A few days ago I posted about a model on ebay of an “XF-108” that gave every appearance of being a modern half-assed Asian sweatshop copy of an old model kit. A few days ago I was irked that it had racked up bids over $140. The auction just ended… with a max bid of $985.
Feh. It’s enough to make a feller doubt the wisdom of his fellow man.
It’s a common refrain among politicians and celebrities who want to disarm the public that it is too easy for regular people to buy mundane firearms with which to defend themselves. Every now a journalist will actually put that to the test… mostly to prove the claim correct and feed the narrative that America needs to make sure that civilians are disarmed in the face of the criminal element. But sometimes it doesn’t go according to plan:
The short form of the story here is “gee whiz, WalMart *doesn’t* make buying a gun as simple as just picking one up off the shelf.”
There’s lots to chuckle at here for anyone who actually knows anything about the process of legally buying a firearm. but the thing that caught me off guard right up front: the journalist started the process by trying to find a nearby WalMart that sells firarms. Fair enough. But when she finally finds one, a mere thirty minutes drive away, she makes a point of discussing how she put the destination into her nav system in order to get there. Ummm… WalMarts aren’t that hard to find. It comes across like “I’ve never been to WalMart before,” which smacks of the sort of snootiness that makes regular folk laugh at these goobers who are ignorant about how the bulk of the nation actually lives.
Continuing…
The notion of adding a “docking module” to the Shuttle to allow it to dock with another spacecraft. Here’s one that actually got built and used for docking to Mir and ISS.
Next time: a stretched External Tank & SRBs for increased payload.
… Until now.
The neck structure needs a little additional structural support, and then they can introduce this to the Olympics.
For Kerbal Space Program 2, at any rate:
A good mix of beauty, awesomeness and hilarity. Note that this seems to imply that Orion and Daedalus nuclear pulse propulsion systems will be a part of it.
I’ve never gotten into KSP. I guess I’ve missed out. When people first started telling me about it years ago I started getting interested until I found out that the planets *weren’t* earth and the rest of the solar system, modeled accurately.Turn it into a true simulation system directly applicable to real-world designs, and I might be interested in going to the bother.
The domestic terrorists at Antifa and the hate group Democratic Socialists have, through hacking, lies and threats of violence, arson and death, caused a the venue for an anti-racism event in a small town in New Jersey to pull out:
Once again, the “anti-fascists” show that they are the modern fascists.
Interestingly, the news media is covering this story in various ways, including narratives symathetic to the actual terrorists:
The “groups” here are not once described to be the violent hateful thugs that they are, but the event certainly is.
Some relevant videos by some of the non-insane people involved:
If there is anyone reading this who wants to make a name for themselves in the world of journalism, I have a story suggestion for you. It would be a potentially difficult one to research, and if you get anywhere with it your life will be in danger… but if you succeed, you’ll have one of the biggest stories of the century. The story is this: are groups like Antifa and the Progressive Democrats and the Democratic Socialists being puppetmastered by Putin and the Kremlin? Is this a new development, or is it a continuation of a Soviet-era effort to undermine American civic values and respect for social norms and democratic principles? Or is it a revival of a Soviet-era program that was killed off by the fall of the Soviet Union, and only revived in recent years? Does it goes beyond Russian tomfoolery with social media, or is there more direct involvement, such as substantial funds being handed over? Are the people of Antifa and the DS merely f*%^ing idiots, or are they outright traitors?
Journalists: do your damn jobs and find out.
Continuing… An idea for added propellant tanks for the rear of the cargo bay. The propellant would feed not the SSME’s, but the orbital maneuvering system engines. This would allow the Shuttle to reach higher orbital altitudes.
I had a number of comments to make about the intelligence, ethics, parentage and proper handling/punchability of the domestic terrorists known as “Antifa,” but upon reflection I’ve decided that discretion is the better part of avoiding potential issues, and I’ll just leave this here. Once again, free advice for the Trump 2020 campaign… the Dems don’t condemn Antifa. Record & broadcast for campaign ads.
If you are not anti-Communist, you’re a Communist, and that means you are to be not only suspected of wanting to commit another Holodomor, you are to be held liable for the last one *and* the other hundred million or so people murdered by Communism in the name of kleptocracy and totalitarianism.
Continuing. This time, discussion of possibilities of higher thrust SSMEs including the SSME-150 with an extendable nozzle. Once again this would be for increased payload capability, in particular 32,000 pounds to polar orbit from Vandenburg.
Hey. Hey.
