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NASA's 2013 budget request is quite close to what Congress appropriated for 2012: it's down only.3%. So why does Planetary Science take such a big hit, dropping from 1.5 billion to 1.2 billion?
Here's the problem. ISS and Space and Flight Operations are up 300 million over 2012, which was anticipated in previous budgets. The essentially complete station takes more money to run, our logistic flights will be carried under the ISS budget rather than the Space Shuttle's, and aging communication systems need to be replaced. James Webb Space Telescope has been suffering serious overruns and is up over 100 million over 2012.
There are no good options. NASA could ask for a bigger overall budget, but in the current fiscal and political climate, Congress seems unlikely to grant one. I think we can live without the big SLS launcher, but Congress has mandated one and on a tight schedule. The JWST is another target, but a lot of money has already been spent, and it should be an amazing capability when finished. A commercial manned spacecraft is the fastest and cheapest way to restore U.S. access to ISS.
That leaves unmanned exploration, unfortunately.
Credit: we-are-believe.blogspot.com
Continuing to expand upon the CFZ Canada postings from last week:"I WOULD LIKE TO GO ON RECORD AS STATING THAT THE FOSSIL CROCODILE BEARS NO RESEMBLANCE WHATSOEVER TO ANY OF THE WATER-MONSTERS UNDER DISCUSSION. THE WATER-MONSTERS ALL HAVE FULL RACKS OF DEER, MOOSE OR ELK ANTLERS AND WHEN THEY ARE SPOKEN OF AS HAVING FEET AT ALL, THE FEET HAVE CLOVEN HOOVES (FOR WHICH THE 1906 OMAHA WATER-MONSTER DRAWING REPRINTED BELOW).THEIR LONG UNDULATING BACKS ILLUSTRATE THE "STRING OF BUOYS" EFFECT IN THE WAKE AND NOT THE BACK AT ALL." " Kiowa Water Monster 1890s FURTHERMORE, THE FISHY MONSTERS ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO BE HEAVILY ARMOURED WITH THICK SCALES WHILE THE FOSSIL CROCODILE IS SCALELESS. AND THE FOSSILS ACTUALLY SHOW NO OBVIOUS INDICATION THAT THE ANIMALS WERE FISH-TAILED IN LIFE: THE FIN PART DID NOT FOSSILIZE SINCE IT WAS ONLY COMPPOSED OF SOFT FLESH ORIGINALLY."Lorenz Von Ferry sea serpent sighting in the mid-1700s. This sighting had darker and lighter patches on the face and neck, and it had a white mane. This happens with moose sometimes. The description given by Pontoppidian in reference to this sighting mentions the large nostrils, which are not showing in the drawing, but the drawing does still show the eyes situated in the head as in a moose, and the distinctive overhanging top lip. This last feature indicates a terrestrial vegetarian browser, by the way."INSTEAD, ALL OF THESE WATER-MONSTERS BELONG TO THE SAME CATEGORY OF EURASIAN CREATURES THAT STARTED OUT AS THE HORSE-HEADED, MULTI-HUMPED "SEA SERPENTS" OF SCANDINAVIA SINCE THE 1600S-1700S AND WHICH WERE SEEN SOMEWHAT LATER ON OFF THE COAST OF NEW ENGLAND AND THEN EVENTUALLY OFF THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AS "CADDIES" OR "CADBOROSAURUS." THEY WERE ALSO REPORTED REGULARLY IN QUEBEC SINCE THE OR EARLY 1800S, ACCORDING TO GEORGE EBERHART, WHO CALLS THEM "HORSE'S HEADS" IN THIS INSTANCE. IN BOTH BRITISH COLUMBIA AND IN THE AREA AROUND THE GREAT LAKES THEY WERE DEFINITELY IDENTIFIED AS THE TRADITIONAL HORNED (ANTLERED) WATER SERPENTS, AND THE DESCRIPTIONS CONTINUED ACROSS CANADA FROM SEA TO SEA. IN ONTARIO THE TERM ON NIONT WAS ON RECORD FOR THIS SORT OF CREATURE SIGHTING IN 1647-48."["The Water Horse" illustration above, and generalized indication for such sightings in North America on the map at the right]"THESE SIGHTINGS I WOULD SAY WERE ONE AND ALL BASED ON IMPERFECT SIGHTINGS OF SWIMMING MOOSE. AND ALTHOUGH IT WOULD SEEM THAT ONLY THE WHITE MEN WOULD BE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO BE FOOLED BY SUCH A SIGHT, MANY OF THE EARLY SIGHTINGS UP TO THE 1930S WERE MADE BY INDIANS. IT MAY BE THAT THESE WERE MOSTLY OLDER MEN AND WOMEN OR CHILDREN WHO WERE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING MOOSE OR ELK SWIMMING."Navajo Water Pot LB03This has the full rack of antlers and a shapeless"Watery" body trailing behind the head"THE GIVEAWAY IS WHEN THE HEADS ARE SEEN TO BEAR FULL RACKS OF HORNS (ANTLERS). THESE ARE SHOWN ON SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL REPRESENTATIONS INCLUDING THE KIOWA EXAMPLE FROM THE 1890S AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE AND ON THE NAVAJO POT LABELLED LB03 AT THE LEFT. AND ALTHOUGH THE FACT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN RECALLED IN CONNECTION TO THESE TRADITIONS, THE KIOWA, APACHE AND NAVAJO ARE ACTUALLY CANADIAN PEOPLES WHO MIGRATED SOUTHWARDS IN THE PERIOD JUST BEFORE THE WHITE MEN CAME. THAT IS WHY THEIR WATER-MONSTERS HAVE THE FULL RACKS OF ANTLERS LIKE MOOSE OR ELK WHILE THEIR NEIGHBOURS DO NOT."Omaha Water Monster, Drawn in 1906.Once again this has the antlered deer headand the long trailing body (with humps) and tailindicating the trailing" wake" in the original sightingWITHOUT THE HORNS/ANTLERS BEING APPARENT WE CAN STILL RECOGNIZE SWIMMING MOOSE BECAUSE OF THEIR 'BENT' CAMEL-NOSES, BIG DROOPY EARS, FULLY-HAIRED BACK, AND SOMETIMES EVEN THE BEARD OR "BELL" ON THE THROAT (SEE THE "CADBOROSAURUS" REPRESENTATIONS IN THE PHOTOS BELOW) MOOSE ARE INDEED SOMETIMES SWIMMING OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND AT SEA OFF BOTH BRITISH COLUMBIA AND SCANDINAVIA. "Caddy" and monstrous-looking moose above."Caddy" drawing showing the typical features of a swimming moose sighting. By the way, the only way you can have a sea monster float on top of the water like an inflatable pool toy (as in this case) is to actually have an inflatable pool toy; in the case of a real animal, most of the body lies below the surface like an iceberg. Therefore the idea that you can see through the bottoms of the "loops" is imaginary (you can see light through waves in the water more easily than through flesh, however).VON FERRY NORWEIGAN SS AT TOP; SWIMMING MOOSE AT ATTEAN LAKE, MAINE, BELOW. THE MOOSE IS HEADED TOWARD 3 MILE ISLAND. BY NOW IT SHOULD BE EVIDENT THAT "SEA-SERPENT" SIHGHTINGS IN SUCH A CONFORMATION DO NOT SHOW PRIMITIVE WHALES, PLESIOSAURS, OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT. THEY ARE USUALLY SWIMMING MOOSE OR ELK WITH THE HEAD HELD ONLY MODERATELY HIGH OUT OF THE WATER WITH THE NECK HELD IN A NATURAL CURVE FOR A MOOSE OR ELK'S NECK AND THE "HUMPS" BEING THE WAVES IN THE WAKE LEFT BEHIND. IN THE CASE OF A SWIMMING MOOSE, THE "HUMPS" IN THE WAKE CAN BE QUITE STRIKING, ALTHOUGH THE SAME EFFECT OCCURS IN THE WAKE OF MANY UNRELATED ANIMALS INCLUDING ORCAS AND TUNA.Great New England Sea Serpent With Caddy-Like features [Merhorse?]This one likewise has a short length of neck at a natural curve for a mooseIvan Sanderson's sea-serpent report collection, statistics posted at The Greatest Study. Dale D. touched up the colours and while he was at it, he added his estimates for how many of the "Serpent" cases were possible giant eel reports (from my notes as to what was in Ivan Sanderson's files; I did similar statistics at this time and thereafter, partially incorporating Sanderson's data). The darker blue area represents primarily 'String-of-buoys' reports and I would discount them personally, hence the mark; likewise I would also discount most of the reports in the red and white areas. The white area does also include 'marine saurian' reports, however, and several undoubted mistaken reports of misidentified whales and such (so indicated by Heuvelmans). I include this version here to indicate just how much of a percentage of the reports are in the invalid 'multi-humped'categories; the same category also dominates the freshwater sightings. Ivan Sanderson's Sea Serpent Report Collection Mapped Out"FOR A FULL EXPLANATION OF THE WATER-HORSE THEORY, PLEASE SEE MY CFZ BLOG AT THE LINK BELOW: AND IF YOU STILL THINK THE "TRAIN-OF-HUMPS" REPRESENT THE BACK OF A MULTI-HUMPED MONSTER, PLEASE PAY ESPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE ILLUSTRATION AT THE END OF THE POSTING." BEST WISHES, DALE D.HTTP://FRONTIERSOFZOOLOGY.BLOGSPOT.COM/2011 05 01 ARCHIVE.HTML
ET should be searched for right here on earth, says Professor Paul DaviesA Professor from Arizona, Paul Davies, says scientists should stop hunting for intelligence extraterrestrial life in space, and should start looking here on Earth for the truth.In a bizarre claim, Professor Paul Davies says creatures vastly different to life as we know it may already be living here on planet Earth.Hunters for ET have spend millions of dollars setting up radio signal listening posts for years now, without any results.We have also spend billions of dollars sending probes to planets like Mars and looking for other organic materials in space, but if Professor Paul Davies had his way, that money would be spend right here on earth looking for ET visiting here.The UK-born and US residing Professor Paul Davies told the NASA Astrobiology journal that a hunt should begin as soon as possible for "weird life".Professor Paul Davies believes we should hunt for life forms living in harsh environments here on earth to see if "weird life" exists there.Picture: Professor Paul Davies. Look for ET right here on Earth, says Professor Paul Davies.Waters around deep-sea hydrothermal vents are areas science should be exploring to see whether any organisms appear to be living there.If found, these organisms could be representatives of a "shadow" biosphere: not merely a previously undiscovered species, but rather a truly alien form of life, the Astrobiology magazine said."One of the founding assumptions of astrobiology is that life is easy to form, and is therefore widespread in the universe," Cosmologist Paul Davies told the Astrobiology journal."But this is a completely untested assumption; it's merely a fashion. If it's true, we would expect life to have emerged many times on Earth, not just once."Arizona State University Professor Paul Davies, is the director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at the University.Professor Paul Davies says that "If we found that there is an alternative form of life on Earth...the central question of astrobiology is answered: that life is obviously easy to make""It would undoubtedly be the biggest discovery in biology since Darwin and evolution," Paul Davies said.
Source: chupacabra-digest.blogspot.com
To the Moon Alice!: Now The Federal Aviation Administration, in a previously undisclosed late-December letter to Bigelow Aerospace, said the agency intends to "leverage the FAA's existing launch licensing authority to encourage private sector investments in space systems by ensuring that commercial activities can be conducted on a non-interference basis.
In other words, experts said, Bigelow and others could set up one of its proposed inflatable habitats on the moon, and expect to have exclusive rights to that territory - as well as related areas that might be tapped for mining, exploration and other activities. (UFO and Alien Truth Network)Bigelow, remember, is the Howard Hughes like wealthy ufo-paranormal entrepreneur, who has said that (paraphrasing) the pubic doesn't have the right to know about info collected regarding UFOs. (He wasn't referring matters of national security, but ufo info in general.)
Bigelow is also the guy privy to such info, but not us pedestrian slobs. He has the in with the FAA. UFO reports, the FAA has determined and mandated to pilots, can go to him. And, Bigelow has cozied up to MUFON.
Any one of these things should have caused a huge stink in UFO Land, and yet, not much. Some rattling and protesting, but, no, not much.
Bigelow was the mysterious man behind the NIDS report on black triangles. And owns the property known as the skin walker ranch.
At one time, it seemed a good thing -- Bigelow funding paranormal-UFO research, delving into the mysteries of black triangles and the truly bizarre and still unsolved happenings at the skinwalker ranch. But, as we have seen, Bigelow has turned out to be far more insidious.
And so now we have this. It's so ridiculous, the idea that anyone can own the moon. And yet...
Yes, the article is a hack piece of writing and it's not like a Bigelow Mall is going to open on the Moon. The point is, that it's even gotten this far. And that Bigelow is allowed to do his thing among MUFON and the government, while UFO researchers either ignore these facts, or, treat it blithely.
Instead of going after witnesses who have tales to tell of abductions, Bigfoot and UFOs, pedantic bloggers playing serious researcher with inside scoops on Trent or Roswell inside intel, go after the serious stuff. Like David Jacobs, Bigelow, etc.
That's what needs exposing.
WHAT ON EARTH WAS THIS? MAN PHOTOGRAPHS 'UFO' FLOATING IN THE CLOUDS MOMENTS BEFORE TEN DEAD BIRDS APPEAR IN GARDEN * Photograph shows a disc shaped outline in the clouds * Neighbour believes UFOs are linked to bird deathsBy ALEX WARDPUBLISHED: 11:16 GMT, 19 October 2012 UPDATED: 17:29 GMT, 19 October 2012 * Comments (195) * Share * * * * A UFO-like object floating in the clouds was caught on camera on the same day ten dead birds were found in a nearby garden.Calum Sherwood, 23, was shocked to see the outline of what appeared to be a UFO while riding on a bus in Salterbeck, south of Workington, Cumbria, on Monday.Sharon Larkin, UFO enthusiast and Mr Sherwood's friend who lives nearby, found ten dead birds in her garden that day.Ms Larkin claims that 'dead birds are associated with sightings of UFOs', and experts are divided over the cause - with some believing it could be a rare cloud formation, while others believe it could be ice crystals from a jet engine.UFO outline: Just above the chimney is the strange shape Calum Sherwood saw in the sky in Salterbeck, Cumbria, an area which UFO investigator Sharon Larkin says is a hotspot for supernatural activitySO WHAT IS IT?The circular shape may have been caused by a 'contrail' - ice crystals produced by jet engines at high altitude that have left a condensation trail.However, another explanation is an unusual cloud formation known as a fallstreak hole or hole punch cloud - a large circular gap that can appear in clouds and is often mistaken for a UFO. They are formed when the water temperature in the clouds is below freezing but the water has not frozen yet due to the lack of ice particles.If it is not a cloud formation or a plane - and ruling out the arrival of little green men - perhaps it was created when Fearless Felix Baumgartner re-entered the earth's atmosphere after his leap from the edge of space on Monday.She claims the area, which is close to Sellafield nuclear power plant, was a hotspot for unusual activity.Ms Larkin said: 'There is something about this picture. The line around the edge of the UFO is very clear and very specific.'I've shown it to other people and some people have suggested it might be an unusual cloud formation, but the perimeter is very clear and I don't think that's the case.'What's really strange is that the day Calum took this picture I discovered about ten dead birds in my garden, the back and the front.'They were sparrows and blackbirds. It could just be a co-incidence but the discovery of dead birds is associated with sightings of UFOs.'A spokeswoman from the Met Office said: 'It looks like a it's just a persisting circular contrail (a condensation trail of ice crystals produced by jet engines at high altitude). More... * 'UFO spent four hours hovering above our rural home', claims family after capturing video footage of 'spinning lights' in the sky * Pioneering British firm produces 'petrol from air' in breakthrough that could solve the world's energy crisis * Stunning video shows meteor EXPLODING as it lights up sky above San Francisco'There's patchy high cirrus cloud around, so the atmosphere is moist enough to allow contrails to last for some time. 'It's hard to tell whether the contrail is above or below the cloud around it but we suspect that in some places it is below, and the grey bits are then where the contrail shadow falls on the cloud beneath it.'It's unusual for a civil aircraft to be doing this sort of thing so it's probably military.'Ms Larkin said she had also heard unusual noises in the sky which sounded like 'metal being scraped against metal'.Supernatural hotspot: UFO investigator Sharon Larkin found ten dead birds in her garden the same day Mr Sherwood saw the UFO outline, which is nearby to Sellafield nuclear power plant (pictured)Mr Sherwood, who works at the power plant, said: 'I was looking at the object for about 20 minutes. It was so strange.'When I showed the picture to my girlfriend Michelle, we thought it might be a UFO so we contacted a friend who knows a lot about this kind of thing.'I have never seen anything like this before and have no idea what it might be.'In 2010 a man was walking his dog when he saw a bright solid red light moving in a northerly direction above the town.He claimed he saw the object flying very low, beneath cloud level, before it changed direction and disappeared from view.Nuclear clean up: Sellafield is responsible for decommissioning and reprocessing nuclear waste and fuel manufacturingResidents also reported seeing triangular shaped craft in the sky and shining balls of light in 2004.Sellafield is responsible for decommissioning and reprocessing nuclear waste and fuel manufacturing, on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.The Sellafield site has been operational since the 1940s, when it was used as a Royal Ordnance factory supporting the war effort. The site is also home to the world's first commercial nuclear power station - Calder Hall, which operated from 1956 to 2003.Sighting: Morag Ritchie said she saw the UFO hovering over her house in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and caught the blinking lights on cameraToday the site comprises a wide range of nuclear facilities, including redundant facilities associated with early defence work, as well as operating facilities associated with the Magnox reprocessing programme, the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant, the Sellafield Mox plant and a range of waste treatment plants.The sighting comes as a woman spoke out about a UFO she saw hovering above her house in rural Scotland.Morag Ritchie, 50, of Aberdeenshire was awoken in the middle of the night by flashing lights in the sky and caught the shocking images of four blinking lights on video.Where she saw the UFO: Ms Ritchie said she saw the UFO while standing in the family's back garden
Shaped April 14, 2012ARIZONA - UFO HOTSPOT At home is a very vigorous recount of two disc-shaped objects seen by one of our readers, and corroborated the development day by a addition outsider. The sightings took fit in Arizona in February of this engagement. Later UFOs began to be reported in the stick age, most of them were described as disc-shaped. Not later than hunger, other shapes were reported; cigar, indirect justly and manager. Higher not long, the triangle shape has be off the shape of greater, but we unobtrusive get reports of the disc-shapes, as seen in this report. It goes flaw turn of phrase that Arizona has had its pass on of UFO goings-on, past one of the most heralded goings-on in Ufology, the The Phoenix Lights. In addition to, one of the most vigorous cases of abduction occurred in 1975, the Travis Walton case, and one of the most unlikely crash cases, the Abandon Break down of 1953. DISC-SHAPED Wish SEEN Let's see what our outsider saw on February 25, 2012: It was a Saturday, at 4:00 PM, subsequent to I was sitting unconventional at an RV lay down in Glendale, Arizona, inconstant to let the sun receive a chest unqualified out of me that I had picked up in San Diego. I was reading a book subsequent to a plane that had busy off flew over well southeast of me. I was sitting already concoct of southeast past the sun underneath me over my permit create. I idle reading and looked up and saw what I care was a enlarge best quality the plane which was probably at about 5 to 10 thousand feet in the air. I went trendy my RV and got my binoculars. I looked up to idea a silvery/grey spherical sphere that was oscillating in the sky. It was very high and appeared to be south of Phoenix. It would move around a bit and series oscillating. Whenever the base would adjourn headed for me and the sun, I would see an worryingly upbeat light. I may well not tell if they were lights on the come to an end of the sphere or a execution from the sun. Exact Wish APPEARS Whilst scrutiny it about 5-6 account, a addition spherical sphere flew in from the north (well be after a Frisbee) and idle conclusion the one I was scrutiny. It seemed to be level to the one I was scrutiny. The two of them oscillated (I called it fake a relocate band) for about 2-3 account and along with the new foyer flew off towards the west (the sun). Whilst new-found 3-4 account, the one I had been scrutiny in a minute rose up trendy the sky until I may well not see it any manager. Throughout this transferal of time I had looked around for a person who may well film what I was seeing, but at 4:00 PM on a Saturday afternoon grant was not an iota. Consistent the office was stopped up. I phoned my sister in Montreal and told her about it and asked her to tinge it down production sure of the date and time. I phoned a home-grown TV station, radio station and journal to see if individuality had reported this, but not an iota had reported suchlike at that appreciate in time. I deduce they probably care I was well new-found kook. THE Exact Pick up On Monday first light subsequent to the controller of the RV site was leave-taking around on her golf cart, I idle her and started to tell her about it. She periodic me to ask "Did you see each of them?" She had been at rest and happened to see them else. She understood she had consistently been a sky viewer. It was so heavy for me to get that endorse so I would understand that I was not non-governmentally. The same as did our film see? A level-headed being past trade event prediction on a clear day reports seeing not one, but two disc-shaped UFOs. Can we in a minute disobey his sighting? System of belief the idiosyncratic article now
We have received the last edition of the UFO Fotocat Blog, thanks to the permanent work of one of the most prominent Ufologists of Spain and the world: our dear friend and UAPSG Member, Mr. Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos.In this issue, it is announced a new book "UFOS AND GOVERNMENT: A HISTORICAL INQUIRY"by Michael Swords and Robert Powell with the important contributions of Clas Svahn (Sweden), Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos (Spain), Bill Chalker (Australia), Barry Greenwood (USA), Richard Thieme (USA), Jan Aldrich (USA), Steve Purcell (USA).In a message to "UFO Updates" forum list, Jerome Clark has expressed his experienced opinion, as writer and critic, about this book as follows:I HESITATE NOT A MOMENT TO PRONOUNCE THIS AMONG THE MOST SIGNIFICANT UFO BOOKS EVER WRITTEN. I'D PLACE IT IN THE TOP 10, AT LEAST OF WORKS WRITTEN IN ENGLISH. IT'S A MONUMENT TO SOBER, METICULOUS SCHOLARSHIP IN A FIELD WHERE SUCH IS ALL TOO RARE. IT SUPERSEDES ANY NUMBER OF BOOKS THAT PROMOTE SPECULATION AND CONSPIRACY THEORY -OR, AT THE OTHER END, BLANKET DENIAL- IN PLACE OF THE DOCUMENTABLE EVIDENCE, WHICH MAKES FOR A FASCINATING STORY IN ITSELF.The blog also presents the interview that UAPSG-GEFAI have done to Ballester Olmos, a report on "2012 BUFORA Conference "in England, news and comments on recent books and an analysis of the famous James P. Templeton photo of a little girl with a supposed "humanoid" figure behind her head.All in all, we sincerely recommend the reading of the blog, and also the acquisition of "UFOS AND GOVERNMENT: A HISTORICAL INQUIRY".See it at: http://fotocat.blogspot.com/
