64 thoughts on “Let’s Go To Mars”

  1. wapo:

    A $2.7 billion NASA rover, Perseverance, is scheduled to launch from Florida’s Cape Canaveral at 7:50 a.m. Thursday atop an Atlas V rocket. If all goes well, the rover will land Feb. 18 on Mars on a mission to search for signs of ancient Martian life.
    “Sitting atop that rocket there is one of the finest interplanetary payloads ever assembled, and the thousands of scientists and engineers behind them — they would have to be the finest team ever assembled,” Abigail Allwood, a geologist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory who is part of the science team, said as she and her colleagues awaited the launch. “This rover is going to kick some astrobiological butt.”
    The rover is the successor to the still-operating Curiosity rover, which has made breakthrough discoveries, including finding complex organic molecules of the type that could be associated with living things. Perseverance is superficially similar to Curiosity but has a different suite of instruments that will allow it to inspect and take images of rock formations in far greater detail.
    It has a drill for obtaining rock cores and soil samples, which the rover will stash in containers that in the future could be sent back to Earth for study in laboratories. The mission, officially known as Mars 2020, is the first leg of what is known as the Mars Sample Return campaign. Returning samples of Mars to Earth has been the highest priority of the planetary science community.
    [continues]

     
     

  3.  Looking back at the last sixty years of the world in space I am surprised at how not far we got.  Parsimonious congressional funding, presidents with less imagination than a brick deciding that war was better than Mars and companies which like war money better than space money, all slowed down searching the universe for mysteries to solve.
     
    For all who have never been involved in space things of any kind, it is not easy to get something up there.  It takes money and a lot of lift power. Which is why only a handful of countries have shoved their own space stuff up there, successfully.

  5. intelligence on earth?

    foxnews:

    Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, told “Hannity” Wednesday that he will soon begin a treatment regimen featuring the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine after testing positive for coronavirus earlier in the day.
    “My doctor and I are all in,” Gohmert told host Sean Hannity from quarantine. “And I got a text just before I came on from a dear friend, [a] doctor, who just found out he had it, and he said he started a HCQ [hydroxychloroquine] regimen, too.
    “So zinc, erythromycin, and hydroxychloroquine,” the congressman added, “and that will start just in the next day or two.”

  6. If humans were as intelligent as they are smart, we would have worked out a way to peacefully co-exist.   But we’re always brought back to earth by those legions of the neither intelligent nor smart, who seem to worship blood-spilling hatred.
    It’s a mysterious tragedy, ain’t it…..

  7. We put men on the moon 50 years ago.  Now, we have our sights set on Mars. (Ack, ack, ack.)
    Perhaps we could also have universal healthcare, access to high-speed internet, affordable housing, food security, a greener Earth, and, a basic, living income for all, by now.
    Space exploration is important and exciting, but it’s a bit like trashing your house and just building a new one instead of taking care of what you have, as well.
    I’m nicknaming this rover The Elizabeth Warren.   Yet, she persevered.  Onward!

  8. Basis of pot legalization:  
    It’s a plant. According to their good book god himself gave the humans all plants and animals for their use.
    It’s a plant.  Another plant, tobacco which kills millions yearly, is totally legal.
    It’s a mild intoxicant.  Strong intoxicants, such as vodka, which cost us millions of dollars in property damage and much human carnage, again totally legal.  
    Case closed. 

  9. Were the Supreme Court to rule against the bible it would be quite interesting in so many other cases, eh?
    The lawyer who gets that to the Supreme Court will get rich quickly.
     

  12. America's economy just had its worst quarter on record

    New York (CNN Business)The US economy contracted by 32.9% between April and June, its worst drop on record, the Bureau of Economic Analysis said Thursday.

    Business ground to a halt during the pandemic lockdown in the spring of this year, and America plunged into its first recession in 11 years, putting an end to the longest economic expansion in US history.
    A recession is commonly defined as two consecutive quarters of declining gross domestic product — the broadest measure of the economy. Between January and March, GDP declined by 5%.
    But this is no ordinary recession. The combination of public health and economic crises is unprecedented, and numbers cannot fully convey the hardships millions of Americans are facing.

    The pandemic pushed the economy fell off a cliff. The GDP drop was nearly four times worse than during the peak of the financial crisis, when GDP fell 8.4% in the fourth quarter of 2008.

  13. If we can’t solve widespread poverty and lack of substantive healthcare among the peasants, etc….what exactly are we going to learn from slinging a chunk of metal from here to mars.  I don’t care whether or not they do it, though; what the hell……

  14. Say that way in the future we all have to board the space ships and leave good old planet earth for greener pastures…..I would guarantee a civil war or mutiny before the ships got 3 light years outside earth’s atmosphere.

  15. We can’t even solve our founding principle—that all men are created equal.

  16. There are pictures showing up that it appears SFB right side of his face has collapsed.  That along with the right arm not used much and the right leg not working well may be symptoms of something seriously wrong with the guy.  Are the republicans waiting for him to stroke out before intervening?   I can see one problem though.  The skull is empty so trying to make any medical diagnosis can be tricky.  Maybe, just maybe, he is not really a human.

  18. Damn, I didn’t get my boarding pass in time to make the flight. 
     
    Sturg, correct me if I’m wrong but it doesn’t sound like you’re overly optimistic about our prospects for solving our biggest problems here on Earth, let alone do anything with respect to establishing any meaningful, constructive and cooperative (peaceful?) relationship with the little green people on Mars.  Am I misreading your lack of optimism?  
     
    As to the cost of the metal we’re slinging to Mars – a billion here, a billion there – what’s the difference in the larger scheme of things?
     
     

  20. Hmmm, that sounds like a succinct summary.  You may have more confidence in Congress than I do.  Here’s the real test to see whether Nancy or Mitch have the bigger balls.  My bet is on Nancy, so I suppose I share your optimism with respect to the election, but my optimism is somewhat guarded.

  21. Sounds good, I’m read to move.
    But I need a nice house , not too big, good yard lots of shade but with a sunny spot for my tomatoes. Oh, and friendly neighborhood bar down the street with in walking distance.
    Jack

  22. The economy may be going in the shitcan but housing seems to be strong. Strange. 
    Looking to move closer to family, so I have been following housing  in the southern MO area. Everytime I see an interesting house come up on zillow, 2 days later it has an offer pending. Locally a house over on the next block sold for a nice price.
    Jack

  23. Stepson found the same situation in Greenville SC ……..time they’d look into a house, it was gone.

  24. I’m hopeful for the election, but pessimistic for the species?
     
    My sentiments exactly.  I’m just not that enthused for this Mars mission…  Covid kinda did it to me.

  26. We can’t even fix potholes, efficiently.  We’re going to build polycarbonate domes on Mars?  Yeah, sure.

  27. jamie, wonder if Reagan foundation will sue Meidas Touch for the “let me suggest another choice” portion in that ad.  if not, it sure sends a message. 

  28. Herman Cain rose on the backs of people like John Lewis and he never paid it back. 
    Hopefully his death make some people take this virus seriously. That way Herman Cain will have done more in death than he ever did in life.

  33. Cain died from COVID.  What were the good doctor’s views on masks, etc.? 

    Three, two-term presidents are there for John Lewis.  The one-termer in the WH is AWOL. 

    Sturg – Smoke inhalation isn’t good for the lungs.  It’s probably meant to be munched on. 

  35. Why are these buffoons still promoting hydroxychloroquine when dexamethasone has been proven as an effective treatment? (rhetorical)

    🙏🙏🙏plz plz plz let Gohmert be allergic to erythromycin🙏🙏🙏

    (he should be arrested for willfully endangering public safety after walking around the Capitol while knowingly infected and forcing staffers to expose themselves and others by not wearing masks)

  36. Each day we know will have something more outrageous and idiotic than the day before.  It will also bring more horrible things badly mimicking the Stalin era or the Hitler era of WWII.  There is no bottom to SFB and his cult. 
     
    But, what this does mean is that by January 27, 2021, there will be some fantastic books showing up.  The desire for a best seller is great.  So many of the West Wing critters will be wanting to get their share (more than their share is their nature).  But, as telling as who will tell, will be the few who are not going to talk.  They might be concerned about spending time in prison if they do.

  37. I’m thinking that maybe Herman Cain should be cremated – and we can send his ashes to Mars.  The republicans can brag that they made it to Mars first.

  38. As far as postponing the election because of potential fraud, since the election day is constitutionally set, I think that if republicans are afraid of fraud – I would encourage them to stay at home on election day so as not to contribute to potential problems.  That way their hands are clean.

  40. So I’m watching John Lewis’ homegoing and I see on twitville that what’s-his-name calls a sudden press conference at the same time.   See, that’s comedy gold right there.

  43. Renee,  saw that pop up on Wapo about the DC Circuit en banc taking a look at the Flynn case.  I’m predicting that they say that Neomi Rao’s opinion was bullshit and send it back to Judge Sullivan to proceed as he sees fit, noting that either side will then be able to appeal if his decision drops rabbit pellets in their oatmeal.

  44. It’s pleasant knowing that he’s done, but it’s even more pleasant realizing that he doesn’t know it yet, and it’s all going to be slo-mo on my tv just like John Lewis getting his head bashed was.  

  45. Americans can not be turned into nazis. That’s my faith.  Assholes? At the drop of a hat, but fascists?  Nazis?   No.

  46. The democrats don’t need to “compare“ them to nazis, or “suggest” that they are Nazi-like;  they need to show that they are in truth—nazis.  They proudly wave swastikas.   They are nazis. 

  47. SFB is gushing all over with condolences for Cain.  Maybe he will have flags at half-staff for a week vs six hours for Rep Lewis.

  48. Mary Trump done flayed that fat boy.  Can’t wait for Michael Cohen to get a whack at him.   This is approaching popcorn stuff.

  49. Hope they will air John Lewis’ home-going tonight, for those who couldn’t watch.    
    The election will not be postponed and early voting starts in Texas on October 13th.  I’ll be there with bells on.

  51. Pat…..I put tomorrow’s up twice.  Please run the second one as Patsi’s name got auto corrected in first.   

  52. The funeral today of John Lewis was touching! I watched live on Twitter, so easy while you work. It was good to see Bill and Pat, yes GWB. Obama was the best. I get emotional listening to him. Get rid of the filibuster, hell yes. If we take the Senate it’s time to be brutal. 

  53. sturge, tomorrow is friday, not picture this’s usual saturday gig; but if fearless leader has nothing on the burner by time the rooster crows, i’ll do the honors of elevating your gift to posterity a day early.

  54. Oh…..lost track again, lol…..feels like Friday, so I spent all day putting off going somewhere I can’t go to until Friday anyway. 
    sooooooo, whenever. 

  55. so could it be some of the violent rioters who show up during the peaceful protests here are also vlad’s mercenaries trying to destabilize our elections ?  

    bbc:

    Authorities in Belarus say they have arrested 33 suspected Russian mercenaries believed to be plotting “terrorism” ahead of the country’s 9 August presidential election.
    […]
    The secretary of the Belarus Security Council, Andrey Rawkow, said investigators suspected as many as 200 Russian mercenaries had entered the country to “destabilise the situation during the election campaign”.
    The Investigative Committee (SK), handling the case, says it is examining possible links between the Russian suspects and the jailed husband of opposition presidential candidate, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
    Syarhey Tsikhanouski, a popular opposition blogger, is accused of trying to foment mass unrest, despite being in jail. He faces other charges too.
    […]
    Andrey Rawkow said 14 of the detained Russians had fought in Ukraine’s Donbas conflict, describing their presence in Belarus as a “very unpleasant situation”.
    Reports by UN investigators, the US military and journalists have documented Wagner group operations in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, Sudan and the Central African Republic. The Russian government denies any links to the group.
    The Belarus state news agency Belta has named all 33 Russian suspects and given their dates of birth.
    Meanwhile, the Ukrainian SBU security service says it plans to seek the Russians’ extradition, so that they can be prosecuted for alleged crimes in eastern Ukraine.
    Russia is under international sanctions for its military involvement in Ukraine, though the Kremlin denies arming the pro-Russian separatists in Donbas.
    […]
    Video footage of the group’s arrest showed they had Sudanese currency and a Sudanese phone card with them. The Wagner group is known to be active in Sudan, and there is speculation that it was using Belarus as a transit country for African operations.

  61. The Wagner or Vagner group is russia’s version of blackwater/xi/academi, the  (voss/prince)  international murder for hire organization. 

  63. pogo & sturge, looks like fearless leader already took care of things thread-wise.

     

    X-R, on those hired handski-s, they might also be sporting an-ti-fa and boogooloo costumes as well as BLM protest signs in their spare time over here.   they seem to be equal opportunity terrorists and not hampered by having to choose whether to pose as lefties or righties.

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