Author: Robert Zimmerman
Dry ice snow falls on Mars.
The view of New York City from ISS on September 11, 2001.
The view of New York City from ISS on September 11, 2001.
The view of New York City from ISS on September 11, 2001.
Cairo protesters today scaled the U.S. Embassy wall in Egypt and pulled down the American flag to protest a film they say is insulting to the prophet Mohammad.
Feel the love! Cairo protesters today scaled the U.S. Embassy wall in Egypt and pulled down the American flag to protest a film they say is insulting to the prophet Mohammad.
In related news, a television station has canceled the airing of a documentary on Islam because of threats it and the filmmaker have received.
Several points:
» Read more
Feel the love! Cairo protesters today scaled the U.S. Embassy wall in Egypt and pulled down the American flag to protest a film they say is insulting to the prophet Mohammad.
In related news, a television station has canceled the airing of a documentary on Islam because of threats it and the filmmaker have received.
Several points:
» Read more
The federal budget deficit has exceeded one trillion dollars for the fourth year in a row.
The day of reckoning looms: The federal budget deficit has now exceeded one trillion dollars for the fourth year in a row.
The day of reckoning looms: The federal budget deficit has now exceeded one trillion dollars for the fourth year in a row.
Obama, too busy to attend half his daily intelligence briefings — has made up for it by missing all of his daily economic briefings.
What does this tell us? Obama — too busy to attend half his daily intelligence briefings — has made up for it by missing all of his daily economic briefings.
Focused like a laser, eh?
What does this tell us? Obama — too busy to attend half his daily intelligence briefings — has made up for it by missing all of his daily economic briefings.
Focused like a laser, eh?
Under the Obama administration regulations have increased by 7.4%, totaling 11,327 pages of new rules.
No wonder the economy is stalled: Under the Obama administration regulations have increased by 7.4%, totaling 11,327 pages of new rules.
I should add that these numbers were only slightly better under Bush or Clinton. In general, our federal government has done everything it can for the past two decades to stifle freedom and innovation.
No wonder the economy is stalled: Under the Obama administration regulations have increased by 7.4%, totaling 11,327 pages of new rules.
I should add that these numbers were only slightly better under Bush or Clinton. In general, our federal government has done everything it can for the past two decades to stifle freedom and innovation.
The media’s one-sided coverage.
The media’s one-sided coverage.
Ramirez provides this wonderful comparison of the press’s coverage of past gaffes:
» Read more
The media’s one-sided coverage.
Ramirez provides this wonderful comparison of the press’s coverage of past gaffes:
» Read more
T-shirts being sold at a union event celebrate the future death of Margaret Thatcher.
Leftwing civility: T-shirts being sold at a union event celebrate the future death of Margaret Thatcher.
Leftwing civility: T-shirts being sold at a union event celebrate the future death of Margaret Thatcher.
The Russian space agency has ordered the recall and inspection of every Briz-M upper stage used in their Proton rocket.
The Russian space agency has ordered the recall and inspection of every Briz-M upper stage used in their Proton rocket.
This is part of the on-going shake-up of the Russian rocket industry following the recent failures of the upper stage during several commercial launches. One interesting and positive note is that they expect to resume launches in October, which is extremely fast.
The Russian space agency has ordered the recall and inspection of every Briz-M upper stage used in their Proton rocket.
This is part of the on-going shake-up of the Russian rocket industry following the recent failures of the upper stage during several commercial launches. One interesting and positive note is that they expect to resume launches in October, which is extremely fast.
The Japanese solar sail experiment IKAROS is apparently still alive, years after launch.
The Japanese solar sail experiment IKAROS is apparently still alive, years after launch.
The Japanese solar sail experiment IKAROS is apparently still alive, years after launch.
Amateurs astronomers have once again captured images of an impact of something on Jupiter.
Amateurs astronomers have once again captured images of a major impact of something on Jupiter.
Amateurs astronomers have once again captured images of a major impact of something on Jupiter.
Astronomers have measured the most powerful magnetic field ever found around a star.
Astronomers have measured the most powerful magnetic field ever found around a star.
The star’s magnetic field is 20,000 times stronger than the Sun’s, and almost 10 times stronger than that detected around any other high-mass star. At about 35 times the Sun’s mass, the O-type star NGC 1624-2 lies in the open star cluster NGC 1624, about 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Perseus.
Astronomers have measured the most powerful magnetic field ever found around a star.
The star’s magnetic field is 20,000 times stronger than the Sun’s, and almost 10 times stronger than that detected around any other high-mass star. At about 35 times the Sun’s mass, the O-type star NGC 1624-2 lies in the open star cluster NGC 1624, about 20,000 light-years away in the constellation Perseus.
The view of Vesta in Dawn’s rear view mirror.
The view of Vesta in Dawn’s rear view mirror.
The view of Vesta in Dawn’s rear view mirror.
Under just released language, the federal government required 18 pages of regulations to define the term “full time employee.”
Repeal it! New regulatory language under Obamacare and just released requires 18 pages of regulations just to define the term “full time employee.”
Repeal it! New regulatory language under Obamacare and just released requires 18 pages of regulations just to define the term “full time employee.”
There’s a Light – We Choose to go to the Moon
An evening pause: A song by a band called There’s a Light, from their 2012 album Khartoum, expressing nicely in words, music, and images the human insistence on doing great things.
Journalism’s summer of sin: marked by plagiarism, fabrication, obfuscation.
Journalism’s summer of sin: marked by plagiarism, fabrication, obfuscation.
It is so nice these mainstream news outlets have their layers of editors and fact-checkers to prevent these things from happening!
Journalism’s summer of sin: marked by plagiarism, fabrication, obfuscation.
It is so nice these mainstream news outlets have their layers of editors and fact-checkers to prevent these things from happening!
New computer models now suggest that the the habitable zone for life is far larger than previously estimated.
New computer models now suggest that the the habitable zone for life is far larger than previously estimated.
New computer models now suggest that the the habitable zone for life is far larger than previously estimated.
“What the ‘blank’ could possibly go wrong?”
“That’s a direct attack and a smear on my reputation as a reporter.”
Three super weird homes
Mars’ clay minerals might have been formed by volcanic processes, not standing liquid water as generally believed.
The uncertainty of science: Mars’ clay minerals might have been formed by volcanic processes, not standing liquid water as generally believed, according to a new study.
Data collected by orbiting spacecraft show Mars’ clay minerals may instead trace their origin to water-rich volcanic magma, similar to how clays formed on the Mururoa atoll in French Polynesia and in the Parana basin in Brazil. That process doesn’t need standing bodies of liquid water. “The infrared spectra we got in the lab (on Mururoa clays) using a reflected beam are astonishingly similar to that obtained on Mars by the orbiters,” lead researcher Alain Meunier, with the University of Poitiers in France, wrote in an email to Discovery News. The team also points out that some of the Mars meteorites recovered on Earth do not have a chemistry history that supports standing liquid water.
If correct, this alternative explanation would mean that Mars was not that wet in the past, and would have been far less likely of ever having sustained life.
The uncertainty of science: Mars’ clay minerals might have been formed by volcanic processes, not standing liquid water as generally believed, according to a new study.
Data collected by orbiting spacecraft show Mars’ clay minerals may instead trace their origin to water-rich volcanic magma, similar to how clays formed on the Mururoa atoll in French Polynesia and in the Parana basin in Brazil. That process doesn’t need standing bodies of liquid water. “The infrared spectra we got in the lab (on Mururoa clays) using a reflected beam are astonishingly similar to that obtained on Mars by the orbiters,” lead researcher Alain Meunier, with the University of Poitiers in France, wrote in an email to Discovery News. The team also points out that some of the Mars meteorites recovered on Earth do not have a chemistry history that supports standing liquid water.
If correct, this alternative explanation would mean that Mars was not that wet in the past, and would have been far less likely of ever having sustained life.
Hand shadow performance
An evening pause: An incredible hand shadow performance set to Louis Armstrong singing “What a wonderful world.”
Five words and two numbers
For Tuesday: Five words and two numbers.
For Tuesday: Five words and two numbers.
India’s space agency celebrated its 100th launch today.
The competition heats up: India’s space agency celebrated its 100th launch today.
It is unclear whether the numbers include their failed launches. Regardless, India has a vibrant space program, modeled somewhat after the Russian system, a government space agency focused on gaining commercial market share. Whether that model can successfully compete in the commercial world remains unknown. Russia has had success, but only during a period when they were faced with few competitors. Now that the competition is heating up it is unclear whether Russia’s model will be flexible enough to compete.
What is clear about India, however, is that they are passionate about space exploration. Historically, even the Russian government model has worked when the country using it was the new kid on the block.
The competition heats up: India’s space agency celebrated its 100th launch today.
It is unclear whether the numbers include their failed launches. Regardless, India has a vibrant space program, modeled somewhat after the Russian system, a government space agency focused on gaining commercial market share. Whether that model can successfully compete in the commercial world remains unknown. Russia has had success, but only during a period when they were faced with few competitors. Now that the competition is heating up it is unclear whether Russia’s model will be flexible enough to compete.
What is clear about India, however, is that they are passionate about space exploration. Historically, even the Russian government model has worked when the country using it was the new kid on the block.
God To Democrats: ‘‘That’s okay, you’re not on my ‘platform,’ either’’
Iran has finally released a Christian pastor who had been threatened with execution for not renouncing his religion.
The religion of peace: Iran has finally released a Christian pastor who had been threatened with execution for not renouncing his religion.
The religion of peace: Iran has finally released a Christian pastor who had been threatened with execution for not renouncing his religion.
Joe Hisaishi – Asia Dream Song
The Obama administration will miss the legal deadline — from a law he signed only less than a month ago — to provide details on implementing the required budget cuts under sequestration.
The law is such an inconvenient thing: The Obama administration will miss the legal deadline — set by a law he signed only a month ago — to provide details on implementing the required budget cuts under sequestration.
This is only one data point in a long string of data points that have consistently illustrated how disinterested the Obama administration is in dealing with budget issues and the federal debt. And disinterested might be too kind a word. Incompetent also comes to mind.
The law is such an inconvenient thing: The Obama administration will miss the legal deadline — set by a law he signed only a month ago — to provide details on implementing the required budget cuts under sequestration.
This is only one data point in a long string of data points that have consistently illustrated how disinterested the Obama administration is in dealing with budget issues and the federal debt. And disinterested might be too kind a word. Incompetent also comes to mind.
Fun with 9 volt batteries
The Obama administration has extended the power of the ATF to “seize and administratively forfeit property involved in controlled-substance abuses.”
Theft by government: The Obama administration has extended the power of the ATF to “seize and administratively forfeit property involved in controlled-substance abuses.”
In other words, if the ATF thinks a drug crime has occurred, it now has the right to seize any property involved, without due process. The article gives a particularly pointed example:
» Read more
Theft by government: The Obama administration has extended the power of the ATF to “seize and administratively forfeit property involved in controlled-substance abuses.”
In other words, if the ATF thinks a drug crime has occurred, it now has the right to seize any property involved, without due process. The article gives a particularly pointed example:
» Read more