Author: Robert Zimmerman
A judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of the part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that allows for indefinite military detention of American citizens.
Good news: A judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of the part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that allows for the indefinite military detention of American citizens.
Good news: A judge has temporarily blocked enforcement of the part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that allows for the indefinite military detention of American citizens.
Based on further analysis of the data from WISE, the infrared space telescope, astronomers have now made a better estimate of the population of potentially hazardous asteroids
Based on further analysis of the data from WISE, the infrared space telescope, astronomers have now made a better estimate of the population of potentially hazardous asteroids.
Potentially hazardous asteroids, or PHAs, are a subset of the larger group of near-Earth asteroids. The PHAs have the closest orbits to Earth’s, coming within five million miles (about eight million kilometers), and they are big enough to survive passing through Earth’s atmosphere and cause damage on a regional, or greater, scale.
The new results come from the asteroid-hunting portion of the WISE mission, called NEOWISE. The project sampled 107 PHAs to make predictions about the entire population as a whole. Findings indicate there are roughly 4,700 PHAs, plus or minus 1,500, with diameters larger than 330 feet (about 100 meters). So far, an estimated 20 to 30 percent of these objects have been found.
Based on further analysis of the data from WISE, the infrared space telescope, astronomers have now made a better estimate of the population of potentially hazardous asteroids.
Potentially hazardous asteroids, or PHAs, are a subset of the larger group of near-Earth asteroids. The PHAs have the closest orbits to Earth’s, coming within five million miles (about eight million kilometers), and they are big enough to survive passing through Earth’s atmosphere and cause damage on a regional, or greater, scale.
The new results come from the asteroid-hunting portion of the WISE mission, called NEOWISE. The project sampled 107 PHAs to make predictions about the entire population as a whole. Findings indicate there are roughly 4,700 PHAs, plus or minus 1,500, with diameters larger than 330 feet (about 100 meters). So far, an estimated 20 to 30 percent of these objects have been found.
North Carolina’s State Board of Elections has begun an investigation into the voter fraud exposed in the most recent Project Veritas videotapes.
Good news: North Carolina’s State Board of Elections has begun an investigation into the voter fraud exposed in the most recent Project Veritas videotapes.
Rather than attack the messenger, the state is looking into the problem. Kudos to them.
Good news: North Carolina’s State Board of Elections has begun an investigation into the voter fraud exposed in the most recent Project Veritas videotapes.
Rather than attack the messenger, the state is looking into the problem. Kudos to them.
The Senate today rejected President Obama’s proposed budget 99-0.
Fiddling away: The Senate today rejected President Obama’s proposed budget 99-0.
Too bad Harry Reid won’t offer up a budget of his own. The only reason this got voted on at all was that the Republicans forced a vote.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government fell another several billion dollars into debt even as the vote was being taken.
Fiddling away: The Senate today rejected President Obama’s proposed budget 99-0.
Too bad Harry Reid won’t offer up a budget of his own. The only reason this got voted on at all was that the Republicans forced a vote.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government fell another several billion dollars into debt even as the vote was being taken.
Don’t throw away your broken electronics! There’s money to be made from them on ebay.
Don’t throw away your broken electronics! There’s money to be made from them on ebay.
Don’t throw away your broken electronics! There’s money to be made from them on ebay.
The new top dog
“This is legalized theft.”
Guess who: “This is legalized theft.”
Guess who: “This is legalized theft.”
Shut it down
Our government in action: An NIH nationwide study to track hundreds of thousands of children from birth to age 21 is wracked with budget and management problems.
All told, this study has already cost the taxpayers almost a billion dollars for the enrollment of only 4,000 children, not the 100,000 envisioned. That’s about $250,000 per child, an amount that seems incredibly high.
In addition to the above problems, it appears there are scientific ones as well:
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“The Eagle has crashed.”
What might have been: “The Eagle has crashed.”
What might have been: “The Eagle has crashed.”
Antonio Breschi – Jig in the Castle
An evening pause: An Irish jig morphs into some wild and spectacular improv.
Antonio Breschi on the piano, Mairtin O’Connor, accordion, Johnny MacCarthy, flute, Jane Cassidy, bazouki, and Steve Cooney, bass. Recorded in Belfast around 1990.
Breschi by the way is probably one of the world’s best improvisational pianists.
An overview of what will happen on Dragon’s first flight to ISS next week.
An overview of what will happen on Dragon’s first flight to ISS next week.
An overview of what will happen on Dragon’s first flight to ISS next week.
In a poll of one congressional district in Arkansas, Obama receives support from just 45% of Democratic Party voters, and is only seven points ahead of his unknown primary challenger.
What does this tell us? In a poll of one congressional district in Arkansas, Obama receives support from just 45% of Democratic Party voters, and is only seven points ahead of his unknown primary challenger.
What does this tell us? In a poll of one congressional district in Arkansas, Obama receives support from just 45% of Democratic Party voters, and is only seven points ahead of his unknown primary challenger.
Go west, young Russian
More voter fraud documented in North Carolina, including a professor who applauds it.
More voter fraud, this time in North Carolina, including a professor who applauds it.
Watch the video. The part where the professor applauds voter fraud because it would hurt conservatives is most revealing.
More voter fraud, this time in North Carolina, including a professor who applauds it.
Watch the video. The part where the professor applauds voter fraud because it would hurt conservatives is most revealing.
Building a spaceship engine fueled by antimatter.
Building a spaceship engine fueled by antimatter.
Building a spaceship engine fueled by antimatter.
A Catholic University has dropped its health coverage for students due to Obamacare and the contraceptive mandate.
We’ve only just begun: A Catholic University has dropped its health coverage for students due to Obamacare and the contraceptive mandate.
We’ve only just begun: A Catholic University has dropped its health coverage for students due to Obamacare and the contraceptive mandate.
“Hate in the name of love, bullying in the name of tolerance.”
A Tennessee policeman takes $22,000 cash from a driver, because he wants to.
Theft by government: A Tennessee policeman takes $22,000 cash from a driver, because he wants to.
Theft by government: A Tennessee policeman takes $22,000 cash from a driver, because he wants to.
The Russians last night launched a new crew to ISS.
Hitching a ride: The Russians last night launched a new crew to ISS.
Next up: the launch of Falcon 9/Dragon on Saturday.
Hitching a ride: The Russians last night launched a new crew to ISS.
Next up: the launch of Falcon 9/Dragon on Saturday.
Canadian Brass performing live in China
LightSquared has filed for bankruptcy
Another Obama tech wonder company dies: LightSquared has filed for bankruptcy.
From the beginning engineers were saying that LightSquared’s system would interfere with GPS. The only reason the company lasted as long as it did was because it had the political backing of the Obama administration. And the reason it had that backing is because the company’s CEO was a big supporter of Obama.
Another Obama tech wonder company dies: LightSquared has filed for bankruptcy.
From the beginning engineers were saying that LightSquared’s system would interfere with GPS. The only reason the company lasted as long as it did was because it had the political backing of the Obama administration. And the reason it had that backing is because the company’s CEO was a big supporter of Obama.
Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) on Monday attacked the House version of NASA’s budget that required the agency to make a quick decision on its commercial manned launch company.
Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) on Monday attacked the House version of NASA’s budget that required the agency to make a quick decision on its commercial manned launch company.
Nelson faces a difficult election campaign from the right. Thus, I suspect he has realized that he is better off promoting free enterprise than local pork. It is unfortunate that the Republicans in the House haven’t yet realized this.
Senator Bill Nelson (D-Florida) on Monday attacked the House version of NASA’s budget that required the agency to make a quick decision on its commercial manned launch company.
Nelson faces a difficult election campaign from the right. Thus, I suspect he has realized that he is better off promoting free enterprise than local pork. It is unfortunate that the Republicans in the House haven’t yet realized this.
Faced with high prices and a near monopoly by China, the mining of rare Earth metals is once again rising worldwide.
Competition wins again: Faced with high prices and a near monopoly by China, the mining of rare Earth metals is once again rising worldwide.
Competition wins again: Faced with high prices and a near monopoly by China, the mining of rare Earth metals is once again rising worldwide.
How the predictions for the year 2000 changed throughout the 20th century.
How the predictions for the year 2000 changed throughout the 20th century.
Not surprisingly, Arthur Clarke’s predictions were generally the best.
How the predictions for the year 2000 changed throughout the 20th century.
Not surprisingly, Arthur Clarke’s predictions were generally the best.
An engineer has proposed in great detail building the USS Enterprise for the purpose of exploring the solar system.
If you build it they will come: An engineer has proposed using the USS Enterprise from Star Trek as a model for building an interplanetary spaceship for exploring the solar system.
Though similar in scale and appearance to the USS Enterprise (“it ends up that this ship configuration is quite functional,” Dan writes), the “Gen1 Enterprise” would be functionally very different. Firstly, the main nuclear-powered ion engine (boasting 1.5 GW of power) would strictly limit the Enterprise to intra-solar system missions, being incapable of anything approaching faster-than-light speeds. However, Dan claims that the Gen1 would be capable of reaching Mars from Earth within ninety days, and reaching the Moon in three.
The website is Build the Enterprise.
If you build it they will come: An engineer has proposed using the USS Enterprise from Star Trek as a model for building an interplanetary spaceship for exploring the solar system.
Though similar in scale and appearance to the USS Enterprise (“it ends up that this ship configuration is quite functional,” Dan writes), the “Gen1 Enterprise” would be functionally very different. Firstly, the main nuclear-powered ion engine (boasting 1.5 GW of power) would strictly limit the Enterprise to intra-solar system missions, being incapable of anything approaching faster-than-light speeds. However, Dan claims that the Gen1 would be capable of reaching Mars from Earth within ninety days, and reaching the Moon in three.
The website is Build the Enterprise.
Art Of Noise – Robinson Crusoe
An evening pause: Music by Art of Noise, inspired by the soundtrack from the 1960s television show, Robinson Crusoe.
The video has some incredible stop-action cloud sequences.
Twenty-five everyday things and the words for them that no one ever uses.
Twenty-five everyday things and the words for them that no one ever uses.
I personally experience dysania every morning.
Twenty-five everyday things and the words for them that no one ever uses.
I personally experience dysania every morning.
California officials have confisicated two stuffed animals from a local bar, after being on display for about a half century.
Theft by government: California officials have confiscated two stuffed animals from a local bar, after having been on display for about a half century.
Both animals, while now endangered, were not endangered when they were killed, stuffed, and placed in the bar. Their existence is completely irrelevant to saving either species. For the government to confiscate them is nothing more than a expression of naked power. Worse, if there was no payment for them it is illegal. The Bill of Rights has this clause that says government cannot take a citizen’s property without just compensation.
As I said, theft by government.
Theft by government: California officials have confiscated two stuffed animals from a local bar, after having been on display for about a half century.
Both animals, while now endangered, were not endangered when they were killed, stuffed, and placed in the bar. Their existence is completely irrelevant to saving either species. For the government to confiscate them is nothing more than a expression of naked power. Worse, if there was no payment for them it is illegal. The Bill of Rights has this clause that says government cannot take a citizen’s property without just compensation.
As I said, theft by government.
The assembly of the first test vehicle of XCOR Aerospace’s Lynx suborbital craft has begun.
The competition heats up: The assembly of the first test vehicle of XCOR Aerospace’s Lynx suborbital craft has begun.
I will admit to great deal of skepticism about this particular space company. Somehow XCOR always manages to get a great deal of coverage in the space community press, despite what I see as lack of any actual space-related results.
I could be wrong however, and if so, I will be the first to celebrate. This article suggests they might finally start test flights by the end of this year.
The competition heats up: The assembly of the first test vehicle of XCOR Aerospace’s Lynx suborbital craft has begun.
I will admit to great deal of skepticism about this particular space company. Somehow XCOR always manages to get a great deal of coverage in the space community press, despite what I see as lack of any actual space-related results.
I could be wrong however, and if so, I will be the first to celebrate. This article suggests they might finally start test flights by the end of this year.