Launched in April 2005 from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., XSS-11 has also completed more than 75 natural motion circumnavigations of the expended rocket body. During its projected 12 to 18month flight, the spacecraft will conduct rendezvous and proximity maneuvers with several U.S.-owned dead or inactive resident space objects near its orbit, as well as will demonstrate more autonomy as the project continues.

"US-owned dead or inactive resident space objects..."

Cutting edge microsatellite achieves milestones

Mark's lapse into the third person - "He's ... on the outside, looking in" - helped me realize what had disturbed me about him from the start.

He seemed fake, as if playing a role.
...
Everything about him, down to his carefully chosen, probably pricey, "worn out" clothing felt scripted.

It is a kind of identity disorder I believe has its roots in a society that has drifted free from reality and is creating adolescents (and, I would venture, people of many ages) who are at most participant-observers in their own lives, with little genuine emotion - like actors playing themselves.

Speaking in the Third Person, Removed From Reality

Sprint Nextel will announce a deal to offer cellphone services with the nation's three largest cable television operators as early as tomorrow, according to people briefed on the deal.

Sprint Deal With Cable TV Operators Seen

In a step toward reconciliation on the divided Korean Peninsula, North and South Korea agreed today to compete as a single nation for the first time at the 2006 Asian Games and at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a South Korean Olympic official said.

This is positive, if superficial.

The endgame for Korea is reunification, just like Germany. Sooner or later, the DPRK regime is going to fold. Just get it over with, already!

Two Koreas to Compete as Single Nation at Olympics

The new attempt at nominating a second Supreme Court justice presents a rare opportunity for Mr. Bush to revitalize his political base and to put his mark on the court at a time when the White House is besieged.

This is probaby risky for the president. It doesn't seem like the administration has nearly the political capital for a protracted battle over this nomination.

Bush Nominates Alito for Supreme Court Seat

With the announcement of a new Supreme Court nominee expected as early as Monday, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, warned President Bush on Sunday not to pick one of the candidates said to be on the president's short list, Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr.

Parties Set Stage for Showdown on Court Choice

The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) partners in the U.S.A., Italy and Germany are pleased to announce that they chieved "First Light" on Oct. 12, 2005. These exceptional images were obtained with one of the telescope's two primary mirrors in place and are being released today on the World Wide Web, http://www.lbto.org.

The image is stunning.

Large Binoccular Telescope Successfully Achieves First Light

I. Lewis Libby Jr., Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff and one of the most powerful figures in the Bush administration, was formally accused today of lying and obstruction of justice during an inquiry into the unmasking of a covert C.I.A. officer.

Libby Indicted

The company has identified 13 different spamming operations that use such "zombies," it said Thursday. A lawsuit was filed against unnamed defendants in August. Since then Microsoft has tracked down some of the people behind the operations, said Tim Cranton, director of Internet Safety Enforcement Programs at Microsoft in Redmond, Wash.

My new day job is keeping gmail safe from the undead hordes. Zombies are bad. bad bad bad bad bad bad!

Microsoft takes on spam zombies

Tom Gardner has made it his mission to uncover the best underfollowed, underappreciated companies before Wall Street gets on board. The legendary Peter Lynch once had a few things to say on the subject, and Tom thinks investors should listen up.

Finding Lynch's 10-Baggers