What one supernovae looks like after the boom.
What one supernovae looks like after the boom.
What one supernovae looks like after the boom.
Author: Robert Zimmerman
What one supernovae looks like after the boom.
Alan Boyle at NBC tonight reports that Boeing, SpaceX, and Sierra Nevada are the winning companies in the competition to provide human ferrying services to ISS.
Alan Boyle at NBC tonight reports that Boeing, SpaceX, and Sierra Nevada are the winning companies in the competition to provide human ferrying services to ISS, to be announced officially by NASA tomorrow.
The report does not provide dollar numbers. This Wall Street Journal story says that Boeing and SpaceX will be the prime contractors, which suggests that Sierra Nevada will be getting a smaller award.
Alan Boyle at NBC tonight reports that Boeing, SpaceX, and Sierra Nevada are the winning companies in the competition to provide human ferrying services to ISS, to be announced officially by NASA tomorrow.
The report does not provide dollar numbers. This Wall Street Journal story says that Boeing and SpaceX will be the prime contractors, which suggests that Sierra Nevada will be getting a smaller award.
Liz Callaway – It might as well be spring
An evening pause: You might never heard of her, but you will almost certainly recognize Liz Callaway’s voice, as she has been the singer in several of Disney’s animation features, including Anastasia (1997).
The just released Pew poll which shows Obama with a 10 point lead oversampled Democrats by 19 points.
Here we go again: The just released Pew poll which shows Obama with a 10 point lead oversampled Democrats by 19 points!
This is disgraceful work, and should discredit Pew as a pollster. There is no chance in hell that Democrats are going to outvote Republicans by 19 points come November. They didn’t even do that in 2008, when Obama won handily. For Pew to release a poll with a sampling that badly skewed smacks of incompetence, fraud, political manipulation, or a willingness to deny reality.
Here we go again: The just released Pew poll which shows Obama with a 10 point lead oversampled Democrats by 19 points!
This is disgraceful work, and should discredit Pew as a pollster. There is no chance in hell that Democrats are going to outvote Republicans by 19 points come November. They didn’t even do that in 2008, when Obama won handily. For Pew to release a poll with a sampling that badly skewed smacks of incompetence, fraud, political manipulation, or a willingness to deny reality.
The TSA has agreed to allow its workers to unionize.
Does this make you feel safer? The TSA has agreed to allow its workers to unionize.
Does this make you feel safer? The TSA has agreed to allow its workers to unionize.
A pro-life Catholic group announced today it will openly defy the new pro-abortion mandate imposed by the Obama administration.
We’ve only just begun: A pro-life Catholic group announced today it will openly defy the new pro-abortion mandate imposed by the Obama administration.
“The unjust and unconstitutional HHS mandate, against which Priests for Life and 57 other plaintiffs have sued the federal government, takes effect today. We at Priests for Life do not qualify for the year that the government has offered certain groups to ‘adapt’ to the mandate. And we are not ‘religious’ enough for this Administration,” he explained. “But regardless of all that, we do not adapt to injustice; we oppose it.
“Therefore today, on behalf of our organization and on behalf of myself personally, I announce our conscientious objection to this mandate,” he said. “Priests for Life has the highest respect for civil government and advocates the observance of all just laws. But this policy is unjust, and today I reaffirm our intention to disobey it.”
We’ve only just begun: A pro-life Catholic group announced today it will openly defy the new pro-abortion mandate imposed by the Obama administration.
“The unjust and unconstitutional HHS mandate, against which Priests for Life and 57 other plaintiffs have sued the federal government, takes effect today. We at Priests for Life do not qualify for the year that the government has offered certain groups to ‘adapt’ to the mandate. And we are not ‘religious’ enough for this Administration,” he explained. “But regardless of all that, we do not adapt to injustice; we oppose it.
“Therefore today, on behalf of our organization and on behalf of myself personally, I announce our conscientious objection to this mandate,” he said. “Priests for Life has the highest respect for civil government and advocates the observance of all just laws. But this policy is unjust, and today I reaffirm our intention to disobey it.”
A federal appeals court has now ordered the TSA to explain by August 30 why it has defied an earlier court ruling on the use of the backscatter x-ray scanners.
The law is such an inconvenient thing: A federal appeals court has now ordered the TSA to explain by August 30 why it has defied an earlier court ruling on the use of the backscatter x-ray scanners.
The law is such an inconvenient thing: A federal appeals court has now ordered the TSA to explain by August 30 why it has defied an earlier court ruling on the use of the backscatter x-ray scanners.
A new report predicts that the demand for suborbital spaceflight, both manned and unmanned, will rise by one third in the next ten years.
A new report predicts that the demand for suborbital spaceflight, both manned and unmanned, will likely rise by one third in the next ten years.
You can download the report here [pdf].
The report admits there are many unknowns, and that this prediction could be way off, in either direction.
A new report predicts that the demand for suborbital spaceflight, both manned and unmanned, will likely rise by one third in the next ten years.
You can download the report here [pdf].
The report admits there are many unknowns, and that this prediction could be way off, in either direction.
Fooling the media
“I knew that bloggers would print anything, so I thought, what if, as an experiment, I tried to prove that they will literally print anything?” he says. “Instead of trying to get press to benefit myself, I just wanted to get any press for any reason as a joke.”
He used Help a Reporter Out (HARO), a free service that puts sources in touch with reporters. Basically, a reporter sends a query, and a slew of people wanting to comment on the story email back. He decided to respond to each and every query he got, whether or not he knew anything about the topic. He didn’t even do it himself — he enlisted an assistant to use his name in order to field as many requests as humanly possible.
He expected it to take a few months of meticulous navigation, but he found himself with more requests than he could handle in a matter of weeks. On Reuters, he became the poster child for “Generation Yikes.” On ABC News, he was one of a new breed of long-suffering insomniacs. At CBS, he made up an embarrassing office story, at MSNBC he pretended someone sneezed on him while working at Burger King. At Manitouboats.com, he offered helpful tips for winterizing your boat. The capstone came in the form of a New York Times piece on vinyl records — naturally, Holiday doesn’t collect vinyl records.
He started out trying to prove that bloggers don’t do the proper background checks on their sources, and instead ended up proving that it is professional journalists who don’t.
“I knew that bloggers would print anything, so I thought, what if, as an experiment, I tried to prove that they will literally print anything?” he says. “Instead of trying to get press to benefit myself, I just wanted to get any press for any reason as a joke.”
He used Help a Reporter Out (HARO), a free service that puts sources in touch with reporters. Basically, a reporter sends a query, and a slew of people wanting to comment on the story email back. He decided to respond to each and every query he got, whether or not he knew anything about the topic. He didn’t even do it himself — he enlisted an assistant to use his name in order to field as many requests as humanly possible.
He expected it to take a few months of meticulous navigation, but he found himself with more requests than he could handle in a matter of weeks. On Reuters, he became the poster child for “Generation Yikes.” On ABC News, he was one of a new breed of long-suffering insomniacs. At CBS, he made up an embarrassing office story, at MSNBC he pretended someone sneezed on him while working at Burger King. At Manitouboats.com, he offered helpful tips for winterizing your boat. The capstone came in the form of a New York Times piece on vinyl records — naturally, Holiday doesn’t collect vinyl records.
He started out trying to prove that bloggers don’t do the proper background checks on their sources, and instead ended up proving that it is professional journalists who don’t.
On the air revised
For those interested, my appearance tonight on John Batchelor has been shifted forward to 10:45 pm.
Update: the interview was shifted again, to 10:30 pm.
For those interested, my appearance tonight on John Batchelor has been shifted forward to 10:45 pm.
Update: the interview was shifted again, to 10:30 pm.
The Russians have successfully docked their Progress freighter to ISS, using a fast route that took only 6 hours.
The Russians have successfully docked their Progress freighter to ISS, using a fast route that took only 6 hours.
The Russians have successfully docked their Progress freighter to ISS, using a fast route that took only 6 hours.
NASA will announce the winners of the commercial crew contracts on Friday.
The rumors are now official: NASA will announce the winners of the commercial crew contracts on Friday.
The rumors are now official: NASA will announce the winners of the commercial crew contracts on Friday.
The house of the future, as predicted in 1957
a Progress freighter, launched today, will test a new rendezvous route that takes only 6 hours to reach the station instead of the normal 48.
Getting to ISS faster: a Progress freighter, launched today, is testing a new rendezvous route that takes only 6 hours to reach the station instead of the normal 48.
Getting to ISS faster: a Progress freighter, launched today, is testing a new rendezvous route that takes only 6 hours to reach the station instead of the normal 48.
Why are liberals so intolerant?
How the federal government has persecuted a scientist for whistling at a whale.
How the federal government has persecuted a scientist for whistling at a whale.
How the federal government has persecuted a scientist for whistling at a whale.
on the air tonight
On the air tonight: I will be doing a special segment with John Batchelor tonight at 11 pm (Eastern) to discuss the Obama administration’s approval of a deal between China and the same private aerospace company that illegally leaked such technology to China in the past. If you can’t tune in live, the segment will be available here by podcast shortly thereafter, as are all my appearances on Batchelor.
On the air tonight: I will be doing a special segment with John Batchelor tonight at 11 pm (Eastern) to discuss the Obama administration’s approval of a deal between China and the same private aerospace company that illegally leaked such technology to China in the past. If you can’t tune in live, the segment will be available here by podcast shortly thereafter, as are all my appearances on Batchelor.
The disappearance of the old-fashioned chemistry set.
The disappearance of the old-fashioned chemistry set.
Here’s what it used to be like, when we lived in a free society:
By the 1920s and 30s children had access to substances which would raise eyebrows in today’s more safety-conscious times. There were toxic ingredients in pesticides, as well as chemicals now used in bombs or considered likely to increase the risk of cancer. And most parents will not need to be told of the dangers of the sodium cyanide found in the interwar kits or the uranium dust present in the “nuclear” kits of the 1950s.
The disappearance of the old-fashioned chemistry set.
Here’s what it used to be like, when we lived in a free society:
By the 1920s and 30s children had access to substances which would raise eyebrows in today’s more safety-conscious times. There were toxic ingredients in pesticides, as well as chemicals now used in bombs or considered likely to increase the risk of cancer. And most parents will not need to be told of the dangers of the sodium cyanide found in the interwar kits or the uranium dust present in the “nuclear” kits of the 1950s.
Another set of pro-Obama polls that oversample Democrats.
Living in a dream world: Another set of pro-Obama polls that oversample Democrats.
Why CBS and the New York Times keep doing this mystifies me. It won’t persuade anyone to vote for Obama, and it might even give his supporters the false impression that he is doing better than he is. For example, contrast these results with this new Gallup poll, which found Obama’s popularity below 50 percent in all but 13 states. These are bad numbers for an incumbent, and they are almost certainly more predictive, as Gallup generally samples Democrats and Republicans more accurately, based on recent voting patterns.
The only explanation I can think of for this oversampling is an unwillingness to face the reality that Obama and his leftwing policies are not popular. It is as if CBS and the New York Times are standing there with their fingers in their ears, chanting “la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!” loudly so they don’t have to hear what they don’t like.
Living in a dream world: Another set of pro-Obama polls that oversample Democrats.
Why CBS and the New York Times keep doing this mystifies me. It won’t persuade anyone to vote for Obama, and it might even give his supporters the false impression that he is doing better than he is. For example, contrast these results with this new Gallup poll, which found Obama’s popularity below 50 percent in all but 13 states. These are bad numbers for an incumbent, and they are almost certainly more predictive, as Gallup generally samples Democrats and Republicans more accurately, based on recent voting patterns.
The only explanation I can think of for this oversampling is an unwillingness to face the reality that Obama and his leftwing policies are not popular. It is as if CBS and the New York Times are standing there with their fingers in their ears, chanting “la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la!” loudly so they don’t have to hear what they don’t like.
“Get the [expletive] Jews out of my pool!”
Muslim tolerance: “Get the [expletive] Jews out of my pool!”
Note that this happened in Santa Monica, California, not Iran.
Muslim tolerance: “Get the [expletive] Jews out of my pool!”
Note that this happened in Santa Monica, California, not Iran.
A scientific analysis of a database of over a million songs produced since 1955 has found that modern popular music is louder and has less variety or range than the popular music of the past.
A scientific analysis of a database of over a million songs produced since 1955 has found that modern popular music is louder and has less variety or range than the popular music of the past. Key quote:
Lastly, the researchers detected a trend of homogenization of the timbral palette. Timbre is what makes a particular musical sound different from another, even when they have the same pitch and loudness. It is essentially the difference between different instruments playing the same note at the same loudness. They found that, after peaking in the mid 60s, timbral variety has continued to narrow.
This confirms a suspicion of many fans of modern popular music, that it is less interesting and shows far less creativity than the popular music of the 1960s. This result might also explain why 1960s music remains so popular.
A scientific analysis of a database of over a million songs produced since 1955 has found that modern popular music is louder and has less variety or range than the popular music of the past. Key quote:
Lastly, the researchers detected a trend of homogenization of the timbral palette. Timbre is what makes a particular musical sound different from another, even when they have the same pitch and loudness. It is essentially the difference between different instruments playing the same note at the same loudness. They found that, after peaking in the mid 60s, timbral variety has continued to narrow.
This confirms a suspicion of many fans of modern popular music, that it is less interesting and shows far less creativity than the popular music of the 1960s. This result might also explain why 1960s music remains so popular.
The decision on NASA’s manned commercial crew contract will be made this week, according to new rumors.
The decision on NASA’s manned commercial crew contracts will be made this week, according to new rumors.
The decision on NASA’s manned commercial crew contracts will be made this week, according to new rumors.
A tranquil spiral galaxy, home to supernovae.
A tranquil spiral galaxy, home to supernovae. And a beautiful image too!
A tranquil spiral galaxy, home to supernovae. And a beautiful image too!
The perspective of one man
The perspective of one man running for President:
[W]hat exactly accounts for prosperity if not culture? In the case of the United States, it is a particular kind of culture that has made us the greatest economic power in the history of the earth. Many significant features come to mind: our work ethic, our appreciation for education, our willingness to take risks, our commitment to honor and oath, our family orientation, our devotion to a purpose greater than ourselves, our patriotism. But one feature of our culture that propels the American economy stands out above all others: freedom. The American economy is fueled by freedom. Free people and their free enterprises are what drive our economic vitality. [emphasis mine]
Sounds good to me, though we should all reserve the right to remain skeptical of anything a politician says. It is what they do that matters. Nonetheless, that Romney is making freedom a central part of his platform is further proof that he recognizes the trends and, like any politician, wants to be on the cusp of that wave. Or to once again repeat the words of Milton Friedman, “The important thing is to establish a political climate of opinion which will make it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing.”
The perspective of one man running for President:
[W]hat exactly accounts for prosperity if not culture? In the case of the United States, it is a particular kind of culture that has made us the greatest economic power in the history of the earth. Many significant features come to mind: our work ethic, our appreciation for education, our willingness to take risks, our commitment to honor and oath, our family orientation, our devotion to a purpose greater than ourselves, our patriotism. But one feature of our culture that propels the American economy stands out above all others: freedom. The American economy is fueled by freedom. Free people and their free enterprises are what drive our economic vitality. [emphasis mine]
Sounds good to me, though we should all reserve the right to remain skeptical of anything a politician says. It is what they do that matters. Nonetheless, that Romney is making freedom a central part of his platform is further proof that he recognizes the trends and, like any politician, wants to be on the cusp of that wave. Or to once again repeat the words of Milton Friedman, “The important thing is to establish a political climate of opinion which will make it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing.”
The Republican establishment choice for Texas senator was resoundingly defeated today by the tea party candidate.
Another tea party victory: The Republican establishment choice for Texas senator was resoundingly defeated today by the tea party candidate.
2010 was a trend, not a fluke. And this detail from the article should give anyone with an open mind a good hint at what November will bring.
More than 1 million Texans voted in the runoff, a surprisingly strong turnout for balloting that came during the dog days of summer.
Just like in Wisconsin, Republican turnout was high. Come November, it will be higher.
Another tea party victory: The Republican establishment choice for Texas senator was resoundingly defeated today by the tea party candidate.
2010 was a trend, not a fluke. And this detail from the article should give anyone with an open mind a good hint at what November will bring.
More than 1 million Texans voted in the runoff, a surprisingly strong turnout for balloting that came during the dog days of summer.
Just like in Wisconsin, Republican turnout was high. Come November, it will be higher.
John Williams — The Cowboys Overture
An evening pause: John Williams conducting a performance of his overture to the 1972 movie, The Cowboys.
The connection between a child rapist and climategate.
The connection between a child rapist and climategate.
And that connection is the man who engineered the coverups in both cases, and has now been hired by the Obama administration.
The connection between a child rapist and climategate.
And that connection is the man who engineered the coverups in both cases, and has now been hired by the Obama administration.
A Connecticut man is arrested and has his guns confiscated because he fired his doctor and demanded that doctor provide him copies of all his lab tests.
You can’t make this stuff up: A Connecticut man is arrested and has his guns confiscated because he decided to change doctors and demanded that his old doctor provide him copies of all his lab tests.
Read the whole story. It appears that Connecticut officials sided with the doctor, a convicted felon, mostly because the arrested man happened to own a gun.
You can’t make this stuff up: A Connecticut man is arrested and has his guns confiscated because he decided to change doctors and demanded that his old doctor provide him copies of all his lab tests.
Read the whole story. It appears that Connecticut officials sided with the doctor, a convicted felon, mostly because the arrested man happened to own a gun.
Happy birthday Milton Friedman
Happy 100th birthday to Milton Friedman!
Go to the link to watch some wonderful video clips of Friedman clearly and with good humor explaining the benefits of freedom and capitalism. However, for me my favorite Milton Friedman quote is without question this one, on the real way to change Congress:
I do not believe that the solution to our problem is simply to elect the right people. The important thing is to establish a political climate of opinion which will make it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing.
Actual video below the fold.
» Read more
Happy 100th birthday to Milton Friedman!
Go to the link to watch some wonderful video clips of Friedman clearly and with good humor explaining the benefits of freedom and capitalism. However, for me my favorite Milton Friedman quote is without question this one, on the real way to change Congress:
I do not believe that the solution to our problem is simply to elect the right people. The important thing is to establish a political climate of opinion which will make it politically profitable for the wrong people to do the right thing.
Actual video below the fold.
» Read more
“Is the City Council going to set up a ‘Council Committee on Un-Chicagoan Activities’ and call those of us who are suspect to appear before it?”
A Catholic Cardinal in Chicago asks a pointed question: “Is the City Council going to set up a ‘Council Committee on Un-Chicagoan Activities’ and call those of us who are suspect to appear before it?”
A Catholic Cardinal in Chicago asks a pointed question: “Is the City Council going to set up a ‘Council Committee on Un-Chicagoan Activities’ and call those of us who are suspect to appear before it?”