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Posted on: Return to Kecksburg
at 11/25/2009 2:57pm

It's not odd at all if you know what an FOIA request is. It's not about secrets. Indeed, an FOIA request does not ... more(+)

FlatEarth wrote:I've always considered the Kecksburg incident a clean open and shut case about a recovered Soviet capsule, and I still do. When a journalist draws conclusions as Leslie Kean does, their credibility is suspect.

Ditto, especially with the description of the object as a "jumbo-sized acorn". That sounds very much like a photographic film capsule. In the days before high-res digital imagery, if you wanted to get really good pictures of the enemy, you needed to use film. You could develop the film internally, scan it, and then transmit an analog signal to Earth (much like the early lunar probes), but this would also compromise the image quality. For the very best image quality, you'd need to return the actual film to Earth. For this reason, spy satellites (US, Soviet, and others) were equipped with return capsules that could be jettisoned when the film canister was "full". This obviously limited the useful lifespan of the spacecraft, at least as a photo recon satellite. But there was no alternative at the time.

Note: the rather strange Crocodile Hunter movie has a plot revolving around a film canister from an American satellite. (Obviously a rather archaic one; I'm sure they all use digital technology now.) It reenters and is then promptly eaten by a crocodile. The movie then pits the late Steve Irwin (who is attempting to capture and relocate the croc) against a couple of bumbling American spies attempting to capture the croc so they can kill it and extract the capsule. It's funny, but you definitely have to suspend disbelief (and possibly also your perception of reality) altogether.

jim48 wrote:Doesn't it strike you as odd that we have to use FOI requests to get info from NASA? Since when does NASA keep secrets? The Department of Defense I can understand, but NASA?

It's not odd at all if you know what an FOIA request is. It's not about secrets. Indeed, an FOIA request does not entitle you to any secrets at all, from any agency. For instance, a government contractor may design and build a piece of equipment for the government. Since it was paid for by Uncle Sam, the government gets unlimited rights to the design. However, they don't quite get carte blanche; it's still an industrial secret, and the property of the company which first produced it. So you can't go up to the US Air Force and ask for a detailed design and complete partlist for the engines. That would violate the manufacturer's rights. However, the government can choose to give another company access to that information (because of those unlimited rights). This is sometimes done if the government finds that it needs a particular product but is dissatisfied with the performance of the company which designed it. If it's unpublished, the government doesn't have the right to give it to anyone who asks.

Another category of secrets is stuff covered under HIPAA -- health care stuff. You can't use FOIA to get information about a particular soldier's medical history, for instance, unless he/she authorizes you to have that information. And of course, there's always national security stuff. If something is classified Secret, FOIA ain't gonna get it for you.

This is why FOIA requests sometimes result in information which is redacted; you don't have a right to all of the information.

So, why do you need to use FOIA requests with respect to NASA? Mostly because not all of their data is available through public sources (e.g. the Web, libraries, etc). You may not even have to cite FOIA when requesting data. Just because you have to ask for it doesn't mean it's hidden or secret in any way. They simply have too much data to gift-wrap it all for the general public, especially given that much of it is highly technical and of only limited interest anyway. The few who want that highly technical data can ask for it. close(-)

Posted on: If the earth had rings like Saturn
at 11/25/2009 2:06pm

WOOT! Thank you, Shpaget!

Posted on: Anyone else want to beat this guy to a pulp?
at 11/25/2009 1:09pm

No, that's not what he's saying. He's saying there's a double standard between treatment of pets and treatment of ... more(+)

brandbll wrote:Listen buddy, we get it. You hate people that smoke marijuana but you dig people that like to stomp a puppy's face in for no good reason. Your fetish is sick, so lets just move on.

No, that's not what he's saying. He's saying there's a double standard between treatment of pets and treatment of animals destined for food (whether commercially or through hunting). I disagree, on the basis that most animal welfare laws apply equally to all animals. The law doesn't contain a double standard. But he perceives a double standard, and it's a fair argument.

Less clear is MA's position on whether this is because he thinks it's okay to treat animals this way, or whether he thinks hunting and raising animals for food is unethical. I am not going to make any assumptions on that. close(-)

Posted on: A traditional song for Thanksgiving...
at 11/25/2009 12:54pm

Alice's Restaurant is, without a doubt, one of the strangest songs I've got sheet music for.



And, since the book ... more(+)

Alice's Restaurant is, without a doubt, one of the strangest songs I've got sheet music for.



And, since the book that contains it is sorted alphabetically, it's the very first song in the book! This isn't important, but in the spirit of the stream of consciousness, I thought I'd mention it. close(-)

Posted on: Jon Stewart's Brilliant Glenn Beck Parody
at 11/25/2009 12:22pm

If you like parodies of individuals, go to YouTube and look up "Dead Ringers". They're hilarious. They're ... more(+)

If you like parodies of individuals, go to YouTube and look up "Dead Ringers". They're hilarious. They're all professional impersonators, and they do public figures regularly. Some of them are absolute chameleons. It started out as a radio show where they often crank-called people while impersonating someone. I got to know of them because of their Dr Who skits. (One guy does an absolutely dead-on Tom Baker.) They do a lot of political skits. Alas, the series has now been canceled, but they live on in YouTube. They primarily skewer British politicians (with Tony Blair appearing quite frequently), but the guy who does Tom Baker also does a George W Bush impersonation, relying heavily on his malapropisms. close(-)

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