Category: Behind The Black
Two TSA agents busted at JFK for stealing $160,000 from checked bags
Homeland security strikes again! Two TSA agents were busted today at JFK for stealing $160,000 from checked bags.
Democrats campaign to save funding for public television
The squealing of puppets! The Muppets (and Democrats) lobbied today in DC to save funding for public television.
Thousands of previously unknown tombs in Saudi Desert spotted from space
Thousands of previously unknown ruins in Saudi Desert spotted from space.
House votes to move money from NASA to local law enforcement
The House votes to shift $298 million from NASA to local law enforcement.
What idiocy. I can accept the idea of cutting NASA considering the state of the deficit. However, for Congress to instead spend the money for local police work, something that is definitely not the responsibility of the federal government, is plain foolishness. The need now is to cut, cut, cut, until the budget is under control. Only then can we reasonably consider spending money on these programs.
Russian spacewalk finishes early
Meanwhile, up on ISS two Russians have successfully completed a five hour spacewalk, getting all their work done early.
Europe’s ISS freighter launches successfully
Europe’s second ISS freighter, dubbed Johannes Kepler, launched successfully today.
The federal government shuts down 83,990 websites by mistake
Freedom of speech alert: The federal government shut down 83,990 innocent websites this past weekend, mistakenly labeling them as child porn traffickers.
It was a mistake, I know, but think about how this power can so easily be misused.
Why more railroad subsidies make no sense
Why high-speed rail makes no sense. Key quote:
High-speed rail would transform Amtrak’s small drain [on the government] into a much larger drain. Once built, high-speed rail systems would face a dilemma. To recoup initial capital costs — construction and train purchases — ticket prices would have to be set so high that few people would choose rail. But lower prices, even with favorable passenger loads, might not cover costs. Government would be stuck with huge subsidies. Even without recovering capital costs, high-speed rail systems would probably run in the red. Most mass-transit systems, despite high ridership, routinely have deficits.
The next flight of the Chinese manned spacecraft could last three weeks
China on the march! The next flight of their Shenzhou manned spacecraft could be a three week unmanned mission designed to test rendezvous and docking with their soon-to-launch Tiangong 1 space laboratory.
The delay in the launch of the European cargo ship could delay the next Shuttle launch
The delay yesterday of the launch of the European cargo ship to ISS might also delay the next Shuttle launch.
Democratic Congressman says Republicans want kids to get asthma
This is how we rationally debate the budget? Democratic Congressman Jay Inslee (D-Washington) today accused Republicans of wanting kids to get asthma by their effort to trim the budget.