My initial reaction was the kids were going to be sucked into the iPads and never pay attention to the teacher. However, if Maine is also planning to role out open source text books that will be used on the iPads, then I'm all for it. If the State no longer has to buy text books on a regular basis, the cost of the iPads, replacement and admin should be fairly reasonable to Maine's tax payers. That way the kids who want to learn can and those who don't, have a iPad pacifier for the day.

SpaceX announced a supple run to the ISS with their Dragon capsule in November. Wonder if the cargo is going to change now to make up for the progress mishap: http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-cetera/spacex-dragon-spacecraft-heading-to-the-iss-on-november-30-20110816/

I wonder if the write thought this through before he went to bemoan the idea that the rich will be the ones who can afford it. I'm all for the rich to spend their money on this and more so. If you look back in aviation history, those first long distance commercial flights were not cheap comparative to that era. Only the very rich could afford to go fly down to the Keys or from NYC to LA, the average person had to take a train, bus or if it was overseas travels, passenger ship. Aviation travels caught on with the rich because it saved them time, and time is either money (business trips) or pleasure while the airlines grew from providing this service. Jet airplane travel was not cheap, again, only the rich could afford it. It was a status symbol to be a "Jet Setter", so more and more paid the high ticket costs which grew the commercial travel industry on the backs of the rich. Today, it's often far cheaper to buy a ticket in advance on Spirit Airlines then it is travel by car, that is only happening because it's a mature market that was funded by the thrill seeking rich some 80 years ago.

This is the same way it has to happen for space travel so that the average person can afford to go for a sub-orbital and hopefully one day, a orbital trip. Rich have to be there to financially fund development and refinement of space travel, government will just FUBAR it up like they did the human space program over the past three decades. Toast the rich as they begin this phase of human space travel, they are funding it, and they are literally putting their lives on the line to make the system more economical and safer for us common folk in the future.

Did they license those characters from Lucas or will there be a pissed off Wookie visiting the island in the near future?

The entire debt ceiling is a giant failure. Most of the so called "cuts" are not due until at the end of the ten year period where it's unlikely that future congress will abide by it. Second issue is the National Debt. Only in Washington D.C. will spending increase by $7T in borrowing, a "cut." Yes, US Government would have borrowed another $9T but now they are going to "cut" and only borrow $7T. So we are now looking, after those "cuts" of only owing $22T, what a deal! But what if interest rates go up? US is only paying what, ~1.5% now, but if it went to 5.5%-6% like it was in the 90s? Remember 1/3 of the nation debt is in short term debt that rolls over in under 12 months. So $22T paying out 6% is $1.32T in INTEREST PAYMENTS. Greece recently had it's interest rate at 13.5% and there is no one big enough to bail out the US.

Now add in unfunded mandates worth about $60T+ and the trillions of dollars that the Fed threw around from quantum easing I and II, inflation will add into the perfect storm scenario perfectly. Who would be crazy enough to hold US treasury debt?

Will this be employees from Boeing USA or from Boeing Tianjin Composites?

A lie? No, I was off by one year, 1984. All other years, US Congress passed larger budgets, see: http://www.presidentreagan.info/reagan_budgets.cfm that Reagan's last years, US Congress went with significant spending increases. 4.6% more then Reagan's budget for 1989 and 3.9% in 1988.

I stand corrected, 1984 budget was actually smaller then what Reagan proposed, all other years were higher: http://www.presidentreagan.info/reagan_budgets.cfm

The problem is of course on spending side. Every single Reagan budget was pronounced DOA by Tip O'Neil (D), Speaker of the House. Every single budget that Congress approved was far larger then what Reagan wanted but had no choice but to sign it.

Lets get back to this disaster. US Budgets since Nixon days (Congress wanted to punish Nixon for holding back authorized spending on their projects) have been on automatic increases which is referred to Baseline Budgeting. Current US Budget is set to increase 7.5% annually. That means in ten years, if the "cut" $2T in "savings" means we actually spend $7T more. That is "Washington's Math" that we cut $2T from a $9T increase, but that's an evil thing to do. Note that if we have 100% tax on those making $100K or more, we are still short about $400B annually. If you think high taxes on the Rich is apart of the solution, take a look at NY State, they did this and the rich have either left or are in the process of leaving and lowering NY's revenue generation. Same has happen to the US, the rich will simply invest more overseas or leave and join their overseas investments. This is not a revenue problem, this is a spending addiction issue.

That means in 2022, we will have $22T in debt. I should be rejoicing in this? Right now the $14.7T is being funded in mostly short term debt, that means about a third of that debt is under 12 months before it matures. Right now we are paying about 1.5% APR on that debt when we typically pay about 5.5% for the 80s and 90s on the national debt. So on a monthly basis, we are paying roughly $28B. Imagine if that debt goes to ~6% interest? That jumps monthly payments to $112B monthly payment on the national debt or $1.14T in sudden expense to the US Budget for $14.7T we already have. Greece is paying 13.5% so if no one will buy US debt again (Chinese have already said no more) and we had to pay that today, that's $252B monthly or $3T annually in debt payment, but that is on 14.7T, try 13.5% on $22T.

Then add in QE I, II, and possible III to the US dollar supply, and we have massive inflation that will be hitting. Most of the QE "printed" money is sitting in banks. That dam will eventually break and we will have inflation, it's going to be 20% or will it be close to 100% is the only question. The perfect storm is coming, Wall Street CEOs have been dumping their own stock holdings at unheard of ratios, they know what is going to be happening. If you think we have alot of bank closings, just wait, the FDIC will break less Feds print more money to cover it, which will add to inflation. Why do you think Silver and Gold are so high and more are buying? india and China are buying about 38 tons of gold monthly, US is about 11 tons monthly as the smart money leaves paper for assets they can touch. Hell, by 2013, Mexico's Peso will be back by silver. And we are supposed to be happy about $2T reduction of the baseline increase of $9T? Mind control via propaganda.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperinflation_in_the_Weimar_Republic

I would say Skype is going to get some TLC on Linux side. Skype is free but the main revenue is using Skype as commercial service. This commercial service is a perfect vehicle for M$ to gain a revenue stream from Linux (box or droid users) that they normal would never see a dime from. Add Skype in new 7/8 installs, and that is a powerful method of dominating the VOIP market. I can easily see massive growth spike coming to Skype in the next two years.

In a case like this, best solution would be to file a complaint directly with FL Dept of Law Enforcement. They punch a case number and there is no "losing" the complaint as FLDE will make sure the investigation is done properly and then move forward if any findings substantiate the complaint. It's one thing for Metro Dade to do it's on investigation and justify the out come with FDLE, it's another if FDLE is involved at the beginning if not conducting their own investigation.

I wonder how Green Bank measures up to ATA's technical capabilities. Interesting that one gets switched off just a few months before the other goes live. Kinda have a feeling the US tax payer got short changed yet again.

Apple went out begging third party hardware developers to build to CHiRP (PReP) machines so it would run Mac OS8 and then reversed course denying them Mac OS-9 license. Some things never change with Apple. My first computer was an Apple ][+, I doubt I will ever own anything Apple related again.

Ever other ship that passes through that area gets a free squad (or larger depending on the size of the vessel) of US Marines. Give it about six months and the pirates will be out of business when half the pirates fail to return from each trip. If you really want to put a crimp in future piracy, block the harbors with large rocks so no major vessel can enter. Then the pirates have to remain at sea and face the SEALs. The few commercial ports left open would be easily secured against pirates using it as a base.