Kids today don’t know the sheer awesomeness of being in college when this came out:
Aug 042021
Aug 042021
Woo:
Aug 042021
This book looks interesting:
Star Trek: Designing the Final Frontier: How Midcentury Modernism Shaped Our View of the Future
Celebrate Star Trek: The Original Series and the show’s distinctive Midcentury modern design that would change design– and television–forever.
Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969) was the first installment of one of the most successful and longest-running television franchises of all time. Today, Trek fans champion its writing, progressive social consciousness, and aesthetic. Designing the Final Frontier is a unique, expert look at the mid-century modern design that created and inspired that aesthetic. From Burke chairs to amorphous sculptures, from bright colors to futuristic frames, Star Trek TOS is bursting with mid-century modern furniture, art, and design elements—many of them bought directly from famous design showrooms.
Together, midcentury modern design experts Dan Chavkin and Brian McGuire have created an insider’s guide to the interior of original starship Enterprise and beyond, that is sure to attract Star Trek’s thriving global fan base.
After the atrocities of STD and STP I’m not sure the Trek fanbase is “thriving,” but some of us are old enough to be fans of TOS.
But if you can only buy one book on Amazon, buy ten copies of this:
It seems to be available there now, though there are as yet no reviews. Plus, the price seems to jump all over the place.
Note: I’m hoping to finish up the 18X24 CAD diagram prints in the next day or two for those who want signed copies. Sorry it’s taken so long… I’m *still* buried under the B-47/52 project.
Aug 032021
Granted it was inert, but a man can dream.
Aug 032021
Sometimes they really are right there at the right time:
This occurred in January 2020 in Washington D.C. Feel free to insert your own jokes about D.C. and collapsing infrastructure, or the collapse of American culture, whatever. the field is wide open and endless.
Aug 032021
I guess it works, but moving the Super Heavy in a vertical position seems like asking for trouble.
It’s also slow. I hope that someday reasonably soon that that transport system will need to be replaced because it’s holding up the rapid recovery and re-launch of the things on their hourly schedule to launch USSF forces to bases on the Moon, Mars and beyond.
Aug 032021
Unalloyed good news:
Missouri governor pardons gun-waving St. Louis lawyer couple
The McCloskeys were spotted daring to defend their home from a band of racist Marxism enablers a bit over a year ago. They, like the Kenosha Kid, should never have been charged with a crime; the fact that they were shows quite clearly the corruption that stains many district attorneys and prosecutors.
Mixed good/bad news:
Ammunition shelves bare as U.S. gun sales continue to soar
Bad news: continuing ammo shortage. Good news; continuing gun sales.
As the article mentions, the lack of ammo hampers first time gun owners from practicing. A modest suggestion: the US military manufactures its own ammo, and has a pretty massive stockpile; now that we’re bailing from Afghanistan, there is not so much immediate need. Perhaps the US government could do the right thing and start handing out free crates of ammunition to gun owners with clean criminal records. Certainly a better use of government resources than enforcing bans on evicting deadbeats.
Aug 022021
A Grumman design from the 80’s (looks like 1980) for an advanced fighter. This was clearly from the era where fighters did not need to prioritize stealth over all else, though also clearly stealth aspects are included. The aircraft had missiles integrated onto the back surface, an unusual location; it appears that these are unpowered bombs, using wings to generate lift to fling themselves upwards. It’s not immediately clear what the purpose here is; chances are that these might be nukes, so flinging the bombs upwards would give the jet a few moments to gain some distance before the bombs glide down to the ground. Or it might be a low-observability feature… launching from the top would allow the aircraft to fly at a stupid-low altitude to avoid anti-aircraft systems.
UPDATE: Check comments… this is probably a Rockwell artwork, not Grumman.
Aug 022021
Speedbump seems disappointed in Banshees thottery…
Aug 022021
Substantial grid fins…
Booster B4 has been stacked in the high bay. Look at those grid fins! 🤩🚀@NASASpaceflight pic.twitter.com/9NRwNJIngO
— Mary (@BocaChicaGal) August 1, 2021
Many Raptors are installed on B4. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Join us live at – https://t.co/V9tgT0VtZn
@NASASpaceflight pic.twitter.com/20QBxAB2Vj
— Mary (@BocaChicaGal) August 2, 2021