David Burbach ๐บ๐ธ๐น
@dburbach.bsky.social
Prof. National Security and International Relations. Space security, civil-military relations. Cats, science, photography for fun. Providence RI; Oregon at heart! Personal views ONLY; no govt resources used. Assoc Ed @TNSR.org
Pinned
My pinned tweet through Presidents of both parties: Sen. Leahy reminds an appointee that federal employees swear an oath to the Constitution, not of personal loyalty to any one man or woman.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlSI...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlSI...
Liberal Obama appointee, though did call herself a "contrarian" in an old interview
February 11, 2026 at 1:41 AM
Liberal Obama appointee, though did call herself a "contrarian" in an old interview
Look forward to what Admiral Kirk is able to put together for that match.
"You had an orbiting starship beam Dort from the sim in San Francisco to a South Atlantic iceberg?"
"there's nothing in writing saying you *cant* do that"
"You had an orbiting starship beam Dort from the sim in San Francisco to a South Atlantic iceberg?"
"there's nothing in writing saying you *cant* do that"
February 11, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Look forward to what Admiral Kirk is able to put together for that match.
"You had an orbiting starship beam Dort from the sim in San Francisco to a South Atlantic iceberg?"
"there's nothing in writing saying you *cant* do that"
"You had an orbiting starship beam Dort from the sim in San Francisco to a South Atlantic iceberg?"
"there's nothing in writing saying you *cant* do that"
You can't just "look forward not backward" There needs to be a price, a visible price. to encourage the others.
February 11, 2026 at 1:24 AM
You can't just "look forward not backward" There needs to be a price, a visible price. to encourage the others.
While they are failing to meet the ham sandwich test time after time, every now and then you'll draw an unlucky jury or a credulous / malicious judge (like the Fulton Co search warrant). This just can't go on and the next D needs to go after Trump DOJ appointees committing these abuses.
February 11, 2026 at 1:23 AM
While they are failing to meet the ham sandwich test time after time, every now and then you'll draw an unlucky jury or a credulous / malicious judge (like the Fulton Co search warrant). This just can't go on and the next D needs to go after Trump DOJ appointees committing these abuses.
Three different rockets on pads at Cape Canaveral at once, two of them two different crewed spacecraft! Is that a record?
Artemis 2 for Moon (39B), Vulcan with Space Force satellite (41), Crew 12 to ISS (40). And SpaceX has two Starlink waiting for pad 40 as quickly as they can turn it around.
Artemis 2 for Moon (39B), Vulcan with Space Force satellite (41), Crew 12 to ISS (40). And SpaceX has two Starlink waiting for pad 40 as quickly as they can turn it around.
Falcon 9 and Dragon on pad 40 for the Crew 12 mission aiming to launch on Friday (in the last 10 days its launch has gone 14th, 11th, 12th, 13th ๐คทโโ๏ธ)
February 11, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Three different rockets on pads at Cape Canaveral at once, two of them two different crewed spacecraft! Is that a record?
Artemis 2 for Moon (39B), Vulcan with Space Force satellite (41), Crew 12 to ISS (40). And SpaceX has two Starlink waiting for pad 40 as quickly as they can turn it around.
Artemis 2 for Moon (39B), Vulcan with Space Force satellite (41), Crew 12 to ISS (40). And SpaceX has two Starlink waiting for pad 40 as quickly as they can turn it around.
I suppose I would be a good test subject for whether space travel really is fine for everyone now: late 50s, don't exercise nearly enough, sinus trouble, acid reflux. Seriously I do not want to subject a Starship full of rando travelling public to zero-g nope โ๏ธ
February 11, 2026 at 1:13 AM
I suppose I would be a good test subject for whether space travel really is fine for everyone now: late 50s, don't exercise nearly enough, sinus trouble, acid reflux. Seriously I do not want to subject a Starship full of rando travelling public to zero-g nope โ๏ธ
Why am I here? Beyond general "it's cool!", that is? More later.
No, I am not going into space.
No, I am not going into space.
February 11, 2026 at 1:11 AM
Why am I here? Beyond general "it's cool!", that is? More later.
No, I am not going into space.
No, I am not going into space.
Why does anyone ever leave this paradise-on-the-pawtuxet?
February 11, 2026 at 1:09 AM
Why does anyone ever leave this paradise-on-the-pawtuxet?
I think this is about 11 miles to the Artemis stack on 39B and 14 or 15 miles to the Falcon9 on 40
February 11, 2026 at 1:09 AM
I think this is about 11 miles to the Artemis stack on 39B and 14 or 15 miles to the Falcon9 on 40
Did we have confirmation (in canon) before that Star Fleet has senior-level PME? Do CDR Spacemander and RedshirtDort poast about how woke it is all day long?
February 11, 2026 at 1:06 AM
Did we have confirmation (in canon) before that Star Fleet has senior-level PME? Do CDR Spacemander and RedshirtDort poast about how woke it is all day long?
Falcon 9 and Dragon on pad 40 for the Crew 12 mission aiming to launch on Friday (in the last 10 days its launch has gone 14th, 11th, 12th, 13th ๐คทโโ๏ธ)
February 11, 2026 at 1:00 AM
Falcon 9 and Dragon on pad 40 for the Crew 12 mission aiming to launch on Friday (in the last 10 days its launch has gone 14th, 11th, 12th, 13th ๐คทโโ๏ธ)
This isn't going to win any contests but it beats clearing snow in Rhode Island ๐๐
February 11, 2026 at 12:54 AM
This isn't going to win any contests but it beats clearing snow in Rhode Island ๐๐
The hugely popular "Killology" -- yes, really -- training materials used by many law enforcement agencies tells cops you'll never fuck your wife better than the night after you kill someone.
in a text string after the shooting, a fellow agent told Exum he's a "legend"
"Beers on me"
"Beers on me"
February 11, 2026 at 12:34 AM
The hugely popular "Killology" -- yes, really -- training materials used by many law enforcement agencies tells cops you'll never fuck your wife better than the night after you kill someone.
Insanity. Insanity that will kill people. For what???
"At the heart of the dispute is what existing influenza vaccine Moderna should have used as a control when testing the efficacy of its new shot, which utilizes the same mRNA technology the companyโs used in its Covid-19 vaccine."
www.statnews.com/2026/02/10/f...
www.statnews.com/2026/02/10/f...
FDA refuses to review Modernaโs influenza vaccine
FDA refuses to review Modernaโs influenza vaccine, which could raise concerns about the agencyโs posture toward vaccines and drug approvals more generally.
www.statnews.com
February 11, 2026 at 12:19 AM
Insanity. Insanity that will kill people. For what???
Palantir literally recruits with a "save Western civilization" slogan and warns that college is woke, so if Palantir's own employees are rebelling... Sheesh
SCOOP: Tensions at Palantir have grown in recent weeks over the company's work with ICE.
On Friday, CEO Alex Karp tried to calm concerns in an hourlong video that offered few specificsโinstead offering NDAs to workers who want to understand how it's empowering ICE.
www.wired.com/story/palant...
On Friday, CEO Alex Karp tried to calm concerns in an hourlong video that offered few specificsโinstead offering NDAs to workers who want to understand how it's empowering ICE.
www.wired.com/story/palant...
Palantir CEO Alex Karp Recorded a Video About ICE for His Employees
In a video shared with Palantir employees, Alex Karp did not explain how ICE is utilizing the company's products. Instead, workers were told they can sign NDAs if they want detailed information.
www.wired.com
February 10, 2026 at 8:45 PM
Palantir literally recruits with a "save Western civilization" slogan and warns that college is woke, so if Palantir's own employees are rebelling... Sheesh
Reposted by David Burbach ๐บ๐ธ๐น
A simple proposal for federal judges frustrated that Trump Regime isnโt freeing people in response to habeas corpus orders:
Order that DHS bring each individual to court for their habeas hearing. If the judge grants habeas, the petitioner walks out free.
Bonus: huge pre-hearing burden on feds.
Order that DHS bring each individual to court for their habeas hearing. If the judge grants habeas, the petitioner walks out free.
Bonus: huge pre-hearing burden on feds.
February 10, 2026 at 12:17 PM
A simple proposal for federal judges frustrated that Trump Regime isnโt freeing people in response to habeas corpus orders:
Order that DHS bring each individual to court for their habeas hearing. If the judge grants habeas, the petitioner walks out free.
Bonus: huge pre-hearing burden on feds.
Order that DHS bring each individual to court for their habeas hearing. If the judge grants habeas, the petitioner walks out free.
Bonus: huge pre-hearing burden on feds.
Nah, this is a real longstanding issue. The org structure incentives CCMDs to request everything, they don't pay the maintenance or personnel burnout
February 10, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Nah, this is a real longstanding issue. The org structure incentives CCMDs to request everything, they don't pay the maintenance or personnel burnout
Navy pushing back on Combatant Command requests for forces is probably a good thing. Not every problem needs a carrier strike group.
www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...
www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...
Navy leader wants to move faster, leaner instead of turning to carriers in crisis
Adm. Daryl Caudle wants to convince commanders to use smaller, newer assets for missions instead of consistently turning to huge aircraft carriers.
www.militarytimes.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:39 PM
Navy pushing back on Combatant Command requests for forces is probably a good thing. Not every problem needs a carrier strike group.
www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...
www.militarytimes.com/news/your-mi...
At some point the claims are so ludicrous you almost give him a bit of credit for lulz. Is this ice hockey thing purely because he imagines that will rile up Canadians or is there actually some maga thing going around about Mao banning it in the Sino Soviet split?
Trump, in the middle of his latest unhinged Truth Social screed, claims that if Canada makes a trade deal with China, "the first thing China will do is terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada, and permanently eliminate The Stanley Cup."
February 10, 2026 at 11:54 AM
At some point the claims are so ludicrous you almost give him a bit of credit for lulz. Is this ice hockey thing purely because he imagines that will rile up Canadians or is there actually some maga thing going around about Mao banning it in the Sino Soviet split?
Reposted by David Burbach ๐บ๐ธ๐น
Hegseth, among others, is using the school as a punching bag to express the generic social anxiety and status-based resentment that drives much of the MAGA movement.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Pete Hegsethโs Attack on Harvard
The anger at the Ivy League is about status envy, not war-fighting.
www.theatlantic.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Hegseth, among others, is using the school as a punching bag to express the generic social anxiety and status-based resentment that drives much of the MAGA movement.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Space colony boosters say the space workers would be highly skilled professionals so it would be irrational for the bosses to mistreat or airlock them
February 10, 2026 at 11:11 AM
Space colony boosters say the space workers would be highly skilled professionals so it would be irrational for the bosses to mistreat or airlock them
33 minutes from opening the Lyft app at my house to sitting at my airport gate, not bad.
For the traffic it has its impressive how compact PVD feels. "Across the street from Wendys" is a reasonable direction to the terminal
For the traffic it has its impressive how compact PVD feels. "Across the street from Wendys" is a reasonable direction to the terminal
February 10, 2026 at 11:08 AM
33 minutes from opening the Lyft app at my house to sitting at my airport gate, not bad.
For the traffic it has its impressive how compact PVD feels. "Across the street from Wendys" is a reasonable direction to the terminal
For the traffic it has its impressive how compact PVD feels. "Across the street from Wendys" is a reasonable direction to the terminal
This is not good. Trump ordering CIA and other agencies to share anything and everything -- SCI at a minimum -- with a private attorney 'investigating' 2020, a guy with about as much credibility and professionalism as Sydney Powell. Great.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
Trumpโs โStop the Stealโ lawyer probing 2020 election fraud has access to sensitive US intel
Top U.S. intelligence agencies are cooperating with Kurt Olsen, who worked with Trump to undermine the results of the 2020 election.
www.politico.com
February 10, 2026 at 1:57 AM
This is not good. Trump ordering CIA and other agencies to share anything and everything -- SCI at a minimum -- with a private attorney 'investigating' 2020, a guy with about as much credibility and professionalism as Sydney Powell. Great.
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
www.politico.com/news/2026/02...
I ask them why there aren't settlements on Baffin Island and they tell me it's because Canada isn't free enough, there's no point. Have to claim virgin territory where men can truly be free, to start over with a new order of total liberty.
February 9, 2026 at 10:06 PM
I ask them why there aren't settlements on Baffin Island and they tell me it's because Canada isn't free enough, there's no point. Have to claim virgin territory where men can truly be free, to start over with a new order of total liberty.
If a dinosaur killer asteroid were coming and i had 25 years warning and a few trillion dollars over that time, I'd build underground habitats on Earth vs settlements on Mars.ย 99.99% of humans are dying either way, but conditions on Earth will be better than on Mars very soon after the impact
February 9, 2026 at 5:57 PM
If a dinosaur killer asteroid were coming and i had 25 years warning and a few trillion dollars over that time, I'd build underground habitats on Earth vs settlements on Mars.ย 99.99% of humans are dying either way, but conditions on Earth will be better than on Mars very soon after the impact