steem

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Activision Fun Club News, Summer 1984

Summer 1984 issue of Activision Fun Club News - http://38345cbe.tinylinks.co

CPC Attack! number 2, July 1992

The July 1992 issue of CPC Attack! The Amstrad CPC was a computer popular in the UK but I don't think it ever made it to the states.

Tribal Circus Acrobatics 7

Tribal Circus Acrobatics at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, FL. (2011-01-30) - http://97912491.tinylinks.co

Less Than a Week Remains Before NASA's Biggest Rover Yet Lands on Mars

When Curiosity reaches Mars, the 1-ton rover will be lowered to the surface by a rocket-powered sky crane. This complex contraption will help slow the spacecraft’s speed from roughly 13,200 mph (about 21,250 kilometers per hour) to zero in only seven minutes. This sequence of events is officially known as entry, descent and landing, but its nail-biting nature has earned it the nickname “seven minutes of terror.”

This landing will be very impressive...if it works.

Man sentenced to jail for collecting rainwater in Oregon

An Oregon man is expected to spend a month in jail after being convicted on nine misdemeanor charges related to his illegal use of…water. Gary Harrington was sentenced after being found guilty of illegally collecting water on his own rural property.

http://cc1a6e6e.tinylinks.co

Die Hard Game Fan, Volume 1, Issue 3, January 1993

January 1993 issue of Game Fan - http://f64f482d.tinylinks.co

Ron Paul Revolution Follows Romney To Poland

Poland is one of many countries outside the U.S. that, despite never having Paul on any ballots, have Ron Paul contingents. The main website, RonPaul.pl, includes information about Ron Paul’s campaign, primary dates, even the curren time in Texas, where Paul is from. The banner: “Kim jest Ron Paul?” (”Who is Ron Paul?”)

Google Ron Paul :)

Monday, July 30, 2012

Compute!'s Amiga Resource, Summer 1989

Summer 1989 issue of Compute!'s Amiga Resource - http://4973a9fc.tinylinks.co

Tribal Circus Acrobatics 6

Tribal Circus Acrobatics at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, FL. (2011-01-30) - http://175993fb.tinylinks.co

Moon Flags Left By Apollo Missions Still Standing, NASA PHOTOS Show

“From the LROC images it is now certain that the American flags are still standingand casting shadows at all of the sites, except Apollo 11,” LROC principal investigator Mark Robinson wrote in a blog post today(July 27). “Astronaut Buzz Aldrin reported that the flag was blown over by the exhaust from the ascent engine during liftoff of Apollo 11, and it looks like he was correct!”

http://3fc04209.tinylinks.co

Louisiana GOP certifies convention delegation, sans Ron Paul supporters

Doug Wead, a top adviser to Paul, said the party obviously has the power to have its will, but that, if this turns out to be a close election in November, the party and the Romney campaign may rue the day they gave any Ron Paul supporters, a very independent lot, reason to be less likely to vote for Romney. Better, he said, they should have brought them into the convention than find reasons to keep them out.

Despite what Mr. Villere says above, it is pretty clear that the so-called "Republican leaders" are NOT committed to uniting the party. If they have made any attempts at uniting the party (and I can't really see where they have) it has been an epic fail. - http://832e9ebb.tinylinks.co

Ron Paul delegate slate challenged, showing bitterness lingers from chaotic state convention

A pro-Ron Paul slate of delegates from Maine to the Republican National Convention is being challenged, reflecting lingering bitterness over a chaotic state convention that saw Paul supporters take over the delegate-selection process.

If this were about "integrity of the process", Staples would be challenging Gov. LaPage's selection as well. This is clearly sour grapes from someone who lost her committee seat to a Ron Paul supporter. - http://09fda6f4.tinylinks.co

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Game Fan, Volume 1, Issue 1, October 1992

The premiere issue of Diehard Game Fan from October 1992: http://5e2872a6.tinylinks.co

NASA's Giant Rocket for Deep-Space Travel Passes Key Review

The new mega-rocket, called the Space Launch System, passed a series of reviews that laid out the technical, performance, cost and schedule requirements for the heavy-lift booster. The completion of the so-called System Requirements Review and System Definition Review allows programmanagers to proceed into the rocket's preliminary design phase, NASA officials said.

I hope this thing takes us to Mars one day. Preferably in my lifetime. - http://e49ce596.tinylinks.co

Ron Paul's legacy celebrated after House votes to audit Federal Reserve

Paul's son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul -- who also addressed the crowd at Catholic University on Wednesday night -- urged those assembled to email Reid's office and plead with him to call a vote on the legislation.

The lawmaker said his staff uncovered video showing Reid in the 1990s "going to town, talking about how we should audit the Fed."

"Now, you have to convince him that he still believes that," Rand Paul said. "And so one of the things you can do, if everyone in this room left here and emailed Harry Reid, I think it would help."

Ron Paul predicted that the Senate would pass the legislation if actually brought to a vote.

http://90e4b99c.tinylinks.co

Harry Reid vows Federal Transparency Act will never be voted on in the Senate

Supporters of Rep. Ron Paul and sound monetary policy rejoiced online as they heard of the passage of H.R. 456, the Federal Transparency Act, on Wednesday. Their joy, however, was short-lived as within an hour of the bill passing word spread from the office of the Harry Reid. The Senate Majority Leader and Nevada Democrat has vowed the Federal Reserve Transparency Act will not be put to a vote in the Senate.

Give Harry Reid a call if you want him to support an audit of the Federal Reserve: 202-224-3542 / Fax: 202-224-7327. See the article linked above for more contact information.

Federal Reserve Audit Bill Overwhelmingly Passes The House

In a rare moment of bipartisanship, the House overwhelmingly passed a bill by Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) to audit the Federal Reserve.

The bill, which has 270 co-sponsors, passed 327 to 98. All but one Republican — Rep. Bob Turner of New York — voted for it, along with 89 Democrats.

The stereotype would suggest more democrats would support this bill than republicans. Aren't opposing corporatism and providing transparency (supposedly) democrat virtues? Do democrats oppose this bill more simply because it was put forth by a republican? Don't get me wrong. At this point I think both parties have by and large become a slave to corporate special interests but the number of democrats who oppose this bill still surprised me a little.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Retro Gaming / Turbo Force, issue number 2, September 1992

September 1992 issue of Turbo Force: http://73e1439e.tinylinks.co

Vintage Computing / Info issue number 20, May/June 1988

The May/June 1988 issue of Info for Commodore and Amiga computers - http://347bb722.tinylinks.co

Tribal Circus Acrobatics 4

Tribal Circus Acrobatics at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, FL. (2011-01-30) - http://ed84a091.tinylinks.co

Auditing the Federal Reserve is More Urgent Than Ever

No government institution is more secretive than the Federal Reserve. Believe it or not, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is more transparent than the central bank of the United States. This is a huge cause for concern as the Fed dramatically affects the lives of every single American.

Even if you believe the Federal Reserve is a necessary or desirable entity, shouldn't transparency be an absolute requirement for an institution that has such a profound effect on our lives? - http://a5470ef8.tinylinks.co

Mitt Romney vows to ban pornography by installing a filter on every U.S. PC

Before he was the presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney was just a guy giving a speech, trying to woo conservative voters. In 2007 Romney exposed some of his more extreme positions while speaking during a town hall meeting in Ottumwa, Iowa at the Hotel Ottuma. One such position which Mitt rarely discloses now is his deep desire to make it mandatory for pornography filters to be added to all new computers entering The United States.

I thought this was a joke until I saw the video.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Atarian Video Game Magazine, Issue Number 3, September/October 1989

The September/October 1989 issue of the Atarian Video Game Magazine - http://f510b6d0.tinylinks.co

Home Computing Weekly, Issue Number 17, 28 June 1983

Home Computing Weekly for the week of June 28 to July 4, 1983

http://ee46a248.tinylinks.co

Tribal Circus Acrobatics 3

Tribal Circus Acrobatics at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, FL. (2011-01-30) - http://f387b296.tinylinks.co

Sally Ride, first US woman in space, dies at 61

Ride, the first American woman in orbit, died Monday at her home in the San Diego community of La Jolla at age 61. The cause was pancreatic cancer, an illness she had for 17 months, according to her company, Sally Ride Science.

“Jettison Some of the Crap” Rand Paul’s quiet war against more defense spending.

Conservatives defend military spending,” he said. “Liberals defend domestic spending. The idea [is] that both sides get together and compromises and we reduce all spending … and right now, and really for the last 50 years, we’ve done the opposite. Our compromise has always been: We raise military spending and we raise domestic welfare spending. So when people say we’re not compromising, they’re missing it completely. We’re compromising all the time to spend more money.

He really hit the nail on the head. Republicans and Democrats compromise all the time...to spend more money. I would rather see them not compromise at all than this. Rand's war isn't against defense spending, it is against out of control spending in general. - http://51f7deef.tinylinks.co

Needelman, BlueWare take taxpayers for a ride

Recently obtained documents appear to confirm a scheme in which Clerk of Courts Mitch Needelman is steering contracts to EDC darling BlueWare, which recently relocated to Florida from Michigan after receiving numerous financial incentives from the State of Florida and local governments. Needleman’s former business partner and local lobbyist Matt Dupree benefits financially as he represents BlueWare, and speculation is that both Needelman’s campaign and some companies he has ownership in are benefiting as well.

http://26951174.tinylinks.co

Monday, July 23, 2012

Tribal Circus Acrobatics 2

Tribal Circus Acrobatics at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, FL. (2011-01-30) - http://8af2fa4c.tinylinks.co

How Ron Paul Has Actually Changed the Course of History

Paul may have a speaking spot at the convention, and could even be up for nomination. We’ll have to wait until Tampa. What the Ron Paul Revolution has accomplished - and will accomplish - is of greater consequence to the course of history than any of the empty promises offered by the presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney and Nobel Peace Price-winning, NDAA signing, ‘kill list’ reviewing President Barack Obama.

Recently, Ron Paul had his last encounter with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The double dose that Dr. Paul administered to Helicopter Ben was the same criticisms of central economic planning that the free market economists have been putting forth since Hayek, Mises, and even President Andrew Jackson - who called the Second Bank of the United States a “den of vipers and thieves.” Paul’s emphasis on the current system’s bias against the middle class and the poor, and the secrecy in which the private banking cartel operates were key points made in this final showdown. The $16 trillion that was sent to foreign banks during the 2008 crisis was a significant allegation that Bernanke did not attempt to refute.

http://6ff20c07.tinylinks.co

One Moviegoer With a Gun Could Have Prevented 70 Innocent People From Being Shot

In light of the incident at the Dark Knight premier early this morning, it’s worth noting that we as a law abiding society could have prevented the deaths of, at last count, 13 people and the injuries sustained by scores of others.

The fact of the matter is that an innocent citizen should not lose his rights because of the actions of a criminal. Someone who owns or wishes to own a gun for hunting, self-protection, target shooting or any other legal reason should not have to pay the price for the actions of some idiot. Blaming guns for crime is like blaming a spoon for making you fat or a match for arson. Let's ban all matches and spoons! - http://52c0e460.tinylinks.co

GOP makes room for Rep. Ron Paul at Tampa convention

Ron Paul supporters have feuded with state Republican parties across the country, battling for delegate seats at the national convention, but the national party is welcoming Paul and his supporters to the event with open arms, even helping the Texas congressman organize his troops.

It's a trap! Seriously though, it should be interesting... http://3b390aa8.tinylinks.co

Super-Silent Owl Drone Will Spy on You Without You Ever Noticing

For spy tools, drones are pretty easy to spot. And hear, because they’re as loud as a gut-busting rock concert. But now the intelligence community’s research division, Iarpa, plans to start designing a silent drone inspired by quiet, creeping, flying owls.

The requirement for probably cause for search and seizure becomes less important as law enforcement gains the ability to accomplish the same goals from afar.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Computer Play Issue Number 4, November 1988

The November 1988 issue of Computer Play - http://703cabba.tinylinks.co

Maximum issue number 6, 1996

The May 1996 issue of Maximum - http://fba0f6f5.tinylinks.co

Tribal Circus Acrobatics 1

Tribal Circus Acrobatics at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville, FL. (2011-01-30) - http://5f603eed.tinylinks.co

NASA's Newest Mars Rover Is Biggest and Best Yet

When NASA’s newest rover, Curiosity, reaches Mars in about three weeks, it will not be the first to set its wheels on the Red Planet, but it will be the largest and most advanced robotic explorer that has ever been sent to our planetary neighbor.

I've said it before, but I will be very impressed if they manage to pull this landing off. Can't wait! - http://1010608b.tinylinks.co

Decades-Old 'Pioneer Anomaly' Mystery Finally Solved

The cause of the so-called “Pioneer Anomaly,” it turns out, is heat coming from the electrical current flowing through the probes’ instrument and power systems. This heat pushed back on the spacecraft, causing them to decelerate slightly, according to a new study

Ron Paul Rips Romney and Obama For Debating Petty Issues

“It’s a shame. The important issue is [what] the two candidates seem to agree on,” Paul said. “They don’t really disagree with militarism overseas, they don’t disagree with the Federal Reserve system and the bailouts, and they don’t disagree on basically whether the role of federal government is wealth redistribution through welfare. So instead, they’re talking about tax returns and that to me is so disappointing.

“It’s all a charade, I think it’s all contrived to not have a debate,” Paul said.

Obama and Romney are just opposite sides of the same two-headed coin.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Computer Fun Volume 1, Issue 2, May 1984

May 1984 issue of Computer Fun (formerly Electronic Fun): The Magazine of Recreational Computing: http://ba0c416b.tinylinks.co

PowerStation Issue Number 91

Issue 91 of PowerStation, a tips magazine for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 - http://84f47746.tinylinks.co

2010 Cocoa Beach Air Show (part 5)

The Thunderbirds perform at the Cocoa Beach Air Show... http://e92ee5cf.tinylinks.co

NASA'S Spitzer Finds Evidence for an Exoplanet Smaller than Earth

“We have found strong evidence for a very small, very hot and very near planet with the help of the Spitzer Space Telescope,” said Kevin Stevenson from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. Stevenson is lead author of the paper, which has been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal. “Identifying nearby small planets such as UCF-1.01 may one day lead to their characterization using future instruments.”

The hot new planet candidate was found unexpectedly in Spitzer observations. Stevenson and his colleagues were studying the Neptune-sized exoplanet GJ 436b, already known to exist around the red-dwarf star GJ 436. In the Spitzer data, the astronomers noticed slight dips in the amount of infrared light streaming from the star, separate from the dips caused by GJ 436b. A review of Spitzer archival data showed the dips were periodic, suggesting a second planet might be blocking out a small fraction of the star’s light.

The Internet Tax Is Back

For decades the Supreme Court has made clear that to require a tax from any entity, that the entity must have a “presence” in the state, usually a store or shipping center or even a team of salespeople. So ordering from a catalogue, when the merchant had no physical presence in the state, has never triggered an obligation to collect taxes (though the taxes have always been due and payable by the purchaser). And today e-commerce logically comes under that same rule.

Heh... As if even the Supreme Court pays attention to the Constitution any more. - http://bf7de544.tinylinks.co

RNC confirms Ron Paul will be up for nomination

The Republican National Convention is quickly approaching (August 26th). For over the past year, avid Ron Paul supporters have won delegate spots in various state conventions across the country. Through this hard-work, Ron Paul will officially be allowed to be nominated for the nominee of the Republican Party.

If nothing else, the convention should be more interesting to watch this time around. - http://d38cc44d.tinylinks.co

Families of U.S. Citizens Killed in Drone Strike File Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Anwar al-Awlaki, a radical Muslim cleric who was placed on a CIA “kill list” last year, died in a targeted strike in Yemen on 30 September that also Samir Khan, an alleged propagandist for al-Qaida, in the Arabian Pensinsula. Al-Awlaki’s teenage son, Abdulrahman, was killed in a separate strike 200 miles away in which six others died two weeks later.

Should the U.S. government be able to target and kill underage U.S. citizens without any kind of due process? - http://2dc4c15c.tinylinks.co

The rule of law

In our era, the violations of the Rule of Law have become most troublesome when the government breaks its own laws. Prosecute Roger Clemens for lying to Congress? What about all the lies Congress tells? Prosecute John Edwards for cheating? What about all the cheating in Congress when it enacts laws it hasn’t read? Bring the troops home from the Middle East? What about all the innocents killed secretly by the president using CIA drones? Can’t find a way to justify ObamaCare under the Constitution? Why not call it what its proponents insisted it isn’t — a tax?

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Personal Computer News, Issue Number 82, October 13, 1984

The week of October 13, 1984 issue of Personal Computer News - http://d56447eb.tinylinks.co

The Republicans’ Most Hypocritical Economic Argument

Needless to say, on the theory that the Republicans are advancing, the federal budget can never be cut. The U.S. Conference of Mayors will be able to say that cuts in social spending will devastate the economy of our cities with at least as much justice as defense-heavy areas can complain about cuts to the military. Rural areas can say the same thing about farm subsidies.

Reductions in federal spending, whether for defense or social programs, will, of course, be disruptive to the people, businesses and communities who have come to rely on it. The cuts should not, however, hurt the broader economy. When federal spending falls and jobs tied to that spending disappear, private-sector spending should normally increase and create jobs tied to it.

Most modern Republicans are not "conservative" in any meaningful sense. They certainly aren't fiscal conservatives and they are in no way strict constructionists when it comes to the Constitution. Unfortunately, democrats are not the solution either. - http://31a830e6.tinylinks.co

Ron Paul to confront Fed Chair Ben Bernanke: Will there be fireworks?

During the campaign, Paul indicted the Fed of “creating money out of thin air, manipulating interest rates, and interfering with the free market,” blaming the Federal Reserve for its role in the latest financial melt down.

Should be interesting... - http://b4878655.tinylinks.co

USDA uses Spanish soap operas to push food stamps among non-citizens, citizens

“Will Claudia convince Ramon to apply for SNAP?” the announcer exclaims at the end of a standard episode titled “The Poet,” “Don’t miss our next episode of ‘HAPPINESS PARK.’”

I wonder if there are ads for soylent green in these soap operas as well? - http://aec38018.tinylinks.co

Microsoft, NBC dissolve MSNBC.com joint venture

Microsoft, in particular, had grown frustrated by contract terms requiring it to exclusively feature MSNBC.com content on its own websites. That exasperation was exacerbated by the MSNBC cable channel’s strategy to counter Fox News Channel’s appeal to conservative viewers by tailoring its programming for an audience with a liberal viewpoint.

Which blatantly partisan "news" organization do you want to get your information from? - http://03da68c2.tinylinks.co

Latest Word on the Trail? I Take It Back

They are sent by e-mail from the Obama headquarters in Chicago to reporters who have interviewed campaign officials under one major condition: the press office has veto power over what statements can be quoted and attributed by name.

Most reporters, desperate to pick the brains of the president’s top strategists, grudgingly agree. After the interviews, they review their notes, check their tape recorders and send in the juiciest sound bites for review.

This is one of the reasons the game is rigged, so to speak. The reporters closest to the candidates can't report the truth. They can only report what is filtered through the candidates or their minions. Indications are, though, that this is a self-correcting phenomena. The mainstream media of today is rapidly being overtaken by other media sources. - http://c551ad67.tinylinks.co

The Revolution After Ron

The Ron Paul Revolution or Liberty Movement is younger, more tech savvy, more enthusiastic, and steadfast in their principles than typical conservatives. These differentiating qualities that separate the Liberty Movement from the average go-along-to-get-along establishment Republicans gives the Movement the potential moxie to create a significant and enduring effect in both the Republican Party and American politics as a whole.

One can only hope that a lasting movement has been created in American politics.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Sega Force, Winter 1992

The Winter 1992 issue of Sega Force - http://d63ee1c9.tinylinks.co

February 2000 issue of GO64!

German / English Commodore 64 magazine from 2000 - http://b176ce51.tinylinks.co

2010 Cocoa Beach Air Show (part 3)

Scenes from the 2010 Cocoa Beach Air Show - http://4ac66826.tinylinks.co

France's proposed tax hikes spark 'exodus' of wealthy

Many are fleeing a proposed new higher tax rate of 75 per cent on all earnings over one million euros. (£780,000)

duh... - http://c08d01e1.tinylinks.co

Mitt Romney Won't Take Stand on UN Guns Treaty

There is only one Republican candidate running for President who has not committed to reversing the Obama/Clinton position on the Arms Trade Treaty — Mitt Romney.

For those that think the 2nd amendment is important... - http://ee5cfcd3.tinylinks.co

Ron Paul's predictions from 2002: So good that at first I thought the speech was faked

Ten years out, the only thing wrong with these predictions is that he wasn’t pessimistic enough.

Whether you agree with his solutions or not, there can be no doubt that Ron Paul's predictions have been frighteningly accurate. Watch the video and see for yourself. - http://71bb110e.tinylinks.co

Obama Romney debate could be a staring contest

The list really does go on and on. Will cutting government spending significantly harm the economy? Both Obama and Romney say yes. Undeclared wars? No difference between the two. Can the president imprison U.S. citizens indefinitely without due process? Both say yes. Can the president assassinate U.S. citizens similarly without due process? Yes and yes. Should the U.S. military take an active and even preemptive role in the internal affairs of other nations? Both agree on that, too.

In reality, if there were a rule during their first debate stipulating that the two candidates only debate issues upon which they fundamentally disagree, the debate would be reduced to a staring contest.

It still amazes me that so many people can absolutely HATE one of these candidates while loving or at least being perfectly willing to vote for the other. - http://2078b3cf.tinylinks.co

Ben Swann Claims Ron Paul Has Plurality of Delegates in 5 States

Ben Swann Claims Ron Paul Has Plurality of Delegates in 5 States

The significance of this would be that Ron Paul can be nominated at the convention (and even win because delegates are not "bound" by law or rule) AND he would be guaranteed a 15 minute speaking spot at the convention. - http://40617eda.tinylinks.co

Friday, July 13, 2012

The Guide to Computer Living: A Monthly Publication For Commodore Owners - June 1986

The June 1986 issue of The Guide to Computer Living: A Monthly Publication for Commodore Owners (formerly The Northwest Users Guide) - http://e4876131.tinylinks.co

Mega, Issue Number 2, November 1992

The November 1992 issue of Mega - http://d7e9773d.tinylinks.co

2010 Cocoa Beach Air Show (part 2)

Scenes from the Cocoa Beach Air Show, 2010 - http://1395766d.tinylinks.co

The Crippling Nature of Minimum-Wage Laws

In truth, there is only one way to regard a minimum-wage law: it is compulsory unemployment, period. The law says, it is illegal, and therefore criminal, for anyone to hire anyone else below the level of X dollars an hour. This means, plainly and simply, that a large number of free and voluntary wage contracts are now outlawed and hence that there will be a large amount of unemployment. Remember that the minimum-wage law provides no jobs; it only outlaws them; and outlawed jobs are the inevitable result.

Alternatively, minimum wages raise prices. Would good does it do Wal-Mart workers to make more money when prices also go up?

Woman Convicted Of Battery For Pat Down Of TSA Worker

The Lee County woman voiced her complaint to a TSA supervisor and proceeded to physically demonstrate how she was groped. Video footage of the incident shows Price running her hands up the inside thigh of a TSA worker for a period of no more than two seconds.

Price’s actions were mild in comparison to what TSA agents routinely inflict on the traveling public – grope downs which include physically grabbing people’s genitals.

Security should not take the form of physical assault by the TSA. I think that's the point this woman was trying to make.

27 Things That Every American Should Know About The National Debt

27 Things That Every American Should Know About The National Debt

Scary stuff...

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Compute!'s PC Magazine Issue 1, September 1987

The premier issue of Compute!'s PC Magazine from September 1987 - http://8b2de1ef.tinylinks.co

Ahoy!'s Amiga User Issue 1, May 1988

The Premier issue of Ahoy!'s Amiga User from May 1988 - http://fe65afee.tinylinks.co

Official Playstation Magazine Vol 2 Issue 4, January 1999

Volume 1, Issue 4 of The Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine from January 1999 - http://b80fca21.tinylinks.co

2010 Cocoa Beach Air Show (part 1)

Scenes from the Cocoa Beach Air Show. - http://e276d164.tinylinks.co

New 5th Moon of Pluto Discovered --"Like Nested Russian Dolls"

A team of astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has discovered a fifth moon orbiting the icy dwarf planet Pluto. Pluto’s new-found moon, visible as a speck of light in Hubble images, is estimated to be irregular in shape and between 10 and 25 kilometres across. It is in a 95 000 kilometre-diameter circular orbit around Pluto that is assumed to lie in the same plane as Pluto’s other known moons.

Latest round of polls exclude Libertarian Presidential nominee

No matter if you look at Quinnipiac, Public Policy Polling, Rasmussen, NBC/Marist or WeAskAmerica the name of the Libertarian Party Presidential nominee, Gary Johnson’s name will not be mentioned. Nor will his name be mentioned in the normal news conversation covering the Presidential campaign.

It's true that Gary Johnson has an incredibly difficult road to the White House no matter what. However, that is no reason to rig the system in favor of the two current dominant parties. Gary Johnson and the Libertarian party are on the ballot in all 50 states. Shouldn't they be given the same advantages that other candidates get? The media should not show favoritism. - http://4a360587.tinylinks.co

Sen. Paul Declares Intent to Hold Vote on Pakistan Aid

This morning, Sen. Rand Paul sent a letter to Democrat Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), as well as President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Pakistani Ambassador Sherry Rehman, announcing that he has gained the necessary number of signatures on a cloture petition to force a vote on legislation regarding cutting aid to Pakistan. Pending the outcome of the appeal trial of Dr. Shakil Afridi, Sen. Paul is prepared to call for a vote on cutting aid to the Pakistani government as early as July 20.

What is amazing to me is that this country runs a $1 trillion plus deficit yet borrows money to give to other countries that taxpayers ultimately must repay. Why should a taxpayer in this country be FORCED to give money to the government of Pakistan or any other country? - http://788ba689.tinylinks.co

The price of gold has been manipulated. This is more scandalous than Libor

If gold has been manipulated downwards and if that process continues, then all recourse to a store of value (other than land and property) has been taken from the individual.

The above may be true but I think gold can only be manipulated for so long.

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Commodore Power/Play, Issue Number 1, January 1982

Premiere issue of Commodore Power/Play from January 1982 - http://75c6a806.tinylinks.co

JoyStik, November 1982

JoyStik, November 1982 - http://ea0f6c72.tinylinks.co

Anthony Daniels @ Star Wars Celebration V

Anthony Daniels at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Florida - http://dce8854d.tinylinks.co

The Ron Paul War Over Nebraska Delegates: Paul's Last Stand with the GOP?

While the rest of the world treats the GOP presidential race as completely over, the final selection of delegates in the state of Nebraska is still ahead on July 14, and Ron Paul is still fighting for them. A win, if he can pull it off, will be of greater importance than it might seem for a candidate who has already admitted his opponent Mitt Romney is sure to win the nomination. Nebraska, if he nabs it, will be the fifth state whose delegation Paul controls, which according to Republican National Committee rules gives him the ability to be formally nominated for president from the floor, guaranteeing him 15 minutes of floor speaking time before the first ballot.

That 15 minutes could be important... - http://a2b7101a.tinylinks.co

The NSA Is Building the Country’s Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say)

Under construction by contractors with top-secret clearances, the blandly named Utah Data Center is being built for the National Security Agency. A project of immense secrecy, it is the final piece in a complex puzzle assembled over the past decade. Its purpose: to intercept, decipher, analyze, and store vast swaths of the world’s communications as they zap down from satellites and zip through the underground and undersea cables of international, foreign, and domestic networks. The heavily fortified $2 billion center should be up and running in September 2013.

What is this advancement in cryptanalysis they speak of? Think they will get a warrant? - http://3db44b06.tinylinks.co

In Maryland, Higher Taxes Chase Out Rich: Study

A new report says wealthy Maryland residents may be moving out due to recent tax hikes – a finding that is sure to escalate the battle over taxing the American rich.

Rich or poor, the vast amount of an individual's wealth should be theirs to do with what they please. Someone else shouldn't be deciding how you spend your money. - http://0254cd5b.tinylinks.co

Massachusetts State Election Fraud Lawsuit To Be Filed; Injunction Requested to Prevent Seating of Romney Appointed Delegates

If you haven’t heard, the MA Republican party has recently decided to deny certification to around 17 delegates/alternates over some unprecedented technicalities. Many of these are liberty supporters that you may have helped elect at the MA district caucuses on April 28th.

It may end up being that what the MA Republican party has done is perfectly legal. However, they are disenfranchising a significant and growing segment of the Republican party. Legal or not, the Republican party does this sort of thing at its own peril. - http://621d2ff4.tinylinks.co

Why is Nobody Freaking Out About the LIBOR Banking Scandal?

The banks gamed LIBOR for two semi-overlapping reasons. As noted here last week, there were instances of Barclays traders badgering the LIBOR submitters to “push down” rates in order to fatten their immediate bottom lines, depending on what they were trading or holding that day. They also apparently rigged LIBOR downward in order to produce a general appearance of better health, essentially tweaking their credit scores a few ticks upward.

At this rate, pretty soon will just be burying gold in their back yards. Probably be better off...

TSA Agents at Louisville Airport Steal Deaf Man's Candy, Call Him "Fucking Deafie"

In front of me, still laughing at me (very clearly now). One of them asked why they were laughing, and one of them came up to me, pointed at my shirt, laughed at me and said, “Fucking deafie”.

You can be sure we are all safe with such high quality people "protecting" us.

Monday, July 9, 2012

MicroKids Issue 1, December 1983

Premier issue of Microkids from December 1983 - http://85fce717.tinylinks.co

2000-10-11 Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-92) launch

Space Shuttle discovery launches on October 11th, 2000 after being delayed from the previous day. This was the 100th Space Shuttle mission. This video was taken from KSC property.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-92
http://582e6669.tinylinks.co

Promoter urges NASA to fly space shuttle over his air show

Rather than schedule the Cocoa Beach Air Show during its usual time slot in late October, he moved the event to mid-September in hopes that the timing would coincide with the transfer of shuttle Endeavour from Kennedy Space Center to a Los Angeles museum.

NASA is arguing that it would cost too much money to alter the schedule by a couple of days so that there could be a flyover of the shuttle at the air show. I find this hard to believe unless they are doing it wrong.

Oregon Republican Convention Chaos

After the delegates had been elected across the state, party officials realized that a well organized band of Ron Paul supporters had been outvoting the preferred establishment choices. The only way they could defeat the Ron Paul supporters was to delay the rest of the voting until the conventions were scheduled to adjourn. At that point, citing an RNC rule, the state executive committee would then have the authority to appoint any unfilled spots in the delegation.

It looks like the Republican party is self destructing. I can only hope the Democrat party does the same. Surely we can come up with a couple of parties that better represent the sentiments of the average American than this. How about he LIbertarian and the Green parties? Anything would be better than what we have now (well, almost...) - http://01993f91.tinylinks.co

Eric Holder’s Two Decades Of Concealing Murder

Information provided to congressional committees by ATF whistle-blowers and leaks within the Department of Justice prove Eric Holder to be either criminally complicit in the Fast and Furious scheme and cover-up, or the most incompetent, congenitally comatose Attorney General in the nation’s history. Though Holder is many things, he is not incompetent, at least not in the willful “execution-upon-command” of illegal and despicable enterprises; especially when those enterprises involve Administration-generated murder.

How did the Senate ever confirm someone with such questionable activities in his background? - http://f2cfd011.tinylinks.co

Friday, July 6, 2012

Tips & Tricks - February 1997

February 1997 issue of Tips & Tricks: http://85f01424.tinylinks.co

Apple2000 Vol 1 No 1 August 1986

Premiere issue of Apple2000, an apple specific magazine based in the UK. - http://98f8b4c0.tinylinks.co

Ron Paul finds a new mission: Internet freedom

The Pauls argue that both approaches from the left and the right seek to impose harmful controls on an internet that should be left totally unregulated. In the Pauls’ view, the left’s anti-trust concerns and advocacy for “Net Neutrality,” which would prevent telecoms from divvying up their bandwidth and charging sites for quick load times, are as misguided and anti-free-market as the right’s push for tighter copyright controls with SOPA. Government regulation in the interest of openness and consumer fairness is neither open nor fair, they say.

I don't think the importance of this issue can be overstated. - http://0e746a00.tinylinks.co

20 Hidden Tax Hikes in Obamacare

Taxpayers are reminded that the president’s healthcare law is one of the largest tax increases in American history.

Obamacare contains 20 new or higher taxes on American families and small businesses.

Read Obama's lips...it's not a tax. - http://ff9b4750.tinylinks.co

Occupy Wall Street talking gibberish about healthcare

The Act is nothing more than a half trillion dollar theft for the health insurance industry. That it benefits big business does not make it a “free market” solution. It’s just more welfare, of the corporate variety, that libertarians oppose like any other forcible redistribution of wealth.

The gibberish comes in when Occupy argues for its solution. Proposing “Medicare for All,” a single-payer healthcare system 100% operated by the government, Occupy makes this statement.

“We believe that healthcare is a human right, not a commodity or a luxury for those who can afford it.”

Gibberish. Why? Let’s think for a moment about what this statement really means. To do that, we’re going to have to define the words used in the statement. The first one is “healthcare.”

What is healthcare? There is one answer to that question that is impossible to refute.

Healthcare is the labor of other people.

When a patient sees a doctor, they are purchasing a product. The product is the doctor’s labor. It is not only the skills and experience that the doctor brings to the exam room. It’s also his time. It’s a portion of his life that he is giving up to try to solve whatever ails the patient.

To claim a right to healthcare is to claim a right to some part of the healthcare provider’s life.

Something cannot be a 'right' that requires someone else to provide it. - http://f52b0cf2.tinylinks.co

Numbers Tell of Failure in Drug War

If there is one number that embodies the seemingly intractable challenge imposed by the illegal drug trade on the relationship between the United States and Mexico, it is $177.26. That is the retail price, according to Drug Enforcement Administration data, of one gram of pure cocaine from your typical local pusher. That is 74 percent cheaper than it was 30 years ago.

This number contains pretty much all you need to evaluate the Mexican and American governments’ “war” to eradicate illegal drugs from the streets of the United States. They would do well to heed its message. What it says is that the struggle on which they have spent billions of dollars and lost tens of thousands of lives over the last four decades has failed.

Nothing new here but it makes you wonder what the motive of the so-called 'war on drugs' even is?

Thursday, July 5, 2012

New Atari User Issue Number 47, December/January 1989

A UK based magazine for Atari 8- and 16-bit computers. - http://37539bc4.tinylinks.co

Nintendo Magazine System Issue Number 8

Issue number 8 of Nintendo Magazine System, a UK based Nintendo specific magazine. - http://d0301e95.tinylinks.co

2000-10-10 - STS-92 (100) scrubbed

Launch attempt of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Unfortunately, the launch was scrubbed at 6:25 p.m. due to the discovery at around the T-minus 3 hour mark of a pin, typically used to secure handrails at the launch pad, that was lodged on a strut connecting the orbiter and the External Tank. The launch the following night was awesome though. - http://8c6645e3.tinylinks.co

Romney Urged Obama To Embrace Individual Mandate In 2009

In July 2009, Mitt Romney called on President Obama to require Americans to buy insurance as part of his health care plan, using “tax penalties” as a backstop — in other words, the individual mandate that Republicans virulently oppose.

This is one of the many reasons I do not understand how someone can hate Obama and like Romney (or vice-versa). The vast majority of their policies (not just this one) are either exactly the same or are so close that it really doesn't matter. Everything from healthcare, to spending and taxes, to foreign policy...it's all the same. http://03a6df02.tinylinks.co

Fractional Reserves, Legal Tender, and Central Banking

This discussion is prompted by Larry White’s testimony on the history and practice of fractional reserve banking before Rep. Ron Paul’s subcommittee on monetary policy in late June. White’s testimony is a concise yet thorough discussion of why fractional reserve banking came to be and why it is not at the root of monetary problems. As he points out, “[A] fractional-reserve banking system is not unstable when the banking system is free of hobbling legal restrictions and free of privileges.” U.S. history illustrates this point.

Fractional reserve is not a problem as long as it isn't being subsidized by government insurance and bailouts.

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Micro issue number 1, October 1977

VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, July 1990

Megacon 2010 - Star Trek Fans Alert!!! part 6

Q & A with two of Star Trek's most recognized characters Levar Burton and Brent Spiner moderated by Dino Leto.
part 6 - http://58964499.tinylinks.co

Congressmen urge the UN to trample the US Constitution

Since when did it become fashionable for sitting members of Congress to lobby international thugs, tyrants and dictators against our own U.S. Constitution?

It's been fashionable for quite a while I am afraid... http://4e6e6e15.tinylinks.co

What the Supreme Court Obamacare Ruling Means for the Drinking Age

The highway funding threat is how the U.S. government has been able to effectively enforce a national minimum drinking age for nearly 30 years. But on Thursday the Supreme Court declared that withholding money from states as a punishment for not doing what the federal government wants is unconstitutional. Federal aides and lawmakers immediately voiced concern that the new stance could reignite such fights as the drinking-age battle, not to mention No Child Left Behind, which also withholds funds from noncompliant states. If a case like the one South Dakota pursued against the drinking age act in 1987 were pursued now, using the health-care decision as precedent, the outcome might be different.

It seems like this could have far wider repercussions than just the drinking age. The Federal government uses the threat of withholding money from the states as a way around the 10th amendment for many of the laws it implements. - http://fcc17628.tinylinks.co

Scott says Florida won't implement health care law

Scott told Fox News that he believes the law should be repealed, hopefully by a new president elected in November. But even if that doesn’t happen, he said, Florida will not set up a health exchange or participate in an expansion of the Medicaid program.

While the Federal government carries most of the costs in the early years, the burden shifts to the states later. The Federal government can simply devalue the currency and print money to pay for things but states do not have such a luxury. It is a mystery to me how Florida could possibly pay for this. - http://077ae863.tinylinks.co

Gary Johnson campaigning in Florida throughout the week

The Libertarian Party’s 2012 for President of the United States, Gary Johnson, is traveling across the State of Florida the first week of July to introduce himself to potential voters, and answer any questions Libertarians may have regarding his campaign for President . Between Tuesday and Friday, Johnson will be visiting locations in Jacksonville, Orlando, Boca Raton, and here in Tampa Bay.

Gary Johnson is not my first choice for president but he is far better than the current presumptive Republican and Democratic nominees. If you don't know who he is, go listen to what he has to say.

Unsealed Documents Expose Morgan Stanley Forcing Rating Agencies To Inflate Ratings

Morgan Stanley successfully pressured Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s Investors Service Inc. to give erroneous investment-grade ratings in 2006 to $23 billion worth of notes backed by subprime mortgages, investors claimed in a lawsuit, citing documents unsealed in federal court.

http://9360d455.tinylinks.co

Monday, July 2, 2012

Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine - Vol. 2 Issue 5 - February 1999

The February 1999 issue of the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine - http://552e7f0c.tinylinks.co

Timex Sinclair 2068 advertisement from Timex Sinclair User

I never had one of these. The Sinclair/Spectrum line of computers was much more popular in the UK than here in the U.S. And the Commodore 64 was so much better. :)

http://68aebdc9.tinylinks.co

Megacon 2010 - Star Trek Fans Alert!!! part 5

Q & A with two of Star Trek's most recognized characters Levar Burton and Brent Spiner moderated by Dino Leto.
part 5 - http://c3c1bcb2.tinylinks.co

Space Tourist Trips to the Moon May Fly on Recycled Spaceships

Space tourists may soon be able to pay their own way to the moon onboard old Russian spacecraft retrofitted by a company based in the British Isles.

The spaceflight firm Excalibur Almaz estimates that it can sell about 30 seats between 2015 and 2025, for $150 million each, aboard moon-bound missions on a Salyut-class space station driven by electric hall-effect thrusters.

http://0deff3ef.tinylinks.co

Restraining Arizona, Unleashing the President

Regrettably, in addressing all of this earlier in the week, the Supreme Court overlooked the natural and fundamental freedom to associate. It is a natural right because it stems from the better nature of our humanity, and it is a fundamental right because it is protected from governmental interference by the Constitution itself. Freedom of association means that without force or fraud you may freely choose to be in the presence of whomever you please, and the government cannot force you to associate with someone with whom you have chosen not to associate, and the government cannot bar anyone with whom you wish to associate from associating with you.

The Constitution is a relatively short and straightforward document. Why can the Supreme Court not understand some of the most important parts of it? - http://744f66ed.tinylinks.co

Audit the Fed Bill Passed by Congressional Oversight Committee

“I am very happy that the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform today passed H.R. 459. The bill passed unanimously by voice vote, with all of its strong audit provisions intact. It is time for the Federal Reserve to face a thorough audit of its monetary policy and lending operations. The Fed’s purchases of dubious assets from favored Wall Street institutions; its lending of hundreds of billions of dollars to foreign governments and central banks; and the prospect of further quantitative easing and European bailouts underscore the critical need for transparency. I am deeply appreciative of the overwhelming support this legislation has received from my colleagues in the House, especially today from the Oversight Committee. I look forward to seeing my Audit the Fed legislation passed by a bipartisan majority of Congress next month.”

...from a Ron Paul press release. http://25da2f49.tinylinks.co

A vast new federal power

The logic in the majority opinion is the jurisprudential equivalent of passing a camel through the eye of a needle. The logic is so tortured, unexpected and unprecedented that even the law’s most fervent supporters did not make or anticipate the court’s argument in its support. Under the Constitution, a tax must originate in the House (which this law did not), and it must be applied for doing something (like earning income or purchasing tobacco or fuel), not for doing nothing. In all the history of the court, it never has held that a penalty imposed for violating a federal law was really a tax. And it never has converted linguistically the congressional finding of penalty into the judicial declaration of tax, absent finding subterfuge on the part of congressional draftsmanship.

I wonder whether the chief justice realizes what he and the progressive wing of the court have done to our freedom. If the feds can tax us for not doing as they have commanded, and if that which is commanded need not be grounded in the Constitution, then there is no constitutional limit to their power, and the ruling that the power to regulate commerce does not encompass the power to compel commerce is mere sophistry.

It's not so much that Obamacare itself amounts to the final nail in the coffin for the Constitution, but the willingness of the Supreme Court to use such twisted logic and to completely ignore parts of the Constitution to come up with this reasoning for Obamacare's supposed Constitutionality. - http://337c49f8.tinylinks.co

Obamacare now invalid because tax bills must originate in House

According to the United States Constitution, all tax bills must originate in the House of Representatives. This law originated in the Senate, because at the time the Democrats were selling it as a purchase - not a tax. Since the Supreme Court has ruled that the law is indeed based on a tax increase, it would have had to be initiated as a bill in the House of Representatives.

Consequently, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Law is unconstitutional on a different criteria than the ones considered by the Supreme Court in this latest landmark decision.

Of course, this assumes that the supreme court or anyone else in our government actually pays attention to the Constitution. http://f520d41c.tinylinks.co

Romney losing ground to Obama without support from Paul Nation

National Republicans may have some serious thinking to do. Their presumptive nominee, Mitt Romney looks to be in serious trouble on multiple fronts today.

Governor Romney has lost ground to President Obama and is now trailing in all of the national polls with the exception of the Rasmussen Reports poll which has been the poll most favorable to Governor Romney. Governor Romney is now tied with President Obama in the latest Rasmussen poll, which is a steep decline in that poll for Governor Romney relative to President Obama since early June.

It's almost as if the Republicans don't want to win...