___

Ref. Daily Mail.co.uk (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1257085/How-smoulder-youre-older-Sophia-Loren-75.html).

Two articles I discovered today that make for interesting reading.

The first one was about the Supreme Court will strike down U.S. cities outright bans on handguns, and thus establish a nationwide ownership right.  This has been a long time coming and I hope that it goes through.

On the other side of the coin, Maximum Leader, Dear Leader Comrade Barrack H. Obama, has decided to use the power of his office to create more national parks, etc – while at the same time, taking MORE land out of economic development, and/or energy production.

Such actions will increase the recession by prolonging the time and increase the number of unemployed workers in our nation.  Senator DeMint wrote the article that appears in the Washington Times.

Use the links below to read both articles please.

___

Ref. March 2, 2010. “DEMINT:  WHite House land grab” by Sen. Jim DeMint. (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/02/white-house-land-grab/).

Yahoo News, March 2, 2010. “Justices may extend gun owner rights nationwide.” by Mark Sherman. (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100303/ap_on_go_su_co/us_supreme_court_guns_11).

Burt Rutan is an amazing man.  A designer of avaition and now branching out into space in the last ten years.  I personally think that in another fifty years, when people talk about the great aviation pioneers in human history – Burt Rutan is going to be in the top 25.

Recently, he gave a interview to the Wall Street Journal which “cherry-pick” his comments to A Mr. Thomas M. Culligan, a assistant to Congressman Frank R. Wolf of VA.

The actual posting was on comspacewatch.com.  Mr. Rutan’s comments as presented are in that article is printed below.  What is important here is that those of us who are believers is manned spaceflight… especially by the United States of America, and represented by NASA – have been shafted by our very own government. Anybody who has followed my blog knows I am a space cadet.  So I have to be counted among that number of “believers.” The most telling comment was his final paragraph in that note to the news media…

Quote: “Some have guessed that my recent comments are based on my overall displeasure with the Obama Administration. they are not; however it does seem that the best technical minds in U.S. industry are still striving to find HOW America can continue to be “exceptional”, while the Administration does not want America to BE “exceptional”. end quote by Burt Rutan.”

Commercial space can handle the – well, day to day chores of resupply the international space station.  And since we have no Star Trek like Starfleet for exploration duties, that task falls to NASA.  And NASA should be the ones testing new hardware, travelling to the moon and beyond.  In their tracks, the commercial operators can follow behind building the moonbases and other things needed to make the human race space farers and colonizers.

Since Mr. Rutan doesn’t want anything of hsi statement taken out of context, it is posted below.  The original link is in the Ref. section.

Burt Rutan has released a statement saying the Wall Street Journal “chose to cherry-pick and misquote my comments to Cong. Wolf.”

“To my friends in the Press…

Since the WSJ chose to cherry-pick and miss-quote my comments to Cong Wolf and since the blogs have taken that to further mischaracterized my comments, I am forwarding the Wolf memo in its entirety, in the hopes that some of this gets corrected. Some additional clarification of my thoughts follow: My basic concern is that the real value of NASA’s contributions that America realized in the 60s and early 70s is now being completely discarded. How can we rationalize a surrender of our preeminence in human spaceflight? In my mind, the important NASA accomplishments are twofold: 1) The technical breakthroughs achieved by basic research (not by Development programs like Constellation) and 2) The Forefront Manned Exploration that provided the inspiration for our youth to plan careers in engineering/science and that established the U.S. as the world leader in technology.

In short, it is a good idea indeed for the commercial community to compete to re-supply the ISS and to bring about space access for the public to enjoy. I applaud the efforts of SpaceX, Virgin and Orbital in that regard and feel these activities should have been done at least two decades ago. However, I do not see the commercial companies taking Americans to Mars or to the moons of Saturn within my lifetime and I doubt if they will take the true Research risks (technical and financial) to fly new concepts that have low confidence of return on investment. Even NASA, regarded as our prime Research agency has not recently shown a willingness to fly true Research concepts.

For years I have stated that a NASA return-to-moon effort must include true Research content, i.e. testing new concepts needed to enable forefront Exploration beyond the moon. The current Ares/Orion does not do that. While I have been critical of Constellation for that reason, I do not think that NASA should ‘give up’ on manned spaceflight, just that they should be doing it while meeting the 1) or 2) criteria above.

Some have guessed that my recent comments are based on my overall displeasure with the Obama Administration. they are not; however it does seem that the best technical minds in U.S. industry are still striving to find HOW America can continue to be “exceptional”, while the Administration does not want America to BE “exceptional”.

Burt Rutan

Thomas M. Culligan

Congressional Appropriations Legislative Assistant

The Hon. Frank R. Wolf (VA-10)

Tom,

I occasionally banter with my friend, Mike Griffin on subjects that include golf, the AGW scare and NASA policy. After sending him my latest tirade, he shared with me his recent letter to you regarding taxpayer-funded space research. I promised him that I would send you my thoughts on the debate, which follow:

From my past comments on NASA’s post-mid-70s manned space efficiencies/accomplishments, an observer might think that I would applaud a decision to turn this important responsibility over to commercial developers. However, he would be wrong.

No question, it would be good to see commercial companies quickly succeed at orbital access and to take that capability beyond low earth orbit. However, I am fearful that the commercial guys will fail; i.e. they will do little more in my remaining lifetime than NASA accomplished in 3.5 years with Gemini in the mid 1960s. That would be a very big mistake for America to make, as we move into an era of real competition in space exploration as well as risk the loss of our leadership in nearly every other technical discipline.

Mike Griffin’s excellent statement says it best; “I too want, in the strongest possible terms, to have government policies which serve to stimulate private development of space. But at the same time, I too am reluctant — with an analogy to instrument flying — to give up an airport where I know I can get in on the approach, for one where I might”.

What I would like to see is a decade or two of overlap – an initial push in the commercial arena of manned spaceflight (Development programs, not Research programs), while NASA flies risky new ideas (read, true Research programs, giving at least a chance of discovering an important new Breakthrough), and at the same time pushes the forefront of Exploration beyond the earth’s moon.

Imagine how much better America could motivate our youth if we were spending the billions of Stimulus Package money on making real progress in our efforts to someday colonize off the planet.

Two years after Neil and Buzz landed on the moon, America led the world in awarding PhDs in science/engineering/math. Today we are not even on the first or second page and most of our University’s technical graduates take their skills back to their own countries to compete with us. The motivation of our youth is the most important thing we do for our nation’s long-term security and prosperity. NASA’s role in that can be as critical as it was in the 60s if the taxpayers fund true Research and Exploration.

The attachment is a photo I took at the Shuttle STS-130 launch – Caption: “Reaction when told about the President’s NASA directive to abandon manned spaceflight”.

As always, I am ok with the distribution of my thoughts without limitation.

While I usually offer candid remarks at the drop of the hat, I am not interested in Congressional testimony, since under duress I occasionally have been known to blurt out the truth. I have no interest in being in the same room with John Holdren….. Taking a line from a very old play: “I must turn away, least I soil my hands with the blood of a fool”

Burt Rutan

___

Ref. February 26, 2010.  ”Burt Rutan Issues Clarification on Wall Street Journal Remarks” (http://www.comspacewatch.com/news/viewpr.rss.html?pid=30293)

This is Deja vu all over again!

Argentina’s glamorous leader Cristina Fernández de Kirchner (aka “Botox” Evita) is making noise about the Falklands islands.

Quote:  Away to the south, a giant British oil rig has arrived off the Falkland Islands, the isolated South Atlantic archipelago which Mrs Kirchner has described, in a characteristically fiery speech, as “an illegal colonial enclave”. No one can yet say how much oil lies below the wild waters around the islands, but it is likely that considerable riches are at stake – not the least of which, for the 57-year-old Mrs Kirchner, is the chance of reviving her battered political standing.

Last week, as relations between Britain and Argentina sank back towards the deep-frozen levels of 25 years ago, Mrs Kirchner imposed what amounted to an economic blockade. According to a new government decree, any ship passing through waters claimed by Argentina must have a special permit. To underline how seriously the issue is being taken, the foreign ministry impounded a small Danish freighter accused of carrying oil pipeline equipment. End Quote.

An illegal colonial enclave?!  Twenty plus years after a short, navy loving, gut busting war – the Falklands remain a part of the British Empire. And the issue appeared to me to be totally settled back then.

It seems that in the new 1994 Argentinian constitution – the Argentine peoples still desire to gain control of those islands.  And I guess they don’t care how many generations it will take to realize that dream. Better make that a nightmare.

This is (in this blogger’s mind) in part due to the influence of Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez who is trying to create some sort of South American Socialist empire.

So they found oil in the Falklands… good show Britian!

So… are we going to have a Second Falklands War?  Well, if there is such a thing, I am not to sure about Prime Minister Gordon Brown.  From what I have heard about him since the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, I don’t seem him matching the caliber of wits that the Iron Lady herself, Lady Margret Thatcher had in the First Falklands War.  Can there be another task force like in 1982?  Captain Michael Capp doesn’t seem to think so.  check out his article in the last link below.

___

Ref.  Newsweek cover (source from Wikipedia) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_empire_strikes_back_newsweek.jpg).

Telegraph.co.uk, February 20,2010. “The Botox Evita seeks a new lift” by William Langley(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/7280424/The-Botox-Evita-seeks-a-new-lift.html).

Daily Mail.co.uk, February 19, 2010. by  Capt  Michael Clapp   (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1252149/Its-bitter-truth-We-send-task-force-Falklands-today.html)

At least not for what some Republicans are hoping for a ground swell to cast them back into office.  The problem with that is that they (The Republicans) will miss read their ‘victory’ and go back to doing the stupid things that got them kicked out in the first place!

Wonderful article by Howard Rich (url is below, just copy and paste).  Please read it.  Towards the end of that article Mr. Rich wrote was a wonderful question and answer.

Quote:  Was Bush a better steward of your tax dollars than Obama?

Yes – but that’s the problem.  Getting mugged worse the second time around doesn’t absolve the first thief of his culpability.

The simple, unavoidable truth is that Bush and his GOP allies were fiscal liberals, and no amount of “Republican revisionism” can erase that fact.  End Quote.

I think that those people who support the efforts of the group of Americans known as the Tea Party (or if your a Democrat, the insulting homosexual term Tea-Bagger), do not like where BOTH parties have taken this country too.  In my view, it will take the Tea Party to get the Republicans into office in 2010 so there can be NO super majority in the Senate.  Then let the GOP get a president elected in 2012.

I say this only to stop the slide of our country into socialism.  For our society, our economy, the current (Socialist)  Democrats must be removed from office so that they can do no more harm to this country – the one that they took a oath to preserve and protect when they entered office.

But past that point, the Tea Party will have to go it on its own as a third party and get rid of one (hell, get rid of both) current political parties.  It is sad – but clear to me that the Baby Boomer generation has failed this country as far as the political leadership it has offered up.  Sad to say, sadder for me since I am a Tail-End Charlie of that generation.  But in point of fact, I always like to point out that since I was born after Sputnik, so I was a member of the first generation of the Space Age!  And for those of you who do not know what Tail-End Charlie means, just google it.  (OK, it means either the last aircraft in formation or the tail gunner on a bomber.  Usually a British slang term).

__

Ref. Townhall.com. February 19, 2010. “Missing Bush?” Why Republican Revisionism Won’t Sell by Howard Rich. (http://townhall.com/columnists/HowardRich/2010/02/19/%E2%80%9Cmissing_bush%E2%80%9D_why_republican_revisionism_won%E2%80%99t_sell?page=full&comments=true).

AP image with article.

Today, a 53-year old man finally reached his limits.  Taking his Piper Cherokee airplane, he dived into the seven-story Austin, Texas, office building of the Internal Revenue Service to deliver his own personal message.

Joseph Stack took off in a Piper Cherokee from Georgetown Municipal Airport in Texas at 9:40 a.m.; Stack was an experienced pilot who owned his own airplane.  He crashed into the IRS building 20 minutes later.

Department of Homeland Security dispatched two F-16Ds from Ellington Field near Houston, Texas, to conduct a patrol over Austin.  DHS officials told reporters that they feel that this was not a act of terrorism.

It appears that Mr. Stack also set fire to his home before his final flight.

IRS Agent William Winnie said he was on the third floor of the building when he saw a light-colored, single engine plane coming toward the building. “It looked like it was coming right in my window,” Winnie said.

I now quote the article:  In what appears to have been his suicide note, Stack is believed to have written:

“If you’re reading this, you’re no doubt asking yourself, “Why did this have to happen?’ The simple truth is that it is complicated and has been coming for a long time…

“Violence not only is the answer, it is the only answer…

“I saw it written once that the definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over and expecting the outcome to suddenly be different. I am finally ready to stop this insanity. Well, Mr. Big Brother IRS man, let’s try something different; take my pound of flesh and sleep well,” the note, dated Thursday, reads.

end quote.

I then clicked on the link to read Mr. Stack’s “Suicide” note.  That is the second link shown below in the reference section.  I for one read it and could not help but think – when will I be pushed to my own breaking point?

I think every man and woman keeps running a mantra in the back of their minds when times are tough – is now the time that I snap?

For that purpose only, I have included the link to that suicide note and urge readers to read it themselves.  And then ask themselves, “Where is my breaking point?”

UPDATE:  February 20, 2010:  Just read a interesting article on Global Guerrillas blog and I thought I would share the link for it here (http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2010/02/journal-rage-against-the-machine.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+typepad/rzYD+(Global+Guerrillas)).  Mr. Robb’s view is that Joseph Stack  was  ”just a canary in the coal mine – people on the margins, mentally and situationally, that fatally explode at the early onset of severe societal and economic pressure.”

__

Ref.

Foxnews.com, Feb. 18, 2010.  ”Pilot Crashes Into Texas Building n Apparent Anti-IRS Suicide.” (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,586581,00.html)

Foxnews.com, Feb. 18, 2010.  ”RAW DATA:  Joseph Stack Suicide Manifesto” (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,586627,00.html).

Source: AP Photo/Austin American-Statesman, Jay Janner.

image of Piper Cherokee from FreeFoto.com.

Global Guerrillas blog by John Robb (http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451576d69e201310f2071ba970c)

Professor Phil Jones it seems is being passed off as some sort of absentminded professor type.  Quoting the article: “The academic at the centre of the ‘Cimategate’ affair, whose raw data is crucial to the theory of climate change, has admitted that he has trouble ‘keeping track’ of the information.”

And this as well, ” Professor Jones told the BBC yesterday there was truth in the observations of colleagues that he lacked organisational skills, that his office was swamped with piles of paper and that his record keeping is ‘not as good as it should be’.

Professor Jones has stepped down as director of the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit.

For more details, please read the article. (link below).

___

Ref:  The Daily Mail. February 14, 2010. By Jonathan Petre (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1250872/Climategate-U-turn-Astonishment-scientist-centre-global-warming-email-row-admits-data-organised.html)