Scaled Composites has done its first test firing of SpaceShipTwo’s engine.
The competition heats up: Scaled Composites has done its first test firing of SpaceShipTwo’s engine.
No word yet on the test result, unfortunately.
Author: Robert Zimmerman
Touching the underground ocean of Europa, from Earth.
Touching the underground ocean of Europa, from Earth.
The search to find and understand the Chelyabinsk meteorite.
The search to find and understand the Chelyabinsk meteorite.
The CEO of a major health insurance company warned that rates will likely go up 20% to 100% next year because of Obamacare
Finding out what’s in it: The CEO of a major health insurance company warned that rates will likely go up 20% to 100% next year because of Obamacare.
One week before the sequester cuts took effect, the TSA issued a $50 million contract for new uniforms.
Someone’s lying: One week before the sequester cuts took effect, the TSA issued a $50 million contract for new uniforms.
I find these quotes from the article most interesting:
The TSA employs 50,000 security officers, inspectors, air marshals and managers. That means that the uniform contract will pay the equivalent of $1,000 per TSA employee over the course of the year.
…
The TSA provides uniforms to new employees, but requires its employees to buy their own replacements. “You will be measured for your new uniforms at your first orientation session,” the fact sheet says. “TSA will provide your initial uniform issue consisting of 3 long sleeve shirts, 3 short sleeve shirts, 2 pairs of trousers, 2 ties, and one belt, sweater, socks, and jacket.”
$1,000 per uniform? And only for first time employees? At a time Janet Napolitano is claiming they will be forced to lay off workers because of sequestration? As I said, someone is lying. Or they are so incompetent words fail me.
Curiosity is easing out of safe mode as engineers switch computers.
Curiosity is easing out of safe mode as engineers switch computers.
Eddi Reader with Boo Hewerdine – Footsteps Fall
An evening pause:
“Investigate them.”
Stating the obvious to the press: “Investigate them.”
We don’t need no solar maximum
It is that time again! Today, March 4, NOAA released its monthly update of the Sun’s sunspot cycle, covering the period of February 2013. As I do every month, I am posting this latest graph, with annotations to give it context, below the fold.
Once again, the Sun has shown a complete inability to produce sunspots, at the very moment it had been predicted to be rising towards its maximum in the sunspot cycle. The numbers in February plunged from the tepid rise we saw in January to below the crash we saw in December. Right now, when the Sun is supposed to peaking, it is instead producing sunspots in numbers as low as seen in 2011, at the very end of the last solar minimum.
» Read more
A new poll finds that support for Obamacare continues to drop.
Finding out what’s in it: A new poll finds that support for Obamacare continues to drop.
The true national debt.
The day of reckoning looms: The true national debt.
Depending on what you include, the number could be as high as $31 trillion, twice what is normally mentioned. Worse, I’ve read other reports that suggest that even this number is low.
But don’t worry! Homeland Security has got us covered with its new fleet of armored vehicles!
Republican John Boehner, Speaker of the House, agrees to consider any gun control bill passed by the Senate.
With friends like this, who needs enemies? Republican John Boehner, Speaker of the House, agrees to consider any gun control bill passed by the Senate.
Homeland Security has purchased almost 3000 armored vehicles and has had them retrofitted for use on the American streets.
Why do they need them? Homeland Security has purchased almost 3000 armored vehicles and has had them retrofitted for use on the American streets.
New research concludes that it was a static electric spark that set fire to the Hindenberg in 1937.
New research concludes that it was a static electric spark that set fire to the Hindenberg in 1937.
A newly discovered asteroid will pass within the Moon’s orbit on Wednesday.
A newly discovered asteroid will pass within the Moon’s orbit on Wednesday.
2013EC, as the asteroid has been named, is estimated to be between 30 to 60 feet in diameter.
Another chance at killing Obamacare in the Supreme Court?
Another chance at killing Obamacare in the Supreme Court?
More reporters admit to being threatened by the White House.
More reporters admit to being threatened by the White House.
What is shameful about this is how willing these reporters — some of whom are quite powerful — to tolerate this abusive, intolerant, and even oppressive behavior from this White House. Imagine if an official in the Bush White House had done the same? Would these same reporters have simply shrugged their shoulders and made believe it didn’t matter? Not on your life.
In other words, these mainstream reporters are nothing more than boot-licking lackeys for Obama and the Democratic Party. They will tolerate any abuse in order to support their liberal policies and to remain their friends.
Manfred Mann – Blinded by the Light
An evening pause: Though I posted this as an evening pause back in September 2011, when I heard it again on the radio last week I thought, man, that song is good. Absolutely worthwhile seeing it again, performed live.
The sequester in one chart.
We are doomed, but not because of the sequester, but because of how meaningless it is compared to the scale of the debt.
A major manufacturer of gun magazines says it will leave Colorado if the state legislature passes a law banning high capacity magazines.
Pushback: A major manufacturer of gun magazines says it will leave Colorado if the state legislature passes a law banning high capacity magazines.
This same stupid law, pushed by the Democrats, would also outlaw the most popular form of shotgun used by hunters. I wonder what those citizens might say about it.