Station grabs SpaceX Dragon ship

May 25, 2012 — xanthippa

From BBC:

‘A robotic arm on the International Space Station has reached out to grab the visiting Dragon supply vessel.

The arm will shortly move the ship to a free berthing port on the underside of the orbiting platform.

Dragon has been built by the California firm SpaceX and is carrying half a tonne of food and other stores for the ISS astronauts.

It is the first time a private sector company has attempted to deliver freight to the station.

The high-flying laboratory’s Canadarm2 is being controlled by US spaceman Don Petit.

He grabbed the capsule at 13:56 GMT (14:56 BST). “Houston, looks like we got us a Dragon by the tail,” he radioed to Nasa mission Control in Texas’

 

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Thunderf00t: Pakistan Blocks Twitter of Draw Mohammad Day 3

May 24, 2012 — xanthippa

 

I hope Thunderf00t is right:  that people will look back at this point – the invention of the internet – as the turning point when the power of the individual came to its own…but I am nowhere near as optimistic.

I fear that this point in time will be seen as a tiny spark of light that, for a tiny moment, brought us light until it was smothered by heavy-handed regulation and became yet another tool of surveillance and oppression.

Yes, the desensitization method of approaching the Islamist sensitivities is working – for now.  And that is a great thing!

But soon, even this type of action may be impossible – not because of any Islamist response but because of the fear of expressing oneself honestly on the internet.

From OpenMedia:

 

 

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Penn’s Obama rant

May 23, 2012 — xanthippa

 

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What Life Will Be Like for Women Under Sharia Law

May 22, 2012 — xanthippa

OK – somewhat simplified, but not to the point of error:

And, that is the real problem:  not Islam, but Sharia.

Sharia is the ‘Islamic jurisprudence’ as divined by a bunch of religious nuts in the 4-6 centuries following when Muhammad is supposed to have lived.  It is based not just on the Koran, but also on the cultural precepts of Arabs, particularly Bedouins, of this time period and their centuries-old, handed down traditions about what Muhammad’s life and world-view were like.

Yeah.

Centuries removed from the source.

Until Sharia was codified,  Islam enjoyed what is popularly touted as its greatest period of culture and thought – you know, the bits where they brought the Indian numerals to European mathematics and preserved ancient knowledge from the roaming religious fanatics of both the Christian and Islamic kind….

Once Sharia became codified – the flowering of Islam was over.

Until Sharia is rejected as the un-Islamic construct of manipulation centuries out of touch with anything Koranic,  Islam will remain as oppressive and totalitarian in practice as it is today.

Let’s hope Sharia will be (universally) rejected soon so that Islam can, once again, be practiced without fear.

H/T:  BlazingCatFur

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Nothing justifies torture!

May 22, 2012 — xanthippa

I may disagree to the core of my being with that this Marxist believes and says, but, nothing justifies his torture – ever!!!

Remember, the end does not justify the means:  the means define the end!

‘”It was hell on earth,” Kaileh told The Associated Press on Sunday, nearly a week after Syrian forces released him and deported him to Jordan. Speaking at his friend’s home in an Amman suburb, Kaileh had bluish-red bruises on his legs, which he said were the result of beatings with wooden batons that were studded with pins and nails.

“I felt I was going to die under the brutal, savage and continuous beating of the interrogators, who tied me to ropes hung from the ceiling,” said Kaileh, a soft-spoken man with a shock of white hair who appeared frail, barely able to stand on his feet.’

Which is why freedom of speech must be one of the ‘absolutes’ we fight for – and why ‘anonymous speech’ is the most sacred form of free speech!!!

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Nigel Farage – Break up the euro and restore human dignity – 22nd May 2012

May 22, 2012 — xanthippa

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SpaceX had a successful launch

May 22, 2012 — xanthippa

There is a Dragon flying around the Eath – Dragon spacecraft that is!

It was brought up by the successful launch of the Falcon 9 rocket at 3:45 am today, 22nd of May, 2012.  (Yes, I watched the livestreaming video…).

From SpaceX’s website:

‘Broadcast quality videos, including video inside of the SpaceX factory, may be downloaded at vimeo.com/spacexlaunch and high-resolution photos are posted at spacexlaunch.zenfolio.com.’

 

Roughly 12 minutes into the flight, it reached orbit and the solar panel arrays had succesfully deployed.  With the aid of the Canadarm, it will deliver supplies to the International Space Station.

Finally, a new chapter into the exploration of space has been opened:  private enterrise, not governments, will pave the road to our future.  So, it might actually work this time…

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Recording and photographing on-duty cops is a Constitutional right in the US

May 19, 2012 — xanthippa

Yes!!!

recording devices for recording The DoJ in the US has issued a letter to the Baltimore PD, which is not unique in facing lawsuits for arresting citizens or confiscating/breaking their police conduct:

“Because recording police officers in the public discharge of their duties is protected by the First Amendment, policies should prohibit interference with recording of police activities except in narrowly circumscribed situations,” reads the DoJ’s letter (pdf). “More particularly, policies should instruct officers that, except under limited circumstances, officers must not search or seize a camera or recording device without a warrant. In addition, policies should prohibit more subtle actions that may nonetheless infringe upon individuals’ First Amendment rights. Officers should be advised not to threaten, intimidate, or otherwise discourage an individual from recording police officer enforcement activities or intentionally block or obstruct cameras or recording devices.”

Oh, and citizen journalists – regular people – have as much of a right to record the police as official members of the press!!!
This is good news indeed!
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Lilley and Levant on freedom of speech, hate-crimes and Toronto’s Madrassah

May 18, 2012 — xanthippa

 

While I do agree with their major points – freedom of speech, even ‘hate speech’ – just not on taxpayer’s dime, I do disagree with them when it comes to actions which abrogate the religious freedoms of children:  just as no parent has the right to sexually abuse their child, no parent has the right to curb their child’s freedom of religion through childhood religious indoctrination.

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TorrentFreak: BitTorrent Piracy Boosts Music Sales, Study Finds

May 17, 2012 — xanthippa

What sets this academic study apart from the rest?

Larger sample size and more accurate data.

The music industry claims that albums which are leaked prior to their release cause them the greatest financial loss:  this study demonstrates that this is simply not true:

‘However, according to the research, sales may actually be hurt by going after these [file sharing] sites. Hammond’s findings suggest that piracy itself acts as a form of advertising similar to radio play and media campaigns, where more downloads result in a moderate increase in sales.’

Let’s not hold our breath hoping for the recording industry will admit its error…

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