One of the teams competing for the $30 million Google Lunar X-Prize has signed a launch contract with China.
The competition heats up: One of the teams competing for the $30 million Google Lunar X-Prize has signed a launch contract with China.
Category: Points of Information
Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
In celebration of the European Southern Observatory’s fiftieth anniversary, they are holding two competitions
Pick the target: In celebration of the European Southern Observatory’s fiftieth anniversary, they are holding two competitions, one of which allows the public to pick what the Very Large Telescope will look at. With awards!
The price of pizza is set to rise because of Obamacare.
Now we have to repeal it: The price of pizza is going to rise because of Obamacare.
Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter says that Obamacare will result in a $0.11 to $0.14 price increase per pizza, or $0.15 to $0.20 cents per order.
The fact is that these kinds of price increases are going to occur across the board in almost all service industries, since higher regulation always leads to higher prices.
“The ABC News product increasingly ceases to be journalism. It is sensationalism. It is reprehensible. It’s time to let ABC News feel the sting of public disapproval.”
One journalist’s opinion: “The ABC News product increasingly ceases to be journalism. It is sensationalism. It is reprehensible. It’s time to let ABC News feel the sting of public disapproval.”
This time the story revolves around ABC’s unfounded attacks on a meat producer that has practically destroyed the company.
Emails by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and others in the Obama administration now show that, under the GM bailout, they purposely terminated the pensions of 20,000 retirees solely because they were not union members, and then lied to Congress about this.
Emails by Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and others in the Obama administration now show that, under the GM bailout, they purposely terminated the pensions of 20,000 retirees solely because they were not union members, and then lied to Congress about this.
The first color image from Curiosity.
The first color image from Curiosity.
And from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, images (scroll down to Update II) showing all of Curiosity’s hardware scattered across the Martian surface. More here.
And here is a good overview of the possible directions Curiosity might roam in the coming days.
R.I.P. composer Marvin Hamlisch.
R.I.P. composer Marvin Hamlisch.
On the air
For those interested, tonight’s appearance on the John Batchelor Show has been extended to two segments, from 11 to 11:30 pm (Eastern). We will be talking about space and climate science.
A Nigerian Muslim terrorist group is demanding that nation’s Christian President convert to Islam in order to stop the terrorist attacks.
Islamic tolerance: A Nigerian Muslim terrorist group has said it will stop its terrorists attacks if that nation’s Christian President converts to Islam.
How nice of them.
New evidence suggests that Al Frankel (D-Minnesota) won his senate seat almost certainly due to voter fraud.
New evidence suggests that Al Franken (D-Minnesota) won his senate seat almost certainly due to voter fraud.
That fraud included over a thousand illegal votes by felons, who I suppose are a major Democratic constituency. How dare Republicans attempt to suppress their vote? Anyone who would must be a raaacist!
“Washington may have the healthiest economy of any major metropolitan area in the country.”
I wonder why? “Washington [DC] may have the healthiest economy of any major metropolitan area in the country.”
The New York Times article has one explanation:
The main lesson the rest of the country should take from the capital’s prosperity is, per Leonhardt, that “education matters.” D.C.’s “high-skill” economy boasts more college degrees than any other major metropolitan area in America. “If you wanted to imagine what the economy might look like if the country were much better educated,” Leonhardt writes, “you can look at Washington.”
The fact that the federal government is spending trillions of dollars, mostly in Washington, DC, is apparently only a side show to this New York Times reporter.
An Obama-backed Muslim Group is now blaming Congresswoman Michell Bachmann for Sikh shooting this past weekend.
The civility of the left and Islam team up! An Obama-backed Muslim Group is now blaming Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota) for the Sikh shooting this past weekend.
What did Bachmann do? She raised questions the Obama administration’s links with Islamic terrorists groups. And of course, that must obviously explain why a white-supremacist went on a rampage killing innocent Sikh worshipers in Wisconsin.
The first science images from Curiosity, including nearby Mt. Sharp.
The first science images from Curiosity, including nearby Mt. Sharp. More here.
SpaceShipTwo has resumed glide tests.
The competition heats up: SpaceShipTwo has resumed glide tests.
Not only was there a test last week, one is expected today. The results will be posted here.
R.I.P. Astronomer Bernard Lowell.
R.I.P. Astronomer Bernard Lowell.
A Russian Proton rocket has failed to put two satellites into their proper orbit.
A Russian Proton rocket has failed to put two satellites into their proper orbit.
This failure of one of Russia’s more reliable rockets comes at a very bad time, as the competition with SpaceX and other competitors for commercial launches is right now heating up. As the article notes,
Moscow, which carries out 40 percent of global space launches, is struggling to restore confidence in its industry after a string of mishaps last year, including the failure of a mission to return samples from the Martian moon Phobos and the loss of a $265-million communications satellite. …
“The last failures to a certain extent undermine Russia’s position as a country that provides space launch services,” said industry expert Yuri Karash, a member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics.
Such mistakes strengthen Russia’s competitors, such as Europe’s Arian rockets, Karash said, describing Russia’s space industry, struggling to recover after a generation of brain drain and crimped budgets, as “not in the best condition by a long shot.”
The Muslim leader who was heading an “Tolerance in Islam” conference in Turkey was attacked by one of the attendees.
Islamic good will: The Muslim leader who was heading an “Tolerance in Islam” conference was attacked by one of the attendees. With video of the attack.
In response to the attack, Morou [sic] said, “I am fine now, the damage is moral… We are here to speak about tolerance, but those people are ignorant of true Islam. I don’t know what his [the attacker’s] political orientation is, and regardless, this is not part of Islam.”
And in what part of Islam do we not see this kind of violence and intolerance?
“I hope that someone someday shoot your whole familly”
Leftwing civility: “I hope that someone someday shoot your whole familly” More such comments at the link.
The irony here is that these comments come from people who oppose hunting and the shooting of animals. Yet, these same people find nothing wrong with the idea of shooting a human being with whom they disagree.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter last night captured a spectacular image of Curiosity descending by parachute to the surface of Mars.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter last night captured a spectacular image of Curiosity descending by parachute to the surface of Mars.
Gibson Guitars has struck a deal with the federal government to avoid prosecution for the use of banned wood.
Extortion does work! Gibson Guitars has struck a deal with the federal government to avoid prosecution for the use of banned wood.
The company will pay a $300,000 fine under a criminal enforcement agreement that defers prosecution for criminal violations of the Lacey Act. Another $50,000 fine will go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation “to be used to promote the conservation, identification and propagation of protected tree species used in the musical instrument industry and the forests where those species are found.”
Notice the political payoff to an outside environmental group. How nice. I wish my cause could get funding this way, by having the U.S. government threaten companies I don’t like and force them to give me money.