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President Bush To Call For Return To Moon?
Brian Stretch writes " According to the National Review: 'When President Bush delivers a speech recognizing the centenary of heavier-than-air-powered flight December 17, it is expected that he will proffer a bold vision of renewed space flight, with at its center a return to the moon, perhaps even establishment of a permanent presence there. If he does, it will mean that he has decided the United States should once again become a space-faring nation.' Here's hoping. The article also includes talk of nuclear engines and using the moon as a testbed for going to Mars."
Where does that figure come from? US government programs are horribly inefficient. Like Corn ethanol that midwestern farmers insist is the next big thing... most of the money goes to ADM. For every $1 in revenue ADM has related to corn ethanol, the US gov't spends $30. It would be far cheaper to just pay the corn farmers to pick their pud than to pretend corn ethanol will ever be useful.
Anyhow, tax cuts are just as good for an economy as gov't spending. That tax cut money goes somewhere, maybe it goes into a bank account and the bank can lend the money out for someone to buy a house. Maybe it buys a yacht. Maybe it buys something else. That's better than being in the gov't coffers and ending up paying for a study on some senator's pet project with little or no redeemingvalue.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
Um, I think you'll find the debt (current account deficit) is $7 trillion. $500 billion is the amount the most recent Budget is in deficit -- i.e. spending more than it brings in.
deus does not exist but if he does
It is not politicisation of Google. It occurs because more people have 'miserable failure' and 'Bush' on the same page than 'miserable failure' and 'Clinton' or 'Firestone'...
Learn how Google works before accusing them of bias.
If I point out that you are incorrect, making me a foe does not make you any more correct.
Umm, the Fed is most certainly NOT owned by private banks. See, thats why private banks BORROW from the fed, and the interest rate the fed charges these banks is the basis for the intrest rates charged to consumers.
And reading the rest of your comment, it is clear that you have no idea how the Federal Reserve System works.....or really anything financial. I'm glad to see your ignorance has led to an unhealthy fear of monetary systems and of, well, logic.
Please take a basic Econ course at your local college.....for your own benefit and for that of people around you.
Kiss my shiny metal ass
Trillions ...
The Outstanding Public Debt as of 04 Dec 2003 at 05:40:09 AM GMT is: $6,920,018,770,791.33
Can't you see that everyone is buying station wagons?
Empty space isn't made of lunar regolith.
Lunar regolith isn't weathered like the surface debris on Earth. Consequently, it's got sharp edges. It's less like play-sand and more like crushed glass.
The astronauts reported that the stuff got into their suits between the hermetic joints, grinding into their skin. It also chewed up the lunar rovers.
"You mean your one-time "benefit" of somewhere in the vicinity of $300?"
In 2000 my tax rate was 28%. This year it is 25%. Next year it will be 25%. The year after it will be 25%. When did one time mean more than once?
Or are you suggesting my federal tax rate in 2004 be the same as in 2000? Because (unless congress decides to pass a few laws) it won't.
Because, as the 2000 elections clearly showed, being competant isn't the most important quality when running for office. Gore was obviously the one who knew what he was doing, but Bush got almost as many votes simply because he's more likeable. Heck, I think Bush is totally incompetant, but I'm happy to admit that he seems to be a nice enough guy.
Anyway, Bush takes office and everything the Democrats predicted comes true. So what happens in 2002? The Republicans have massive wins across the country. Obviously being right isn't as important as being popular.
Twenties Retirement
Nothing gets America going more than a little competition.
Yup.
The article says nothing about the method, the cheapest way (just off the top of my head) would be to update the Saturn 5,
That sounds nice, but practically infeasable. IIRC, there are two Saturn Vs left in the world after Apollo and Skylab. These are in no condition to fly. One is sideways, partially disassembled, exposed to the elements, and "restored," at the Johnson Space Center in Houston (its actually a rather impressive display, if you ever get the chance to see it). I don't rememebr the current location of the other.
More importantly, according to Bill Bryson's book, "A History of Nearly Everything," the bulk of the design notes and "plans" don't even exist any longer, thanks to NASA's thorough house-keeping. We're better off looking elswhere.
but (I think) the best solution would be to leverage a Space Station (one in the "right" orbit) and use that as a way station. That way you could reuse a moon obiter lander repeatedly.
If only to recycle landers, I don't think this would be practical. As far as the Apollo program goes, I believe the actual manafacture of the landers was pretty miniscule. Even if it does make sense as far as cost goes, maintaining a reusable space craft OFF Earth permanently is just asking for trouble. Astronauts can do some pretty impressive tune-ups as it is, but this would be a bit like keeping a destroyer seaworthy with only a mechanic's garage.
But hey, who ever said I know what I'm talking about?
Bored with karma, be a fan/freak
"Well, by my calculations, assuming the reason for your tax rate reduction was soley due to the 'rebate' of $300, your income is only $10,000 dollars a year."
Well, by my calculations you're an idiot. The "rebate" was a one-time deal to get SOME of the tax cut into people's pockets before the next April when they filed their returns. The tax cuts were not $300 for everyone, but percentage cuts (and yes, the cuts effected all income levels).
So, the guy who said it changed his rate from 28% to 25% is not making $10k as you calculate...and will definately recieve more than $300/year from these tax cuts. He was also correct at the rates, where you were way off. The previous tax rates of 15, 28, 31, 36, and 39.6 percent were replaced by a simplified rate structure of 10, 15, 25, and 33 percent.
Instead of mocking people who are happy about the much-needed reduction in tax rates who might have voted for Bush, and using your own ignorance to back it up...you might want to actually educate yourself on the matter.
It's amazing what information and simple logic can produce (understanding maybe?). You should try it sometime.
so now you are smarter than the majority.
According to the Stanford-Binet scale, the average IQ is between 85-110. An 85 IQ is almost retarded (it's actually 75 or less to be considered mentally handicapped) and 110 isn't that brilliant.
So, if the average person is stupid, then half the population is dumber than that. Which means a democracy is lead by a bunch of idiots. I know I am smarter than the majority, and I'd wager you probably are too.
I am not the originally poster, but I had to point out that he is probably smarter than average, and thus the majority.
I know you have heard the saying "What is right isn't always popular, and what is popular isn't always right"
Think about that the next time you decide to defend the majority. I, myself, am always suspicous of them.
ymmv
This is a repost of my comment from earlier today on K5. It would have been nice if the AC had credited me, but I don't mind, because hey, this way it's at Score:5, and it's much higher up chronologically in the discussion than it would have been if I'd posted it.
Anyway, I'm just posting this here now because I want to link to the slashdot story on H.R. 3057, which I would like to suggest you check out.
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
Bill Bryson is good for a laugh, but according to this Space FAQ:
Lunar regolith isn't weathered like the surface debris on Earth. Consequently, it's got sharp edges. It's less like play-sand and more like crushed glass.
The astronauts reported that the stuff got into their suits between the hermetic joints, grinding into their skin. It also chewed up the lunar rovers.
Of course, what's on the surface of the moon is much less interesting than what's underneath, since thats where humans will spend 95%+ of their time. It will take at least a few meters of lunar surface to protect them from radiation. Also, thermal issues are much easier a ways underground.
I'm pretty sure "regolith resistant" spacesuits aren't a big problem, regardless.
Galileo: "The Earth revolves around the Sun!"
Score: -1 100% Flamebait
to give credit where's it's do, I'm linking to this.
The above post is taken largely from Bob Zubrin's excelent book Entering Space.
Blaze a trail to the New World