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The concept of what would become the Hubble Space Telescope was first envisioned after World War II, when astronomer Lyman Spitzer and a handful of scientists began a fifty year struggle to build the first space telescope capable of seeing beyond Earth's atmospheric veil. Robert Zimmerman, author of "The Universe in a Mirror: The Saga of the Hubble Space Telescope and the Visionaries Who Built It," takes us behind the scenes, explaining how some of Hubble's advocates sacrificed careers and family, and how others devoted their lives to the telescope only to have their hopes and reputations shattered when its...

If Wayne LaPierre is the Executive Vice-President of the NRA, who is the President? Why doesn't the President of the NRA make statements?

When Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel Was Accused of Corruption, He Responded: 'Lions Don't Care About the Opinions of Sheep' Israel reportedly hired his political supporters to do outreach for the police. Robby Soave|Feb. 23, 2018 2:16 pm Scott IsraelMichael Laughlin/ZUMA Press/NewscomBroward County Sheriff Scott Israel—the man whose agency failed to prevent the Parkland massacre despite having received a tip last November that Nikolas Cruz was plotting a mass shooting—has been accused of public corruption. Two years ago, the Sun Sentinel reported that Israel was rewarding top political supporters by giving them and their family members cushy jobs doing public...

'Electric-ish' BMW X5 is a fine ride that could save you some premium fuel By Jim Bray February 23, 2018 BMW's first SUV - though they refer to it as an SAV - has been given the plug-in hybrid treatment and the result is a large utility (er, Activity, in BMW-speak) vehicle that might even save you some gas money. The X5 xDrive40e is the first plug-in hybrid production model from BMW's core lineup. Starting at an estimated MSRP of $74,950 CAD, before options, it's a darn fine vehicle and equipped well even at that trim level (it's a premium...

If you have one of those wi-fi video doorbells your home is more secure than Marjory Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida was when the evil creature called Nikolas Cruz entered to began his murder spree . With all the “we must do something” hand-wringing we have seen before, the simple truth is that such a simple bit of modern technology might have prevented or mitigated this tragedy. Again, there were warning signs, enough red flags to have a parade in Moscow. Many did see things and say things as the mantra goes, but the FBI, which was notified of...

"Heroes are not to be criticized..." The official Soviet narrative of the Second World War used the concept of heroism to imbue war commemoration with an obligation towards the State. Such a concept was designed to make subsequent generations feel inferior to their predecessors and obliged to give of their best. Today, the victory serves as the strongest connection between Soviet and modern Russian patriotism. The paper argues that the memory of the Siege of Leningrad (1941-1944) as treated in museums in St Petersburg today is an appropriation by present-day Russian propaganda of the Soviet narrative. Soviet memorial sites are...

Often Freepers try the search function and miss that the article has previously posted. Here is a trick to help find previously posted items: 1. Use only one word from the title, not the whole title. Sometimes titles are abbreviated or the different sources run the same article using slightly different titles. An exact title search will not, in such cases find the previously posted articles. So, pick only the most important word. 2. Under the search bar, there is a pull-down menu. Use this to select "title" for your search rather than the standard keyword search. The difference in...

You know when people answer a question iffy and you cannot really tell if its a statement or another question? Like they answer but their ending has their voice going up slightly, and they aent exactly sure about their response? Questment. They have just answered your question with a questment.

2017The Year America Was Made Great Again. Our role in the world is being changed back to one of self empowerment and enrichment. We have had The Inauguration of President Trump and everything he has accomplished in less than a year's time.But our enemies are not idling, they are trying to role back the choices of the citizens of the Republic daily. That only means we need to fight back against them daily. Salute to the American Dream. We can rule our own Republic.Are you ready for it?The American Sun

In opposition to the Framers, late 19th century progressives promoted a new purpose, and a new foundation for the senate. Rather than block the will of the people, the new senate should facilitate their will. To facilitate their will, it follows that senators must, like representatives, stand for popular election. In 1891, Senator David Turpie (D-IN), said that direct election, “would serve the needs, wants, aims, and aspirations of the masses of men in our communities to be more faithfully reflected, more clearly imaged forth in the laws of the country and administration.” Self-interest led the House of Representatives to...

Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin may have been reticent to celebrate the centenary of the Bolshevik Revolution, but it had no qualms about celebrating a hundred years since the founding of the Cheka, Lenin’s political police, on Dec. 20. Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and a veteran of the old Soviet KGB, was predictable in his message. His agency was, he claimed, “free from political influence.” It “does not serve any party or group interest” and even its bloody-handed past was nowhere near as reprehensible as assumed. Yes, he conceded, it was the engine of Stalin’s Great Terror,...

How did CO2 -- the elixir of life -- turn out to be the evil gas of 21st century? The special interest in CO2 began when a handful of scientists, backed by political elements, proposed their hypothesis -- one which suggested that CO2 emission from anthropogenic sources, such as coal-fired plants, is the primary reason for what they allege is a dangerous increase in earth’s temperature. Despite the lack of observational evidence, political institutions popularized this hypothesis through state-sponsored research programs. In order to sustain their claims, these climate alarmists designed climate computer models to manufacture friendly results that supported...

In continuance of the Senate of the States series, the next three squibs leave the Federal Convention and visit the decades leading to the destructive 17th Amendment (17A). The 17A triggered a cascade of stunning downwind consequences, perhaps only second in effect to the immediate post-Civil War amendments. As opposed to the 13th – 15th Amendments which reset society, the 17A reset our republican governing form. Overnight, the 17A transformed the Framers’ exquisite compound democratic/federal structure into a democratic form deadly to republics.1 Why the 17th Amendment? What enormous forces convinced the people, states, and congress to trade a proven,...

Presidential Elections. Little over a week before the close of the federal convention, the senate was still responsible for appointing a president should no one obtain a majority, or if two with a majority had an equal number, of electoral votes. While their electoral college system minimized the possibility of “pre-bought” presidents, our Framers nonetheless cast a suspicious eye at the senate. The convention intended a ‘high-toned’ second branch to check the house, but had they gone too far? Their senate had the power to appoint the president, name his officers, appoint judges, make treaties and try impeachments. This constituted...

The convention adjourned July 26th to offer time for a Committee of Detail to smooth the resolutions passed to date. In addition to its assigned duty, it occasionally added what it regarded as necessary clauses in the Constitution, such as the duty of the senate to resolve disputes between states. Delegates will reconvene on August 6th. The lack of public news from the convention was infuriating. During this recess, a member of the North Carolina delegation apologized to his governor; his oath of secrecy forbade discussion of the proceedings. James Madison’s father tried his utmost, with no success, to pry...

Who were your ancestors? What is your ethnic background composed of? Sites like Ancestry.com and 23andme have always been some go to sources in answering all of your toughest questions. But how accurate are they? In a recent interview with Cracked, one of the major ancestry testing companies, (which specific company is unknown) spilled the beans on what really happens when you purchase an ancestry kit. While I can’t say I’m surprised, you may be shocked to learn that these ancestry sites aren’t always as accurate as they claim to be. Beyond this, they’ve also admitted to tampering with the...

1) Good Christmas present for smart people. Somewhat complex sophistries are explained in simple terms. It’s fun knowing how this stuff works. 2) This book is a guidebook to what’s really going on in our public schools. Weird, unproven theories and methods are commonplace, such as Sight-words to teach reading, Constructivism to teach knowledge, Common Core Math to teach arithmetic, and so on. Once you understand these gimmicks, then you can fight back more successfully against the school system. 3) A group, whether 2 people or 20 people, can use this book to initiate and focus discussions. You can pick...

New Honda Accord a major step backwards - and that's a good thing!By Jim BrayTechnoFile.comIt may not be back completely but, as evidenced by the newly redesigned 2018 Honda Accord, it looks as if the honoured Japanese carmaker is back on track. Or at least well on the way.I've been particularly vociferous about my Honda angst in recent years. The company makes terrific cars - and they still do, for the most part - but somewhere along the way between adding all the new drivers' aids and pursuing ever more strict fuel economy mandates the company seemed to lose its...

Since delegates resolved, on July 16th, the most contentious issue of the convention, equality of state suffrage in the senate, they quickly hammered out over twenty other fundamental resolutions in the next week. The Connecticut Compromise smoothed the way toward fitting the remaining pieces of our Constitutional puzzle. Among unresolved fundamental resolutions were judicial appointments. James Madison’s Virginia Plan of Government envisioned a bicameral congress, comprising a popularly elected house of representatives, and a senate appointed by the house of representatives. It also featured a judiciary powerful enough to check congress. Not only could the judiciary veto unconstitutional laws, it...

Have you ever wondered if the Founding Fathers spoke with a British accent? I know I have. Well here is the answer. The typical English accent didn’t develop until after the Revolutionary War, so Americans actually speak proper English. Here comes the science.