Free Republic

For the longest while I have been asking, “Where do environmentalists and Democrats think all these batteries for our oil-free transportation fleet are going to come from?” It seems they think there is a Battery Fairy out there somewhere who will magically supply the ginormous battery capacity, and additional supply of electricity to charge them, in order to deliver us to our blessed fossil-fuel-free future. So kudos to Wired magazine on “The Spiraling Environmental Cost of our Lithium Battery Addiction,” which reminds us that there are, you know, tradeoffs between various kinds of energy systems we might use: Demand for...

Much debate remains on whether the Lockheed Martin SR-72, affectionately known as the “Son of the Blackbird,” is actually real. It reportedly could be making an appearance in the upcoming film Top Gun: Maverick, the sequel to the 1986 film Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise. While there is no doubt that the aircraft may be in the production stage, whether it is ready to take to the skies is the other question. Another question is what its actual role could be in the U.S. military, but more on that in a moment.

The blatant, in-your-face assault on free speech by America’s largest tech companies is about more than just stifling political dissent – it’s about advancing the agenda of globalist technocrats with designs on seizing the world economy, says Patrick Wood, founder and director of Citizens for Free Speech. In an interview with Joshua Phillip of the Epoch Times, Wood connected the dots between the Big Tech takeover of society, the “Great Reset” being launched this week in Davos by the World Economic Forum, and the ongoing attempt to crush free speech. It’s all part of a global revolution now in progress....

To see what is in front of one’s nose needs a constant struggle,’ George Orwell famously observed. He was talking not about everyday life but about politics, where it is ‘quite easy for the part to be greater than the whole or for two objects to be in the same place simultaneously’. For years before the 2020 election, nearly all American conservatives were in favor of standing up to Big Tech — but most were also against changing the laws and regulations enough to make such a stand effective. And yet the threat from Silicon Valley was literally in front...

Twitter unveiled a feature called Birdwatch on Monday meant to bolster its efforts to combat misinformation and disinformation by tapping users in a fashion similar to Wikipedia to flag potentially misleading tweets. Not content with their silencing and censoring the views and opinions of people like Donald Trump, Twitter now turns to the Twitterverse to enlist them to do their dirty work for them. Censorship will become a group effort, where no opinion will be allowed except for the opinion of the group. This is exactly what George Orwell warned would happen one day in America, that day is now...

Hello, I was unsure how to get in touch so I thought this might get a mod's attention. It seems my posts are now being held back. If I have violated a rule I am sorry. If posting less can restore what I consider to be a great website that would be great. I believe in your mission and as a monthly donor put my money where bandwidth is, so to speak. Happy to back off posting a little, it's just your site is a little addictive. Did not mean to upset.

Last year’s Super Bowl, between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs, was shown in 4K, for Fox’s broadcast of the game. But this year’s game won’t be, according to a report Thursday. The Verge reported, based on confirmation from CBS Sports Digital, that Super Bowl LV will not be streaming in 4K or HDR. CBS told the site that it “remains committed to offering more live sports in 4K and HDR in the future.” Why not? It appears to be due to a delay in deployment of the technology, caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Earlier this month, a pro-Trump mob unlawfully breached the United States Capitol, hoping to “stop the steal” by interfering with the Electoral College vote count. In a positive deviation from the norm, Americans are coming together to denounce political violence, calling for the swift arrests of the perpetrators. What’s troubling, however, is law enforcement’s use of the same invasive technologies that, just a few months ago, caused a wave of backlash and prompted big tech to terminate government contracts. While Americans rally around this national manhunt, they should keep a watchful eye on their Fourth Amendment rights. Sure, the rioters...

The B-21 Raider, named after the Doolittle Raiders of World War II fame, could make its maiden flight sometime in mid-2022, according to reporting by Air Force Magazine. B-21 airframe number one has already completed, with construction on the second airframe already underway.

In Look to Windward, a science fiction novel from the late Scottish author Iain M. Banks, perfectly clear video and audio can be instantaneously transmitted across vast interstellar distances, yet people still vie to be physically present at a concert. This is something to consider the next time your local school board assures you that the classroom experience can be recreated on Zoom. Last spring, the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic forced schools across the country to adopt “online learning,” a euphemism for teachers yelling impotently at the disembodied heads of 20 students on a flickering video screen. The...

In The Hedgehog Review, Christine Rosen writes about technosolutionism. If the pandemic has made evident the precarious nature of the global economy (it could briefly be brought to a standstill by a single “bug”), it also showed how advanced our technology had become. We immediately found ourselves on Zoom, or other conferencing platforms, doing business, teaching class, or chatting with family and friends we were otherwise used to seeing regularly. The pandemic hit less than a year ago, and we already have not one but several vaccines. It is astounding. Yet, there are dangers, Rosen argues:

Anger against big tech reached a tipping point during the 2020 Election, as conservative ideas were censored and stories critical of Democrats suppressed. With the ongoing purge of social media accounts, corporations are enforcing a free speech restriction that terrifies not only conservatives but free speech advocates across the political spectrum. The question now is how do we translate anger into tangible actions that will bring about change? To fight big tech over the long-term, we need a comprehensive strategy that marshals the resources of investors and entrepreneurs, donors, elected officials and policy experts. Business leaders can foster an entrepreneurial...

So many satellites are moving and sitting over our heads, and the numbers are ever increasing. Using low cost software defined radio (SDR) and low cost DIY antennas you can make from materials at your local hardware store or garage, a world of fun can be explored. This is a beginners guide on how to get up and running. Exploring which projects to tackle first, from weather satellites, data over Inmarsat and Iridium, to listening to amateur radio and cube satellites. Learn about some hardware you can make or scout for online and use at home. A quick tour of...

A 1940 educational short by Bell Telephone to show customers that were recieving new dial phones how to use the new device, and why they were getting these new sets.

There are a hundred reasons why nuclear energy can play a massive role in the future of American power and prosperity.It creates high-paying jobs better than any other energy source. Its fuel sources are abundant. It fuels NASA’s most innovative projects. It offers a solution to conservation concerns without devastating the economy. And despite its sensationalist image, it is far safer than fossil fuels, and about the same in safety as solar and wind.“Nuclear provides 55% of our country’s clean energy, and about 20% of our power, and it’s one of the most reliable generators that we have on the...

What if forgetting your password for a website could cost you $200 million? That’s the situation facing a programmer living in San Francisco. From the Times: Stefan Thomas, a German-born programmer living in San Francisco, has two guesses left to figure out a password that is worth, as of this week, about $220 million.

Amazon Web Services filed its response to Parler's lawsuit on Tuesday, blaming the social media platform favored by the far-right for filing a "meritless claim" against the cloud computing giant and citing a liability shield often maligned by President Donald Trump: Section 230 of the Communications Act of 1934. AWS's legal brief argues that it is Parler, not Amazon (AMZN), that breached the terms of its contract and that Parler's removal from AWS's hosting platform was a "last resort." "This case is about Parler's demonstrated unwillingness and inability to remove from the servers of Amazon Web Services ('AWS') content that...

Now that Amazon Web Services has shut down Parler, will the social network rebuild elsewhere? Parler CEO John Matze says Parler will be back with "many competing for our business." Don't bet on it. There appears to be no major public cloud or hosting company willing to give Parler a home. But, even if there were, Parler would find it almost impossible to return anytime soon. Parler will need to build its own infrastructure.

Despite leaving the EU, London may be source its next main battle tank from France and Germany. According to industry reports, the United Kingdom may be interested in the jointly developed Franco-German Eurotank project to replace their aging Challenger 2 main battle tank, which though not a particularly aged tank, will eventually need replacement.

The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) is preparing for a war in the Pacific against a near-peer adversary–that means China. One of their go-to weapons in the future could be a new type of long-range loitering munition or what could be described as a sort of kamikaze bomb. Changing Times In an effort to become more expeditionary and better prepared for combat in a littoral environment, big changes are coming to the United States Marine Corps. At the heart of the USMC’s pivot from land-based counterinsurgency warfare to their traditional maritime expeditionary role is a need to counter an increasingly aggressive...