Go Bigots!

It is nice to know bigotry knows no bounderies.  —  Let’s hear it for the Hindus and Christians battling it out in India.  —  I’m sure, the local Muslims will be able to find a way to join in on the slaughter and fun.

Some challenges for the talented!

I would like to bring to the attention of my esteemed readership a few challenges they may wish to investigate further.  I can think them up, but can’t make them happen.

 

1. Engineers & engineering students may well be interested in the Elevator:2010 challenge.  If so, drop by http://www.spaceward.org/elevator2010.html .  Surely someone wants to build a skyhook and win up to $4,000,000 in prize money.
2. When I was visiting the Atomic Testing Museum in Las Vegas, I found there a NERVA rocket.  Fascinating.  I then reflected on the Orion Propulsion System another atomic design.  So my challenge is this:
   1. Redesign the NERVA System using today’s components, computers, etc. and bring it in at a cheaper price, more power, and less weight, lower collateral radiation.
   2. Redesign the ORION System using today’s components, computers, etc. and bring it in at a cheaper price, more power, and less weight, lower collateral radiation.

 I’m not suggesting either one be built, but “tested” on a big and nasty supercomputer as they do with nuclear weapons.   Either system could be used in space [not from Terra] and would cut down the time to Mars, The Belt, etc. and make it much more profitable to go there and bring back goodies. It would be an excellent Senior Project for Nuclear Engineering Students. 

1. I’m given to believe, that Solar furnaces can focus on a reasonably sized area a temp of about 3000 C.  This is hot enough to reduce many items to a gas.  Why not use it to burn “waste” and fractionally distill the waste gases into their individual elements?  Much that would be left would be useless stuff like very heavy metals, you know PT, AU, OS, etc.  [This idea was the MacGuffin in Sahara by Cussler.]

 Is this easy?  No.  However, it may give rise to some very useful subsequent ideas and processes and make someone very rich. 

1. How about a solar panel test farm?  A sunny desert within 10 degrees of the Equator might work out just fine.  I even know of an area in West Australia.  [Choosing Australia for such a test farm is merely being practical.  Find me a relatively stable country with a nice desert within 10 degrees of the Equator and use that as well.  I don’t think, there is any, however.]  It is even near the end of an abandoned rail line.  Nice place for Solar Furnace research as well.

 

Let companies and schools rent portions of the desert for their test bed.  [I have some ideas on this if anyone is interested.]  The power produced would power the research lab there [You really will want AC out there.] and excess power could be fed into the power grid. 

 

How you ask?  By using microwave transmission.  Work out transmission bugs on earth for a possible Powersat system. 

Olay, now make it so!

On your knees everyone!

What the mind doesn’t understand, it worships or fears. -Alice Walker,
author (b. 1944)

Sounds about right!

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are seeking funding to develop a skin-tight, next-generation spacesuit for a possible mission to Mars.

Gee, I wonder if they finally turned up copy of the NASA research report of Prof. Webb’s from 1970.

This sounds a lot like the spandex spacesuit developed back in 1970 by Webb.

What goes around comes around.

Now it is explained!

The man who can make others laugh secures more votes for a measure than the
man who forces them to think. -Malcolm De Chazal, writer and painter
(1902-1981)

No wonder Congress is filled with comedians!

Cash Advance?

Got a note about an increase in the amount of money I can charge & get as an advance on my credit card.  Cash advances cost one about 20%.  I’d rather take a mortgage out on my house.  Sheesh! 

Political Correctness

 The following is the 2007 winning entry from an annual contest at Texas A&M University calling for the most appropriate definition of a contemporary term.
 
 This year’s term: “Political Correctness”
 
 “Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.”

STAR TREK:NEW VOYAGES!

On 6 DEC I headed north to a locale in upstate NY to work as a PA on the reshoot of a couple scenes in the lastest episode of ST:NV.  I schlepped sets and enjoyed the environment.  —  Very dedicated folk.  This is all done out of everyone’s pocket.  We pay our own  way.  —  I’m hoping to be asked to return in June for the principle shooting for the next episode.  —  Any angles out there who wish to donate some good sized bucks to help pay for all this?  —  Oh yes, we will be having a panel on ST:NV at ALBACON 08.  You might be able to get DVDs of the several episodes already shot if you come by.

Bush are you listening?

An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor
does the truth become error because nobody will see it. -Mohandas K. Gandhi
(1869-1948)

Maybe someone should point this out to the present Administration.  Sigh!

The Hobbit: Parts 1 & 2.

Hullo!  —  Good to see that The Hobbit has been given the green light.  —  It will be interesting to see how PJ takes a children’s book and makes it more adult.  If he asks me, I do have some suggestions.  —  Hmm, time to get my head shots & resume to him.  Just in case.  Anyone out there know him and can give me an address at which to write him?  🙂  —  Now have something to look forward to in DEC 2009 & 2010.  —  It will be interesting to see if Aragorn shows up in the Hobbit 1.  He was living at Rivendell at the time of Bilbo’s visit.  he was 10 and was called Estel.  It would be a very nice in joke if as Bilbo arrived a young lad shows up and Elrond tells him he is busy and to go and play with his “brothers.”  🙂