Prior art on the idea here (DC-X ) --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M... and here (VTVL) -->http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VTVL

It's not bad planning, it's that the mission was to deliver goods. NOT deliver goods AND recover the booster.

better spoilers at http://www.themoviespoiler.com/Spoilers/darkknightrises.html

Spoiler alert: The alien bursts out of Batman's chest and kills Bane as his first victim :-)

I resent that statement :-)

actually...

The email attributed the piece to "Colonel L. Caudill USMC (Ret)." We did some research and found that apparently there is no Col (or Major) L. Caudill USMC (Ret). Rather it appears that the essay was written by Marko Kloos and posted on his blog on March 23, 2007. You can read more of his essays by clicking here. Unfortunately there are none posted after July, 2008. But if you like the essay above you will also find this one interesting, particularly if you are in the market for a handgun. And there are other gun related pieces on Marko's blog you will likely be interested in.

Take a look at google for more details

I use my Stupid Truck.

I'd rather have a smaller vehicle, but honestly, the cost to me to have two vehicles is more than I'd save by driving a commuter car to work, and the pickup on the weekends. BUT, I just ran the numbers again, and at $4.00 per gallon of gas, a commuter car would save me $1,430 a year (17 mpg for my truck, and assuming 40 mpg for a commuter car). Extra insurance per year is $900, so now I'm only saving $530 per year.There's no way I can get a commuter car for $530 a year, so I stick with my truck. And don't try telling me that I can always rent a truck when I need one. I USE my truck, AS A TRUCK, every week. I carry bikes, camping gear, fishing gear, lumber, dogs, yard stuff (dirt, mulch, topsoil, plants). During the fall, I use it as a truck to haul tons of mulch around, and I tend to fill up the truck with mulch easily more than 40 times.

Basically, I'm stuck with my truck.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

EVERYONE needs to send letters (NOT emails) to their state's senators. If enough people deluge their offices with "Shutdown the TSA" mail, they'll finally get a clue and do something about.

And yes, spend the money on a stamp, these guys pay more attention to paper mail than email.

I have a cheaper/better/faster alternative to this

It can go for miles, can refuel automatically off of native vegetation, can be taught new commands in the battlefield, and is self-replicating.

It's called a HORSE!

App store? HA! I'm moving to an Android (don't know which yet) just because all the apps are over there, and NOTHING GOOD is on my Blackberry (Google sky, for instance)