GOCE Satellite, Out Of Fuel, To Fall To Earth In November

Sorry, advocating waste as a result of poor planning is not in my portfolio. All the reasons given in yours and other replies are valid, using the scenarios and restrictions you and others espouse. BUT, I still maintain that better planning for end-of-use (why end of use? Why not plan for permancy, with Hubblde-like updates/addons and repairs, even retasking as needed? That (thousands of tons?) of "junk" IS a resource, and a potentially valuable one, I'll offer that within a few years a private company will offer to collect and store the space junk ns a location that's suitable, maybe even make it part of the first space-based manufacturing process. You must know that there are already business plans for corralling mineral/water/and resource rich asteroids from near space, maybe the moon,certainly beyond, and boosting them to near-earth processing plants. to support the manufacturing process itself and for "export" to earth, although I's bet that most would be used to build additional off-earth infrastructure. New! La Grange condos with spectular view!
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Brené Brown On Shame: 'It Cannot Survive Empathy'

Think just a little further.There are certainly circumstances in the life of everyone that call for regret, even shame, at their actions, o rlack thereof. But the author refers to the crippling, debilitating shame of an action that becuase of one's inability to reconcile or "recalibrate," puts a mental block on their progress in life, maybe to the point that the results defeat their attempts to better themselves, and those they care for..

SHAME, REGRET, ANGER; ALL HAVE THEIR PROPER PLACE AS MOTIVATORS TO DO BETTER, TO CHANGE, TO CURE THE RESULTS OF THE EVENT(S) AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THOSE MOTIVATORS WORK BEST WHEN EMPATHY PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THE COMMITMENT TO CHANGE NECESSITATED BY THE UNDERLYING "SHAMEFUL" EVENTS.
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Surrogate Mother Left To Care For Biological Parents' Twins (VIDEO)

Ah, the old manifestation of Murphy's Law: "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time."

Surrogacy Law should provide for the "parents"-the biological donors -to bear responsibility for Child Support, under all the Child Support laws. A divorce if the egg donor mother was carring the twins would not have relieved the father of his responsibility; nor the mother. This is another case of technology, for-profit "do good" social agencies, and the system leading to unforseen, and unplanned for, consequences.The fact that the surrogate mother "couldn't bear" to turn over the children to Social Services leads to the conclusion that she must bear some responsibility for her own decisions. Good thing or bad idea? Time will tell. In the meantime, I hope someone sues the biological parents to establish parentage and provide Child Support.
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California Prisons Can Force-Feed Inmates On Hunger Strike, Rules Federal Judge

Looks like your being Grouchy is a result of the constipatory effects of your specious logic.

This was about gangs, and manipulation of prsioners through gang leaders who feel isolated -poor boys- because their in-and-out-of-prison criminal activities have caused prison authorities to segregate them. This is their action, not the action of prisoners incarcerated for minor offenses that could qualify for remedial training or anti-recividist counseling and social services.
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California Prisons Can Force-Feed Inmates On Hunger Strike, Rules Federal Judge

maybe, but this issue is NOT related to general prison conditions. Remember, prison incarceration is the result of individual decisions to commit crimes. What happens after that is a CONSEQUENCE of a bad decision. Torture may happen in the form of inmate-on-inmate pressure or further criminal activity, some may be overlooked, even condoned by prison authorites in their tacit agrement to allow gang control of part of the prisons in exchange for overall "behavior modification," meaniing that gangs set their own rules, making it easier to maintain control. This is one of the prices paid for allowing gangs in prisons.
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Republican Party Voters See GOP Heading In Wrong Direction: ABC News-Washington Post Poll

it is you who is unwilling to face the reality that, while you may have indeed been a hard-working and willing participant in the workplace, conscientious and forthwight, persistent in you efforts, there were others, many of them, who gamed the system, and still do for disability in particular, but in a multitude of other ways. Without community oppribium and moral leadership from church and political leadrers, role models and community leadrers, there is no chance of getting priorities correct, rewarding those who try, and providing a safety net worthy of the name for those in transition. It is the non-tryers, the ones with NO moral values except self-serving ones, licentious in nature, narcissistic in outlook, uncaring of others in relation to "me first" and the "devil take the hindmost."

I, too, have been unemployed, got sick, lost a business that was profitable, with good employees, and am not disabled myself. I live within my budget, in very reduced "circumstances, and am mlotly positivve, I think. My perspective come from a place where I had a little bit, then nothing very much.

I see the system for what it is. I do agree on what I think is one point you were trying make; that is, there is too much ofmonopoly practices in business and government, too little transparency in regulation and business practices, particularly in major industries like communications (cable and telco) food production, big pharma, ecducation, and most of all health care.
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How To Prevent Hunger In Upcoming Decades? Try Precision Agriculture

Most people aren't saying that we CAN'T do it; we can. perhaps, The real quesation is are there alternatives, and SHOULD we take the path of ever-increasing populatiuons needing ever-increased food "donations" and other resources, holding back others from increasing their standards of living
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How To Prevent Hunger In Upcoming Decades? Try Precision Agriculture

Perhaps you are missing the point. The ever-increasing demands for foodstocks, resources and other assets to suppport ever-increasing population pressures is a Malthusian cliff-sooner or later.

Better to reduce population pressure by increasing population management incentives and planning, which also provides more per-capita food AND higher standards of living as a result. What good is it to feed ever-increasing numbers of por mouths all over the world when alternatatives provide a better path, not only for populations residing in continually food-pressured areas, but for those of us who around the world who donate and contribute.
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People Getting Dumber? Human Intelligence Has Declined Since Victorian Era, Research Suggests

You mostly have no argument from me, excepting the diference of opinion in whether business exists to provide social "goods." I more thn agree with the lack of transparency and manipulation of the system to allow actual and quasi-monopolies, "rigging" of preferences, incentives, even actual grants and giveaways to business (and recently to nonprofits that are in reality businesses). I too, hate the loophlole that allows business to get credit for profits earned and taxes paid in overseas operations, but which allows unlimited deferral and accumulation of those profits in other countries, rather than some kind of minimum return of profits to U.S. parent companies. I understand the theory, that those profits may be needed for expansion, acquisitions, and other corporate expense, but the reality and experiental history indicates a gaming of the system. Much of today's tax code has been developed to provide government (or business) designed incentives to support or protect business. Just take THE CASE OF DICTATED ETHANOL USAGE IN MOTOR FUELS IN WHICH UP TO 40% OF THE U.S. CORN CROP GOES TO ETHANOL PRODUCTION, WHILE ETHANOL IMPORTS ARE RESTRICTED TO "PROTECT" ARCHER-DANIELS-MIDLAND, PRIMARILY (WHO WAS THE INSTIGATOR OF THE ETHANOL IDEA IN THE FIRST PLACE)! You might ask yourself this: Who benefits from the increasing numbers of poor and minority populations-just follow the money. Right! Government and mostly nonprofits benefit from inducing and supporting these populations.
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U.S. Workers Trail Rest Of Developed Countries In Vacation Time: Report

I won't apologize for being a capitalist supporter of free markets and enterprise. In fact, using your (specious) logic, we should-the professional and achieving classes- by paying higher taxes (already the highest in developed world, except Sweden) and giving away profits to charity. Your obvious choice is Communism, and mine is not. We see how Communism and Progressive Socialism have workeed around the world, and somehow capitalistic free markets work better, provide more employment, and higher standards of living. We can agree that elements of Socialism have dragged down the American and other economies so that class distinctions-caused by these very elements-present a less than desireable societal situation. WE ALREAY HAVE A SOCIETY WHEREIN 50% OF THE MEMBERS PAY NO TAXES. WHAT PERCENTAGE WOULD SUIT YOU SO THAT SOCIETY PROVIDES WEALTH TO EVERYONE REGARDLESS OF ABILITY OR NEED? 80%, 90% 100%? iF YOU KILL A FREE ENTERPRISE SOCIETY WITH CLASS EQUALITY, ALL WORKING CLASSES EVENTUALLY SUFFER-SEE USSR 1920'S-1990'S

i WOULD ALSO STIPULATE THAT WE CURRENTLY DOING A LOUSY JOB OF ECONOMIC TRANSPARENCY, AND THAT TOO MANY QUASI-MONOPOLY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES EXIST, TO THE DETRIMENT OF COMPETITIVE PRICES AND MORE CONSUMER CHOICE, BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND AS SMALL BUSINESSES (SOME 25 MILLION IN U.S.).
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U.S. Workers Trail Rest Of Developed Countries In Vacation Time: Report

Let's redefine greed to "seeking highest return on invested capital to better my company and society."

Seeking profit through good management practice is not venal, not greed. There ARE greedy people; I have no love for them or their practices (like the quasi-monopoly enjoyed by cable and telco over infrastructure used for entertainment, the Internet and communications), but I repect and appreciate the need for business to return profit to investors, otherwise what's the point of investing?
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U.S. Workers Trail Rest Of Developed Countries In Vacation Time: Report

There will always be a labor class, an underclzass if you will. We can't or won't all be business owners or professionals. To somehow postulate that it the "duty" of a free enterprise society-the basis on which our country was founded-to become socialistic is to offer the ridiculous as a solution. Better torecognize the reality of a free marketplace and work to build more, not less, entrepreneurial spirit through education and workplace-education partnerships that develops higher-paid skillsets for a modern marketplace, rewarding those who make the effort. In the Met Life commercial Lucy insists that "it should be five cents" when that flies in the face of the reality of providing an insurance benefit at a competitive price.

"Personal decisions, personal consequences; individual opportunity, individual achievement."
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U.S. Workers Trail Rest Of Developed Countries In Vacation Time: Report

Benefits like paid vacation, health insurance and other benefits are derived from business needs for an effective workforce, obtained by providing a competitive pay and benefits package. Therer has always been a "tradeoff betweem government and nonprofits and their benefits programs being part of their package, and private employers, who measure such things by their ability to make enterprise more effective, competitive, and profitable. Given the fact that charitable, religious and other nonprofit "industries" now equal 16%+ of GNP (over 20% with imputed wages paid to volunteer staff), and with the constant upwards pressure on entitlement programs from progressive solicalist governments, we are continuing the slide towards a much more solialistic form of society. Not good. Social benefits, like morality, may indeed be "legislated" but the practice only hurts our ability to provide overall. Robbing Peter to pay Paul may be a time-worn tradition, but it somehow keeps resurfacing.
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'Jesus Discovery': Jerusalem Archaeology Reveals Birth Of Christianity

Since I am not a religious person, itmes like this mean little to me, EXCEPT as a person interested in history, including the history of religions. This discovery and others, like the Dead scrolls, offer insight into the development and evolution of religious history. Religion with all it's cultures, myths, traditions and exhortations, has killed more people than all the wars since the beginning of recorded history. Not much to place your "faith" in, is it?
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People Getting Dumber? Human Intelligence Has Declined Since Victorian Era, Research Suggests

Agree with both your premises.

It is the constant increase in those whose existence depends on entitlement programs, and whole social systems designed to get people into them, from unwarranted disability program certification, to CHIP, to SNAP, and literally nhundreds of ther programs. Solutions in a well-ordered society for those who fall on inadvertent circumstance. But, not for those who are inculcated by pastors, priests, political and community leaders and aberrant cultural brainwashing to accept that reliance on others and taking resources from "the man" without any or little effort to contribute or become self-sufficient, are OK. As long as we provide sub rosa approval through subterfuge and fail to incent better/changed behavior, we will continue to face ever-growing demands on decreasing resources. A one generation maintenance of status quo, including a "hold" on new births to poor and/or unmarried poor, would provide more resources to effect change and improve standards for those who require assistance, and lead to rapid realization of a better future.
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People Getting Dumber? Human Intelligence Has Declined Since Victorian Era, Research Suggests

The pressures of advancing species survival knowledge accumulation through "experimentation' on evolution are the primary force in advancing intellect/I.Q. By making it easier for weaker individuals to survive, government provides the path for intellectual dumbing down, since species competition for food, shelter and propagation are minimized by the government supplying needs that would have to be "earned" otherwise. At the same time, the total population of those with higher-level I.Q.'s is growing. In a knowledge-based society, the CQ (Curiosity Quotient) drives the I.Q., and survival instincts are transmuted into a form of knowledge acquisition, with those most successful in this arena making the most progress in succeeding.

Education, with all it's travails, may be, must be, the answer, but will not achieve success for most without recognition that "class distinction" will always be a part of the societal ecology, and refusing to plan for differences in ability, and workplace needs, while depending on government to constantly add increasing resources to support and even encourage population "production" is the wrong answer.
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Asteroid Killed Off Dinosaurs? New Study Suggests Comet Instead Caused Extinction Event

I am. I wrote "We Need Zero Sum Pollution Now" a few years ago, exactly for this reason. And Pollution, of air, water and FOOD does indeed threaten. But, man's "expansion," while certainly threatening to some species (That darn old snail darter, or the desert insect so highly valued) are just flash points for environmentalists, not real substance in the discussion. The problem is, who makes the judgement call? Once someone, anyone, can say with real or imagined certainty "that species has no value, or whatever hasppens, happens, since nature does the same thing hundreds, even thouands of times a week," does that make man a more threatening possiblity than Nature? Riddle me that!

However, rather than treating each and every extinction possibility as a catastrophic event, I would hope that reasonable people could reach common ground; ground rules would help! Maybe each and every event is the "slippery slope" environmentalists fear...maybe not.
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Asteroid Killed Off Dinosaurs? New Study Suggests Comet Instead Caused Extinction Event

In Maryland and elsewhere, environmentalists fight tooth and nail to prevent wind farms and high power electric grid towers, claiming they kill millions of birds (no mention of higher numbers of insects as well).

Yet people from the same groups want wind power as "greener" than fossil fuels. AND, competing groups within the environmental community have similar conflicts when discussing preserving the snail darter while fighting a hydro project, a very clean power project. The point is that I can agree on controling pollution (See "We need Zero Sum Pollution Now") through transparent regulation and licensing, while disagreeing with environmental radicals who oppose any development or improvement in the name of preserving environmental purity and opportunity, when Nature laughs at their hubris by destroying hundreds of species every week.
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Asteroid Killed Off Dinosaurs? New Study Suggests Comet Instead Caused Extinction Event

I think it's worthwhile to consider that many millions of species have gon extinct as Naturte continues the process of experimentation through evolution. It is in this contect that one also condisers that probably 100 or more species of insect, and mammal, less of fishes, go extint each and every day. A new species starts with the evolved offspring of a pairing of some species and adoption thereby of mutated genes, reflected in the design of the offspring. If few or none of the offspring survive to propagate and multiply...extinction. This could happen many, many times each day and year, and we would never know. I think environmentalists sometimes confuse the necessary mission of protecting the environment with interfering with the evolutionary process.
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Bill Clinton: High-Capacity Magazines Are 'Nuts' (VIDEO)

Why high capacity magazines? Target shooters can tell you. Next to hunting, target shooting is a favorite sport of gun owners everywhere. As many have noted it is the failure of states and agencies to conduct and require background checks that allows so many wepaons to get into criminals and whacko's hands. It is also partly the responsiblility of the NRA to guarantee it's plegde of supporting "responsible gun ownership." I proposed in the past that every high school senior, male and female, should take an elective or voluntary course in pistol and rifle shooting, mainly oriented towards responsible ownership, and receive a graduation certificate and a License Application, for which the requirement of training would have already been completed. (NRA has offered to provide qualified instructors, practice equipment and range time, as I understand it).

The failure of most states to enact background checks at every potential stage of gun ownership is inexcuseable, as is the government's. This is NOT to ask for more regulation; we have enough. But this one item, making sure who owns the gun is a responsible person, not a "straw buyer" not a "mentally impaired person," is truly needed. The magazine capacity "problem" isn't, nor is the availability of assault weapons.. Getting iweapons of any type nto the wrong hands IS.
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