims have now sued. You can see the video of the arrests here.
