Sharpton says it is arrogance to let people say whatever they want
Democratic tolerance: Al Sharpton, in his effort to get the FCC to outlaw conservative speech on the airwaves, says it is arrogant to “allow people to say what they want.”
Category: Points of Information
Very brief descriptions, with appropriate links, of current or recent news items.
Christmas in Bethlehem: the cross banished from souvenirs
Islamic tolerance: The cross is banned in Bethlehem for Christmas.
Flying on empty to a comet
Flying on empty to a comet.
China Matches U.S. Space Launches for First Time
The new colonial movement: For the first time China has matched the U.S. in space launches. Note that though the above article implies it, the U.S. has quite often not been the yearly leader in launches, as Russia has often topped the list. Nonetheless, with China now becoming more competitive the future of space travel can only get bettter.
Scientists Rail Against Senator Who Belittled Research
Oink! Scientists rail against senator who belittled research.
rape-survivor arrested for refusing an enhanced pat-down at airport
More TSA abuse: A rape-survivor is arrested for refusing an enhanced pat-down at Texas airport.
Funding Puts NASA At Square One Again
The space war over NASA: The continuing resolution puts NASA where it was back in February, with everything uncertain.
Maryland uses prisoners, some with fraud and theft convictions, to process Social Security numbers and other personal information
Our government at work: For the past seven years, Maryland has used prisoners, some with fraud and theft convictions, to process Social Security numbers and other personal information of low income residences.
An asteroid discovered more than 100 years ago is actually an extinct comet coming back to life
An asteroid discovered more than 100 years ago is actually an extinct comet. And it is coming back to life!
EPA takes over Texas pollution permits
Power grab! The EPA has taken from Texas regulators the permitting process for air quality on major industrial facilities.
Sacramento-area pilot punished for YouTube video
More on that Sacramento-area pilot who is being threatened by the TSA for posting a video showing airport security flaws.
Urban caving in Berlin’s underground bunkers
Urban caving in Berlin’s underground bunkers.
SDO has experienced a disk controller failure
NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) experienced a disk controller failure on December 21, preventing it from sending near-real-time images. Unfortunately, the SDO website provides little additional information, so I can’t tell you the extent or seriousness of the problem.
Update: The problem appears to be with ground equipment. See this screen capture:
The sun found to vary in unexpected ways
Recent monitoring of the Sun’s brightness as it went from maximum to minimum in its solar cycle has found that, surprisingly, the changes in brightness across different wavelengths do not necessarily vary in lockstep. Key quote:
SIM suggests that ultraviolet irradiance fell far more than expected between 2004 and 2007 — by ten times as much as the total irradiance did — while irradiance in certain visible and infrared wavelengths surprisingly increased, even as solar activity wound down overall. The steep decrease in the ultraviolet, coupled with the increase in the visible and infrared, does even out to about the same total irradiance change as measured by the TIM during that period, according to the SIM measurements.
The stratosphere absorbs most of the shorter wavelengths of ultraviolet light, but some of the longest ultraviolet rays (UV-A), as well as much of the visible and infrared portions of the spectrum, directly heat Earth’s lower atmosphere and can have a significant impact on the climate. [emphasis mine]
Alabama Town’s Failed Pension Is a Warning
Alabama town’s failed pension is a warning.
pilot exposes airport security flaws, gets threatened by TSA
A pilot videotapes what he thinks are serious airport security flaws and immediately gets threatened by the TSA for doing it. Key quote:
Three days after the pilot posted his airport security tour on YouTube, four federal air marshals and two sheriff’s deputies arrived at the pilot’s house, which he also recorded. They were there to confiscate his federally-issued handgun. A letter later arrived saying, “An FFDO [Federal Flight Deck Officer] must not engage in… conduct that impairs the efficiency of TSA… or causes the loss of public confidence in TSA…”
The pilot’s attorney believes the feds sent six people to the pilot’s house to send a message. “And the message was you’ve angered us by telling the truth and by showing America that there are major security problems despite the fact that we’ve spent billions of dollars allegedly to improve airline safety,” says Don Werno, the airline pilot’s attorney.
Big tax hike in Oregon results in substantially less revenue
When will the left learn? A big tax hike in Oregon results instead in substantially less revenue for the state.
Did the Martian methane signal come from Earth?
The uncertainty of science: Did the Martian methane signal come from Earth?
Government liabilities rose $2 trillion in FY 2010
So you think NASA’s gonna get some money, eh? According the Treasury Department, the government’s debt rose by $2 trillion last year alone.
SS2 Glide Tests Exceed Expected Progress
The glide tests of SpaceShipTwo have exceeded expectations, and are ahead of schedule.