Does the defense argument hold water?

No. The defense is wrong!

Andrew has argued that the Quran does not require Muslims to wage war against non-Muslims; and that I am taking certain verses out of context. He says those verses refer to warmaking and therefore are not a call to murder. Because I was tired and felt I should choose my battles I conceded the point. I am now ready to consider the link he provided as argument.

9:5 …slay the idolaters wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. If they repent and take to prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way.

The link doesn't comment on that verse but does a related one...

9:29. Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

Or to paraphrase, "fight all non Muslims until they submit (or die.)" But wait, the link doesn't claim these refer to war, it says, "fighting unbelievers by the tongue." Frankly, the warmaking argument makes more sense. Here's the argument... God revealed this verse so that the Muslims could defend themselves... But what it's actually saying is a perpetual state of war exists between Muslim and non. By that logic, it's not murder... simply the result of war!!!

How can I possibly claim war is a perpetual state? Simple, it says "until [they all submit.]" All being people of the book and those not (all non Muslims.)

Note the convenient sleight of hand. It both refers to war and it doesn't. You simply pick the argument that most befuddles your opponent.

2:191. And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have Turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them.

This verse clarifies that the fight is not just some internal struggle. Fight might refer to an internal struggle, but slay never does. In context (2:190) the argument that this refers to self defense is sound.

So does the Quran require Muslims to wage war? If non Muslims don't submit, absolutely it does. The game being played is if everyone submits there is no requirement for war (providing a technical out for their argument.) Extremely misleading at the very least.

I've only read the link Andrew provided. I'm sure there are other links that do a much better job than I did here. Here I've just discussed the text, but real world context is extremely important as well. A large percent of Muslims interpret the text exactly as I have. Andrew claims they are not representative. What percent is required before they are?

I see no reason not to continue to believe that Islam requires all non Muslims to either submit or die. Terrorist justify their acts because it is a war that Allah demands until every last person submits.

No matter how much peaceful time goes by they can always point to some wrong somewhere in the past (going back to the crusades if they have to) and claim we started it, so they are justified. Andrew claims it's only the terrorists making this claim, but his sentiments are clear.

Some Muslims are probably peaceful, but those that are not means we are in a war whether we like it or not. You don't have to fight a war, but someone has to lose.

If they repent and take to prayer and render the alms levy, allow them to go their way.

Otherwise, slay the idolaters wherever you find them!

It's pretty damned clear. A final word.

Muslims are "For it."

Thanks to Leland for the link.

The "For it" reference.

A space based civilization

What are the forces that will shape it?

Let's assume several lessor O'Neill colonies are established (up to about 100 people per station. Each costing about $50 million per person or about $5 billion per station. Much less than the $150B ISS which can only hold half a dozen.) Some in earth orbit, some in lunar orbit and some at the Lagrange points. Also assume some trade ships owned and operated by individuals with crews from one to a dozen (about 5 ton per crew. Cargo capacity being limited by fuel capacity.) We also have slow, high Isp, unmanned tugs.

Each ship and station will have a captain, the rest are crew. Why not a democracy? Show me any successful ship run as a democracy! For the sake of argument, let's say the stations are a democracy with elected leaders. Those leaders act as term limited captains.

How does this work? Everybody has abundant energy, that's a given. Recycling will be less than 100%. There will be trade that includes the cost of the rocket equation.

Ships will need provisions, fuel and amortization costs (20 years at perhaps a million dollars per month) which is paid for by trade profits. Stations will require bulk imports which they turn into trade goods between colonies. Unmanned tugs will be limited to probably manned destinations able to process asteroid materials although automation will have its part.

Two things should be obvious. Getting people with required infrastructure in space will cost more than the one time cost of delivering people to mars, but let's say it's the same $50M per person. Operating costs in space will be relentless (you simply can't ignore the rocket equation.)

Habitats on mars should have zero amortization costs. They will be fully paid for by the mass allotment of each incoming colonist. They will be built by local labor using local resources. A habitat on mars might cost $100K in labor and materials. A single laptop computer brought from earth could pay for that. Space habitats will cost about $50M per person.

In the far future, O'Neill cylinders could bring those cost per person down, but not in the near term. Cost to mars will also come down, but at a much quicker rate (let's see what Musk has to say this September?)

Obama administration’s abnormality

A deep ambivalence about our country that has produced a desire to see the U.S. become less powerful.

I saw this among the left over 30 years ago while living in NY. That we gave the presidency to someone like this is mind blowing. Trump is right and intelligent people are recognizing it.

The Kafir

Leland provides a link.

I was unfamiliar with the term. Thank you, Leland.

A support network confirmed.

Where Zubrin got his can do spirit

Well done, Robert.

Two ways to say the same thing.

Mine. His.

I really am dry toast. Where's my passion?

I wish I were a better writer.

Three. Four.

Dept. of no intelligence

From Powerline...

During Mr. Obama’s first term, there was a thorough purge of personnel in the Intelligence Community and the Defense Department who were unwilling to follow the new party line. People were mysteriously reassigned, contracts were suddenly cancelled, meetings were delayed never to be rescheduled. The message was obvious to counterterrorism professionals.

Actions like those would normally indicate treason. Hillary and Bill followed a similar but more selective pattern. They just wanted power. The Clintons took money from China in return for secrets. With Obama it was something more. He wanted to destroy us from within (destroy may seem too harsh to some. His intent may simply have been to shift power to 'his' people [ideological, not skin color] but the result was destruction. Remember he also retired quite a few generals as well.

Some say there's only room for one more

I say, checkout that ceiling space!

About Bezos

He's worth almost $60 billion now and Amazon will insure he's worth more in the future. He formed Blue Origin two years before SpaceX and has strong opinions about earth's future. He owns the Washington Post and isn't shy about expressing his opinions. Is he good or evil?

He's human, which means he will be unintentionally both. Unlike most of us, he has the power to greatly influence the future in ways that could both help and harm. Amazon has a dominant position in its market in America and he's working to make it so worldwide. As with any dominant company it has the potential of harming healthy competition. Amazon is a great service. Hopefully, others will find a way to compete.

Business people often don't like competition even though it benefits everyone including the business that doesn't like it. Without competition things tend to stagnate. Prices stay too high and products make less improvement. There is a definite downside to market domination.

Having a larger voice in people lives is dangerous. Good intentions can lead to harm. Especially when someone thinks they know better than others what the 'rules' aught to be. Bezos thinks he does because he's expressed himself that way. It's not just that he has his opinions. He wants the earth to be a garden unspoiled by nasty industry which he wants to eventually move out to space... not by a natural evolution but by enacting laws that force others to be part of his vision.

He's not just a good businessman offering people options. He hasn't shown himself to be a bad person, but we shouldn't ignore the potential dangers either. He is and will undeniably be an influential person. He may not want to be king but isn't opposed to being the king maker. These types are sometimes more insidious. He's worth watching with some caution.

A nice smile

Last week.

Why spies were shot

This is why.

You don't judge spies. You kill them. Who is a spy? Anyone that fights without a uniform.

Before killing them you may ring them dry. But you never treat them as common soldiers. If they want to fight then blend into a crowd, they should pay the consequences.

I'm dumbfounded

Police are selected for stupid?

I guess if they're just a tool you wouldn't want them to question what they're told to do?

It makes you wonder if they have a limit on the intelligence of judges?

The GOPe has taken the title from the French.

Surrender monkey wimps.

Government sanctioned theft

You have no liberty when they can do this.

Keep two accounts in different banks. Do not hold an atm card for your main account. Never surrender to these thugs.

Here come the white collar robots

Think your job is safe?

This is racist

Once Aztlan is established, ethnic cleansing would commence.

Circle the wagons

That's what democrats do no matter what heinous act their guys do. The republicans instead act like their foot is in a bear trap and try to gnaw it off. Where are the republicans focusing on the racism of an ethnic law association that promotes the breaking of law by illegal aliens and supports and aligns with the clearly racist national La Raza organization that makes no bones about taking away America to form their own separate country (as long as we continue to provide welfare.)

Trump has shown we can win the argument by simply fighting back, but the surrender monkeys are having none of that!

Fantasies about replacing Trump need to look at reality.

China going to mars?

Stories like this from last year, tell me we will focus on the future no matter how little interest policy makers have. China will go to mars because of India and light a fire under us to do the same.

But the same lack of reason is being expressed by...

[Mining the asteroid belt has] no gravity well to waste propellant on, just gobs of precious minerals hanging in the sky for the mining.

Typical lazy thinking. Did they invalidate the rocket equation? So propellant is still required. Along with that is the other false assumption that we have to export anything from that gravity well. The stuff is already where you need it to develop the colony!

BTW, I haven't read Zubrin's "Case for Mars" since it came out, but just got the revised copy. In it is my idea to sell mars real estate. He gives the example of $20 an acre (get with the metric system fella.) He's still hasn't gotten it right on whose going to do the selling (it can't be claimed by anyone a part of the OST or probably even be recognized if someone else did. Without claims you can't start a chain of title.) The martians IMHO may best agree to a charter that uses real estate income to pay for transportation to mars for anyone that wants to go. $100 trillion dollars will buy a lot of $100m tickets (and more as the price goes down.) The money is there (and the only real hurdle, others are much less of a challenge.) It's just attitude that keeps us from mars.

Media appears ok with...

...kill whitey.

Orient House, Istanbul

I was there in 2000 with my future wife (she talked me into it.) They had 3 different dancers interspersed throughout an evening dinner show, but the amazing part was the MC. Notice the flags (in the foreground) on the tables? They represent the nationality of the diners. The MC greeted everyone in their own language then during the evening sang some well known song in the diners language to which they sang along. The Asian languages were the most astounding to me (well and the Polish guys at the next table over were cool.) They also had a play with several acts and a traditional marriage ceremony as part of the story. The dancers also got people up on stage but my fiance wouldn't do that. I got a picture with my wife that had a bonus... Heather Graham was there hiding behind her purse at a nearby table during the photograph. They also tried to charge me twice for the dinner but I'd paid for it through a travel agency. It was a lot of fun. I have no memory of what we ate!

Last week.

Hillary wants your vote

Your republican vote.

Trump University

I've taken real estate courses in AZ. Nothing came of it. Should I sue?

Obviously not. I paid my money. They taught the classes. That's all you can expect from an education. You can't expect or hold the institution to some favorable outcome. It just doesn't work that way.

Trump says a judge is biased against him. He says he's  Mexican. What are the facts? The judge was born in America of Mexican parents. He's a member of a legal association that promotes illegal aliens. He very well could have a bias against Trump. He wouldn't be the only one.

A person has a right to be biased... unless they're a judge. A biased judge is supposed to excuse themselves. Trump, like it or not, has a point.

Reporters are supposed to be unbiased and certainly try to pretend to be but sometimes reveal themselves.

I blame Elvis

Astronaut risks life in balloon

Hey, I'm just working on my grabber headlines!

The Mars advantage

This is so obvious to me I wonder why I beat my head against the wall trying to get others to see it while getting insulted in the process. The mars advantage can be summed up in one word: GROWTH.

O'Neill colonies? Take a good look at the ISS. How's its growth rate been? You're saying something a hundred times it's size or more will happen quickly? That they can cancel the rocket equation? (Not just from earth to LEO, but anywhere they go for resources.)

The moon? Missing essential elements. Does anybody have a clue to how that effects growth? Apparently not. Space and the moon require infrastructure that will be a long time coming even if they did focus on it which today they do not. Someday perhaps.

I claim mars can be bootstrapped. (The idiots that only know how to ridicule can leave now.) What this means is mars only needs two things to grow. A good start (as little as 10 tons of supplies per each colonist for the first dozen colonists, just one ton each thereafter. They can skimp on the thereafter, but shouldn't. Elon plans for a much greater ratio of supplies which is good to hear... can't wait to hear more in Sept.) and a steady inflow of people. The reason this works and results in growth not seen since the space age began is because of bootstrapping.

Martians will not need the imports that other destinations can not survive without.

At this point somebody will bring up computers (or if they're really stupid something the martians can make for themselves which happens much more often than you'd expect from otherwise intelligent people.) They can live on mars without computers as humans have for thousands of years, but they don't have any need to. New colonists will bring all the things martians can't make for themselves with them. Any ticket should include some personal property mass which becomes a valuable asset for new arrivals. They should avoid bringing things with them the martians can provide.

What this means is the fastest growth possible. Mars can handle and needs as many people as will go. Earlier colonists will be raising the level of habitation before the new colonists arrive using easily collected and abundant resources. Resources they literally pull out of thin air and dust. For the one time cost of getting them there, colonists will produce a lifetime of wealth. Both Zubrin and Musk believe they can get the travel costs down to where a middle income person could finance their own ticket. I hope they're right.

Iron for machinery is so abundant and easy to get they won't even bother to refer to an iron age.

Carbon and hydrogen, required for plastics and food will be pulled out of their surroundings with no need to prospect. Water is so abundant they'd have to make an effort not to find it.

Chemistry is not an unknown and the entire earth is available to assist. Mining and construction are also not unknowns. The only unknowns are rates and evidence suggest some of those rates (like plant growth in a carbon rich environment) will even be greater on mars than on earth. Side question: If plants evolved on earth why are they carbon deprived? Just wondering.

Dealing with the rest.

I've discussed why mars gravity does not prevent us from starting a mars colony, now to dispose of the rest...

...the degree of toxicity of the soil, and necessary techniques to detoxify it, the difficulty in excavating and beneficiating it, the types of chemical reactions that will be required to extract useful minerals from it, the maintenance requirements for using machinery there…

toxicity of the soil

He's referring to highly reactive perchlorates in mars soil. The highly reactive is the good part. It means when they go from a toxic environment to their clean shirtsleeve habitats it will be very easy to clean. They may just need some humidity in the airlock and correct pressure flow from their main living area. I've worked in such environments and it's no big deal. Mars doesn't need toxic soil to kill ya. They will follow certain protocols is all.

excavating and beneficiating

This is known as grasping at straws. Mining is not a recent invention. Humans have been doing it for thousands of years.

chemical reactions that will be required to extract useful minerals

More straws, this time only hundreds of years (for modern chemistry.)

maintenance requirements

Things wear and things break. Now we're back to the thousands of years threshold. This deserves a bit more discussion. You know who fixes things? The people these ridiculers look down on. They have contempt for those that can do things they can't do themselves. It's unfreaking believable. I can't true a lathe, something most machinists can do with out even thinking about it. But I would never disparage them for not being great CNC programmers which is not generally their thing. They can repair parts. They can make those parts from raw material. They can make the tools to make those parts. They don't even need a 3D printer to do any of it, but will certainly use one when available.

But I'm the delusional one!!! What disappoints me is from all the intelligent commentors over there to jump on the ridicule band wagon rather than use reason. I know they know better.

My left foot

Ah bureaucracy. My foot is developing another wound like the one that put me in the hospital last time for six months and cost me three bones. So I went to make an appointment Friday with my wound guy. The office gal says I first need to make an appointment with my doctor to get a referral, so I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow.

I've caught it early enough. The last time I could have died because of incompetence by quite a few health 'professionals.' Someone finally noticed my white count and I went into surgery the next day. The problem was known a month before that because I complained to everyone in earshot.

The death rate for just one of the 18 things I have (from kidney to heart failure) that could kill me was 25%. They even fitted me with a portable defibrillator which I refuse to wear. I have an oxygen compressor but don't use it the 24/7 I'm supposed to because I don't want to become dependent on it (as was happening. I'd rather fight for breath.)

But what really bothers me is we live in a day when this almost completely defines the right. So much so that I am assured of being ridiculed even to suggest.

Trump is a republican?

Who'da thunk?

Bezos vs. Musk

This post will be a long comment.

Gregg is absolutely right about Bezos and I'd go further in that the first reaction of the vast majority is to tell others what they should do (even at the trivial level)... I may sound like that with my focus on mars, but the reality is I couldn't back the following statement any greater:

...allowing people to go wherever they want, including Mars, should be the goal.

...and assuming this definition I am certainly not the following:

[Planetary chauvinism] is a term to describe a commonly held belief that human society will always be planet-based (even if extended beyond Earth.)

I do believe going to mars now is the best way to open up the entire solar system and beyond. I will try to explain...

I've been playing strategic games for over forty years. One thing you can't help but notice is little choices have huge influences on future expansion. If you don't think games have real world application you haven't paid attention to how the military trains. They don't have the luxury of less effective measures. Games are serious. (Here's one that can take months of commitment.)

So I look at expansion into the universe as an economic and social game. What's the most effective way to do it?

The first principle is top down or bottom up. People like Bezos, that would tell us all what we should do, are top down people. This only works within limits and is severely counter productive outside those strict limits. This is the communist model. Musk just wants to sell tickets. If you don't want to go to mars then don't buy a ticket. If you do buy a ticket you are free to make your own choices once on mars. Musk will still try to sell you stuff, but not to limit your choices. This is the free enterprise model. (Off topic: Mars One wants colonists to all be their employees and doesn't support private property rights.)

What leads to the fastest expansion is individual freedom of choice... a very bottom up way of doing things. Ironically, almost every published plan to colonize mars is of the top down variety. Done that way, mars offers little advantage over other options. Why mars is the preferred first colony is because it's the only place in the solar system that does offer the freedom of individual actions. Nothing else comes close. Why?

Once on mars, colonists can independently gather their own choice of resources to pursue their own individual dreams. This is a major restriction both in space and on the moon. Space certainly has vast resources but gathering them for use is the problem. The moon is worse since some resources are missing and will have to be imported. Paradoxically, having vast resources can be a problem when you have more than you need of some things but not of others. That vastness does you no good when it's more than you can use. Productivity and expansion happen fastest with just enough resources along with the individual pursuit of happiness.

In space, you live on a ship... perhaps a big ship having smaller boats, but still a ship. Ships have captains (by definition these are top down rulers.) As a member of the crew, your choices are limited to what you are allowed. Unless your dream is limited to the ships you can't follow them. Down the road you may be able to change to other ships that more closely align with personal goals (maybe?) but that will not be the case for quite some time.

A mars colony will also stimulate space infrastructure. With a steady flow of colonist, ways to improve costs will have what Musk calls a forcing function. Elon correctly points out that growth is not automatic. Without these forcing functions things can easily become stagnate. What looks like advances may only be spinning wheels (leaving behind a series of very expensive and wasteful ghost town ventures.)

I don't want to get into the weeds about how mars allows individual freedom (which seems self evident to me) so I'll just end this here.

Update: I don't think I've been clear enough about individual freedom. How can it be denied? One way is to be the only source of a critical need. That can't happen when free people are multiple providers. Think about attacks on ball bearing factories during WW2. I mean, why ball bearings? Because it was a critical need for war machines (well almost any machine actually.) The moon will have critical imports of basic life essential elements that are rare on the moon... thus not independent (being only three days away doesn't help independence either.)

Mars is not missing a single essential element and not being picked over for thousands of years means lots of low hanging fruit for the early colonists. It will be an industrial paradise. Unless the top down control freaks find a way to prevent it.

It's Wednesday - Dream On

Last week.

Putting the “her” in Führer.

Are ya listening?

Some of the people 'conned' by Trump

Worth a read.

A small subset of Trump supporters.

Ignorance and nonsense

My stepdad had a saying [many actually] when he was alive...

"A wise man can learn even from fools".

Rand has called me a ignorant nonsensical fool when I asked him to name one thing we are ignorant of that would prevent us from colonizing mars. He named nine, eight of which I will respond to in other posts so I can concentrate on just the first: gravity.

Before I start I'd like to point out a few things. Rand claimed (and argued) that I said: "you said there is nothing we don’t know about colonizing Mars" What I actually said was, "Everything we need to colonize mars we’ve already done in other programs." Which is not the same thing at all. My position is there will always be things we are ignorant of until we are not, but that the things we don't know in no way prevents us from starting the colonization process, which will in turn lessen our ignorance. Perhaps there's a better way of saying that, but in no way am I discounting what we don't know. I'm saying we shouldn't ignore what we do know either. We're not exactly entirely clueless about mars. We've been sending landers there since the 70s (almost half a century!!!)

Do we need all the answers up front before we go? That would be impossible so the only reasonable answer is: no. So here's what Rand thinks prevents us from starting mars colonization...

"The long-term effects of partial gravity on human[s, animals and plants.]"

Of course we don't know the long term effects (until we do.) How does that prevent us from starting a mars colony? Humans have experienced long term zero g and had only minor problems (frankly less than my current medical problems, including some like those of zero g, which haven't stopped me.) Then he goes on to say...

"We have zero experience with conception or gestation in free fall, and we have zero experience with anything in Martian gravity."

That's only true of humans. We do have limited studies of other animals in zero g which is why we know gestation could be a problem but not conception. As for martian gravity, he is right so I ask the question again. How does that prevent us from going to mars and learning while starting a colony for others to follow? Can we just not conceive until we're ready?

We will always have questions. Are those questions barriers we dare not cross? Then Rand cuts with this...

"This sort of thing is why no one takes you seriously."

Taking somebody seriously is a choice. But here he presumes to speak for everybody.

I do speculate which is a reasonable thing to do when you only have some of the facts. There is a huge difference between zero g and some g. Some g makes some things possible that are not possible in zero g, even when the g force is tiny. Of course we may need to discover the threshold where some things go from impossible to possible or probable (which is usually more often the case.)

Just to make my position clear: "Mars gravity does not prevent us from starting the colonization process or prevent us from learning more by actually going." I believe this is self evident. Saying this is not true is ignorant. Foolish or nonsense is a subjective issue.

Colonists will have to earn a living

It seems I can no longer post at the space review {connection times out} so I will make my comment in this post.

So many good points brought up here, but I'd like to address only one...

Real colonists will have to earn a living somehow.

I can't see how you could disagree with this point, so let's consider it. Let me ask [what appears to be] a stupid question. How do people earn a living anywhere?

They provide products and/or services to others. Also important is each person serves a different market, some quite humble. So we don't have to imagine some silver bullet. Some will get along just fine providing their own special product/services to other colonists. Colonist will need things and will not do everything for themselves. They will specialize in what they do. Some of these might be big things like construction. Others may provide consumption goods like life support (food, water, oxygen, power, liquid methane, etc.) Food in particular will have no end of trade possibilities.

Where does the money come from to pay for these products and services?

A subset of the colonists will get their income from earth. What services?

Just go down the list of things people sell on earth that doesn't involve transportation of mass. Entertainment comes to mind. About one fifth of TV is reality show entertainment. This is paid for by commercial advertising which is completely independent of where production occurs. These reality 'stars' earn quite a bit more than the average salary which would be quite sufficient engine to power the entire local mars economy. This isn't even close to the only possibility.

People get substantial money for research. Do you suppose some martians would be in a unique position to be paid researchers? The research itself may be carried out on earth, such as we do now with rovers, but humans already on mars provide more capability at less cost for any new research that comes along.

I could do this all day long, but will not belabor the point. Martians don't have to invent some new way of making money. The existing ways will continue to work fine.

Belly dance wednesdays - because why not?

In a funk

Gotta snap out of it. I lost Sunday somewhere. Now three days 'til I have some money. Good news is my rent decreased by $31 and this month I will pay less due to over payment. Yaaay!. I've been nursing my last sixteen dollars for two weeks so today I think I'll spend it.

Rand has been more insulting than usual. Trump really seems to have affected him. It will be an interesting four year at Transterrestrial. I may be banned. I'll live should that happen. I have no TV or radio and would be fine without internet as well. There is just nothing new under the sun and it really is all just vanity. Rand would likely call king Solomon ignorant. I am so disappointed. I really like Rand. His gift is to gather such great people to his site. I think of them as friends but Rand may be right in calling me delusional with respect to that. Friends prove themselves.

Life goes on.

Update: I have $5 left. I couldn't make it into the store so I asked a stranger to go in for me. I was able to make it back to my apartment. So now I'll just spend a few days here resting.

Try, try again?

My Amazon order for Rand's book is overdue so I checked my email to find the order canceled. It seems the new card they sent me has not been activated??? I'll figure it out, but it is such a pain.

Holy crap, they're building it.

The hyperloop.

This is how Trump will govern

His tax plan was a trial balloon. With the help of conservatives he's refining it.

This is why Trump will win.

Will of the people

Isn't that a conservative principle?

Internet and the new apartment

The provider in this area, Frontier, says they can't provide service to my apartment. Apparently everybody in this building steals wifi from the senior center next door. When in Rome...

Anne Sorock

"Clinton is but a comparatively familiar veneer on a frothing, violent left that has completely departed from America’s values. Our American culture is now a fractured one, without the unifying appreciation for freedoms that used to connect us across shallower divides. We face coming generations, indoctrinated in the public-school and university systems, who seek radical, destructive revolution and dissolution of our national sovereignty. Reversing their gains begins with leadership that unapologetically declares that our American story is a good one, that our people’s sacrifices for freedom, for others, and for principle make our story different and worth cultivating anew. Any pundits who claim there is little difference between Trump and Clinton are wholly removed from what is occurring in America’s universities and schools, the tenor of what is happening in the protest movements, and the destructive aims of the left."

Makes sense to me.

SLS Unjustified

Thank you Hop.

it would take between 8 and 12 launches of an augmented SLS to get a fully fueled manned Mars vehicle into space and prepared for departure to Mars.

Only if they do it wrong. This is somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 billion for a single mission. This is never going to happen since it would be following a much better plan.

Human missions to deep space destinations require large amounts of mass in LEO because we need to protect and preserve the lives of the crew, take all consumables and fuel for the journey, and carry the equipment and supporting machines needed to carry out the mission objectives.

No. We only need enough mass to get the job done. More mass is more cost. Most equipment should be sent ahead and waiting. Nothing need be stationed in LEO.

No existing commercial launch vehicle (nor any anticipated in the near future) has the launch capacity of the SLS.

The SLS doesn't have any launch capacity yet. Other vehicles with greater capacity could actually become reality sooner.

as no Falcon Heavy has yet to fly, we have no idea of what its cost would be.

$90m already published.

[FH] would consist of 27 engines, all of which must burn for the same duration and thrust level.

Not exactly. The central core, with crossfeed will burn longer and engine out is part of the design. The N-1 failures means nothing.

[The purpose of SLS] was to make sure that the vehicle would be built and to assure that our national capability in this area would not be lost.

You have just entered the spin zone! Translation, it's about old space jobs over new space jobs.

[SLS] exists and it will provide a capability that we can use to go back to the Moon and to the planets beyond.

No it doesn't exist. No it doesn't provide a capability without new equipment they haven't even started. Orion can only splash down on earth and perhaps not even then from some sources.

Dragon 2 exists and can land anywhere including on mars. FH is made from existing cores and will be flying soon. It has been delayed by other priorities but that situation has drawn to a close.

Zubrin reviews Spudis.

Could Indiana be it?

Two stories... one... two.

Not an afterthought

SuperDracos.

Science marches on

There is no universal poop.

I just wish they could do something about my misery.

Murderers

Poverty literally kills. Policy increases poverty.

Obama crows about the great job he's done when in reality he is a murderer.

Delegate count

Trump needs about 60%.

Mars problems

Let's see.

1) We don’t have reliable life support machines.

Redundancy and easy part replacement should mitigate this. Parts can be produced on site so we don't have to ship parts from earth. It's chemistry mostly. We know what to do. It's just about good implementation.

2) We don’t know how to land heavy spacecraft on Mars.

10 to 50 ton payloads are not required, just nice to have. We could have a successful program with no more payload than we can already do. More payload isn't about capability; it's about lowering costs.

3) Radiation exposure.

Not the problem it's presented to be. Yes it must be mitigated and can be.

If this is the best arguments against they're pretty feeble.

Trump'S VP

Who will he pick?

Yes, this is startling

Education is now the enemy.

Financial boat anchor

Thomas Sowell has pointed out that regulation is a form of ownership. Germany is one of Europe's leading financial states. So this is an issue our next president should address.

This would guarantee a Trump presidency

Would Sanders do it?

Pass the popcorn.

New apartment

I'm moving into a new apartment Thursday. Don't know about internet access yet, but I'll work it out.

I haven't seen it yet, but trust it's nice from what others have told me. It includes utilities for $358 a month. I've been on a list for about a year now and it's finally come through. It's on second floor with elevator at end of hall with a laundry on the floor. Apparently a good size apartment. I'll make do.

Can Trump get to 1237 deligates? Yes, and it may not matter.

The magic number of delegates needed to nominate is 1237 (50% +1). Can Trump get there in pledged delegates? Yes, he has a very good chance, if he suffers no more unexpected losses. However, let's assume he does get there... if he has 1237 or more delegates, he's the nominee - except, he may not be. Here's why; Republican Rule 40 (b);
 

(b) Each candidate for nomination for President of the United States

and Vice President of the United States shall demonstrate the support of a majority of the delegates from each of eight (8) or more states, severally, prior to the presentation of the name of that candidate for nomination. Notwithstanding any other provisions of these rules or any rule of the House of Representatives, to demonstrate the support required of this paragraph a certificate evidencing the affirmative written support of the required number of permanently seated delegates from each of the eight (8) or more states shall have been submitted to the secretary of the convention not later than one (1) hour prior to the placing of the names of candidates for nomination pursuant to this rule and the established order of business

What this actually means is that in order for a name to be places in nomination, a candidate must have the delegates from at least 8 states certify that the candidate has a majority (50% +1) of that states delegates. Trump has won more than 8 states by enough to have majority control of the deligates from that state, BUT, the key is "a certificate evidencing the affirmative written support...". Delegates pledged to Trump are pledged to vote for him on the first ballot, but they are not pledged to provide rule 40 (b) certification. Therefor, a few delegates in key states could simply decline to so certify, and having 1237 delegates becomes irrelevant because the candidate's name can't be placed in nomination. Cruz has seemed to focus particular attention on states like South Carolina (where Trump won all the delegates) that Trump needs as part of meeting rule 40 (b), which makes me suspect this particular play might be in his arsenal if Trump reaches 1237 delegates.

However, it's been said that this rule, passed in 2012, can be changed. It can, by the delegates on the rules committee.  To do so would requite the support of the Secretary of the Convention, who is, this year, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. What it would not actually require is the support of a majority of delegates on the rules committee (this is true of any rule) because it can be passed by voice vote. A voice vote is simply the yeas and nays shouting out their vote, and then the convention secretary (Ryan) decides which side has more, in his opinion alone - no matter the actual result. In case anyone thinks this (a convention secretary ignoring the actual result to get what he wants) is far-fetched, I'll mention that this is exactly how rule 40 (b) was passed in the first place in 2012; the convention secretary was speaker of the house John Bohner, and here's the video;
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77W5OKStO5s
Note that the teleprompter had the results BEFORE Boehner ruled on the result of the vote. Noted also that the "no" vote seemed louder.

So, what can we really expect from the convention? My guess; Cruz will do all he can to stop Trump, even if Trump has the needed 1237 delegates. Once Cruz has done so, Paul Ryan will lift rule 40 (b), and then Cruz will find himself in a very interesting position; while some delegates are loyal to him, a great many are not; they are loyal to their state party bosses - and Cruz will find his own delegate totals shrinking as some of his delegates, and some of Trump's, defect to other candidates.  Paul Ryan himself may be one, though he's denied it just as vociferously as he denied he was running for Speaker of the House. Other possibilities are failed cantidates such as Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, or John Kasich - I note that Rubio wrote letters to the sates in which he'd won deligates asking that they remain committed to him.

My prediction, then, is that if this goes past the first ballot, the nominee will be neither Trump or Cruz. Instead, we'll end up with a party establishment loyalist of some sort - and a landslide loss in November.

 

Is Cruz a sith lord?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqhi7M_GZoA

Upgraded Falcon Heavy as an alternative to SLS

At the moment, there's a lot of discussion involving SLS, particularly about how unaffordable it is, and the difficulty of low flight rates (reliability, etc).

The counter argument is we need it due to its large payload capability and high-ISP upper stage. The latter is particularly important for anything beyond LEO. An example is the difference in launch capacity to LEO vs. GTO for Falcon 9 and Atlas V; Atlas has a much larger GTO capacity, as a percentage of its LEO capacity, than the F9, due to the high ISP of its LOX/H2 Centaur upper stage. Ker/LOX works well for a launcher, but for in-space use, its lower ISP is a serious drawback.

A better example would be Falcon Heavy vs. Delta IV heavy. Using Falcon Heavy figures from before the Falcon 9 V 1.2 version currently in use (which has oxidizer subcooling, higher thrust engines, etc) because updated figures aren't available, we see 53 tons to LEO, vs 21 tons to GTO (Geosynchronous transfer orbit) so the fraction of Leo capacity to GTO is 39%. For Delta IV Heavy, we see  28 tons to LEO, 14 tons to GTO (50%).

These differences are magnified for interplanetary launches.

Therefor, the argument goes, you need the SLS and its expedition upper stage (essentially an enlarged Centaur) for Mars missions.

However, there's a theoretical alternative; SpaceX's in-development Raptor engine, which uses methane/LOX. That combination does not have the ISP of hydrogen/LOX, but methane is denser, so you save mass in tankage to the point of nearly breaking even. The Raptor would enable a Raptor-based MethLox upper stage for Falcon Heavy.
With such a stage (stretched from the current to allow for increased propellant mass) you'd have a very different beast - a high ISP upper stage with significantly more propellant.

By essentially shifting mass to the upper stage, you do away with much of the motive to crossfeed. You also end up staging at lower altitude and velocity, making recovery is the 3 1st stages easier. And in so doing, you shed a lot of mass earlier - mass you no longer have to use prop to accelerate.

The big impact is on payload; people who can crunch the numbers better than I can get around 129 tons to LEO for this configuration, and it'd have a better LEO to GTO fraction (and thus a better LEO to Mars fraction) than Falcon 9. Not quite as high a fraction as the envisioned version of SLS, but very close.

A further upgrade would entail dissolving hydrogen in the methane (this gives an ISP boost, and methane, like propane, is easy to dissolve hydrogen in).  

What you would have at the end of all this is a Falcon Heavy with a Raptor upper stage, with a payload capacity very close to that of SLS's claimed capacity; 130 tons for SLS block II, vs. 123 tons (expendable mode) for Falcon Heavy/Raptor Upper stage with straight methane (dissolving some hydrogen in the methane would boost ISP and thus payload, but I can't find figures on how much).

Falcon Heavy could have its Raptor upper stage within a few years if it's in development now. Compare that to SLS, which won't have the first flight of SLS block I (56 tons to LEO) until about 2020, with Block II waiting at least until (per the budget) 2033.

This Falcon Heavy with a Raptor upper stage may also not be as theoretical as I assume; it negates the need for crossfeed, and I note that SpaceX cancelled its plans to develop crossfeed for Falcon Heavy. Also, the US Air Force is partially funding Raptor development, and the contracts stipulate that Raptor is for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy upper stages. 

Until I figure it out

This site can’t be reached

The webpage at http://www.transterrestrial.com/

I can go anywhere else... netsh winsock reset, doesn't resolve the issue. I'm using 8.8.8.8 for DNS.

Update: looks like it's up again.

151,600 people die each day

Let's get some perspective.

Astounding statistic

...one in five families in the United States in 2015, or 19.7 percent, in which no one in the family worked.

Wait a sec!!! If this is true, and employment is not 100% otherwise, then the unemployment rate is huge... much more than we're being told.

Update: Impact on country.

13 ton Bigelow module

I've proposed a 13 ton 240 m^3 Bigelow module suitable for launch on an F9.

If BEAM gives us 16 m^3 for $17m and BA330 costs $100m, then a BA240 should be about $70m?

An added advantage is a FH could put a BA240 in mars orbit.

How to steal an election

It's becoming plain to see. If Trump doesn't win the first round, Cruz will take the nomination regardless of the will of the voters. This is why you don't want a lawyer as your 'leader.'

Both Trump and Cruz will try to buy the election. The difference is Cruz will use superpac OPM. The nasty trick Cruz will try is to get Trump delegates to simply not vote to deny Trump 1237 on the first ballet.

The point of voting seems to be to placate the rabble because the fix is in. The problem is they didn't keep this fact hidden. Hard to say what that will result in???

The emperor [elites that actually run the country] has no clothes.

Stupid voters... the lawyers will choose what's best for them. /sarc.

This has been a great exposing of truth. Update seems to agree.

Looking closer

Why would nominal republicans say they would vote for Hillary before Trump?

Rand: "Because if they’re going to have a Democrat in the White House, they’d prefer one who calls herself one, rather than having one taint the Republican brand under a false flag?"

In what bizzarro world do conservatives vote for Hillary? Rand shows us the rationale. Is it valid?

First is the confusion of values with party. They are not the same thing.

This isn't about Trump. It's about people that don't like Trump. We know Hillary. Anyone justifying her has no credibility. She is evil. Trump is just common. I've known lots of rich guys and they're all a bit full of themselves. Trumps positive is he fights rather than allowing others to roll him. The reporter that got grabbed is a perfect example. Look into it. I'll wait.

Trump didn't throw his guy under the bus and didn't bend to media pressure. It's about time we had that in the white house.

Eye doctor

I haven't been to my eye doctor since August. Today I went to Show Low to pay my balance and make a new appointment for next week. The doctor comes out of Phoenix once a week.

Anyway, more needles in my eye (twice a month) with no idea when it will end.

Pure evil

Govt. is tyranny.

More redistribution actually leads to an increase in poverty.

But they wouldn't demigogue the opposite would they? The plain truth.

This is no joke. My brain still functions and I love truth so even though it would be hard for me in today's job market I'd still take the touch.

Too late for Cruz?

AZ may be the last straw. Trump will then need about 50% of remaining delegates while Cruz would need about 80% (I'm too lazy to be more exact.)

This article makes a good point.

Playing politics at the convention to deny Trump would be a huge mistake IMHO. Trump voters may not riot, but they are certainly ready to take on the elites in some capacity. How much injustice will they tolerate? Make no doubt, majority doesn't mean half in a multi-way race.

Oh, and saying more voted against than for ignores the reality. That argument is only valid in a pure two person race.

Being scofflaw saves me $80

Speed limit is 65mph from Show Low to Springerville except for 55mph traps. The ticket is $150. Instead I got $70 ticket for not wearing seat belt... Score!!!

Raspberry Pi has arrived

I bought a user guide so I'm going through that first.

Update; the wireless keyboard works (once I found the hidden USB receiver.)

Computer refresh

Had some trouble with internet connection, so reinstalled which means I lost some settings. Let me know if anything needs tweaking.

I'm back

Where have I been since August 2015? Hospitals and hospices. It's been a nightmare and may not be over yet. It all started with an infection in my left foot. It may happen again. A nurse is coming to my home this morning and I will see the doctor (general, not foot) this week.

Weird things have happened. I gained 80 lbs in six weeks, then lost 120 lbs in the following 8 weeks.

I'm at my folks waiting for an apartment that should be available in May. I haven't seen my eye doctor since August and my vision has suffered.

But overall I'm better than I have been with greater mobility. Hoping to get better. I weigh less at the moment than I have in 35 years but seem to have plateau'd off. I could still afford to lose another 60 lbs.

I've actually been confused with an earthquake (in Seattle over a decade ago) when I was almost twice my current mass.

My humor is still intact!

Update: Just finished a visit with a nurse that I knew from White Mountain Regional Medical. The main thing being getting the transfer documents filled out for local hospice services. That's a great relief (financial mostly.)

Ken, update, please?

Ken, sorry to bug you, but I'm worried as I haven't seen you here, or at Rand's, for quite some time.

Please let us know if you're okay?

CJ

Second release

Getting out of the hospital again this afternoon. I am much too well known here.

The obvious

Stop the bleeding is obvious. More obvious is the 'leaders' of all parties are traitors to this country.

3.5% gets us mars.

Let's kill one myth to start... NASA needs more money. Quoting from the book I may never get published...

"Back in 1973, the total cost of the Apollo program reported to Congress was $25.4 billion."  Annual inflation from 1973 to 2015 was 4.15%.
(See http://www.dollartimes.com/calculators/inflation.htm)
That's $140 billion in 2015 dollars. 

NASA's budget today is over $18 billion per year which is $180 billion per decade vs. $140 billion for Apollo.

So how much would it cost to establish a colony on mars?

No matter what the plan, it should occur in two phases, the first could start today.

1) Cargo phase. Pick a spot and send 40 tons of presupply there. 10 tons being food. During this phase we are testing our human landers (Dragon version 3) Should take 6 to 10 years at $625m per year (6 or 7 FH per launch window. 2 tons per reaching the surface.)

2) Human phase (only after production rates have been established for water, breathable air, [methane] fuel and electric power and landers have a heritage) we send convoys of Dragon lander (2 crew per lander) with inflatable space at $200m per FH. Those inflatables are stored for landing to become farms and habitats on mars.

NASA confirms emDrive produces thrust

Why does understanding hold us back? If it works, use it.

Finally got portable oxygen

Otherwise I'm stuck in a 9x9x9 ft room and the bathroom adjacent. The portable tanks aren't very, but two in my Jimmy allows me to get to outside appointments.

Hillary's desk

You have to ask the 'is, is' Clinton's the right question. It's not, "did it reach your desk?"

"It's when did you become aware?"

Hillary, knows all about, "What did you know and when did you know it?"

False choices

There is no ethical dilemma. A driver is expected not to kill. If a self driving car (SDC) kills it should not self drive. A person that kills has liability. Cars do not have.

A driver should override a SDC before danger. A SDC should never be allowed not to have a driver.

The programmer would otherwise be liable.

BTW, being released to outpatient tomorrow. Yea!

Research...

I need another 200 pages for the book I'm writing... I've run out of steam after about 35 pages (I like my ideas simple.) I've got about a decade or more of blog posts I can research for more material... I hope there's not too much redundancy but know the answer to that.

I'm dedicating the book to Rand, but Dr. Thomas Matula will be the unsung hero for all of his comments and challenges over the years. Others as well.

Another 200 pages... that should take about 3 months assuming I find enough topics each day to write about. I wish I'd kept better links.

My brother owes me $300 and came by to borrow more. Not likely. He's facing more potential jail time.

Rumor is I'll be getting out of the hospital soon. This was a sudden development since last word was I'd be here a few more weeks. I'm wondering if recent events brought about this change?

The hospital ignored a health care power of attorney by giving me a drug with human plasma in it. For me this is a serious issue and perhaps a legal issue for them. I don't know how I will proceed.

Trump - Anderson, SC Rally (10-19-15)

Being bullshitted by scientists

Why Don’t We See the Curiosity Rover’s Arm When it Takes a Selfie?

They first give a BS answer before giving the true answer. It's a mosaic and they intentionally remove the arm. When people make mistakes like this, it is amazing how much they will do to defend the indefensible instead of coming clean.

Definition of crazy

Today they will give me another shot of the drug that didn't work last week.

Today's NASA must fight over budgetary scraps.
Wrong. Apollo as of 1973 cost $25b, $140b in 2015 dollars. Today NASA gets $18B annually or $180b per decade vs Apollo $140b.

Somebody that can log in there should correct this stupid comment.

Pig iron on mars

Here's how.

What? You need it to be more explicit? Just pore mars dust (15% iron, found everywhere) into this furnace (wear oxygen mask or space suit.) From muffin tin, break off iron from dross and do it again to purify. Sand (or mars dust compacted) works if you don't have a muffin tin.

During planetary formation all of its iron went to its core. All of the iron in the dust is from later planetary bombardment. You knew this, right?

Before doing this, extract the water first at much lower temperatures. Settling mars is going to be a blast [furnace.]

Anemic

Normal range is 14 to 20. They want to transfuse at 8. I don't accept blood. I'm at 6.9, so... they gave me a shot in the belly. My bone marrow is making red blood cells and will now make them faster I'm told.

Update: 10/16. For Congenital heart failure (CHF) they give me two different water pills. For my kidneys, at 33% but they have plenty of extra capacity, they give me tons of fluid. My hemoglobin, with iron pills and bone marrow shots, I'm just informed is now 6.3.

I refuse transfusions and dialysis... but they keep asking. I've made certain they know and have copies of my legal representatives should I lose conscientiousness.

But mainly I'm excited about this mars booklet I'm working on!

I'm also on full time oxygen because when not I drop to about 65% (brain gets real fuzzy then.)

Update: 10/18. Just got labs back. Hemogloban now 6.1 from 6.3. Not good. The bone marrow shot they gave me last week does not seem to have kicked in yet. The good new is I finished my 32 page booklet and I'm waiting for word from the publisher. Abiword is crap. Now using LibreOffice.

How will they feel about us should they win?

Ukraine fights on.

Social 'science'

Isn't.

Latest Trump

Are 200,000 young men a Trojan horse? probably not but "why chance it... I'm sending them back."

Mars suit - a different approach

Read up on space suit design for the red planet and the idea they are going to fall short is always naggingly at the edge of your thoughts. Curiously the Robinson family had the solution all along...

But we need to modify it a bit. The astronaut should sit in a shorter, squatter version with wider tracks. There are no flexible legs, it's a hard shell with a broad canopy. The arms are waldos that reach quite a distance so they can easily pick up anything on the ground around them (or overhead.)

A comment worth repeating

by Kevin Swihart

A civil war has been going on in Syria for more than five years, the Taliban has been enforcing their brutality for years, and Iraq has been a killing field since the current administration pulled our troops out without a forces agreement—so why do we all of a sudden have a refugee crisis now?

Those who are actually paying attention will notice that this is not merely the usual hodgepodge of people who are victims of ethnic or religious persecution. Many are billed as being Christians who fear for their lives—why then is Saudi Arabia committed to building 200 mosques for them? What need does a Christian have for a mosque?

The wealthiest Arab States are refusing to take any of the refugees without the slightest hint of guilt. Why is it that Muslims are ignoring their duty to one another? There is a tent city in Saudi Arabia, fully equipped and air-conditioned which will house three million people. It is used only once a year for two weeks during the Haj rituals. How does this comply with this admonition from the Qur’an: "He is not a believer who fills his stomach while his neighbour is hungry." (Holy Prophet in Hadith.)

It should be noted that these “refugees” are not the same as most other immigrants. They are not invading Europe to assimilate and find a new life in western culture. They want, and will set up their own communities and observe Sharia Law. With them, they bring their preoccupation with violence—when they are not killing infidels, they are killing each other because of their religious factions. Pedophilia, child bride marriages, whipping and torture of women, rape, and abuse or killing of homosexuals—it’s all part and parcel of Muslim culture.

Muslims average eight children per family. The refugees will most likely gain entrance for their children and families as well once they settle into an EU country. The vast majority of these refugees will have to be supported by their host countries. Muammar Gaddafi, former dictator of Libya predicted thirty years ago that Europe would be conquered by Islam without a war. Within the next twenty-five years this prophecy will have been fulfilled without Islam ever firing a single shot. Once Muslims have the voting majority, they will approve and institute Sharia Law and all Europe will then have the same form of government as the sand piles of the Middle East. Europe as we know it will no longer exist and its buildings, books, and art treasurers will be destroyed because they represent the hated western civilization. As Yogi Berra stated, “It ain’t over till it’s over” —folks, in Europe, for all practical purposes it’s over. All that’s left is to allow the clock to run its course.

Humans are not terribly intelligent creatures —they are just slightly more cerebral than the other animals which populate our planet. The Nazis in Germany annihilated six million educated and productive Jews—and now Europe is welcoming twenty million ignorant, violent Muslims with open arms– only idiots could accomplish that feat.

Americans can see what is going on in Europe—it is not a mystery hidden from view. We view a picture on TV of a Muslim kid washed up on a beach—and we advocate opening our country to an invasion by people who want nothing less than our total conversion or our total extermination. Like the picture of Cecil, the dead lion, one dead child forms public opinion and outrage by a gullible politically correct society.

There is nothing written here that is not understood by European and American leaders. A few people within the political power structure are concerned, while most couldn’t care less. America’s political correctness dictates that people should never tell the truth no matter how horrific the circumstances, which forces us to ignore the insidious takeover of America that is well under way. One-hundred thousand young Muslims will be allowed to come to America and enjoy refugee status. We will support them—some will build bombs or kill Americans—all will obey perverted Sharia Law.

The fundamentalist faction of Christianity are preoccupied with the four blood moons and when the world will end—politicians are concerned with raising money for the next election cycle—Joe Blow is concerned about feeding his kids and paying the mortgage. And all the while the never-ending goal of world supremacy by Islam continues its gradual, unrelenting march.

Avoiding WW3

We can't shoot down Russian aircraft with American in Syria. But...

Surface to air missile have a lot of deniability.

Balanced and reasoned

I wish I'd written this. Bravo.

Memories for sale.

Could this be used to give you somebody else's memories.

Inserting P.I.C.C. - third times a charm

Just got back from a 50 miles ambulance ride (100 round trip at $1500 x 2 + 16.5/mile + $3000 for procedure.) I had to get another PICC line which is a surgical procedure for a long term two port I.V. line that is inserted just outside the heart. The first two got pulled out which is a minor emergency all by themselves.

I've been in the hospital for 33 days now and just today realized I could play VGAPlanets (VGA gives a hint to how old this game is) at planets.nu

One fifth of this hospital stay I will be paying forever and a few days beyond!

Feigned outrage

The headline is Trump failed to correct a person that called the president a muslim.

How is it his responsibility to do that, especially with the special circumstances behind this issue?

Trumps response was 'right' and 'we'll look into this.' Right doesn't always mean agreement. In conversation, right often means get to your point. That's the way I saw his 'right.'

The other point is a much bigger issue and deserves the real outrage. Are there Jihad training centers in America? Trump's response is exactly on point.

Obama has a muslim past which no idiot in the media can deny. Some people look at his words and actions and see a person hiding his loyalties. He says he's a christian. Fine, but the phony outrage at a segment of the population's speculation is because it's not so outrageous.

Obama is a liar. Would he be the first to lie about himself?

Muslims consider Obama a muslim, including world leaders. Why is that?

Holy cow. Did I luck out.

Midnight and I had to get out of bed. I sat in a chair tangling my IV line which pulled out my PICC line. I noticed the blood on my hospital gown sleeve and got the nurse in time.

I've got 3 bugs in my blood requiring 2 different antibiotics for 6 weeks. One bag every 8 hours. Each bag about $10,000 (not sure about the second antibiotic.) I drove to the hospital when my oxygen was about 65%. Not exactly smart but it got the job done. They noticed an elevated white count and the next day I had surgery on my left foot at another hospital 50 miles away. Now I'm back at the original hospital in what they call a swing bed (which indicates a longer term stay AFAIK.)

I don't know what my daily bill will be (20% I am responsible for... should talk to billing about getting preexisting coverage that.)

My good fortune is I live in poverty with medicare. How could a middle class rancher like my friends deal with something like this?

No CNN debate for me

I've been in the hospital for two weeks now, with four more weeks to go. For my foot is hollow and has a big hole on the bottom of it which lead to sepsis with a superbug and two others. They just announced I'm not contagious which I now have to get the word to my friends which I've been chasing away.

The hospital doesn't have CNN (this is a major Mormon community if that means anything... very conservative. John Wayne had a ranch here and was well known to the locals.)

When they change the bandages on my foot some of the nurses like to see the tendons move when I wiggle my toes. They removed three bones from my foot. I haven't missed them. I have a picture on my phone. When I can I'll post it here.

Sowell wrong?

A shoot-from-the-hip, bombastic show-off is the last thing we need or can afford.

It may be the only thing that can save us from the damage that Obama has caused. Trump is teaching the country how to play poker... a very dangerous game for international affairs, but thanks to Obama we live in a very dangerous time where the unthinkable is becoming a reality... nuclear destruction of American cities.

Trumps refusal to swear off a third party run is classic poker. Even if the GOP knows it to be a bluff, they can't call him on it. Using that kind of leverage is good negotiation which Trump will be able to use with other nations to advance American interests.

The worst thing you can do in poker is be predictable and Obama is more predictable than any we've ever seen. We want our enemies to view our next president and worry about how we will react to their actions. Iranian leaders are laughing at us when it should always be day 445 for them.

Would Trump have told Ukraine we'd pick up the defense tab if they gave up nukes? I guarantee not and the Crimea would not be part of Putin's Russia today.

Trump does not talk like a statesman. It's too easy to misinterpret his thoughts, but his main idea is what resonates... American can be what it once was and more if we quit surrendering to the 'progressives' and win negotiations with other countries. Trump will all but end US paying for imprisoning foreign bad guys. The Iran 'deal' is total surrender, no deal at all.

Last poll after the debate put Trump at 36%. Let Trump debate Hillary (the last thing she wants) and he'll get all 50 states (maybe 57?)

Does anyone else offer a real chance to turn around our runaway debt problem? How? No doubt in surprising ways. Eliminate whole departments and sell off federal land being part of it, I'd wager... this being poker after all.

Trump/Fiorina 2016. That would deflate the misogynist attacks.