DutyCat

Well, here are a couple of things that have not been brought up, regarding the economy and political identity/influence. 1. Buying foreign oil in the quantities we do amounts to a huge transfer of wealth outside of the country. Yes, that fuel is used to help our mobility here in the US, which partly drives our economy, so it is not ALL bad. However, buying oil from a potential adversary is risky. Look at the EU and Russian oil/gas. The Europeans have to pedal softly on the Ukraine issue for fear of upsetting the Russians. Now, the Russian economy is suffering because of depressed prices a

Bortles! Bortles! Please tell your Doc friends to get Sen'derrick Marks ready to go for 2015..although I hear that injury is a 8-12 month healer.

Well, since you are located on the NAS Jax flight line, it can't be too hard for you to find me! Show up at one of our meetings!

Now that the holidays are just about over, I want to give everyone in the southeast a reminder that JAXCON 2015 is coming up fast. Here is a link to the web page: JAXCON 2015. All of the rules, categories and forms are there for you to download and print out. Our awards this year will be similar to last years 2 inch coin on easel arrangement, with the main difference being that the coins will be polished instead of antique. As always, there will be plenty of vendors, and this year we will be giving out a little something extra to every attendee (while supplies last...we think we have orde

Gents, Here is a little video I put together from my visit to KSC for the Orion EFT-1 flight test a few weeks ago. I threw in a little pitch for proper NASA funding at the end.

I think to do it properly you are going to need to cut it up. Just a two part mold is not going to get it done. Sorry to have to tell you that. It is a nice piece and I would probably buy one if it were available. It is done well enough to be marketable. I do think the definition of the relief should be sharpened up a little bit, however.

There is no smoother flat finish on the planet than Testors Dullcoat thinned 50/50 with lacquer thinner. Stick with that. As has been mentioned, it is bulletproof. The only time you have to worry about the supposed yellowing with Testors clear coats is if you apply them heavily out of a rattle can.

Edit: Oh, you said "What is that model?" Not "Is that a model?" My bad! I will leave my original response intact for entertainment purposes. Of course not. This is Amirka! That is two nice guns Santa brought to folks on our board. I didn't wait for Christmas. I bought a Sig M400 AR-15 over the summer. Just gotta get a bunch of ammo and I will be ready for the zombie apocalypse, alien invasion, upcoming economic/societal meltdown (if and when that happens).....or the first post hurricane looter that shows up on my property trying to steal a can of beans! You are warned! Oh, and for C

When do you think these might be available? I need them pretty soon as I am almost at the that stage with my shuttle.

Funny you should say that because it speaks to our assumptions about aliens. A lot of folks think that any advanced civilization would be more civilized, having survived the primitive, war fighting, nation state phase of its home planet before finally wising up and pooling resources to affect space travel and ultimately colonize the stars. Maybe so. I read a short story once where the premise was exactly opposite. Among advanced alien races, "civilization" (including democracy) was considered a primitive, quaint, transitory and totally impractical political phase that did a disservice to the

My speculation was that the existence of nuclear weapons is desirable because of the uncertainty they introduce into a large scale conventional engagement between major powers. In other words, the nukes keep the conventional forces at bay, except through proxy fights. If there were no nukes, the more conservative elements in our (and their) national command structure might feel a little more froggy. So, those who want to completely do away with nukes because of the threat they pose, might consider the opposite effect. Having that ace, just in case, is a good thing. However, speaking of MA

One of the dumbest ideas ever. I hope you are being 'tongue in cheek.' Shirley you are not serious.

That was not what I was saying. I was suggesting that the existence of nukes deters the use of large scale conventional forces between major powers. I think it likely that in any large scale conventional conflict, the losing side would resort to the use of tactical nuclear weapons rather than lose the fight. After that, the genie would be out of the bottle and who knows what would happen? This level of uncertainty, maintained by the very existence of nuclear weapons, is stabilizing, and therefor, desirable.

They will never do that because you are putting nuclear release capability in the hands of civilian employees who are not sworn US government officials. Aside from that, so far as I know, the only 'legitimate' military actions that can take place are by uniformed individuals who supposedly have been trained and for which military officers assume responsibility. I empathize with the boredom of young men and women not wanting to sit in a hole in the unlikely event the balloon goes up, but they need to remember that the primary reason the job exists is to deter nuclear attack. Their professio

You also have to consider that any radio link can be jammed, and if that is the case you lose the flexibility of a remotely "manned aircraft." You don't hear much talk about that, but it is an unavoidable reality. And for all the talk about autonomous AI in fighter planes and other aircraft; it is a pipe dream at this point. AI is nowhere near the F-35 being the "last manned fighter" level. There is a place for drones and pre-programmable semi-autonomous combat aircraft, but primarily to augment manned aircraft. I don't see them fully replacing them for foreseeable future. Edit: Oh, I s

There are some on ebay.

The paint is accurate, IMO. Most of their colors are. Ambient lighting varies. It and exposure have a huge effect on photography, especially in the days of wet film when each brand had a different chemical composition and a different color bias.

I took these at Farragut Fest in Brunswick, GA, on 12-6-14. Trekkies #1 Trekkies #2 Not quite as spectacular, but still nice enough. Trekkies #3 Here are a couple of guys who look the part. Trekkies #4

Surprised none of the NASAphiles(including myself) haven't brought this discussion up yet. First of all congrats to NASA, United Launch Alliance, Lockheed-Martin, and the entire Orion EFT-1 team on a fabulous, inspiring mission. I went down to KSC with family an friend to watch the launch live, and while I was there toured the visitor complex and got all caught up on the latest SLS/Orion news and plans. I think that NASA and related industry folks have a pretty solid roadmap on how to get humans to Mars in the next 20 or so years. The SLS and Orion capsule technology seems like it will be

The F-35 will be a good jet and affordable if purchased in the numbers envisioned. The US has used its expertise and capital (as well as that of partner nations) to build this advanced technology machine to help make the world a safer place for us and our allies. We built it for us and for you. We just ask that you do your part... buy it in numbers that make sense and that you can afford. Australia is not a third world nation. You have 24 million people? That is about 1/13 that of the US, so going by that formula, you could buy 188! (assuming an American buy of 2443) I realize it is not

ES, I have no issue with your opinion on the validity of Russian interventionism. Everyone has an opinion on individual events or chains of events. I was calling you out on your statement "The United States of America - World Police, judge, jury, and executioner since 1776." I thought that was way over the line and represented a gross misunderstanding of what the US stands for.

Darius, I think it is possible to discuss things of substance without too much bitterness. We should all be critical thinkers and have the courage to exchange viewpoints. If my post was worded such that it implied the "center left" perspective was essentially the same as ES's "America: World Police, judge, jury and executioner since 1776," then I apologize. That was not my intention. My fault. The "center left" perspective is very common, and I would not consider it an extreme viewpoint. Its origins are from a good place...humanism. I just think we have to use the perspective in the cor

No disrespect intended here, but yours seem to be a very subjective, skewed perspective....a left leaning Euro-Progressive attitude. I will tell you this, and you can agree or disagree as suits you. Although no nation is perfect, and our leaders make poor choices sometimes, the overall track record of the United States is that of a nation that champions freedom, human rights, and the rule of law. However, decisions sometimes involve larger regional security issues...and yes economic issues as well, because economic stability equates to political stability. Compromise for the sake of the big

That is because the USN is a Global Force for Good. Haven't you seen the commercials?

I think we pretty much covered the main topic before the thread turned into a religion/science discussion. I don't have anything more to add to either at this point. Apologies for those offended or those of the opinion that this conversation developed in a direction of little value. DC out.