Nothing like a stroll at 17,150 Miles per hour …
European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet steps outside the International Space Station at a bit under 5 miles per second. He was outside the ISS for six hours to upgrade batteries (ESA, 1/13/2017).
Watch Live Streaming Video from the International Space Station
The International Space Station – ISS – circles the earth at 240 miles above the planet, on the edge of space in low earth orbit. It only takes 90 minutes for the weightless laboratory to make a complete circuit of Earth. As the Space Station passes into a period of night every 45 mins video is unavailable – during this time, and other breaks in transmission, recorded footage is shown. Track its current location here.
before we get all space-y must comment on these last thread comments:
granny, that peggy lee parody on drumpf was terrific! thanks for sharing.
travis, beauty in the eye of the beholder exemplified by a guy who paints spider webs. see this week’s story on michael anthony simon in the new Yorker’s “gone tomorrow dept. spider web-man” and at These colorful sculptures are actually painted spider webs
back to earth with k.o.
tidbit from above that seems to have escaped scrutiny until now is at 7:54 minutes in on above k.o. vid re nunes being at the Flynn mtg with Turkish guy to whom was allegedly made an untoward promise. sooo…. beginning to make sense why he panicked.
and consider the “lost his credibility” comment this morning on today show:
Sen. Lindsey Graham joins TODAY live to talk about the controversy surrounding House Intelligence chair Rep. Devin Nunes, Neil Gorsuch’s Supreme Court nomination, the failure of the Republican plan to replace Obamacare,, and more. He says that Nunes has “lost his credibility” and is conducting an “Inspector Clouseau investigation” of the Trump administration’s alleged ties to Russia.
so is nunes toast? is the house comm. investigation itself toast too?
and back in space, photo of cyclone about to hit australia
back to earth again. specifically to mal-a-ego
wapo: Government watchdog to review Trump’s use of Mar-a-Lago
A government watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office, has agreed to review the costs and security precautions associated with President Trump’s travel and stays at Mar-a-Lago after a request for inquiry from leading Democrats on Capitol Hill.
[….]
On Friday the GAO agreed to take up the inquiry, by looking into four areas:
1) What measure are being used to protect classified information and provide secure communications capabilities while the president is away from the White House, and whether a secure communications space as been created at Mar-a-Lago.
2) The type of security screening the Secret Service employs for guests and visitors of Mar-a-Lago.
3) What measures the Secret Service and Defense Department have taken to ensure the fees they are charged for Mar-a-Lago trips are “fair and reasonable.”
4) Whether the U.S. Treasury has received any payments resulting from profits at hotels that are owned or operated by the president.
The final two items relate to the president’s company, the Trump Organization, from which Trump has resigned his positions but where he is still owner.
Even members of GOP are starting to catch on to “why don’t we have what the rest of the developed world has?”
Republicans for Single Payer
more on background of what may have caused nunes to panic about being surveilled. this excerpt from crooksandliars:
Turkey is incredibly crucial to our military operations in the Middle East and we can’t afford to lose that strategic Air Force base. Never fear, Michael Flynn had a ‘brilliant’ solution to this conundrum; except the legality was the problem. Lock Her Up? Lock Him Up!
I still say Flip Flynn, immunity could be worth it
Dad turned out another masterpiece breakfast this morning. Toby awaits her pinch of hickory smoked Kentucky bacon.
I see we all need to cling to our science and humor.
More security breaches…nunes dumps aides to ‘jump the WH fence.’ trump, self-proclaimed genius wall-builder, needs to start with the WH and get a better and more secure wall. The leaky goodship lollipop is about to sink.
flip kushner…he is the organizer of the digital takedown of democracy.
Patd – I checked out the link. Those are beautiful, as long as there are no creepies in them.
Craig – It looks like Toby is about ready to jump into a chair and chow down on some delicious breakfast.
Apparently Mr Nunes has a very high opinion of himself. Saw the article at Talking Points memo this morning.
A pinch of bacon? How about a side of eggs for the pooch, too.
I see the elder Crawford is still putting out perfect poached eggs.
Next time –how about a little video of the egg poaching? Those of us whose whites never look that good would like to know
Silencing Yates.
To convict on the cyber component of trumpence crimes against the democracy of the US of AA? It may never happen with the fbi, but the internet disruption before the election, the release of fake news which sat atop the internets and was loaded via links on mostly many news sites only helped the bad guys. Machine learning and the use of the hacked data with voter lists provided by the ruskies helped win the needed electoral counties. That will be harder to prove. comey mentioned the ruskies were very noisy with their election hack…to drive some of us crazy to see they were involved and NO ONE seemed to want to stop them or call foul! A perfect mix of manipulation and an internet hate conduit. No wonder most of us question how this buffoon ended-up in the WH with such a popular vote loss. No mandate, no win, no leadership.
Not to steal Mr. Crawford’s thunder, but I believe he uses vinegar in the poaching water and then stirs the water which forms the dropped egg into a lovely swirl. It is art. The photography is great, too.
actually he cheated this morning and used his egg poacher pan, says you know the eggs are ready when you jiggle the handle and they stop wiggling. all I know is the yokes are perfect every time.
yep BW, a bit of vinegar for the “egg drop” method. once we were at a cabin and had no vinegar, so he used a pinch of baking soda, also works
was just discussing this with Dad, he says another poaching method is to prick a tiny hole in the egg shell with a pin and boil for no more than 10 seconds. When egg cools down enough to handle (a few seconds) break it open into simmering water. The pin prick releases air and firms up the egg during the boil.
Your Dad is a keeper, Craig. A true treasure.
I believe this is the nunes winery — KGC country.
I see by the picture that Toby was wagging her tail. Happy dog. Ba-con!
Curious as to how the elder Mr Crawford obtained such culinary skills.
Scottish lawmakers back call for independence vote
(CNN)Scottish lawmakers voted 69-59 in favor of an independence referendum Tuesday, setting Edinburgh on a collision course with the UK government.
The vote by members of the Scottish Parliament gives the green light to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to ask the UK Parliament for a referendum between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has indicated she will reject the Sturgeon’s timetable. Britain is expected to leave the European Union in 2019, and May has said that “now is not the time” for a vote that could break up the United Kingdom.
But Sturgeon has said there is an “unquestionable democratic mandate” for a referendum.
In a failed 2014 referendum on independence, Scotland voted 55% to 45% to remain in the UK. But the Scottish National Party, led by Sturgeon, said the landscape has changed since Britain decided to leave the EU.
Sturgeon said the Brexit vote is forcing Scotland out of the EU against its will as 62% of Scots voted in June to remain in the bloc.
Opening the referendum debate in the Edinburgh Parliament last week, Sturgeon said it would be “wrong, unfair and utterly unsustainable” for the UK government to block her request.
There has been fierce opposition to a fresh referendum from the Scottish Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats.
But the Scottish National Party, the largest party in the Parliament, will be backed by the Green Party, enabling Sturgeon to put May under increased pressure.
SJ, his mother was a good cook and she made sure her 3 boys and a daughter all learned. Also my mom was not into food. So dad and I had to cook if we wanted to eat.
spLIEcer show time! be sure not to miss the tap dancing segment, the magically amazing sleight of handy truth, all the smoke and mirrors at wh press briefing link. live! it’s live… perhaps alternative live.
Mr Crawford, your Grandmother was a wise woman to teach her sons how to cook. I always thought Home Ec should have been mandatory for both genders. Does it even exist in school curriculum anymore? Commonsense skills for life. (Disclosure: my Mother was a Home Ec teacher in Pennsylvania during the 1940’s. She also contributed to a cooking column in the late, lamented Buffalo Courier Express newspaper during that time period.)
Ah, but can you or your dad make poached eggs in space ?
That’s the sign of a really great cook.
xrepublican,
Powdered Poached eggs? With a Tang? 😉
Your post reminded me of the “Energy Sticks” the cafeteria ladies used to give us with lunch. Food of the astronauts, we were told. The peanut butter flavor was pretty good.
Maybe Northern Ireland, Ireland, Wales, Man, and Cornwall would like to join Scotland in a new Gaelic/Goidelic Federal Republic. Supreme Court in Swansea, Wales, Admin in Glasgow, Scotland, and Legislature in Newry, Ireland. Ireland already has membership in the EU, so if timed properly, there should be no break in free trade with the continent.
Of course, they’ll have to wall off England. They could get tips on this from the deadbeat across the water.
Ms NY,
egg rations…UGGggggGGGgggggGGgggGGGgggggGGGGgggGGHhhhhHH.
You had to remind me.
All over my screen dammit.
Xrepublican,
I had freeze dried ice cream once. Once was enough.
Why do we feed our astronauts such crap, even with weight restrictions & gravity aside? Geez, if we can send a man to the moon …..
Now that the weather is warming up, should I worry about getting a tan? Will that get me deported?
The bad news, Bink :
Don’t do it ! You’ll die in exile of skin cancer.
Stay in the shadows, with a bouffant blonde wig on. Paint your skin dayglow orange and wear a maga cap. Make like you’re kissing an air guitarist, and make ok signs with both hands simultaneously. Now, sniffle.
Now, you won’t be tossed out of the country, but you may be impeached.
more fun across the pond:
Sinn Fein’s new leader Michelle O’Neill on Monday called for Northern Ireland to join the Republic of Ireland as “soon as possible”, just hours after Nicola Sturgeon announced a second Scottish independence referendum.
But critics have lambasted Sinn Fein for having a “clear disregard” for making Northern Ireland work.
Ulster Unionist Party MP Danny Kinahan said: “Have Sinn Fein not destabilised Northern Ireland enough? They have shown a clear disregard for making Northern Ireland work, so I am not surprised by their latest political stunt.
“As for Sinn Fein calling for a border poll, they would be better served concentrating on establishing a working Northern Ireland Executive rather than agitating for a united Ireland.”
Ms Sturgeon set off a domino effect after calling for a Scottish independence referendum – with Wales and Northern Ireland calling for their own votes to leave the UK.
Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Fein’s leader in the region, yesterday said Brexit would be “disaster” for Northern Ireland.
She said the British Government was “on the verge of triggering Article 50 that is going to take the North out of the European Union against the expressed wishes of the majority of people here”.
Ms O’Neill added: “They are continuing to refuse to listen to the majority views. Brexit would be a disaster for the economy and the people of Ireland.
“To us in Sinn Fein that increases the urgency for the need of a referendum on Irish unity and that needs to happen as soon as possible.”
My solution is perfect. The Orangemen can join Scotland, and the Greenmen can join Eire. Cornwall, Man, and Wales can join the others.
England’s remaining counties can each then join the tory disaster.
Hey, where are all the Republicans that come here to gloat? They haven’t had shit to say in months, lol.
Yeah, Bink… I’ve even noticed an absence of them on FB.
Although I was sitting across from one on Sunday at a relative’s 80th birthday party. I was kind to him… but his girlfriend laughed at his stupid political remarks. She’s running for office as a Democrat in Massachusetts…. don’t know how that relationship has survived this past year.
I know a republican……or should I say a trumpist, who thinks there will be a civil war.
Spiders could theoretically eat every human on Earth in one year – The Washington Post
https://apple.news/AjAajhnWVTUqwsWGuh6sOmA
OMG, it worked without shutting down the page!
Xr ……that hat sleeps with the fishes……the dorg sleeps in the stupid bed.
Right next to the stupid cat.
BiD
Hope everything is OK.
Mrs Jack got this picture of a hail stone from a friend that lives down your way.
Sj, I once hiked the southern part of the Appalachian trail, from Springer Mountain Georgia to Harpers Ferry West Virginia. That was back in about 1975, and that was when freeze dried foods first became available to mere backpackers like myself. I didn’t buy the stuff because it was god awful expensive, but I did on one occasion go into an outdoor store and tried the freeze-dried chocolate ice cream. It wasn’t cold and it didn’t taste like ice cream. I couldn’t quite figure out what the hell it was supposed to be.( a snickers bar was infinitely better) I also tried freeze dried wine. Let me just say YUCK.
And SJ, you can never go wrong with peanut butter.
Pogo,
True about peanut butter. I love fluffernutters – anyone else?
blueINdallas,
I second what Whskyjack said: stay safe, take care.
Excellent document on the status of Medicaid expansion in states. I’m afraid BiD can forget about improvement in TX healthcare unless Abbott gets tossed out in 2018 otherwise 2020 first chance to fix.
Medicaid Expansion State by State
I’m just wondering what my insurance will look like next year, now that UHC & other large companies have pulled out of ACA for small businesses in TX? If we get a plan from one of the few, remaining companies, will any of the docs in our area accept them? It was better for me when my employer didn’t have an ACA-compliant option.
nunes got ‘his info’ from the former committee staffer/new WH staffer, michael ellis, another repug & former navy intel guy. Remember the name, michael ellis! nunes claims that he, nunes, immediately went to ryan with the info. nunes also claims that ryan sent him to trump with the info. nunes claims he went to a skiff (safe room) first, where he prolly met ellis. Next, nunes claims he took the info to the deadbeat groper, although it would have been easier for ellis to send it down the hall to his boss. However, this superior way of doing things got more people implicated in the cover up and violations of oaths of office : the claim by nunes puts both ryan and trump in the frame with him.
Maybe putin will murder nunes for screwing up. However, claiming that he went to ryan & the deadbeat may have bought nunes a year or two of life.
Good to read you again, Ms Dallas
I was late to the party so here’s my post regarding Craig’s Huffpo:
Lyndon Johnson and Richard M. Nixon both inherited the same monstrous war, but at least , even though they both escalated involvement to the max, they didn’t ignore that war to the Press Corps.. Of course now there is much less opposition to this war in Afghanistan , none of the passion Cindy Sheehan exhibited down Crawford, Texas way. Except for the recent horrendous murder-bombings of civilians in and around Mosul , Iraq by USA bombers , you’d never know we were still in two wars at all. A few hours ago I was stuck in a hospital waiting room awaiting the discharge from outpatient eye surgery that my wife had done, and like most public places, Fox News was on. Not one word about Mosul, just a bevy of blond women fawning over Eric Trump and his wife, on a loop…I think I saw it six times.Then, still-shots of grandpa The Donald playing with his little g-kiddies. I used to watch old Imus on Fox Business News. Imus was the only straight-shooter of the bunch at Fox, even though he was the first to predict a Trump presidency; I saw that show. Since his show departed, today was the first time I watched Fox News. I would like it to be the last. Not one word about Mosul.
Craig mentioned his dad and the V A. Time defines much: as a Vietnam veteran I find it much easier to converse with WWII vets than vets from the current two wars. Boy howdy, what a change..forty years ago the “Great War” vets wanted nothing to do with us…now we’re comrades. The younger guys are light-years removed, in their memories, from what we experienced in what are now the old days of Vietnam war nights.
And Sam Stone? I ain’t gonna listen to that right now…I know what Sam Stone put into his head.
Click to Edit
Hi Dexter, Best wishes for your wife !
By the way, there is a lot coming out suddenly about US war crimes in Viet Nam. Apparently, My Lai was far from singular. duh