Iraqi government declares Christmas a ‘national holiday’
Good news: The Iraqi government has declared Christmas a ‘national holiday’.
Good news: The Iraqi government has declared Christmas a ‘national holiday’.
Author: Robert Zimmerman
Iraqi government declares Christmas a ‘national holiday’
This news report, confirmed by no other source, claims that the spacewalk this week was cut short because of water in the astronauts’ spacesuits.
This news report, confirmed by no other source, claims that the spacewalk this week was cut short because of water in the astronauts’ spacesuits.
I report this story but am very puzzled. If a water leak was the cause of the shortened spacewalks, I would have expected others to report that fact as well. No one has, however. (See this nasaspaceflight.com article, for example, which outlines the entire engineering situation quite thoroughly but says “both suits performed well during the EVA.”) Moreover, the ABC particular story above is written by someone who is not a space reporter, and contains some incongruities that reflect that, making me even more skeptical.
This news report, confirmed by no other source, claims that the spacewalk this week was cut short because of water in the astronauts’ spacesuits.
I report this story but am very puzzled. If a water leak was the cause of the shortened spacewalks, I would have expected others to report that fact as well. No one has, however. (See this nasaspaceflight.com article, for example, which outlines the entire engineering situation quite thoroughly but says “both suits performed well during the EVA.”) Moreover, the ABC particular story above is written by someone who is not a space reporter, and contains some incongruities that reflect that, making me even more skeptical.
“An apparent double standard in President Barack Obama’s unprecedented crackdown on unauthorized leaks.”
Disclosures by lower-level officials have been vigorously pursued. For example, seven Navy SEALs were reprimanded for disclosing classified material to the makers of a military video game. Moreover, the administration has prosecuted a record number of intelligence community personnel for leaking.
Rarely, however, has the administration taken criminal action against senior officials for leaking.
Disclosures by lower-level officials have been vigorously pursued. For example, seven Navy SEALs were reprimanded for disclosing classified material to the makers of a military video game. Moreover, the administration has prosecuted a record number of intelligence community personnel for leaking.
Rarely, however, has the administration taken criminal action against senior officials for leaking.
Yesterday’s spacewalk on ISS, though successful, was cut short because of spacesuit discomfort issues unrelated to the earlier water leak problems.
Yesterday’s spacewalk on ISS, though successful, was cut short because of spacesuit discomfort issues unrelated to the earlier water leak problems.
No story on the spacewalk is entirely clear on the issues. Astronaut Rick Mastracchio was cold, but it seems he also had other problems that have not been outlined clearly. Interestingly he was not using the spacesuit that flooded in July. Michael Hopkins was using that suit and apparently had no problems.
In order to resize the spare suit on the station for Mastracchio they have delayed the next spacesuit for one day.
Yesterday’s spacewalk on ISS, though successful, was cut short because of spacesuit discomfort issues unrelated to the earlier water leak problems.
No story on the spacewalk is entirely clear on the issues. Astronaut Rick Mastracchio was cold, but it seems he also had other problems that have not been outlined clearly. Interestingly he was not using the spacesuit that flooded in July. Michael Hopkins was using that suit and apparently had no problems.
In order to resize the spare suit on the station for Mastracchio they have delayed the next spacesuit for one day.
Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery comes to life!
Another way for the young to avoid the absurdly expensive Obamacare insurance plans.
Another way for the young to avoid the absurdly expensive Obamacare insurance plans.
Another way for the young to avoid the absurdly expensive Obamacare insurance plans.
Today’s spacewalk on ISS to replace a coolant pump is ahead of schedule.
Today’s spacewalk on ISS to replace a coolant pump is ahead of schedule.
The link gives live updates.
Update: the spacewalk is over and a complete success, with no problems.
Today’s spacewalk on ISS to replace a coolant pump is ahead of schedule.
The link gives live updates.
Update: the spacewalk is over and a complete success, with no problems.
Another court today ruled against the Obamacare contraceptive mandate.
The law is such an inconvenient thing: Another court today ruled against the Obamacare contraceptive mandate.
The law is such an inconvenient thing: Another court today ruled against the Obamacare contraceptive mandate.
The top ten states for job growth.
The top ten states for job growth.
There isn’t a clear common political thread here, but it is worth noting that all of the top five and seven of the ten have all-Republican governments.
It isn’t the party that matters, it is the philosophy of the members of that party that matters. And you are more likely to find politicians who support freedom, competition, and capitalism in the Republican Party.
The top ten states for job growth.
There isn’t a clear common political thread here, but it is worth noting that all of the top five and seven of the ten have all-Republican governments.
It isn’t the party that matters, it is the philosophy of the members of that party that matters. And you are more likely to find politicians who support freedom, competition, and capitalism in the Republican Party.
A Christmas prank.
It seems Curiosity’s wheels are wearing out faster than expected and engineers want to know why.
It seems Curiosity’s wheels are wearing out faster than expected and engineers want to know why.
The increasedwear recently appears to be because the rover was traveling over rougher terrain. Nonetheless, JPL engineers are going to monitor the rover’s travel and wheel damage more closely in order to gauge that wear better for future travel.
It seems Curiosity’s wheels are wearing out faster than expected and engineers want to know why.
The increasedwear recently appears to be because the rover was traveling over rougher terrain. Nonetheless, JPL engineers are going to monitor the rover’s travel and wheel damage more closely in order to gauge that wear better for future travel.
A Muslim woman graduates at the top of her class, in medicine, in Israel.
A Muslim woman graduates at the top of her class, in medicine, in Israel.
But how can this be? Israel an apartheid state, according to numerous leftwing political activists.
Actually, it is the freest and most diverse state in the Middle East. The left is merely lying, as they have a habit of doing.
A Muslim woman graduates at the top of her class, in medicine, in Israel.
But how can this be? Israel an apartheid state, according to numerous leftwing political activists.
Actually, it is the freest and most diverse state in the Middle East. The left is merely lying, as they have a habit of doing.
NASA and Orbital Sciences have set January 7 as the launch date for the Cygnus cargo mission to ISS.
NASA and Orbital Sciences have set January 7 as the launch date for the Cygnus cargo mission to ISS.
They did some rescheduling at Wallops Island to allow the Cygnus launch to happen earlier.
NASA and Orbital Sciences have set January 7 as the launch date for the Cygnus cargo mission to ISS.
They did some rescheduling at Wallops Island to allow the Cygnus launch to happen earlier.
New security issues revealed for the Obamacare website.
New security issues revealed for the Obamacare website.
Worse, the Obama administration had been warned about these problems but decided to make believe they didn’t exist.
New security issues revealed for the Obamacare website.
Worse, the Obama administration had been warned about these problems but decided to make believe they didn’t exist.
Scientists admit that second-hand smoke causes zero cancer deaths.
Scientists admit that second-hand smoke causes zero cancer deaths.
The article notes that this fact has been known for years.
Jyoti Patel, MD, of Northwestern University School of Medicine said the findings were not new. … “Passive smoking has many downstream health effects—asthma, upper respiratory infections, other pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular disease—but only borderline increased risk of lung cancer,” said Patel. “The strongest reason to avoid passive cigarette smoke is to change societal behavior: to not live in a society where smoking is a norm.”
In other words, the power hungry who have been imposing these regulations on us have been lying about why they want to do it. They aren’t protecting anyone, they are simply trying to impose their will. And succeeding.
Scientists admit that second-hand smoke causes zero cancer deaths.
The article notes that this fact has been known for years.
Jyoti Patel, MD, of Northwestern University School of Medicine said the findings were not new. … “Passive smoking has many downstream health effects—asthma, upper respiratory infections, other pulmonary diseases, cardiovascular disease—but only borderline increased risk of lung cancer,” said Patel. “The strongest reason to avoid passive cigarette smoke is to change societal behavior: to not live in a society where smoking is a norm.”
In other words, the power hungry who have been imposing these regulations on us have been lying about why they want to do it. They aren’t protecting anyone, they are simply trying to impose their will. And succeeding.
India has set January 5 as the launch date for its next attempt to launch is home-built GSLV rocket.
India has set January 5 as the launch date for its next attempt to launch is home-built GSLV rocket.
India has set January 5 as the launch date for its next attempt to launch is home-built GSLV rocket.
A 3D printer comparison guide.
Advice for Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty.
I posted this Andrew Klavan commentary back in January 2011, shortly after the Tucson shooting when the left was accusing the right of causing the shooting because of the so-called “incivility” of their speech. It was all lies, merely intended to stifle the speech of anyone who dissented from liberal orthodoxy.
I think it bears viewing again, as it provides good advice and council to Phil Robertson and the entire Duck Dynasty family. It also once again outlines quite starkly how oppressive and fascist the American left has become.
As Klavan concludes, “Whatever you do, don’t shut up.”
I posted this Andrew Klavan commentary back in January 2011, shortly after the Tucson shooting when the left was accusing the right of causing the shooting because of the so-called “incivility” of their speech. It was all lies, merely intended to stifle the speech of anyone who dissented from liberal orthodoxy.
I think it bears viewing again, as it provides good advice and council to Phil Robertson and the entire Duck Dynasty family. It also once again outlines quite starkly how oppressive and fascist the American left has become.
As Klavan concludes, “Whatever you do, don’t shut up.”
The eerie, alien, and abstract World War II monuments of Yugoslavia.
The eerie, alien, and abstract World War II monuments of Yugoslavia.
Very strange. They all look like something out of the weird Yugoslavian science fiction animated film community of the 1960s. Somewhere I’ve seen the one listed as #1 (though it isn’t the first in the story), though I can’t remember where.
The eerie, alien, and abstract World War II monuments of Yugoslavia.
Very strange. They all look like something out of the weird Yugoslavian science fiction animated film community of the 1960s. Somewhere I’ve seen the one listed as #1 (though it isn’t the first in the story), though I can’t remember where.
The Obama administration has announced another eleventh-hour exemption to Obamacare.
Chaos: The Obama administration has announced another exemption to Obamacare.
The Obama administration, in an 11th-hour change just before the holiday break, announced a major exemption in ObamaCare that will let people who lost coverage and are struggling to get a new plan sign up for bare-bones policies. The move Thursday to allow potentially hundreds of thousands of people to sign up for “catastrophic” coverage plans was blasted by the insurance industry as a shift that would cause “tremendous instability.”
I thought these “bare-bone” policies were “garbage plans” that only a few weeks ago Democrats were telling us we should be happy were cancelled.
It also appears from the above article as well as other sources that the insurance companies are very hostile to this announcement. (Read the second link especially. It outlines the many problems this new ad-hoc exemption causes.)
In a word, this law doesn’t work, it never has, and it should be repealed now.
Chaos: The Obama administration has announced another exemption to Obamacare.
The Obama administration, in an 11th-hour change just before the holiday break, announced a major exemption in ObamaCare that will let people who lost coverage and are struggling to get a new plan sign up for bare-bones policies. The move Thursday to allow potentially hundreds of thousands of people to sign up for “catastrophic” coverage plans was blasted by the insurance industry as a shift that would cause “tremendous instability.”
I thought these “bare-bone” policies were “garbage plans” that only a few weeks ago Democrats were telling us we should be happy were cancelled.
It also appears from the above article as well as other sources that the insurance companies are very hostile to this announcement. (Read the second link especially. It outlines the many problems this new ad-hoc exemption causes.)
In a word, this law doesn’t work, it never has, and it should be repealed now.
Under Seattle Bertha has stopped drilling because something is in the way.
Under Seattle Bertha has stopped drilling because something is in the way.
Something unknown, engineers say — and all the more intriguing to many residents for being unknown — has blocked the progress of the biggest-diameter tunnel-boring machine in use on the planet, a high-tech, largely automated wonder called Bertha. At five stories high with a crew of 20, the cigar-shaped behemoth was grinding away underground on a two-mile-long, $3.1 billion highway tunnel under the city’s waterfront on Dec. 6 when it encountered something in its path that managers still simply refer to as “the object.”
The object’s composition and provenance remain unknown almost two weeks after first contact because in a state-of-the-art tunneling machine, as it turns out, you can’t exactly poke your head out the window and look.
Under Seattle Bertha has stopped drilling because something is in the way.
Something unknown, engineers say — and all the more intriguing to many residents for being unknown — has blocked the progress of the biggest-diameter tunnel-boring machine in use on the planet, a high-tech, largely automated wonder called Bertha. At five stories high with a crew of 20, the cigar-shaped behemoth was grinding away underground on a two-mile-long, $3.1 billion highway tunnel under the city’s waterfront on Dec. 6 when it encountered something in its path that managers still simply refer to as “the object.”
The object’s composition and provenance remain unknown almost two weeks after first contact because in a state-of-the-art tunneling machine, as it turns out, you can’t exactly poke your head out the window and look.
Forced to put their existence up to a vote, over 70 of 408 public unions in Wisconsin have been rejected.
Forced to put their existence up to a vote, over 70 of 408 public unions in Wisconsin have been rejected.
Forced to put their existence up to a vote, over 70 of 408 public unions in Wisconsin have been rejected.
A homeless dog rescued
WISE, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer, sent back its first images in almost three years this week.
Back from the dead: WISE sent back its first images in almost three years this week.
The Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer spacecraft, or NEOWISE, has taken its first set of test images since being reactivated in September after a 31-month-long hibernation, NASA officials announced today (Dec. 19). The space agency wants NEOWISE to resume its hunt for potentially dangerous asteroids, some of which could be promising targets for future human exploration.
We should note that NASA had shut down this functional space telescope even though the cost to use it to hunt asteroids would be relatively little. Cost was cited as the reason, but I suspect it was a combination of the vast overruns for the James Webb Space Telescope and the Obama administration’s puzzling hostility to science at NASA.
Back from the dead: WISE sent back its first images in almost three years this week.
The Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer spacecraft, or NEOWISE, has taken its first set of test images since being reactivated in September after a 31-month-long hibernation, NASA officials announced today (Dec. 19). The space agency wants NEOWISE to resume its hunt for potentially dangerous asteroids, some of which could be promising targets for future human exploration.
We should note that NASA had shut down this functional space telescope even though the cost to use it to hunt asteroids would be relatively little. Cost was cited as the reason, but I suspect it was a combination of the vast overruns for the James Webb Space Telescope and the Obama administration’s puzzling hostility to science at NASA.
An update on the Google Lunar X-Prize competition.
An update on the Google Lunar X-Prize competition.
A number of teams have dropped out, narrowing the competition to eighteen teams.
An update on the Google Lunar X-Prize competition.
A number of teams have dropped out, narrowing the competition to eighteen teams.
The Obamacare state exchanges are losing their directors.
The Obamacare state exchanges are losing their directors.
So far, 25 percent of officials in charge of the 14 state-run exchanges, plus Washington D.C., have been replaced, according to Forbes, which compares the turnover rate to professional sports coaching rosters. “More are sure to come as enrollment performance remains poor,” according to Forbes. New Mexico, Massachusetts, Idaho, Washington DC, Nevada and Colorado are posting dismal enrollment numbers, all less than 10 percent of what was expected, the magazine noted.
Gee, I wonder why? Could it be that Obamacare is a turkey that no one wants to buy?
The Obamacare state exchanges are losing their directors.
So far, 25 percent of officials in charge of the 14 state-run exchanges, plus Washington D.C., have been replaced, according to Forbes, which compares the turnover rate to professional sports coaching rosters. “More are sure to come as enrollment performance remains poor,” according to Forbes. New Mexico, Massachusetts, Idaho, Washington DC, Nevada and Colorado are posting dismal enrollment numbers, all less than 10 percent of what was expected, the magazine noted.
Gee, I wonder why? Could it be that Obamacare is a turkey that no one wants to buy?
The Messenger science team has named ten craters on Mercury after some 19th and 20th century artists, musicians, and writers.
The Messenger science team has named ten craters on Mercury after some 19th and 20th century artists, musicians, and writers.
The list includes Truman Capote, John Lennon, Alexander Calder.
The Messenger science team has named ten craters on Mercury after some 19th and 20th century artists, musicians, and writers.
The list includes Truman Capote, John Lennon, Alexander Calder.
Cuba is lifting the limit on the number of people allowed to buy a car.
Freedom in the socialist paradise: Cuba is lifting the limit on the number of people allowed to buy a car.
The government has a monopoly on the sale of imported new and used vehicles, and has required any potential buyer to obtain a special card from the Transport Ministry authorizing the purchase of a car. The cards took months or years to obtain, creating a black market in cards in which holders would often sell them for more than the price of the car itself.
Don’t count your blessings, however. The change is only in place “of new regulations, which would be made public in coming days.”
Freedom in the socialist paradise: Cuba is lifting the limit on the number of people allowed to buy a car.
The government has a monopoly on the sale of imported new and used vehicles, and has required any potential buyer to obtain a special card from the Transport Ministry authorizing the purchase of a car. The cards took months or years to obtain, creating a black market in cards in which holders would often sell them for more than the price of the car itself.
Don’t count your blessings, however. The change is only in place “of new regulations, which would be made public in coming days.”
The real legal issues surrounding the right to openly carry your pistol.
The real legal issues surrounding the right to openly carry your pistol.
Cooke carefully tears apart the typical but nonsensical arguments of the left against open carry, but then discusses intelligently the problems. As he notes, “The open-carry question is a more complex one than some of its advocates like to admit.”
If only the conversation focused on these issues instead of the absurd fear-mongering of the left.
The real legal issues surrounding the right to openly carry your pistol.
Cooke carefully tears apart the typical but nonsensical arguments of the left against open carry, but then discusses intelligently the problems. As he notes, “The open-carry question is a more complex one than some of its advocates like to admit.”
If only the conversation focused on these issues instead of the absurd fear-mongering of the left.
77% of the uninsured don’t want Obamacare.
But we’re here to help you! 77% of the uninsured — the very people Obama and the Democrats claimed they were trying to get insured — don’t want Obamacare.
Repeal is still the number one favored option of voters:
A majority said they would vote to have the new healthcare law repealed, if they were able, and they wish it had never passed and the old system was still in place, according to the poll taken Dec. 14-16 of 1,027 registered voters across the country.
The Fox News poll was one of two polls published Wednesday that showed the growing unpopularity of the law. The latest New York Times/CBS News poll also showed that a majority disapprove of the new health care law, even the uninsured, who are supposed to benefit from the law.
Obviously all these people are wrong! Obamacare is “the law of the land”, as the Democrats were so fond of telling us in October as they shut the government down to protect it.
But we’re here to help you! 77% of the uninsured — the very people Obama and the Democrats claimed they were trying to get insured — don’t want Obamacare.
Repeal is still the number one favored option of voters:
A majority said they would vote to have the new healthcare law repealed, if they were able, and they wish it had never passed and the old system was still in place, according to the poll taken Dec. 14-16 of 1,027 registered voters across the country.
The Fox News poll was one of two polls published Wednesday that showed the growing unpopularity of the law. The latest New York Times/CBS News poll also showed that a majority disapprove of the new health care law, even the uninsured, who are supposed to benefit from the law.
Obviously all these people are wrong! Obamacare is “the law of the land”, as the Democrats were so fond of telling us in October as they shut the government down to protect it.