US reaches deal with Turkey.

Biosphere comments on Oct 17, 2019:

Is this a positive or negative deal, and what are some of the hopeful predictions or worst outcomes?

timon_phocas replies on Oct 17, 2019:

Howdy @Biosphere, Turkey has a large, restive Kurdish minority and an insurgency fight going on. They (like the Arabs and Iranians) hate this stubbornly different minority. They want Syrian Kurds away from the Turkish border. And they want to use that territory to hold the millions of Syrian Arab refugees who fled to Turkey. The Kurds did not want to give up their lands and that's understandable. But they could not win against the Turkish army. Once Turkish troops were actually invading, the Kurdish negotiating position became a lot more flexible. It's not wonderful, but it's the best deal the Kurds could realistically hope to get.

Dreams of Green ... Are We Talking Power ... or Money?

timon_phocas comments on Oct 16, 2019:

It's more complicated than the article states. Houses that are totally off the electrical grid can get by with solar panels and a battery backup system. But even here it's complicated. You need to have an intelligent system to decide what circuits to power when the batteries get low. Do you want...

timon_phocas replies on Oct 16, 2019:

@Bay0Wulf Howdy again. Actually, he ID's himself as the "leave the lights on" guy in the first few sentences of the article. In the article he describes his net zero, on-the-grid setup. He drives his whole household, heat pump (heat exchanger with a 1,000 foot well), and so on. He can go wholly off grid, but only for eight hours or so. Bodett says he calculated a ROI of 10% to 20% and that drove his decision to implement. That, in turn, inluded a 30% federal and 15% Vermont tax credit on installation cost. Plus legislation forcing the power company to buy electricity from him. The whole industry depends on government intervention. I've done some back of the envelope figuring for what it would take to keep my fridge and freezer going. It would take about 180 watts, plus another 180 to charge batteries for night operation. It's a tidy sum by the time you throw in batteries and electrical switching. An emergency generator is a much cheaper alternative.

Dreams of Green ... Are We Talking Power ... or Money?

timon_phocas comments on Oct 16, 2019:

It's more complicated than the article states. Houses that are totally off the electrical grid can get by with solar panels and a battery backup system. But even here it's complicated. You need to have an intelligent system to decide what circuits to power when the batteries get low. Do you want...

timon_phocas replies on Oct 16, 2019:

@Bay0Wulf Howdy Again, I got my information from an article by Tom Bodett and his net zero on-the-grid home. Far more extravagant than most people would want. Anyway, here's a link to the article https://americanconsequences.com/solar-life/

A welcome historical revision: [cnn.com]

Bonez comments on Oct 13, 2019:

How is that a historical revision?

timon_phocas replies on Oct 13, 2019:

Howdy @Bonez, One definition of history is what happened. Another definition is what is written about what happened. Here, history is being rewritten to right a wrong. We ignored Eugene Bullard for almost a century. The first forty years were out of racism. By then he was forgotten and his story was unknown for another sixty years.

AndrewMcCarthy: Kurdistan - It's Complicated [nationalreview.com]

DrN1 comments on Oct 12, 2019:

Trump is an ignorant coward, "sick of endless war" so instead of maintaining peace he gives a green light to Turkish aggression and ethnic cleansing. Criminal.

timon_phocas replies on Oct 12, 2019:

@DrN1 Howdy again, No, I seriously believe the Turks were about to invade Syria to remove the Kurds whether we liked it or not. Fifty US troops aren't enough to stop them, but they're enough to spark a really nasty incident. I don't trust Erdogan to restrain himself for fifty US troops and I don't trust the US to go to war for them.

AndrewMcCarthy: Kurdistan - It's Complicated [nationalreview.com]

DrN1 comments on Oct 12, 2019:

Trump is an ignorant coward, "sick of endless war" so instead of maintaining peace he gives a green light to Turkish aggression and ethnic cleansing. Criminal.

timon_phocas replies on Oct 12, 2019:

Howdy @DrN1, I served and lost friends. My children served and lost friends (plus other injuries). So now my grandchildren are supposed to risk their lives in a war we have no vital interest in? The Arabs, Kurds, Turks and Persians have been hating, fighting and suffering for over a thousand years. Fifty US troops aren't going to change that.

A Call for Real Climate Science. [m.theepochtimes.com]

Naomi comments on Oct 3, 2019:

Hello. I sincerely hope that genuine scientists will prevail. I think it is wrong that climate change has been politicised. (Do you think those 500 scientists are genuine?)

timon_phocas replies on Oct 5, 2019:

Howdy @Naomi, The author's operative phrase is, 'scientists and professionals'. He provided no explanation of that phrase. The article is well reasoned. It is another data point, not the infallible word of the Creator.

StrategyPage: Vanishing Venezuela. Long, but informative. [strategypage.com]

RobBlair comments on Oct 2, 2019:

Utterly avoidable. They didn't even get their 70 years of socialism before it imploded.

timon_phocas replies on Oct 2, 2019:

Howdy @RobBlair, I don't think the Soviets would have survived 70 years without Hitler's invasion. Or if Hitler's armies hadn't actually behaved like Huns. Strange to say, but Hitler provided legitimacy to the Soviet regime.

Teslarati: Starship orbital descent profile [teslarati.com]

AndrewInVail comments on Sep 26, 2019:

That picture of the shuttle endeavor, got me thinking... Post-Columbia, if they noticed chunks of heat shield missing, what were their options?

timon_phocas replies on Sep 26, 2019:

They came up with a special glue. They used a extending arm to examine the surface of the shuttle while at the ISS. If they found any divits, they would make an EVA to patch the holes.

In my opinion, The problem with education today is; 1.

SpikeTalon comments on Sep 25, 2019:

Charter schools anyone?

timon_phocas replies on Sep 25, 2019:

Howdy @SpikeTalon, I live in Greeley, Colorado and charter schools have sprung up like mushrooms here. The local school district is declining and there is a major shift to charter schools. Basically, motivated parents (the ones whose kids will likely succeed anyway) are shifting their kids to charter schools. The local district is howling because it exacerbates the decline in their test scores.

In my opinion, The problem with education today is; 1.

RobBlair comments on Sep 25, 2019:

My oldest just started 1st grade so I'm just learning the system now. So far so good. Some stumbling blocks that we will be looking for: - Apathy. He must be pushed to better himself and not satisfied just being better than other students. - Lack of a moral/ ethical system - not sure what ...

timon_phocas replies on Sep 25, 2019:

Howdy @RobBlair, Be involved in your children's education. Ask questions of your children and the teachers. Act like a customer and demand to be treated like one. There are a lot of good people in education. There are a lot, however, who have to be prodded to deliver acceptable results.

TheGuardian: It's Dangerous to Think DNA is Just Another Computer Code [theguardian.com]

ScottforKing comments on Sep 23, 2019:

Hadn't thought of that before, interesting.

timon_phocas replies on Sep 23, 2019:

The human genome is an instruction set of about a billion commands. We can read the code, but I don't think we know all the implications. Very subtle, very complex.

Just spent a few days in Denmark and Sweden.

Bay0Wulf comments on Sep 21, 2019:

The revolver (of this type) was only just invented in 1836 and it took awhile to catch on. As you can see, this model is very similar to a single shot gun at the time as “cartridges” (mass produced ammunition) had not yet been invented. Until self contained ammunition was invented in the ...

timon_phocas replies on Sep 22, 2019:

@ScottforKing Howdy, yeah I think so. You see them every once in a while in westerns.

Just spent a few days in Denmark and Sweden.

Bay0Wulf comments on Sep 21, 2019:

The revolver (of this type) was only just invented in 1836 and it took awhile to catch on. As you can see, this model is very similar to a single shot gun at the time as “cartridges” (mass produced ammunition) had not yet been invented. Until self contained ammunition was invented in the ...

timon_phocas replies on Sep 21, 2019:

Howdy, It's called cap and ball. It was a revolution when the Texas Rangers used them against a Commanche war party just after they were invented. The Indians were expecting a single shot from each pistol and got six times as much firepower as they expected. You pull the trigger into a half lock position to unlock the cylinder. You release a lever below the barrel. (That also allows the cylinder to pop out) You measure out powder, pour it into the chamber, put a ball into the chamber, and use the lever to compress the powder and ball into the chamber. Repeat for as many chambers as the gun has. Oh, and remember to put percussion caps on the front of each chamber. With practice, it takes 3 or 4 minutes. Clumsy but dependable. This type of revolver was standard through the Civil War.

Lost N Found:

Bay0Wulf comments on Sep 21, 2019:

Is it housebroken? Is it people friendly? Is it good on long drives?

timon_phocas replies on Sep 21, 2019:

Howdy @Bay0Wulf, Likes dogs (baked or broiled)

NationalGeographic: pulsating magnetic fields on Mars [msn.com]

Jurecki comments on Sep 21, 2019:

Read it but not so sure about their conclusions water may be present. Are you familiar with the MAD Boom that the P-3’s used? There was a study done a few years back where NASA flew a Magnetic detector along the San Andreas Faultline and mapped the e-fields. From the data, they were able to detect...

timon_phocas replies on Sep 21, 2019:

Howdy @Jurecki I'm not famiar with the MAD survey of the San Andreas fault. One of my reactions to this article was was that we don't have a very complete understanding of Earth, much less puzzling new data from Mars. We have so much to learn.

Intelligencer: Is Warren the Goldilocks Progressive? [nymag.com]

ScottforKing comments on Sep 21, 2019:

Is she still part native?

timon_phocas replies on Sep 21, 2019:

Howdy @ScottforKing, I think that particular conceit of hers is going to be her personal albatros. The MSM will ignore it, but no one else will.

StrategyPage: Japanese Defense Buildup [strategypage.com]

RobBlair comments on Sep 20, 2019:

Someone needs to float the idea that we've discovered a way to knock out artillery in mid-flight. With the thought that little rocket man can't even threaten Seoul, he might be more inclined to ... Oh wait - here it is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGwqg3hv-zs Unreal.

timon_phocas replies on Sep 20, 2019:

The phalanx system is very good against parabolic trajectory fired artillery and missiles. North Korea has just made a purchase of Russia's is Iskandar missile system. Iskandar uses a maneuvering warhead to evade anti-ballistic missile defense systems. So South Korea and Japan have a brand-new kind of problem to confront.

Guardian: The EU-27 just wants Britain to go [theguardian.com]

pbuck0145 comments on Sep 17, 2019:

I wish this were true. In reality, the E.U. desperately wants Britain to remain subservient to Brussels, so as to be available to prop up Euro when it inevitably fails.

timon_phocas replies on Sep 17, 2019:

Howdy @obuck0145, maybe there's a difference in opinion between EU bureaucrats and the people making up EU member countries

Astrophysicists Say One Space Elevator Concept Is Possible With Today’s Technology ...

RobBlair comments on Sep 17, 2019:

Reducing the required fuel to a third doesn't seem right. Always figured that most of the fuel is required for the initial acceleration. Hmm...

timon_phocas replies on Sep 17, 2019:

Howdy @RobBlair, A couple of factors might come into play. Payloads would only have to achieve orbital velocity not escape velocity No need to decelerate to the moon or accelerate off the moon just thinking...

James O'Keefe: The ACORN sting ten years later [projectveritas.com]

Bay0Wulf comments on Sep 14, 2019:

I liked the work done ... and being done by PV ... I’d like to see much more of it. Not simply from Project Veritas but from LOTS of People because there’s LOTS of Snakes in the Grass out there ... but they DO often become visible for brief moments of time. Unfortunately, I think that too few ...

timon_phocas replies on Sep 14, 2019:

Howdy @Bay0Wulf, Another perspective is how society has changed since O'Keefe did the ACORN. We've gotten used to videos on our smart phones. How many times have we seen police surrounded by a wall of people with their cell phones recording everything? BTW, it works both ways. My son-in-law is a deputy in Montana and used his cell phone to record a woman trying to bribe him. I think massed cell phones prevent the Chinese police from committing atrocities in Hong Kong. It's kind of strange. Only celebrities had to worry about paparazzi following them. Now everybody with a cell phone is part of a citizen militia paparazzi. Anything unusual happens and out they pop, everybody intent in their screen. Kind of disturbing, but that's why the Covington kids were exonerated.

Yeah ... Who didn’t see THIS coming?

timon_phocas comments on Sep 14, 2019:

There are multiple layers of Chinese trade barriers. They can abate the tariffs, but if they don't tell the buyers to purchase from American suppliers the effect will be the same as a tariff.

timon_phocas replies on Sep 14, 2019:

@Bay0Wulf Howdy, thanks for the info. I think I got the info about Chinese buyers from an online conversation with you. So thanks again.

Yeah ... Who didn’t see THIS coming?

timon_phocas comments on Sep 14, 2019:

There are multiple layers of Chinese trade barriers. They can abate the tariffs, but if they don't tell the buyers to purchase from American suppliers the effect will be the same as a tariff.

timon_phocas replies on Sep 14, 2019:

Hmm, saw a report the Chinese made a very large purchase of American siy beans. Interesting.

Gun Control and Birth Control in the Same Story! [ksat.com]

DAN_STL comments on Sep 11, 2019:

Karma. If you can't handle your own weapon

timon_phocas replies on Sep 12, 2019:

And a bit of Darwin, too...

Another talking point blown

MaskedRiderChris comments on Sep 8, 2019:

@timon_phocas, to avoid being made to look bad, where can I fact check this so as to use it to slam Beto fans with if ever they start crying about all the mass shootings being allegedly conservatives? Never hurts.

timon_phocas replies on Sep 8, 2019:

Howdy @MaskedRiderChris, I may have been taken in by this. My apologies. Far right, racist sites identify Seth Ator as a Jewish, Democratic Socialist, Antifa member. Left wing sites identify Seth Ator as a white supremacist. His social media footprint has been erased. If his social media footprint had cast him as a white supremacist, it would have been trumpeted to the high heavens. So I think we can eliminate that possibility. If his social media footprint betrayed him as a leftist extremist, the media ignore those kinds of inconvenient data. So we don't really know. But that's ok, they can always blame access to guns. Against, my apologies

WashTimes: No more socialism for Native Americans [m.washingtontimes.com]

DanMartinovich comments on Aug 29, 2019:

This is something discussed in our home often. I live in AZ. The tribes have so much land but even if it was theirs they hold it communally not privately. There is no private incentive. If they build a million dollar house there is no one who can buy it. They can’t sell the land the house is on ...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 29, 2019:

Howdy @DanMartinivich, Thank you, how awful; soft unyielding chains

SpaceX Starhopper completes 150 meter test flight [engadget.com]

Judah80 comments on Aug 28, 2019:

This was the final step for stathopper, which means we should be seeing tests from both of the starship prototypes in next month or two. If all goes well, we could see one or both touch the edge of space by the end of the year.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 28, 2019:

Howdy @Judah80, The 2nd shuttle disaster happened at about 100,000 feet. I guess that's when atmosphere starts to bite. The Starship is designed for aerobraking. So do you think the test flights will take it up to that altitude to test aerobraking reentry?

PopularMechanics: Quantum Radar being deveoped [popularmechanics.com]

RobBlair comments on Aug 28, 2019:

This can't be real?

timon_phocas replies on Aug 28, 2019:

Howdy @RobBlair, I've been reading about quantum entanglement, mostly in computer science areas. The article sounds real.

GeorgeFriedman: The geopolitics of a trade war with China [geopoliticalfutures.com]

Bay0Wulf comments on Aug 27, 2019:

Okay ... it’s a pretty good article and covers quite a bit of ground. However, it seems to fail to understand that part of this “Trade War” is specifically to undermine China as they have been doing to ... literally everyone else ... the USA especially. By getting companies to leave China,...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 28, 2019:

Howdy @Bay0Wulf, George Friedman is a serious thinker. I used to subscribe to Stratfor before it turned into Geopolitical Futures. Always worth reading. A source, not THE source.

Do you think greed is actually good for economy?

timon_phocas comments on Aug 26, 2019:

Proverbs 16:11 Honest scales and balances belong to the LORD; all the weights in the bag are of his making. ... Timothy 2:6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. I quoted these to illustrate that real capitalism has a moral, even religious, basis. ...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 26, 2019:

Howdy @ObiRonMoldy, Interesting question. First, I think California is living off the capital its previous generations accumulated. They invested in infrastructure for water, power and transportation to make growth possible. Not to mention the University of California system. That just isn't happening today. California's economy was balanced between mining, manufacturing and agriculture. Again, that's not happening today. The parts of California's economy that are vibrant are the ones least affected by government. The evolution from electronics to global data empires moved too quickly for government to realize the economy was shifting under their feet.This allowed a corner of their economy to come close to true capitalism, and to its moral basis of valued products in exchange for money. I would also add that California's legal system, however scelrotic, is still the based on the US understanding personal property equity. Check Victor Davis Hanson for a better understanding. But this is the best I can come up with on only one cup of coffee

I guess I need to apologize for posting that video about the horse and his rubber chicken, since it ...

timon_phocas comments on Aug 25, 2019:

Howdy @DuranDuran, No apologies needed. Funny things lighten the mood.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 25, 2019:

@DuranDuran , Howdy again. This is a place for serious conversations, but not deadly serious.

And they say talk show hosts are strange.

ObiRonMoldy comments on Aug 24, 2019:

Linkie no workie. 😆 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-23/merkel-opposes-macron-threat-to-block-mercosur-deal-over-amazon

timon_phocas replies on Aug 24, 2019:

thank you

SOFMAG: Army's next infantry rifle [sofmag.com]

James comments on Aug 24, 2019:

"Versions of the weapon are intended to be equipped with sophisticated technologies such as ballistic calculation, intelligent targeting and tracking capabilities, wireless communication and advanced camera-based capabilities." Interesting concept. Wonder how it will perform? Mr. Murphy has allot...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 24, 2019:

Howdy @James I think it's part of an evolution in infantry rifles. My generation had iron sights. M-4s have picatinny rails, scopes, laser generators, and all sorts of techy stuff. Ballistic apps for smart phones are pretty common now. I remember reading that in the Vietnam war they averaged a quarter-million rounds fired for every guerilla killed. I suppose that's one reason the sniper ethos is speading through the armed forces.

US drone shot down over Yemen [nbcnews.com]

RobBlair comments on Aug 23, 2019:

We're in a war in Yemen?

timon_phocas replies on Aug 23, 2019:

Howdy @RobBlair, Programs! Programs! Can't tell the combatants without a program! There is a tribal/civil/religious war going on in Yemen. Houthi tribes are Shia, everyone else is Sunni. Saudi Arabia is fighting against the Houthis. Iran is supporting Houthis with their Revolutionary Guard Corps. In the midst of this chaos, Al Qaeda in Arabia has operating groups which are attacking Shia Houthis, Saudis and plotting attacks on everything Western. We use a base in Djbouti where we launch drones to surveil the whole fulminating mess and update the program cards.

FP: South China Sea artificial islands of limited value to China [foreignpolicy.com]

ObiRonMoldy comments on Aug 20, 2019:

Interesting. I'd wondered about the impact weather might have on an artificial island, so I'm glad they also covered that. I guess we'll see if China decides to further militarize the Spratleys. It's a good analysis, but you never know. I like the backfire on optics it's having due to our ...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 20, 2019:

Howdy @ObiRonMoldy, ForeignPolicy is a more "establishment" source. Less alarmist, more status quo. The points about the dredged-up islands' utiliy in a shooting war are valid. However, I don't think they were built for a shooting war. They were built to intimidate the Philippines and they work for that.

WarOnTheRocks: The real stakes in the new space race [warontherocks.com]

purdyday comments on Aug 19, 2019:

Great post! Totally agree and if with 10 - 20% of GDP they could divert those funds from military terra military equipment expansion it could become a new level airforce. I wonder if our young would prefer stars to deserts. Sounds hopefilled. Am sure those aircraft carriers could be purposed for ...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 19, 2019:

Howdy @purdyday, Repurposing aircraft carriers? ummm, Olympic-level shuffleboard venues?

PeggyNoonan: The Epstein story and the lack of tabloid journalists [peggynoonan.com]

DrN1 comments on Aug 16, 2019:

Internet has killed journalism, everybody is an expert in their own head with no contacts and no informants.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 16, 2019:

Howdy @DrN1, I don't know if the internet killed journalism. I've watched television news fake an "anti-war" riot in October of 1970. They've been faking the news ever since. It seems to me that the fakery has always been more dramatic than the actual facts on the ground and it was almost always slanted to the left. So it worked for ratings and ideology.

Get ready to RUMBLE!! [babylonbee.com]

RobBlair comments on Aug 16, 2019:

I prefer this solution - https://babylonbee.com/news/america-offers-to-trade-its-communists-for-democratic-protesters-in-hong-kong

timon_phocas replies on Aug 16, 2019:

Cool! I'd take either solution, actually...

Spacenews.com: Slowdown in Mars Exploration Missions? [spacenews.com]

ScottforKing comments on Aug 15, 2019:

"Unfortunately we live in a world with restricted budgets." Really! Welcome to the reality everyone else has to deal with!

timon_phocas replies on Aug 16, 2019:

@Judah80 Howdy, Actually, I'm thinking about surveying for mineral resources. I guess a better term would be "prospecting"

Spacenews.com: Slowdown in Mars Exploration Missions? [spacenews.com]

ScottforKing comments on Aug 15, 2019:

"Unfortunately we live in a world with restricted budgets." Really! Welcome to the reality everyone else has to deal with!

timon_phocas replies on Aug 15, 2019:

Howdy @ScottforKing, This is one of the reasons I'm hopeful about SpaceX. If they succeed, they will provide cheap "bus service" (for want of a better term) to the inner solar system. This radically decreases exploration costs. We're seeing this happen (the Israeli Beresheet lunar probe). I think we need hundreds of mapping and surveying rovers on Mars.

Not the Jesus I know!

timon_phocas comments on Aug 14, 2019:

It's even worse than that. The only human sexuality Jesus approves of is heterosexual monogamy. Everything else? A terrible mistake at best. That includes me putting the moves on some girl back in high school. Or looking at something purient. The point is not just what points of conduct you have...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 15, 2019:

Howdy @DrN1 There are two kinds of answers I can give you, doctrinal and observational. On the doctrinal side, this verse stands out for me: " The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jer 17:9 (KJV) This was written in the Old Testament by the prophet Jeremiah and then quoted in the New Testament by Paul to illustrate the fallen nature of man. Christians are required take it very seriously. On the observational side I offer a memory of my daughter. She was about 18 months old. I came home one day and walked into her bedroom. She was sitting next to a little boy and she looked up at me with excitement in her eyes. She had discovered something. She turned to the boy, and hit him on the top of his head. He let out a series of squalls. She turned back to me all smiles and delight. When the boy's squalls stopped she bopped him again. More squalls. It was great fun for her. It was hilarious, it was appalling, it was instructive. I stifled laughter, swooped down to pick her up and took her to another room where I told her hurting people was not right. It was instructive because it fit what Jeremiah wrote about the human heart. Hurting people comes naturally, lies come naturally. Kindness and honesty have to be taught.

China has apparently decided they don’t “Need to Follow No Stinkin’ Agreement” about Hong ...

timon_phocas comments on Aug 12, 2019:

This looks like an escalation of Hong Kong riot police tactics, but not an invasion by mainland PLA.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 12, 2019:

@Bay0Wulf Howdy again, The video was very slick, had music background, etc. Beijing has been very open about its preparations to intervene. They're warning Hong Kong that they have the means to utterly crush them. But I don't believe this is the invasion we all expect.

you load 16 tons... [slate.com]

ScottforKing comments on Aug 12, 2019:

This sounds like Communism in space.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 12, 2019:

Howdy @ScottforKing, Slate is on the leftist side of the spectrum. So they tend towards the dystopian view of the future. I don't know about it being all that dystopian. Will boosting equipment into space cost more than building it in space? Anybody with a 3D printer can make amazing stuff. What leverage will mining companies have if miners make their own equipment?

Good old Uncle Joe

pbuck0145 comments on Aug 10, 2019:

>20 million.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 11, 2019:

@ScottforKing Howdy, trading cards, printed on asbestos...

Good old Uncle Joe

pbuck0145 comments on Aug 10, 2019:

>20 million.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 10, 2019:

such an elite club ...

USGS locates cave openings as possible habitat locations on Mars [usgs.gov]

FaithJones comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Potentially useful but what rock is this? Limestone? If so, a larger cavity can be made with acid. Take vinegar instead of building material.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 10, 2019:

@FaithJones Howdy again. Hmmn. I think it would need to be charged, but I think yes. Way beyond my last physics course, though ...

USGS locates cave openings as possible habitat locations on Mars [usgs.gov]

FaithJones comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Potentially useful but what rock is this? Limestone? If so, a larger cavity can be made with acid. Take vinegar instead of building material.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 10, 2019:

@FaithJones Howdy again, yep, virtually no magnetosphere

USGS locates cave openings as possible habitat locations on Mars [usgs.gov]

FaithJones comments on Aug 10, 2019:

Potentially useful but what rock is this? Limestone? If so, a larger cavity can be made with acid. Take vinegar instead of building material.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 10, 2019:

Howdy @Faith_Jones, I think the utility is you still need to manufacture habitats, but the caves provide cover from solar and cosmic radiation.

After the terrible El Paso shooting (young white man targeting "Mexicans"), commentators on the Left...

timon_phocas comments on Aug 9, 2019:

In previous congressional debates Republicans offered total immigration amnesty if Democrats agreed to no voting rights for the illegal immigrants. If this wasn't about changing the electoral landscape they would have agreed.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 9, 2019:

Howdy @WilyRickWiles Because changing the electorate is the whole purpose of the Democratic immigration enterprise.

After the terrible El Paso shooting (young white man targeting "Mexicans"), commentators on the Left...

timon_phocas comments on Aug 9, 2019:

In previous congressional debates Republicans offered total immigration amnesty if Democrats agreed to no voting rights for the illegal immigrants. If this wasn't about changing the electoral landscape they would have agreed.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 9, 2019:

Howdy @WilyRickWiles, Amnesty is about forgiveness for breaking immigration law. Amnesty is about residence permits. Amnesty is not about citizenship.

After the terrible El Paso shooting (young white man targeting "Mexicans"), commentators on the Left...

timon_phocas comments on Aug 9, 2019:

In previous congressional debates Republicans offered total immigration amnesty if Democrats agreed to no voting rights for the illegal immigrants. If this wasn't about changing the electoral landscape they would have agreed.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 9, 2019:

Howdy @WilyRickWiles, illegal immigrants have no right to vote and they are not citizens

BusinessInsider: SpaceX BFR development plans [businessinsider.com]

ScottforKing comments on Aug 9, 2019:

Where does he get all the money to do the experiments?

timon_phocas replies on Aug 9, 2019:

Howdy @ScottforKing, A lot of it comes from the government. SolarCity operates because of state and federal subsidies for photovoltaic generation. Tesla operates because of federal and state tax rebates to EV car buyers. The Boring Company (hyperloop tunnels) can really only sell to government entities. SpaceX' financial base is its federal contracts for launch services and ISS resupply flights. This takes nothing away from all their brilliant innovations. He has halved the cost of getting into space. He did this with a rocket rhat can be used 3 to 5 times. If his BFR system is good for for more than 10 flights, he will reduce it by a factor of 10.

StrategyPage: China Issues [strategypage.com]

ScottforKing comments on Aug 8, 2019:

Do you ever post short stuff? This one has an interesting perspective and makes me wonder if it's all true.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 8, 2019:

@ScottforKing Howdy again. James Dunnigan (founder) had an interesting career. He was an Army Nuclear Weapons officer. After the Army (with all those clearances) he got a contract with rhe CIA. H lioked at all their economic data on the Soviet Union and concluded they would go bankrupt sooner rather than later. This was in the early 1970s when nearly everybody thought they were as permanent as geology. They were, but Mt Saint Helens taught us a lot about the permanence of geology. I remember reading about that report back in rhe 70s. Then he became a Wall Street banker. But he also had a small magazine called Steatwgy with war gaming that I bought. And there were books "A Quick and Dirty Guide to War" was one. I found their web page just before 9/11. As subsequent campaigns developed, I found they described campaigns and conditions just like the returning veterans did. Same phrases and words. They're very connected to the military. Jim Dunnigan is connected to international banking circles. They're not as slick as some sites, but I trust them.

StrategyPage: China Issues [strategypage.com]

ScottforKing comments on Aug 8, 2019:

Do you ever post short stuff? This one has an interesting perspective and makes me wonder if it's all true.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 8, 2019:

Howdy @ScottforKing, StrategyPage has an odd format. Read the topmost paragraphs. The further down you read, the older rhe material gets. They're very well connected, very informed.

the Abolition of Women [m.washingtontimes.com]

Garsco comments on Aug 4, 2019:

What will historians say about all this in a100 years? Will humans regain “gender sanity” or will it snowball even further?

timon_phocas replies on Aug 4, 2019:

Howdy @Garsco, I like to think of the people of the US as the Mississippi and the intelligensia as the scum and debris that float on top.The people still get up every morning, go to church, raise their families and work to pay for their bills. It doesn't matter much what the scum on top thinks, the river decides where it's going.

Snopes is trying to deplatform the Babylon Bee [redstate.com]

chuckpo comments on Aug 4, 2019:

Compromised MFers. They were lost a long time ago. Just another cog in the leftist propaganda machine now.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 4, 2019:

Howdy @chuckpo, Yeah, they can't even allow jokes about liberals/leftists.

Ars Technica: Manufacturing in Space [arstechnica.com]

Judah80 comments on Aug 3, 2019:

Manufacturing in space is, in my opinion, the single most important step to colonizing space.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 3, 2019:

Howdy @Judah80, I agree. I think there are other capabilities we need to understand as well. I don't think we understand artificial biospheres. But we're going to have to build and live in them. I think we need mineral surveys for the Moon and Mars and semi- autonomous mining.

La Scala, the world's most famous Opera House, opened in 1788.

ScottforKing comments on Aug 3, 2019:

I see that you are also a connoisseur of the arts.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 3, 2019:

Howdy @ScottforKing, I think I have the odd distinction of being the only Opera trained Recon team leader in the history of the Corps 😂 BTW my music theory professor, Dr. Olando Tognazzi, was in the Marine Corps Band in WWII. That meant he served on stretcher teams rescuing casualties in the Battle of Okinawa. Just goes to show that tough dudes DO carry violin cases...

Woke to Broke: Gillette Loses Billions After Anti-Men, Transgender Shaving Ads

WilyRickWiles comments on Aug 3, 2019:

What does a razor ad campaign have to do with the Democratic Party?

timon_phocas replies on Aug 3, 2019:

Howdy @WilyRickWiles, If you run a campaign based on "white privilege" and pervasive structural racism, "toxic masculinity" and hostility to religion, then you are insulting people whose votes you need.

Chinese National Defense Changes [realcleardefense.com]

ScottforKing comments on Aug 3, 2019:

I sometimes wonder if this is just a matter of perspective. If, however, the Chinese didn't follow Communism and had freedom, what then?

timon_phocas replies on Aug 3, 2019:

Howdy @ScottforKing, China has been a unified culture for over two thousand years. When they'were politically unified they were the greatest power in Asia, often the greatest power in the world. The traditional Chinese view is of China as the center of the world. This is the position they wish to attain today.

Finally, a Democrat worth supporting - spiked

timon_phocas comments on Aug 2, 2019:

Info on Tulsi Gabbard is kind of sparse. Her father served in the military, has a family business and is a politician. She had followed in his footsteps, working in the family business, being a politician, and serving in the Army National Guard. She served 1 tour in Iraq (2004/05) and ...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 2, 2019:

Howdy @Naomi, She's been been a candidate or legislator since she graduated from university. It looks like politics has been her pole star for her entire life. But you're right, she's very interesting.

Gun-free zones, mass shootings, and the leftist media's attempt to hide reality- [bearingarms.com]

WilyRickWiles comments on Aug 2, 2019:

Will the Republican National Convention be a gun zone in 2020? Let's see the right walk the walk.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 2, 2019:

Howdy @ WilyRickWiles, It's a different tactical environment. Wherever the president is, all entrances (and I do mean all) are staffed and monitored. Every package is inspected, every picket emptief. You can't even have a multi-tool if it has a blade.

Finally, a Democrat worth supporting - spiked

WilyRickWiles comments on Aug 2, 2019:

While she has been good on some antiwar issues, she has worrying associations with far right nationalist politicians across the world (e.g., in India and Israel). And her support for gay and abortion rights is dubious. ...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 2, 2019:

Howdy @Boardwine, I think she's all over the board, actually.

Barone: The Virtues of Nationalism [realclearpolitics.com]

RobBlair comments on Aug 2, 2019:

If the national identity is "all men are created equal" then Nationalism is a very good thing. The article makes a distinction between good nationalism = nationalism and bad nationalism = imperialism. I find this definition to be self-justifying. When our nation goes wrong, and it has, we need ...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 2, 2019:

Howdy @RobBlair, I think the article's main point is that nationalist states have a better record at protecting freedoms and minorities. I think this is because they have to be responsive to their own citizens. I think it's also because (in our case) a Jewish American, or an African American, or a Republican American is considered an just another American.

Trying to sell a boy from Mexico [m.sacurrent.com]

Wtretired comments on Aug 2, 2019:

A very sad example of what happens when you have open borders, chaos. When you do not take care of the small things, it is easy for people to get lost in the chaos and makes it easy for predictors to capture the prey. And good intentions, excusing yourself of breaking the law for compassion or ...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 2, 2019:

Howdy @Wtretired, There's a saying in the Bible that we are to hate evil and love the good. Love is not supposed to mean a universal mushy approval. I chose this article because it demonstrates how that universal mushy approval is the aegis for selling a little boy like he's a cheap used car. It's evil and it should be despised.

Tulsi Gabbard sounds off after ripping Kamala Harris at debate - YouTube

DanielEvans comments on Aug 2, 2019:

I wish I knew more of her positions on issues. Until I heard her speak a few weeks ago I just assumed every Democrat candidate to be like the other...a clown. I'm a Trump loyalist. I'm a lifetime Republican. But I'm not inflexible. I actually hope there would be worthy candidates on the ...

timon_phocas replies on Aug 2, 2019:

Howdy @DanielEvans, George W did that. Norm Mineta served as Secretary of Transportation. Obama did that Ray Lahood served as his Sec of Transportation

Two perspectives on Trump's "racism" -- [newyorker.com] [amgreatness.com]

EdNason comments on Aug 1, 2019:

More like: Two perspectives on the false narrative that Trump is a racist.

timon_phocas replies on Aug 1, 2019:

Howdy @EdNason, It was interesting to me that the NewYorker article cited any time he had criticised a "person of color" as an instance of outrageous racism. That's the sum total of his"racism"? I think this kind of propaganda is driving voters to him.

Americans Favor Fifteen Dollars an Hour for Congress [newyorker.com]

JimbobNE comments on Jul 29, 2019:

still think they'd be overpaid.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 29, 2019:

...but AOC could bartend on the side and I hear the tips can be really good...

BBC News - Hong Kong protests: Police fire tear gas at Yuen Long rally [bbc.

timon_phocas comments on Jul 27, 2019:

Other reports have said the CCP is using gangs to attack demonstrations. I think it's pretty much certain they have.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 27, 2019:

Howdy @ObiRonMoldy gee thanks Actually, the whole group here is very sharp. And there are contributions from all around the Anglosphere.

BBC News - Hong Kong protests: Police fire tear gas at Yuen Long rally [bbc.

timon_phocas comments on Jul 27, 2019:

Other reports have said the CCP is using gangs to attack demonstrations. I think it's pretty much certain they have.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 27, 2019:

Howdy @ObiRonMoldy From what I've read, the CCP has always had an extensive organization within Hong Kong. This includes overt supporters and covert operations. If the CCP covertly contracts with triad gangs to do violence to demonstration organizers, they can deny responsibility and still punish the organizers. And as a plus, gang violence can be used as evidence that Hong Kong needs closer control from Beijing.

Is academia conformist?

WorldSigh comments on Jul 25, 2019:

Yes, conformist to the philosophy of the Frankfurt School!

timon_phocas replies on Jul 25, 2019:

@DrN1 Howdy again, I took a American history class at University of Northern Colorado in 2008 (my wife works there, so it was free). The professor spent an entire class period excoriating George W. Bush. He was a fascist. He was Hitler reincarnated. His policies were another Final Solution. Finally, and the end of the class, a student raised his hand and asked about the day's required reading. "Oh, all right. I don't really care." Thankfully, the classes in Chinese and Reformation history weren't ideological. But I would say that professor was a practicing disciple of rhe Frankfurt School.

Is academia conformist?

WorldSigh comments on Jul 25, 2019:

Yes, conformist to the philosophy of the Frankfurt School!

timon_phocas replies on Jul 25, 2019:

@DrN1 Howdy, I think this is what was meant: The Frankfurt School refers to a collection of scholars known for developing critical theory and popularizing the dialectical method of learning by interrogating society's contradictions and is most closely associated with the work of Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, Erich Fromm, and Herbert Marcuse. It was not a school, in the physical sense, but rather a school of thought associated with some scholars at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Frankfurt in Germany.

San Francisco Barbie

chuckpo comments on Jul 24, 2019:

Where's the poop on the sidewalk?

timon_phocas replies on Jul 25, 2019:

@Don_Provolone Accessories "stolen" separately🤣

Wealth Across Epochs, Part 1

PalmThis comments on Jul 24, 2019:

Is that a "Trick Question"? Washington would be richer in knowledge and we haven't seen Trump's taxes yet. lol

timon_phocas replies on Jul 24, 2019:

Howdy @Facci How to command respect?

Bill Getrz: US siding with Vietnam in dispute with China [freebeacon.com]

Wtretired comments on Jul 24, 2019:

In the National Interest. Vietnam has not liked China for a very long time.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 24, 2019:

Howdy @Wtretired, Centuries of conflicts

Marines Drop Requirement for 38 Amphib Ships [marinecorpstimes.com]

Garsco comments on Jul 21, 2019:

Apparently, times have changed. 21st century preparedness requires much more than manpower. I hope this article accurately portrays our needs today.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 21, 2019:

Howdy @Garsco It's also a sacrifice by the Corps to the greater strength of the Navy. The Navy is struggling to increase its fleet and increasing the "Gator Navy" too is a bottleneck they can't get around. And if the Navy can't fight its way to the invasion, no landing can be made.

North Korea more afraid of Christians than nuclear weapons [christianpost.com]

KeVince comments on Jul 21, 2019:

Because of the idea that you need to be americanized to be a christian most countries that are strongly traditional have become resistant to christianity.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 21, 2019:

Howdy @KeVince, Korea had a strong Christian presence for over a century. Pyongyang was called the Jerusalem of the Far East. Ruth Bell Graham (Billy Graham's) wife went to school there. Kim Il Sung's family was Christian, but he was sent to Lenin's Moscow for education. When he came back to Korea he had a hatred for his parents' religion. This is not socialogical resistance to missionaries. It is totalitarian insistence on total conformity.

Are poor black Americans already receiving "slavery reparations" in the form of receiving more from ...

timon_phocas comments on Jul 20, 2019:

I was born into a drug using, criminal family. My childhood was a confusing series of homes, foster homes and insitutions. One foster home in particular stands out. A woman of volcanic temper and inventive cruelty. I survived her, but the next child didn't. I spent years hating her. I spent ...

timon_phocas replies on Jul 20, 2019:

@DAN_STL amen, brother

Willie Horton and the "Squad" Wille Horton was a violent criminal in Massachusetts.

RobBlair comments on Jul 19, 2019:

But the media is still colluding with disinformation. Any message that gets across the divide will either be so at odds with what is "known" that it will be dismissed as a clear lie or require people to become disillusioned with their carefully constructed fabric of reality.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 19, 2019:

Howdy @RobBlair, Back in 1988 there was no internet to speak of. Conservatives in Media were rare as hens teeth. The only cable news was CNN (maybe CBN, too). No conservative talk radio. But the word got out, anyway. Today in Britain there's a pretty complete media blackout of conservative voices. Big internet social platforms ban conservative voices far more completely than here in the States. But the word about Tomny Robinson gets out anyway. This is what makes leftists so frustrated.

To the Moon and Back (fifty years later) [spectrum.ieee.org]

Judah80 comments on Jul 18, 2019:

We do need to get back to the moon. I don't get the whole boots on the ground thing. But, if it lights a fire the I'm all for it. If Trump doesn't win, anything with his name on it will be axed for sure. Fortunately, the comercial industry is well on it's way, and we no longer have to depend on ...

timon_phocas replies on Jul 18, 2019:

Charles Lindbergh flew across the Atlantic to Paris in 1927. Repeating that flight did not become commonplace until private companies could make money at it, almost twenty years later. China says it wants to mine the Moon. Mars has a pretty shallow gravity well and mining companies are drooling over mining possibilities for asteroid (16) Psyche. If there's a way to make money, private companies will spend the money to get there.

StrategyPage: Ray Guns Against UAVs [strategypage.com]

jwhitten comments on Jul 18, 2019:

They should just make a rail gun that literally shoots pennies at 'em. Solves two problems at the same time.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 18, 2019:

@jwhitten Howdy again, My understanding of the microwave weapon is that it has the effect of an electro-magnetic pulse, melting electronics. This should cause the engines to stop and the drone to fall out of the sky. ISIS used commercial UAVs to attack enemies in Syria. I read that they dropped grenades, mostly. The article says they use swarms of these to attack Russian bases in Syria This weapon looks like it's designed to stop that class of weapons.

VDH: Selfish Actors of Immigration [nationalreview.com]

RobBlair comments on Jul 18, 2019:

There is no room under "all are equal" for second class citizens. Either kick them out or make them full citizens. No one should be allowed to hide from legal authorities under this wink-wink arrangement. The enablers (employers, elites, ...) should be held to account.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 18, 2019:

Howdy @RobBlair, That's why it's such a non-partisan problem. Everybody profits from it and everybody postures about it. I remember a concept called "unaccounted costs" in economics and accounting classes; expenses that were never recorded in a company's books. Or a government agency's. The whole illegal immigration issue is about unaccounted costs. The city I live in has a large migrant population. The local hospital has a fifty percent indigent patient ratio. That's an unaccounted cost. I'm paying for it, however, because the hospital raised its rates for paying customers. We pay fifty percent more so migrants can pay nothing. The city I live in also hosts our state's School of Education. As a result, the local school district was one of the best performing in the state. In the 90s, however, its children switched to a majority from migrant familys. Test scores and graduation rates plummeted. That's an unaccounted cost, and my kids paid for it. Just two examples, but there are so many more.

StrategyPage: Ray Guns Against UAVs [strategypage.com]

jwhitten comments on Jul 18, 2019:

They should just make a rail gun that literally shoots pennies at 'em. Solves two problems at the same time.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 18, 2019:

Howdy @jwhitten That's what the original Phalanx close-in defense systems did. Put enough lead in a box of air and the incoming missile is bound to hit it instead of the ship. The counter to Phalanx was to overwhelm it with too many simultaneous targets. ISIS used the same tactic in Syria with swarms of UAVs. Developers on the US and Israel are looking at directed energy weapons, so each target engagement only takes a tiny fraction of a second. It's not ready for prime time yet, but it's getting closer.

Blue Origin Development Plans [spectrum.ieee.org]

EdNason comments on Jul 17, 2019:

way above my head

timon_phocas replies on Jul 17, 2019:

howdy @EdNason and hopefully going higher above mine!

Russia delivers S-400 to Turkey US halts F-35 deliveries to Turkey [usnews.

Babou comments on Jul 17, 2019:

So a NATO member is now going to use Russian weapons systems? What could go wrong? It’s bad when you can’t tell, just by reading, if your world news came from The Onion or not.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 17, 2019:

Howdy @Babou, One of the design features of the he F-35 is its close integration with air defenses; a continuous exchange of sensor data. If Turkey has S-400 systems, data exchange protocols & full sensor capabilities become instantly available to the S-400 and whoever monitors it. Russian collusion, anyone?

Trump Goes Full Idiot: Hot Take Episode 18 - YouTube

timon_phocas comments on Jul 16, 2019:

"If you don't like it here, you can always leave!" I've heard that phrase hundreds of times. I've heard it on farms, factory floors, gas stations and living rooms. I've heard it at the supper table. Just about every working class person has heard it and most have said it. It doesn't refer to ...

timon_phocas replies on Jul 16, 2019:

@TheLibertyAmb Howdy, To accept this statement as racist, you have to accept strict grammatical analysis of the sentence structure as its true intent. This, from a Party that did not even blink at the phrase, "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan." This, from the Party that fell in lockstep behind the phrase, "It depends on what the definition of the word 'is' is" as though it was uttered from Mt. Sinai. If Representatives Tlaib and Omar truly feel this is a racist, misogynist, malignant country, they can go to Palestine and Somalia. I'm sure there will be plenty of people willing to trade places with them.

Area 51 Anyone?

RobBlair comments on Jul 15, 2019:

Big beautiful Earth. And water, lots of water. Mars is OK. Develop some golf courses and hotels...

timon_phocas replies on Jul 15, 2019:

and casinos!

White House Shakes Up NASA Leadership [washingtonpost.com]

Jurecki comments on Jul 14, 2019:

Is this the same article? https://news.yahoo.com/nasa-chief-fired-trump-administration-140743406.html Couldn’t read WP version without subscription.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 15, 2019:

@Jurecki Howdy again, Joda80 has posted a relevant interview with the NASA Administrator. Your post comes from the Independent (a British paper). I'll keep looking.

Stratfor: Iran's Game of Nuclear Chicken [realcleardefense.com]

ScottforKing comments on Jul 15, 2019:

I wonder how much of Iran's game of chicken is a result of Trump being limited by his up coming election and the American people not wanting to go to war?

timon_phocas replies on Jul 15, 2019:

Howdy @ScottforKing, I think, to the extent Iran's game of nuclear chicken is affected by Trump, it's because of the sanctions he put on them. It does help Iran's leaders to blame their troubles on him Internally, Iran is troubled by pervasive corruption. It's a large country with a literate, ambitious population. They should be much more prosperous. But they are hobbled by the their government. I remember a news story from twenty-odd years ago. There was a devastating earthquake in an Iranian city of over a million people. The government had just constructed a five-million dollar mosque. But there was no hospital in the city.

White House Shakes Up NASA Leadership [washingtonpost.com]

Jurecki comments on Jul 14, 2019:

Is this the same article? https://news.yahoo.com/nasa-chief-fired-trump-administration-140743406.html Couldn’t read WP version without subscription.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 14, 2019:

Howdy @Jurecki, Not the same article, but covering the same issues from some different anglea

What to do About H1B Workers and Employment?

RobBlair comments on Jul 13, 2019:

The biggest problem with the H1B visas is that the recipient becomes an indentured servant to the sponsoring company. That's not OK. If they are here with documentation, then they should be free to provide their labor to whom they choose. "For example, Congress has failed to add funding for the...

timon_phocas replies on Jul 13, 2019:

@Bay0Wulf Howdy again, I don't know what the going rate is. I was replaced in 2002 and my salary was 60k. A comfortable, but not lavish, living in Northern Colorado. The Indian who replaced me pulled down 30k. I spoke with a lot of programmers while doing airport shuttle work. It looks like a gig profession now, with IT contractors flying in for projects and flying back when the project is done. A lot of very large companies don't have IT staffs. They run legacy code on virtual machines in anonymous server farms. Many don't have employees knowing what's in the systems at all. They save a great deal of money, but they have surrendered control of their daily business cycles. A lot of what would have been be covered by programming staffs is now being handled by semi-customizable enterprise resource packages like SAP. All these seem to lead towards a smaller demand for programming talent. And consequently for a smaller need for foreign IT workers.

What to do About H1B Workers and Employment?

RobBlair comments on Jul 13, 2019:

The biggest problem with the H1B visas is that the recipient becomes an indentured servant to the sponsoring company. That's not OK. If they are here with documentation, then they should be free to provide their labor to whom they choose. "For example, Congress has failed to add funding for the...

timon_phocas replies on Jul 13, 2019:

@Bay0Wulf The national center for education statistics says the US graduates 60k BS Computer Science and Information Services every year. I don't think the US needs foreign IT workers. I remember when Carly Fiorina (head of HP) said to a programmer about to be laid off, "But I can hire 3 or 4 Indian programmers for the cost of keeping you." THAT'S why they "need" foreign IT workers.

New Finnish Study Finds No Evidence For Man-Made Climate Change [www.

Tim4280 comments on Jul 12, 2019:

So did Exxon or BP bribe them?

timon_phocas replies on Jul 13, 2019:

Howdy @Tim4280, Well, I'm pretty sure Vestas did not...

Epstein Story Gets Curiouser and Curiouser [townhall.com]

RobBlair comments on Jul 12, 2019:

Why guess? Time will tell.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 12, 2019:

Howdy @RobBlair, Local and federal law enforcement have had multiple bites at this apple but they've passed. I think Epstein had/has compromising material on too many prominent people. Police were besieged by movers and shakers and they caved. Maybe this time it will get out. Maybe...

SpaceX Problems Getting Larger Payload Fairings [teslarati.com]

Judah80 comments on Jul 12, 2019:

Wow. This whole thing seems ridiculous to me. The 5m and 5.2m fairing is pretty much industry standard, this is precisely why SpaceX initially chose that size. The fact that the government is requiring a 5.4m fairing based on a very tiny portion of launches that may or may not even require it is ...

timon_phocas replies on Jul 12, 2019:

Howdy @Judah80, thanks for the new info

White House Shakes Up NASA Leadership [washingtonpost.com]

jwhitten comments on Jul 12, 2019:

Behind a pay wall.

timon_phocas replies on Jul 12, 2019:

Howdy @jhwhitten, I originally found it on the Drudge Report app. Then I did a search for "NASA shakeup." The llnk works on my phone, don't know how it behaves on a PC.

Federalist: Mueller Team denies Russia's involvement with "Russian Troll Farms" ...

James comments on Jul 11, 2019:

I am cautiously optimistic about this but the question lingers; who funded the Troll Farms exactly and why?

timon_phocas replies on Jul 12, 2019:

@DanielEvans thanks, good tech background info

Boris and Trump, an Affair to Remember? [spectator.us]

RobBlair comments on Jul 11, 2019:

"Boris’s ideal scenario would be to persuade the EU that, unless it offers Britain a reasonable deal, Britain stands ready to form an alliance with America." - Exactly. The EU behemoth is too large to negotiate with As for the silly argument regarding Trump's loyalty to Scotland, the US has ...

timon_phocas replies on Jul 11, 2019:

Howdy @RobBlair, I think the EU has demonstrated that it has no intention of negotiating with the UK. I think the UK may actually get a better deal from the EU when the UK strengthens it position with a free trade deal with the US.

With California now signing into law state provided healthcare to illegal immigrants, I wonder if ...

Jurecki comments on Jul 11, 2019:

Can you imagine how terrible it will be for folks going to the hospitals for care, or even their doctors offices? At what point does the medical profession collapse? Will the politicians eliminate standards for the field and allow anyone to practice medicine?

timon_phocas replies on Jul 11, 2019:

What? Does the Ubangistan School of Medicine have bad juju? 😀

Why are the Far left so violent, Antifa, Communists, and Nazi's all left wing and all violent?

purdyday comments on Jul 10, 2019:

There is no difference between Communism and Socialism - except in the means of achieving the same ultimate end - Communism proposes to enslave men by force - Socialism by vote - It is merely the difference between murder and suicide. Ayn Rand (sorry am on an AR kick).... Have never read ...

timon_phocas replies on Jul 10, 2019:

Howdy again @purdyday "The Fountainhead" is shorter and more readable. "Atlas Shrugged" is more convoluted. It's background is a general societal collapse with some entrapeneurs valiantly trying keep going. In the far background there is a band of Objectivists (entrapeneurs, philosophers, and artists) who have dropped out of a collectivist society and are watching it collapse without their critical skills. The concluding philisophy lecture is truly mind numbing, but that's Ayn Rand.