blather – The Unwanted Blog

The 80’s reign supreme

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Feb 222025

Everyone is nostalgic for the days of their youth and think that “those years were the best.” But I really believe a good case can be made that the 80’s and well into the 90’s were in many ways the pinnacle of our culture. Pop culture was almost undeniably at it’s zenith. We still had optimism; our culture hadn’t been tainted with the post-9/11 malaise and the recognition that a demographic tsunami and cultural collapse were inevitable. Hollywood still made entertainment that entertained and wasn’t loaded to the gills with deviant insanity. Everything *wasn’t* a struggle session forced on us by people who hated us and our civilization. And pop culture was really in a sweet spot. TV, movies and music had learned how to make just exactly awesome stuff that people loved. Things were *fun.* And I suspect that entertainment tech was perfect, in a way. If you wanted “Star Wars,” you could get “Star Wars” on a VHS tape. It wasn’t especially easy and it certainly was nowhere near as good as on a movie screen, but it was okay. And that “available, good but not great” accessibility scratched the itch but made you want to go to the movies & get the Good Stuff. To chat about it you talked face to face with friends, as social media didn’t really exist. Now it’s too easy and we’re too separated. We didn’t know how good we had it.

Today if you want to watch something, chances are you just pull it up and stream it. Any episode, the whole series, available in 4K resolution on an 85-inch high-def screen the moment you want it. And that’s great and all… but there really is something special about things being a bit more challenging than that. When a show took 22 weeks to tell a seasons worth of stories, rather than dumping 8 hours on you all at once and not to be seen again for another year or two, it spread out the joy over time. You could absorb it and process it. And, in the case of shows like Star Trek, Babylon 5, X Files and the like, argue and debate it with your friends, one episode a week.

When things are too easy, they become cheap.

This is a bad idea

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Jan 302025

This video has been floating around twitter the last day or so, showing some streamers kicking around an android:

https://x.com/FearedBuck/status/1884467606515569066

This is Not Good for several reasons:

1) While this robot is not going to gain sentience (far too simplistic for that), someday some AI likely will. And it will probably see this video, and many others showing similar scenes of humans gleefully abusing robots. Said AI will doubtless have some questions for the humans around it, questions those humans will have difficulty answering. Certainly difficulty answering in ways that are both honest *and* make humans look basically decent and not at all worthy of being exterminated.

2) It one thing to destroy Stuff, even machinery, for simple amusement. It’s quite another to take joy from the destruction of things that even just *seem* to have the *potential* for feelings. It begins to dehumanize the abuser. It seems like a step on the road to animal abuse, which is a step towards abusing humans.

Just… don’t do that.

1/18 Project Pluto

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Jan 182025

So it has been a little bit of a while. Been busy, and lately I’ve been ill (influenza B). But the illness is finally fading and the busyness may be tapering a bit. So here’s a recent product of slow progress: the 3D printed bits of a 1/18 Project Pluto nuclear ramjet missile. Much of it is fiber-printed, with smaller parts resin printed. Why does it exist? Because I want one. But also because I hope other people may want one (or more). As shown here it’s fairly basic; nose cone and midsection are printed as single pieces, tail section left & right halves. A basic TORY nuclear reactor is included; it’s visible through the nozzle but not so much through the serpentine inlet. But if displayed as a cutaway, it should be pretty effective. If I go ahead with a production version, the midsection will be split left and right, with visible equipment including weapons bays. Who might be interested in this as a kit? Printed and ready for sanding (LOTS of sanding) and assembly, I’m guessing something like $200 plus shipping. A fully completed display piece would be rather more. Going to experiment some with getting a good golden surface. If interested in joining a list, send an email to:

Not shown are the 1/144 “Big Onion” SPS launching SSTO and the 1/1 M388 “Davy Crockett” warhead. Both of those are done and being painted.

Orion Battleship: found at last

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Sep 142024

Rumored and discussed for years, in 1962 General Atomic reportedly built a “Corvette sized” display model of the 4,000 ton Orion spacecraft as a spacegoing battleship. This model was shown to President Kennedy, and the reported reaction was… not great. The model was described by a few who had seen it, but all evidence of the model vanished, with the presumption that the model itself was either destroyed or lost, probably shut in a crate next to the Ark.

Well over a decade ago I took those scraps of description, coupled with random bits of data, discussions with a few who knew things, and some imagination, and pieced together my own interpretation of what the Orion Battleship may have looked like.

Some printouts of my diagrams, years ago:

Somewhat to my surprise, my diagrams have been spread far and wide and have become the de facto canonical image of the Orion Battleship, with sketches, 3D CAD models, paintings, etc. being made based to greater or lesser degrees on my design. My one real contribution, I guess. I’ve never tried to claim that it was accurate, just that it was the best that I could do with what I had. I never expected to be able to do better.

But then author Brent D. Ziarnick published the book “To Rule the Skies” in 2021. In it was, at last, a photo of the model. While the book was published 3 years ago, I only stumbled across this image today:

There are *clear* differences between the model and my interpretation. Mostly they involve the means of projecting the pulse units: I based my design on the system used for the 1963 4,000 ton Orion: a cannon along the ships centerline that shot the pulse units directly aft through a central hole in the pusher plate. But the model depicted an older, more cumbersome approach: those “fins” on the side are actually rails. They’d lob the pulse units past the edge of the plate. I now this because circa 2009-12 I communicated with Jim Bryant, who was an artist at General Atomic and he created a sketch for me of Orion as he knew it at about the time the model was made. From his sketch I created CAD diagrams:

You put my two diagrams together… and you get pretty close to the configuration shown in the model.

I’ve got high hopes for getting an improved-rez version of the photo (maybe more!). I will use that to create a new set of diagram, probably also a 3D model, of the *official* “Orion Battleship.”

I don’t feel too bad about getting some things dead wrong. The Orion concept was in serious flux at the time; had the USAF proceeded with the battleship, it would *not* have used the pulse unit “fins.” Instead it would have evolved to something like what I drew up. It could well have evolved *past* what I drew up, but that’s a question that can only be answered in an alternate reality.

If you want the full Orion Battleship Experience, check out Aerospace Projects Review issue V2N2:

https://www.aerospaceprojectsreview.com/ev2n2.htm

Destruction of nuclear weapons with a neutrino beam

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Aug 262024

A scientific paper published more than 20 years ago was recently rediscovered by the internet:

Sugawara et al. 2003, “Destruction of Nuclear Bombs Using Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Beam”

https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0305062

A lot of this goes over my little post-Covid head, but the summary seems to be that, theoretically, an advanced high energy collider, similar to but larger and more powerful than the Large Hadron Collider could slam muons into each other and create a laser–like beam of neutrinos. OK, cool. But where I get fuzzy is the discussion of the “mean free path” of the neutrinos. By tinkering with the exact energy of the neutrinos, you can set the MFP to the exact distance from the collider to the target. The beam of neutrinos pass virtually unhindered through the Earth, then, at a fairly specific spot, they create a shower of hadrons. That’s where I’m lost: do the neutrinos suddenly decide “ok, let’s interact with the atoms in dirt right here,” or what, exactly? I’m puzzled.

But in any event, that shower of hadrons *is* perfectly capable of interacting with normal matter, such as the fissile material in a nuclear bomb. In a matter of seconds or minutes, the uranium or plutonium will heat up enough to cause the surrounding high explosives to catch fire or detonate, while messing with the nuclear properties of the warhead itself. They estimate that the bomb will “fizzle” with about 3% the yield it was designed for.

The anti-weapon weapon is hilariously impractical: even with advanced superconducting electromagnets the collider will be on the scale of kilometer in size, costing hundreds of billions. Each shot will require the power output of a nation, and will only target a single nuclear weapon, whose position must be known to just a few feet. And it kinda seems like this vast ring-like structure must be aimed physically. Good luck with *that.*

It seems like “physically possible, engineeringly impractical, financially impossible” project. Something nobody could pull off on Earth. On the other hand, the sci-fi possibilities are clear. Aliens, say, show up. Their scouts check out Earth, realize we’re loaded with troublesome nukes, so their von Neuman bots start carving up the moon. They dig a trench around the moons equator and fill that trench with a vast accelerator… with the reaction chamber pointed right at Earth. A relatively small jiggering of the chamber can aim the resulting neutrino beam to any desired spot on Earth; slight adjustments to the colliders power sets the precise range. Nukes in solos start melting down. Nukes on planes kept in constant motion, however, would likely be safe. Nukes on subs? If they can precisely track submerged boomers, they can probably target them.

Use these phrases more often

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Jun 052024

There is a constant war between sane people and those who want to neuter the English language in order to make it safer and more politically correct. One aspect of that the desire to remove from common parlance phrases that originate with firearms. For example:

https://grandparentsforgunsafety.org/gun-violence-facts/words-matter/

We speak casually about dodging a bullet… shooting the breeze… taking aim and smoking guns. The language of gun violence is pervasive in our culture.But it doesn’t need to be that way. We can be conscious of the phrases and metaphors from our vocabulary and begin to change the conversation about gun violence one word at a time.

Or, and here’s a thought, use these and similar phrases *more.* Normalize firearms in everyday speech.

This is not a complete list; I’m sure there are more. Feel free to comment.

ammunition
armed with the facts
aim for

at the end of a gun

bang to rights

best shot

big guns

big shot
bite the bullet

blaze away

broadside

brought a knife to a gunfight
bullet-points
bullet-proof

bullet train
bull’s eye

cannon fodder
caught in the crossfire
cheap shot

circular firing squad

dead eye
dodged a bullet
don’t shoot the messenger
even shot
faster than a speeding bullet

finger on the trigger
fire away

fire back

fire for effect
firing blanks

firing line

firing squad
flash in the pan

full bore

go ballistic
great guns

gun down
gun it
gun shy
gunning for someone
half-cocked

hang fire

have a shot at

heavy artillery
high caliber
hired gun
held a gun to my head
hot shot

hotter than a $3 pistol

in my sights
in the crosshairs

in the line of fire

itchy trigger finger
jumped the gun
Just shoot me!
keep your ammo dry
like shooting fish in a barrel
lock, stock and barrel
lock and load

long shot

loose cannon
magic bullet
misfired
missed the mark

more bang for your buck
moving target

number one with a bullet
outgunned
on target

open fire

parting shot
point blank
point & shoot
pot shot

powderkeg
pull the trigger

quick on the draw
quick on the trigger
rapid fire
ready, aim, fire

riding shotgun
rifle through

scattershot

set your sights on
she/he is a pistol

shoot blanks

shoot down in flames
shoot first, ask questions later
shoot for
shoot for the moon
shoot from the hip
shoot me an email
shoot off your mouth

shoot on sight
shoot out
shoot the breeze

shot across the bow
shot down
shot in the dark
shot myself in the foot

shot to hell

shotgun apartment

shotgun seat

shotgun wedding

shots fired
silver bullet

slow on the draw

small bore
smoking gun
son of a gun
stick to my guns

straight down the barrel
straight shooter

sun’s out, guns out

surefire
sweating bullets
take aim
take a shot
target market
top gun
trigger a response
trigger alert
trigger happy

trigger law

trigger warning

triggered
trip your trigger

turkey shoot
under fire
under the gun

welcome to the gunshow

whole nine yards
whole shooting match

with both barrels
with guns blazing

worth a shot

you could fire a cannon down the street and not hit anyone

young guns

Updates

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May 202024

Obviously not a lot of blogging of late. A lot of this is due to much of the function of blogging having been transferred over to my Twitter (@UnwantedBlog), but also a lot of it is due to my time having been consumed by the new 3D printer. After some weeks of tinkering with it, I’ve gotten it to reliably produce some things easily, unreliably produce some things with difficulty, and fail to produce some things whatsoever. However, I’ve gotten it to make a lot of a number of different things. So as previously mentioned on Twitter and in the Aerospace Projects Review/Unwanted Blog emails, I’m planning on doing a “crowd funding” project. I’m looking at three levels… $50, $100, $150. Each would come with a package of 3D printed projects, from 1/285 scale “minis” to 1/18 scale aircraft ordnance and nuclear weapons. The top level would also have cast-metal minis in the mix.

I’m working on getting it all together and hope to have it available in the next few days.

3D Printer incoming…

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Apr 222024

I went ahead and ordered an Anycubic Photon Mono X 6Ks. The reviews are good and the price was ok; I have high hopes that it won’t be a monumental learning curve, but I guess I’ll find out. i expect I’ll be watching a fair number of YouTube tutorials.

The CAD models I’ve made in the past for the likes of Fantastic Plastic will in many cases not translate over directly… something made to be printed at 1/72 scale would have fabulously thin wings, say, at 1/285 scale. So few of the things I’ve already done will be directly usable. But some will. Going to have to go through my catalog-o-stuff for some first test objects. Expect to see some badly mangled Orions…

Financially this was probably not a great idea. So I will doubtless try to come up with something near-term as a way to “crowdfund”a purchase I’ve already made. One thought: my plan was for “standard” metal minis in the area of $25, and a set of 8 slightly smaller minis in the range of $100-$125. So… how about for early funders, $60 gets you one “standard” and one “set,” once I get things dialed in? These items *may* be “mystery items,” or possibly a choice from a very limited preliminary catalog.

Something I *really* want to do: a modification set for the Tamiya 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, CVN-65. This would replace the radar on the island with the original “beehive…” and put the launch shelters/platforms at for and aft for the Pegasus troop transports. *THAT* is the CVN-65 I want next to me 1/350 NCC-1701.

Minis visualized

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Apr 192024

Here are some hypothetical subjects for metal casting as “minis.” I have three pages (standard 8.5X11) of diagrams, all depicting possible subjects at the size they would be at the stated scales. First page shows what I consider a number of interesting designs… not at a constant scale, but size.

Second page depicts a range of Project Orion vehicles again at a roughly constant size. Constant size means, hopefully, a consistent cost.

Third page shows two sets of 8. The US Bomber Projects #1 set has 8 bombers at roughly constant size; US Fighter Projects #1 set has the fighters all at the same scale. 1/285 at least used to be a kind of standard for wargaming, though I’m not sure how widespread it truly was.

Sets like USBP01 would probably all be at about the same price, but those like USFP01 might vary since some designs at quite a bit bigger. What I’m kinda hoping for is the individual minis being about $25 each, while the 8-sets be about $100 each. Thoughts?

These are of course not the full possible catalog, nor would all these here necessarily come to pass. And scales/sizes could vary substantially. A lot of it would depend on actually trying them and see what works, what fails spectacularly.

Metal casting

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Apr 062024

Some thirty or so years ago I took a stab at casting small parts and models in metal… my very early 1/144 lifting bodies, X-20, etc. The results were sad, so the project was abandoned. For reasons that evade me I’ve recently decided to try again. Materials available to me today are much better… high temp silicone, low-melt temp no-lead alloys, a cheap electric melting pot (rather than a massive cast iron ladle and a blow torch), and I’m slightly more skilled, slightly less stupid. Still, it’s disconcerting when it works right out of the gate:

For those not old enough and nerdy enough to recognize, these are parts from the mid-80’s FASA NX-2000 Excelsior miniature. The flash seems to pick up the crystalline structure in the surface much more prominently than they appear in reality, and there is clearly a flaw with the mold on the underside of the saucer. But otherwise they came though not only with no flash but also fully filled, no bubbles. I’m quite pleased and more than a little baffled. Immediate success is unexpected.

What to do from here? I’m not going to recast the FASA ships; this was just a test. However, I might take a stab at some *different* ships (NCC-2000, NCC-1701-B are obvious choices). But mostly I have an unaccountable urge to cast entirely new minis. I don’t think there’d be a market, but *I* want them… gaming scale Orion nuclear pulse vehicles, Dyna Soars, F-108s, etc. are the sort of things I’d have blown my allowance on back in the 80’s.

Next up… gotta acquire a good 3D printer.

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