Jun 222020
 

OK, I’m four years behind the ball on this. Eh.

Behold, OK Go’s video for “Upside Down & Inside Out.” It was filmed on a Russian Vomit Comet and thanks to some pretty ingenious editing, it looks like a pretty seamless several minutes of freefall choreography.

Those “stewardesses” are *amazing.*

 

 Posted by at 8:00 pm
Jun 202020
 

If you’re tired of seeing Americans tear their own country down because their minds have been sucked into the muck and mire of “social justice,” then spend a few moments marveling at another front on the War On The West, Britain. Putin, the ChiComs and the Jihadis have got to be laughing their asses off.

Tea, Biscuits, and Empire: The Long Con of Britishness

What must it be like to be so filled with self-loathing, I wonder.

 

 Posted by at 9:26 am
Jun 202020
 

Late last year I saw “Ad Astra” in the theater and I was unimpressed. Blogged about it HERE. I watched it again tonight on HBO and, wow, does it still suck. All of my complaints remain in full effect.

I have a challenge for Hollywood: make a near-future Space Movie where:

1) The tone is hopeful and optimistic, not dismal

2) The science at least *tries* to replicate that of the real world, so that it doesn’t promptly yank you right out of the story

3) The characters aren’t miserable, horrible people.

You know, a “space movie” that people might actually want to see.

Ideas:

A) Someone making a bank full of cash with space tourism

B) Someone making a banking industry full of cash with space mining/industrialization.

C) Someone changing the world with space based solar power, either vast SPS or by paving the lunar surface with PV arrays

D) Someone fundamentally exploding the ecological paradigm by building kilometer-scale O’Neill space habitats in GEO and beyond

E) A manned exploration mission to Titan or Neptune or Pluto or some such.

F) The United States Space Force kicking ChiCom ass in GEO, on the Lunar surface, wherever

G) Musk 2.0 developing a FTL propulsion system

 

I have effectively non-existent hopes of seeing a major Hollywood movie along these lines. Even if a screenplay for a fundamentally optimistic story like these came along, I feel fairly confident that it would be tainted by turning the main characters either into complete friggen’ idiots, or by making everyone utterly miserable and screwed up… which seems to be the default for Hollywood, because the place seems to be infested with people who are fundamentally miserable and screwed up. The kind of people who celebrate rioting and looting, then retreat behind their gated communities.

Prove me wrong, Hollywood. I ᚠᚪᛣᚳᛁᚾᚷ dare you.

 Posted by at 1:39 am
Jun 192020
 

SDG&E Worker Fired Over Alleged Racist Gesture Says He Was Cracking Knuckles

A Hispanic guy was fired from San Diego Gas & Electric for – at worst – making the “OK” gesture, though he claims he was cracking his knuckles.

Even better: Californians of A Certain Ideological Persuasion are pushing for a ballot measure titled “California Repeal Proposition 209 Affirmative Action Amendment.”  The titles suggests that it would repeal Prop 209, which banned affirmative action. But what would it *actually* do? It would strike out a bit of text from the California Constitution. Just a smidgeoon of text. nothing much to worry your little head about. Just this:

(a) The State shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.

(b) This section shall apply only to action taken after the section’s effective date.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as prohibiting bona fide qualifications based on sex which are reasonably necessary to the normal operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as invalidating any court order or consent decree which is in force as of the effective date of this section.

(e) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted as prohibiting action which must be taken to establish or maintain eligibility for any federal program, where ineligibility would result in a loss of federal funds to the State.

(f) For the purposes of this section, “State” shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, the State itself, any city, county, city and county, public university system, including the University of California, community college district, school district, special district, or any other political subdivision or governmental instrumentality of or within the State.

(g) The remedies available for violations of this section shall be the same, regardless of the injured party’s race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin, as are otherwise available for violations of then-existing California antidiscrimination law.

(h) This section shall be self-executing. If any part or parts of this section are found to be in conflict with federal law or the United States Constitution, the section shall be implemented to the maximum extent that federal law and the United States Constitution permit. Any provision held invalid shall be severable from the remaining portions of this section.[2]

So… yeah. If this passes, California will be in the business of discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting. That will doubtless work fabulously well.

 

 

 Posted by at 4:37 pm
Jun 192020
 

Research sheds new light on intelligent life existing across the galaxy

No actual evidence for alien civilizations is provided or implied; it’s just another estimate based on assumptions. The conclusion reached here is that there may be around 30 intelligent, communicating technological civilizations in the galaxy right now… separated by an average of about 17,000 light years.

Which means there ain’t nobody to hear just now. If a powerful radio transmission was directed straight at us using a radio telescope, we could pick it up from tens of thousands of light years away, so long as we were listening at the right time and in the right direction. But transmissions such as commercial radio and television? Likely swamped by natural radio emission within a mere light year or two. Summary: unless and until some current-physics-defying tech comes available – warp drive, hyperspace comms, that sort of thing – the universe will likely remain empty-looking.

 Posted by at 2:49 pm
Jun 192020
 

Trump may not be the prophet we need. He may not be the prophet we deserve. But he’s the one we got.

George Washington statue toppled, American flag burned by Portland protesters

Continue reading »

 Posted by at 2:35 pm