Things Fall Apart

 AARRRGH, blather, models, new products, science fiction, spacecraft  3 Responses »
Mar 102012
 

If someone wants me to make ’em a CAD model, I will… for a price. The price is variable depending on perceived difficulty (and boy have I been burned on under-estimating how challenging some things can be). Upon receipt of the first half of the payment work begins; upon receipt of the second half of the payment, the CAD file is passed on.

A few times, the second half doesn’t happen.  So far, I haven’t had a customer refuse to pay because they don’t like the renderings of the CAD model, but I have had customers flake out or just plain vanish. So I’m left with a partially finished, or completed, CAD model with no client. Feh. One such is this sci-fi starship:

I’m shopping this around. If’n yer interested, let me know.

 Posted by at 9:49 pm

NASP PR Card #4

 aircraft, projects, spacecraft  No Responses »
Mar 102012
 

A Rockwell handout card (late 1980′s to 1990 or so) showing an artists impression of their early NASP configuration. This is the same design as shown HERE, but in painting rather than model form.

High-rez versions of these can be downloaded HERE.

 Posted by at 8:08 pm

Metaphor

 AARRRGH, news  5 Responses »
Mar 102012
 

Huh.

A medieval castle in Slovakia went up in flames. Someone set an illegal grass fire nearby; sparks and such floated to the flammable roof of the castle, which caught fire, collapsed into the interior, and looks like gutted the interior of the castle and all the displays and history and whatnot within.

Fire at Gothic Slovak Castle Casts Shadow Over Polls

Slovakia’s left-of-center opposition Smer party is predicted to be the election’s winner, estimated to garner 37.3% of the vote. The party, championing higher taxes on the rich and large corporations, is expected to lead talks on forming the new coalition government…

Huh.

So… some bottom-level types started a fire at the grass-roots level. The fire drifted up to the top 1% of the castle, destroying it. And in destroying the top 1%, the following collapse destroyed the rest of the 99%, leaving nothing but a sad, empty, burnt shell.

 Posted by at 4:50 pm

Not my definition of “affordable”

 AARRRGH, I'm from the government, news  5 Responses »
Mar 092012
 

Government-subsidized green light bulb carries costly price tag

Good idea: The US FedGuv wanted something, so they issued a “prize” approach.

Bad followthrough: They were vague on the requirements.

Specifically:

The U.S. government last year announced a $10 million award, dubbed the “L Prize,” for any manufacturer that could create a “green” but affordable light bulb.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the prize would spur industry to offer the costly bulbs, known as LEDs, at prices “affordable for American families.” There was also a “Buy America” component. Portions of the bulb would have to be made in the United States.

Well, they’ve revealed the winning lightbulb. This LED-based lightbulb would replace a standard 60-watt lightbulb, for the low, low price of only $50.

Fifty bones for a dim bulb. Whoopee.

Yes, it’s affordable for American families. The rich ones, anyway.

As one commenter on Fark.com put it:

With results like these, I’m really excited at how affordable the government can make healthcare.

 Posted by at 7:20 pm

Want your own Me 163?

 aircraft, history, rockets  5 Responses »
Mar 092012
 

The auction website Gunbroker.com has a listing for a Messerschmitt Me 163b rocket interceptor, with an opening bid of $650,000 and a Buy it Now price of $975,000. The photos seem to show a legit Me 163… there’s some damage. Tail’s a bit of a mess.

So if you have the better part of a million dollars and want your very own rocket fighter… well, hell, why not? Airmail from Germany, might be a bit pricy, but if you can afford the rocket fighter, you can afford the shipping. hell, you can also afford to toss a couple dozen grand my way, just for grins…

 Posted by at 4:50 pm

Well, *duh*

 Crazy, dumbassery, news, religion  3 Responses »
Mar 092012
 

Harold Camping Says May 21 Rapture Prediction Was ‘Incorrect And Sinful’

Radio evangelist Harold Camping has called his erroneous prediction that the world would end last May 21 an “incorrect and sinful statement” and said his ministry is out of the prediction business.

You know, in certain older civilized cultures, when men failed as entirely as you have, they would throw themselves on their swords.

 Posted by at 1:05 am

Space Station V

 drawings, science fiction, spacecraft  19 Responses »
Mar 062012
 

Thought I’d post these. Rhino, the program I created the Space Station V model on, has a “make 2D” function, converting a 3D model into 2D diagrams. It can take about an hour to crank out a single view, but that’s a hell of a lot less time than drafting it manually.

In the late 90’s, I’d had plans to put together a “2001 Tech Manual,” but circumstances stomped all over it. I’ve still got the itch to do it, but I suspect that train has sailed.

 Posted by at 11:47 pm
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