It seems that Barnhardt has always been against Donald Trump. He's a crypto-Jew, or something like that.
I never got it, so I must be from Rio Linda.
Maybe the press will ax him if he's a crypto-Jew. That is, if the press actually gave a flip one way or the other.
One has to ax oneself this one: What if he IS Jewish? The one thing that MIGHT get me a bit riled is if he expected me to worship his ass.
I think he's a good president, maybe even the best we've had since I've been around. But I don't worship anybody, including him.
That's all for me on this subject.
Al Fin: "Cowboy Commentary", aka "Eat your veggies" The Flag banner is posted in order to defy those who would make patriotic symbols illegal or disreputable.
Thursday, August 20, 2026
SpaceX Starship Towed Near Christmas Island
8/20/26:
Which is a territory of Australia, if memory serves. Is that the plan? Or what's the plan now?
AI discussion of the joint:
please give information about christmas island
**Christmas Island** is an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, located approximately 224 miles (360 km) south of Java and 870 miles (1,400 km) northwest of Australia. The island covers 135 square kilometers (52 square miles) and is administered by Australia, with its capital at **Flying Fish Cove**.
**Naming and History**: The island was first sighted by Europeans in 1615 but was officially named on **Christmas Day, 1643**, by Captain William Mynors. It was annexed by Great Britain in 1888 due to its rich phosphate deposits, administered by Singapore until 1958, when it became an official Australian territory.
**Geography and Environment**: Christmas Island is the summit of an underwater mountain, with its highest point being **Murray Hill** at 1,184 feet (361 meters). The island is covered largely by tropical rainforest, with two-thirds designated as a **National Park**. It is often called the "**Galapagos of the Indian Ocean**" due to its high level of endemic species and minimal historical human disturbance.
**Wildlife**: The island is world-famous for the annual migration of the **Christmas Island red crab** (*Gecarcoidea natalis*), with populations estimated in the tens of millions. These crabs migrate from the rainforest to the coast to breed. The island also supports unique seabirds, reptiles, and insects, though the Christmas Island shrew was declared extinct in 2025.
**Accessibility and Culture**: Travel is primarily via **flights from Perth, Australia**, which take about three hours, or by yacht/cruise ship. The population is approximately 1,700–2,200 people, consisting mainly of ethnic Chinese, European, and Malay communities. The official language is English, though Malay and Chinese dialects are widely spoken. The economy relies on phosphate mining, government services, and growing tourism.
There's not much there. Maybe there's a harbor?
Yes, **Christmas Island** has a harbor located at **Flying Fish Cove**, which serves as the territory's main settlement and primary port.
### Harbor Facilities and Operations
The harbor is the only safe anchorage on the island, characterized by a steep underwater drop-off and deep-water approaches. It does not feature traditional alongside wharf berths for general docking; instead, it utilizes a **catenary buoy mooring system** with three main berths:
* **Phosphate Loading Jetty:** The main berth, capable of accommodating vessels up to 180 meters in length for exporting rock phosphate.
* **General Cargo Berth:** Located inshore, used for importing supplies and general goods.
* **Fuel Berth:** Situated at Smith Point for refueling operations.
### Accessibility and Limitations
Access to the harbor is **weather-dependent** and can be restricted by swell and surge, as the cove is open to the north.
* **Commercial Shipping:** The port handles bulk mineral exports and containerized imports, with a maximum vessel draft of approximately 6.1 meters for general cargo operations.
* **Yachts and Visitors:** Visiting yachts are welcome but must use designated mooring buoys (fees apply); **anchoring is prohibited** to protect coral formations. There is no marina, haul-out facility, or significant repair yard, making the harbor suitable only for short stopovers.
* **Cruise Ships:** Large cruise vessels cannot dock and must anchor offshore, tendering passengers to a basic cargo pier near London Village (note: this refers to Kiritimati/Christmas Island in Kiribati; for the Australian territory, facilities are similarly limited to cargo jetties).
Comment:
If SpaceX can get it into the Harbor at Christmas Island, then perhaps a semi-submersible ship can be slid underneath the ship and thus placed aboard the re-floated ship for shipment back to the States. This is how the USS Cole was retrieved after a terrorist attack on Columbus Day 2000.
Yesterday:Which is a territory of Australia, if memory serves. Is that the plan? Or what's the plan now?
AI discussion of the joint:
please give information about christmas island
**Christmas Island** is an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, located approximately 224 miles (360 km) south of Java and 870 miles (1,400 km) northwest of Australia. The island covers 135 square kilometers (52 square miles) and is administered by Australia, with its capital at **Flying Fish Cove**.
**Naming and History**: The island was first sighted by Europeans in 1615 but was officially named on **Christmas Day, 1643**, by Captain William Mynors. It was annexed by Great Britain in 1888 due to its rich phosphate deposits, administered by Singapore until 1958, when it became an official Australian territory.
**Geography and Environment**: Christmas Island is the summit of an underwater mountain, with its highest point being **Murray Hill** at 1,184 feet (361 meters). The island is covered largely by tropical rainforest, with two-thirds designated as a **National Park**. It is often called the "**Galapagos of the Indian Ocean**" due to its high level of endemic species and minimal historical human disturbance.
**Wildlife**: The island is world-famous for the annual migration of the **Christmas Island red crab** (*Gecarcoidea natalis*), with populations estimated in the tens of millions. These crabs migrate from the rainforest to the coast to breed. The island also supports unique seabirds, reptiles, and insects, though the Christmas Island shrew was declared extinct in 2025.
**Accessibility and Culture**: Travel is primarily via **flights from Perth, Australia**, which take about three hours, or by yacht/cruise ship. The population is approximately 1,700–2,200 people, consisting mainly of ethnic Chinese, European, and Malay communities. The official language is English, though Malay and Chinese dialects are widely spoken. The economy relies on phosphate mining, government services, and growing tourism.
There's not much there. Maybe there's a harbor?
Yes, **Christmas Island** has a harbor located at **Flying Fish Cove**, which serves as the territory's main settlement and primary port.
### Harbor Facilities and Operations
The harbor is the only safe anchorage on the island, characterized by a steep underwater drop-off and deep-water approaches. It does not feature traditional alongside wharf berths for general docking; instead, it utilizes a **catenary buoy mooring system** with three main berths:
* **Phosphate Loading Jetty:** The main berth, capable of accommodating vessels up to 180 meters in length for exporting rock phosphate.
* **General Cargo Berth:** Located inshore, used for importing supplies and general goods.
* **Fuel Berth:** Situated at Smith Point for refueling operations.
### Accessibility and Limitations
Access to the harbor is **weather-dependent** and can be restricted by swell and surge, as the cove is open to the north.
* **Commercial Shipping:** The port handles bulk mineral exports and containerized imports, with a maximum vessel draft of approximately 6.1 meters for general cargo operations.
* **Yachts and Visitors:** Visiting yachts are welcome but must use designated mooring buoys (fees apply); **anchoring is prohibited** to protect coral formations. There is no marina, haul-out facility, or significant repair yard, making the harbor suitable only for short stopovers.
* **Cruise Ships:** Large cruise vessels cannot dock and must anchor offshore, tendering passengers to a basic cargo pier near London Village (note: this refers to Kiritimati/Christmas Island in Kiribati; for the Australian territory, facilities are similarly limited to cargo jetties).
Comment:
Not sure what's the plan here, but there's bound to be one, right?
Anyway, here's a video:
Storage shed
8/20/26:
Link to storage shed on sale in Houston at a Home Depot.
This may be modifiable to be turned in living quarters. This is actually quite interesting proposition. Watch the video supplied at the site.
It is 8 by 12, which is nearly 100 sq ft. Some of these micro houses are about the same size. The price is affordable. Yep, I just may be able to use this thing. It's designed to be a do-it-yourself assembly project.
The downside is that I may need help in putting it together.
This will be incorporated into the going off-the-grid series, along with a companion post here.
Update on 8/17/14:
Other companion posts
In summary, build the RV on top of a trailer. Modify it so that it can become habitable. Secure it to the ground. Power it and provide water to it. Obtain water from rain harvesting and recycling. Looks like the plans are nearly complete.
Prev Next.
If you're going to do it yourself, why not go whole-hog? Indeed, there was a change in plans back then, as I went with the quonset idea. It was attempted, with not great results.
Having attempted the quonset, would I try it again someday? Let's answer it this way: If I went out there again, I just might do it that way with the lessons learned from the first time.
The quonset idea seemed to be cheaper at the time, but there were some downsides discovered, as events unfolded. Solutions for those downsides would need to be found.
I haven't thought about it all that much recently. Once I got a travel trailer, the idea became to take it out there. But that went away, as I had to dispose of the trailer. Getting another trailer would cost too much.
I still have the 5x8 foot trailer. There were thoughts of using that one at one time as well. It would need some work. It has been outside in the elements for the last several years, and looks like it.
But not real thought has gone into it lately. The off-grid project is in deep limbo.
Link to storage shed on sale in Houston at a Home Depot.
This may be modifiable to be turned in living quarters. This is actually quite interesting proposition. Watch the video supplied at the site.
It is 8 by 12, which is nearly 100 sq ft. Some of these micro houses are about the same size. The price is affordable. Yep, I just may be able to use this thing. It's designed to be a do-it-yourself assembly project.
The downside is that I may need help in putting it together.
This will be incorporated into the going off-the-grid series, along with a companion post here.
Update on 8/17/14:
Other companion posts
- Power requirements could be made with a Solar City Installation or Build your own system
- You may want to dig some post holes in order to anchor the "RV"/Storage Shed.
- Sewage systems would be a composting toilet and recycling of grey water. Idea: water the grass driveway with the grey water system.
Prev Next.
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Wonder how many people fall for this propaganda
The Fox news link's headline on Free Republic appears to paint a rosy scenario for the President, but the commentary isn't rosy scenario. If you disregard the talking heads, you'll see a dwindling ability for Iran to affect oil prices. At this time, they can rattle the sabers and scare people in the Persian Gulf. That's about it. Oil prices are elevated, but nothing like the nightmare scenarios once envisioned.
To be sure, prices are still elevated. Even so, inflation remains around targeted areas.
So I'm wondering if all the negativity will affect the midterms.
The crazy Democrats are being taken over by the even more crazies. If folks think these crazy loco weeds are going to do anything useful or positive, they're going to be disappointed.
But that's how politics goes. Some folks are disappointed in Trump. But the disappointment is unwarranted. There's has been been plenty of good developments. The ones like this story, with higher prices at the pump, are likely not to last. Indeed, the way out of this is already in the works. It may taken until after the election to see the results, but it will happen.
Iran cannot be saved by the Democrats anyway. Not unless the Dems win 2/3rds of the Senate and the House. No way that happens even in the worst case scenario. Trump can still be Trump for a couple more years in any case.
But a smashing win would be nice.
To be sure, prices are still elevated. Even so, inflation remains around targeted areas.
So I'm wondering if all the negativity will affect the midterms.
The crazy Democrats are being taken over by the even more crazies. If folks think these crazy loco weeds are going to do anything useful or positive, they're going to be disappointed.
But that's how politics goes. Some folks are disappointed in Trump. But the disappointment is unwarranted. There's has been been plenty of good developments. The ones like this story, with higher prices at the pump, are likely not to last. Indeed, the way out of this is already in the works. It may taken until after the election to see the results, but it will happen.
Iran cannot be saved by the Democrats anyway. Not unless the Dems win 2/3rds of the Senate and the House. No way that happens even in the worst case scenario. Trump can still be Trump for a couple more years in any case.
But a smashing win would be nice.
Another perspective about Houston's Big Dig from Brave AI
8/19/26:
What's actually being done? What are the plans for the Big Dig in Houston? Here's what Brave AI had to say about it...
Brave gives you a few buttons to click for more info... One of these is "Elaborate". So I clicked...
Likewise, you can click even further, and so I did...
Not many nuts and bolts facts about exactly what they're doing. But you get the general idea. First, they do the flood control stuff with the retention ponds. Then they'll re-route I45 to follow I10 until I69. Whereupon it switces from I10 to following I69 down to the intersection with I45 again. From there, it I45 just does its own thing.
The project will follow phases. This phase comes first. That other phases will take until 2050! Total cost over 13 billion scoots. <br>
Time to move on from this topic. Based upon what I've gathered from 2 AI sources, there isn't much in the way of detail about how this will be built out. The Devil is in the details.
The reasons given for such a massive project are more political than practical. It will not likely help traffic, although it might do so in a marginal way for a period long enough for the next time.
The price tag is excessive. The construction itself will be a nightmare, according to a comment I saw. I have no doubts about that.
It has to be sold with "a little bit of sugar to make the medicine go down". The "sugar" is the ostensible reasons for the project. Knitting together the city isn't really a problem that's worth $13 billion to "solve".
It really doesn't matter to me anymore anyhow. I don't live in Houston anymore. I don't work in Houston anymore. I don't drive its freeways anymore. So I'm outta here.
What's actually being done? What are the plans for the Big Dig in Houston? Here's what Brave AI had to say about it...
Brave gives you a few buttons to click for more info... One of these is "Elaborate". So I clicked...
Likewise, you can click even further, and so I did...
Not many nuts and bolts facts about exactly what they're doing. But you get the general idea. First, they do the flood control stuff with the retention ponds. Then they'll re-route I45 to follow I10 until I69. Whereupon it switces from I10 to following I69 down to the intersection with I45 again. From there, it I45 just does its own thing.
The project will follow phases. This phase comes first. That other phases will take until 2050! Total cost over 13 billion scoots. <br>
Thought experiment, continued
8/19/26:
This is a continuation of the thought experiment started yesterday. Let's reduce
this down to just one car and the amount of solar panels you would need to produce
the electricity for that one car. From my study of batteries, you can get about
3 miles per kilowatt hour with a battery. This calculation is from my memory and
may not be entirely accurate nor up to date. But this isn't exact, a round figure
will suffice for now.
The Chevy Volt has a 40 mile range for its battery pack. Using the 3 mile per kwh
number, you would need about 13 kwh of power to drive with electricity. Again, this
may not be exact, but it is using a figure from the real world in order to get a
rough estimate.
From this we can calculate how much solar panelling will be necessary in order to
produce the 13 kwh. Using the web page from yesterday, we have 80 watts of continuous
power from a 1000 sq inch panel. At 95% availability in geosynchronous orbit, the
panel will produce (.95*80 watts * 24 hours)/ 1000 watt hours per kwh = 1.824 kwh.
Why 95% availability? A solar panel in geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of
22,000 miles (approx) will be in the sun almost 95% of the time. From this number,
we can now calculate the number of panels needed in order to produce the electricity
for 1 auto. 13 kwh/1.824 kwh per panel gives a little over 7 panels.
What would be the cost of these 7 panels? This is about 49 square feet of panels.
From this webpage, we can calculate it (again a bit rough calc) it figures out
to be about 56 dollars per square foot. So, 7*56 = 392 or about 400 dollars.
How long will it last? Maybe it could last 30 years. Perhaps that would be way
too optimistic. Let's say 10 years. Then the cost per year would be 400/10
which would be about 40 dollars per year.
Sounds pretty cheap, still. What is the cost per kwh if you use electricity from
the wall plug? At 10 cents per kwh, you and 13 kwh per day you get the following
.10*13*365= which is about 475 bucks per year. The above solar panel configuration
would only have to be 1/10th as efficient in order to yield the same cost.
Is it worthwhile to launch from the moon? You have to have the infrastructure in
place on the moon in order to make the solar panels and to put them into orbit.
That would take a considerable investment. If you can get the costs down of
manufacturing the solar panels to anything near what it takes on earth, then what
you have left is the cost of launch. How much would that be? About 5% of what
an earth launch would cost. Again, rough figures. That would be about 10,000 *
5 percent or 500 dollars per kg. You'll still have to do better than this because
7 solar panels would definitely weigh more than 1 kg. The 10,000 number is based
upon shuttles which are expensive even for earth launches.
The launch problem still exists even on the moon, or at least in this example.
Can you do better than the 5% number? Maybe. It takes energy to launch from
anywhere. Getting stuff off the moon would require an efficient way to use
energy for launches. If you figure that out, you figure out this problem.
What about mass launchers? It would only use energy and little to no fuel. This
could be a start. I pick this up again in a future post.
This old post needs some updating... Things have changed a bit in the last 16 years. Elon Musk has nearly got his Starship operational. However, he will not do space solar.
Will anybody ever do space solar? If focus fusion works, the answer will be "no". No need for solar if you've got aneutronic fusion. Aneutronic fusion may be close. But maybe not. I'm invested in it now. So I'm plugging it a bit. They've got a fundraiser going on on Wefunder. Check it out, if interested.
It is necessary to disclose that I'm invested in it, by the way. Yep, I stand to make some money if it succeeds. So could anyone. Hint, hint.
This is a continuation of the thought experiment started yesterday. Let's reduce
this down to just one car and the amount of solar panels you would need to produce
the electricity for that one car. From my study of batteries, you can get about
3 miles per kilowatt hour with a battery. This calculation is from my memory and
may not be entirely accurate nor up to date. But this isn't exact, a round figure
will suffice for now.
The Chevy Volt has a 40 mile range for its battery pack. Using the 3 mile per kwh
number, you would need about 13 kwh of power to drive with electricity. Again, this
may not be exact, but it is using a figure from the real world in order to get a
rough estimate.
From this we can calculate how much solar panelling will be necessary in order to
produce the 13 kwh. Using the web page from yesterday, we have 80 watts of continuous
power from a 1000 sq inch panel. At 95% availability in geosynchronous orbit, the
panel will produce (.95*80 watts * 24 hours)/ 1000 watt hours per kwh = 1.824 kwh.
Why 95% availability? A solar panel in geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of
22,000 miles (approx) will be in the sun almost 95% of the time. From this number,
we can now calculate the number of panels needed in order to produce the electricity
for 1 auto. 13 kwh/1.824 kwh per panel gives a little over 7 panels.
What would be the cost of these 7 panels? This is about 49 square feet of panels.
From this webpage, we can calculate it (again a bit rough calc) it figures out
to be about 56 dollars per square foot. So, 7*56 = 392 or about 400 dollars.
How long will it last? Maybe it could last 30 years. Perhaps that would be way
too optimistic. Let's say 10 years. Then the cost per year would be 400/10
which would be about 40 dollars per year.
Sounds pretty cheap, still. What is the cost per kwh if you use electricity from
the wall plug? At 10 cents per kwh, you and 13 kwh per day you get the following
.10*13*365= which is about 475 bucks per year. The above solar panel configuration
would only have to be 1/10th as efficient in order to yield the same cost.
Is it worthwhile to launch from the moon? You have to have the infrastructure in
place on the moon in order to make the solar panels and to put them into orbit.
That would take a considerable investment. If you can get the costs down of
manufacturing the solar panels to anything near what it takes on earth, then what
you have left is the cost of launch. How much would that be? About 5% of what
an earth launch would cost. Again, rough figures. That would be about 10,000 *
5 percent or 500 dollars per kg. You'll still have to do better than this because
7 solar panels would definitely weigh more than 1 kg. The 10,000 number is based
upon shuttles which are expensive even for earth launches.
The launch problem still exists even on the moon, or at least in this example.
Can you do better than the 5% number? Maybe. It takes energy to launch from
anywhere. Getting stuff off the moon would require an efficient way to use
energy for launches. If you figure that out, you figure out this problem.
What about mass launchers? It would only use energy and little to no fuel. This
could be a start. I pick this up again in a future post.
President Trump Pauses 50 Percent Tariffs Against Canada Hours Before Effect
CTH
Comment:
This one seems like a little like more oil for us, as opposed to more expensive oil from the Persian Gulf. This actually works to America's favor.
Therefore, if the Keystone Pipeline finally gets built, it will be a good deal.
Alberta will make more money, but will they leave Canada? Better for them to leave if Canada insists upon robbing them. But that is between Alberta and Ottawa. In the meantime, we get the oil. Will it help with prices? Not right now, but it will do so eventually.
If you watch the oil price action, the highest prices are in the Persian Gulf, with Brent next highest. The lowest prices are for West Texas Intermediate. The low cost producer has the advantage. There might be more oil available in the Persian Gulf, but the fighting there makes it expensive to get out. Why should this be OUR problem? It won't be. It is only our problem because the policies that preceded Trump. The prices are high only now because Trump took action now while he is in office.
Better now than when Iran has the bomb.
But Iran won't have the bomb either. Why can't knuckleheads see this?
Comment:
This one seems like a little like more oil for us, as opposed to more expensive oil from the Persian Gulf. This actually works to America's favor.
Therefore, if the Keystone Pipeline finally gets built, it will be a good deal.
Alberta will make more money, but will they leave Canada? Better for them to leave if Canada insists upon robbing them. But that is between Alberta and Ottawa. In the meantime, we get the oil. Will it help with prices? Not right now, but it will do so eventually.
If you watch the oil price action, the highest prices are in the Persian Gulf, with Brent next highest. The lowest prices are for West Texas Intermediate. The low cost producer has the advantage. There might be more oil available in the Persian Gulf, but the fighting there makes it expensive to get out. Why should this be OUR problem? It won't be. It is only our problem because the policies that preceded Trump. The prices are high only now because Trump took action now while he is in office.
Better now than when Iran has the bomb.
But Iran won't have the bomb either. Why can't knuckleheads see this?
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