Tales of Interest

[TKGAngel]

NPR looks at how NORAD got into the Santa tracking business.

http://www.npr.org/2014/12/19/371647099/norads-santa-tracker-began-with-a-typo-and-a-good-sport

[TravelGal]

NPR looks at how NORAD got into the Santa tracking business.

http://www.npr.org/2014/12/19/371647099/norads-santa-tracker-began-with-a-typo-and-a-good-sport

This is fabulous. I'm tell you all again, OC is absolutely the best community EVER. Big ups. :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

[TravelGal]

Forgot that I logged on to post this. I'll be putting details on my business Facebook page or simply sign up for their newsletter. http://www.vintageairrally.com/ They just finished Cairo to Cape Town on December 4. I can't believe I hadn't head of it. Africa is one of my main markets. Anyway, next up is Ushuaia to the US in March 2018. Sort of like the Baja Rally but for planes and over a longer distance. :D

[TravelGal]

I signed up for something called "Just Deals." Why, I'm not entirely sure. However, today they are advertising "Victory at Sea. Original 26 Episodes Digitally Restored and Re-mastered on two (2) DVDs, plus RARE footage from: * Iwo Jima * Okinawa * Guadalcanal * Mediterranean" for $9.99. Plus a bonus third DVD with the following 6 Programs: America's Wars, Revolutionary War, The Civil War, World War I, WWII: The True Glory, The Korean War: The First Forty Days in Korea, The Vietnam War: Vietnam! Vietnam!"

It seems too good to be true but in case it is true, I'm passing it along. I'm now going to YouTube to listen to some of those famous Robert Russell Bennett orchestrations.

[Napoleon]

Holy ****, the reporter who broke the story of the start of WWII to the west just died at 105.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/clare-hollingworth-reporter-who-broke-news-about-start-of-world-war-ii-dies-at-105/2017/01/10/6aa9ca72-d73f-11e6-b8b2-cb5164beba6b_story.html?postshare=4491484073664095&tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.fbe792817bc3

Edit to add NY Times obit

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/business/media/clare-hollingworth-reporter-who-broke-news-of-world-war-ii-dies-at-105.html

[TravelGal]

Holy ****, the reporter who broke the story of the start of WWII to the west just died at 105.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/clare-hollingworth-reporter-who-broke-news-about-start-of-world-war-ii-dies-at-105/2017/01/10/6aa9ca72-d73f-11e6-b8b2-cb5164beba6b_story.html?postshare=4491484073664095&tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.fbe792817bc3

Edit to add NY Times obit

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/business/media/clare-hollingworth-reporter-who-broke-news-of-world-war-ii-dies-at-105.html

:eek::eek: And, alas, the name is only vaguely familiar to me. What a life!

[SteveH]

A Big Test for Big Batteries (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/business/energy-environment/california-big-batteries-as-power-plants.html)



ESCONDIDO, Calif. — In Southern California in the fall of 2015, a giant natural gas leak not only caused one of the worst environmental disasters in the nation’s history, it also knocked out a critical fuel source for regional power plants.

Energy regulators needed a quick fix.

But rather than sticking with gas, they turned to a technology more closely associated with flashlights: batteries. They freed up the utilities to start installing batteries — and lots of them.

Somewhere on this forum there are real time updates from TravelGal about this leak

[indyfan31]

A Big Test for Big Batteries (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/business/energy-environment/california-big-batteries-as-power-plants.html)

Somewhere on this forum there are real time updates from TravelGal about this leak

Question: how do they convert DC voltage stored in batteries to AC voltage in the range of 10-15k volts?

[Insomniac]

Question: how do they convert DC voltage stored in batteries to AC voltage in the range of 10-15k volts?

Quick EE answer: Inverters.

[Napoleon]

A Big Test for Big Batteries (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/business/energy-environment/california-big-batteries-as-power-plants.html)

Interesting. Some of the technological means they are trying to implement to save solar and wind power overnight are fascinating. My favorite is pumping water uphill in the day and then using it to run generators at night.

[indyfan31]

Quick EE answer: Inverters.

Wouldn't you have to start with 1200V batteries?
Not to mention the enormous loss of current from an inverter?
What am I missing? :confused:

[Insomniac]

Wouldn't you have to start with 1200V batteries?
Not to mention the enormous loss of current from an inverter?
What am I missing? :confused:

You wouldn't necessarily have to have high voltage batteries, step up transformers can increase voltage (at the cost of current), but high voltage batteries is pretty easy, you just connect smaller ones in series (e.g. 100, 12V batteries in series = 1200V).

Inverters used to convert solar power to AC approach 98%, so high quality ones can be quite efficient.

[TravelGal]

Australia To Replace Passports With Facial Recognition Technology
Australia's international airports are in the process of automating 90% of air traveler processing by 2020 by implementing facial recognition technology that involves biometric recognition of faces, irises and/or fingerprints, hence eliminating the need to carry essential traveling documents such as passports.

They have always been a leader in passport technology.

[TravelGal]

Not particularly earth-shaking but I thought you would like to know. Especially those of you who cruise with families and are "stuck" on the family-friendly Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
Royal Caribbean To Offer PADI Dive Courses
Royal Caribbean cruisers can now become certified scuba divers, as the line has added onboard PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) Five Star Dive Centers. Programs range from a 30-minute Try Dive program for newbies to PADI's Reactivate Program for certified divers wanting a refresher course. Prices are reasonable, the Try Dive class costs $29 per person, while the Reactivate class is $59 per person. A third option is PADI's Open Water Diver course, which allows passengers to complete their scuba diving certification; prices start from $599 per person. This course starts before the cruise with participants attending an online course using either the PADI Touch app for mobile devices or PADI eLearning online system for desktop and laptop computers. Once onboard, divers will begin in the ship's pool before heading out to open waters for four mandatory, open-water training dives. The training dives will be split among two different ports of call. Courses will be offered on Royal Caribbean itineraries in the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Cruisers can book the courses before boarding through the online Cruise Planner or while onboard at one of the PADI Five Star Dive Centers rolled out on 10 Royal Caribbean ships, including ships in the Oasis-, Freedom- and Voyager-class ships, as well as on Anthem of the Seas.

[Gnam]

Metallic hydrogen. Science!


Scientists in the US say they have at last managed to turn hydrogen into a state where it behaves like a metal.

If that is true - and it is a controversial claim - it fulfills a more than 80-year quest to produce what many have said would be a wonder material.

Theory suggests metallic hydrogen could be used to make zero-resistance electrical wiring and super-powerful rocket fuel, among many applications.

Ranga Dias and Isaac Silvera are the Harvard researchers behind the work.

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38768683

I didn't know Harvard had a science department. I thought it was all lawyers, debates, and dropouts. :p

[Napoleon]

I didn't know Harvard had a science department.

Surly even someone like you has heard of E O Wilson or Stephen J Gould. They have some of the best.

[Gnam]

Sho'nuff. Harvard has had lots of physics and chemistry Nobel Laureates. I had no idea.

Must be a West Coast bias thing. :D

[Gnam]

An SR-71 Blackbird pilot tells a story about life at the top with the King of Speed.

http://machine66.com/11-lockheed-sr-71-blackbirds-on-the-ramp-at-the-same-time/

[dando]

An SR-71 Blackbird pilot tells a story about life at the top with the King of Speed.

http://machine66.com/11-lockheed-sr-71-blackbirds-on-the-ramp-at-the-same-time/

Goose and Maverick. ;) I feel the need! The need for speed! :D

[dando]

Sho'nuff. Harvard has had lots of physics and chemistry Nobel Laureates. I had no idea.

Must be a West Coast bias thing. :D

#5 in the NE US, and doing long it before you hippies. :gomer:

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-computer-science-and-engineering-schools-in-the-northeast-2015-8/#2-carnegie-mellon-university-1111111111115

[SteveH]

Video: Watch this Geordie lad explain what led to him threatening a takeaway owner with his pet python (http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/15122664.Video__Watch_this_Geordie_lad_explain_wha t_led_to_him_threatening_a_takeaway_owner_with_his _pet_python/?ref=fbshr)


A MAN who threatened a fried chicken shop manager with a snake has been banned from the takeaway and given a £9 fine.

Anthony Dando went into the Dixy Chicken shop and asked for a blanket for the small python he had bought from a pet shop that day.


:eek:

[SteveH]

Why Are These Turkeys Doing This? (http://gizmodo.com/why-are-these-turkeys-doing-this-1792903503)


https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--thzzrrw2--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/tdr1lcre7gdexgwh1f2j.gif

:eek: what?

[SteveH]

FCC May Allow Carriers to Block Robocalls From Spoofed Numbers (https://www.onthewire.io/fcc-may-allow-carriers-to-block-robocalls-from-spoofed-numbers/)

Do it!

[nrc]

One of the two original Bullit movie cars - the one thought to have been junked and lost for ever - was found in a Mexican junkyard.

http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/03/06/ford-mustang-found-in-mexican-junkyard-is-from-bullitt-expert-confirms.html
926

[dando]

:eek: Dang! One of my fave Blue Bloods episodes is when Anthony Edwards gets busted for a stolen Bullitt car.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5037530/

[SteveH]

DARPA’s Brain Chip Implants Could Be the Next Big Mental Health Breakthrough—Or a Total Disaster (http://gizmodo.com/darpa-s-brain-chips-could-be-the-next-big-mental-health-1791549701)

:eek:

[TravelGal]

DARPA’s Brain Chip Implants Could Be the Next Big Mental Health Breakthrough—Or a Total Disaster (http://gizmodo.com/darpa-s-brain-chips-could-be-the-next-big-mental-health-1791549701)

:eek:

I'll take your :eek: and raise you a double. Yet it certainly had to be expected, given the success with implants in Parkinson's patients. (Not stopping the disease but diminishing the tremors.)

[Al Czervik]

Why Are These Turkeys Doing This? (http://gizmodo.com/why-are-these-turkeys-doing-this-1792903503)


https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--thzzrrw2--/c_scale,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/tdr1lcre7gdexgwh1f2j.gif

:eek: what?

<Les Nessman> It was like they were ORGANIZING <Les Nessman>

[TravelGal]

The First-Ever Racing Track On A Cruise Ship Is Unveiled On Norwegian Joy
Note the editorial comment by the editor at the end. :laugh:

One of the world's biggest cruise liners, boasting 20 decks, 20 restaurants, waterslides and a pioneering car racing track, has set sail. The Norwegian Joy cruise liner cost a staggering £600 million to build over a three-year period. Its makers, Norwegian Cruise Line, claims that the vessel's top deck racing track is the first ever of its kind. Ten cars will be able to race on the tarmac at a time, driving at speeds of up to 40 mph. The Norwegian Joy is the first purpose-built ship for the Chinese market with its home ports being in Shanghai and Beijing. Drone footage shows the incredible size of the ship, with its two-tier driving racetrack seen for the first time. Its makers, Norwegian Cruise Line, claims that its motor course is the first ever of its kind at sea. Multiple water slides can also be seen on the top deck of the boat, with a standard swimming pool for less adventurous types. Make sure you look at the photos seen here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-4297014/First-racing-track-cruise-ship-unveiled.html This is one ugly looking ship.

[Gnam]

The First-Ever Racing Track On A Cruise Ship Is Unveiled On Norwegian Joy
Note the editorial comment by the editor at the end. :laugh:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-4297014/First-racing-track-cruise-ship-unveiled.html This is one ugly looking ship.
That is some shipyard. The hangar the ship floated out of is massive.

[TravelGal]

That is some shipyard. The hangar the ship floated out of is massive.

They and Fincantieri are the premier shipbuilders. They put out some big ones! I'm always pleased when I see a new ship has been built there. They feel like old friends.

The NCL Joy is not the largest vessel in number of passengers Meyer Werft has turned out. A quick look around their website shows the RCCL Anthem at 4108 passengers. http://www.meyerwerft.de/en/meyerwerft_de/index.jsp

[TravelGal]

(Kudos to the pilot of the smaller aircraft!!!)
Near Disaster As Jet Flipped Over By Wake Of A380
An incident in which an executive jet was flipped on its back, rolled over and plunged 10,000 feet after hitting turbulence caused by an A380 is being investigated by aviation safety authorities. The near-disaster, which happened over the Arabian Sea, has accelerated moves by regulators to counter the danger caused by the wakes of larger aircraft, including the Airbus superjumbo. The medium-sized business jet, a Challenger 604, was carrying 11 passengers and crew and flying at 34,000 feet when it passed below an A380, which is believed to have been an Emirates flight travelling in the opposite direction from Dubai to Sydney. The Challenger was caught in its wake, flipped upside down and performed up to five rolls as it plunged towards the sea. The pilot managed to steady the aircraft and it landed in Muscat, with several injured passengers. The jet, owned by Germany-based MHS Aviation, was damaged beyond repair. The incident, which is being investigated by the German air accident agency, has also raised concerns that the double-deck A380 causes more danger than had previously been considered with its wake turbulence, vortices generated at aircraft wingtips, which can act like horizontal tornadoes.

[Insomniac]

(Kudos to the pilot of the smaller aircraft!!!)
Near Disaster As Jet Flipped Over By Wake Of A380
An incident in which an executive jet was flipped on its back, rolled over and plunged 10,000 feet after hitting turbulence caused by an A380 is being investigated by aviation safety authorities. The near-disaster, which happened over the Arabian Sea, has accelerated moves by regulators to counter the danger caused by the wakes of larger aircraft, including the Airbus superjumbo. The medium-sized business jet, a Challenger 604, was carrying 11 passengers and crew and flying at 34,000 feet when it passed below an A380, which is believed to have been an Emirates flight travelling in the opposite direction from Dubai to Sydney. The Challenger was caught in its wake, flipped upside down and performed up to five rolls as it plunged towards the sea. The pilot managed to steady the aircraft and it landed in Muscat, with several injured passengers. The jet, owned by Germany-based MHS Aviation, was damaged beyond repair. The incident, which is being investigated by the German air accident agency, has also raised concerns that the double-deck A380 causes more danger than had previously been considered with its wake turbulence, vortices generated at aircraft wingtips, which can act like horizontal tornadoes.

:eek: That much damage and they landed it. :thumbup: to the pilot(s).

[Gnam]

Holy moly.

When they said it rolled 5 times I was picturing barrel rolls, not back flips. :eek:
Not to mention both engines flamed out, leaving them without hydraulic power to make a recovery.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4337974/Jet-caught-wake-superjumbo-nearly-crashes.html[

https://s4.postimg.org/cgxdyc0nh/3_E857_C4_C00000578-4337974-_On_January_7_a_Bombardi.jpg

[SteveH]

My oldest son is a pilot at United. He flew many years in a Bombardier regional jet. So there are some similarities to the business jet that was flipped. The biggest difference is size of aircraft. I emailed him the newspaper article. His response:


Holy crap:


When the Challenger faced the Airbus's wake turbulence, both of the plane's engines flamed out and its Ram Air Turbine would not work, causing it to plunge 10,000ft.


Losing both engines would cause the ADG (air driven generator-- it's actually not a RAT) to deploy which provides emergency power and enough hydraulics to be able to fly. But that is not a scenario that I'd want to be in.


Those pilots earned their pay for sure

[cameraman]

Holy moly.

When they said it rolled 5 times I was picturing barrel rolls, not back flips. :eek:
Not to mention both engines flamed out, leaving them without hydraulic power to make a recovery.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4337974/Jet-caught-wake-superjumbo-nearly-crashes.html[

https://s4.postimg.org/cgxdyc0nh/3_E857_C4_C00000578-4337974-_On_January_7_a_Bombardi.jpg

Don't know who drew that but the plane did barrel rolls not end-over-end flips. A tumble as drawn is impossible, the plane would be torn apart. As it stands with the dive and the pullout the plane's airframe was wildly overstressed and it is bound for the recyclers.

Here's a before & after of the cabin interior!!!
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b79/mlab601/mlab601115/Challenger_zps75y6kv2j.png

And later reporting has a different story on the engines. "Shortly after the event, the crew shut down one engine due to a high ITT (Inter Turbine Temperature) indication; the other engine remained operational."

[chop456]

What are all the small holes from?

FWIW, an acquaintance was a pilot for an American carrier until recently. He says there are offsets available to the pilot within the parameters of the prescribed flight path, all/most of which are "2-way streets". The pilot can choose an offset of 0, 1, or 2, with the numbers representing the number of miles of offset to the right of the centerline of the flight path. He said he most often chose 2, while most others chose 1. If you choose 0, you're separated from the plane directly above or below you by only 1,000', as the graphic shows. I think I'd choose 2, also. :gomer:

[SteveH]

There's also required separation between planes when landing to avoid wake turbulence. The A380 gets its own category.

https://www.ivao.aero/training/documentation/books/SPP_ADC_Wake_separation.pdf

[dando]

What are all the small holes from?

I would assume from shizz flying around the cabin. :\

[Insomniac]

I don't think those are small holes, but stains and marks from all the stuff flying around in the cabin.

Also, they didn't fly directly below the A380 but instead below its flight path.

[chop456]

This is the most complete report I've seen and it mentions twice that they passed under the A380. No idea if that's accurate or not, but that's what it says.

http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4a5e80f3&opt=0

[Gnam]

Cyber stalking the FBI director.

http://gizmodo.com/this-is-almost-certainly-james-comey-s-twitter-account-1793843641

:laugh:

[nissan gtp]

Cyber stalking the FBI director.

http://gizmodo.com/this-is-almost-certainly-james-comey-s-twitter-account-1793843641

:laugh:

nice :D

[TKGAngel]

Cyber stalking the FBI director.

http://gizmodo.com/this-is-almost-certainly-james-comey-s-twitter-account-1793843641

:laugh:

The first rule of seekrit Twitter accounts is not to mention that you have seekrit Twitter account. Similar sleuthing has revealed the Twitter accounts of several professional athletes because the chuckleheads said they had a seeekrit Twitter. :shakehead:

[rabbit]

Cyber stalking the FBI director.

http://gizmodo.com/this-is-almost-certainly-james-comey-s-twitter-account-1793843641

:laugh:

I was texting my teenage daughter one day. (She lives with her mom, but she and I have a really good relationship, and she texts me all the time.) Anyway, one day she mentioned this boy at her school that she liked. All I knew was he played rugby and his name was Connor. Fifteen minutes later, I sent her a picture and said, "Is this him?" She was floored! "Where did you get that?!?!?" I told her, "Your father has a very particular set of skills, skills he has acquired over his career as a journalist. Skills that can make him a nightmare for people like Connor. If he leaves my daughter alone, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for him, I will not pursue him. But if he doesn't, I will look for him, and I will find him..." ;)

[nrc]

Unintended Acceleration 10: The Tesla Terror

Even the rocket surgeons at Tesla cannot create a car that prevents people from mashing the gas and smashing into things.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/04/tesla-says-there-is-no-legal-duty-to-design-a-failsafe-car/

931

[Gnam]

I was texting my teenage daughter one day. (She lives with her mom, but she and I have a really good relationship, and she texts me all the time.) Anyway, one day she mentioned this boy at her school that she liked. All I knew was he played rugby and his name was Connor. Fifteen minutes later, I sent her a picture and said, "Is this him?" She was floored! "Where did you get that?!?!?" I told her, "Your father has a very particular set of skills, skills he has acquired over his career as a journalist. Skills that can make him a nightmare for people like Connor. If he leaves my daughter alone, that'll be the end of it. I will not look for him, I will not pursue him. But if he doesn't, I will look for him, and I will find him..." ;)

:D :thumbup: Run Connor! Run!

[Gnam]

Unintended Acceleration 10: The Tesla Terror

Even the rocket surgeons at Tesla cannot create a car that prevents people from mashing the gas and smashing into things.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/04/tesla-says-there-is-no-legal-duty-to-design-a-failsafe-car/

931
Should be the easiest defense ever: show jury photos of the drivers, rest case, collect huge fee. Next case!

[Insomniac]

Unintended Acceleration 10: The Tesla Terror

Even the rocket surgeons at Tesla cannot create a car that prevents people from mashing the gas and smashing into things.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/04/tesla-says-there-is-no-legal-duty-to-design-a-failsafe-car/

:rofl:

This is the best part:


According to Plaintiffs, the purported defect is that Tesla’s vehicles are allegedly prone to sudden, unintended acceleration. Plaintiffs allege that the sudden acceleration may be caused by defects in various vehicle systems or by driver negligence, but that, in any event, Tesla should have designed a failsafe system to prevent it.

Even they admit it may be the drivers!

Also, it makes sense to me to disable automatic braking when driving slowly.

[dando]

Missy did this? ;)

[TravelGal]

Calling all road warriors (you know who you are).

Recharge, a new free app allows users to book luxury hotel rooms by the minute. In 20 minutes or two hours, you can take a nap in the bed, refresh with a shower or take advantage of the Wi-Fi to catch up on work. The service launched in San Francisco during 2015 and expanded to New York City on Monday, according to Bloomberg. As many as 16 NYC hotels will be available on Recharge this spring, with prices ranging from $0.83 to $2 per minute plus a 14.75 percent lodging tax. Participating hotels include the Arlo SoHo, The Pierre and The Quin. The billing cycle begins either 30 minutes after you've booked or once you receive your key, depending on which comes first. Users will click the "check out" option when they're done and be billed for the exact number of minutes they used the room. According to Bloomberg, Recharge properties in San Francisco find the arrangement profitable because more than one-third of rooms are usually unoccupied during the day. So far, Recharge is a hit among long-distance or redeye commuters, and families, including nursing mothers. 75 percent of users are now repeat customers.

[G.]

:rofl:

This is the best part:



Even they admit it may be the drivers!

Also, it makes sense to me to disable automatic braking when driving slowly.

Most Lawyers don't create frivolous lawsuits. There is probably SOME merit to the case.
"According to the lawsuit, there is something wrong with the design of the Automatic Emergency Braking system in which the Tesla computer will use the forward-looking camera and the radar sensor to determine the distance from objects in front of the vehicle.

"When a frontal collision is considered unavoidable, Automatic Emergency Braking is designed to automatically apply the brakes to reduce the severity of the impact. But Tesla has programmed the system to deactivate when it receives instructions from the accelerator pedal to drive full speed into a fixed object," according to the suit."

One way to interpret the case:
When you try to park, the auto-brake prevents this from happening effectively. The car crawls along...
The way to bypass the auto-brake seems to be to mash the go-peddle.
Car then launches into electric-motor-impulse-speed and crashes.


Sounds like a crappy design, but I'm basing my expert opinion on what some reporter and editor decided to write.


My wife's old van had a recurring problem with a "stuck throttle"*. The solution (until it could be fixed) was to hit the peddle hard for a split second. I would be in the at-risk population that might do this with a TESLA. :eek:


(*The butterfly gets stuck closed due to the tight fit, and carbon build-up in the throttle intake. Not sure why there's carbon in the intake of a fuel-injected car...
Anyway, scrub the post air filter-pre butterfly section twice a year and there's no issue.)

[TravelGal]

From yesterday's ARTA E-News. :cool: I wonder if they are now considered used cars? :tony:

In case you wondered, yes, a Porsche can tow an AirBus 380
Porsche announced Monday that it had set a new Guinness World Records title by having two of its luxury Cayenne SUVs each tow a massive Air France Airbus A380 aircraft. The new record for heaviest aircraft pulled by a production car was set by both a Cayenne S Diesel and a Cayenne Turbo S. The vehicles, driven by Porsche technician Richard Payne, towed the 315-ton Airbus A380 around 138 feet at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, beating the previous record by 126 tons. Measuring almost 16 feet long, the Porsche Cayenne managed to tow the 239.5-feet-long plane by using a special towing attachment that was designed to fit on the vehicle's standard tow bar.

[Gnam]

Towing?
Dr. Porsche built a tractor decades ago. Just use that.

https://s23.postimg.org/stknfdpkr/546b128c6253a_-_porschedieseltractor-lg.jpg

[SteveH]

we could have a vintage tractor racing series

http://hymanltd.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/5401.jpg

Lambo still makes them, obviously those look much more contemporary

[nrc]

Looks like Richard Hammond balled up another expensive car. Fortunately he got out with only a minor knee fracture before the electric supercar he was driving caught fire and burned down to it's shell.

https://drivetribe.imgix.net/VnzccstGQfisFCXKLl5q1A

https://drivetribe.com/p/JGup8QHJRvmzBHEWGxQ96A?iid=IZ2dFmvsSoW--9jaaS38eg&utm_campaign=main+&utm_medium=fb+&utm_source=organic

[SteveH]

Amazon is buying Whole Foods for $13.7 billion (http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/16/investing/amazon-buying-whole-foods/index.html)

[Napoleon]

^^^ WTF!?

[SteveH]

^^^ WTF!?

Amazon and ubiquitous will soon be synonymous.

It was rumored in Feb that Amazon was looking to buy Capitol One Bank. How true that was, I don't know. But Amazon is clearly capable of such a large transaction. Use your Amazon account to buy Amazon goods (https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/03/amazons-private-label-brands-are-killing-it-says-new-report/)on the Amazon website.

[Napoleon]

Amazon and ubiquitous will soon be synonymous.


Amazon’s stock’s market value is up more than the cost of the acquisition today (which is unusual to happen) and a bunch of grocery or companies with a noticeable grocery component (Walmart/Target) are down, some a fair amount.

[Napoleon]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-16/amazon-whole-foods-competitors-lose-32-billion-in-value-chart?cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&utm_content=business&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

[TravelGal]

I find all this curious as I've been reading articles about how Whole Foods was struggling. What made them different--fresh, wholesome, organic food--is now more mainstream so charging their prices was leading to declining sales. It explains why they sold themselves off but it doesn't explain all the angst by their competitors.

[Napoleon]

. . . but it doesn't explain all the angst by their competitors.

What do you mean by that?

[TravelGal]

What do you mean by that?

I just didn't get why Vons, for instance, was upset that Whole Foods was bought by Amazon. I didn't see why they cared who owned them. I was thinking strictly food vs food. Now I'm realizing there could be much more traffic in the store with a non-food product. Or capitalization. Or am I still out in the tullies?

[SteveH]

Rumored to be competitive bids for Whole Foods.

[Napoleon]

I just didn't get why Vons, for instance, was upset that Whole Foods was bought by Amazon. I didn't see why they cared who owned them. I was thinking strictly food vs food. Now I'm realizing there could be much more traffic in the store with a non-food product. Or capitalization. Or am I still out in the tullies?


I assume that Vons is some other grocery store chain. If so the below article has your answer. The summary version is that Amazon has for years made it clear that they don't care if they run a profit, and if you suddenly have a competitor on your hands with a lot of money that takes that attitude, you have a real problem on your hands.


https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/20/15824718/amazon-whole-foods-profit-margin

[TravelGal]

[^^Thanks, Nappy.]

I don't put travel offers but holy cow....

Rock Getaway, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, October 26-November 5. Don Henley, Santana, Steve Miller Band, Roger Daltry, Bad Company, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benetair &Neil Giraldo, Cheap Trick, George Thorogood & the Destroyers and More.

Late-night after parties, pool-side concerts, and epic jam sessions with some of rock & roll's greatest legends – this is paradise like they've never seen it. Get up close and personal access to your favorite bands against a beautiful Caribbean backdrop. Book a 4-day or 7-day package, which each includes accommodations and admission to select events. Available now.

It came from Hard Rock Hotels so I presume you call them or your local travel agent who can book for you.

[stroker]

[^^Thanks, Nappy.]

I don't put travel offers but holy cow....

Rock Getaway, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, October 26-November 5. Don Henley, Santana, Steve Miller Band, Roger Daltry, Bad Company, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benetair &Neil Giraldo, Cheap Trick, George Thorogood & the Destroyers and More.

Late-night after parties, pool-side concerts, and epic jam sessions with some of rock & roll's greatest legends – this is paradise like they've never seen it. Get up close and personal access to your favorite bands against a beautiful Caribbean backdrop. Book a 4-day or 7-day package, which each includes accommodations and admission to select events. Available now.

It came from Hard Rock Hotels so I presume you call them or your local travel agent who can book for you.

I just found out that Brian Setzer and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy played Vegas. Under the right circumstances I would have flown to see that... :cry:

[SteveH]

[^^Thanks, Nappy.]

I don't put travel offers but holy cow....

Rock Getaway, Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, October 26-November 5. Don Henley, Santana, Steve Miller Band, Roger Daltry, Bad Company, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benetair &Neil Giraldo, Cheap Trick, George Thorogood & the Destroyers and More.

Late-night after parties, pool-side concerts, and epic jam sessions with some of rock & roll's greatest legends – this is paradise like they've never seen it. Get up close and personal access to your favorite bands against a beautiful Caribbean backdrop. Book a 4-day or 7-day package, which each includes accommodations and admission to select events. Available now.

It came from Hard Rock Hotels so I presume you call them or your local travel agent who can book for you.

https://www.rockgetaway.com

[TravelGal]

https://www.rockgetaway.com

TravelGuy is the official assistant but I can hire you as the assistant assistant. ;)

I'm not too sure about that website though. Looks a little dodgy to me. No way to tell who you are giving your money to.
Raw Whois Data

Domain Name: rockgetaway.com
Registrar URL: http://www.godaddy.com
Registrant Name: Registration Private
Registrant Organization: Domains By Proxy, LLC
Name Server: NS23.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
Name Server: NS24.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
DNSSEC: unsigned

[nrc]

Amelia Earhart disappearance explained?

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/amelia-earhart-may-have-survived-crash-landing-never-seen-photo-n779591

It's interesting that this photo has been in the national archives but so little is known about the source.

[SteveH]

Amelia Earhart disappearance explained?

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/amelia-earhart-may-have-survived-crash-landing-never-seen-photo-n779591

It's interesting that this photo has been in the national archives but so little is known about the source.

Little known fact, she was a counselor at Purdue for three years and was involved with their aviation department. There is a residence hall (https://www.housing.purdue.edu/Housing/Residences/Earhart/)named after her.


Earhart Hall opened in 1964 and was named after famous aviatrix Amelia Earhart. Amelia Earhart first came to Purdue University when the campus had enrollment of 4,700 students and one residence hall for women. In 1936, Amelia joined the Purdue staff and resided in what is now known as Duhme Hall in the Windsor complex. She began an association with the University in a dual role as consultant in careers for women and as technical advisor to the Department of Aeronautics. She talked with many students, but the women living in the residence hall felt especially privileged to know her in the informal setting of their daily lives. She seldom spoke of her achievements in aviation, but rather of vocational aptitudes, goals and careers for women.

more at above link

[Napoleon]

^^^

I saw that on NBC News last night and my initial reaction was "yeah, sure, every 2-5 years someone comes up with definite proof and all they have are some fuzzy pictures that could be anyone". Also this theory is inconstant with one from a few years ago I thought had much going for it (lets call it the Gardner Island nka Nikumaroro Island crash theory).

Reading the story just now and spending an hour or so reading some other material on her disappearance I don't think this theory is as dumb as I thought last night, but a few thoughts on why I think it is week. 1) the Marshall Islands are way way off course, like in a you are driving from Philadelphia to Boston but end up in Pittsburgh kind of way (basically they would have had to turn around and begin flying back towards Asia), 2) I have a real hard time believing that somehow she ends up in Japanese hands and has her picture taken by an American spy, but yet as of now no writings or witnesses from either US or Japanese sources to that effect, 3) visually looking at a map it appears to me that the Marshall Is are inconsistent with Amelia's last radio transmission in flight at to her location, which was somewhere on a certain line which ran more or less perpendicular to their route so it told you how far they were from their starting point but told you nothing about how far off course they may have been (note that both Nikumaroro Island and Howland Is, where at the time people thought she crashed and was searched, are consistent with her last know location - again, to be in the Marshalls they would have them had to turn around). There were a couple things I think I was unaware of, one of which supports the Marshall Is idea (which appears to me to be a theory that has been around for a while, the picture is just new evidence for an old theory). I didn't realize that there have been a fair number of natives of that area who swear they were alive in the Marshalls and/or Saipan. That's tough to just ignore.

Another fact I didn't realize was there also a fair amount of credible evidence that Amelia continued to radio post crash. My impression is this likely cuts against the Marshall Is theory.

Anyways, my money remains on the Gardner Island nka Nikumaroro Island crash theory.

[Napoleon]

PS, thinking more about this. First, I assume they will be able to defend exactly where that picture was taken in the Marshall Is. That said, about the Japanese Ship, is the ship pictured like the class of ship it was and do they have a coherent explanation for if that is plane or whatever behind it (size, etc)

[Napoleon]

PPS, including what other photos are out there that can isolate this photo during a certain period.

Also, I did not mention this above, at least one photon supports the Nikumaroro Island crash theory as well, what purports to be the landing gear sticking out of the water in front of a well known shipwreck (at that time and now, you can still see it on Google Earth) taken a couple or so years after they crashed.

[TravelGal]

Thanks for posting all this, Nappy. The disappearance of Amelia Earhart is one of the fascinations of my life. I read current things but there is s much written about it that I've never had the time to delve into it historically to any extent.

[nrc]

2) I have a real hard time believing that somehow she ends up in Japanese hands and has her picture taken by an American spy, but yet as of now no writings or witnesses from either US or Japanese sources to that effect, 3) visually looking at a map it appears to me that the Marshall Is are inconsistent with Amelia's last radio transmission in flight at to her location, which was somewhere on a certain line which ran more or less perpendicular to their route so it told you how far they were from their starting point but told you nothing about how far off course they may have been (note that both Nikumaroro Island and Howland Is, where at the time people thought she crashed and was searched, are consistent with her last know location - again, to be in the Marshalls they would have them had to turn around).

They "spy" question is why I think more information about the source of the photo and how it ended up in the archives is critical. I would think that a photo like this from a directly affiliated spy intended to show that she was there would have carried enough weight that it would have been documented at the time. It's conceivable that it would not have been revealed at the time. Tensions were rising and the US still hoped to avoid a war. But you would think that as soon as war broke out that would have been "discovered".

If there's anything to it a more likely scenario would be that an unaffiliated person with Western connections took the picture. In that case there's no telling how long it took to find it's way into American hands or whether it would have been taken seriously when it did.

When you talk about "last known location" are you talking about a verifiable location or a location that they reported via radio themselves? If they were off course due to an error in navigation any location that they reported wouldn't necessarily be reliable. Not arguing because I haven't studied any of this, just asking.

[Napoleon]

When you talk about "last known location" are you talking about a verifiable location or a location that they reported via radio themselves? If they were off course due to an error in navigation any location that they reported wouldn't necessarily be reliable. Not arguing because I haven't studied any of this, just asking.

Location is not precisely the right word. They self reported (their last know transmission while in the air) the following two and a half hours after dawn, and an hour after she had basically radioed that she believed they had reached their destination, (and note, this was not taped, someone wrote this down in a log or something): "We are in a line position of 157- 337. Will report on 6210 kilocycles. Wait, listen on 6210 kilocycles. We are running North and South." Because of conditions they were apparently unable to fix their location, but they could tell they were on a certain line, but they could not tell where on the line. Regarding your accuracy comment the real short answer is that they would have combined their observation of the sunrise with an airspeed calculation over a two and a half hour period (and to turn onto the line, all they needed was a functioning compass). They should have had a fairly accurate read on where that line was on the map. BTW, you can draw a line that matches that line position which will include wherever you happen to be right now as you read this that includes you, but there are very good logical reasons to believe that when she radioed that line position that at that moment that line transect both their airplane and their intended destination, Howland Is. The fact that she says they are running north and south (and must have been doing so from the time of the earlier transmission where she states she thought she was on top of the Coast Guard cutter that was part of the effort), which would be at right angles to their planned flight path is telling you that she has turned onto that line (using her compass). Below is a link with a real interesting detailed navigation discussion that really tells you more about what that line position she gave means. Also below is a picture that shows you where that line ran (again, inferring that they believed it to cross Howland Is). The Marshall Islands are off the map but would be way up and to the left, I would say at least 3 times the distance from Howland Is then Gardner Is.

That last transmission is just a killer to the Marshall hypothesis. No way they think they are running on a line that included Howland Is and they decide to just turn towards the Marshalls. Plus their calculated location would have been based on a fresh reading of the sun at dawn, so it is really tough to believe they could have been that massively out of position with where they thought they were at that point (in fact, my rough calculation is that at dawn, when they shot the sun's position, they almost certainly were beyond the Marshalls at that point, for purposes of where the 157-337 line ran right at dawn).

https://tighar.org/Projects/Earhart/Archives/Forum/FAQs/navigation.html

948

[nrc]

Interesting, thanks. My reference is a lot of reading about pilots during the war in the Pacific. Missing an island using those techniques was not uncommon. I've read that those last messages were strong enough to indicate that she was at least in the area so ending up in the Marshall Islands does seem unlikely.

I suppose one possible scenario where there could still be some credence to the photo would be that she didn't really have to get to the Marshalls. It's conceivable that if she ended up anywhere but in the ocean the Japanese were simply the first to find her. The Marshalls would have been a place where they could decide what to do with her.

I've seen rebuttals that the ship in question wasn't in the area at the time and that crew interviewed in the '80s denied ever finding anything. But given that Japanese accounts of history from that era are not without... controversy and given that we don't know the date of the photo there's room to wonder in there.

I guess I'd like to believe it but I suspect it's a case of seeing what you're looking for.

[Insomniac]

They "spy" question is why I think more information about the source of the photo and how it ended up in the archives is critical. I would think that a photo like this from a directly affiliated spy intended to show that she was there would have carried enough weight that it would have been documented at the time. It's conceivable that it would not have been revealed at the time. Tensions were rising and the US still hoped to avoid a war. But you would think that as soon as war broke out that would have been "discovered".

If there's anything to it a more likely scenario would be that an unaffiliated person with Western connections took the picture. In that case there's no telling how long it took to find it's way into American hands or whether it would have been taken seriously when it did.

When I first heard this new story, I kind of assumed it was more of a general spy photograph or the focus was something else and (if it is her) just happened to be in it.

[nrc]

When I first heard this new story, I kind of assumed it was more of a general spy photograph or the focus was something else and (if it is her) just happened to be in it.

Good point. It could be as simple as someone with instructions to photograph ships in the port in order to track ship movements.

[Napoleon]

So I watched the History Channel show. I will rewatch it a few weeks from now more carefully after my vacation and likely post more, but my initial and partial reactions are below.

They have more than just the photo. They have some eyewitnesses, and kids of eyewitnesses (all of which were real young when the events happened) and the have some alleged physical evidence of the plane having landed (including parts for it) at where it was alleged to have landed (though I personally think the very fact that in the immediate aftermath of the loss of her a huge war involving thousands of airplanes was fought in that area kind of makes you expect a lot of planes ended up on beaches and other places on islands). Also, the show had a real “tinfoil hat” feel to some portions (the US Government was conspiring all the time). In looking online at supporters of the Marshall Is theory it’s pretty obvious there is a strong component of the tinfoil hat types behind that theory.

My biggest complaint of what they presented was not only do they totally ignore that last message from the plane but within the first few minutes of the show they throw in what I consider a lie to try and make it sound so logical that she would have turned to the Marshalls by saying “she wouldn’t have just flown in circles where she thought Howland was”. Right, she wouldn’t fly in circles which is why she said she was flying in a straight line, and a pretty good chance it was in a southerly direction, which would be weigh against their theory, but why not ignore that and pretend her only other choice was to fly in circles.

Anyways, that said, their basic theory was that Noonan had dead reckoned navigated through the night with the last land he would have used for it an island close to New Guinea at sundown (note, I thought you used the compass as well) and that they had 25 mph winds from the south east that likely blew them north of Howland Is (query, could this cause the axis of your plane to not align with your course so that your compass is giving you a false reading if you are using it to navigate to your destination?). Supposedly a big heavy storm system would have been ahead/ to the north east of them when they reached where they though Howland would have been (but in fact being to the north of Howland). All of that is what you would expect them to say. The interesting things they added was they say she had twice said in the past that if she could not find Howland she was going to turn around and head back to the Gilbert Islands to the east which are south of the Marshalls and that she would do so when she was down to 4 hours fuel. They say she would have had the fuel to do this (the plane was known to have had a bunch of extra tanks installed and I recall reading that some of them were referred to as “reserves”). I could buy that in her transmission an hour before her last when she said “we are low on fuel” she could have been not taking into account what she felt were emergency reserves. I would love to hear more on these alleged facts and if they are true this, in my mind, would at least take the Marshall Is. theory out of the realm of tinfoil hats and make it a realistic possibility. (Note, I did some searches and there are some real long analysis you can find online as to the fuel situation and details on their flight path on that final leg).

The discussion of the post crash radio transmissions was interesting as well (but they failed to note some of them were triangulated to a location at or near Gardner Is.)

An aside, since my last post I looked up Howland Is. It is also an uninhabited island that is basically a flat eggplant shaped island with no trees of around 1 ½ miles of area. It is easy to imagine not being able to find it. No wonder the US sent a Coast Guard cutter there to assist her. They must have had fuel for her as well.


It's conceivable that if she ended up anywhere but in the ocean the Japanese were simply the first to find her. The Marshalls would have been a place where they could decide what to do with her.

I thought of that as well. One problem with that is the picture supposedly has a barge with the plane. It seems to me highly unlikely it was sailing around 800 miles away, or whatever, with a barge behind it, just in case it saw something to pick up. Plus the Marshalls, I thought, were basically at the edge of what they controlled in 1937 (note, the Pacific War broke out 5 days after Earhart went missing), and they denied the US Navy permission to search in their area, so you would think it unlikely that they would, after doing that, sail into waters the US Navy was running searches over.


I've seen rebuttals that the ship in question wasn't in the area at the time and that crew interviewed in the '80s denied ever finding anything. But given that Japanese accounts of history from that era are not without... controversy and given that we don't know the date of the photo there's room to wonder in there.


. . . 2) I have a real hard time believing that somehow she ends up in Japanese hands and has her picture taken by an American spy, but yet as of now no writings or witnesses from either US or Japanese sources to that effect . . .

Yesterday I was seeing if I could find any criticisms of the History Channel show and found this story. In 1982 a crewman of the Koshu Maru (a lieutenant who was a telegraphist) said they were told to lookout for them but they never saw them. Also, apparently, that ship delivered 4 meteorologists to an island 1500 miles away on 7/3/37, so they were not remotely in that neighborhood.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/amelia-earhart-captured-and-killed-new-evidence-debunks-history-channels-crazy-theory


When I first heard this new story, I kind of assumed it was more of a general spy photograph or the focus was something else and (if it is her) just happened to be in it.

When you watch the show that kind of is what they are saying, sort of. The picture was in a general type file of pictures reconnoitering that area of the world in the run up to WWII. In fact the legend that is written in the photo's lower margin is something mundane such as "boat traffic in Jaluit Harbor" or some such. Their theory though is that the picture in question was known to the government to show Earhart and Noonan and made it into the wrong file when someone who didn't know better accidently put it there (again, tinfoil hat stuff).

[datachicane]

Heh. Turns out the photo in question, far from being secret gubmint spystuff, was in a book published by the Japanese in Palau.
In 1935.

:rofl:

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/07/11/536620463/japanese-blogger-points-out-timeline-flaw-in-supposed-earhart-photo

[Napoleon]

^^^^

Hilarious. That theory didn't survive the light of day for even 48 hours after that show.

Then again maybe this is just the US Government suppressing evidence of time travel.

[Insomniac]

Anyways, that said, their basic theory was that Noonan had dead reckoned navigated through the night with the last land he would have used for it an island close to New Guinea at sundown (note, I thought you used the compass as well) and that they had 25 mph winds from the south east that likely blew them north of Howland Is (query, could this cause the axis of your plane to not align with your course so that your compass is giving you a false reading if you are using it to navigate to your destination?).

Short answer is yes. Compass always points towards magnetic North (there is also a true heading which is a little different). The actual path of the plane is known as the true track angle and it can be affected by crosswinds.

Here's an extreme example of planes pointing in a significantly different direction from the direction they are moving.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMUdXJPUwm8

Hard to imagine they had not accounted for wind though. That's a recipe for disaster.

[nrc]

^^^^

Hilarious. That theory didn't survive the light of day for even 48 hours after that show.

Then again maybe this is just the US Government suppressing evidence of time travel.

That explains it. Clearly Amelia Earhart flew into a rift in time and came out the other side in 1935. The Japanese knew that Amelia Earhart was actually elsewhere at the time so they imprisoned the apparent imposter as an obvious spy. So Amelia Earhart may well have died in a Japanese prison before she ever disappeared!

Wow, what a blunder. I never imagined that they had no reason at all to believe that the photo was even from the relevant time period. It appears that the logic was "That's really looks like Earhart and Noonan so obviously it was from the correct time period which means that it must be Earhart and Noonan."

I guess it shouldn't be surprising - at this point they're really The "History" Channel.

[Napoleon]

Short answer is yes.

Thanks. I know I saw something line that in the past (my guess is here). I will be interested in learning how you account for that. Speaking of which, I can see this is my new curiosity, not just this mystery (I love puzzles), but figuring out how navigation prior to GPS and electronic aids worked (I actually spent 1/2 hour or so looking through an online nautical navigation almanac last night).


It appears that the logic was "That's really looks like Earhart and Noonan so obviously it was from the correct time period which means that it must be Earhart and Noonan."

I guess it shouldn't be surprising - at this point they're really The "History" Channel.

First point, it really was the whole basis, and such a fuzzy picture it was so clearly silly to not think it really could not be just a coincidence or someone else or something. Second point, I have a degree in history, and I hate the History Channel, but to be fair, the overall theory they they advanced and some of the purported facts, was truly interesting. To me, the most important part, even if the photo was not bad, was the part about there being evidence she planned to turn back. That supports other potential theories.


Hard to imagine they had not accounted for wind though. That's a recipe for disaster.

Yes. Looking at Noonan's bio, he appears to be well qualified. Sometimes accidents just happen. I haven't mentioned a bunch of stuff, like radio issues, issues with instruments, and the like, that likely had as much to do as possible navigation issues with their fate, but apparently, like many accidents, it looks like a bunch of things went wrong on that leg and they died for it (even if it was after they survived a crash, which I am inclined to believe).


Heh. Turns out the photo in question, far from being secret gubmint spystuff, was in a book published by the Japanese in Palau.


The more I think about this the funnier it becomes and I think popcorn is in order when I re-watch it. The serious looks on the face while they look at the picture and talk about how the US Government was trying to mislead people. I hope my neighbors do not get upset when I scream at the TV "No, you idiot, some flack at US Navel Intelligence (where the picture was found) took a razor took a razor to some Japanese book from 1935"

[datachicane]

That explains it. Clearly Amelia Earhart flew into a rift in time and came out the other side in 1935. The Japanese knew that Amelia Earhart was actually elsewhere at the time so they imprisoned the apparent imposter as an obvious spy. So Amelia Earhart may well have died in a Japanese prison before she ever disappeared!

Wow, what a blunder. I never imagined that they had no reason at all to believe that the photo was even from the relevant time period. It appears that the logic was "That's really looks like Earhart and Noonan so obviously it was from the correct time period which means that it must be Earhart and Noonan."

I guess it shouldn't be surprising - at this point they're really The "History" Channel.

The humiliating thing is that, for all of the countless months their team of 'experts' (purportedly) put into researching this thing, it only took a handful of hours for the truth to come out. I'd wager they spent more time in production of the promos than in actually fact checking any of it, and that's pretty damn sad.

If P.T. Barnum were alive today, he'd look like Walter Cronkite in the current climate.

Edit- it gets so much better. Kota Yamano, the guy that found the source of the photo, decided Sunday night it would be interesting to search for "Jaluit Atoll" in the Japanese National Library online photo collection. The source was hit number 10, took him all of thirty minutes.
Hahahahaha.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/07/amelia-earhart-lost-photograph-discredited-spd/

[chop456]

And you're falling for that explanation? Go ahead. Believe what the government wants you to think. Pretty soon you'll be trying to discount the mermaid special or the existence of Sharktopus.

[Napoleon]

:rofl:

So I decide to check how badly the History Channel is getting beat up on in the press with this and the Huffington Post has a classic. In their peice they mention that a couple of weeks ago on July 3rd the History Channel tweeted a tweet that placed George Washington at the Battle of Gettysburg. Look closely at the picture and I am pretty sure it shows a Lockheed Electra in the sky as well.

https://twitter.com/Circa/status/881931892152451072/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fentr y%2Fnew-amelia-earhart-photo-bs_us_59664c48e4b005b0fdca6dae

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/new-amelia-earhart-photo-bs_us_59664c48e4b005b0fdca6dae

[nrc]

https://twitter.com/TheRealBuzz/status/888751834193694720

Someone really needs to take a screen shot of this clip of Buzz Aldrin with a starter's pistol and create a "Say the moon landing was faked one more God damn time.." meme.

[Insomniac]

https://twitter.com/TheRealBuzz/status/888751834193694720

Someone really needs to take a screen shot of this clip of Buzz Aldrin with a starter's pistol and create a "Say the moon landing was faked one more God damn time.." meme.

Here ya go...

[Napoleon]

The voice of many of our childhood cartoons passes, 54 days short of 100 years old.

http://www.newsfromme.com/2017/07/26/june-foray-r-p/

[Napoleon]

^^^

PS, a more extensive Obit from the NY Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/27/arts/television/june-foray-prolific-voice-of-rocky-the-flying-squirrel-dies-at-99.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fobit uaries&action=click&contentCollection=obituaries&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront

[TravelGal]

I read every word of both of both of them. Thanks, Nappy. Interesting that she was so often uncredited because "Mr Blanc had exclusive screen credit rights."

[nrc]

Here ya go...

Perfect! :D

[SteveH]

After a long drought, a golden age of eclipses begins today (https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/08/so-youre-not-seeing-the-eclipse-today/)


October 2023
https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Annular2023.jpg

April 2024
https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/April2024.jpg

August 2045
https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/total2045.jpg

[datachicane]

Crazytown here this morning for the eclipse- most of the city is a ghost town, zero traffic, but the line outside my favorite coffee shop downtown was a block long and my car was the only one on the block with Oregon plates.

[TravelGal]

Crazytown here this morning for the eclipse- most of the city is a ghost town, zero traffic, but the line outside my favorite coffee shop downtown was a block long and my car was the only one on the block with Oregon plates.

:eek::eek::eek: We dutifully looked through our pinholes at the reflection on a white cardboard. Not too glam at 62% in LA but still fun.

If you want to go further field (and sooner) than SteveH's post, check out these guys. I know the owner and I know people who have taken their eclipse tours. In other words, they are reliable. https://aclassictour.com/solar-eclipse-tours/

[datachicane]

Totality was pretty wild, as were the crazy crescent shadows.

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https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/KsPaEgYrEsFGDgNBXZKRaHOZgDGbrjavsX3tr5RBb5f-ofbqXWFNgCZAk0K8EqtJsU1XKbbZfm8nQrSy8AyyS16JDrHgVe 7zD6xbv71QdALSj7Pdmy-qUHp4VwHQMJWFKCRzEaxJ7YSx4CWFQLiaS5pcBRDB_mGh_J3Jy KZiQoJvhq8QOgZBj8KiKCi1akMbZ3D9DFrtSpsh6_uhWSRLyHs 3YhHkrlKEfPwTQ9WW4QtcrGJBK1KGc7Jdxt27AzPKXdVV3gJcg CJoN0bvaIU9Ias2NXRLxABgx3Z6BhH_XnD-ovXoQDM248Sake4RQQFsA1wvUdR471gJ_U8dEx69R8Hx_AJ7RY gsne9Tnma4vkrvvWVdldkiHi6cxJN_fdut7Uyr-v1tcVtVhtTtYka8Lm8As1dC-pjhhHA510Ye3bpJcHeRbn2UKtCEQPDy2pAV0f7scUICXq4gQm4 kZYjCMzbOa4aOxJ-OcNmGW1WQzFwHEEJ4q4fc0ACG_wB0-E_I6Y8ySnPAS2p7N2gzbslsUaZG8LYPCR8QvHKFqN86qmOUwB3 qXCSMS65BzoQOnRci7T65X0dtU04qFrlxWrd3Z6yZsc5qzorg1 isEX0CrIvFgyfABccia=w1079-h809-no