NASA: RESOURCE PROSPECTOR NO LONGER A GOOD FIT FOR LUNAR PROGRAM

NASA’s Kilopower experiment paves the way to powering lunar bases

With #NASA starting to get serious about sending astronauts into deep space, beyond low Earth orbit, with bases on the moon and eventually expeditions to Mars, the space agency is developing a technology called kilopower to give them enough power to operate. Kilopower is a small-scale #Nuclear Reactor capable of delivering one to ten kilowatts of energy. As a means of comparison, the typical American private home uses five kilowatts of power.

Fly Me to the Moon, Mr. Bridenstine

From the pages of the Wall Street Journal: Fly Me to the Moon, Mr. Bridenstine

Beto O’Rourke steps in it by defending the Iran nuclear weapons deal

Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas [VIDEO] has been touted as the great hope to knock #Ted Cruz out of the Senate. The trans-ethnic candidate has been relying on charisma, good looks, and a lot of cash from outside the state. However, he has taken quite a few policy positions on issues ranging from drug legalization to immigration that most Texans would tend to find off-putting. The latest problem to dog the long-shot Democratic candidate is the Iran nuclear weapons deal, which the Israeli Mossad revealed to be a sham [VIDEO]. O’Rourke is on record as being in favor of the agreement, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

From the Hill: NASA just proved it is serious about returning to the moon

Congressman Culberson offers a warning about the Space Launch System

Rep John Culberson, R-Texas, visited an aerospace contractor called Oceaneering Space Systems in Houston, the Houston Chronicle noted. The congressman, who chairs the House appropriations subcommittee, expressed concerns about delays that have occurred in the development of the heavy-lift #space launch system and the Orion spacecraft. Then, Culberson asked a strange question to an Orbital ATK executive that exposed the SLS’s potential obsolescence before it even flies.

Israel’s Netanyahu reveals secret Iranian nuclear weapons program

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed at a news conference that the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence organization, has acquired a treasure trove of documents that prove that the nuclear arms deal struck between Iran and the Obama administration is a sham. The documents revealed a secret #Nuclear Weapons program called Project Amad designed to build and test nuclear weapons. The announcement makes it more likely that #President Trump will scrap the Iran nuclear weapons deal and impose stiff sanctions. The Netanyahu announcement comes on the heels of an air strike on Iranian missile storage facilities in Syria. The announcement also tarnishes the legacy of former President #Barack Obama, who saw the deal as his signature foreign policy accomplishment.

In ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ a comic book supervillain confronts overpopulation

“Avengers: Infinity War” [VIDEO] is a big, sprawling movie that depicts a struggle against a supervillain named Thanos, confronting a great many characters from the Marvel Comics Universe, including the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor. Strange, and Spider-Man. Thanos is an interesting character because his motives are a bit different than those of the usual superpowered bad guy. He does not want to rule the universe, but rather kill half of the intelligent beings in it. He is motivated to attempt this mother of all genocides by what he thinks is the best of all reasons.

NASA clarifies the Lunar Resource Prospector situation

The day before, the space exploration community was roiled by the news that the #Lunar Resource #Prospector, a long developed mission to send a rover to one of the moon’s poles, had been canceled [VIDEO]. The decision seemed to be somewhat at odds with President Donald Trump’s mandate for NASA to return astronauts to the lunar surface. However, the space agency’s administrator #Jim Bridenstine took to Twitter to try to clarify what was really going on in context of the overall plans for lunar exploration.

It is time for NASA’s Jim Bridenstine to restore the Lunar Resource Prospector

The recent cancellation of the #Lunar Resource Prospector mission has eyebrows raised in aerospace and lunar exploration circles. The Trump administration has directed #NASA to return astronauts to the moon. Space agency plans include using lunar resources, mainly water ice at the moon’s south and north poles, to facilitate that mission. So, the cancellation of that mission would seem to constitute a disconnect between NASA’s mandate and its mission.

Outrage over Alfie Evans gets push-back from British newspaper

Just as with the case of Charlie Gard last year, the saga of a nearly two-year-old boy named Alfie Evans [VIDEO] has shocked the conscience of the world. Alfie is suffering from an unknown degenerative brain disease and has been judged by his doctors to be beyond saving. An Italian hospital has offered to admit the boy to continue his care, but this option has been blocked by the British court system. As of this writing, Alfie is being taken home to die, even though he has survived for several days off of life support, unexpectedly as it turns out.

Why ‘Queen of the Desert’ starring Nicole Kidman failed

“Queen of the Desert,” which stars #Nicole Kidman as the traveler, writer, and “political officer” (a combination of diplomat and spy) #Gertrude Bell actually came out three years ago in a not very wide release. However, I only managed to see it recently when the film showed up on cable. I was intrigued because Bell was a contemporary of "Lawrence of Arabia," played in the movie by Robert Pattinson. Unfortunately “Queen of the Desert” was a big disappointment and pales in comparison to the more famous Peter O’Toole film about T.E. Lawrence.

Time To Revive ‘Deadliest Warrior’ With Fantasy Story Contestants

“Deadliest Warrior” was a series that once aired on a network called Spike TV. The premise of the series was that two warriors or groups of warriors were matched against one another with the outcome determined by a computer system. In the earlier seasons, the antagonists were generic, say a Viking against a Samurai. Later seasons would involve historical figures, say George Washington against Napoleon, each leading a small group of soldiers from their time periods and nations. The combat was preceded by analysis and some trash talking between various experts.

On his first day, NASA’s new administrator sets an inclusive tone

Why George W. Bush is more deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize than Obama

One of the curious events that took place at the beginning of the Obama presidency was the #Nobel Peace Prize he was awarded for 2009 for the stated reason, “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” Considering Obama’s record since the award, one would be hard-pressed to find someone who got it and deserved it less. Al Gore and Yassir Arafat come to mind.

VP Mike Pence Participates in a swearing in ceremony for new NASA Admini...

From the Hill Newspaper: Winners and losers from Jim Bridenstine’s confirmation as NASA administrator

To protect the Earth ignore the environmentalists

#Earth Day, the holiday founded by Ira Einhorn, most famous for having murdered his girlfriend and then composting her body in the approved environmentalist fashion, has come and gone unnoticed by most people. The day is usually accompanied by virtue-signaling pronouncements about how we should preserve the Earth, illustrated by photos taken of our home planet by NASA. All of this save the Earth stuff is well and good, but the question arises as to 'how?' It turns out, if a recent Daily Caller article is accurate, saving our planet consists of doing things that the environmentalists don’t want you to do.

Mitt Romney snubbed by state GOP delegates, but still favored in Utah Senate race

Clearly he should take to heart this: Commentary: Romney should open his mind to space exploration

Is NASA’s Jim Bridenstine a ‘climate denier’ and does it matter?

Now that Jim Bridenstine [VIDEO] has been confirmed as #NASA administrator it is time to revisit one of the accusations that have been levied against him, that he is a “#Climate Denier.” The jibe is based on a statement that Bridenstine made on the floor of the House that cast doubt that climate change is an overwhelming problem that has to be addressed by upending the world economy. The matter came up during the final debate in the Senate.

I just got my first check from The Hill as a paid contributor. Thanks to all my readers and please keep those page views coming.

Has The DNC Gone Full Conspiracy Nut With Its Russian Collusion Lawsuit?

At first glance, the lawsuit filed by the DNC against the Trump for President Campaign, the #Russian government, and Wikileaks alleging that they conspired to influence the 2016 election and hand the presidency to Donald Trump seems insane. However, there is a method to the madness of litigating a #Conspiracy Theory. First, the suit forces the named defendants to respond. Second, it keeps the story of Russian collusion alive even as the very investigations continue to find no evidence.

Randa Jarrar’s insatiable hatred of Barbara Bush

Former First Lady #Barbara Bush was so universally beloved that President Trump [VIDEO]. Barack Obama, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Nancy Pelosi all united in expressing grief and condolences at her passing. She was the very personification of a grandmother, tart-tongued at times, but still brimming with compassion. However, as an English professor at Fresno State named #Randa Jarrar proved, there is always a jerk ready to grab 15 minutes of infamy with the help of social media.

Congressman Jim Bridenstine

The Left is in a blind panic over Jim Bridenstine’s confirmation as NASA chief

With the news that the confirmation of Rep. #Jim Bridenstine, R-Oklahoma as #NASA administrator is imminent, the Left has gone into panic mode. RL Miller, the chair of the California Democratic Environmental Caucus, has demanded a last-minute push to head off the conservative congressman’s confirmation. Miller accuses Bridenstine of being a “bigot” for his past opposition to same-sex marriage, similar to the stance once taken by President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

David Hogg’s boycott of Laura Ingraham has failed

#David Hogg, the high school student, turned anti-gun rights advocate, and his handlers at Media Matters are in the process of learning the lesson that if you strike at the queen, make sure you kill her, to paraphrase Emerson. The advertiser boycott aimed at driving #Laura Ingraham from the airwaves has cost the #Fox News commentator nearly 30 advertisers. However, the campaign has swelled her audience by 20 percent. The development suggests that the boycott is doomed to failure and that Hogg and his adult enablers have been humiliated.

R. Lee Ermey has fallen to complications of pneumonia

The legend has it that when Stanley Kubrick [VIDEO] hired R. #Lee Ermey, an 11-year Marine Corps veteran [VIDEO], to be a technical adviser on his Vietnam War epic, “Full Metal Jacket,” he was so impressed by a demonstration of what a drill instructor does to recruits that he hired him to play a character in the movie. Ermey got a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal as a sadistic Vietnam War era DI who so thoroughly turns a hapless, overweight recruit into a killing machine that he found himself as the private’s first victim. Thus, Ermey lucked into his second career, playing a series of military and law enforcement authority figures in numerous movies and TV shows as well as himself on a number of reality shows.

Art Bell, host of ‘Coast to Coast,’ has been found dead

Art Bell was one of those strange one person phenomena that had to be heard to be believed. He started his broadcast career as a conventional political talker before veering into conspiracy theories, sort of like Alex Jones only less hysterical. By the mid-1990s he settled into his niche of discussing the paranormal and related topics with an eclectic number of guests. Bell’s style was not to necessarily agree or disagree with what the guest was saying but to let the person talk and, in essence, be the entertainment. Art Bell became the most listened to #Late Night Radio host as a result, controlling the airways in his “#Coast To Coast” show.

Donald Trump teaches a lesson in strategy by attacking Syria

Following through on threats issued in the wake of a Syrian gas attack on a civilian target, President #Donald Trump ordered a strike on three chemical warfare targets in Syria, including a “science research center” and storage facilities. The raid was carried out by naval and air units of the #United States, Great Britain, and France. By all accounts the attacks were successful, and the targets were destroyed. Despite boasting to the contrary, Syrian air defenses were impotent against the strike. Russian air defenses, despite a promise to shoot down missiles and aircraft, did not engage.

2001 Space Waltz

As the Google Lunar XPrize ends Israel is still shooting for the moon

The end of the #Google Lunar Xprize was not the end of the private race to the moon. Besides the five former participants, Moon Express, Team Indus [VIDEO], Team Hakuto, SpaceIl, and Synergy Moon, at least two other teams not in the competition, Astrobotic and Part-Time Scientists, are still planning private moon shots. Indeed, an effort is underway to revive the competition, to be called merely the Lunar XPrize. The new race to the moon will not include a cash prize but is looking for a sponsor.

The Kremlin’s Dupe: Ted Kennedy’s Russia Romance

From the pages of The Hill Why NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is such a fiscal black hole

How President Trump is proving to be master of the diplomatic art of the deal

President Donald Trump is blustery and bellicose and tweets alarming and unseemly things. However, one thing that the media is not touching on very much is the fact that the self-described master of the art of the deal is moving the ball diplomatically where his predecessors found themselves stuck on the 50-yard line. The latest proof, as reported by Hot Air, is how #The Russians have taken an about-face on the hammering Bashir Assad is about to get for gassing his own people.

Tour of the Moon in 4K

National Geographic Channel developing ‘Hidden Figures’ and ‘The Right Stuff’

The #National Geographic Channel is dipping its toe into two possible scripted series based on popular films that depicted the early years of the space program, each from a slightly different perspective. “Hidden Figures,” the story of three #African American Women math geniuses whose efforts were crucial to America’s success in flying into space is being executive produced by Peter Chernin and Jenno Topping of Chernin Entertainment. They also produced the movie. Leonardo Dicaprio is executive producing a series version of “#The Right Stuff,” based on a 1983 film depicting the lives of test pilots, some of whom became the original Mercury 7 astronauts.

Astronauts to experiment with sperm on the International Space Station

With dreams of settling the high frontier of space back in the news, and with plans for lunar bases and Mars colonies being seriously discussed, one much-neglected issue has become a research priority. Can #Human Beings reproduce in space? Sex is indeed possible, and rumors abound about couples already becoming members of the “Zero-G Club.” However, no space colony is going to be sustainable for very long if people can’t have viable children. To that end, the #Astronauts on the International Space Station [VIDEO] are conducting experiments with human and bovine sperm.

Why Rick Scott should replace Bill Nelson as United States Senator from Florida

As has been long expected, Gov. #Rick Scott, R-Florida has announced his run for the #United States Senate, seeking to unseat Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida. By all accounts, including the Washington Post, the battle for the Florida Senate seat will be an epic one. John Fund, writing for the National Review, believes that Scott has an excellent chance of knocking off Nelson and picking up his seat for the Republicans.

Beto O’Rourke’s three big mistakes with Bill Maher

Beto O’Rourke, the handsome, charismatic congressman who is trying to take away Senator #Ted Cruz’s seat was recently obliged to apologize for agreeing with #Bill Maher that his opponent is a “giant a—hole. O’Rourke thus made his third mistake. As both John Wayne and Mark Harmon tended to say, “Never apologize. It’s a sign of weakness.”

From the pages of The Hill: Two asteroid missions will help shape the economy of the 21st century

‘Chappaquiddick’ is a movie that reveals the mendacity of Teddy Kennedy

Even almost 50 years after the incident, the fact that a movie like “#Chappaquiddick” got made and was yet released to theaters is remarkable. The event that happened in July 1969, in the middle of the mission of Apollo 11, in which Senator #Teddy Kennedy drove a car off a bridge into a pond at Chappaquiddick Island, and subsequently left a young campaign worker named Mary Joe Kopechne to die was a blight on the legend of the celebrated political family. Kennedy’s actions during and after the accident ended his hopes of ever becoming president of the #United States, much to the benefit of the country.

Spielberg muses about giving Indiana Jones a sex change operation

Steven #Spielberg is not this generation’s most celebrated director for no reason. He knows how to tell a story, ranging from his profound dramas such as “Schindler’s List” and “Lincoln” to his more fun, popcorn epics such as the current “Ready Player One” and, of course, the #Indiana Jones franchise. So it is somewhat inexplicable that he recently mused out loud about giving his whip-wielding archeologist character and giving him a sex change operation, reimagining him as a woman.

Joss Whedon wishes that President Trump would ‘Just quietly die’

Famed film and TV director #joss whedon recently let loose with an angry tweet in which he wished that President Donald Trump would die. The message has, understandably, elicited a great deal of pushback.

Martin Luther King - I Have A Dream Speech - August 28, 1963

David Hogg’s 15 minutes of fame are running out

Historians will debate when #David Hogg’s #15 Minutes of fame started to run out, and he turned from the poster child of the victims of school shootings to the Kylo Ren on the gun control debate. Some will argue that it happened when he made what many took to be a fascist salute at the absurd, astroturfed anti-civil rights rally, the so-called “March for Our Lives.”

The unfulfilled vision of ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’

The world into which “2001: A #Space Odyssey” premiered 50 years ago was a completely different one than the one we live in now and yet had some similarities. The moon landing was over a year away. However, the planet was wracked with war, civil strife, and political acrimony so in a way the more things change, the more they stay the change.

From the Hill Newspaper: Could Mars ever be a new home for humans?

Documentary brings back Marilyn Monroe from the dead

The use of digital technology to make an actor appear as a different character is a relatively old one. Andrew Serkis has made a career of playing CGI created characters such as Gollum from the “Lord of the Rings” movies, making the moves and speaking the lines, but appearing very differently than his real self.

Tim Allen’s ‘The Last Man Standing’ may be in for a revival

When Fox canceled “#The Last Man Standing,” a sitcom featuring a middle-class family with a conservative patriarch, many suspected that the move had more to do with the politics of the character and the actor who played him, #Tim Allen. Now, however, with the success of the rebooted “Roseanne,” with the title character an open Trump supporter, the network is said to be considering bringing back “The #Last Man Standing” for much the same reason it is alleged to have canceled it in the first place. Does that mean that the entertainment industry is prepared to offer programming designed to appeal to conservative Middle America? And if so, what will that be like?

Did Israeli stealth fighters overfly Iranian airspace undetected?

A recent story in the #Jerusalem Post, citing a Kuwaiti media source, claimed that Israel sent two F-35A stealth fighters into Iranian airspace [VIDEO] undetected, overflying Bandar Abbas, Shiraz, and Esfahan, before returning. The two fighters, the story alleges, were not even spotted on Russian radar. Neither Israeli nor American military officials would confirm or deny that the overflight took place. The notion that Israel could enter Iranian airspace at will has startling implications. But could the mission have actually taken place the way the story described?

‘The Americans’ return for the end game of the Cold War

Season six of “The Americans” starts in late 1987, during the run-up to a crucial summit in Washington. Three years have passed since the end of season five, and everything has changed. Philip has been living the free and easy life of a happy capitalist, having expanded the travel agency, driving a fancy car.

‘Roseanne' is back and she supports Donald Trump

I have to make one confession. I never watched “Roseanne” in its late 20th Century incarnation. #Roseanne Barr seemed to be a thoroughly unpleasant person, which is saying something for the entertainment industry. Besides, I was never a big fan of sitcoms, with certain exceptions.

Houston contemplates massive flood control projects

Last August, Hurricane Harvey [VIDEO] turned the Greater #Houston area into a vast lake, inundating homes and businesses that had never flooded in previous storms. Experts called the disaster a 1,000-year event. However, due to urban development in floodplains, Houston tends to flood in any case during heavy rainstorms, turning streets into impassable rivers and wreaking havoc. The prospect of more of the same has government officials’ attention and is causing them to think outside the box to make sure that another Harvey never happens again.

Mike Hughes flies to 1,875 feet in a steam rocket

On one level, Mike Hughes is a nut for believing that the #World Is Flat. The Ancient Greeks first determined that the Earth is a sphere around the time of Pythagoras (around the 6th Century BC). About three hundred years later, the Hellenistic astronomer Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the Earth within an error of about five percent. Since then no educated person, even in the Middle Ages, has believed that the world is flat. Direct observation starting with Magellan’s epic voyage around the world to every orbital space mission ever mounted, including the International Space Station, tends to confirm it.

From the Daily Caller Here Is Why Rush Limbaugh Is DEAD Wrong About Space Colonies

Why the MarchforOurLives is severely misguided

One of the most surreal incidents that occurred in the MarchforOurLives took place in #New York when Paul McCartney reflected how “one of my best friends was killed in gun violence.” He was referring, of course, to the murder of fellow Beatle #John Lennon at the hands of a deranged person named Mark David Chapman in 1980. The invocation of the musician best known for the song “Imagine” was unfortunate for a number of reasons.

JAPAN INVENTS FULLY FUNCTIONAL JETPACK, HAS SAMURAI FIGHTS IN MID AIR

From the Hill: House members demand Senate confirm Jim Bridenstine as NASA chief

A group of more than 60 House members sent a letter to the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), demanding that Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.) be confirmed as NASA administrator. The interesting fact about the letter is that more than a dozen Democrats signed it, knocking down one of the main arguments for blocking Bridenstine’s nomination.

Why eating anything perpetuates masculinity

Barbecue season is just around the corner. However, whether one is smoking a pork butt or brisket with a nice dry rub or grilling slices of zucchini and eggplant brushed with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary, anyone who eats anything will be perpetuating either “white masculinity” in the case of veggies or “#Toxic Masculinity” in the case of meat. Apparently, the only way one can avoid doing these horrible things is to try to live on water and sunshine.

How National Security Advisor John Bolton furthers the cause of peace

The choice of #John Bolton as #national security advisor has the punditocracy in a tither. The consensus seems to be that Bolton is a warmonger who is ready to strike first at North Korea and bomb Iran to make sure neither country uses nuclear weapons against the civilized world. Interestingly, Bolton is to the right of the president on Russia as well, much more skeptical on Putin and more willing to treat him as an enemy. In fact, Trump’s selection of Bolton plays into something that Jerry Hendrix, writing in National Review, of something called “strategic ambiguity.”

Joe Biden fantasy about taking President Trump behind the gym

The one thing that you have to say about #Joe Biden is that he can be exciting on the stump. Between his series of epic gaffes and his recent suggestion that he would have beaten up Donald Trump had he heard him say what he said on the Access Hollywood tape in High School his prospective third attempt to become president in 2020, Biden would be fun to cover. However, Biden is taking an incredible risk for reasons that are obvious.

Donald Trump and the Art of Strategic Ambiguity

How Donald Trump was changed into a monster

One would not know it by the press he gets now, but President #Donald Trump used to be a favorite in the media [VIDEO]. As Jim Geraghty said in National Review, “Television’s coverage of Donald Trump from the 1980s to early 2015 portrayed Trump as a phenomenal business success, endlessly knowledgeable and fascinating, insightful, shrewd, entertaining, and funny — a larger-than-life character.” Some measure of truth exists in this observation. So what changed to make this man into a monster?

Hillary Clinton can’t stop hating people

#Hillary Clinton has not mastered the first rule of holes, which is that in order to get out of one you need to stop digging. She started by raising eyebrows suggesting at an event in India [VIDEO] that she lost because white women are under the thumbs of the men in their lives and that, besides, Trump voters are a pack of racists. The former first lady, senator, secretary of state, and two-time #Presidential Candidate has spiraled further into the depths of iniquity.

Recently the Houston Chronicle advised President Trump that it was time to thrown his nominee for NASA administrator, Jim Bridenstine, under the bus. I responded (scroll down a little) by explaining why that would be a horrible idea.

From the pages of the Hill Newspaper: The case for a new branch of the military: United States Space Force

Beto O’Rourke’s first mistake was appearing on Bill Maher’s show

More proof arrived Friday that Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas is either an incompetent politician or has decided that he is doomed to lose his quest to take away Ted Cruz’s Senate seat [VIDEO]. O’Rourke appeared on Bill Maher’s show, his first bad mistake. Then when the obnoxious political shock jock referred to Cruz, a first-term United States senator and former presidential candidate, as a “giant a-hole” O’Rourke, who is being regarded by national Democrats as the second coming of Bobby Kennedy, agreed. Cruz must be pinching himself, wondering how he had stumbled into such good fortune.

Beware – The Bourg is after your ‘Star Trek posters’

A story in College Fix relates how an MIT librarian who describes herself as a “’butch and queer’ cis woman and ‘feral librarian’” has an interesting proposal to make tech workplaces more welcoming to women. She suggests expunging them of posters that promote “geek culture” such as “Star Trek” and replacing them with more of what she considers gender friendly graphics depicting nature and so on. She also suggests not naming printers, domains, and other things after male figures from Greek mythology. Her name, by the way, is Chris #Bourg. No kidding.

From the Daily Caller: With Robert Lightfoot’s Resignation, The Leadership Crisis At NASA Just Got REAL

One has to have a lot of sympathy for Robert Lightfoot. When he agreed to be acting administrator of NASA, he thought he would hold that position for a few months until a permanent head of the space agency was nominated and confirmed. Such would have been the case for most changes of presidencies. However, the Trump presidency has not been an ordinary one where nominating government officials has been concerned.

California student rocket group barred from NASA competition due to LGBTQ law

A group of student rocketeers at a small community college near Los Angeles #California called #Citrus College have found themselves embroiled in a controversy as a result of a recent law passed by that state designed to punish other states for being less than enlightened about LBGTQ rights. The group, called the Citrus College Rocket Owls, has been invited, along with 60 other student groups, to participate in a rocketry competition at NASA [VIDEO]’s Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. However, they have been prohibited from going because of the state law.

Teenage suicide as a result of bullying a bigger problem than school shootings

Leaving aside the understandable shock and horror that the Florida school shooting caused, one nevertheless would have to have a heart of stone not to roll one’s eyes at the astroturfed school walkout to protest gun violence [VIDEO]. The demands for “gun control,” whatever that means does not have any real-world relation to what happened. The massacre was a failure of law enforcement, due to the numerous instances Nicholas Cruz could have been taken into custody before that fatal day. That is not to mention the cowardice of a particular sheriff’s deputy who otherwise might have truncated the carnage had he confronted Cruz instead of cowering outside the school.

This is a somewhat belated announcement. As of a week ago I’m a paid contributor to the Hill Newspaper. This is not as impressive as it sounds since it is on a by page view basis, however it is the most respectable gig since my time at Yahoo News ended. I plan to submit more pieces to the Hill in the future. I hope they meet with approval and get widely shared. I can use the income.

‘The Death of Stalin’ takes down Soviet communism

“The Death of Stalin,” the new film by Armando Iannucci, the creator of “Veep,” starts with the sudden demise of one of history’s greatest monsters. A lot of wheeling and dealing, backstabbing, and backbiting ensues, along with hilarity. Only someone who could sell a Hillary Clinton-type character as the center of an HBO comedy could create a satire that takes down the Soviet Union at the height of its ferocity and terror. No wonder the modern Russian leader. Vladimir Putin, hates the movie.

My latest from the Hill: Only thing Defense’s UFO probe proves is power of political favors

Remembering Professor Stephen Hawking

#Stephen Hawking is known to the public for two things. He authored a book in 1998 called “A Brief History of Time” that was a runaway, international bestseller and propelled him into the status of a scientist celebrity. He also suffered from an autoimmune disease from his early 20s that put him in a wheelchair and robbed him of his voice. Most people know his computer-generated voice that he controlled with eye blinks.

What Hillary Clinton said in India was astonishing

Hillary Clinton, former first lady, former senator, former secretary of state, and twice failed presidential candidate, ventured to India, of all places, and poured out her hatred of middle America in such a way that has rocked the political world. Still bitter at her election loss at the hands of Donald Trump, Clinton has decided that many Americans who voted against her were just not worthy.

From The Hill Newspaper: President Trump gets how to commercialize space — Does NASA?

Arnold Schwarzenegger behaves strangely at SXSW

#Arnold Schwarzenegger, the movie actor and former #Governor Of California, ventured to the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas and said a number of odd things. First, he accused the oil companies of committing “first-degree murder.” Then, he celebrated the #MeToo movement that is sweeping the entertainment industry against sexual misconduct. Finally, Schwarzenegger took some shots at #Donald Trump, heavily implying that the president is a Russian puppet.

SpaceX’s Elon Musk reveals the real reason he launched that car into space

“Westworld,” the HBO series based very loosely on the 1970s movie about the ultimate theme park, depicts humanity as an evil, depraved species that is likely to get what it deserves when the robots finally rebel. So a panel discussion on the TV show was an odd event to trot out #SpaceX’s #Elon Musk to offer a piece of optimism, complete with a video of the recent launch of the Falcon Heavy that sent a car with a mannequin at the wheel into interplanetary space, according to Ars Technica.

The Democrats propose to raise taxes and eliminate ICE

Einstein once said that the definition of insanity is to try the same thing over and over again, hoping for a different outcome. Talleyrand, the early 19th Century French diplomat, might have added that those who do so have learned nothing and have forgotten nothing. So the #democrats are behaving similarly with developing issues in ways they think will sweep them back to power in 2018 and especially 2020. The Democrats promise to raise taxes and some are proposing to disband #ICE, the federal agency charged with hunting down illegal aliens and deporting them to their countries of origin.

What is at stake in the Trump-Kim summit meeting?

The announcement that President Donald Trump is going to have a #Summit Meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was met with considerable shock and awe, according to the Washington Examiner. The subject of the talks will apparently be the denuclearization of #North Korea in exchange for some guarantee for the security of the regime. The meeting was apparently brokered by the government of South Korea.

Why Ted Cruz is the happiest man in Texas

Sen. #Ted Cruz, R-#Texas is one of the happiest men in the great state of Texas. The meme in the mainstream media leading up to the Texas Primary was that a blue wave was building that would sweep the dominant Republicans out of office. Cruz was said to be threatened by Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, a young liberal congressman with a superficial resemblance to Bobby Kennedy. The actual results of the primary revealed the “blue wave” to be a blue drip.

If You're Gonna Run in Texas | Ted Cruz for Senate Statewide Radio Ad

NASA Watch wonders why Bill Nelson & Jim Bridenstine support the same space bill

The sharp-eyed Keith Cowing, the purveyor of one of the more entertaining sites on the Internet, NASA Watch, has noticed that Sen. #Bill Nelson, D-Florida has cosponsored a bill called the U.S.-Israel Space Cooperation Act, along with Sen Gary Peters, D-MI, Sen Ted Cruz. R-Texas, and Sen Cory Booker, R-Colorado. In Cowing’s view, this is significant because the House version of this bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Oklahoma. Nelson has led a campaign to deny Bridenstine a confirmation for the post of NASA Administrator.

Lost in Space | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix

NASA competing with China for international partners in the return to the moon

According to the aerospace newspaper Space News, Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for human exploration and operations, gave a talk at a Space Transportation luncheon. He suggested that not only are the #international space station partners are interested in joining the return to the moon program, but also a number of emerging space countries. He cautioned that the #United States needs to develop a plan for going back to the moon and to stick to it, or else those countries will partner with China instead.

Anunnaki Aliens: History and Prophecy You Should Know

‘Brooklyn Barbecue’ blows up social media

Twitter, as all the world knows, is a place where people throw rhetorical punches on controversies ranging from traumatized children being used by unscrupulous adults to abolish the 2nd Amendment to whether or not the president of the United States is evil, crazy, stupid or all three. However, Munchies, a culinary publication of Vice Magazine, blew up #social media with a tweet that linked to an article that stated: “Why is Brooklyn #barbecue taking over the world?”

Why ‘The Space Between Us’ failed

Recently, I had a chance to see “#The Space Between Us,” the story of two star-crossed lovers, a boy who was born and raised on a Mars colony [VIDEO], and a girl from Earth caught in the foster care system. The story was somewhat mediocre and nowhere near the quality of “The Martian.” Gary Oldman, who is a much better actor than his performance in this movie suggests, seems to have phoned it in.

Vladimir Putin rattles the nuclear saber in a cry for attention

Russian tyrant #Vladimir Putin recently boasted about a couple of new nuclear weapons delivery systems he claims his country possesses. One is a hypersonic cruise missile that can evade any defense system and strike any target on Earth. The other is a long-range nuclear-tipped torpedo. The first weapon system, according to Western military analysts, is a work still in progress. The other is already operational and is a threat to the United States Navy.

NASA kept in limbo because of Bridenstine confirmation standoff

Bloomberg has an update about one of the most astonishing and disgraceful standoffs to have occurred in recent political history. Senate Democrats, with the help of two Republicans, have succeeded, thus far, in blocking the confirmation of Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-Oklahoma to be the next administrator of NASA. Since President Trump is not disposed to withdraw Bridenstine’s nomination, both he and the space agency he has been nominated to head are caught in a grotesque limbo. In effect, Scott Pace, the executive director of the National Space Council, along with the acting administrator Robert Lightfoot, is running NASA, an imperfect situation at best.

My latest in the Wall Street Journal We Need Our Private Space: Trump is setting the stage for commerce in low Earth orbit.

Update: Join the discussion at Instapundit.

SpaceX contemplates building the Big Falcon Rocket in South Texas

The construction of the SpaceX launch facility at Boca Chica, near Brownsville, Texas, is not yet complete. However, according to a piece in Teslarati, the company’s CEO Elon Musk, has plans for #South Texas that go beyond just launching rockets to the moon and Mars. He is contemplating manufacturing the heavy lift launch vehicle BFR [VIDEO], decorously known as the Big #Falcon Rocket, near the spaceport, greatly simplifying transportation issues. The idea has profound implications for the economies of south Texas and of California, where the Falcon 9 is currently being produced.

Sen Ted Cruz proposes space based missile defenses

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas has sent a letter to Secretary of Defense James Mattis advocating for the development of space-based missile defense systems. He cites the nuclear threat from North Korea, the pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in Iran, and the increasing superpower competition with China and Russia, which includes the development of hypersonic missiles that would evade sea and land-based missile defenses. Space-based missile defense systems would provide a boost phase opportunity to shoot down enemy missiles.

Divorce prevention starts before you offer her the ring

Maybe you have already been burned by having a first marriage collapse in a #Divorce. Maybe you are thinking of embarking on the adventure of matrimony for the first time. You should know that in the #United States the chances of any marriage ending in a divorce or a permanent separation are as high as one in two, though recently it has declined to one in three. So how do you increase the odds of staying happily married until “death do you part?”

Preserve the Earth, go back to the moon, or settle Mars

One of the reasons Elon Musk proposes a Mars colony [VIDEO] is that it would serve as a backup for #Human Civilization, just in case the worst happens to Earth. The idea has caused some controversy from environmentalists who suggest that Musk regards the home planet of humanity as disposable. Better, they suggest, that we bend all efforts to preserving the Earth before gallivanting off to someplace else.

Are UFOs Real? Yes and No

‘Fight for Space’ deserves a new look during the Trump return to the moon

“#Fight For Space,” the 2016 documentary, by Paul Hildebrandt, is somewhat dated, coming out as it did during the doldrums of the NASA space program of the Obama years. However, the film is still a worthy historical document that deserves a fresh look in light of the #trump administration’s drive to revive space exploration, focusing on commercial partnerships and a return to the moon.

First to the Moon: Kickstarter

Fight brewing between Trump administration and congress over Europa Clipper

Most of the news, coming from the #trump administration’s NASA budget request, concerns the lunar exploration initiative and the controversy surrounding plans to commercialize the International Space Station. [VIDEO] However, according to Space News, the proposal suggests that a fight may also take place over the #europa clipper mission, now slated to launch in the mid-2020s. Questions vary from whether the mission should also include a lander, how much the probe will cost when it launches, and what it will launch on.