This is… ummmm…yeah.
Party bus sideswipes 13 cars in Chicago’s Lake View East neighborhood
Driver taken into custody. I bet he’d just had a *really* bad day and went all “Falling Down.”
Aug 072022
Aug 072022
Ebay has recently suggested to me a few Apollo era knickknacks it thinks I need… chunks of Apollo capsule heat shield cast in Lucite. I guess they’re cool and all, and of historical interest, but somewhat outside of my wheelhouse (and finances). Still, looking at them got me thinking.
The Lucite seems to have yellowed with age. Some of this might be cigarette smoke, thus able to be cleaned off. Some might be UV damage to the outer surface, possibly fixable via “retro-bright” process or some similar. But it kinda looks like the Lucite has yellowed or darkened all the way through. If so, if there any possible way to clear that up? Blast it with UV? Gamma rays? Lasers? Boil it? Some sort of solvent to melt the Lucite away, then cast it again in a more modern transparent material that will hold up to time better? Given the prices being asked for these things, the correct answer is doubtless “leave it the frak alone,” but I wonder nonetheless.
Some current examples:
Apollo 8 Heat Shield Segment from the Command Module
Vintage NASA Apollo X heat Shield Lucita 1969
Vintage NASA Apollo 8 Heat Shield Segment from the Command Module 1968
Apollo 7 Piece of Heat Shield from the Command Module
Apollo 9 Flown Ablator Piece in Lucite
Aug 072022
There are *lots* of people working on their version of the “Dicken Drill.” This one seems reasonable:
Dicken Drill: Proving Long Range Matters
Aug 072022
Substantially slowed due to illness, I’m finally done writing Book 3. I need to edit it and do a few other things, but at least if I get run over by a Mack truck, the book could still be released as a complete book. Woo.
Aug 062022
… or not.
In this case, an ATF agent goes to someone’s door and demands to see such-and-such firearm; the homeowner does the smart thing and calls the cops and tells them some sketchy weirdo is going for her guns. Police show up, tell the ATF agent to comply… and he doesn’t, getting tased for his troubles. This happened a few years ago, and *of* *course* he’s suing the police for excessive force. It’s interesting to see how this Federal agent believes that his status sets him above the law. And politicians want to empower these types even *more.* It’s worth noting that this “lawman” was arrested for shoplifting back in 2015. He seems well acquainted with the practice of taking stuff that’s not his.
An ATF agent showed up at a citizen's home to question him about a shotgun he was not "permitted" to have.
The citizen called 911 and told them someone was at his door trying to take his guns.
Police end up ARRESTING the ATF agent.pic.twitter.com/D7kMW0kkIl
— Young Americans for Liberty (@YALiberty) August 4, 2022
Police officer starts giving you lawful orders… you say “yes sir” and *obey.* Even if you think you’re in the right, you’re not going to win by resisting a guy with a taser, a sidearm and backup.
Yo, I didn’t see part deux.
It’s 🔥 😀 pic.twitter.com/4L05KpKPJ3— Rangermonk (@rangermonk1) August 5, 2022
Full bodycam vids:
Aug 052022
CORN!!!!
He seems like the kind of kid who’ll grow up to be a scientist who’ll figure out how to grow corn on the Moon or in the Sahara. Turns corn into a *good* biofuel, or develops a breed of corn with edible kernels, but the cobb can be melted down into a mix of polyethylene and polystyrene making plastics a carbon *negative* industry. Corn that can be hooked directly into the power grid, because it’s a 50% efficient PV array now.
Or, as sadly seems more likely these days, he’ll be ruthlessly mocked until he becomes a corn-themed supervillain.
Kinda hoping for the former.
I get kind of an Aspie vibe from him. Let’s hope that, assuming this is his basic ongoing nature, that he has a loving and understanding family.
Aug 052022
If you live in a city that has been run sufficiently poorly, it’s quite possible that you *do* see robberies of stores on a daily basis. But the store employee/owner shanking the hell out of one of the robbers? Kinda innovative.
A robber in black bloc was stabbed & subdued by an Asian-American shop keeper wearing flip flops in Las Vegas this week. The robber’s accomplice leaves his friend behind. Police are investigating the robbery & stabbing. pic.twitter.com/EJrF6syO1d
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) August 5, 2022
People dressed like Antifa getting what’s coming to people who act like Antifa? I’m not remotely upset about it.
UPDATE: video enlongered:
FAFO.
The store owners response to “Please don’t let me die, this wasn’t my idea” is comedy GOLD.
Aug 052022
The same seller trying to sell the Martin X-23 lithograph is also selling a lithograph of an orbital HL-10.
Turns out that these two lithographs are, at least based on stains on the X-23 matting, the same two lithographs sold just a few months ago. I’m dubious of turning around two lithographs that sold for $384 together for a grand or more each. The seller has a *lot* of high-value items… celebrity autographs and such, so he’s presumably doing well, but normally a lithograph like this would sell for well under $100.
Shrug.
Anyway, the art depicts an HL-10 coming in for a landing. The configuration includes a raised cockpit and reaction control thrusters at the tail; the white paint seems burned off along the underside. This would indicate an orbital craft after re-entry. Given the lack of an apparent hatch in the rear, this would not seem to be an operational orbital HL-10 (depicted hereabouts many times in the past) but instead a slightly smaller test vehicle, probably with a single pilot, possible lobbed on a once-around flight.
Aug 052022
A brief documentary about some of the very best of America: immigrants and the children of immigrants using their wits and their rights to defend themselves and their livelihoods from some of the worst of America. They were the very definition of a “well regulated militia.”
There are important lessons here that should have been learned better. Had the riots and looters of 2020 been met with more gunfire, 2020 would have been less bloody, and much more of the blood that had been shed would have been that of people who, well, we don’t need.
Aug 042022
Finally, it can be told. The “Primitive Technology” YouTube channel advances to the point of developing long range artillery:
Soon this guy will be launching comsats made out of bamboo.