A pity that this is only an excerpt.
Jan 052020
Jan 052020
In 1985, Rockwell considered that there might be a market for space construction facilities for large orbital structure such as solar power satellites, large radio/radar antenna, SDI “elements” (likely references the relatively gigantic neutral particle beams, space based lasers and other “space guns” that were contemplated at the time) and other large structures. This capability was first contemplated in the mid 70’s for the SPS program, but did not really last much past the late 80’s when such vast structures were no longer really expected anytime soon.
Jan 052020
Given the lack of a moon and the incredibly slow rotation rate, this is a bit of a surprise.
Scientists find evidence that Venus has active volcanoes
Active volcanoes would have please pre-Mariner sci fi authors. Pity about the hellish atmosphere and complete lack of oceans, swamps and dinosaurs, though.
Jan 042020
The Snow Cruiser was a disastrously bad land vehicle designed for Antarctic exploration. It just didn’t work. I suspect a lot of that was due to a pretty insane design for the tires… they were smooth and treadless. How the frak they were intended to gain traction on snow and ice I’ve no idea… but unsurprisingly, they didn’t. Still, it always appealed to me, not unlike the Landmaster. In some slightly different alternate reality it would have been designed slightly differently and would have successfully transited Antarctica. In some rather more different alternate reality it would have led to a series of gradually improved versions, including a nuclear powered land-train version…
Jan 042020
This is an interesting video:
This first meme of 2020 is here, and it’s “New Guy.” The short form: an SJW “cartoonist” has a strip with a self-insert of the author portraying the petty evil that SJWs so often display, and completely failed to understand that she was indeed showing herself, her self-insert character and their joint worldview as mean spirited. And as a result, the rest of the internet has glommed onto the character she was trying to make fun of and have turned him into a symbol of what’s good and just.
The video goes into this and the resulting online kerfuffle, including how the cartoonist has wholly and utterly failed to take this as an opportunity for self reflection. Additionally the video describes how SJWs so often identify with evil and villains, including, and rather startlingly, Pennywise the Demonic Homicidal Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror Clown. This is not a new thing, of course… SJWs have been wearing Che shirts and celebrating Antifa and the Soviet Union and Mao and Jihadis for *years.* That they would also identify with the likes of Vice Admiral Holdo and other fictional villains is hardly surprising, never mind Bernie and Bubbles and Swalwell and all the others who would bring gulags, pogroms, death camps, food riots, famine and civil war to the United States.
New Guy, created specifically to be a stupid, mockable strawman, is the wholesome and sincere meme we need in these dark times. See more at Know Your Meme.
New Guy definitely deserves to be my first sketch of 2020!
Just remember, if New Guy can survive purple-haired gremlins, you can get through anything! He believes in you! Especially to all my artist friends or my friends working hard jobs, keep up your great work! pic.twitter.com/tE8cqYtabe
— Smugseid97 (@FlorenceLupin) January 2, 2020
Jan 042020
Space Force Renames Unit After Star Trek’s Spock
The 14th Air Force unit is being transferred from the Air Force to Space Force. Upon joining Space Force, the unit will be renamed Space Operations Command. Its acronym will become SPOC, which seems like a clear nod to the iconic Star Trek character Mr. Spock.
Couldn’t come up with something for that “K,” I guess.
Jan 042020
Certainly a dramatic shot, and also a very final shot for a bug, bird or unfortunate parachutist.
This Rockwell illustration dates from the early 70’s and represents the almost-final B-1 configuration, from back when being very supersonic was the goal rather than being stealthy at low altitude.
The full image has been made available as a thank-you to APR Patreon and Historical Documents Program patrons at the $4 and above level, placed in the 2020-01 APR Extras . If interested in this piece or if you are interested in helping to fund the preservation of this sort of thing, please consider becoming a patron, either through the APR Patreon or the Monthly Historical Document Program.
Jan 042020
I seriously doubt that this news story will have a happy ending.
UPDATE: much to my surprise, the story has a happy ending. or at least as happy as reasonably possible:
Person Rescued After Van Goes Off Cliff Into Pacific Ocean Near Devil’s Slide
Huh.
Jan 022020
US tests missile previously banned under arms control treaty with Russia
This was actually a few weeks ago, but it’s always good to see that the US is still capable of producing new weapons. Especially weapons to counter treaty-violating weapons tested by Russia.
Jan 022020
The best 17 seconds of your day: