A couple news items via Instapundit
Something called a wave disk engine.
And, somebody wants to mine the moon, soon.
Please excuse me for my skepticism. I've been reading of "great" news for years now, but I haven't seen the hardware yet. When I see it, I will believe it.
Here's some info on budget deal. I may have been ahead of these guys, by the way, on the budget thing. Not the techie stuff above.
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.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Took my eye off this
Tbone Pearson has this contest in which creative people can promote their videos by joining up into the community in which he is trying to build up. It is hard work to get something like this going and growing. I have known him (only on the internet) but for a short time, and I have posted his stuff here as well as a few of the artists that I've met in his community. If anyone in the community comes here, be advised that you are welcome to read my stuff and comment upon it and I am anxious to put your stuff up and help you promote it here. I've done it before and I'll keep on doing it. This may not be much, but you have to start somewhere.
Here's Tbone's last video he put up just a few days ago:
Update:
I'd rather not be too critical, but I have to say something here. I clicked on the names on his video and they all kept pointing back to his video (Tbone). I think he has his site set up so that it will maximize views, which are only statistics. I realize that maybe you have to employ a few tricks, but just getting cheap pageviews does not impress me. Sorry.
Here's Tbone's last video he put up just a few days ago:
Update:
I'd rather not be too critical, but I have to say something here. I clicked on the names on his video and they all kept pointing back to his video (Tbone). I think he has his site set up so that it will maximize views, which are only statistics. I realize that maybe you have to employ a few tricks, but just getting cheap pageviews does not impress me. Sorry.
Decisions, decisions
You can't get away from them, can you? Everything has to get decided, one way or another. The Republicans gave in to the Democrats, in my opinion. There was no need, but they did it.
The theory of the Constitution is that the House holds the purse strings. No spending is possible without them, as the Republicans hold that power for the time being. For what purpose were they put into power but to bring the government back into balance? If they join the Democrats, which they just did, they are just as lost as the Democrats are. They just rendered the voters decision last November meaningless. The idea that they will "get them later" is just meant to fool everybody into thinking that they are serious about actual doing the job they were sent to do. In the end, it doesn't mean a thing, now does it?
Well, it appears that decisions can be made, and then unmade. Or opinions can be asked for, then ignored.
I think a big opportunity to set things right has been lost. All because some nervous Nellies were afraid of the big, bad wolf Democrats and their supporters. At some point, you have got to stop being scared. The Republicans never seem to learn that.
My own reaction, as you can see, is quite negative. It doesn't matter that the Democrats won. If you give them what they want, they will destroy the country. What exactly are they "winning"?
The Republicans can claim victory, but it is also hollow. The amount cut from the budget isn't anywhere near what is needed to put things right.
Both sides are just in the business of fooling the public for awhile longer. In the end, they haven't solved anything, except buy themselves a little more time. How much longer can this last?
That's what goes into one's own decisions, what is the circumstances that are beyond your control? There is just so much you can do about the general nature of things. This is the way things are. You just deal with it as it is.
The theory of the Constitution is that the House holds the purse strings. No spending is possible without them, as the Republicans hold that power for the time being. For what purpose were they put into power but to bring the government back into balance? If they join the Democrats, which they just did, they are just as lost as the Democrats are. They just rendered the voters decision last November meaningless. The idea that they will "get them later" is just meant to fool everybody into thinking that they are serious about actual doing the job they were sent to do. In the end, it doesn't mean a thing, now does it?
Well, it appears that decisions can be made, and then unmade. Or opinions can be asked for, then ignored.
I think a big opportunity to set things right has been lost. All because some nervous Nellies were afraid of the big, bad wolf Democrats and their supporters. At some point, you have got to stop being scared. The Republicans never seem to learn that.
My own reaction, as you can see, is quite negative. It doesn't matter that the Democrats won. If you give them what they want, they will destroy the country. What exactly are they "winning"?
The Republicans can claim victory, but it is also hollow. The amount cut from the budget isn't anywhere near what is needed to put things right.
Both sides are just in the business of fooling the public for awhile longer. In the end, they haven't solved anything, except buy themselves a little more time. How much longer can this last?
That's what goes into one's own decisions, what is the circumstances that are beyond your control? There is just so much you can do about the general nature of things. This is the way things are. You just deal with it as it is.
Friday, April 8, 2011
I am listening to some Space Show shows once again
I've listened to two of them and trying to come up with a system that will allow me to review them quickly and easily. This explains the long lag between posts. I'm usually busy doing something even though it may appear that I am not.
The amount of information in this mp3 files is tremendous. It is a great resource and I recommend it highly- that is if you want to get out of the wilderness of our ignorance that is in our modern culture.
Update:
I've been through two of these programs and started in on a third. What I wrote above about it being a tremendous resource may not always be true. On this latest show I started on, he seemed to be getting into some quackery stuff about Gaia communication satellite proposal on the show which aired on Nov 1, last year. He began the show with a speech which closely adheres to what I often complain about here. To that, I felt very much in harmony and sympathy, but then he makes this huge mistake and starts to talk about this proposition which struck me as ludicrous.
I don't want to be negative, but that's the kind of thing that can hurt you. It may happen here too when you make just one tiny mistake of one kind or another and totally turn off an audience. ( I turned the show off. It may have been a good show, but this one thing bugged me enough to turn off the show.)
Anyway, I'm thinking about how to go forward with the blog now that I've obtained a DBA for it. It is now, legally a business, but not a corporation. He requested support for the Space Show and so I think I will try my best to support it as best I can.
Update:
I've listened to it again, and he did preface the remark with a note of skepticism. Yet, he treats it in such a way that it can be taken as respectable. That's the mistake. I realize that I am in the same company as this fellow that I am calling a quack. But I have always said that I am not a rocket scientist. My stuff is only ideas that probably won't work for whatever reason. I put them out there in the hopes that maybe something will work, it only needs to be tried. (By who? Me? But I can't. So, should I shut up?) How do you sort the wheat from the chaff?
I read this man's proposal. I bit, but I didn't taste anything but sizzle, no steak. Nothing to get your teeth into. By the way, on the Space Show, a rocket scientist named John debunked this idea. After listening to him, and reading this, I think John is more persuasive to me.
Update:
I am near the end of this show. Charles, who has called the show many times, and has criticized JP Aerospace, says flatly that the Airship to Orbit will not work. He believes he's overlooking some basic physics of the problem that he's working on. I have no dog in this hunt, but I do think he has some ideas that are worth exploring.
Update:
Kelly in Connecticut called. Can't ignore the physics. Looking for unobtainium
. Have to find a way to eliminate the "overhead". Every 29 out 30 dollars spent is overhead. A more efficient vehicle is not necessarily the answer. Not cheaper than an aircraft. Don't have economy of scale. ( my comment: May never have that). Looks like an economic problem, not a physics problem, based upon this discussion.
Tony emails note about the Sea Dragon rocket ( on my sidebar I checked into this, by the way. A real deal rocket proposal that never flew). Sea Dragon was talked about before on the Space Show ( I'd be interested in finding that show). Bill Sprague? I have to look that up.
After a really slow start, this was another good show. The callers saved this one.
Update:
He says he treats everyone with respect as a matter of policy. Nothing wrong with that, but this Steve fellow himself seems not to be properly respectful. ( in my humble opinion)
The amount of information in this mp3 files is tremendous. It is a great resource and I recommend it highly- that is if you want to get out of the wilderness of our ignorance that is in our modern culture.
Update:
I've been through two of these programs and started in on a third. What I wrote above about it being a tremendous resource may not always be true. On this latest show I started on, he seemed to be getting into some quackery stuff about Gaia communication satellite proposal on the show which aired on Nov 1, last year. He began the show with a speech which closely adheres to what I often complain about here. To that, I felt very much in harmony and sympathy, but then he makes this huge mistake and starts to talk about this proposition which struck me as ludicrous.
I don't want to be negative, but that's the kind of thing that can hurt you. It may happen here too when you make just one tiny mistake of one kind or another and totally turn off an audience. ( I turned the show off. It may have been a good show, but this one thing bugged me enough to turn off the show.)
Anyway, I'm thinking about how to go forward with the blog now that I've obtained a DBA for it. It is now, legally a business, but not a corporation. He requested support for the Space Show and so I think I will try my best to support it as best I can.
Update:
I've listened to it again, and he did preface the remark with a note of skepticism. Yet, he treats it in such a way that it can be taken as respectable. That's the mistake. I realize that I am in the same company as this fellow that I am calling a quack. But I have always said that I am not a rocket scientist. My stuff is only ideas that probably won't work for whatever reason. I put them out there in the hopes that maybe something will work, it only needs to be tried. (By who? Me? But I can't. So, should I shut up?) How do you sort the wheat from the chaff?
I read this man's proposal. I bit, but I didn't taste anything but sizzle, no steak. Nothing to get your teeth into. By the way, on the Space Show, a rocket scientist named John debunked this idea. After listening to him, and reading this, I think John is more persuasive to me.
Update:
I am near the end of this show. Charles, who has called the show many times, and has criticized JP Aerospace, says flatly that the Airship to Orbit will not work. He believes he's overlooking some basic physics of the problem that he's working on. I have no dog in this hunt, but I do think he has some ideas that are worth exploring.
Update:
Kelly in Connecticut called. Can't ignore the physics. Looking for unobtainium
. Have to find a way to eliminate the "overhead". Every 29 out 30 dollars spent is overhead. A more efficient vehicle is not necessarily the answer. Not cheaper than an aircraft. Don't have economy of scale. ( my comment: May never have that). Looks like an economic problem, not a physics problem, based upon this discussion.Tony emails note about the Sea Dragon rocket ( on my sidebar I checked into this, by the way. A real deal rocket proposal that never flew). Sea Dragon was talked about before on the Space Show ( I'd be interested in finding that show). Bill Sprague? I have to look that up.
After a really slow start, this was another good show. The callers saved this one.
Update:
He says he treats everyone with respect as a matter of policy. Nothing wrong with that, but this Steve fellow himself seems not to be properly respectful. ( in my humble opinion)
A couple news items today
I just set up a DBA. Up until this moment in time, I was operating this under my own name. A DBA ( Doing Business As) would be needed regardless of how this is organized on a business basis. Why a DBA at all? Why anything, since this thing isn't generating revenue?
Well, it isn't the same as going to a corporate nonprofit, but it is a little more than where it was before. If it doesn't improve, then the out of pocket costs are a lot less. I won't be doing the non profit corporate idea. At least, not for now, if ever. That's what this means.
I can keep this nonprofit forever, if that what it all means. I will turn over any proceeds earned from this blog over to the company, which can finance its activities on the basis of that. If nobody contributes, nothing will happen. But you can still read about nothing here for as long as you will like.
That little bit of business took up a couple hours. It really didn't need to. Somehow things take a lot longer than they should.
In another bit of news, I just got an email alert from Chris Laird. I already noticed that the markets were a little strange earlier, with gold way up. His alert pointed out that TSX is moving, and this may be some bad news on the horizon, but he doesn't know what.
Well, it isn't the same as going to a corporate nonprofit, but it is a little more than where it was before. If it doesn't improve, then the out of pocket costs are a lot less. I won't be doing the non profit corporate idea. At least, not for now, if ever. That's what this means.
I can keep this nonprofit forever, if that what it all means. I will turn over any proceeds earned from this blog over to the company, which can finance its activities on the basis of that. If nobody contributes, nothing will happen. But you can still read about nothing here for as long as you will like.
That little bit of business took up a couple hours. It really didn't need to. Somehow things take a lot longer than they should.
In another bit of news, I just got an email alert from Chris Laird. I already noticed that the markets were a little strange earlier, with gold way up. His alert pointed out that TSX is moving, and this may be some bad news on the horizon, but he doesn't know what.
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