Friday, June 29, 2012

Space:Chinese Space Program Reminiscent of '60s Apollo Missions

Headlines around the world:
Shenzhou 9 mission noted for China's first manned dockings and first woman astronaut.
Chinese space trio lands after history-making trip.
Touchdown! Chinese Space Capsule With 3 Astronauts Returns to Earth.
China sends its first woman into outer space.
Chinese space walk
click image for full story
 

Thursday, June 28, 2012

One in Three People Believe Aliens have Visited Earth

Really? Suprisingly, that is more than believe Jesus Christ is God.
I'm a space geek, sciencie type guy and frankly, I don't think there is enough proof to make a judgement on the subject of extra-terrestial UFOs.
Still, here is what one in three Americans think:
A new survey finds that 80 million Americans, or 36 percent of the population, believe UFOs are real!
from the movie 'War of the Worlds'
click image for full story at Space.com

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

NASA Eye in the Sky Views Colorado Wildfires

The () on NASA's Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image on June 23, 2012
click image for full story

The High Park and Weber Fires produced the largest plumes of smoke.
The High Park Fire continued to burn west of Fort Collins. Started by lightning on June 9, 2012, this blaze had consumed 83,205 acres (33,672 hectares), making it the second-largest fire in Colorado history, after the Hayman Fire that burned in 2002. As of June 25, more than 2,000 people were fighting the High Park Fire, and firefighters had it 45 percent contained, according to InciWeb. Nevertheless, The Denver Post reported that the fire had destroyed 248 homes, making it the most destructive in Colorado history, even if it was not the largest.


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Facebook Just Changed Your Email Address Without Even Asking You-Here's How to Fix It

You may have heard (or read) that Facebook just changed your email address without even asking you — and in a way it did — but the whole thing's not quite as scary or dramatic as it might sound. And you can easily fix things with a few clicks.
 What happened?
You see, what happened is that the email address — or in some cases, addresses — displayed on your Facebook profile was changed from whatever it was to your Facebook email address. (Your Facebook email address consists of whatever is at the end of your Facebook URL slapped in front of @facebook.com.
For most people, this is pretty darn annoying as all the mail they receive at the Facebook email address winds up in their regular Facebook inbox. Based on a quick survey of friends and colleagues, it seems that this is inconvenient to a majority, as they prefer to receive their email in ... you know, their actual email inboxes.
 So how do I fix this?
All you have to do is open up your profile page (hit the "About" button under your personal info), scroll down to the "Contact Info" box, and hit the "Edit" button. There you can toggle who can see which email address and whether it is displayed on your Timeline or not.
If you're not a fan of receiving your email in your Facebook inbox, I suggest hiding that address and simply making the one you favor visible.

7th Generation 'Flying Wallenda' - Nik Wallenda, Dare Devil for the 21st Century

The Flying Wallendas is the name of a circus act and daredevil stunt performers, most known for performing high wire acts without a safety net. They were first known as The Great Wallendas, but the current name was coined by the press in the 40s and has stayed since.
The most recent Flying Wallenda performer, Nikolas Wallenda as of late has been breaking his families high wire records all over the world. His most recent spectacular stunt was the high wire crossing of Niagara Falls.
His new Science Channel series 'Nik Wallenda beyond Niagara Falls' depicts this modern day dare devil and all he does to prepare for these death defying stunts.
Nik has lost several members of his family-- notably his grandfather-- having been killed or crippled from taking a fall while performing. In his new series he shows how his generation learned from the catastrophes of the past and how they prepare to avoid these devastating falls.
The Wallendas have never used a net in their performances. Nik Wallenda agrees that a net could make one complacent and not at 100%.

The Flying Wallendas Logo


Karl Wallenda was born in Magdeburg, Germany, in 1905 to an old circus family, and began performing at the age of 6. While still in his teens he answered an ad for a hand balancer with courage. His employer, Louis Weitzman, taught him the trade. In 1922, Karl put together his own act with his brother Herman, Joseph Geiger, and a teenage girl, Helen Kreis, who eventually became his wife.
The act toured Europe for several years, performing some amazing stunts. When John Ringling saw them perform in Cuba, he quickly hired them to perform at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus. In 1928, they debuted at the Madison Square Garden. The act performed without a net (it had been lost in transit) and the crowd gave them a standing ovation.
It was at a performance in Akron, Ohio that the group all fell off the wire, but were unhurt. The next day, a reporter who witnessed the accident was quoted in the newspaper: "The Wallendas fell so gracefully that it seemed as if they were flying" – thus coining the name "The Flying Wallendas".
In 1944, while the Wallendas were performing in Hartford, Connecticut, a fire broke out, killing over 168 people. None of the Wallendas were hurt.
In the following years, Karl developed some of the most amazing acts like the seven-person chair pyramid. They continued performing those acts until 1962, when, while performing at the Shrine Circus at Detroit's State Fair Coliseum, the front man on the wire faltered and the pyramid collapsed. Three men fell to the ground, killing Richard Faughnan, Wallenda's son-in-law; and nephew Dieter Schepp. Karl injured his pelvis, and his adopted son, Mario, was paralyzed from the waist down.
Other tragedies include when Wallenda's sister-in-law, Rietta, fell to her death in 1963, and his son-in-law Richard ("Chico") Guzman was killed in 1972 after touching a live electric wire while holding part of the metal rigging. Nonetheless, Karl decided to go on. He repeated the pyramid act in 1963 and 1977. Karl continued performing with a smaller group, and doing solo acts.
Karl Wallenda crossed the Tallulah Gorge in Georgia on a high wire on July 18, 1970.
On March 22, 1978, during a promotional walk in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Karl Wallenda fell from the wire and died. It was between the towers of Condado Plaza Hotel, 10 stories high. He was 73. Nik Wallenda completed the walk on June 4, 2011 with his mother, Delilah.
There are several branches of the Wallendas performing today, comprising mostly grandchildren of Karl Wallenda. They still perform regularly and have achieved recognition in the Guinness Book of Records.
Nik Wallenda crossed Niagara Falls from the United States into Canada on June 15, 2012, becoming the first person to do so since 1896. Wearing a safety harness as required by ABC television, he crossed at the river's widest point.

Past posts about Nik Wallenda on G.F.C.S.F.N.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Sea levels Along East Coast U.S. are Rising at Faster Pace than Anywhere on Earth


Climate change is causing higher sea levels around the world, as land-based glaciers like those on Greenland melt and slide into the oceans and as warming ocean water expands.
But seas don't rise at the same rate, and for 600 miles along the U.S. Atlantic coast, the water is rising more rapidly than elsewhere on the globe, USGS scientists reported on Sunday in the journal Nature Climate Change.
It could have an impact on some of the biggest urban areas along and near the East Coast, including Boston, Providence, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Norfolk-Virginia Beach, especially when storm surges push water inland.
click image for complete story

Asteroids:Progress Finding/Tracking Big Space Rocks Makes Collisions Less Realistic

Space.com says scientists are making so much progress finding and tracking big, dangerous space rocks that a surprise civilization-threatening impact is becoming less and less realistic.
It's highly unlikely, for example, that a 6-mile-wide (10-kilometer) near-Earth asteroid — the size of the space rock thought to have wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago — lurks out there undiscovered, researchers say.
Asteroids much smaller than the dino-killer could still inflict catastrophic damage if they slammed into Earth. In general, scientists think a strike by anything at least 0.6 miles (1 km) wide could have global consequences — most likely by altering the world's climate for years to come.
Observations by NASA's infrared WISE space telescope recently allowed astronomers to estimate that there are about 981 of these mountain-size asteroids on orbits that bring them relatively close to Earth.
That number may sound scarily large. But sky-scanning researchers have already found and cataloged nearly all of them.
click image for complete story at Space.com

Sunday, June 24, 2012

English, The Confusion in Speaking the Language

I have heard that of all languages spoken, English is the most desirable second language in the world in spite of the confusion involved in learning it.
I am left to understand that the English  language is the hardest to learn because of the following examples of this confusion.

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.

2) The farm was used to produce produce.

3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.

4) We must polish the Polish furniture.

5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.

6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert..

7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.

8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.

9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.

10) I did not object to the object.

11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.

12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.

13) They were too close to the door to close it.

14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.

15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.

16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.

17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.

18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear..

19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

21) Wait a minute, these are all minute differences, right?

Friday, June 22, 2012

Significant Number: 55 and What it Means



The Number 55

55 can be Partitioned 28 times with each term no larger than 2.
55 can be Partitioned 280 times with each term no larger than 3.
55 can be Partitioned 1495 times with each term no larger than 4.
55 is the largest Triangular Number in the Fibonacci Sequence.
the sum of 5 successive Triangular Number (3+6+10+15+21 = 55)
Sum of the two series of following numbers: 1, 2, 4, 8 and 1, 3, 9, 27=55.
Sum of the first 5 Square Numbers = 1 + 4 + 9 + 16 + 25 = 55
Sum of the 8 factors of 36 = 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 6 + 9 + + 18 = 55

  The Year 55 AD
In the year 55 AD King Nicander II of Hellas died. He was succeeded by Pausanias III.
In the year 55 AD King Vologeses of Parthia was killed in battle against the Kushans. He was succeeded by his son, who reigns as King Mithridates III.

 Caesium is a soft, silver-white, metallic element with atomic number 55. It is a very reactive element, exploding on contact with water and reacting instantly with air.
The Chemical Element Manganese has one Stable Isotope. It has 55 neutrons.
 
"The Ancient Chinese believed that "the sum total of heavenly numbers and earthly numbers is 55. It is this...which sets the gods and demons in movement."
from one of my favorite reference sites: VirtueScience.com by James Barton,Webmaster

 

 I was born 55 years ago today.

Whenever I think of this number I recall my brother Rush's favorite '80s rock song buy Sammy Hagar:
I Can't Drive 55!"

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Katt's Taxi General Manager: Happy birthday Tracie!

The 23rd of June is our General Manager Tracie's birthday! She will be celebrating several anniversaries of her 39th birthday. I hope you have a great day Tracie! Here's a rose for you!
There are some new and exciting things going on at Katt's Taxi these days and Tracie is spearheading these dispatch upgrades. For more on our new "Cabulous " automated dispatching system go here and for more on Katt's Taxi and our General Manager go here
Katt's Transportation Wilmington, N.C. 910-763-5003

List of Species Threatened by Extinction

Of all the different species that have evolved upon the Earth it is calculated that 90% have went extinct. Of course most people think of the dinosaur when they think of creatures that no longer exist on the face of the planet. The truth be known most  species evolved from one type to another. The biggest example being the raptor dinosaur evolving into bird species.
Yep, that's right; once a raptor would eat you on site now we eat their ancestors, the turkey and chicken.
Still there are the species that disappear because of humans. The biggest example would be the Dodo bird. Humans hunted them to extinction.They were dumb and slow, hunters simply ran them down and clubbed them.
I wonder how southern fried Dodo must have tasted. They were obviously very delicious!
That being said, we as a society recognise the shame in losing any creature with which we share the planet.
Right off the top I can think of two species we have hunted to the brink just to recognise the loss and stop our destructive ways in time for them to regenerate: the Alligator and the American Buffalo.
Gators are now harvestable, bison still are not.
How many species are endangered to the point of extinction?
Two thousand new species have been assessed and added to the list, bringing the total to 63,837.
Overall, the statistics are little changed: 41% of amphibians, 33% of reef-building corals, 25% of mammals and 13% of birds languish on the risk list.



Monday, June 18, 2012

Swamp People: In Memory of Mitchell Guist

Glenn and Mitchell Guist were two of the most interesting people on History Channel's Swamp People.
Earlier this year Mitchell Guist passed away of natural causes.
Sad.
I personally wonder how this is going to effect Glenn. The two seemed to be inseparable. I have never seen a couple of brothers work and live in such harmony. It was if the two shared the exact same thoughts; they would even complete each others sentences.
I would think Glenn will never be the same without his brother; I truly hope he will be OK. The two never seemed too concerned with any problem that came their way. Yet, I would guess this would be the biggest thing Glenn has ever faced; Life without Mitchell.
Good luck to you Glenn, stay strong. 

To honor the life of Mitchell Guist click image


Past posts on Swamp People below

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Earth's Oldest Probe, Voyager 1 to Cross Boundries of Outer Solar System into Deep Space

Scientists are already seeing a change in the neighborhood.

Voyager 1 was launched in 1977. After exploring the outer planets, it was pointed toward deep space and a new mission. Today scientists announced it's going to get there a lot sooner than expected.
"We are clearly in a new region where things are changing more quickly," says Ed Stone, Voyager project scientist at the California Institute of Technology. "It is very exciting. We are approaching the solar system's frontier."
Fifty-five years after humans first escaped the bounds of Earth and launched a satellite into orbit, we are about to cross another frontier.
We will soon extend our reach for the first time into true outer space – the vast emptiness beyond the protection of the sun.
Our emissary is a small, aging spaceship carrying a friendly message from President Jimmy Carter along with recordings of a baby crying and a whale singing, just in case anyone is out there to receive them.
click image of Voyager 1 for full story

China Puts First Woman into Orbit Aboard Shenzhou 9 Spaceship


The Shenzhou 9 capsule was launched Saturday on China's most ambitious space mission yet in a step toward building a permanent space station.
The spacecraft carried out the first of five planned orbit changes early Sunday, state television said. The capsule is to dock Monday with the Tiangong 1 module 343 kilometers (213 miles) above Earth.

click image for complete story

The spacecraft carrying China's first female astronaut and two male crew mates made a planned course change Sunday en route to docking with an orbiting module, state television reported.
Liu Yang, a 33-year-old air force pilot who is China's first female space traveler; mission commander and veteran astronaut Jing Haipeng, 45; and crew mate Liu Wang, 43, are to spend at least 10 days in space.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Father's Day 2012: Carlos M. Cox 1933 - 2008

It is Father's Day again and I ponder my relationship with my father. Gone now these last four years and many is the time I have thought to call and consult him, just to sadly remember; he's no longer there.
But, I can still smile remembering how he loved me to his last days.
Thanks Daddy.

My father raised me with a stern front. He was firm but fair. I am a better man for being his son.
By his bare logic and his stark truths I give him the credit for the following in my life:
I have never been in jail.
I have never been sued.
I owe no man anything.
I have earned my way and never collected unemployment or a government check.
I give my word sparingly; break it and it is forever flawed. 
I've always paid my taxes.
I have never struck a woman.
Nor have I ever cheated on my spouse.
A handshake is as good as a signature.
I vote.
There is more but this gets the point across I hope.
My father the Reverend Carlos Monroe Cox 1933 - 2008
I will forever miss the man, my Dad.
More of what kind of a man my father was:
Dad's Desperate Wisdom
A true short story I've written about my father and how he saved his family from a terrible fate. 


Nik Wallenda Completes Niagra Falls Tight Rope Crossing

The seventh-generation member of the famed Flying Wallendas had long dreamed of pulling off the stunt, never before attempted. Other daredevils have wire-walked over the Niagara River but farther downstream and not since 1896.
"This is what dreams are made of, people," Wallenda said shortly after he began walking the wire.
He took steady, measured steps amid the rushing mist over the falls as an estimated crowd of 125,000 people on the Canadian side and 4,000 on the American side watched. Along the way, he calmly prayed aloud.
For the 33-year-old father of three, the Niagara Falls walk was unlike anything he'd ever done. Because it was over water, the 2-inch wire didn't have the usual stabilizer cables to keep it from swinging. Pendulum anchors were designed to keep it from twisting under the elkskin-soled shoes designed by his mother.
After he made it to the Canadian side of the falls, Wallenda said that at one point in the middle of the stunt, he thought about his great-grandfather and the walks he had taken: "That's what this is all about, paying tribute to my ancestors, and my hero, Karl Wallenda."
click image for complete story

Friday, June 15, 2012

Swamp People: Liz and Kristi Sue After Recieving Hot Checks as Payment for Local Appearance.

If this is true I think they are screwing up cheating these two gals!
The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Judge Donald Floyd's 172nd District Court, says that in March, business women from Mid-County contacted the "Swamp People" stars Liz & Kristi and said they were about to open a new business and wanted to hire the two women to make an appearance on March 31 at the South Texas State Fair for publicity, the lawsuit states.
Liz Choate's husband, Justin, and the business Gator Queen Choate, LLC also are listed as plaintiffs-all of whom are from Vermillion Parish, La.-in the lawsuit.  
Alleging the two stars were hired  for the appearance at the fair and were given hot checks as payment.
gator queen liz choate
click image above for complete story and credits
kristi broussard

click here for past Swamp People posts
Willy kills gator w/pocket knife!
Liz&Kristi toughest females on TV!

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Tracking Hurricanes 2012: Deegle the Weather Dog

Are you a hurricane enthusiast? Do you live here on the East Coast? Well, If you are I suggest you check out Deegle the Weather Dog. Check out her prediction percentage over the last few years- she's good at it!
click image for hurricane page
click image for Deegle's Weather Page, mainly Hurricanes
click puppy for News From Deegle

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Asteroids: City Block-Sized Rock to Fly by Earth Thursday, Watch Online

Another NEO to do close flyby!
Asteroid number 2012 LZ1 just popped onto astronomers' radar this week. It was discovered on the night of June 10-11 by Rob McNaught and his colleagues, who were peering through the Uppsala Schmidt telescope at Siding Spring Observatory in Australia.
Researchers estimate that the space rock is between 1,000 and 2,300 feet wide. On Thursday evening, it will come within about 3.35 million miles of our planet, or roughly 14 times the distance between Earth and the moon.
You can watch the asteroid flyby here: http://events.slooh.com/

click image

Presidential Approval Ratings: Obama vs Historical Statistics


President Obama's approval rating averaged 47% in May. Lower than all but two of the last eleven presidents. The top three over the last 70 years are Kennedy, Eisenhower and  H.W.Bush...
Of course Obama's numbers could change either way compared to these static numbers below, but  this comparison is interesting and can give a different perspective.
President                   Dates in Office                   percentage

Harry Truman
April 1945-January 1953
45.4
Dwight Eisenhower
January 1953-January 1961
65.0
John Kennedy
January 1961-November 1963
70.1
Lyndon Johnson
November 1963-January 1969
55.1
Richard Nixon
January 1969-August 1974
49.0
Gerald Ford
August 1974-January 1977
47.2
Jimmy Carter
January 1977-January 1981
45.5
Ronald Reagan
January 1981-January 1989
52.8
George H.W. Bush
January 1989-January 1993
60.9
Bill Clinton
January 1993-January 2001
55.1
George W. Bush
January 2001-January 2009
49.4


click image

Over a Year in Orbit Air Force's Secret X-37 Shuttle to Land at Vandenberg Air Force Base

The Air Force's reusable spacecraft went into orbit on March 5, 2011, but as was the case during its first launch in 2010, very little has been known about its mission or what payloads it might be carrying because its missions are classified.  That has led to speculation that the spacecraft is involved in intelligence gathering operations or the testing of new technologies.
Measuring 29 feet in length and having a 15-foot wingspan, the unmanned re-usable X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle looks like a miniature version of  NASA’s now retired space shuttles.

click image for full story at abcnews.go.com
Air Force's X-37 mini shuttle


Monday, June 11, 2012

NASA:Number of Dangerous Asteroids Near Earth Confirmed, 4700 NEOs

Potentially hazardous asteroids, or PHAs in NASA-speak, are space rocks in orbits that come within 5 million miles (8 million kilometers) of Earth and are large enough to cause damage on regional or global scale if they were ever to hit our planet.
Don't take this lightly; asteroid strikes have caused numerous extinction events on Earth over the life of the planet. We humans should be forewarned and beware the fate of the dinosaur befalling humanity.
The $320 million WISE telescope snapped images of about 600 near-Earth asteroids, with about 135 of them being completely new discoveries. The telescope also observed millions of other objects, including distant galaxies and star nurseries.
click image for story on Space.com

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Mark Martin 2nd(Again) Behind Logano at Pocono

How many times has Mark Martin been the bridesmaid and not the bride? You name the race or challenge or championship and sometime in his career you will find Martin listed as a second place finisher in way too many of these contests. I used to follow Martin thinking that it would have to come to an end eventually,but no! Here again the aging driver allows a more aggressive, younger driver to take a win from him.

Logano wins Pocono 400

Martin has been described as, "The best driver to never win a championship."
Click his picture to read more about his shortcomings.

Multi Million Dollar Bounty Countered by al-Qaeda: 10 Camels for Obama's Head 20 chickens for Hillary's

The U.S. offered $7 million for founder and commander Ahmed Abdi Aw-Mohamed, AKA Godane or Mukhtar Abu Zubeir, five million for Khalaf and three other men, and $3 million apiece for two other leaders.
The announcement of the U.S. bounties came as Somali and other African military forces have begun to squeeze Shabaab into a smaller and smaller section of Somalia. In a statement, the Somali government said the rewards would help crush the al Qaeda affiliate.

al-Qaeda's counter:
"Anyone who helps the Mujahideen find the whereabouts of Obama and Hillary Clinton will be rewarded with 10 Camels to the information leading to Obama and 10 hens and 10 cocks for Hillary," said senior Shabaab commander Fuad Mohamed Khalaf in a statement reported on numerous websites.

 Really?

When Galaxies Collide: What Happens after Imminent Milky Way/Andromeda Impact?

The predicted collision and merger between our Milky Way galaxy and the neighboring Andromeda galaxy 3.5 billion years from now will result in an enormous new elliptical galaxy, but not for another 6 billion years, researchers say.
click image for story and credits
How colliding galaxies would look in our night sky
The event “will indeed be unprecedented” in the history of the two galaxies. Andromeda, also known by its astronomical designation M31, is a Milky Way-size galaxy some 2.5 million light-years away. On a clear night under dark skies, its nucleus is visible to the naked eye as a small, glowing fuzz ball.
Although it looks as if Andromeda is setting still, the two galaxies are actually careening toward each other at about 250,000 miles an hour.(This is about 25 times faster than the speed of a bullet.)
The closing speed increases with time because each galaxy's gravitational tug on the other grows stronger as they two draw closer. By the time of the first encounter about 4 billion years from now, the two will have reached a combined collision speed of roughly 1.25 million miles an hour. This means that an already small sideways motion, which doesn't change with time, becomes increasingly insignificant compared with the rising collision speed.
Upon impact the stellar populations of both galaxies are jostled and the Milky Way loses its flattened pancake shape with most of the stars on nearly circular orbits. The galaxies’ cores merge, and the stars settle into randomised orbits to create an elliptical-shaped galaxy.This will be a major makeover for our galaxy as we know it; the sun will be flung into a new region of the galaxy, but the Earth – our Earth – and solar system will not be destroyed. With light years between neighboring star systems galaxies are mostly empty space and it is very unlikely that any two stars will collide.
Immense gravity interaction will be the main cause in these changes, not impacts between solid matter.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Space: China Plans Manned Flight/Docking with Tiangong 1 Orbital Module this Month

It may come as a surprise to you ,but the ISS-although it is the biggest thing man has ever put into orbit- is not the only orbiting space station up there. The Chinese has had an unmanned module up there for months and now they plan on a manned flight to orbit and dock with it. 
The Shenzhou 9 spacecraft will dock with the Tiangong 1 orbital module “sometime in mid-June,” according to Xinhua, China’s official news agency, quoting an unidentified spokesman for the country’s space program. The government did not say how long the mission will last.
On Saturday the spacecraft and its carrier rocket were moved to the launch platform at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, a rocket-launching complex in the Gobi Desert in northwest China. In the coming days, tests will be performed on the selected astronauts, the spacecraft, carrier rocket and ground systems, according to Xinhua, citing the spokesman for the space agency.
Upon arrival at the module one crew member will remain aboard the Shenzhou 9 as a precautionary measure while the others enter the orbital module.
Niu Hongguang, deputy commander-in-chief of the country’s manned space program, said the three-person crew may include female astronauts, Xinhua reported, but the decision will be made “on the very last condition.”
If you haven't heard of China's space program maybe it is because China couldn't care less what the rest of the world thinks and doesn't broadcast it's achievements around the world.
The Chinese government has relied on its own aerospace engineers and spent billions of dollars in recent years to build its space program. In 2003 the country carried out its first successful human spaceflight, and in 2008 Chinese astronauts took their first spacewalk.
China completed its first space docking last November when the Shenzhou 8 capsule coupled with the Tiangong 1 orbital module by remote control, an event that was broadcast live on Chinese national television and observed by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao from the control center in Beijing.

Chinese orbital rendezvous

Friday, June 8, 2012

Presidental Election 2012: Four Uncontrolable Things that Could Cause Obama to Lose Election

Although the race is tied and Obama's team feel good about their standings in battleground states, one of Obama's top strategists confessed his concern saying, "The things that worry me are the things we can't control."
Maybe they should worry; if guarenteeing re-election requires complete control what does that say about Obama's mentality as to how he should reside over the people of America?

The word 'free' is used over and over in the Constitution where as the word 'control' rarely appears.
I think Obama needs to guide, not manipulate.
So here are the potential campaign missiles that could both shoot down Obama's reelection and are also out of his control:
Voters in Greece: The June 17 th elections and whether Greece remains in the Euro Zone could have more of an impact on Obama and his campaign than anything that happens here in the United States.
Ben Bernanke: The Chairman of the Federal Reserve testifies before Congress today, and it's still unknown what steps, if any, he will take to help stimulate the economy. And Obama cannot influence that decision.
Israel and Iran: Will Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launch an attack against Iran before November 6? If he does, that could actually turn around one of the few bright spots in the economy right now, oil and gas prices.
Bill Clinton: The former president is probably Obama's most formidable and most frustrating surrogate. And this week is a prime example of both Clinton's strengths and his weaknesses. Take the CNBC interview on Tuesday when he spoke about extending all of the Bush era tax cuts temporarily in order to give Democrats and Republicans time to negotiate.
Although some have twisted Clinton's words saying he called for permanent extension, that is not what the former president said. Others have hinted that Clinton "knows what he's doing" and is deliberately undermining Obama. Nevertheless Clinton's remarks caused troubles in Chicago and Clinton had to partially take back his statement.

The Great Floating Garbage Patch of the Pacific:Coming to a Beach Near You!

Parts of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch are heading for the vulnerable shores on the west coast and there's nothing that can be done to stop it. Experts predict that the coastline of Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii will see some pretty nasty debris wash ashore; California will have some, but less, as most of it will be caught in a current that will carry it to the pacific islands.
The amount of plastic trash in the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" has increased 100-fold during the past 40 years, causing "profound" changes to the marine environment, according to a new study.
The "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" -- which is roughly the size of Texas -- was created by plastic waste that finds its way into the sea and is then swept into one area, the North Pacific Subtropical Convergence Zone, by circulating ocean currents known as a gyre.
Can you believe the size of this thing? You don't need to be a tree hugger to see that this is ridiculous!
click image for complete story

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

SpaceX's Success and Politics, Who gets Credit; Bush or Obama Administration?

 A pissing match has erupted over who should get the political credit for the success of the SpaceX mission.
As if another example were needed, here’s the latest illustration of why Washington is dysfunctional.
At a hearing on Wednesday (June 6), space panel chairman Steven Palazzo, attacked the Obama administration for taking credit last week for the success of the SpaceX mission. Palazzo charged that John Holden, the White House science advisor, made “misleading” statements in claiming credit for the successful test flight.
The commercial cargo and crew program under which SpaceX and other competitors operate was created, according to the chairman of the House Science Committee’s space panel, by the Bush administration in 2005. Congress authorized funding for the program, and SpaceX received its contract the following year.
click image for more on historic flight

Well, I've got some news for these petty politicians:
The credit for the success of the SpaceX first test flight goes to the engineers, designers, technicians, code jockeys, metal benders and managers at SpaceX along with NASA program administrators. If not for the months of testing and retesting, weeks of painstaking validation of the software code needed for spacecraft navigation and communications with the space station, this test flight would not have achieved all of its goals.

SpaceX and its visionary founder Elon Musk did what they set out to do. The politicians who control NASA’s budget and profess support for commercial space should drop the partisan crap and provide the funding necessary to build on the success of the first commercial flight to the space station.

complete story and credits here on eetimes.com

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Wisconsin Governor Walker First in History to Survive Recall Election

Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker will become the first governor in US history to survive a recall election.
Major networks projected Walker would be the winner about an hour after the polls closed in Wisconsin in the divisive election that left families at odds and neighbors not speaking to each over Walker's push to curtail collective bargaining by public sector workers.

With 29 percent of the vote counted, Walker led Democratic challenger Tom Barrett 60 percent to 40 percent, according to unofficial returns, although this was expected to narrow.

Turnout was high in closely divided Wisconsin, which helped elect Democrat Barack Obama as president in 2008. The contest has been seen as a barometer of the U.S. political climate going into the presidential election in November. President very concerned over recall results.

click image for full story

Monday, June 4, 2012

The Gender Gap: Why Do Women Outlive Men?

"In all developed countries and most undeveloped ones, women outlive men, sometimes by a margin of 10 years, in the U.S., average life expectancy at birth is about 79 years for women and about 72 years for men."
The gender gap is most pronounced in those who live 100 years or more. Among centenarians worldwide, women outnumber males nine to one.
It seems likely that women have been outliving men for centuries and perhaps longer.
 Even with the sizable risk conferred by childbirth, women have outsurvived men at least since the 1500s. Although, in the United States between 1900 and the 1930s, the death risk for women of childbearing age was as high as that for men. Since then, improved health care, particularly in childbirth, has put women ahead of men again in the survival struggle, as well as raising life expectancy for both sexes.

click image for more
Although women can expect to live longer than men, the gap is closing. Death rates have begun to converge in the past 20 years. Some researchers attribute the convergence to women taking on the behaviors and stresses formerly considered the domain of males -- smoking, drinking, and working outside the home.

Below I have a list of the real reasons women outlive men!

If you put a woman on a pedestal and try to protect her from the rat race... you're a male chauvinist.
If you stay home and do the housework... you're a pansy.

If you work too hard... there's never any time for her.
If you don't work enough... you're a good-for-nothing bum.

If she has a boring repetitive job with low pay... this is exploitation.
If you have a boring repetitive job with low pay... you should get off your lazy behind and find something better.

If you get a promotion ahead of her... that is favoritism.
If she gets a job ahead of you... it's equal opportunity.

If you mention how nice she looks... it's sexual harassment.
If you keep quiet... it's male indifference.

If you cry ... you're a wimp.
If you don't... you're insensitive.

If you appreciate the female form and frilly underwear...you're a pervert.
If you don't... you're gay.

If you like a woman to shave her legs and keep in shape...you're sexist.
If you don't ... you're unromantic.

If you try to keep yourself in shape... you're vain.
If you don't... you're a slob.

If she has a headache... she's tired.
If you have a headache... you don't love her anymore.

If you want it too often... you're oversexed.
If you don't... there must be someone else.

Bottom Line... Men die first because they want to!

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Doomsday 2012: Zombie Apocalypse

 Zombie Apocalypse:
 Urban Dictionary-"The End of the World, when people who have died rise again in rotten corpses searching for blood and brains to strengthen them."
While it is fairly certain the dead are not rising, the past week has seen some of the most disturbing instances of human behavior imaginable.
A man in Miami happens upon a homeless man on the sidewalk and chews off 75% of his face in an 18-minute attack. The attacker's mother later says her son is not a zombie as portrayed in the media.
Authorities in Canada have launched a massive manhunt for a suspect after a severed hand was sent to Canada's Liberal Party, a foot to the Conservatives and a torso was stuffed in a suitcase and tossed in the trash of the Montreal apartment building where he lived.
A Maryland man admits to killing his housemate, cutting him up, then eating his heart and part of his brain.
A New Jersey man rips his torso open and throws bits of his intestines at police, according to the Bergen Record.
click image for more on Zombie Apocalypse

Fact is, horrible crimes happen all the time.
Bad news attracts attention and when it happens in bunches, people like to attach a name to it, hence, "zombie apocalypse."

Full story on cnn.com

When Galaxies Collide: Comfirmed, Milky Way Destined for Head-On Collision

NASA scientists say the new findings end nearly 100 years of speculation about whether Andromeda would directly plow into our galaxy, or merely deliver a glancing blow as it continued moving through the cosmos.  
The NASA scientists say their findings indicate that Andromeda and the Milky Way will take about 2 billion years to completely merge into a single elliptical-shaped galaxy. Studies say the Earth and the other seven planets in the solar system likely will not be destroyed in the titanic pile-up, but the Sun - just like many other stars - will be flung into a different part of the galaxy. In all likelihood, the Sun will complete its stellar life-cycle in an area even farther away from the galactic core than it is now.
click on image of Andromeda for more at Voanews.com