Angels Landing hike – Zion National Park, Utah
An evening pause: This video doesn’t quite get you to the top, but it definitely gives you a feel for the spectacular nature of the hike.
Category: Behind The Black
Congress’s inability to pass any full-year spending bills for 2011 will likely delay the launch of two civilian weather satellites by more than a year
It ain’t just NASA that’s having budget problems: The lack of a budget from Congress is going to delay the launch of two civilian NOAA weather satellites by more than a year.
Some squeals from the right: Don’t cut defense
Some squeals from the right: Don’t cut defense.
As much as I think it necessary to aggressively fight the wars we are in, I have no doubt that the budget of the Defense Department could be trimmed by significant amounts, without harming our capabilities in the slightest.
Thousands of Egyptian Muslims act as “human shields”
More please, especially in places like Iraq, Iran, and Pakistan! Thousands of Egyptian Muslims show up in Coptic Christian churches to act as “human shields.”
House Budget Chairman: Spending bills will include no money ObamaCare
The battle begins: The House Budget Chairman, Paul Ryan, says that all spending bills will be written to exclude all funds for ObamaCare.
As I say, expect the squealing to be loud.
Speech codes for the year of 2010 and for January 2011
Freedom of speech alert! Fire’s speech codes for the year of 2010 and for January 2011. For the yearly “award,” get these rules::
UMass Amherst’s policy on “Rallies” has special regulations applicable to what it calls “controversial rallies”—and it leaves “controversial” wholly undefined, giving the administration unfettered discretion to invoke the policy when it sees fit. If a rally is deemed controversial, it may only take place between noon and 1 p.m. on the Student Union steps, and must be registered at least five days in advance. That’s just one hour a day on one tiny area of a campus of more than 27,000 students! Worse yet, the policy also requires that when holding a controversial rally, “The sponsoring RSO [Registered Student Organization] must designate at least 6 members to act as a security team.” In other words, student groups wishing to publicly express a controversial opinion on campus must give at least five days notice, may only do it on one small area of campus for one hour a day, and must be willing to put themselves in harm’s way by acting as their own security in order to do so.
Two House bills introduced to eliminate funding for NPR
More progress: Two House bills have been introduced to eliminate funding for NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Stand by for loud squealing.
House approves rules for debating the healthcare reform repeal bill
Progress! The House today approved rules for debating the repeal of ObamaCare, with a vote expected on January 12. Note that some Democrats voted in favor of this bill, indicating that it has some bipartisan support.
the real hijackers of Islam
More on the tolerance of Islam and that assassination of a Pakistani governor because he opposed Islamic blasphemy laws. Key quote:
Specifically, [Governor] Taseer was supportive of a Christian woman, Asia Bibi, who has been sentenced to death for “insulting Muhammad.” Bibi had offered some fellow farm laborers some water. They refused to drink it because Christian hands purportedly make water unclean. An argument followed. She defended her faith, which they took as synonymous with attacking theirs. Later, she says, a mob of her accusers raped her.
Naturally, a Pakistani judge sentenced her to hang for blasphemy.
And Governor Taseer, who bravely visited her and sympathized with her plight, had 40 bullets pumped into him by one of his own bodyguards.
As one commenter to my previous post on this story noted, “If they praise murder, what’s next? What kind of religion is this?”
Why the sun’s atmosphere is hotter than its surface
Why the sun’s atmosphere is hotter than its surface.
Has The TSA Gone From Touching Your Junk To STEALING IT?
Has the TSA gone from touching your junk to stealing it?