This was a fun one! I got a new mic for Brian that gives us a more consistent level for him with less noise. We had a bunch of crap going on, and were a bit rushed, but still had a good session. We kept on topic for the most part and got to all our stories (although we really only cared about the Enterprise thing).
News Items:
Obama Affirms Belief that Same Sex Couples Should Get Married
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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House on Monday approved a bill designed to prevent the state from subsidizing abortions even indirectly through tax breaks, but the measure’s chances in the Senate appeared uncertain.
The bill was adopted by an 88-31 vote. The measure would prohibit Kansas taxpayers from claiming abortion expenses under a deduction for medical costs when filing their income taxes. It also would deny tax breaks to abortion providers, such as an exemption to the sales tax that nonprofit groups claim when purchasing goods.
Jesus Christ, Kansas, please stop trying to compete with Arizona and North Carolina for the ‘Most Embarrassing State’ title!
http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2011_12/measures/documents/sb313_02_0000.pdf
We Can Build the Enterprise within Twenty years
This website proposes something truly inspiring. It is this: We have the technological reach to build the first generation of the spaceship known as the USS Enterprise – so let’s do it. The ship can be similar in size and will have the same look as the USS Enterprise that we know from the Star Trek science fiction. It ends up that this ship configuration is quite functional. This first generation Enterprise can have 1g artificial gravity and ample living space. It can be as comfortable to live in as being on earth. A thousand people can be on board at once – either as crew members or as adventurous visitors. While the ship will not travel at warp speed, it can travel at a constant acceleration such that the ship can easily get to key points of interest in our solar system.
OK, so this guy is officially our hero. We love the site, love the idea, and have major nerd wood right now. Continue reading
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