It seems we hear about this object is almost monotomous regularity every few years it is back, this time it is wasn't close, but will be in 2029 , it is about time we diverted some of the resources devoted to chasing Martians and trying to establish ourseves on an inhospitable planet, to actually using our space reseach to doing something practical that may even be of benefit to future generations, or well, actually the next generation. This is the planet we have, contrary to the ideas of some, it is worth preserving and diverting our war making resources to securing our future

Apophis will pass by Thursday if you live where I do, hopefully peacefully

Close pass with asteroid Apophis | News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/national/close-pass-with-asteroid-apophis-to-be-streamed-live-by-slooh/story-fndo4bst-1226550173640)

Well, if aliens reside on Apophis it could be just what we need to jump start the economy.

Paul Krugman Calls for Space Aliens to Attack Earth Requiring Massive Defense Buildup to Stimulate Economy (http://newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/08/14/paul-krugman-calls-space-aliens-attack-earth-requiring-massive-defens#ixzz2HaFw478q)

Maybe then we wouldn't have to mint that trillion dollar coin he wants.

Krugman was just using an absurd analogy and a "news" website made a whole article around it? LOL!

Krugman was just using an absurd analogy and a "news" website made a whole article around it? LOL!

Key word is "absurd," but since your reason for existence is to ridicule conservatives you can ridicule Time (http://business.time.com/2011/08/16/paul-krugman-an-alien-invasion-could-fix-the-economy/) and Huffpo (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/15/paul-krugman-fake-alien-invasion_n_926995.html) while you're at it.

What's absurd is Krugman, not those who report on his absurdities.

Ok.

When it comes back in 2029 it may pass through a "key hole " and have it's orbit diverted enough that the next time it comes back it impacts Earth. Start hording supplies now... If you need some excess Y2K stuff let me know... canned beans plastic bottles of water etc.

Tom if it hits us hoarding stuff won't help you, it is predicted to hit the Pacific off the coast of California washing it all away. The effect on the atmosphere will in all probability cause a nuclear winter in the northern hemishere and return of the ice age. This is a real threat and we have early warning, billions were spent of a preemptive strike on Iraq, on the possibility of danger and this is no less a threat.

But we have the ability to alter its course if we start early, we can nudge it a little, it will take technology and development of space vehicles and lots of time, we could have an Apophis led recovery, something akin to the space race

Look up b612 foundation.org

Look up b612 foundation.org

Very nice Tom, like we need another space telescope, but think about what Dr. Lu said for a moment, they are going to track hundreds of thousands of asteroids after 2018, but we have one in sight right now, we know where it is, we know when it is coming back, and as he said; we already have the technology to divert it, so why don't we just go do it? We could even have our first success by the time they launch their telescope, and if I read him right, it costs less than the average museum or even presidential library.

I'll answer my own question, it doesn't capture the public's imagination. We need a Richard Branson to take this on, think of it, not just a space tug but a flyby of an asteroid. Big market in it

So thanks for making my point, even now there is hope we will do something right

My point was that it's the private sector that is leading the charge . If Apophis is on a collision course with Earth then we have until 2036 to execute an intecept AND we won't even know if that is true until it's flyby in 2029 . Their telescope is to identify the ones we don't know about... not the ones that we know about and aren't an immediate threat.
So keep your shorts on.

No Tom, you don't get it, if we can deflect Apophis so can another object anytime in the next 20 years and it doesn't take much, so the time is not later, which is the favourite ploy, but now, and yes, if the private sector wants to do the job well yes, but the reality is government has greater resource

I don't see it . There isn't a government on this planet that doesn't trip over it's own shoe laces. The only resources government has are the ones expropriated from the people.

You need to stop with this B/S Tom, government gets done what the people want or will tolerate. You went to tehe Moon because the people were on board. When something is politically expedient, like saving the planet, then there can be momentum, unless, of course, you live in the land of forever speak and do nothing. There is a lot of profit to be made from a revitalised space industry chasing space rocks and it will yield a more important result than trying to colonise a hostile planet. Some commercial elements have already seen the possibility but government needs to lead if for no other reason than making the project popular.

It is time for vision, the vision of a lot less ELE

Unleash the hidden hand... then the asteroids will be mined.

I don't see it . There isn't a government on this planet that doesn't trip over it's own shoe laces. The only resources government has are the ones expropriated from the people.

With my dad in VA care since Christmas eve on one hand and trying to deal with the state of California on the other, I can attest that they don't even know what shoelaces are.

Yes speech they often have trouble with the details

Yes speech they often have trouble with the details

Details? They can't handle the simple stuff.

Yeh well unless it comes in triplicate they can't see it

This isn't apophis but this is happening with far too much regularity. Once we didn't know but now we do and it is time we began to take the threat posed by space rocks seriously
Asteroid on way, not too close for comfort (http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/asteroid-on-way-not-too-close-for-comfort-20130129-2dico.html)
This particular rock is close enough to be inside the orbit of geostationary satellites

Tom thinks we shoudld mine them, but seriously how do you get the material back to Earth in reasonable quantity, a space lift maybe? We need as I have said before to have a plan of how to deal with these rocks

but this is happening with far too much regularity.I think it's simply because we now have better tools to see into deep space.

I think it's simply because we now have better tools to see into deep space.

Yes we can see into near space and spot these rocks, Deep space holds other perils, none of which we can affect, except perhaps the very stupid idea that we can contact alien civilisation with impunity. We are all agush at the prospect of finding earthlike planets, why? Because we can go there don't you know? Yes, I do know, and no, we can't, not in a very long time. We have to work out how to sustain an artificial environment and to increase velocity even beyond light speed, and of course, once you accelerate you have to be able to slow down. We are not talking about any technology we even have an inkling of, but first, we have to become politically mature and to be able to think beyond the next election cycle. First step, deal with space rocks

Look I know Star Trek and Stargate have solved these problems for us, imagination takes us where we cannot otherwise go

You think the threat matrix has changed because we can see them ? The planet will get wacked again big time. That is an unavoidable fact .
Here is a 2 mile crater in Quebec .
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/c100.0.403.403/p403x403/406021_442858409114075_1047789519_n.jpg
http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/79000/79743/Pingualuit_pho_2012300_lrg.jpg
Odale-Articles-Pingualuit - OttawaRasc (http://ottawa-rasc.ca/wiki/index.php?title=Odale-Articles-Pingualuit)

Yeah we should mine them... that is one of the big incentives to get private money into space exploration. But of course ,you think the government is the only game in town. I always thought the Aussies were more independent minded people .Guess not .

You think the threat matrix has changed because we can see them ? The planet will get wacked again big time. That is an unavoidable fact .


Yeah we should mine them ... that is one of the big incentives to get private money into space exploration. But of course ,you think the governement is the only game in town. I always thought the Aussies were more independent minded people .Guess not .

Tom, we used to get malaria by being bitten by mosquitos, we discovered what was going on and dealt with the mosquitos. We don't need to sit around waiting for the next rock to fly into us.

You can only mine asteroids when you have the ability to get the product back to Earth. Mining them doesn't reduce the risk. Private money will get in there and do the job when and only when they can profit from it, until then the job of protecting Earth unfortunately rests with government, because only government has the resources, read money, to initiate a project of that magnitude. Now I know you are broke and crying poor over there, so I don't really think you have the vision to do anything useful just yet, but maybe you will find someone like JFK who has the vision to start up your space program again. I hope this isn't after the next meteor crater is created

Aussies are very independently minded people, this is why you and I rarely agree. Even though I am on the conservative side of Australian politics, it appears I am a long way left of your views. We see nation building as the job of government. Yanks have an ethos of every man for himself, aussies have an ethos of helping each other out

Here we go again!

Interesting development, ahead of a small rock headed our way Saturday morning AEDT there has been a meteor strike/explosion in Russia, so do asteroids travel alone or do they have companions which might give rise to a swarm? Could we see more from what we have been told will be a benign event?

Possibly . It is estimated that we have identified only about 1% of the threats. This small rock that hit Russia did a lot of damage .

Russia meteorite - chicagotribune.com (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-russia-meteorite-20130215,0,4465604.story)

That was pretty freaky right there...

UPDATE: 1,000 reported injured as meteorites hit Russia (http://now.msn.com/meteorite-shower-reportedly-injures-100-in-urals-central-russia?ocid=ansnow11)

Взрыв Чел�бин�к - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0cRHsApzt8&feature=youtu.be)

That was pretty freaky right there...

UPDATE: 1,000 reported injured as meteorites hit Russia (http://now.msn.com/meteorite-shower-reportedly-injures-100-in-urals-central-russia?ocid=ansnow11)

the freaky part is it was without warning, everyone was looking the other way at a known asteroid. I take no comfort from the fact that these events happen once each hundred years or once each thousand years. Probability tells me that if it can happen it will eventually happen. We are now aware of two events in Russia within a century. Just one asteroid we know of passes by frequently and there are thousands of others we know of and it is likely thousands we don't know of. Now we are awake to the threat we should treat it as a matter of national importance

http://www.dan-dare.org/FreeFun/Images/CartoonsMoviesTV/ChickenLittlePoster.jpg

Well Tom the sky is literally falling and whether it happens once each hundred years or not, it is too frequent when it happens without warning. Ridiculing the facts gets you nowhere. If the two meteor events which have happened in the last century happened in the US you would take a much more active interest because; if ever there was a people who run around like chooks with their head cut off after the event, it is you lot, but let anyone suggest that an untoward event might happen and you don't want to know, negative vibes and all that

Do you really think the event yesterday was preventable ? I get doing what's necessay to track objects like DA14 and find a way to divert them or destroy them before impact. But I'm not going to lose sleep over the possibility of a meteor strike taking me out... and I suggest you don't either . If it's my time ,it's my time.

No Tom the question isn't whether I will get hurt in a meteor shower or meteor strike but whether we are prepared knowing that it will happen, If the Russians knew in advance, people could have been in shelter and fewer would have been injured and emergency services mobilised in advance. I don't understand why you don't see this as a desirable objective in the same way identifying asteroids is important, the one that flew by this morning was discovered by an amateur otherwise we wouldn't have known and there are thousands of such rocks. We are probably overdue for a meteor strike so there is some point to taking a closer look at the problem; Apophis we know about, but...

We spend enormous resources trying to predict serious weather events and zero on seeing much more serious events forthcoming

We spend our money watching if they are going to fall on us... If Russia spent less money arming Syria and Iran... they could afford to watch their own skies.

us = US when will you grow up

We spend enormous resources trying to predict serious weather events and zero on seeing much more serious events forthcoming and yet meteorologists do a snoopy dance on those rare occasions they get it right. There is a greater chance the NORKS will unleash one of their nukes and yet you show little concern about that.

Because Tom I don't see the blusterinings of a oriential despot as a serious threat. They have developed nukes because they are afraid of you, after all you invaded their country once and their war with you devastated their country. You cannot isolate the Korean war from the thinking of North Korea. They are stuck in a 1950's time warp in their thinking just as you are stuck in a 1770's time warp

Does Apophis have anything to do with snowmageddon? 18" here in Texas today... somewhere in there is my car.

18 inches ;when you get that much accumulation you begin to talk about real snow.But that looks light and fluffy variety ;not the cement mix like we get here during a nor-easter

18 inches ;when you get that much accumulation you begin to talk about real snow.But that looks light and fluffy variety ;not the cement mix like we get here during a nor-easter

Not this time, it was wet and thick. The difference here is it will probably be 60 degrees tomorrow.

Does Apophis have anything to do with snowmageddon? 18" here in Texas today... somewhere in there is my car.
It could be a sign but no this is climate change, you know, that thing that isn't happening

Only Liberals will blame big snows and cold weather on Global warming... if it was warm... it would be rain and not snow.

Sorry I forgot you need the sarcasm text invoked

it could be a sign but no this is climate change, you know, that thing that isn't happening

No, it's called weather. It always snows in Texas in the winter and February brings the biggest.

Not this time, it was wet and thick. The difference here is it will probably be 60 degrees tomorrow.

It is disgusting here. I've had a layer of ice on my yard for weeks now . We got rained on after the 2 ft storm .
When the ground is exposed ,it is swamped . I've had to wash down the dogs almost every day. I can do some hiking with ice cleats on . But this stuff really restricts activity .

All I can say Tom is you choose to live where it snows

Sorry Speech, but I couldn't resist.

Monthly Weather Forecast for Dallas, TX - weather.com (http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/USTX0327)

Sorry Speech, but I couldn't resist.

Monthly Weather Forecast for Dallas, TX - weather.com (http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/USTX0327)

That's OK, just had almost a week in San Diego and we need the moisture. Get back to me when the temp and humidity are both 98 there. :)

Come over here and we will offer you 98 humidity and a balmy 70-75 soon this will give way to a balmy autumm without the humidity to be followed by 32 - 50 with no snow

all I can say Tom is you choose to live where it snows

Well yeah ;but then again ,we don't want for fresh pottable water . You pick your poisons.

well yeah ;but then again ,we don't want for fresh pottable water . you pick your poisons.

Touche"

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/64880_421741414586887_1305932787_n.jpg

Most quick way to get rid of the liberals and socialists... will be for an asteroid to hit the earth. Few of them have survival skills or can do much of anything people would consider useful after an "O"pocalypse. Collecting welfare and standing in line for handouts would NOT be a worthy skill.

According to the Republicans you are already surviving an "O"pocalypse but the meteor hit back when that good ole boy, George, you remember him, "Mission Accomplished" George, was asleep on the throne

According to the Republicans you are already surviving an "O"pocalypse but the meteor hit back when that good ole boy, George, you remember him, "Mission Accomplished" George, was asleep on the throne

Our unemployment rate was almost 1/2 what it is now under Bush.. and the national debt was 1/4 what it is now under Obama... the man who makes drunken sailors look fiscally responsible. Despite their reputation.

I'd trade the wors year under Bush for EVERY year so far under Obama.

I'd trade the worst year under Bush for EVERY year so far under Obama.

That might be a fair trade but what do you think good ole George would have done differently? Would he have let the banks sink, Would he have been bailed out by his Saudi friends? Would he have let GM and Chrysler die? You cannot compare pre GFC with post GFC and say look! I expect he might have started another war so your industries would have been running full steam producing munnitions, and all those unemployed could have been at the front, WMD under the bed as they say, you would have been locked in war with the Iranians under good ole George. No George would have stimulated the economy with yet another tax cut so all his friends would pay no tax

Actually Smoothy the deficit has gone down under Obama despite you guys whaling about spending while making sure the rich guys got their welfare checks.

Actually Smoothy the deficit has gone down under Obama despite you guys whaling about spending while making sure the rich guys got their welfare checks.

Then explain how the national DEBT has almost quadrupled... thats all money that has to be paid back to someone (and not just China)... and when the interest rates go up... as they most certainly will... the interest owed on that will balloon trememdously.

Smoothy they don't understand debt and deficit, BO can have a lower deficit and still add to debt, all he has to do is reduce spending in the current year but the debt continues to grow while ever there is a deficit. Some big money was spent a few years ago and big money is still spent and a miserable $85 billion isn't going to make any difference. You guys must be paying almost $1 trillion in interest by now and if you are not then the time will come when you do and that $1 trillion is adding to the debt every year. It's like maxing out your credit card and paying the monthly payment with another credit card..

I applaud the idea that the party has to stop but just reducing expenditure isn't going to repay the debt, the people have to repay the debt or ultimately face massive inflation and devaluation of the currency. Goods from China won't be cheap then

Then explain how the national DEBT has almost quadrupled.....thats all money that has to be paid back to someone (and not just China)...and when the intrest rates go up...as they most certainly will....the interest owed on that will balloon trememdously.

Rich guys sucking money out and not even bothering to trickle any down. They have profited by hook and crook, during a global financial meltdown and cannot get own their supply side economics together. But then again supply side economics was never meant to enrich anyone else but the supply siders.

Actually Smoothy the deficit has gone down under Obama despite you guys whaling about spending while making sure the rich guys got their welfare checks.

Technically it did go down, after an astronomical jump in 2009, but still higher than Bush's last year in office. Oh, and the debt has doubled under Obama.

More than half of his spending though was keeping the country going from the financial melt down and taking on the hidden cost of two wars and rich guy tax cuts. We may not have fully recovered after four years, but we are slowly.

More than half of his spending though was keeping the country going from the financial melt down and taking on the hidden cost of two wars and rich guy tax cuts. We may not have fully recovered after four years, but we are slowly.

Do you actully believe that? Any proof to back that up? Since almost all of the Stimulous went to places that created no jobs and were all lefty programs.

More people had jobs in George Bushes worst year than have been employedd in Obamas best year.

Tal, you really should read something besides Think Progress.

State Unemployment and the Allocation of Federal Stimulus Spending | The Big Picture (http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2013/03/state-unemployment-and-the-allocation-of-federal-stimulus-spending/)

Stimulus: How Fast We're Spending Nearly $800 Billion | ProPublica (http://projects.propublica.org/tables/stimulus-spending-progress)

Technically it did go down, after an astronomical jump in 2009, but still higher than Bush's last year in office. Oh, and the debt has doubled under Obama.

Imagine that... revenues expanded during a period of tax cuts.

Portal Seven | U6 Unemployment Rate (http://portalseven.com/employment/unemployment_rate_u6.jsp)

U6 rate... the real unemployment rate roughly doubled under the entire time under Obama.

Not his fault that big business screwed up the economy and laid off a lot of people. The stock market doubled but they didn't call the workers back. Big business is making huge profits, yet they haven't called the workers back. That's the private sectors fault, not government.

I can't even blame Bush for those unemployment numbers.

Not his fault that big business screwed up the economy and layed off a lot of people. The stock market doubled but they didn't call the workers back. Big business is making huge profits, yet they haven't called the workers back. Thats the private sectors fault, not government.

I can't even blame Bush for those unemployment numbers.

Not his fault?. everything Obama has done since he got elected has been anti-business... and those numbers reflect it.

Talk to a business owner sometime... they will all tell you the same thing.

All my buddies that have businesses say they are making good profits, and expanding or thinking about it.

Obviously Obama is not to be held accountable for anything with Tal.

All my buddies that have businesses say they are making good profits, and expanding or thinking about it.

I know a lot of business owners and they are all ticked off with Owebama... some of them USED to be democrats too... they aren't any more.

I know a lot of business owners and they are all ticked off with Owebama....some of them USED to be democrats too....they aren't any more.

Well that may be, he might have done some things that don't benefit them, but you have to get used to it, for the time being, he is in control, if there is such a thing.

Look BO has effectively been a lame duck for the last two or more years, he can't get his policies through the house and you have the ridiculous situation where bills have to originate in the SENATE and even then they have little hope of carrying. Your system, where it is possible for an administration to exist without the support of a majority in the house, flies in the face of reason. It makes the country ungovernable. You spend your lives in a perpetual election campaign

I know a lot of business owners and they are all ticked off with Owebama....some of them USED to be democrats too....they aren't any more.

He had enough to get elected that's all that mattered. Try again in '16.

Well that may be, he might have done some things that don't benefit them, but you have to get used to it, for the time being, he is in control, if there is such a thing.

Look BO has effectively been a lame duck for the last two or more years, he can't get his policies through the house and you have the rediculous situation where bills have to originate in the SENATE and even then they have little hope of carrying. Your system, where it is possible for an administration to exist without the support of a majority in the house, flies in the face of reason. It makes the country ungovernable. You spend your lives in a perpetual election campaign

Dude, a leader finds a way to get it done. Other than Obamacare Obama couldn't even get his agenda through when he had both houses, why the hell should the House bend over and take it in the a$$ now?

P.S. Obama is the one on a permanent campaign, and that's his agenda for the next two years, he's already quit governing.

You forgot winding one war down, and ending another, and then the true "mission accomplished" with Bin Laden. Better than the last guy.

Well that may be, he might have done some things that don't benefit them, but you have to get used to it, for the time being, he is in control, if there is such a thing.

Look BO has effectively been a lame duck for the last two or more years, he can't get his policies through the house and you have the rediculous situation where bills have to originate in the SENATE and even then they have little hope of carrying. Your system, where it is possible for an administration to exist without the support of a majority in the house, flies in the face of reason. It makes the country ungovernable. You spend your lives in a perpetual election campaign
Where did you get the idea bill have to originate in the senate? Any bills involving spending money have to originate in the house of representatives. And no its not a ridiculous situation. Its part of the separation of powers and checks and balances.

Hands Off My Purse! Why Money Bills Originate in the House (http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/01/hand-off-my-purse-why-money-bills-originate-in-the-house)



“All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.”

— Article I, Section 7, Clause 1

Well smoothy you recently had the situation where bonehead wanted the senate to go first and he has said as much on more than one occasion. Yes, your budget must originate in the house, but what does that really mean, they can take a bill penned by the senate and pass it and then the senate can pass it. I'm sure you have heard of negotiation and right now you have an Aunt Sally situation where no matter what anyone says nothing is going to get done. The reconciliation process doesn't exist because legislation cannot get to that phase. Face it obstructionism reigns

You forgot winding one war down, and ending another, and then the true "mission accomplished" with Bin Laden. Better than the last guy.

I'll give him bin laden even though anyone would have done that. But otherwise anyone can quit, your guy is a pro at it.

Well smoothy you recently had the situation where bonehead wanted the senate to go first and he has said as much on more than one occasion. Yes, your budget must originate in the house, but what does that really mean, they can take a bill penned by the senate and pass it and then the senate can pass it. I'm sure you have heard of negotiation and right now you have an Aunt Sally situation where no matter what anyone says nothing is going to get done. The reconciliation process doesn't exist because legislation cannot get to that phase. Face it obstructionism reigns

Harry Ried is the prince of Obstruction...

And incidentally... apparently unlike Australia... our President isn't an Omnipotent king.

I'll give him bin laden even though anyone would have done that.

Anyone didn't, he did, and he said he would during his campaign. Promise kept. Not to mention he took out the Al Quaida high command in the process, including the traitor American who plotted the Christmas bomber.

He would not have gotten anything without the waterboarding and the programs Bush set up that led to finding Bin Laden, Owebama whined like a baby about every one of them... yet continued every one of them. If Owebama had had his way... he would still be running free and nobody would have found him.

Bush had the info first and failed. Bush ignored Clinton's warnings, and failed. Enough right wing revisionist history. Get your head out of Cheney's butt!

Bush had the info first and failed. Bush ignored Clinton's warnings, and failed. Enough right wing revisionist history. Get your head out of Cheney's butt!

Yeah... so says you... lets see you produce proof.

We could have had him under Clinton... but he argued there was no legal justification to take him. Today the dems are arguing Obama has the legal right to order Drones strikes and kill Americans here in the USA...

Clinton didn't warn anyone... he let him run free when we could have had him long before 9/11 and long before Bush won election the first time.

Harry Ried is the prince of Obstruction....

And incidentally...apparently unlike Australia...our President isn't an Omnipotent king.

We don't have omnipotent kings or queens here, Julia would like to have any whim passed but it can only be done with cooperation and even the Greens have had enough of her so she may be in the same situation as BO. What we do have is a parliament that functions and without the level of obstructionism you have

Originally Posted by smoothy

Put the booze down, and back away slowly. Give me your keys and we will call a cab for you.

We don't have omnipotent kings or queens here, Julia would like to have any whim passed but it can only be done with cooperation and even the Greens have had enough of her so she may be in the same situation as BO. What we do have is a parliament that functions and without the level of obstructionism you have

I've seen Parliaments in operation for a very long time... its far more of a circus than our two party system.

Put the booze down, and back away slowly. Give me your keys and we will call a cab for you.

I think he is smokin dope or maybe he is just a dope. Did I say dope I meant dupe

Put the booze down, and back away slowly. Give me your keys and we will call a cab for you.

Eric Holders recent comments have you flustered?

No.

Bush had the info first and failed. Bush ignored Clinton's warnings, and failed. Enough right wing revisionist history. Get your head out of Cheney's butt!


Amazing how you cling to something Clinton said he said but refuse to see Bush's 17 warnings about Fannie and Freddie. Oh, and the reports that Clinton's actual priority was right-wing domestic terrorists, not al-Qaeda, and that he could have had bin Laden but Reno nixed the plan.

Get your head out of Kos' butt.

I think he is smokin dope or maybe he is just a dope. Did I say dope I meant dupe

You both might need to look in a mirror before casting such aspersions around.

I don't cast Nestersons or even grow them but I do say what I think, your thinking is only found in a blue haze

Post # 17 shows you and Tal both doing it...

Any blue haze might be hovering in your vicinity... but I smoke nothing And the only thing smoked I injest is certain types of Cheese , salmon and certain types of meat..

I see you have put yourself in the zone then, but again I say to you, I say what I think, nothing is veiled . If you would like me to make it plainer, your thinking is twisted, you have been in Washington too long.

I see you have put yourself in the zone then, but again I say to you, I say what I think, nothing is veiled . If you would like me to make it plainer, your thinking is twisted, you have been in Washington too long.

I see the real Washington... not the Washington some editor wants you to think exists in some newspaper ot TV news program...

I Know several people from Venzuela... some of them government officials None of them have any love for that dead POS. And they didn't before we were blessed when he got cancer.

I've spent inordinate ammounts of my life in areas of every agency few employes of them are even allowed. And most of the Embassies too... including yours. There is a lot I know I don't repeat... it goes with the turf and the job.

I've spent inordinate ammounts of my life in areas of every agency few employes of them are even allowed. And most of the Embassies too...including yours. There is a lot I know I don't repeat...it goes with the turf and the job.

As I have said before I am amazed you have time to spend with us plebs

as i have said before i am amazed you have time to spend with us plebs

I do this between dealing with customers... it helps pass the time. Some days are not as busy as others. I've got six other computer screens full of stuff in front of me I have to keep an eye on when I'm here... one more is no real effort.

I do this between dealing with customers.....it helps pass the time. Some days are not as busy as others. I've got six other computer screens full of stuff in front of me I have to keep an eye on when I'm here...one more is no real effort.

Wonderful and you said you eat Chinese smoked... that explains it you can't trust the Chinese, anyone who eats cat and dog is a little unreliable. I understand why you do this I also do it while I'm waiting for data to download, Back on subject another big rock wizzed past the other day or was it yesterday, it happens so often you have to wonder how come we don't get hit more often, small target, low gravity pull, I guess

It seems you just can't kill a good story

Asteroid heading for New York? You better pray, NASA chief tells US Congress | Space, Military and Medicine | News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/technology/sci-tech/asteroid-heading-for-new-york-you-better-pray-nasa-chief-tells-us-congress/story-fn5fsgyc-1226602163190)

Lets see how many nations are willing to pay their fair share... or do they expect us to pay for the entire thing like almost everything else.

Yeah he gave a typical lib response... if only we had more funding... Here's a clue... The one that did all the damage in Russia was not big . If it headed this way then our luck would run out . There would be damage and injury ;and all the funding won't change that fact .

Time to build that great big space ship with big honkin guns, the only thing they understand

time to build that great big space ship with big honkin guns, the only thing they understand

Except a rock the size of a smart fortwo car can cause a LOT of damage and death and will still likely not be seen.

Don't worry we will solve that too, satellites a plenty looking out and finding every little thing, good thing God gave us the Moon it solves a lot of the problem

don't worry we will solve that too, satellites a plenty looking out and finding every little thing, good thing God gave us the Moon it solves a lot of the problem


Yeah... but like suicide bombers it only takes one to get through to cause a lot of problems.

The last couple have been in Russia... like the one in Siberia so many years ago... at least that's what they think it was. Not sure if it was really confirmed as that or not.

Doesn't matter, it happens frequently

doesn't matter, it happens frequently

Frequently on a geologic time scale... certainly.

Frequently on a geologic time scale...certainly.

Perhaps more frequently than we know after all we have only been recording these events for a very short time

It seems asteroids have caught the presidential imagination
Forget falling stars: NASA plans to catch an asteroid - CNN.com (http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/08/us/nasa-asteroid/index.html?hpt=hp_t3)
So once again life imitates art as we seek to "catch a falling star" but he won't be putting this one in his pocket.

It is one thing to have a program of find asteriods, it is quite another to alter its orbit and tow it into Lunar orbit. I think BO and his advisers have been watching too many reruns of Star Trek. I wonder; who will be responsible it their calculations are just a little off?

Obama is brain damaged... its easy for him to get focused on things he shouldn't be... when he isn't focused on the things he NEEDS to be.

It's bs NASA trying to justify spending more taxpayer's money on the Orion spacecraft and the SLS heavy lift rocket. Let private space do it since private ventures will reap the benefit of asteroid mining.

No one is going to derive any benefit from asteroid mining in the foreseeable future, we have a very long way to go before any mining in space can become a viable venture, the only benefit to be derived is for contractors to capture lucrative contracts, BO can't get stimulus in one way he tries another but the glorious days of space are past

noone is going to derive any benefit from asteroid mining in the foreseeable future, we have a very long way to go before any mining in space can become a viable venture, the only benefit to be derived is for contractors to capture lucrative contracts, BO can't get stimulus in one way he tries another but the glorious days of space are past
Obama takes up space pretty well right now, he specializes in taking up space and producing nothing of value, he's done it his entire life... if he'd just stop wasting the taxpayers money... and shut his piehole up... everyone would be happier.

noone is going to derive any benefit from asteroid mining in the foreseeable future, we have a very long way to go before any mining in space can become a viable venture, the only benefit to be derived is for contractors to capture lucrative contracts, BO can't get stimulus in one way he tries another but the glorious days of space are past

Yes and you know since Sen Nelson of Florida is doing a snoopy dance over the prospect of the asteroid snatch that it is his State that will get the pork grease .

Well obviously this is where the space base is

Nah it's in NASA's best interest to spread the pork . Texas ,California,Maryland , and some other states (and some companies outside the country ) have a big interest in keeping NASA programs ongoing .

Yes you mustn't let those Russians and Chinese get too far ahead

Private space is the next revolution. Let NASA launch bots . It's what they are good at.

Yeah them capitalists are going to make a lot of money out there is space, it is the destination to die for

It just never gets old, does it

Yet another big asteroid for us to go Ah, isn't it lovely? While bing assured there are no problems, I wonder if tomorrow we will wake to hear once again about the one they didn't see

Large asteroid zipping past Earth, dragging its own moon along - CNN.com (http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/31/world/earth-new-asteroid/index.html?hpt=hp_t1)