That seems kinda random

 blather, Hmm...  4 Responses »
Nov 072012
 

So in between Google Map satellite image searches for Rocky Mountain valleys that have some odd visual artifacts that may be the result of some form of cloaking device, I decided to take a look at the visitor stats for my blog. Most visits seem to be as a result of search engine hits, with the following search terms being the most popular:

Search Views
princess aura 12
nasa x-38 9
detailed drawings of mercury capsule 9
sci-fi ship 7
unwanted blog 6
the unwanted blog 6
space launch system 5
reusable lunar lander 4
convair skate 4
chernobyl junkyard 4
video alclad chrome gold 4
wooden model minuteman missile 4
reichdreams dossiers download 4
sawtooth concepts of 22 4
xc-142 vtol 3
747 cutaway view 3
lifting body aerodynamics 3
b36 3
hovercraft blueprints 3
chernobyl 3
badass tank 3
mk12a rv 3
uss halibut ssgn-587 3

Most of these seem to make some sort of sense. But “sawtooth concepts of 22?’ And “Princess Aura?” The last time those two words appeared on this blog was May 12, 2009. Why would there be a sudden burst of interest yesterday?

 Posted by at 1:03 am

LK is done

 models, news  No Responses »
Nov 072012
 

The LK CAD model is now complete, just needs to be processed into a series of STL files and passed on to the “printer.” It’ll be a hell of a kit.

 Posted by at 12:26 am

“Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome” starts Friday

 blather, news, science fiction, youtube, ಠ_ಠ  3 Responses »
Nov 062012
 

“Blood & Chrome” was going to be a sequel to “Caprica” and a prequel to “Galactica,” a series set in the first Cylon war. But for whatever reason, after shooting the pilot the SyFy channel decided against continuing with the series, so the pilot is all there is, and it starts airing Friday as an online “webisode” series. Meh. Here’s the trailer for it, released yesterday:

[youtube Qj50xJhWdcM]

Another trailer was released way back in March which was a *lot* better:

 Posted by at 1:52 am

There was almost a full-scale USS Enterprise (yes, THAT Enterprise)

 AARRRGH, art, awesomeness, Crazy, dumbassery, Gah., science fiction, spacecraft, ಠ_ಠ  4 Responses »
Nov 052012
 

In 1992 there was a contest to do some re-development in Las Vegas. It turns out that the concept that won the contest was not the concept that got built, due to – *GASP* – a single powerful executive being a visionless dolt. And what was that winning-yet-losing concept? A full-scale Starship Enterprise (movie version) in dowtown Vegas.

NOW IT CAN BE TOLD: THE “STAR TREK” ATTRACTION THAT ALMOST CAME TO LIFE in 1992.

Building a structure like that so that it was long-term survivable would have been a serious engineering challenge, but I can see how it could have been done. And I can see how it could have been Friggen’ Awesome.

Go to the link and marvel at the concept art that was produced at the time.

 Posted by at 10:45 pm

Those Darn Mormons

 news, politics  3 Responses »
Nov 052012
 

Mormon Volunteers Outperform Government in New England Sandy Aid

The Mormon volunteers consisted of both adults and older children. Our observer tells us that what she noticed about this group is that they were “friendly, very busy, and, yet, unobtrusive.” She comments, “They didn’t get in the way of us getting our cleanup done, but they really helped the overall effort of getting the streets cleaned up.”

Just wait until the Unions hear about this…

 Posted by at 9:11 pm

It’s cheaper to just glue cash to the floor

 art, awesomeness  3 Responses »
Nov 052012
 

Artist glues 250,000 pennies to the floor of her new gallery

End result: about $3 per square foot, less than most floor tiles.
It looks pretty snazzy… but I suspect it might not wear that well. Modern pennies are not copper; they are zinc with a relatively thin copper plating. I suspect that it wouldn’t take too many years of foot traffic to turn the floor from “copper” to “dull zinc.”
Still, it looks neat.
 Posted by at 9:01 pm

Solar Blimp

 aircraft, awesomeness, projects, youtube  2 Responses »
Nov 052012
 

A concept for a solar powered blimp that actually seems practical, from Toronto’s “Solar Ship” company:

[youtube wf_2E2IPk1M]

It’s a heavier than air inflatable aircraft, using a lifting body/stubby flying wing configuration filled with helium. This not only gives it a lot of lift at low speed, it also presents a fairly large flat upper surface for mounting solar panels.

Interestingly, it’s more than just vaporware… they’ve flown prototypes:

[youtube w4vG4jmqPn4]

[youtube 8S8EpQumH8A]

The basic concept is not new… the Aereon Corporation was formed in 1959 to build hybrid airships that used buoyancy and aerodynamic lift, and the first of the Goodyear Inflatoplanes was built in 1956. On the whole, though, this seems like a promising concept. Night flying might be an interesting experience in a solar powered hybrid blimp, though…

 Posted by at 10:03 am

FloBro

 blather, cats, Utah  3 Responses »
Nov 052012
 

Fluffy’s Brother has become a very friendly, yet viciously territorial, little cat. He will not back down from what he sees as a territorial challenge from another cat… including his mother, One-Eye. She almost never comes around anymore now that he’s big enough to chase her off. But with me, he’s almost as friendly as his late lamented brother. And he’s bound and determined to get into the house, something I’m bound and determined to prevent.

 Posted by at 2:38 am
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