Apr 122023
 

As a non-user of mind-altering substances… good:

Federal Judge Tosses Gun Possession Case Against Drug Users

“In short, the historical tradition of disarming ‘unlawful’ individuals appears to mainly involve disarming those convicted of serious crimes after they have been afforded criminal process,” Judge Cardone wrote in her opinion. “Section 922(g)(3), in contrast, disarms those who engage in criminal conduct that would give rise to misdemeanor charges, without affording them the procedural protections enshrined in our criminal justice system.”

As with “red flag laws,” a case can be made for disarming someone. But that case requires the rule of law, the presumption of innocence, due process, the right of the accused to put up a defense. Just yeeting someones rights Because Reasons is unAmerican. And taking someones guns because they smoke dope is pretty stupid when we *don’t* take someones guns because they drink alcohol. I’ve seen drunks, and I’ve seen stoners… and I know which of the two I’d consider more chill, more likely to just sit there and gnaw on some Cheetos, and which group would be more likely to fly into an irrational rage.

 Posted by at 10:57 pm
Apr 112023
 

The Grim Truth: The War on Guns Is Lost

The author of this New Republic piece seems close to tears that:

  • Millions of Americans are exercising their basic rights
  • The Supreme Court recognizes their basic rights
  • Americans keep voting for enough politicians who understand the Constitution to keep the tyrants somewhat at bay.

This is one of those cases where reference to “liberal tears” is wholly legitimate. The author sees the idea of Americans being allowed to own standard firearms as a horrible tragedy, a failure of the police state she would prefer we lived in. The only hope she seems to have is in a “National Divorce.”

 

However, chances are quite good that the despair is performative. Take a look at the listing of the other New Republic pieces written by this author; they are all leftist black pills. Republicans either live rent free in her head, or she’s paying the rent by ginning up fear of Republicans.

Shrug.

 Posted by at 2:35 pm
Apr 042023
 

A Russian movie from 2022 seems to have had some good VFX depicting a series of relatively small asteroid impacts shotgun-blasting a city:

On the one hand, you can say that the Russian VFX people are quite good. on the other, you can point out that in 2022, Russians got a lot of practice with exploding cities. Or, rather, Russians got a lot of practice exploding cities.

 

 

 Posted by at 5:24 am
Apr 032023
 

Ever since the early sixties there have been ideas about “inspector” spacecraft that would check out other satellites. This would be done to see just what some foreign satellite actually was…r econ, communications, navigation, weapons platform. But actually doing it has not but done too often… at least, it hasn’t been *shown.* But here are the results of one commercial satellite – the Worldview-3 earth observer – looking at a Landsat from a range of about 100 kilometers. The imagery is remarkably clear.

 Posted by at 11:51 pm
Mar 282023
 

The first US Aerospace Projects in *years* is now available. Cover art was provided by Rob Parthoens, www.baroba.be

US VTOL Projects #3

US VTOL Projects #3 is now available (see HERE for the entire series). Issue #2 includes:

  • Lockheed CL-579: An optionally-manned “communications satellite” for after WWIII
  • Vanguard Model 18: A short range passenger transport from the 60s with slightly unusual wings
  • Hiller STORC: A helicopter that could convert into a conventional aircraft for long-range ferry flights
  • North American Rockwell NR-356 Sea Control Fighter: The design that led to the failed XFV-12A
  • Bell D181: One of the first VTOL “assault transports”
  • Hiller Anti-Submarine Warfare Drone Tailsitter: An unmanned pulsejet-powered torpedo-launcher
  • Gates Twinjet: An ill-timed executive transport helicopter
  • McDonnell Douglas VT107-4-4I: A short-range VTOL jetliner from the early 70s

While this issue covers the usual eight designs, note that it’s about 50% longer than similar, earlier issues. The delay in publication was due in large part to working on several book… and working on several books seems to have led me to be more verbose in my descriptions. So hopefully this means a better product!

 

 

 

 

USVP #3 can be downloaded as a PDF file for only $5.25:

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 Posted by at 8:18 am
Mar 242023
 

Season three of “Star Trek Picard” has been an astonishing breath of fresh “Star Trek.”  After four dismal years of “Discovery” insulting the fandom and crapping on the legacy, and two hideous seasons of “Picard” that took a steamer on the character of “Picard,” season three, under new management, has really turned things around. And the latest episode  goes so far as to wipe out the Discovery production design aesthetic.

There is a visit to the Star fleet Museum, showing a number of of ships on display. These include the Defiant from Deep Space Nine, Janeway’s Voyager, the NCC-1701-A Enterprise, the HMS Bounty whale hauler… and the USS New Jersey. This is a never before seen, probably never before mentioned ship. Which makes sense; doubtless Star Fleet has lots of ships worthy of keeping that never showed up in any prior episode or movie. But what makes the scene really special: all of these ships are, so far as I can tell, *exactly* what they should be in terms of design. The Bounty looks like a Klingon vessel from Star trek III and IV, not one of those gibberish ships from Discovery. The Enterprise, Voyager, Defiant are all quite correct. And the New Jersey? Take a look:

That’s a *proper* TOS-era Connie-class. Not like the sad spectacle of “Pikes” Enterprise from STD/SNW.

And there’s the fact that Worf looks like a Trek Klingon, not a nuTrek Klingork.

So, yeah. Picard ends with this season. But the powers that be will be *really* missing out if they don’t follow this up with a series that spins off of Picard Season Three… same production crew, same production aesthetic, same writers, same producers. They finally found people to work on Trek who actually *like* Trek.

 Posted by at 12:58 am
Mar 212023
 

The one where a guy watches “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” for the first time and realizes its genius. He’s a hoot to watch along with.

FYI: First time I saw this was in a high school history class. I fell out of my chair – literally – laughing when the French flung the cow.

 Posted by at 1:29 am