tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42490688719963917662024-03-14T03:00:41.473-07:00Thinking about it too muchThoughts, musings and contemplations.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-14944255275004381642020-01-11T01:36:00.004-08:002020-01-11T01:36:44.331-08:00Books: "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership" <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="clear: left; float: left; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img height="400" src="https://d188rgcu4zozwl.cloudfront.net/content/B074J6F41V/resources/895201114" width="260" /></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One thing that is guaranteed to rope me in is a well told human story behind ‘the big picture’. I don’t necessarily need to read about heroes, or villains for that matter, and I don’t have to have larger than life characters to entertain me. No, at the end of the day, just getting into someone’s head so I can understand their take on a situation is enough to hold my attention usually. Not surprisingly this set of interests is magnified when it revolves around an incident or issue I am familiar with.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Higher Loyalty sets out to not only tell us about one man’s experience in the justice department and the FBI, it makes the case for difficult decisions, and even mistakes made by the author leading up to that time, giving context and a human dimension to the raw facts disgorged by the media over the past year and a half.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">From a story-telling standpoint, Comey’s narrative style, word choices, and voice (<i>I was listening to the audio book read by the author</i>) are captivating, well measured, and most importantly, well paced. This is not a book that throws you headlong into the Trump White House, but at the same time the voyage to that point is not a long, plodding, painful trip either. Comey talks about his childhood, with several formative moments highlighted in wonderful detail. We’re also introduced to his time as a father, a husband, a US Attorney, and then his appointment to the directorship of the FBI. Each position, role, and its responsibilities are fleshed out, as well as the context of the role, both to the nation and to Comey himself. But I really have to come back to the narrative style on this; Comey is engaging, articulate, and precise, and when we are clearly at the mercy of his possibly flawed interpretation of a situation, he makes an effort to say as much, but does so smoothly, as part of the overall story. This is not the annotated memo of past event, this is the personal, almost intimate memoirs of man who admits his flaws with enough candor to add, not detract, credibility to his overall message.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Substantively, the story carries a lot of weight in a lot of highly relevant modern subjects. Over the course of his government service, we follow him as he navigates the political terrain around issues such as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_interrogation_techniques" target="_blank">US Enhanced Interrogation Policies</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NSA_warrantless_surveillance_(2001%E2%80%932007)" target="_blank">warrantless wiretapping and data collection</a>, phone encryption, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton_email_controversy" target="_blank">The Hillary Clinton email investigation</a>, and finally the admitted tumult of his brief term under the Trump administration. Each of these topics is discussed in detail, with a solid argument presented for decisions made, and an almost equal measure of self reflection given on the harder moments. The book is not, and does not pretend to be the final authority on any subject, other than that of James Comey’s perspective, but does vividly and assertively present the author’s perspective for your consideration.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At its core, this book could be viewed in two ways. Perhaps in fifty years, it will be considered an important essay on the merits of leadership, decisions making, and ethics in the sphere of public service. And to be sure, it is absolutely that, and much of its text is penned with the type of timelessness that will make it a credible, and relevant read well into the future.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But, in the immediate sense, this book is also the counter-punch to a man who’s personal reputation was delivered an undisputed body-blow by the conservative body politic of the United States.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Comey explains that he learned of his firing as director of the FBI while on stage at the Los Angeles field office of the FBI, speaking with agents and technical staff. His first inkling of the termination was seeing the news ticker roll across a TV screen at the back of the room while mid-sentence of his remarks to the local agents. A few minutes and a phone call later, he was a newly-made civilian who was not even allowed to stay in the building, and stranded in Los Angeles with no established means to get home. And all of that was long before he even saw the memo notifying him of his termination. This episode, painted with candor, raw emotions, and admitted tears, sets the tone for his penultimate chapter in the book, and lays the groundwork and final context for his senate testimony.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A Higher Loyalty is, in the immediate context, a critical argument against the methods, style, ethics, and mentality of the Trump presidency. He describes Donald Trump’s interactions as “Transnational” (ie. quid-pro-quo), and “Loyalty based”. The overarching sub-theme of the book is an undisguised narrative comparison between Trump and the mafia bosses of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Gotti" target="_blank">John Gotti</a> era. Early on, he talks about how the bosses of the crime families demanded personal loyalty, and clearly spells out in academic terms how these demands highlight personal and professional failures in their leadership situations, calling them (and not inappropriately) bad leaders for it. As we follow Comey through his career, we not only see his case for these parallels in Donald Trump, we share in his astonishment as he learns about them as well.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While it is hard to say that talking about Trump can be anything other than political, something that the book does well is to establish itself as apolitical. Comey’s arguments and positions throughout the book, which includes his work under George W, Bush, Barack Obama, and finally Donald Trump, are made as strong absolute legal arguments, set aside from any political positions of his own. In fact, one of the critical points of the book is a conversation with then President Obama before he was named Director of the FBI, where he candidly told the newly inaugurated president “I voted for the other guy”. This exchange served as a jumping off point for Comey to explain to us, the audience, how the department of justice, and specifically the FBI must operate at ‘an arm's length’ from the president in order to maintain their independence as law enforcement agencies.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For those critical of Trump, the added perspective will be a welcome addition to your conversation. And for those supportive of Trump, I will argue that if you are hopeful of defending him as a leader, there is no better place to start than words of his own critics so that you can best respond directly to with your own arguments.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In the end, I’m strongly of the opinion that this book is worth reading, no matter your political position.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Book: “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Higher-Loyalty-Truth-Lies-Leadership/dp/1250192455" target="_blank">A HigherLoyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership</a>” (amazon link)</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">By: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Comey#Early_career_(1985%E2%80%931993)" target="_blank">James Comey</a> (</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Audio book read by the author)</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Published: April 17, 2018</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ISBN: 978-1-250-19245-5 (Hardcover)</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-77875019614225361322019-01-17T18:28:00.001-08:002019-01-17T18:34:16.402-08:00SW-TLJ: My problem with Holdo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
I think I’ve spent a good chunk of the last three or four months trying to wrap my mind around why it is that the character of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWXVUJfSvDs" target="_blank">Vice Admiral Holdo</a> so bothers me. No one element really stands out, and really, individually any of my complaints quickly fall before a basic argument of ‘that’s realistic’, or ‘that was the point of the character’. Yet, the more I think about it, the more I find myself bothered by her and her actions, and I am left with the opinion that she even brings down the film some measure.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Numbers </h3>
So, lets start with the numbers. If you go to the <a href="http://transcripts.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars_Episode_VIII:_The_Last_Jedi" target="_blank">transcript </a>of the movie and search for “AMILYN HOLDO”, you see 16 hits. In total, this is a character with a total of sixteen lines in a film that is creeping up on three hours. A <a href="https://www.imdb.com/list/ls023970392/" target="_blank">screen time breakdown</a> at IMDB.com shows she had a total screen time of 5 minutes and 15 seconds. So again, this is supporting character with limited dramatic impact on the story (and to be fair, so was admiral Acbar, but he was seen as a wildly popular figure, so I’m not knocking anyone on the numbers alone).<br />
<br />
How do I go about this other than to say “I don’t like her”? I mean, I don’t, but how do I objectively quantify that for the purposes of conversation.<br />
<br />
Really, the more I think about it, I think it is the contrast in story telling methods between the original trilogy and the newest installments.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://fsmedia.imgix.net/b2/f0/be/22/cee5/451d/b526/21c10bc8b8c6/physicists-say-vice-admiral-holdos-big-moment-is-totally-plausible.jpeg?rect=0%2C250%2C800%2C602&auto=format%2Ccompress&w=800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Related image" border="0" class="irc_mi" height="353" src="https://fsmedia.imgix.net/b2/f0/be/22/cee5/451d/b526/21c10bc8b8c6/physicists-say-vice-admiral-holdos-big-moment-is-totally-plausible.jpeg?rect=0%2C250%2C800%2C602&auto=format%2Ccompress&w=800" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="469" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-size: small;">The conflict was from without, not just from within.</span></h3>
From a stylistic standpoint, this is the first thing that strikes me. In the original trilogy, we don’t have open descent within the ranks. We have talk, we have opinions, we have banter, but not once do we see the major, or even the supporting players in the rebellion coming to blows (verbally or physically) over a situation. At the battle of Yavin, we see very tense rebellion pilots sitting through a very detailed briefing. Sure, its not all roses and candies, (“that’s impossible, even for a computer!”, <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Wedge_Antilles" target="_blank">Wedge Antillies</a>) but its clear they all agree what has to be done. At the battle of Hoth, with an imperial mechanized force baring down on them, we see <a href="https://youtu.be/9Mj7c1DEQ00" target="_blank">Leia herself directing the pilots</a> as they make their escape. And at Endore, we see the rebellion command staff shift gears and go on a desperate offensive only a few seconds after realizing they had flow right into the teeth of an imperial trap. When Luke was lost on Hoth, there was no debate about what had to be done when it was time to close the doors, and when the rebel commandos were captured on the ground on endure, Hand and Leia (who’s whole relationship across two movies was characterized by squabbling) instantly worked together to regain the upper hand.<br />
<br />
Also there wasn’t really that much descent on the imperial side. Yes, Vader <a href="https://youtu.be/Iwio208q3jY?t=28" target="_blank">kept a short leash</a> on his <a href="https://youtu.be/aV2DLkDPwM8?t=45" target="_blank">subordinates</a>, but even then we didn’t see open conflict between officers. Probably the closest thing we see to a fight within the ranks is in TESB when the naval staff are arguing as to if the image of the Hoth base <a href="https://youtu.be/TvcYjQCJ8_o?t=45" target="_blank">is even worth investigating</a>. And lets be fair, that conversation lasted only a few seconds and didn’t really shape the plot much at all.<br />
<br />
But what do we have here in TLJ?<br />
<br />
First of all, the real indicator that we were in a different age with different people is when Poe and Leia argue over the original dreadnought run. That right there was a whole different dynamic than what we saw three decades ago.<br />
<br />
And then, we come back and revisit that sticking point when <a href="https://youtu.be/uhWTTOSXD4A?t=103" target="_blank">Poe first meets Vice Admiral Holdo</a>. She’s dismissive, and condescending to him. That carries over later on when Poe leads an armed mutiny against her. These are the types of things that were never have even been hinted at in the original trilogy, and here we see it as a centerpiece of the action.<br />
<br />
Now, speaking strictly objectively, we also see this starting off the last act of Rogue One, when the rebellion more or less ignored the orders of the leadership and set out on the mission that would make the whole plot of ANH possible. To be clear, I loved Rogue one, and have said several times that “its not a Star Wars story. Its a war story set in the Star Wars universe,” and as a war movie fan, that works for me on so many different levels.<br />
<br />
But when we come back to Holdo, she serves as an abrupt, confrontational figure within the ‘good guys’ themselves. She’s dismissive, condescending, and generally antithetical to the type of ‘good vs evil’ story frameworkset down by the original trilogy.<br />
<br />
<h3>
We don’t know the plan.</h3>
One thing I can say about the original trilogy is that it showed you its hand early on in the game. Really, the only times where there was a plan and we didn’t know it, it was with Han, and I believe that was deliberately done to show his rebellious attitude about situations. But with the main story, we are there in the room with the pilots for the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ioOYLrlYsk" target="_blank">briefing on the original Death Star</a>, we hear <a href="https://youtu.be/9Mj7c1DEQ00" target="_blank">Leia spell out the escape plan during the defence of Hoth</a>, and we have a detailed layout of the strategy being used <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWXVUJfSvDs" target="_blank">over and on Endore</a>. Even the prequels go to great lengths to give us an idea of the plans going forward. Its only when Palpatine makes his final move to consolidate power in ROTS are we really caught without a clearly defined path forward, and even then, we soon have a direction when Yoda explains that he has to go into hiding after the latest events.<br />
<br />
TLJ, however, elects to build tension for its middle two acts (depending on how you break the movie down) by not telling us the plan. And more to the point, the only thing the movie does tell us is that Vice Admiral Holdo is the one with the plan., and she’s ‘playing her cards close to her chest’, <i>to put it politely</i>.<br />
<br />
Objectively, this thematic style could, and has worked in various movies, games and books. I won’t knock it because it is valid and it has its positives.<br />
<br />
But for me, at least, it doesn’t work here, because is so separates me, the viewer, from the narrative methods of the Lucas written stories, and positions a presumptively friendly character between us and the solution.<br />
<br />
<h3>
Holdo’s attitude stinks</h3>
When it comes to character chemistry in the original trilogy, Lucas has a very clear idea of who should be smarting off to who, and really, the sharpest words were exchanged between people who were already shooting at each other usually. The closest thing we have open insults between good guys are when Leah calls Han a ‘scruffy looking nerf herder”, and even that comes off with comedic results thanks to Han’s “I don’t care’ personality. People talk favorably about the ‘good guys’ and poorly about the ‘bad guys’. The dialogue in these films is clean, fun, fast, and in line with the story where insults are saved for people we would probably be shooting at anyway.<br />
<br />
The writing in TLJ, however, shows us our hero (Poe Dameron) butting heads with the Vice Admiral while Holdo insults, demeans, and alienates Poe and us.<br />
<br />
Really, two things about her choice of engagements bothered me here.<br />
<br />
She more or less blows him off during their initial meeting, at first reminding him of his recent demotion, and then telling him that he and people like him are the last thing the resistance needs just then. Sure, she’s within her rights to do this, but the hour when the resistance has its back to the wall is not the time anyone should go out of they way to antagonize one of their best starfighter pilots, and by extension many of the starfighter pilots of the fleet.<br />
<br />
Secondly, when Holdo does elect to respond Poe’s demand for answers, she does so by weakly invoking Leia.<br />
<br />
Holdo: “When I served under Leia, she would say, hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you can see it....”<br />
<br />
If you look at the words here, the way she phrased the question, she’s accusing Poe Dameron of giving up, of not having hope. What she needs is for people to trust he, but for whatever reason you want to infer, she doesn’t ask for that, or demand it, or even address it.<br />
<br />
Rather than engage Poe with an admission that she needs to say something to him (and the fleet), she turned the whole situation around and treats everyone like itsd their fault that they don’t believe in her, even though we are not given any real reason to believe she’s actually capable of pulling them out of this.<br />
<br />
While Poe’s shoot-from-the-hip, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants personality may well not be what the fleet needs just then, neither is Admiral Holdo’s condescending, 'you are the problem here, not me" attitude.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The Vice Admiral’s actual military conduct is lacking, a lot.</h3>
You don’t have to be a career military officer to see that there are some major logic gaps in Holdo’s conduct in the film.<br />
<br />
First of all, why is she event talking to Poe in the first place?<br />
<br />
Now, if you’re not following me on this, hear me out, because its not small.<br />
<br />
The first thing Holdo does in her conversation is remind Poe that he was demoted. Now, the movie doesn’t say all of what ranks are between “Commander” and “Captain”, but I think it’s safe to say it was more than ‘a few’ steps.<br />
<br />
So here is why she shouldn’t even be talking to him.<br />
<br />
If he actually was bucked down a full rank, that should have meant he lost his job. As in, the starfighter wing, or group, or squadron he was in charge of, that would have been taken over by his executive officer and he would have taken the next slot, if there even was one. Holdo should have looked at him and told him to go through his commanding officer.<br />
<br />
This isn’t a small deal. In the middle of a crisis is NOT the time for junior officers to jump the chain of command.<br />
<br />
But what does she lose by engaging him, especially since she’s blowing him off or talking down to him?<br />
<br />
Well, the answer there is, a lot. The fact is that time is a commodity in the military, and when a superior officer is willing to give you their time, that in itself says something. By continuing to talk to Poe, she’s in effect recognizing that he’s still the most important fighter pilot in the fleet, and completely undercutting the impact of the demotion. In fact, that is probably part of why Poe was able to win over the mutineers he did.<br />
<br />
On top of that, never once does she put her foot down and invoke her rank. There is a marked difference between saying “I am in charge” and “you don’t deserve an answer from me”. Both are categorically true, especially in a military setting. But one is about legal power vested in a superior officer, the other is about putting the onus of compliance on the crew, a crew who are largely already following her, blindly, and with death nipping at her heals.<br />
<br />
Princess Amidala took the reigns of control and lead from the front as she fought to retake the palace in TPM, and Leia knew how to establish command of a situation with her own innate force of personality. Love or hate either of them, there was no question who was in charge, and if in doubt you could just ask them.<br />
<br />
Holdo, however never even says that she actually has a plan, Poe tells us when he finds out for himself and confronts her about it.<br />
<br />
In short, she's not a leader, and she clearly doesn’t comport herself like a senior officer, either.<br />
<br />
<h3>
She's Juvenile</h3>
The last moments of Holdo's fleeting screen time show her being cornered by Poe and a number of other resistance officers who drawn down on her, forcibly taking command of the ship in what they believe is a better shot at saving their lives. The mutiny is put down when Leia emerges from the hospital and stuns Poe.<br />
<br />
In the next scene we see two orderlies carrying an unconscious Poe Dameron onto a shuttle. As they do, a smiling Vice Admiral Holdo comments. "That one's a troublemaker. I like him."<br />
<br />
I found "I like him" to drip with the type of two-faced politicking of schoolyard politics of old. I was left wondering 'where was this respect or admiration when you were egging him on or talking down to him?" To me, the whole scene smacked of 'lets smooth things over with the boss" more than any honest admiration.<br />
<br />
And if there was honest admiration, where the hell did it come from? <br />
<br />
<h3>
Wrapping up</h3>
In the end, my problems with Holdo as a person are admittedly ones of personal opinion. But that being said, I don't like her. I don't like her attitude, the way she handles the situation, or the way she engaged with Poe Dameron (and believe me, I'm hardly any sort of fan of Poe either). I'm sure she would have thrived in a more professional military setting where loyalty if cooked into the equation and people are as expendable and obedient as you need them to be. But in an insurgent confederation of different ships, races, skill sets and people, iron-fisted, "I said so, that's why" edicts from the top echelon of the movement hearken to the very attitudes the resistance is trying to do away with. <br />
<br />
Was there likely a Holdo in the background of rebel or resistance battles before this? I'm almost certain there was. But here, the writer chose to point Holdo at us and make her part of the story, breaking away from convention and narrative benchmarks established decades ago. <br />
<br />
Creatively, it is the director's decision, and I don't claim any right or power to change it. <br />
<br />
But as a viewer, I can say I noticed, and that I didn't care for her part of the story at all. <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-50768371069530348902019-01-06T20:25:00.000-08:002019-01-06T22:11:19.520-08:00SW-TLJ: The StarFortress sceneI walked out of the theater after watching all of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/francisco.cividanes1/posts/1074856562533131" target="_blank">The Force Awakens drastically underwhelmed</a> with what I had just seen. The byproduct of that depressing cinematographic encounter was that I promised myself I was never going to sink another dime (let alone the full cost of a movie ticket) into another new Lucasfilms movie. Because of this, my watch of The Last Jedi was done on my phone, compliments of Netflix, with a set of earbuds in, and only occasional interruptions by my wife's cats (who were actually about as entertaining as the movie).<br>
<br>
Its no secret that I had a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/francisco.cividanes1/posts/1945567022128743" target="_blank">lot of problems with the film</a> (see comment's section), and that I didn't enjoy it. But, one thing about the film even on the list of things I didn't like, seemed out of place, and that was the the 'bombing run' scene on the dreadnought. When I first talked about it on facebook, I said: <br>
<br>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<a href="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/5/5a/MG-100_Starfortress.png/revision/latest?cb=20171223062628" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for SF-17 star fortress" border="0" class="irc_mi" height="353" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/5/5a/MG-100_Starfortress.png/revision/latest?cb=20171223062628" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="256"></a>Okay, I get that George Lucas loved WWII war movies, and I get that his dog fights were largely scripted off of those films. That being said, I felt like the bombers here were *too* 1940s, and the staging was *too* "this isn't in space". The writers here should seriously have rethought that scene. I mean, I get where the scene is going, and I understand, but I feel like we could have accomplished the same thing without completely taking away the fact we *are* in space for this battle, which is what the bomb run scene does if you think about it. </blockquote>
That was over six months ago now, and still that one scene bothers me, not only in that I felt like it didn't work, but that I have a huge problem wrapping my mind around <i>why </i>it didn't work for me.<br>
<br>
In the mean time, TLJ had been taken apart and put back together a hundred times over as fans, commentators, academics, and reporters argue the thematic, dramatic, social, political, cinematographic and writing merits of both this film on its own merits, and those same concepts as part of the movie continuity. Its not secret I actually enjoy listen to some of the more critical reviews, and I admit it feels good to know that I'm not the only one who feels like these movies let him down.<br>
<br>
But still, why did this scene sit so badly with me?<br>
<br>
I think it took me most of these last six months to fully process this scene and understand why I don't like it, and in the end, the reasons themselves are about as complex as the movie should have been, but wasn't (but that's another story).<br>
<br>
First, lets talk about the vehicle itself. The bomber (fleshed out as a MG-100 StarFortress SF-17 online) is shown as a lumbering, heavy craft built like a super heavy snub fighter rather than a star ship. It uses turreted guns to protect most, but not all angles of attack on the craft, and while I (as a Star Wars fan) can assume it had some measure of shields, none were shown or mentioned in the film. The two most striking characteristics of the vehicle while it was on screen was its slow speed, and its heavy payload.<br>
<br>
The influences for this, as I mentioned originally, are clearly 1940s' heavy bombers. Even the name, "SF-17 Star Fortress" is an overt nod to the American <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_B-17_Flying_Fortress" target="_blank">B-17 Flying Fortress</a>. Movies such as "12 O'clock High" and "The Memphis Bell" all clearly spell out the physics and challenges of an American high altitude bombing mission over a heavily defended, enemy occupied Europe.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NsQ79LtMZxU/XDLE6E1fe9I/AAAAAAAAPJA/MjbjY-vhz6EOGxLIqhJeZaWlL2iO5-zSQCLcBGAs/s1600/Bomb%2Bbay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="1255" height="184" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NsQ79LtMZxU/XDLE6E1fe9I/AAAAAAAAPJA/MjbjY-vhz6EOGxLIqhJeZaWlL2iO5-zSQCLcBGAs/s640/Bomb%2Bbay.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
<br>
<br>
The B-17 bristled with fifty caliber heavy machine guns, and later
models had three electrically operated turrets, and up to six hand
operated mounts across its length.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EAhowcgLOkI/XDLAFOmFPHI/AAAAAAAAPIo/0KaykRvS2D4KUZ4ngy98tmAoUY7lFVhzQCLcBGAs/s1600/Turret.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="1229" height="216" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EAhowcgLOkI/XDLAFOmFPHI/AAAAAAAAPIo/0KaykRvS2D4KUZ4ngy98tmAoUY7lFVhzQCLcBGAs/s640/Turret.png" width="640"></a></div>
<br>
Historically, the favored anti-fighter tactical for American pilots,
especially in the early parts of the war, was to mass together in tight
"boxcar' formations, allowing ten, twenty, or even thirty machine guns to be brought
to bare on a single incoming fighter. During the war German pilots were said to write back to their loved ones that flying into was like '<i>making love</i> to a burning porcupine'.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-57TFX9vOj4o/XDLBjIB0VCI/AAAAAAAAPI0/KWuHjbgud-QXc-52Lsi33h_SDPk5sFNcQCLcBGAs/s1600/Formation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="1213" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-57TFX9vOj4o/XDLBjIB0VCI/AAAAAAAAPI0/KWuHjbgud-QXc-52Lsi33h_SDPk5sFNcQCLcBGAs/s640/Formation.png" width="640"></a></div>
<br>
The boxcar formation was also something else that was given a nod in the film with the single line "<a href="https://youtu.be/9seFVJuzRSM?t=139" target="_blank">Bombers, keep that tight formation</a>".<br>
<br>
Honestly, this comparison doesn't diminish the scene at all for me. The reality of the first film is that the famous trench run itself is based on the British film <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dam_Busters_(film)" target="_blank">the Dam Busters (1955)</a>, which itself is based on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Chastise" target="_blank">British low-altitude bombing mission</a> to destroy 4 damns in the Ruhr river valley. Lucas himself <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNdb03Hw18M" target="_blank">used, (and some would say ripped off)</a> many of the script and camera elements of the film to help make the climactic assault on the Death Star the stuff of movie legends. Also, many of the camera angles used in the overall during star fighter combat in the original trilogy were reminiscent of previous movies depicting famous air battles like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain" target="_blank">the Battle of Britain</a>, and the 1940's air war over the Pacific. As a cinematographic convention, Lucas made it work with his narrative style and high production valuers.<br>
<br>
The other bit of history that is reflected well here, even though I didn't like it, was how effective the boxcar tactics weren't in practice. American losses over German, both to flack, and enemy fighters were deviating throughout the early parts of the war.<br>
<br>
The turning point in the air war was the US Army Air Force's decision to begin pushing for long range fighters that could escort the bombers all the way to their targets. <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj0v9WX29rfAhUIY6wKHQGxA4kQFjAAegQIChAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FLockheed_P-38_Lightning&usg=AOvVaw0_UoxVGVbZOtad9vsjWvhW" target="_blank">P-38 Lightnings</a> fitted with drop tanks were among the first fighters to deployed this way, and then the much heavier, but more durable <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwir4Y6p29rfAhVKSq0KHSvhCr0QFjAAegQIChAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FRepublic_P-47_Thunderbolt&usg=AOvVaw2UVHseaO6G8M5bZTnr6WNB" target="_blank">P-47 Thunderbolt</a>. The final stage in this was the deployment of the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjZyqC029rfAhUBXqwKHQ4FAZEQFjAAegQICxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FNorth_American_P-51_Mustang&usg=AOvVaw1fD1vJk7lvnq4PyuuBBoDu" target="_blank">P-51 Mustang</a>, which could famously follow American bomber formations for over twelve hundred miles, form London all the way to Berlin and back, engaging German fighters out, away from the bombers the whole way in.<br>
<br>
Both of these reality inspired points are conveyed well in the movie's four minute long scene. After <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjpjZP259rfAhUDQKwKHe6rBdoQFjAAegQIFBAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstarwars.wikia.com%2Fwiki%2FPoe_Dameron&usg=AOvVaw3O-IValV2rnwy3xO6bHQzr" target="_blank">Poe Dameron's</a> impromptu '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Weasel" target="_blank">wild weasle</a>' attack, the resistance star fighters cut into the First Order fighters, but even the escorts are overwhelmed and are able to mob the eight bombers with devastating effects. Some bobmers are lost to enemy fire, others suffer the <a href="https://youtu.be/9seFVJuzRSM?t=206" target="_blank">other consequences</a> of tight formation flying in combat.<br>
<br>
And so, here we are, a desperate, last minute attack with slow moving, heavily armed bombers against a massive vessel armed with some of the most powerful cannons ever deployed. A fight for the very existence of the resistance itself, and against a determined and capable foe.<br>
<br>
This should be the stuff of legends, a scene easily on par with the trench run, or at least a worthy successor to it.<br>
<br>
What went wrong?<br>
<br>
<ol>
<li><b>Timing</b>. The trench run of the final film was the final act, and lasted just under fifteen minutes. This let the movie tell a very tight, but solid story, showing us the dynamics of the different craft involved, the pilots, the mission, and the enemy. We have dialogue, perspective, several different musical scores, and even critical changes in pacing and strategy. None of that is present here, however. The whole scene last less than four minutes, and about half of that does not actually show the bomber crews. There is perhaps twenty lines of dialogue in the whole scene, and most of that is from the fighter pilots, or the main characters. We have no dynamics, no chemistry, and no real time for emotions other than the perhaps excitement or urgency. </li>
<li><b>Pacing</b>. The problem with the timing is that some of the scene work against the four minute length. From a story telling standpoint, while I know the scene has to happen fast, the physical pacing of the actual characters themselves clashes with the scene's breakneck pace. Crews flying into the teeth of a monster that is about to eat them whole are walking, not running, to and from their posts. A gunner quickly, but smoothly climbs out of her turret, while the cuts around the scene suggest she should be doing a mad scramble. We see dramatic pauses that feel too, too long in between seconds long clips of bombers being cut to ribbons. I get where the director was coming from, this is actually how a crew of professionals should act in a combat situation, but framing those actions, which are cold, methodical, and deliberate, in the middle of seconds long cuts of actions around them either undercuts the action, or makes the crew look too slow for their own good. If you're going to show the<i> quiet professionals</i>, you need to give the scene the space it needs to give their actions proper perspective. </li>
<li><b>Strategy</b>. As much as I tried, I truly did, not to overthink this scene, so much of it clashes with the very nature of the rebellions that preceded the resistance. The rebels built their tactics around small, fast, survivable fighters capable of pinpoint precise attacks on under defended enemy positions. Craft like the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjbpJvD4drfAhVKYKwKHUbGBusQFjABegQIDRAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstarwars.wikia.com%2Fwiki%2FX-wing_starfighter&usg=AOvVaw2n0S0uZhs9_e3gLjexBZjQ" target="_blank">X-Wing</a><span id="goog_286008890"></span><span id="goog_286008891"></span>, and the <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/BTL_Y-wing_starfighter" target="_blank">Y-Wing</a>, which took on the Death Star, and later the <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/A/SF-01_B-wing_starfighter" target="_blank">B-Wing</a> and <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/RZ-1_A-wing_interceptor" target="_blank">A-Wing</a> were all built around the common theme of nimble, accurate, and durable craft with one pilot and able to hit quickly and get out. In many respects, these craft, as a concept. served as the science fiction extension of a knight's horse, carrying the hero off into battle. But the very presence of bombers, let alone something that channels a B-17 Flying fortress, invokes the ideas of great nations clashing across continents, with massive military industrial complexes feeding the engine of war. A "bomber" is a strategic weapon, a tool to be used by a conventional military, not something that fits into the mindset or metric of a 'resistance'. And even going past the thematic issues here, the actual act of ordering a lumbering, heavy, slow craft into what they had to know would become a hornets nest of enemy fighters was foolish at best, and idiotic at worst. Its not that the attack wasn't called for, in fact I think it was, but that was exactly the type that the rebellion of old would have reflexively send in a swarm of star fighters to do. Yes, it worked, but only barely, and a pilot as skilled as Poe clearly is has to know that the life expediency of those craft is measured in seconds.</li>
<li><b>Value</b>. What does this do to further the story? The fact of the matter is that it does a lot, but none of it is 'good' from the heroes' perspective. The order to send in the bombers was cited by Leia as insubordination on the part of Poe, resulting in his demotion and creating a conflict between him and Leia, and later him and <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Amilyn_Holdo" target="_blank">General Holdo</a>. Never mind that we never see Leia try and order the bombers back directly, or the fact that those same bomber crews, and the star fighters that escorted them in sided with Poe and not Leia. Its also important to note that the attack on the dreadnought's turrets, and the order to send the bombers in amounts to three quarters of Poe Dameron's character development for the first half of the movie, the remainder of his time before the final act is an ongoing head butting competition between himself and Holdo, and I have to say that the writing there does not carry the gravitas needed to do justice to the depicted losses of the opening battle. </li>
</ol>
So, in the end, we have a four minute long blood bath that really only serves to set up internal conflict within the resistance, including watching one of their best pilots get ineffectively scapegoated for what really was a mass mutiny in military terms.<br>
<br>
Yes, I know <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Rose_Tico" target="_blank">Rose</a>'s <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Paige_Tico" target="_blank">sister </a>was onboard the last bomber, but really<i> so what</i>? Other than being her sister, what does the character do for the story, and what did Rose do in the narrative that made that loss significant. I liked the character of Rose a lot, actually, and I felt she added a good '<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everyman" target="_blank"><i>everyman</i></a>' character to the story. Still, the loss of her sister was never given the emotional weight in Roses story that its screen time suggested it should get.<br>
<br>
In the end, at least for me, Star Wars was about good verses evil, with clean cut, uncomplicated narratives and compelling action sequences with strong characters. The bomber scene, for me, failed on all of these points, quickly becoming too complicated for its own good, to short to be effective, and to vague in its relivance to interest the Star Wars fan in me.<span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span><br>
<br>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>May the Force Be with you. </b></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-26685013838253830612017-09-24T11:38:00.004-07:002017-09-25T06:57:13.326-07:00Wonder Woman (2017 movie review)So, I finally sat down last night with my wife and watched <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Woman_(2017_film)" target="_blank">Wonder Woman (2017)</a>.<br />
<br />
So, from a "I came here to enjoy a movie" perspective, I'll say it was a good film, with superb visuals and better than average acting and fight choreography. An honest hat tip is offered to both Chris Pine and Gal Gadot for delivering solid, and honest performances in a genre film (Comic book) that is often rightfully criticized for stilted or forced dialogue.<br />
<br />
There were a lot of things that I really did like about the film, and with a "top-down" approach, I'd like to highlight them for a few minutes.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>[Unapologetic Spoiler warning]</b></span></div>
<br />
First of all, honest congratulations are deserved by Gal Gadot, and the mostly female leadership and direction of the film. Director Patty Jenkins did a phenomenal job with the story, the visuals, the acting and the pacing. Given Hollywood's strong tendency to exploit women at near every turn they could, I found the balance of action, dialogue, visuals, humour and commentary more or less spot on. The action sequences especially were a worthy addition to the high-end comic books adaptations coming across the screen lately, and I'm glad for them in this film. I don't think there was any real attempt made to hide the visual beauty of Gadot's character, or any of the Amazons, but at the same time, the camera studiously does *not* offer any lingering shots of cleavage, legs or anything else. The very 1950s idea of truly captivating eyes, a warm smile, and strength of personality really are the centre point of the film's sex appeal, and I, for one and glad of it.<br />
<br />
I have to also call out Gadot's performance specifically on a number of levels. This depiction of Diana, Princess of the Amazons (a.k.a Diana Prince) as a unique mix of child, warrior, girl, and royalty is actually done well. All in the same moment, you can't ignore or help but love the fact that Diana is naive but strong, loyal and honest, passionate, but also inexperienced. The combination is a perfect recipe for a train wreck of bad scenes and stilted dialogue, but Gadot pulls it off with style and finesse. Also, an honest compliment needs to be made to her for really capturing how attractive Diana is supposed to be while not playing to the normal tropes of low necklines and short skirts. Just about the only time you see the titular character's upper legs is when she's kicking bad guys across the screen. All of the film's romance and intimacy truly concentrates on her face and eyes, which she works to wonderful effect.<br />
<br />
In the rest of the movie, there are some outstandingly good points.<br />
<br />
The scene on the docks where Steve and Diana are moving get a ride across the channel was a wonderful bit of backdrop work as we see British soldiers from across the globe in their various uniforms. I honestly wish that had done just a little more with this.<br />
<br />
The debarkation of wounded in the same scene was a little forced for me, but I did like the effect, the reminder that all of these men going forward are taking the place of men dying and being maimed.<br />
<br />
I wasn't really sure if I liked the scene where Diana, Steve and their party of soldiers are walking up to the trenches and seeing the wounded and scared soldiers and civilians. There is no denying the chaos of war, and the scenes of battle and it aftermatch frankly can't be horrific enough for me to make the point of how terrible this conflict was.<br />
<br />
The Aries plot twist actually caught me by surprise. I was pleasantly impressed by that part fo the climactic fight.<br />
<br />
<br />
But all of this is not to say that the film is without flaws. Actually, I'm going to call out a bunch, because there are a lot to talk about.<br />
<br />
First of all, while the filming and direction are good, I have to criticize the writing. Some of the lines were just too awkward, some of the scenes seemed to leave important concepts hanging, and some of the plot points were just a little too contrived. The introduction, which looks like it could have been a comic book or a fantasy novel, was well done, but if you think about it, there were some questions that it would have been nice to have answered before going into the film's first act.<br />
<br />
Many of the plot points in the film were left half finished, some are small, some are not so small.<br />
<br />
When we first meat Chris pine character, he's flying a stolen German monoplane, 1917 vintage. Now, if you think about that, this cloth and plywood construct would have a range of barely a few hundred miles, one way. And, the character says he stole it from a German airfield in the Ottoman Empire (modern-day Turkey, presumably). Now math that out, and the only body of water that he could ever hope to find would be the Red sea (maybe) and the Mediterranean. Assuming the later, carry that thought to the next point.<br />
<br />
The German warship and its crew find him by sailing/rowing through the magic barrier that hides Themescara, Diana's island home. Now, think this through. There is a magical island in one of the most heavily travelled bodies of saltwater in the world that thus far has not been randomly run into by a merchant freighter, patrol boat, yacht, or submarine? I felt like the writers either didn't think that through, or left out some plot tidbit that would have at least acknowledged the question.<br />
<br />
The other end of that that I had a problem with was that the fact that its more or less strongly implied that the two protagonists sailed for about two days to get to London. A little map work will tell you that if you take an extremely liberal guess of how far that German monoplane could have made it, and then take the rest of the distance over water to get to London, its well over 3200 miles. To do that in three days would be road trip speeds of 40 miles per hour or more, not sailing ship speeds (which seldom break single digits.<br />
<br />
Again, the idea of Themscara is good, and the idea of an American spy in a stolen German plane finding it works as a plot point, but I really, really felt like the writers either didn't think this through, which is insulting, or did think it through and didn't share any of the basics with us, which is also insulting.<br />
<br />
Time also worked against the film in my opinion. So much of the awkward, "fish out of water" scenes where Diana is confronted with 1917's Europe felt forced because when I stopped to think about it, my honest first throughs were "wouldn't they have talked about at least some of this when they were stuck together in that boat?" I don't mean to say how the writers should or shouldn't do their jobs, and I know it sounds like that, but when I think about it for more than a minute, many of the jokes and scenes make little to no sense when you consider that Diana and Steve have probably been within a few feet of each other for close to two weeks at some points.<br />
<br />
Anyway, moving on.<br />
<br />
Whatever happened to the German warship that was chasing Steve at the beginning anyway? that's a crew of several hundred men, and we know the ship came through the protective barrier, we saw it in the background. Whatever happened to it? Why didn't it send another party ashore, or why did it lave if it did?<br />
<br />
Whatever became of the Scottish sniper who locked up in battle? We know he lived, but did he ever regain his courage?<br />
<br />
What about the actor turned forger/guide? Did he find a theatre that would accept him despite his skin being "the wrong color"?<br />
<br />
What about the native American profiteer/smuggler? What the heck ever became of him after the war?<br />
<br />
What was the fate of Doctor Poison?<br />
<br />
These were developed points, things that were said or shown on the screen, questions that were asked aloud, and never answered.<br />
<br />
I really fell like writing like that is either sloppy or lazy.<br />
<br />
one thing that actually ruined an aforementioned scene, while Diana and Steve and their band of heroes is making their way to the front, we see wounded soldiers and civilians fleeing in the other direction, some in a total panic. But, a few minutes later, we hear Steve clearly tell Diana that the battalion of men assigned there had been there for about a year and had not gained "an inch". More to the point, they are hunkered down and well covered in what is clearly a well used, well-placed trench. If the Germans had actually overrun "just" overrun that town, the casualties would probably have been in the hundreds, the trench would have been covered in men probably still covered in smoke and dirt from recent fighting, and there would have been no talk of "not an inch" after having just lost a whole town. As beautifully done, and powerful as the whole scene is, it just begs you not to think about it too hard.<br />
<br />
And, closing out with my normal criticism, the films technical accuracy shifted between 'eh' to appalling.<br />
<br />
The normal, and predictable liberties are taken with aircraft, bombs, equipment, and weapons, its annoying, and irksome for me, but not anything I'm not used to.<br />
<br />
As visually flashy as the fight across no-man's land was, scrutiny of it really shows that it is all style and no substance. First of all, the scene where Diana is being pummeled by German machinegun rounds, which are bouncing off of her shield: I'm left asking "why didn't anyone aim for her legs?"<br />
<br />
Seriously.<br />
<br />
Second of all, her cohorts in this are able to run up to her under the explanation of "she's taking all the fire". The problem there, I really, really find it hard to believe that 100 or more battle-hardened German infantry are suddenly going to be so mesmerized by one brightly clad woman charing them that they would totally miss a cluster of four men running across no-man's land. Our heroes would have been under fire seconds after leaving the trench, just like Dianan was.<br />
<br />
Also, I doubt that the Germans were only fielding one machine gun, and I'm left to wonder what everyone else on the line was doing. Not only were they not shooting at Steve and the others, they weren't shooting at Diana since the cone of fire coming at her was really, really narrow (IE, almost head-on only). That close to the line, she should have.would have been taking fire from both sides and the front, just to be technical about it.<br />
<br />
As a counterpoint, I found the part with the armoured car actually well done. Typical comic book flash and of course a total fantasy, but if I had to speculate what such a fight would look like, that's it, more or less.<br />
<br />
Another thing that left me scratching my head, Diana's entrance into the German Gala. Even if we assume, somehow, that no one there would recognise that the 24" handle running down her back was a sword hilt, did no one (not even the guards) stop to wonder what the heck it was?<br />
<br />
Again, as poetic and beautiful as the climactic death of Steve is, the plot whole it left was big enough to drive a truck through. If one blindly fired gunshot was enough to ignite the whole plane and consume all the poison gas aboard (which by the way makes no sense from an ordinance standpoint), then why not use a rifle to ignite it on the tarmac? Why not try hitting it with a mortar, or throwing a grenade in the cable and jumping out with the pilot's parachute.<br />
<br />
Oh, by the way, the pilot's chute is a total anachronism, fixed-wing aircrews didn't have parachutes until well after the end of world war one.<br />
<br />
<br />
I could go on, but to be fair, no part of this movie was meant to technical accuracy, which is why I'm more or less forgiving them for using at least 2 British Mark 1 tanks as major props on the German airfield. Sure, maybe they were captured examples and being used for research, [shug] I don't know.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I know it sounds like I am bashing the movie, and I am.<br />
<br />
But not for the reasons you may think.<br />
<br />
I am honestly thrilled that screen personalities like Gal Gadot can join the ranks of Kerry Fisher and Sigourney Weaver as powerful examples of what women can do in an action environment. I'm thrilled that this movie had the women in place to make female-centric decisions about hot to depict a female character. These are things I wholeheartedly support.<br />
<br />
I'm also honestly thrilled that we are able to really show an honest if somewhat impulsive romantic relationship where the more intimate shots are of the face and its expressions. I doubt we'll ever see the end of "T&A" sex scenes, but when a powerhouse franchise like DC is able to show romance and physical attraction without even taking her shirt off, we have honest to God character building going on, and I love it.<br />
<br />
But in the end, the very powerful, very emotional, very human story of a young warrior seeing the horrors of combat for the first time and facing them with superhuman strength and human courage is drastically undercut by writers and a director who failed to see things through. I am disappointed that the film didn't back up its core acting power with better writing and better supporting storytelling that it did. I hope that future films in this franchise build on what they have, and fix what they screwed up, but I'm hoping to see more of Gal Gadot's Wonder Woman in the future.<br />
<br />
7 out of 10, with Gal Gadot getting a 9/10 for her work here.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-11395803569531681402016-11-02T19:37:00.001-07:002016-11-02T20:51:45.739-07:00VLOG Ep 1 "Where are you in your story?"Let me introduce you to a rather well known modern literary character who is, by far and wide, one of the more beloved of his genre.<br />
<br />
Now a father and husband, his career is both scandalous and prestigious. For you see, looking back, the man is a war hero, a solider, a commissioned officer and a one of the most influential counselors in a post-war government that he helped pave the way for. During a brutal war that started off as a desperate insurgency, his knowledge of the black market and its interconnected smuggling routes was put to good use moving and supplying men and women who were both fighting and dying against a brutally oppressive regime. While none in retrospect would doubt his credentials as a hero, even his own wife jokingly referred to him as a scoundrel a few times; a poetic reference to his time before their first, dramatic meeting.<br />
<br />
But, for all of this flowery language and nod-and-wink referencing, the fact of the matter is that our hero had a truly dark background. A military officer, he deserted the Navy, and went into business for himself as an errand boy and freighter captain. When legitimate business didn’t pay enough, he went into smuggling and eventually filled his contracts with links to organized crime, including narcotics smuggling for several powerful and ruthless crime bosses. The characteristic pistol he kept at his side was hardly a decoration, and our yet to be named hero had seen more than his share of gunfights with little more than selfish motivation behind each pull of the trigger.<br />
<br />
The turning point for our hero is a story worthy of legend itself, and this arguable highpoint is a literary narrative that has now spanned two generations and hundreds of languages. Pulled into a smuggling run with the promise of money and nothing more, our hero is offered a chance to turn his life around and become the leader he knows he can be. But instead, he grabs his reward and runs, seeking comfort in wealth, safety on solitude. It is only at this point, safe and removed from danger, that the weight of his decisions come to him, and rather than continue on the way he has, he turns and races back, arriving just in time to help turn the tide in a desperate last ditch battle.<br />
<br />
For those of you why may be of a certain age, or those of you have parents who meet that criteria, you probably already know who I am talking about.<br />
<br />
But for the rest of you, I, of course, am describing none other than the heroic scoundrel from a galaxy far, far away, Han Solo. An almost accidental creation on the part of George Lucas, Han’s character is so convoluted and over the top in many ways that even the actor who brought him to the screen didn’t care for him. Harrison Ford had repeatedly said that he was least impressed with this creation of Lucas’, and had little desire to revisit the character after the close of 1983’s “Return of the Jedi.” Ultimately, it took the literary power of authors like Timothy Zahn, Brian Daley, and Ann C. Crispin to give the character the emotional weight needed to earn him his rightful place in the hearts and minds of loyal Star Wars fans across three decades of readership. <br />
<br />
But how did these master wordsmiths expand on our intergalactic cowboy? They did it by painting the picture of a boy, and then a man, pushed to selfish motives, with sketchy manners, and nothing but contempt for the law. They painted a person who deep down was honorable, but on the surface was nothing more than a criminal, and played the part with no break between acts.<br />
<br />
It is only with the retrospect of that climactic scene in “Star Wars: A New Hope,” where Han Solo blazes in at the absolute last moment to clear the way for Luke Skywalker to destroy the Death Star, that we as an audience can allow ourselves to truly enjoy the stories of an unpleasant young criminal named Han. Only with knowing what he will eventually become, can we be allowed to enjoy the stories of his seedy and dishonest beginnings, cherishing every glimmer we see of the seldom seen hero that we know is buried within.<br />
<br />
And while Han Solo is perhaps the most popular literary figure to wear the title of redeemed rogue, he is not the first.<br />
<br />
The legend of Aladdin starts with a thief.<br />
<br />
Sinbad was a pirate. <br />
<br />
Jumping forward, even Disney’s Flynn Ryder from the 2010 movie Tangled has a backstory that could best be described as a cardboard cutout template for “Movie Bad Guy.”<br />
<br />
We love these characters, all of them, because the power of the literary narrative lets us specifically see their acts and the motives in the same instant. We are welcomed into their hearts and minds selectively in a specific effort to tell a powerful narrative meant to engage the audience at an emotional level. <br />
<br />
So, let me ask you this. What would you have said if you had first met our unscrupulous Han Solo a month before his faithful encounter at the Mos Eisley Cantina? How much adoration and respect would you have shown an underworld smuggler who’s idea of settling an argument was to blast his opponents before they could blast him. How much leeway would you have given him after seeing him shake hands and make deals with the Hutts, who themselves were slavers, murders, drug dealers, and the overall incarnation of the word “criminal.” What would you have said if you had not been able to see the hidden pain or longing behind Han’s eyes as he made his choices?<br />
How long would you have sat there and talked with this common thief?<br />
<br />
How long would you want to sit and talk with Sinbad, a pirate whose goal every morning was to rob and pillage?<br />
<br />
How long would Flynn’s charisma had been able to mask his selfish and lazy lifestyle?<br />
<br />
These people, and a great many more in Literature, cinema, religion, and even history, are seen today as heroic, and in many cases as redeemed rogues due to the retrospect of their story. That is to say that we can look at them in seconds and understand that their faults at one time were not the sum total of their character. And that even in their darkest moments, they were able, and they chose to make a change.<br />
<br />
But this, here, is not literature, or scripture, or even a history textbook. This, here and now, is the naked, precise, imperfect reality that we live in today. We are gifted with hindsight that is not only 20/20, but the modern internet affords us information at levels and speeds our ancestors could never have dreamed of. On the past and present, none before us were ever so well informed.<br />
<br />
However, we lack the perspective of knowing what change can and will happen going forward.<br />
<br />
So, while we embrace the literary redeemed rogue, we are forced into the imperfect decision making process that is real life. We must evaluate people in the here and now, with only our best judgment and our perceptions, imperfect as they may be, to say what they are, and what they may become.<br />
<br />
But perhaps most depressing of all, is that we must look at ourselves in the mirror with much the same blindness. We see only our current actions, and for many of us, we see only the crushing weight of our mistakes. Due to a cruel twist of fate, many of us are chemically predisposed to remember our faults, our wrongs, our shortcomings first and foremost when we look in the mirror.<br />
<br />
Now, I want you to listen to me very carefully for this next part. I want you to think on this for a second.<br />
<br />
In order to be a redeemed rogue, you much first be a rogue.<br />
<br />
Let that sink in. I seriously want you to think about it because I have another thought for you.<br />
<br />
Where are you in your story?<br />
<br />
And that person you don’t like, that bully from school, that liar from work, that gossip from church…<br />
That reflection in the mirror.<br />
<br />
Is it possible, maybe, somehow, that they are someone trying to change, or someone who will try and change in the future?<br />
<br />
Where are they in their story?<br />
<br />
Where are you in yours?<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-55864093145591563542016-10-31T21:06:00.003-07:002016-10-31T21:06:58.176-07:00Video Blog Test Episode 0.1So, I ran my first Video life stream tonight. What started off as a hardware test turned into an impromptu show.<br /><br />The show: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/francisco.cividanes1/videos/1294748350543950/" target="_blank">Video (Facebook)</a><br />
<br />
My reading for this episode: <a href="http://thinkingaboutittoomuch.blogspot.com/2011/07/out-of-nowhere.html" target="_blank">"Out of Nowhere"</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Cisco CividanesUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-2086926587798193352015-10-05T15:38:00.001-07:002015-10-08T20:03:19.466-07:00KSP: Keystone Crew Delivery Vehicle.So, as much as I like to cobble and tinker with Kerbal Space Program, there is a method to my madness as I juggle parts around. One of the things that I like about the program is that it lets you address the same type of issues that the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA" target="_blank">National Aeronautics and Space Administration</a>, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_Federal_Space_Agency" target="_blank">Russian Federal Space Agency</a>, and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_National_Space_Administration" target="_blank">Chinese National Space Agency</a> have to deal with each day. While the US arguably has the most advanced space program currently going, I am much more drawn towards the Soviet/Russian <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_(spacecraft)" target="_blank">Soyuz </a>program and its overall engineering philosophy. I am also a longtime fan of the KSP mod <a href="http://forum.kerbalspaceprogram.com/threads/60974-23-Feb-12-HGR-New-spherical-pod-available" target="_blank">Home Grown Rockets</a>. I have flown a great many missions with the Kerbal "Soy Juice" command capsules fitted with "onion" pods, and have built several large and complex space stations around the craft's abilities.<br />
<br />
Something to note, the Soyuez works on a very dependable, but disposable working principle. When launched, the craft itself is composed of three parts, the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_(spacecraft)#Orbital_module" target="_blank">Orbiter Module</a>", the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_(spacecraft)#Reentry_capsule" target="_blank">Reentry Capsule</a>" and the "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_(spacecraft)#Service_module" target="_blank">Service Module</a>". of the three components, only the Reentry calsuel comes back to earth, and even that is a rough entry. The whole craft is a one-time use, and can carry only three people.<br />
<br />
If you're interested in some more details on the craft and it's functions, I highly recommend the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Space_Agency" target="_blank">ESA</a>'s videos on the Soyuz <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVvgpKt5uCA" target="_blank">Launch</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2_NeFbFcSw" target="_blank">Docking</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l7MM9yoxII" target="_blank">recovery</a>.<br />
<br />
In the late 80s, and through the first decade of this century, the RFSA was heavily invested in research into a replacement for the Soyuz craft, with a heavy emphasis on reusability, as well as a less violent reentry back to earth. One of the more prominent designs to come out of the project was the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kliper" target="_blank">Kliper</a>. Using lessons learned from both Soviet/Russian space experience, and a new partnership with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Space_Agency" target="_blank">European Space Agency</a>, the Kliper was seen as a larger, more effective means to move men and equipment into orbit around the space station, and also take on additional missions like satellite position, orbital repairs, and other scientific research.Funding, however, was the undoing of the design, and the ship is still stuck in the design phase with no funding for advanced development.<br />
<br />
I was drawn to the kliper design because it uses a classic rocket to reach orbit, but also uses airfoil/glider design to return to each in a much more complete way than any of the Russian predecessors. Also, by using a glider, rather than a bell (the shape of the reentry module on the Soyuez), the return is actually far less traumatic and more controlled.<br />
<br />
Early Kliper concepts made the craft out to be a super compact space shuttle, complete with landing gear. Later designs, however, incorporated lessons learned from Russian experience in hard landings (Landings on ground, rather than water) and created a much lighter craft that could glide to a safe speed, and then deploy a large parachute for the final stage of the decent.<br />
<br />
Again, the major design point here is the complete reusability of the entire craft. Rather than having to rebuild a completely new vessel each time, the kliper can be inspected, refueled, and set atop a new rocket. The advanced computers, avionics, radars and instruments are preserved for another mission.<br />
<br />
I have dabbled in a fully functional, rocket launched space-plane before, but never liked the results. The parts available in KSP were just limiting enough that I wasn't able to build something that both worked and didn't look unbelievably ridiculous.<br />
<br />
My most recent project, however, took some of my lessons learned, and a new take on design philosophy,<br />
<br />
My goal, I reminded myself, was not to build a passenger-capable version of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_X-15" target="_blank">X-15</a>, and while the klipper was not actually within my grasps, a controlled reentry and parachute landing by a lifting body craft was. At the end of the day, I wanted something that could carry at least 3 crew, reach orbit, and return with most (or all) of the instrumentation, control systems, and air-frame intact.<br />
<br />
There really wasn't any debate on what from factor to start with. The <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Mk3_Cockpit" target="_blank">Mk 3</a> (space shuttle) set was too large. If I went that route, I'd be looking at rebuilding a full shuttle, which is what I specifically didn't want to do. Alternately, <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Mk1_Command_Pod" target="_blank">the Mk 1 command pod</a> was too small (crew of 1) and had no lifting body abilities. In point of fact, the Mk 1 would be a step backwards in every sense of the word. So, that left us with the Mk 2 series of parts.<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
The Keystone CDV (Crew Delivery Vehicle)</span></h3>
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w_kVxG4eKFE/VgtBeW2YvwI/AAAAAAAAJX0/E3Y-85nJVDM/s1600/front_Voyager%2B1%2B%2528Stock%2529_1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w_kVxG4eKFE/VgtBeW2YvwI/AAAAAAAAJX0/E3Y-85nJVDM/s320/front_Voyager%2B1%2B%2528Stock%2529_1.png" width="142" /></a>I drew my name from the Soyuz, which is Russian for "union". "keystone seemed to work for what I was looking for.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Vessel information</b></div>
Weight: 8.0 T<br />
Length (nose to docking ring): 7.4m<br />
Width: 2.7m<br />
Delta V: 919 (atmo) / 1160 (Vac)<br />
Crew: 0 (Drone control unit)<br />
Passengers: 4<br />
Engines:<br />
4x <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/24-77_%22Twitch%22_Liquid_Fuel_Engine" target="_blank">24-77 "Twitch" Liquid Fuel Engine</a><br />
<br />
The Keystone is capable of transferring 4 passengers into high Kerbin orbit, but does not have the thrust (by itself) to transit outside of orbit and move to another body (Mun or Luna, for example). Its primary mission is the reployment and return of crews to other orbital facilities, or waiting orbital craft deployed in unmanned launches.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The walk-around:</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndCJObO0XVk/VgtIUFvDqjI/AAAAAAAAJYE/-sQdawpiGgk/s1600/Keystone%2BFront%2BLeft.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ndCJObO0XVk/VgtIUFvDqjI/AAAAAAAAJYE/-sQdawpiGgk/s320/Keystone%2BFront%2BLeft.png" width="320" /></a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As you can see in the nose detail, the ship uses multiple <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Place-Anywhere_7_Linear_RCS_Port" target="_blank">Place-Anywhere 7 Linear RCS Port</a> thrusters for orbital maneuvering.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
I'm using a <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Mk16-XL_Parachute" target="_blank">Mk 16-XL parachute</a> for the nosecone and final recovery system, and the front quarter of the craft is the fuel tank, one of the <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Mk2_to_1.25m_Adapter">MK2-to-1.25M</a> Adapter tanks, And that mounts to a <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/MK2_Drone_Core" target="_blank">MK2 drone core</a> control unit. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uz86pNbQy5Y/VgtKiJ69WnI/AAAAAAAAJYQ/6WRjsU2f7Wg/s1600/Keystone%2BBay%2Bopen.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uz86pNbQy5Y/VgtKiJ69WnI/AAAAAAAAJYQ/6WRjsU2f7Wg/s320/Keystone%2BBay%2Bopen.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Mk2_Cargo_Bay_CRG-04" target="_blank">Mk2 Cargo Bay (CRG-04)</a> is actually serving as a support bay/module for this vehicle. It does not have cargo carrying capabilities.<br />
The bay contains, and <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Advanced_Inline_Stabilizer" target="_blank">Advanced Inline Stabilizer</a>, <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/FL-R25_RCS_Fuel_Tank" target="_blank">FL-R25 RCS Fuel Tank</a>, <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Z-1k_Rechargeable_Battery_Bank" target="_blank">Z-1k_Rechargeable_Battery_Bank</a>, and 5 x <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/OX-STAT_Photovoltaic_Panels" target="_blank">OX-STAT Photovoltaic Panels</a>. Communications are handled by a single <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Communotron_16" target="_blank">Communotron 16</a> mounted on a <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Cubic_Octagonal_Strut" target="_blank">Cubic Octagonal Strut</a>, whcih is attached by the center of the Z-1K. Thefuel for the main engines is conveyed by two <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/FTX-2_External_Fuel_Duct" target="_blank">FTX-2 External Fuel Ducts</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cAhQJFlS1ak/VgtNJgA2b2I/AAAAAAAAJYc/-oFc-3Jc0xk/s1600/Keystone%2BBack%2Bleft%2B-%2Bclosed.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cAhQJFlS1ak/VgtNJgA2b2I/AAAAAAAAJYc/-oFc-3Jc0xk/s320/Keystone%2BBack%2Bleft%2B-%2Bclosed.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The rear aspect of the Keystone shows a good perspective of the crew compartment, the docking rink, and the flight controls surfaces, as well as the 4 engines. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The 4 passengers are carried in a <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/MK2_Crew_Cabin" target="_blank">Mk2 Crew Cabin</a>, as I said before. Maneuvering and attitude control is handled by a combination of the Reaction wheel, the RCS system, and the four <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/A.I.R.B.R.A.K.E.S" target="_blank">A.I.R.B.R.A.K.E.S</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://clamp-o-tron%20docking%20port/" target="_blank">Docking port</a> is projected out past the ends of the A.I.R.B.R.A.K.E.S. by an (<b><i>empty</i></b>) <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/FL-T100_Fuel_Tank" target="_blank">FL-T100_Fuel_Tank</a> that is used here for a structural tunnel and mount for the 4 main engines. During initial trials, I mounted the docking port to the back end of the hull directly, and the engines to <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/Cubic_Octagonal_Strut" target="_blank">Cubic Octagonal Struts</a>, but it was quickly realized that during landing, the engines were being destroyed by the otherwise slow impact, the docking port was rated for that type of impact so I let it be the "bumper" for the ship on landing.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eQ0-sv8BnW0/VgtPym4nahI/AAAAAAAAJYs/Htna2v-0wM8/s1600/Keystone%2BBack%2Bleft.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="619" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eQ0-sv8BnW0/VgtPym4nahI/AAAAAAAAJYs/Htna2v-0wM8/s640/Keystone%2BBack%2Bleft.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<br />
This slightly enlarged image gives you a good view of all the critical systems with the control flaps extended into full break mode.<br /><br /><br /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_b6RaZCZILfS3M3RzN4aG9QNTA/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Craft file</a>: Note, this includes the 3 stage launch vehicle. The launch system is a stock reproduction (in concept) of the Soyuz rocket.</span><br />
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-43391445926336568382015-06-29T10:49:00.001-07:002015-06-29T10:49:31.706-07:00Politically what I am *not* <div class="MsoNormal">
I don't know when this happened,
and frankly I don't care. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A long time ago, being "a
republican" meant taking ownership of your own deeds first, encouraging
economic growth, protecting the right of the individual. It meant a strong, and
at times aggressive foreign policy. It meant being proud of the present day
America. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But what passes for the the conservative movement today, and
by extension, many of their allies, is little more than a cancerous
mutation of the principles I love. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />**<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Being responsible for yourself has
turned into a cult of "self determination" that stops *just* short of
saying <u>anything</u> can be overcome, and by extension all failures are indications
of personal weakness. We mock the idea of the government offering assistance to
people in need, and we hold up the worst of the worst, a handful of self-indulgent, unrepentant frauds, and
tacitly proclaim them as "typical" of all who ask for help from the government. the RNC would have you believe that most people at the warfare office are lifelong leeches, when the fact of the mater is quite different. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />**<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I believe in the concept of a free
market economy, and want to see individual ideas grow and prosper, but watching
conservative policy on business over he past ten years alone is like watching a
nightmare of blind obedience to greed. Statement after statement from local and
state leadership ignore, or deny the fundamental facts that prosperous business
in today's day and age are *not* likely to spread the wealth down to their
employees. In this economy, with thousands clamoring for work, there are plenty
of places, and plenty of small companies who are happy to pay you as
little as they possibly can, and until someone forces their hand, they will
not, and realistically can not lift the bottom line without getting slaughtered
by their competition. Not all bosses are evil, but just enough of them are
selfish enough to keep 'the system" from ever being "charitable" (for lack of a better word at this moment) at a
large scale. The idea that 40 hours a week should give you a livable wage
should be a point of conversation, not passed off to private industry as
"when the economy gets better, the wages will go up".<br /><br />Likewise, I fully support the right of the rich to get richer, and the right of the individual to make and keep more money. But the more I hear about how few people control the majority of the cash flow in this country, and how little they play in taxes proportionately, I have to ask when "making money" turned into dodging out of civil duty? I pay my 25% (give or take), why in the hell am I hearing about people paying 5%, 6% or 7% and calling it a day there?<br /><br />And likewise, in today's environment, money hold a direction correlation with power and influence, and political circles on both sides of the aisle are rife with stories of local and state elections where everyone agrees that someone 'outspent' someone else to get "the word" out.<br /><br />And just in case anyone wanted some names, start with "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_family" target="_blank">the Koch</a>" family, and work out from there.<br /><br />I don't resent or want to limit the freedom to make money, we are not socialists. But money also carries with it power, and some in power are using their money to limit other's freedom. I'm not saying I have all the answers.... but the dialogue thus far has been shouted down with "they must hate the rich" and "he wants all of your money" whenever the issue is raised.<br /><br />**<br />I support research and scientific development, and when the data doesn't tell such a rosy story, skepticism is appropriate; rigor is part of "the process". But the republican pundits today have made character attacks and bad math their M.O. when talk turns to issues like climate change, environmental conservation and human impact. Personally, I'm convinced that we are hurting the environment, and that our work is changing the overall environment of the planet, but yes or no... when a scientific paper comes out saying that, the responses from the right seldom contain good science... but rather bad one-off examples, accusations of ulterior motives, and cries of "tree huggers". I don't mind a good argument, I don't even mind losing said argument. But why do we insult the process of discovery by STARTING the conversation with "I don't agree with them, so how can I prove they are wrong?"<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />**<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have always understood the
reluctance to embrace alternate lifestyles and religions, its human nature when
addressing things that are new. But today, non-traditional religions and same
sex marriage are *not* new, they are not misunderstood, and they are not scary
or dangerous. What remains of the opposition to them falls into two categories,
the bigots, and the legalistic. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To the first, who in the hell are
you to tell adults who they can or can't live with? Who in the hell are you to
say what faith can or can't have a sign or a cross or a marker? Who in the hell
are we to say "but it's offensive"? The Republic party is lined with
bigots. not all of them, and I can't even say its a majority, but with election races
running tight every year, the party knows how to get votes, many by appealing to
bigots and repressives... they then have to keep that party line going if they
want to compete in the elections. They've tolerated the ultraconservative old
guard and their ways so long that some of the poisonous "you are not like
us so you are dangerous" mentality is making it into policy and decision
making. <br />
<br />
To the second. I do not have any doubt that the constitution's balance between
the rights of the states and the right of the individual, and the powers of the
federal government is a tentative, dangerous, and dynamic balancing act that we
get wrong as often as we get it right. <br />
</div>
But we a have a whole class of people here who are told at the doors to
hospitals, court houses, police stations and even funerals that their rights
are not as secure or protected as others. I have personally seen too many cases were parents, administrators,
judges and law enforcement offices have stolen precious time form people who
didn't have it to being with. Without proper protection, people can be
undermined, challenged, and driven out of vital decision making processes in their own loves, or the lives of loved ones. Does it happen everywhere? No. Is it the majority of
times, I don't know, but I will admittedly guess not. But it's more common that it
should be, more common that it needs to be. And most importantly, its nothing,
NOTHING but an expression of meanness. Bullying as petty as any schoolyard
thug… but done with badges, pens, or official sounding words.<br /><br />
Are we so desperate to protect "states rights" that we will lets
states like Oklahoma (who were forced to allow marriage by a court) impose the
locally popular interpretation of "right and wrong" on others? I
support the right of states and their autonomy… but that doesn’t include
discrimination. That doesn’t include letting the majority force themselves on a
minority.<br /> <br />
Waiting for states to 'come around' of their own accord would likely have left
Jim Crow laws in place well into the 90s. Why would we think anything different
about lifestyles and how states deal with them? If anyone want's to let Oklahoma do this on their own, keep in mind that the state has voted (overwhelmingly) to legal jam Christian values down the throats of any resident living in the state. Gay marriage: "threat to our children", religious right (namely inheritances and wills by Muslim in this example): "infiltration by a foreign power"... an so on.<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
I'm not independent because I am no longer conservative. I'm independent
because what I believe is isn't represented by the republicans in the least,
and who they pander to not only disgusting, but dangerous.</span></span><br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />** <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm all for a strong international
presence, I want to see an aggressive display of force, and I am not opposed to
shedding blood in our national defense. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But how in the hell we wound up in
two counterinsurgency operations in nations with minimal to no infrastructure
to build upon, and populations so diverse and violent within their own
realm… is just beyond me. We went into Iraq on a lie. I don't even care who's
lie it was, but I fell for it, I cheered them in... then we got stuck going<span style="font-family: inherit;">
"well now what?" Then the locals who didn't like us did exactly what
was done in Vietnam... they used the home court advantage. We went to
Afghanistan on a grudge match... we won the first round... but it became clear
very quickly that we didn't have a second step laid out... we went in on
impulse, one whole nation, madder than hell.... great... then what?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There's a line between
"aggressive" and "stupid"... I would submit we were humping
that line like a horny high school senior when Bush gave the
"go" order. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />**<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm all for being proud of the US.
We have a lot to be proud of. <br /><br /><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But what I see, with my own
eyes from the right wing these days, is not *just* national pride, it includes examples of a brand of
ultranationalism reminiscent of tyrannies past. I've seen people want, demand,
and even dictate that others: adults, teens, children, *must* be proud of this
country. They insist on a pride so absolute that it needs no justification, and
so fragile that it can survive no scrutiny or criticism. I've seen books,
texts, papers and speeches written and improvised in all forms, defending the
country like its existence were a religion, and not a nation. The concept that one
can be critical of this nation and still love it is paid little more than lip service
by pundits and policy makers who set the tone for the party leadership. </span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I still shudder at the benchmarks of the progressive movement these 8 years past. the Affordable Healthcare Act was </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px;">ham-handed</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">, and I'm already seeing some ugly </span></span><span style="font-size: 14.6666669845581px;">repercussions</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> from it in my own premiums. There was good to it, but I am worried that more people will suffer other ills because of it in place of, or perhaps on top of getting sick. I'm watching a president and a party treat major shooting incidents as policy points for gun control when the issues run a lit deeper than just who had their hands on a gun. <br /><br /><br />I'm seeing *both* parties talk out their assess when it comes to human rights and civil liberties. The patriot act and the NSA's data collection just being two examples. </span></span><br />No, I still don't consider myself a liberal or a progressive. And I still do consider myself a conservative.<br /><br />But there is a difference between "conservative" and "scared, ignorant, bully". I just wanted to make sure no one thought me the latter of the two.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-15555977342983969032015-01-19T20:49:00.002-08:002015-01-19T20:49:14.398-08:00KSP: Not exactly according to plan...Tonight, the game plan was to launch my more developed "Individual Crewed vehicle" into orbit for sustainability trials.<br />
<br />
The vehicle itself was actually a good conceptual representation of the Russian <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_%28spacecraft%29#Soyuz-TM_.281986-2003.29" target="_blank">Soyuz</a> capsule, and used mostly stock parts.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8xUQYGH3PdE/VL3XW92wrdI/AAAAAAAAImk/w99_FGAgeWs/s1600/front_Small%2BCrew%2BTransit%2BVessel_2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8xUQYGH3PdE/VL3XW92wrdI/AAAAAAAAImk/w99_FGAgeWs/s1600/front_Small%2BCrew%2BTransit%2BVessel_2.png" height="320" width="160" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ICV Km 1</span></div>
<b>Crew:</b> 1<br />
<b>Engine: </b>LV-909 Liquid Fuel Engine & RCS Maneuvering Thrusters<br />
<b>Reentry:</b> Command Pod Mk1 & Mk2-R Radial-Mount Parachute<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><br />
<b>Communications: </b>Communotron 16<br />
<b>Fuel: </b>FL-T100 Fuel Tank<br />
<b>Power</b>:<br />OX-4L 1x6 Photovoltaic Panels & Z-100 Rechargeable Battery Pack<br />
<br />
<br />
Note: the whole idea of the frame is to recreate the utility and the base concept of the Soyuz ship, and to expand on the capabilities of the Stock Mk1 capsule.<br /><br />And... I wanted something that didn't look american when you looked at it. Call it a stylistic thing.<br /><br /><br /><br />The ship isn't much heavier than the first manned pod I sent up, so the obvious first step was to build a proton launch platform and mount it there.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">ICV launch 1</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_MQGLl_Ze-4/VL3Zloznu5I/AAAAAAAAImw/Vw-hYmdUNvs/s1600/front_Small%2BCrew%2BTransit%2BVessel_4.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_MQGLl_Ze-4/VL3Zloznu5I/AAAAAAAAImw/Vw-hYmdUNvs/s1600/front_Small%2BCrew%2BTransit%2BVessel_4.png" height="400" width="105" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZwe587bkxk/VL3ac8hAPrI/AAAAAAAAIm4/NqA9VuLM9h4/s1600/screenshot52.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BZwe587bkxk/VL3ac8hAPrI/AAAAAAAAIm4/NqA9VuLM9h4/s1600/screenshot52.png" height="180" width="320" /></a>The Capsule may not have been much heavier, but the additional components made it large enough that we needed to use the next size up of nose fairing in order to completely house the capsule. Thrust to weight, the numbers looked good for a long, steady climb into orbit. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Unfortunately, the drag on the nose, and the thrust of the second stage didn't add up the way I wanted to. Moments after the boosters jettison, the nose started to drop hard. a minute later, when I should have been pushing 18K meters the altitude started to drop, and before I could react I was at 12K and dropping.<br /><br />I finally managed to punch the fairings and get the capsuel free of the rest of the rocket. I had just enough time to eject the chute before the altitude went from four figures to three. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-udM4UyiOn58/VL3dldDgl6I/AAAAAAAAInE/NsBa2xyRs6Q/s1600/screenshot54.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-udM4UyiOn58/VL3dldDgl6I/AAAAAAAAInE/NsBa2xyRs6Q/s1600/screenshot54.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early splashdown.... You can see the parachute just barely having time to open as the capsule tumbles to the water and the last stage boosters are just about to hit the water at heaven only knows what speed.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
All told, the mission was a falure, but the pilot survived and I realized that the proton 1 is an excellent small platform, but I need something with substantially more kick to get the next generation of crews and vehicles. into orbit. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-86952880988594560642015-01-14T20:28:00.000-08:002015-01-14T20:28:07.021-08:00KSP: Crewed flight / Time speed data<br />
<h2>
Phase 2: Put a crewed capsule into orbit. </h2>
I know that actually putting a Kerbin in space is hardly the dramatic event it was for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vostok_1" target="_blank">the Russians</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury-Redstone_3" target="_blank">the Americans</a>, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenzhou_5" target="_blank">the Chinese</a>. That being said, the mission was still a chance for me to symbolically take the "next step" and see what type of performance my Proton-1 rocket could give me with a crewed payload.<br /><br /><h3>
Individual Maned Crew Capsule (IMCC) Mark 1</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bdXAwuxhWkQ/VLcmAwpqn6I/AAAAAAAAIkc/vlYy_rcWIaQ/s1600/Crew%2BPod.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bdXAwuxhWkQ/VLcmAwpqn6I/AAAAAAAAIkc/vlYy_rcWIaQ/s1600/Crew%2BPod.png" height="320" width="219" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Well, this certainly won't be making any interplanetary voyages, but the IMCC (mk.1) is a good, one-man orbital craft with a low mass and durability enough to get into orbit and back to the group. This specific unit relies on the internal gyros for maneuvering, and has a small engine for thrust. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />In terms of endurance, I can confidently sustain about half an hour of maneuver, but beyond that I will need additional power sources and probably RCS jets for more precise activities in orbit or beyond. </div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Flight</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Fortunately (in game, and out) the mission was more or less as planned, and reached the objective of a 450Km apoapsis before returning to Kerbin for a wet touchdown three quarters of the way around the globe.<br /><br /></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EzlcaYleQwM/VLctiCD28VI/AAAAAAAAIk0/m7-14mWjjAc/s1600/IMCC%2BFlight%2B(pad).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EzlcaYleQwM/VLctiCD28VI/AAAAAAAAIk0/m7-14mWjjAc/s1600/IMCC%2BFlight%2B(pad).png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IMCC flight on the pad, moments before Launch. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Summary:</span></h4>
<div>
The ship was under power/thrust for only the first four minutes of the flight, after that, physics carried the ship for the rest of its 22 minute flight. The take-off and lift phase of the flight was smooth and topped out at 2504 meters per second speed when the engine finally cut off, and we reached a peak altitude of 452 KM above Kerbin. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fv5cq7cswPs/VLdBQGYEkwI/AAAAAAAAIlI/hE1oqj_6KC0/s1600/screenshot36.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fv5cq7cswPs/VLdBQGYEkwI/AAAAAAAAIlI/hE1oqj_6KC0/s1600/screenshot36.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the peak of my first crewed flight over Kerbin, 450 kilometers above the planet's surface. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br /><br />
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Flight Metrics</span></h4>
<div>
I tracking the flight and its numbers for my own interests, and to see how my Proton-1 design worked under a 1 ton load.<br /><br />Like I said before, the ship was under thrust for only the first four and a half minutes of the flight, and I track the altitude and speed for that time period. also are the computer's projected Apoapsis at each moment, and I have calculated how far ( as a % of my current altitude) beyond my current altitude the ships inertia alone could carry me at each point of the launch. </div>
<br />
<br />
Its interesting to note that the real gains made in altitude are made once the ship crosses the 28K/1000 m/s mark.<br />
<br />
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 357px;">
<colgroup><col style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 3181; mso-width-source: userset; width: 65pt;" width="87"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 2267; mso-width-source: userset; width: 47pt;" width="62"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 2230; mso-width-source: userset; width: 46pt;" width="61"></col>
<col style="mso-width-alt: 3035; mso-width-source: userset; width: 62pt;" width="83"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td height="20" style="height: 15.0pt; width: 48pt;" width="64"> Time</td>
<td style="width: 65pt;" width="87"> Altitude (K)</td>
<td style="width: 47pt;" width="62"> Apoap.</td>
<td style="width: 46pt;" width="61">% of Alt</td>
<td style="width: 62pt;" width="83">Speed (M/S)</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">0:30</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">4.86</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">7.74</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">59.4%</td>
<td align="right">231</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">0:45</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">7.40</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">8.24</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">11.4%</td>
<td align="right">138</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">1:00</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">9.45</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">10.26</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">8.5%</td>
<td align="right">141</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">1:15</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">11.13</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">11.88</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">6.7%</td>
<td align="right">183</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">1:30</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">13.12</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">13.87</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">5.7%</td>
<td align="right">251</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">1:45</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">14.65</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">15.49</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">5.8%</td>
<td align="right">313</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">2:00</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">16.56</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">17.60</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">6.3%</td>
<td align="right">396</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">2:15</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">18.72</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">20.12</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">7.5%</td>
<td align="right">499</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">2:30</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">21.29</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">23.22</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">9.0%</td>
<td align="right">265</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl64" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">2:43</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">23.85</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">26.66</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">11.8%</td>
<td align="right">759</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">2:45</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">24.29</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">27.28</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">12.3%</td>
<td align="right">785</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">3:00</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">28.00</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">34.91</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">24.7%</td>
<td align="right">1055</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">3:15</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">33.35</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">49.94</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">49.8%</td>
<td align="right">1407</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">3:30</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">40.36</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">93.78</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">132.3%</td>
<td align="right">2027</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">3:45</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">49.30</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">437.63</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">787.7%</td>
<td align="right">2530</td>
</tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">
<td align="right" class="xl63" height="20" style="height: 15.0pt;">4:00</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">59.53</td>
<td align="right" class="xl65">450.50</td>
<td align="right" class="xl66">656.8%</td>
<td align="right">2504</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-32895190199120548332015-01-13T22:06:00.003-08:002015-01-13T22:06:56.144-08:00KSP: Proton 1Okay, so I decided to try something a little different with KSO this time. I am deliberately trying to follow a "development plan" with my space program, where I built up to larger accomplishments. I'm not doing Career mode (well, actually I am, but I'm just not blogging about it, its not nearly as much fun for me right now). But, I am retracing the steps of the superpowers in a sense. These baby steps are meant to be 1, more fun, 2, better time management for me.<br />
<br />
So, without further delay...<br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Phase 1. Put a Satellite in orbit over Kerbin. </span></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Satellite: Sat #1</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RYGfGsVX5ZI/VLX_xTvms8I/AAAAAAAAIjM/z_GL4w7FhG0/s1600/Sat%2B1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RYGfGsVX5ZI/VLX_xTvms8I/AAAAAAAAIjM/z_GL4w7FhG0/s1600/Sat%2B1.png" height="320" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A basic communications satellite<br /><br /><b>Components</b><br />1 x 6 solar panels (2)<br />Gyroscopic mechanism (control ring)<br />"Stayputnick" command module<br />Small fuel tank<br />Small liquid fuel engine<br />Communications dish. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Nothing really complicated here, I just wanted a satellite that would stay where I out it, and stay pointed at what I wanted it pointed at. I kept size and weight down as much as I could,<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The Rocket: Proton 1</span><br /><br />(Note, I am using a lot of Russian influences in my design ideas, so "proton" is no accident in naming)<br />A basic orbital delivery vehicle, the Proton uses a four-booster solid rocket first stage, and then a long burn liquid fueled booster for the second stage. Third stage is a smaller take with a similar engine. Overall design is meant to get a small payload into a 100 to 130 KM orbit. Early course stabilization is handled largely by the fins, and later on we have a powerful ring gyro at the neck of the ship for control outside of the atmosphere.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1dtJnSLGB9U/VLYBANexwCI/AAAAAAAAIjY/VvmVs0hmhKY/s1600/Proton%2B1%2Bpad.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1dtJnSLGB9U/VLYBANexwCI/AAAAAAAAIjY/VvmVs0hmhKY/s1600/Proton%2B1%2Bpad.png" height="640" width="280" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPOWZt7mpXk/VLYCJ8FchhI/AAAAAAAAIjo/E22nUgR1FH4/s1600/Proton%2B1%2B2nd%2Bstage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WPOWZt7mpXk/VLYCJ8FchhI/AAAAAAAAIjo/E22nUgR1FH4/s1600/Proton%2B1%2B2nd%2Bstage.png" height="400" width="351" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> First stage turns over to second stage at about 7KM altitude and the main engine handled the majority of the accent.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCc0dP1tRlM/VLYDCXDfaiI/AAAAAAAAIj4/rAYWgmEpQ54/s1600/Proton%2B1%2B3nd%2Bstage.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCc0dP1tRlM/VLYDCXDfaiI/AAAAAAAAIj4/rAYWgmEpQ54/s1600/Proton%2B1%2B3nd%2Bstage.png" height="263" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">By the time the third stage engages, we the rocket has picked up well over 1000 M/S velocity and we are nearing the outer edge of the atmosphere.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-00Zqhe1Rs4g/VLYD1RwjqfI/AAAAAAAAIkA/4VQU9mejrUo/s1600/proton%2Borbit.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-00Zqhe1Rs4g/VLYD1RwjqfI/AAAAAAAAIkA/4VQU9mejrUo/s1600/proton%2Borbit.png" height="388" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fuel tanks were good enough that we did an orbital adjustment before we deployed, and set the satellite on a diagonal path in order to see more of Kerbin over time.<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-duzgZ8MUpa0/VLYEySMbRnI/AAAAAAAAIkI/t9jjuPgzH0k/s1600/Sat%2Borbit.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-duzgZ8MUpa0/VLYEySMbRnI/AAAAAAAAIkI/t9jjuPgzH0k/s1600/Sat%2Borbit.png" height="466" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final orbit, satalite deployed at 110 KM over Kerbit. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><span style="font-size: large;">Thoughts</span>:<br />
<br />All told, the mission took me about 45 minutes to do from start to finish. It was a fun reminder of the basics of rocketry and ballistic mechanics, and did feel a lot more like some of those "first steps" I am used to reading about in my history books bout early space flight.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">The takeaway:</span><br />From an "in-game" point of view, Kerbin just put its first satellite into orbit, This in itself was was a major <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1#Impact" target="_blank">earth-moving event</a> in actual history.<br /><br />Much like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-7_Semyorka" target="_blank">Soviet R-7</a>, I have saved the "Proton 1" rocket chassis for use and further development. The hope is to expand the basic design into two or three chassis for light, medium and heavy payloads to orbit before advancing the whole program forward.<br /><br />And for a side note, the actual proton rocket class rocket is detailed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proton_%28rocket_family%29#Proton_8K82K" target="_blank">here</a>. it is actually a late generation rocket design for the Soviets. Myself, I found the rocket's service record and design straightforward, and effective, which is why I am mimicking the concepts here.<br /><br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-86081333551532258602015-01-12T21:08:00.001-08:002015-01-13T05:03:36.450-08:00KSS Explorer II (Kerbal Space program)<br />
Well, my previous voyage to Mun was <a href="http://thinkingaboutittoomuch.blogspot.com/2014/12/first-step-on-mun-kerbal-space-program.html" target="_blank">certainly exciting</a>, but I promised it would be back, and I followed through on that promise. Rather than build off of my space station, this ship was assembled in freestanding orbit on its own, four central components, two mun landers, and two unmanned drones for surveying work. A crew of 5 and much, much more extensive science, and engineering facilities.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-59-IkaGLOvw/VLSYqSdQkwI/AAAAAAAAIe8/quSmdOqmTpM/s1600/screenshot454.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-59-IkaGLOvw/VLSYqSdQkwI/AAAAAAAAIe8/quSmdOqmTpM/s1600/screenshot454.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kerbal Space Ship Explorer II</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The ship is well more than three times the length of its predecessor, with massive fuel reserves, and more thrust compliments of four atomic engines.<br />
<br />
The mission profile was much similar to its predecessor, though with a lot more actually accomplished rather than just hoped for. The plan was to launch of Kurbin orbit, reach Mun, deploy two landers at two sites, and send out my surveyor satellites for mapping at the same time. Then retrieve all of the same and return home. Once again, the game graphics worked well for the mission, and the whole process was just a beautiful adventure. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vB78VGi4YJY/VLSaKcVunyI/AAAAAAAAIfM/vH6UasULqgc/s1600/screenshot453.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vB78VGi4YJY/VLSaKcVunyI/AAAAAAAAIfM/vH6UasULqgc/s1600/screenshot453.png" height="178" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exit burn of Kerbin orbit. You get a good view of the <br />
quad-array of atomic engines at 100% throttle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Escape burn from earth was a lot smoother this time, with four engines and a more powerful stabilization system in place. The ships was sluggish compared to the smaller "Apollo" type ships that I was used to using, but there was no doubt that I was going to get where I wanted with this thing.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IB4np3S6KRg/VLSbj814BiI/AAAAAAAAIfY/m0vjaYraQd4/s1600/screenshot456.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IB4np3S6KRg/VLSbj814BiI/AAAAAAAAIfY/m0vjaYraQd4/s1600/screenshot456.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like I said before, the visuals made the trip well worth the time involved. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qu0pbLGo0s0/VLSc1b9EveI/AAAAAAAAIfg/8AyE9Ah6g8A/s1600/screenshot477.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qu0pbLGo0s0/VLSc1b9EveI/AAAAAAAAIfg/8AyE9Ah6g8A/s1600/screenshot477.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">Reaching Mun and breaking was almost easy with the throttle allotted on the ship. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6CkEkqMBufs/VLSdJY6uawI/AAAAAAAAIfo/kwi2HItd-CU/s1600/screenshot483.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6CkEkqMBufs/VLSdJY6uawI/AAAAAAAAIfo/kwi2HItd-CU/s1600/screenshot483.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I took up a higher orbit than last time, almost 90 KM, and deployed the first lander. Lander #1 went down with a pilot and good fuel for the landing. I freely admit to using mechjeb (sophisticated autopilot) for most of the advanced maneuvers in this mission.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u7vjHQOif7o/VLSd-iVKN4I/AAAAAAAAIf0/aTujtrFp8dE/s1600/screenshot491.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u7vjHQOif7o/VLSd-iVKN4I/AAAAAAAAIf0/aTujtrFp8dE/s1600/screenshot491.png" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
You can see the solar panels deployed here, as well as the landing flag. The whole thing was smoothly run, which is a major relief after the last mission here. Total time for the first lander on the surface was just under an hour.<br />
<br />
Lander two put down in the heart of one of the largest craters. The scenery wasn't too different, but from an orbit standpoint the geology would (in theory) have been markedly different.I took soil samples, recorded observations and then returned each Kerbil to their lander. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nl2bqlJDthk/VLSfGW0tOPI/AAAAAAAAIgE/QzRghSyGagk/s1600/screenshot513.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nl2bqlJDthk/VLSfGW0tOPI/AAAAAAAAIgE/QzRghSyGagk/s1600/screenshot513.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unmanned orbital surveyor drone </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uoNAjYxXl-0/VLSgUH95jjI/AAAAAAAAIgM/RNJdLvU_dqk/s1600/screenshot522.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uoNAjYxXl-0/VLSgUH95jjI/AAAAAAAAIgM/RNJdLvU_dqk/s1600/screenshot522.png" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good view of the drone with its solar panels deployed. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The second part of the mission was high altitude mapping mapping. The Drones I built were meant to be able to maneuver as close to Mun as possible without needing life support, or putting a Kerbal in danger. I set one drone up on a 110 KM orbit, and the other at an extremely low 20 KM orbit. While the game doesn't actually record mapping data, I stand by my assertion that even with 1960 technology, the date these two would have brought back would have been excellent.<br />
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rXc9RhKXdS4/VLSgw7guL1I/AAAAAAAAIgU/HD-7O95mnWQ/s1600/screenshot511.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rXc9RhKXdS4/VLSgw7guL1I/AAAAAAAAIgU/HD-7O95mnWQ/s1600/screenshot511.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Docking lander #2</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It took close to an hour of work to get all four separate elements back to the Explorer, each one had to be docked individually, of course. but the process was worth it, of course. When I was done, I made sure to drain all the remaining fuel into the main tanks, and to turn off Lander or drone RCS systems. After last time, I wasn't in the mood to take any chances with fuel. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWHKdP51Vs8/VLShd8R7ElI/AAAAAAAAIgk/RM-OnnMwlNM/s1600/screenshot526.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vWHKdP51Vs8/VLShd8R7ElI/AAAAAAAAIgk/RM-OnnMwlNM/s1600/screenshot526.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">Parting shot as I depart Mun, Kerbin and the Sun in the distance. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
<br />
The return trip to Kerbin took less then a day and a half (Thank God for time acceleration). With the engines, it was easy and smooth sailing to move into a high earth orbit. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OxATeH_QIoY/VLSinh2QMyI/AAAAAAAAIgs/kgq4bAp4uxM/s1600/screenshot529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OxATeH_QIoY/VLSinh2QMyI/AAAAAAAAIgs/kgq4bAp4uxM/s1600/screenshot529.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Return to home orbit. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dTAD-Lx7pO0/VLSkT0Qjp4I/AAAAAAAAIg4/6AngVMpvFs0/s1600/screenshot544.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dTAD-Lx7pO0/VLSkT0Qjp4I/AAAAAAAAIg4/6AngVMpvFs0/s1600/screenshot544.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Werm" and the "Explorer" about to"Kiss." </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The final stage of the mission was to get my crew of Back down to the planet. I short of cheated, the capsules used in the game only sit three, but the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_%28spacecraft%29" target="_blank">Space-X Dragon</a> currently in use will sit 7 once the manned "DragonRider "unit is authorized for flight. So... I used the parts I had and made a ship I call the "werm" (pronounced "verm" in reference to the German term for "dragon"). I originally loaded the crew with the same ship over a week before, so I kept it in orbit rather than have to built and fly a second one. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2EuMVTO8Bxk/VLSlPpJOXCI/AAAAAAAAIhA/fd2kOgDnIl8/s1600/screenshot549.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2EuMVTO8Bxk/VLSlPpJOXCI/AAAAAAAAIhA/fd2kOgDnIl8/s1600/screenshot549.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The great beast in its well earned slumber.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tY8gv19RybE/VLSlhCXGfHI/AAAAAAAAIhI/XqB1Mmw2N8Q/s1600/screenshot552.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tY8gv19RybE/VLSlhCXGfHI/AAAAAAAAIhI/XqB1Mmw2N8Q/s1600/screenshot552.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the most "convention" configuration, but... it worked for me. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
With the crew aboard, I closed down the Explorer's systems and lowered the solar arrays for its period of "sleep" before the next mission.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The Werm returns from orbit as one unit, and separates just before the chutes open. As luck would have it, the process worked, and all five passengers walked away from the landing without a scratch.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--d1tkMi0WUo/VLSmOPgdfPI/AAAAAAAAIhQ/eCESh8OOwjg/s1600/screenshot556.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--d1tkMi0WUo/VLSmOPgdfPI/AAAAAAAAIhQ/eCESh8OOwjg/s1600/screenshot556.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now that's how to end a mission!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>And just for reference, <br />these images of the Explorer I (bottom) and Explorer II (top) for direct comparison. <br />(note for scale, the command pod on the nose is the same part in each ship)</b></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9qMmDL8NCbU/VLSnqEhsR-I/AAAAAAAAIhc/-1gmKhGTuyQ/s1600/screenshot529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9qMmDL8NCbU/VLSnqEhsR-I/AAAAAAAAIhc/-1gmKhGTuyQ/s1600/screenshot529.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hd7tS5Ygsko/VLSn42J4SOI/AAAAAAAAIhk/m1qco56AnIA/s1600/screenshot88.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hd7tS5Ygsko/VLSn42J4SOI/AAAAAAAAIhk/m1qco56AnIA/s1600/screenshot88.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-74879911962635705742014-12-28T21:38:00.000-08:002014-12-28T21:41:37.193-08:00First step on Mun (Kerbal Space program)So, after <a href="http://thinkingaboutittoomuch.blogspot.com/2014/12/do-it-yourself-space-exploration.html" target="_blank">testing and breaking in my first space ship</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerbal_Space_Program" target="_blank">KSP</a>, I decided to put the KSS Explorer to work and make the run to the closest Moon of Kerbin.<br />
<br />
I docked the explorer, reloaded all of her full tanks and double-checked all systems to make sure they were what I needed them to be. Then... I launched for Mun.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hKyNHcjWRBg/VKDcuXopZjI/AAAAAAAAIZ8/D9mg1LnbL3Q/s1600/screenshot124.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hKyNHcjWRBg/VKDcuXopZjI/AAAAAAAAIZ8/D9mg1LnbL3Q/s1600/screenshot124.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second time out, and the sight was still dramatic as hell!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i--muxb9mYU/VKDdfugu64I/AAAAAAAAIaE/5De51RXfkfA/s1600/screenshot137.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i--muxb9mYU/VKDdfugu64I/AAAAAAAAIaE/5De51RXfkfA/s1600/screenshot137.png" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The exit burn from Kerbin orbit. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The first realization that this wasn't going to go according to "the plan" was when the exit burn to get out of Kerbin orbit took longer than expected. I didn't skimp on fuel, but I did but a full quarter of my supply just getting on my way. I could have aborted, but I decided that it was worth it to keep going, and that my ultimate goal was still within reach.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-waoPLM6TFmM/VKDeEPZ7ANI/AAAAAAAAIaM/I86458bocPQ/s1600/screenshot145.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-waoPLM6TFmM/VKDeEPZ7ANI/AAAAAAAAIaM/I86458bocPQ/s1600/screenshot145.png" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burning Retrograde (slowing down) as I enter Mun orbit. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The The trip to Mun was shorter than I expected, I think it was less than a day (game time), and I took up orbit 20 kilometers over the surface. to its credit, the ship handled like a dream, and managed to take up stable orbit without any problem. My fuel usage was actually less than projected for that part, so I was feeling optimistic about the rest of the voyage. Again, the visuals made the game for me, and I think I got a slightly better appreciation for what the crew of Apollo 11 must have felt when they first took up orbit. (Yes, I know they weren't the first to orbit the moon!)<br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
The Landing</h3>
While the Explorer did come with two lander, the mission was always to land one, and then the second if needed or if it looked promising. I detached the first lander, and put it into a 20K orbit with a landing zone in the middle of a clear field. Watching the decent was nerve wracking.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mSwDLqOBLL8/VKDfB3nIiGI/AAAAAAAAIac/CYAJyTv-nAg/s1600/screenshot151.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mSwDLqOBLL8/VKDfB3nIiGI/AAAAAAAAIac/CYAJyTv-nAg/s1600/screenshot151.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-61MnjivUtjc/VKDgHag1Z_I/AAAAAAAAIao/-VPvCMK9Y80/s1600/screenshot153.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-61MnjivUtjc/VKDgHag1Z_I/AAAAAAAAIao/-VPvCMK9Y80/s1600/screenshot153.png" height="112" width="200" /></a>Right when the engines started burning was when I realized that my math was horribly off. I had expected to land with 2/3rds of my take still full, but rather, I landed with less than half, there was no way the lander would be able to launch and meet up with the Explorer.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RCFj7QdmuXU/VKDgUMCDEYI/AAAAAAAAIa0/jyfo6UHNBjU/s1600/screenshot157.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RCFj7QdmuXU/VKDgUMCDEYI/AAAAAAAAIa0/jyfo6UHNBjU/s1600/screenshot157.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Still, with the lander on the ground, I did do the moon walk and plant a flag to mark the event.<br />
<br />
Then... I had to get back home!<br />
<br />
I knew I could get the lander into orbit (barely), and use the RCS thrusters to do fine tuning. After that, it would be up to the explorer to close the distance so the lander could dock.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sgc3wXyoO_w/VKDh18MLG3I/AAAAAAAAIbA/kqBonXX1s8M/s1600/screenshot190.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sgc3wXyoO_w/VKDh18MLG3I/AAAAAAAAIbA/kqBonXX1s8M/s1600/screenshot190.png" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KSS explorer in its ad hoc configuration. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This had its own complications. With one landing ship gone, the Explorder was now asymmetrical, and not able to maneuver. I remidied this by docking the remaining ship to the Explorer's note, moving all of the weight along the ship's center-line. Then, I ran the explorer through no less than five intercept burns so that I could get it within RCS distance of the lander. The whole process was tedius and time consuming, and... drank fuel at a prodigious rate.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0A2L7xNjmdA/VKDiPfdi69I/AAAAAAAAIbI/nxgf7u00H1k/s1600/screenshot198.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0A2L7xNjmdA/VKDiPfdi69I/AAAAAAAAIbI/nxgf7u00H1k/s1600/screenshot198.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
It was over 4 hours (game time, 2 hours real time) of maneuvering before I saw the landed from the Explorer. Even still, it was another hour of waiting before it was close enough for me to chance docking without eating all of the RCS propellant on the lander's two tanks. It took another (very real world) half an hour before the lander closed in for the final docking maneuver.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ApU89UJEF-w/VKDjPLdGJOI/AAAAAAAAIbU/EfFDNrz_xiA/s1600/screenshot201.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ApU89UJEF-w/VKDjPLdGJOI/AAAAAAAAIbU/EfFDNrz_xiA/s1600/screenshot201.png" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading home... finally!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Once I had the Lander finally docked, I moved the second lander back into its position, and then dumped its hyperbolic propellants into the Explorer's tanks for added capacity. At this point, I would need all the help I could get.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
The final burn home was like watching a hangman's noose tighten as the ship ent through its fuel supply. For a minute I thought I wouldn't make it, but when it finally completed the last burn into Kerbin orbit, I knew I could at least be able to get the crew home.<br />
<br />
But... fortune was with me, I had enough left to actually dock with the Station.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0zFMTN0E_oQ/VKDj6v68YmI/AAAAAAAAIbc/YIajd3WZckA/s1600/screenshot210.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0zFMTN0E_oQ/VKDj6v68YmI/AAAAAAAAIbc/YIajd3WZckA/s1600/screenshot210.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final orbital burn.... "Mir" in the distance. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
Final lessons:</h3>
<br />
The explorer was a proof of concept, and the concept worked. I could make a ship in segments, fly it into orbit, and assemble it there. Using the station as a staging point was a good idea. The use of two landing craft was also proven as solid, and doable, even in a pinch.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Drawbacks:</h4>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<h4>
Fuel</h4>
The first major shortcoming was the fuel capacity. The bottom line is that I estimated the fuel usage too tightly, and almost stranded a crew and ship for it. The first thing I will need to do with the next design is to triple the fuel capacity outright. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Thrust</h4>
<div>
The atomic engine worked as planned, but the ship was drastically under-powered. In the future, I am going to need to build with two or three engines, possible even a quad assembly, with a massive fuel load if I am expecting to make true interplanetary trips. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Landers</h4>
<div>
The Landers worked... but only barely. Any followup trips will have to use larder fuel tanks, possibly with detachable cans in order to save weight on the exit launch. These were never going to be "the" landers, the gravity involved on true planetary landings after this will mean I need to start using larger and power powerful landers. Needless to say, I'll have to incorporate those into the design of the next ship. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The fate of the KSS Explorer:</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GbESOt7gan4/VKDnhHOvm6I/AAAAAAAAIbo/b1oYkMDllMY/s1600/screenshot255.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GbESOt7gan4/VKDnhHOvm6I/AAAAAAAAIbo/b1oYkMDllMY/s1600/screenshot255.png" height="112" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KSS Explorer right after<br />
the Mun mission</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I never intended the Explorer to be "the" ship for interplanetary travel, and even now with its weakness clearly demonstrated, I have no intent of simply discarding the ship. Rather, I launched a new section, and added a space lab to the main hull. The Ship is now an orbital research station, and maybe I can use it for orbital research of Mun, Luna and perhaps other planets. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lB-iNHw0rOw/VKDn8mGwD2I/AAAAAAAAIbw/woPmhF6SXCk/s1600/screenshot269.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lB-iNHw0rOw/VKDn8mGwD2I/AAAAAAAAIbw/woPmhF6SXCk/s1600/screenshot269.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">KSS explorer right before the final re-docking after having a Lab added to the hull. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<h4>
Trust me on two things. </h4>
<div>
1. You will see more of the Explorer, she's a good ship, and she's more than able to do a lot for my space exploration program. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
2. There will be another ship, and she will build on the lessons learned here.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Until Next time.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-501094459568209292014-12-25T10:55:00.000-08:002014-12-25T10:55:03.849-08:00Do-it-yourself Space exploration.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, my birthday gift this year was a copy of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerbal_Space_Program" target="_blank">Kerbal Space Program</a>, a wonderful little space simulator that has just fascinated me for the past four months now. After a lot of trial and error (and a lot of finding out how to use MechJeb, the add-on autopilot) my nine year old son and I set out to build a space station based on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mir" target="_blank">Russian Mir project</a>, and then to use that as a launch platform for a manned exploration ship. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here is the Russian station in some detail so you can see what we were emulating. </div>
<br /><img height="400" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Mir_diagram.svg/640px-Mir_diagram.svg.png" width="363" /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2HM1V1zPxhg/VJxLS5E2UhI/AAAAAAAAIX8/36CoXesiAVE/s1600/screenshot25.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2HM1V1zPxhg/VJxLS5E2UhI/AAAAAAAAIX8/36CoXesiAVE/s1600/screenshot25.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
I started with the core module (Green), much like the Soviet space program and built out from there. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--yral65cKkE/VJxMXVM-06I/AAAAAAAAIYI/nEJ2yVYMdxs/s1600/screenshot21.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--yral65cKkE/VJxMXVM-06I/AAAAAAAAIYI/nEJ2yVYMdxs/s1600/screenshot21.png" height="225" width="400" /></a>The primary platform I used to get the component parts into orbit was my "Echo 1" heavy lift platform. This is a scaled down version of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_IV_Heavy" target="_blank">Delta IV Heavy Lift Vehicle</a> used by the US today.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The Core Module was relatively simple to orbit and I set it for an altitude of 450 km.<br /><br />While the solar panels un the game are more than enough to power the station with just two, I opted to go for accuracy and placed a third one, just like the real unit. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fibZ00FnN_4/VJxN_b2cg4I/AAAAAAAAIYU/3Y6YpdMAgyg/s1600/screenshot27.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fibZ00FnN_4/VJxN_b2cg4I/AAAAAAAAIYU/3Y6YpdMAgyg/s1600/screenshot27.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Kavant-1 sits atop of the core unit, while I remotely guide Kavant-2<br />under the station for docking. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
I built the "Kavant-1" Module a little longer than it strictly should have been, but I'm not complaining about the final outcome. I also opted for smaller solar panels, mostly because I didn't think they were necessary. The "Kvant-2" unit was more or less as true to the source material as I could make it. I launched each of these separately in a Echo-1 rocket and docked them remotely/un-crewed.<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I6qBVFRMvjE/VJxPGBpjPTI/AAAAAAAAIYg/ENBPSevfKhk/s1600/screenshot29.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I6qBVFRMvjE/VJxPGBpjPTI/AAAAAAAAIYg/ENBPSevfKhk/s1600/screenshot29.png" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
I had a little fun with the "Spektr" capsule. Of course my model doesn't "do" anything more than the real one did, but I took some ascetic/artistic liberties with the module. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
Rather than a cylinder, I build this with some "exposed" components but I made sure to include the 4 large solar panels, two on the tapered end of the pod. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br />At this point I decided to send a crew up to manage the station. While not strictly necessary for game play, I thought it would be more realistic to have one pilot up there to "keep house" while we build rest of the station. I used a one man Mk.1 pod with a small RCA system and engine. Just enough to get up there and dock.<br /><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DG4LQ1KwEcQ/VJxRNfCPkFI/AAAAAAAAIYs/2ThHs78EQ6g/s1600/screenshot45.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DG4LQ1KwEcQ/VJxRNfCPkFI/AAAAAAAAIYs/2ThHs78EQ6g/s1600/screenshot45.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
I'm not normally one to talk up gaming graphics, but I was taken by how absolutely beautiful this in-game screen shot is of the station against the sun with the next module maneuvering in for docking.<br /><br />The "Priroda" unit (with the large radio array, was another one where I got creative in order to capture the shape of the until without making another bland set of cylinders. And the "Kristall" module, which in real life held furnaces for zero-gravity mineral production was re-purposed by me as additional crew space and a docking port. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Nps8_ePejg/VJxSz_6NRUI/AAAAAAAAIY4/hjXFztmZXoo/s1600/screenshot51.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Nps8_ePejg/VJxSz_6NRUI/AAAAAAAAIY4/hjXFztmZXoo/s1600/screenshot51.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Priroda (on the left) and Kristall (On the right) docked and running in the station. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
Now, this is where I took the next step and left history entirely. My whole goal for creating the station had always been to make a staging point for exploration. Rather than build a ship in orbit, I wanted to assemble a vessel while it was docked with a larger platform so that we had room for crew and supplies to build up. <br /><br />The basic goal was to build a ship capable of transporting 4 crew and two lander to either of the Kerbal moons. I specifically didn't want an "Apollo" style vessel as I felt that it was both wasteful, and inefficient. This needed to be something that could move out like a sailing ship, take up orbit, drop and retrieve lander and then return. This would be a proof of concept that I would later expand into a larger and more capable vessel true interplanetary travel.<br /><br />I built two "Apollo" style pods to get crew up to the station. Between the two pods and the one crew already there, I was supporting 7 men in orbit. 4 of which would be deployed to the ship once it was assembled. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
The ship would be built in four parts and launched in 3 segments, each aboard an Echo-1 Rocket. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>Command module - Cabin, crew quarters, and lateral docking couplings. </li>
<li>Engineering module - Fuel and power storage for the ship system and engines. This unit would also use the <a href="http://wiki.kerbalspaceprogram.com/wiki/LV-N_Atomic_Rocket_Motor" target="_blank">atomic </a>engine (based on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NERVA" target="_blank">NERVA research engine</a>) </li>
<li>Lunar Exploration Landers. These are two identical units that will be docked radially on the ships. midsection during the transit to and from the target planet.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The front half of the ship was built and launched into orbit on another Echo-1 launch vehicle. Below you can see it making the final steps to docking with the station. One of my "Apollo" type crew vehicles is right next to it for scale, and you can see the similarities and differences there. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IME9iehi398/VJxXxK2leJI/AAAAAAAAIZE/PUoAfnakHZQ/s1600/screenshot58.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IME9iehi398/VJxXxK2leJI/AAAAAAAAIZE/PUoAfnakHZQ/s1600/screenshot58.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Center (and illumination) you can see the forward half of the ship. Next to it is a crew delivery unit for size comparison, and in the background you can see the last stage of the Echo -1 rocket holding position after getting this far. I am very studious in de-orbiting all units after I am done with them. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />The latter half of the ship is just as I described above, fuel, batteries and superstructure. I launched, orbited and docked it the same way I docked the first part.<br />
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Voh2P6M-UY4/VJxZnXKf29I/AAAAAAAAIZQ/pRxU1hNI9p0/s1600/screenshot64.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Voh2P6M-UY4/VJxZnXKf29I/AAAAAAAAIZQ/pRxU1hNI9p0/s1600/screenshot64.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /><br />The landers were a little more of a pain to build and dock, but not impossible if I took my time. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oDV4hal69vY/VJxZ9yCxoGI/AAAAAAAAIZY/SOt358Lqcbs/s1600/screenshot77.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oDV4hal69vY/VJxZ9yCxoGI/AAAAAAAAIZY/SOt358Lqcbs/s1600/screenshot77.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /><br />Once the ship was assembled, I took time making sure I had topped off all of the RCS and hypergolic fuel tanks, as well as making sure all batteries were fully charged. the last thing I did was pick a team of one pilot, one engineer and two scientists. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
I have to give it to the programmers on this, they really put enough energy into the graphics on this to make the the launch a beautiful and dramatic moment for me. All that was missing was a John Williams composition in the background. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yq-1mN5ZKKU/VJxbBNuiIII/AAAAAAAAIZk/lwDst10gvBE/s1600/screenshot90.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yq-1mN5ZKKU/VJxbBNuiIII/AAAAAAAAIZk/lwDst10gvBE/s1600/screenshot90.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First steps under her own power. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
The Ship certainly isn't a sports car, in fact on the burn to move out to 500 Km orbit, it took almost five minutes at full throttle to get out there. Any future designs will need more power to them if they are to be at all timely. That being said, as a research ship, the Kerbal Space Ship - "Explorer" is still a dream to behind for me. </div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wfEf-IEN550/VJxb8fDqZkI/AAAAAAAAIZw/G7hBmJlanqw/s1600/screenshot97.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wfEf-IEN550/VJxb8fDqZkI/AAAAAAAAIZw/G7hBmJlanqw/s1600/screenshot97.png" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Middle of my orbital burn to move out to 500 KM altitude. You can also see the solar array fully deployed here </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Next stop... Mun... and beyond!</span></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-38548331401668643682014-12-20T09:21:00.002-08:002014-12-20T13:44:23.143-08:00Relationships... "Korra"... and beyondSo, last night my wife, my son, and I sat down to watch "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Korra" target="_blank">The Legend of Korra</a>", specifically the last three episodes. These would mark the end of a Television masterpiece that started with "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender" target="_blank">Avatar, the Last Air Bender</a>" (2005), and between the two series, has been one of the most groundbreaking and powerful animated story arcs in the 21st century. There aren't too many critical topics that haven't been touched on, and the show deftly speaks to audiences ranging from six, to thirty six. To say that they they have character development even more of an understatement than to say Star Wars has blasters. The show is built on changing people, and the amazing ability of the human spirit to adapt to situations, no mater how challenging.<br />
<br />
The show was amazing, as I expected it would be. LOK very aptly takes the medieval far-east settings of LAB and takes the show into the Steam Punk genera without sacrificing any of its core strengths. The final fight of the first series, a prepubescent Avatar Aang squaring off against a war hardened, lifelong combatant Firelord, not only set a high bar for "boss-fight" scenes, but kept the human element in the fight better than most other shows.<br />
<br />
Korra very deliberately took a very different tone with each battle in her show, being as much about the character's internal struggles as about the final fight in each season. I think part of what made the show work was how well it keeps character relationships central to the story, even in the midst of the hardest fights.<br />
<br />
And here we come to the actual reason I am sitting down to write this. In LAB, each of the characters bonds differently with those around them, and most of the fan favorites finding "someone special". I don't think anyone was overly surprised to find out that Aang and Katara's young romance lasted through the rest of his life, and produced three children. At the same time, decades later, I don't think anyone was even bothered to watch Korra's on-again/off-again relationship/flirting with Mako as the two young adults (the former a world leader, the later a tough street cop) found their way in a very different world from that of the generation before them.<br />
<br />
Early in the show we meet Asami Sato, an educated, thrill seeking engineer/business woman who makes up for her lack of magical powers with technical savvy and daring on a par with most comic book central characters. She's the perfect addition to the "team avatar" quartet, and a good balance of perspective against the team's two dominate (and drastically different) male personalities.<br />
<br />
And that is why the final moment of the series is so important.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://pmchollywoodlife.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/the-legend-of-korra-series-finale-lead.jpg?w=600" height="222" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asami (left) & Korra (right) Final scene before end-credits</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This is even more powerful when you consider the final scene of the first series.<br />
<div>
<br />
<div>
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/avatar/images/d/d0/Aang_and_Katara's_finale_kiss.png/revision/20090302124528" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/avatar/images/d/d0/Aang_and_Katara's_finale_kiss.png/revision/20090302124528" height="132" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aang and Katara share a kiss before <br />
the final credits of T.L.A.B</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
This (left) is the kiss that sealed a relationship that would help shape the whole path of its successor series. It doens't take too long to think about it and connect the dots.<br />
<br />
Yes, I think its safe to say that the writers, animators, and voice actors of this series just put a shot over the bow of the bow of the last vestiges of the old-school social conservatives. Maybe it wasn't intended that way, there has been a strong Korra/Asami fan club going since season 2 of the show, maybe the writers wanted to give them something. Though they have always been regarded as the minority opinion. Now, it would seem, the underdogs have come out on top. Or, who knows... maybe this was in paper before the first frame of the show was ever painted. I honestly have no idea<br />
<br />
As a bit of social commentary and statement, I have to admit, the moment was played with chess-master precision, and I think I can relate to middle age'd audiences of the 50s when kisses between "adulterous" couples started showing up on theater screens, or white audiences when the first interracial kisses showed up on TV in the 60s. There was a strong sense of "how dare they show me that", and I won't deny I was a little put off myself. Not for my own sensibilities, mind you, I have a number of friends in same-sex relationships. But, the show did stop just short of hitting me upside the head and saying "<i>now explain that!</i>" with regards to the fact my nine year old son was sitting next to me at the time. My wife and I just haven't talked about that part of society with him, but as smart and insightful as he is, he's probably not as naive as I think he is at the moment.<br />
<br />
So yes, we have come to the point where a cartoon isn't talking about a major, current social issue with metaphor or analogy. While there is "some" room to wiggle out of this, within the world of the Avatars, the dramatic overtures of the show are a fair indication that these two women will explore the relationship beyond friendship. <br />
<br />
And to that I say, <i>best of luck to them.</i><br />
<br />
Outside of that world, I think the show does two things for us in those final seconds.<br />
<br />
First, it makes it very hard to call the character "gay" or "bi". Korra is the avatar, part of "team avatar", friend to Mako and Bolin, student of Tenzin, defender of the Republic City.., and so much more. For once, I think we might actually have a point in american history where the story and society aren't going to put a relationship preferences at the top of the resume. Korra is no more defined by the look she and Asami shared than I am by my relationship with my wife. I am not "that strait guy" and more than she is "that bisexual avatar".<br />
<br />
Second, and I think more importantly, the show was a wake-up call for many of us that this conversation is being had too late in life. Unfortunately, romantic relationships are no longer under the american decency laws of the 20s, 30s, and 40s, Even in small town Oklahoma (arguably the most conservative, and in many ways socially repressive state in the US), Romantic couples will hold hands in public, share personal jokes and gestures that only couples do, and be glad to be seen as being "together". And yes, some of those couples will be same-sex.<br />
<br />
If we don't explain at least the groundwork of that scene to our children fist, others will. Sure, you may, or may not agree with same sex relationships, but what is your reaction going to be when you do go to talk to your ten-year-old about it, and they say "Oh, you mean those fags"?<br />
<br />
Yeah, doesn't matter that the kid sitting next to them at school doesn't know jack squat about the word he just taught your kid. He got his foot in the door ahead of you, and now you're playing catch-up to a fifth grader.<br />
<br />
As a society, we have so criminalized, regulated, restricted and legislated sex and sexuality that many of us are actually scared to talk about honest relationships with our children because "relationships can lead to sex, and that is taboo until they are 'old enough'."<br />
<br />
I don't know how I am going to address the overall topic of relationships (same sex or otherwise) with my son. He's 9, but well ahead of that in comprehension. I know it will be a process, one that will probably start sooner rather than later, and once that he will shape as much as I and my wife will.<br />
<br />
But <b>if </b>he asks me, <i>some day</i>, "Are Korra and Asami in love?", I don't know what I specifically will say, but one thing is for sure; I'm not going to take the coward's way out, and say "no".<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
...and then again, he might very well just just spend the next five years raving about the 25-story mecha that mostly destroyed the city in the final battle. :-)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.toonzone.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/KuvirasGambit4-600x375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.toonzone.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/KuvirasGambit4-600x375.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-83280014876425792632014-09-11T08:49:00.005-07:002014-09-11T09:49:21.141-07:00Perspective on 9/11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11pt; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0in; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">On 23 February 1945,
five Marines and a US Navy Corpsman stopped what they were doing, and helped
raise a steel pipe for a makeshift flagpole over Mount Suribachi. The moment
was seen by the men of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine divisions committed to battle
on the volcanic island of Iwo Jima. The gesture helped rally the Marines on the
island, and was noted thousands of times over as part of the motivation that
helped usher the Marines to what is historically regarded as their costliest
victory.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a1/WW2_Iwo_Jima_flag_raising.jpg/300px-WW2_Iwo_Jima_flag_raising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a1/WW2_Iwo_Jima_flag_raising.jpg/300px-WW2_Iwo_Jima_flag_raising.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
6,821 US servicemen
lost their lives taking the island. and 19,217 were evacuated from island with
critical injuries. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
On September 11th,
2001, firefighters George Johnson and
Dan McWilliams of Ladder 157 (FDNY), and Billy Eisengrein of Rescue 2
(FDNY), improvised a haphazard flag pole at the heart of "ground
zero", erecting an American Flag as a sign of hope in the face of
unspeakable loss, and defiance in the face of unfathomable hate. The Flag was
seen as a rallying point for rescuers at ground zero, and helped motivate the
thousands of rescuers and volunteers tasked with the securing and stabilizing
Manhattan Island after the worst terrorist attack in US history.
<br />
<br />
<img src="http://adam.arnesenfamily.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/American_Flag_Twin_Towers.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Over 2,600 people were killed in New York on 9/11, with the overall total for the day exceeding
3,000 fatalities and estimated 6.000 injured. <br />
<br />
Included in that total, however, are 343 members of the New York Fire
Department who were in or near the towers when they came down. The single
largest loss of life for the emergency services in modern history. It is widely
believed that over half of those men who died that day advanced into the
buildings after it had become clear that the structural integrity of the towers
had been compromised. Yet knowing that, those men went in anyway.<br />
<br />
Today, the men and women of the US Marine Corp (and their Navy Corpsmen allies)
and the Fire services of the US continue on, doing what they have always
done. They put their lives on the line
effecting policies that they seldom have any control over, in the face is
situations they did not necessarily make. They pay in blood, sweat, and tears
for the decisions of others, and still answer the call whenever it is put
out. <br />
<br />
I am proud beyond words for the service that my father gave this country during
his two decades as a US Marine Corps Officer. And I am humbled to have served my
community as a volunteer municipal firefighter for the time I did.
<br />
<br />
These facts combined form the lens through which I choose to remember, and
reflect upon September 11th, 2001. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-67658003911710815232014-07-04T18:37:00.000-07:002014-07-04T18:51:57.368-07:00Railings (Day 1)Well, I had the house to myself this weekend while my wife headed up to pick up our son from camp. One of the projects I agreed to tackle while she was gone was the front porch railings. We've been talking about them for a while, but time and logistics kept getting in the way. With the 4th of July giving us a 3 day weekend this year, things sort of came together.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQjuZYDDpiw/U7dTnSTyIoI/AAAAAAAAHKY/j9oUh1eNczs/s1600/IMG_20140704_182113_804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GQjuZYDDpiw/U7dTnSTyIoI/AAAAAAAAHKY/j9oUh1eNczs/s1600/IMG_20140704_182113_804.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
I pulled out my tools, and tracked down the power drill<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6dNLX7R1Zyk/U7dTqJvZp6I/AAAAAAAAHKg/WsnHv8Dx9oo/s1600/IMG_20140704_182116_619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6dNLX7R1Zyk/U7dTqJvZp6I/AAAAAAAAHKg/WsnHv8Dx9oo/s1600/IMG_20140704_182116_619.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I didn't have my power saw, so I it was a lot of hand cuts with my crosscut saw. Fortunately the wood was pine, so wasn't like trying to saw through hardwood.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJDa3EntbHY/U7dTs3MH4bI/AAAAAAAAHKo/D1_L3KqzPQQ/s1600/IMG_20140704_182119_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJDa3EntbHY/U7dTs3MH4bI/AAAAAAAAHKo/D1_L3KqzPQQ/s1600/IMG_20140704_182119_600.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
It was a lot of cutting, let me tell you.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GoGmYzih_30/U7dTt6aivfI/AAAAAAAAHKw/k80SZmLu9ww/s1600/IMG_20140704_183155_046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GoGmYzih_30/U7dTt6aivfI/AAAAAAAAHKw/k80SZmLu9ww/s1600/IMG_20140704_183155_046.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I didn't want to risk splitting the wood, so I took the time to pre-drill all my screw-holes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_dStfj6Ok6E/U7dU97KToBI/AAAAAAAAHLE/FZIj1n2u5c0/s1600/IMG_20140704_183521_031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_dStfj6Ok6E/U7dU97KToBI/AAAAAAAAHLE/FZIj1n2u5c0/s1600/IMG_20140704_183521_031.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Part of the problem we were having was that the pre-fab railing at Lowes were not long enough to reach between the columns we were building this around. In order to remedy this, I built boxes to fill in the gaps. The top here is just over a foot across.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FFhOJVG8dlw/U7dU8ZMSs8I/AAAAAAAAHK8/tofbkcxeLK8/s1600/IMG_20140704_194301_363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FFhOJVG8dlw/U7dU8ZMSs8I/AAAAAAAAHK8/tofbkcxeLK8/s1600/IMG_20140704_194301_363.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
This gives you a good idea of the layout. I wasn't ready to mount it to the column just yet today. Still need to bracket it all together and such. But it was good to get the major components built and fitted.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-14014217308236316282014-06-01T11:24:00.003-07:002014-06-01T15:59:34.888-07:00Yes, all womenSay what you will about me, but friends for me were few and far between in my life for the longest time. As a result of that, the ones I have now I treasure deeply, and value their time and investment in my life. Each of them brings something to the proverbial table in life's conversation, and learning to value that perspective is something that has enriched my life greatly.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Today, one friend of mine, over the course of a conversation, took a very alien topic to me and made it very personal over the course of a few sentences. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On an academic level, I've always known that women's right is an incomplete battle, one with a lot of work still to do. By some measures I am a feminist myself, though as others use the word, I am not. Regardless of semantics, I have always held that respect is born of character, not race, or gender, or creed. I judge all people as individuals, and try to respect all equally. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also know I live in an imperfect world. A world where handguns and self-defense training are prudent investments for some. I live in a world where the ink on the american constitution is truly powerless unless backed up by the threat of force, or force itself. The police offices of the 21st century possesses as much firepower on his person as twenty infantrymen during the American revolution, and in some cases marshal arts training on a par with 1940s era elite military units. Police and private security forces have at their disposal technology and equipment today for surveillance and intelligence that would have been deemed speculative science fiction by major world powers only fifty years ago. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As news comes out about the shooting in Isla Vista, California, the sick extent of my world's "imperfection" was shone in a hard, glaring light to me. As the shooter's mindset and motivation have come to light, I am struck by the fact that had someone penned a story a year ago about a man who went on a hate-filled, misogynistic shooting spree of this type, the story would have most likely been written off as over-the-top. Yet now, we have a shooter who is almost a caricature of a villain; too over-the-top to be believable, too self-absorbed to be real. And now we have 7 dead bodies as silent witnesses to how very real he was.<br />
<br />
The thought of someone like this living within three zip codes of me would cause me to loose sleep, and I'm not even in his target demographic. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And now to come full circle and tie back into my earlier statement...<br />
<br />
My friend, a women of exceptional intelligence, formidable determination, and breathtaking ferocity, told me that her life was lived under the almost constant fear of falling victim to sexual and gender based violence.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We have no idea if the stranger slowing down their car beside us is some harmless guy who just needs to make a turn, or someone who's about to jump out and assault us."</blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We don't know if that guy asking us to hold the elevator is going to try to grope us once the doors close." </blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"We don't know if the guy offering to buy us a drink is going to try and slip something into it."</blockquote>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There was more, of course, but these words hit home for me.<br />
<br />
Having worked close personal security before, I do know what it is to look at every corner like it is masking an ambush, and ever car like it has an armed squad, or a crazed knife wielding psycho hidden in it. <i>That being said</i>, I also know that feeling with a chambered 9mm pistol, and a lot of training to my name. I face that threat with backup close at hand, and the knowledge that people were checking on me regularly. Not to mention the fact that I naturally stand over six foot and can strike hard enough to collapse a rib cage with my knees or elbows if needed.<br />
<br />
To know that fear every waking hour of my life, without the benefits of training, armament, or ally would be a nightmare. And yet my friend just told me that that very nightmare is her "normal" right now.<br />
<br />
The epiphany here is not that such things are possible, or that people like this exist, or still exist. Sadly, that facet of reality is not new to me. The moment of hard realization for me was understanding on an emotional level that people close to me, people in my neighborhood, people I know and interact with daily, are afraid in ways they should not need to be.<br />
<br />
And that... more than anything else, changes how I approatch this very ugly fact of our american existence.<br />
<br />
I wanted to do a more detailed breakdown of this issue, but the more I tried, the more it became a rambling dialogue that went nowhere. This is not a topic that is going to be solved, answered, or even adequately addressed in a blog post, let alone mine. so, suffice it to say, my responses here are... limited in their scope.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YesAllWomen?src=hash" target="_blank">#yesallwomen</a> - Okay... I hear you. No, I'll never know your fear or apprehension about just being who you are, but that doesn't preclude me from helping, or offering my skills to the conversation. God blessed me with a 6' 4" frame, a sharp mind, and a level head. I'm the person that other parents trust to watch their adolescent daughters. I'm the guy who will going down swinging (<i>or shooting, if it comes to that</i>) before watching another person fall victim. There are people who will listen to me when I speak. I may not be able to change the world, but I'd sure as hell like to help. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As a counter point, I ask this: please don't lecture me. I've already gotten that from a few, and I don't need any more of it. I'm not mad, I'm not offended and I totaly understand where it is coming from. But going forward, we're on the same side, I agree things need to change, and I'm willing to help where I can. I'm willing to listen to facts, and take in new information. But please, lecturing me is not going to help anyone, so save the energy for something more productive.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23notallmen" target="_blank">#notallmen</a>- Men, I hate to say it... but get over yourselves. Yes, not all men are rapists, I think the vast and wide majority of women do get that, and had that fact in mind long before the twitter campaign got going. it was a valid post the first... oh... ten times. But now, it's been hijacked by trolls, thugs and a few others in th social media universe. Just like the Crucifix was used by the KKK and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika" target="_blank">swastika </a>was hijacked by the Third Reich, I honestly believe <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23notallmen" target="_blank">#notallmen</a> had noble origins, but not any more. The ship is sinking, guys, time to jump and swim while you can. This is not a hashtag you want to hang you hat on.</div>
<div>
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllMenCan?src=hash" target="_blank">#allmencan</a> - This one is on the ropes, it could be a good focus for men to unit behind change, or it could get hijacked by trolls. I don't know. The important thing here is that men can, and need to be part of the solution. Presently, for better or for worse men control the legislatures of all 50 states and the federal government, are the majority of law enforcement and emergency services, and control the majority of the economy. What we each do with that information is... well, up to each of us. But so long as <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AllMenCan?src=hash" target="_blank">#allmencan</a> remains a flag for men to rally behind in order to promote women's rights, I'll consider it a positive thing. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
This is not a fight I can ever lead, by its very nature, the point of this spear needs to be the women who most need to see these changes. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><b>But that doesn't preclude me from helping where I can. <br /><br />Its going to mean reminding friends of mine that there is a difference between admiring a girl and ogling her to the point of being obtrusive. <br /><br />Its going to mean telling men that "bitch" jokes aren't funny. </b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b>Its going to mean that we need to advance the idea that sex is something that is done with, not to someone else.<br /><br />Its going to mean merit over gender.</b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b>Trust rather than protection. </b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
<div>
<i><b>Human worth over machismo. </b></i><br />
Its going to mean fighting the good fight, and probably loosing a few battles along the way. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b>Its about making sure we build a culture that encourages the strongest of us (in any sense of the word) to protect the rest, rather than dominat them. </b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Be without fear in the face of your enemies.</b><b>Be brave and upright that God may love thee.</b><b>Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death.</b><b>Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong – that is your oath.</b><i>-The Knight’s Oath, </i> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Monahan" target="_blank">William Monahan</a>, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Heaven_(film)" target="_blank">Kingdom of heaven</a> (2005)". </blockquote>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-8676971635069797422014-05-20T10:40:00.001-07:002014-05-20T10:40:41.685-07:00Movie Review: GodzillaThere are times when Hollywood gets something right, and this was one of those times.<br />
<br />
Last week, my wife and I went out with a friend and watched a late showing of the latest installment of the Godzilla franchise. This one, america's second try at the fifty year old story, was a worthy reboot of concept first brought to screens in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_(1954_film)" target="_blank">1954</a>. The metaphors of the original, namely the idea of the iconic character being the living personification of a nuclear explosion, are somewhat dated today, with only the last few survivors of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki still alive. In the current release, Godzilla is described as an "apex predator" who predates the earliest dinosaurs and lived in a time of much higher natural radiation. The old staples of radioactivity, invulnerability, and titanic size are alive and well, but brought up to speed with newer takes on the concepts and a little more science.<br />
<br />
I need to say here that one of the things that makes the this film so good is that is remains true to its source material. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_(1954_film)" target="_blank">Gojira: King of the Monsters (original Japanese release title)</a> ultimately portrayed the main character as a force of nature that man and his best weapons were helpless to even slow down. The movie wrestles with the consequences of scientific innovation and breakthroughs, as well as the idea that man was now truly beginning to wrestle with forces larger than himself.<br />
<br />
The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godzilla_(2014_film)" target="_blank">current production</a> takes the best parts of the original, including some central elements of eastern philosophy, and updates them with some more current themes, such as nuclear power safety, environmentalism, and human arrogance. Also, in accordance with more modern sensibilities, the monsters are given purpose, rather than random destruction, a concept carried through even to the early 2000s with Japanese productions in the Godzilla family. The story is distinctly not an action movie, with pacing that is almost pitch perfect, a slow build to keep your attention and also tell the important parts of the story. But also, a very close mirror to the pace of the original, where the title character shows up relatively late in the film.<br />
<br />
Also of note, the US military sort of breaks with tradition, and rather than line up as red-shirts en-mass to die before the beast's power, we see a very human story told in a very down to earth way. There are no supermen and mad scientists here, just people doing what they have to do to try and outlast a force that is beyond basic comprehension.<br />
<br />
The creature design for Godzilla in this film is perhaps the one thing I want to talk about the most. Having grown up on ever improving rubber-suited actors playing the titanic lizard, the sight of the classic Godzilla with truly lifelike motions, a breathing chest, shaking muscles, moving eyes, dilating pupils, and even titching nostrils was like watching a crayon sketch turn into a living dragon. No more will we be asked to suspend disbelief as actors thrash and smash their way across hundred thousandth dollar scale models, or oddly barren sets of remote tropical islands. The monsters in this film are as lifelike and animated as we would ever dare want them to be.<br /><br />I'll be the first to say, this is not a film for everyone. Even at it's best, the concepts alone don't appeal to a universal audience. But, I will say that for the young, there is a strong visual appeal. For the historical, the tributes and comments on society, man and history are there, some overt, others not so much so. And for the true intellectuals out there, the ones who over-think things too often for too long, there is something there for you too, if you want to look for it.<br /><br />This long time Gojira/Godzilla fan is calling the current version an unquestioned 7/10Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-69200644157692831462014-03-02T16:40:00.002-08:002014-03-02T16:41:09.753-08:00Movie Review "Marker"<div style="text-align: center;">
Film Review:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Marker</span></div>
<br />
Okay, so, while I was bored, I ran into this at the discount bin at Hasting. $3.99, and it has an... intriguing premise.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style=font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;">In an isolated small town in the Pacific Northwest, Sylvia's teenaged life of juggling two boyfriends and an overprotective father is turned upside down when she discovers she has a bizarre virus which has randomly plagued the women in her community for decades and shamefully forced those afflicted into hiding. Sylvia undergoes a horrifying physical transformation, and she finds herself drawn into a persecuted underworld where she begins an astonishing journey of freakish self-discovery. Marker is a classic coming-of-age tale with a horror twist, which pits its heroine against her oppressors - the town's non-afflicted - in a battle for self-determination--and survival.</span></blockquote>
Alright, let me lay all my cards on the table first, this is definitively <i>not </i>any sort of award-winning film, and it is definitively not a horror movie, no mater what the box cover and dust-jacket summary say. No major special effects, no major sound track and nothing special in the acting department. In fact, the cast is 20 names long (including the stuntman), and of that, I would say 12 of them could probably be outperformed by my high school drama club. <br />
<br />
Alright, so, now that we have established that we are definitively in B-movie territory, lets talk about what <i>does </i>work about the film.<br />
<br />
First of all, there is an ambiguous (and very light) mix of science fiction and fantasy as the premise to this film. Little is explained, and even less is fleshed out in any real detail. the execution is very 2010s, with the supporting undertones of sexuality, youth, and pending maturity handled in such a way that would have probably gotten this a PG-13 rating back in the mid 80s.<br />
<br />
The whole story revolves around Sylvia as she is on the verge of pulling her hair out because of how badly she want's the leave the isolated town she was born in. Ironically, despite some sadly stilted dialogue, I thought the actress (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1336897/?ref_=tt_cl_t1" target="_blank">Iris Graham</a>) did a respectable job portraying a teen who is so fed up with her current, cloistered existence that she has two boyfriends and wants nothing more than to go to college just so she can get out of the town where everyone knows everyone else a little too well.<br />
<br />
The real thing that I latched on to here in this film was the premise. In its own truly quirky, strange, we-don't-have-the-budget-to-do-this-justice way, the film does take some nice aimed (if less than subtle) stabs at the social concepts of "normal", and "the status quo".<br />
<br />
thought I do have to say, the final showdown was a well executed attempt at an idea that obviously looked really good on paper, but just didn't translate well to screen. You'll have to watch to understand what I mean, sorry, but I was torn between laughing from the logic gaps, or nodding appreciatively at the creativity they were going for.<br />
<br />
So, closing thoughts.<br />
<br />
The overall premise on this was actually very good, and had a lot of potential. It clearly suffered from limited resources and <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0340877/?ref_=tt_ov_wr" target="_blank">a writer</a> that didn't want to take it where it probably needed to go, and frankly doesn't seem to have the talent to make some of the harder parts work. I think the actors did the best they could with what they had, but none of them were good enough to salvage some weak parts. Still, the concepts of "coming of age", "status", "society" and "normal" were intriguingly approached, and from a relatively modern standpoint. (Seriously, back in the 80s, the big scandal would have been that the girl was even sleeping with someone, and here it's just more or less accepted as part of her being a kid).<br />
<br />
I'm calling this one 6/10. By no means something you should run out and pay top dollar for, but all told, I think it's just out there enough and just strange enough that it's worth enjoying if you have a spare two hours to kick back.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-8113070857178348902014-02-25T21:22:00.000-08:002014-02-25T21:22:30.037-08:00This is not my faith"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof ...."<br />
~The 1st amendment to the constitution of the United States of America.<br />
<br />
Say what you will, but the important thing here is that his line, more than just about any other in the history of my country, had largely kept the body politic out of my religious life. Sure, it's hardly a perfect line, and yes, there are times where faith and religion collide like a pair of welterweight boxers on a trophy tare. But all in all, I'm not compelled to even embrace the trappings of a different faith like is still sometimes pushed on the people of other free nations like Briton and France or example.<br />
<br />
Faith, no mater how you look at it, is a highly personal thing. Be you Pagan, Christian, Buddhist, Muslum or even agnostics or atheist, the choice to believe in a higher power, or no power at all, is not something that should be reached on a whim. Its one of the cornerstones of our humanity. Even in apathy, the decision not to care can shape how we interact with the world around us. I quite frankly hold the magnitude of this decision equal to that of choosing my spouse, and even now, I do not think that comparison is far off.<br />
<br />
And to carry that metaphor a little further, like my spouse, my faith is, in many respects, highly unique. I generally call myself a Christian, and if asked, I identify myself as Methodist. but even within that relatively narrow and well defined field, I choose to apply the tenants of my religion in very specific ways, ways that may not line up with others in my church. My faith, like my wife, is a unique partner in my life, and one that compliments me fully.<br /><br />It is with this in mind that I look with extreme sadness at the latest round of domestic and foreign legislation in various stages of process around the world. Uganda has effectively criminalized all same sex activity, with stiff and dangerous prison sentences awaiting those convicted. A american federal lobbyist has, under a banner of "save the children" and "force morals on the NFL", drafted a bill to illegalize homosexuals' admission into professional football (admittedly the document has next to no chance of making it to a point of consideration, but the fact it exists is point enough for here). And lastly, the state legislature and governor of Arizona are considering the final stages of legislation that would effectively province a "faith based exception" to standing anti-discrimination laws that would allow shop owners to turn away gay customers.<br />
<br />
Lets be clear, there is no denying that the generic banner of "Christianity" has been a rallying point for ultraconservative bigotry since the colonial period, and in many instances, long before. That being said, the religions of today are mostly not the government endorsed, social institutions of generations gone bye. Faith now is about you and God, at least here in the US. Anything else beyond that is your choice.<br /><br />While I do vehemently and ardently oppose all three of the examples cited above, what I need people to understand is that I am NOT opposing Christianity, I am not turning my back on my faith, and I am not embracing an anti-theistic agenda. I do not blame a religion, a faith, or even the concept of faith for what has happened here. I also do not consider this a fight along moral lines, and am hesitant to apply "morals" to this conversation. Also, when I call myself a Christian, I do not consider myself in the same group as any of the aforementioned politicos.<br /><br /><b>I am a Christian, but h</b><b>ate is <u>not</u> part of my faith. </b><br />
<br /><b>I don't want to take away anyone's right to call themselves Christian, and I don't have the moral, ethical, or spiritual authority to stand in judgement of another's claim of faith. </b><br /><br /><b>But I also am not beholden to the philosophies of another just because we both call ourselves "Christian". </b><br /><br />My faith is mine.<br /><br />but please remember as we go forward in these conversations of religion and human rights, whatever I do call myself, <b>hate is not my faith</b>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-14402567886760674322014-02-22T20:29:00.002-08:002014-02-26T13:52:12.706-08:00Something someone else said, and said well. I have a friend who wrote something rather important today. And I would like you to read it. And to set the stage for this introduction, before I shove you out the door, I would offer a preface.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Twain" target="_blank">Mark Twain</a> one chastised his readers by telling them not to seek meaning that wasn't actually intended in some of his works.<br />
<br />
At the same time, "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through_the_Looking-Glass" target="_blank">Through the looking glass</a>" has often been rumored to be allegorical to a morally forbidden love felt by the author towards his teen-aged niece.<br />
<br />
I once got into an argument with someone about the themes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Kurosawa" target="_blank">Akira Kurosawa</a>'s "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_Samurai" target="_blank">Seven Samurai</a>", I held that the core theme of the story was the development of honor, and the plight of soldiers without a war to fight, or then their plight even when they had one. My opposite seemed rather fixated on the idea that whole point of the movie was the rise of the peasants and their ultimate victory over the bandits (with help of their hired guns).<br />
<br />
I disarmed the whole conversation by saying "look, it's art, you cant take away from it whatever you want."<br />
<br />
In the end, anyone effectively has the right to see whatever they want in art. I think it's safe to say we all take something unique away from most trips to the theater or the movie store.<br />
<br />
But... what you take away from it also reflects on you.<br />
<br />
I was not really surprised to find out that there is a demographic that saw more than just inspiration in the recent Pixar film "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frozen_(2013_film)" target="_blank">Frozen</a>". In summary, a number of people (I am saddened to say) have accused the production team and writers of the film of forwarding a "pro-homosexual" agenda with the film. If you've seen the film, I hope you find that as painfully ludicrous as I do. <i>One really has to wonder how paranoid and warped you are to watch a film like that and come to that conclusion above all others</i>.<br />
<br />
Yes, it <i>is </i>about accepting differences, and it <i>is </i>about the torment of being an outcast. I could go on for several pages about how you don't need to be gay to relate to those categories.<br />
<br />
But I don't need to.<br />
<br />
I would like you to read a friend's page for me. Not because I couldn't say the same thing, but because I honestly feel that in these few angrily composed paragraphs, Lisa comes to the point of the thing with all the painful, honest, heartfelt power needed to do this subject justice.<br />
<br />
So, without further delay, I invite you to my friend's deviant art site, and ask you to read:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"<b><a href="http://dustbunnymaiden.deviantart.com/journal/Humanity-continues-to-disappoint-me-436045223" target="_blank">Humanity continues to disappoint me</a></b>"</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
by Lisa Garrison</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-47534811854891426312014-01-10T19:05:00.002-08:002014-01-11T13:24:41.549-08:00Sites! Sites! Sites!Okay, I admit it, I'm a sucker for a packaged deal, and when you're talking about internet presence, Google just has the whole deal going. It doesn't matter if you're doing websites, online writing, blogs, feedback or whatever... Google just makes things work for you. I've been on<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogger_(service)" target="_blank"> Blogger</a> since 2009, and and started with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Sites" target="_blank">Sites</a> about 2010, thought dropped it because the clunky early interface. The newer stuff is actually really cool, and highly usable.<br />
<br />
So, anyway, I figured I would show off some of my projects, old and new.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/thehawksnestaheraldsworkshop/" target="_blank">The Hawk's nest: a herald's workshop</a>: This is my SCA site where I talk about ongoing projects of mine. I also have a small online library of my SCA related works. My largest writing project in the society is a <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/acompanyofheroestheliondragon/" target="_blank">history of our local fighting unit</a>. I'm looking at redoing it, I ran into some style issues with my first edition. I try and keep it updated, but there are times where there just isn't anything to talk about too.<br />
<br />
The companion site to this is my <a href="http://welcome.sca.org/" target="_blank">SCA</a> Blog, <a href="http://northernherald.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lord Ivo Blackhawk, Herald at large</a>, which I try and keep mostly up to date with my medieval SCA goings on.<br />
<br />
As most of you know I also write, so lately I've been working on another site that would provide a forum for me to showcase my work for others to review and help me improve. I launched "<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/crowdsourcedediting/" target="_blank">Crowd-Sourced Editing</a>" just recently, with a newly penned novella (<i>literally, I am only now typing it up after hand writing the whole thing</i>).<br />
<br />
One of the nicer things about the site is that I can marry it with <a href="https://support.google.com/drive/answer/87809?hl=en" target="_blank">Google forms</a>, which lets me custom make a feedback form for people to fill out, and then send me privately. No glowing comments, or condemnation coloring later opinions. Each person and walk up to this with there own opinion and perspective. I'm hoping to get my <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/crowdsourcedediting/-missing" target="_blank">latest work</a> put up for first-reader review, and then move on to a few others I have on back burners, while also polishing up this as well.<br />
<br />
I also have one more project in the wings, this one is still in the development stage, but I am doing a whole site that is a part by part breakdown of my <a href="http://thinkingaboutittoomuch.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Bag" target="_blank">EDC bag</a>. I know that sounds over the top, but I see a lot of discussion on the issue, so I figured I would do something a little over the top and see what type of feedback I got from it. That one won't go up for a while yet, I want to have something fully put together before I publish it.<br />
<br />
Okay... off to write some more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-54522873098966624732013-12-31T17:21:00.000-08:002013-12-31T17:21:53.278-08:00Beginning 20142013 has been an interesting year for me, my first full year as a cancer survivor, I have come back from that dark adventure with a new lease on life, and a new determination to take advantage of the strengths and gifts God had granted me. I think that this year was the first to truly teach me the safety of perspective, the power of distance, and the advantage of forethought when facing a situation. Even when pressed, I understand now, more than ever, than I not only still have time to face a challenge, but I can set out to make more time, often to the detriment of my challenger.<br /><br />To know something, and to understand it are truly different things, and this year taught me that I can, indeed work, and work well with someone whom I don't like. I can trust to unpleasant, I can even defend the unkind. I can stand for principle, even one opposed to my own, without compromising myself in the process. To be friends, coworkers, allies or neighbors are truly different things, and while they should coexist in the ideal, I have learned to keep each roll carefully in its place when the different relationships will not coexist.<br /><br />To be linked is good. To be respected is hard. To be trusted is earned. And to be true is, honestly, to be hated at times. Each of these has there place, but it is good not to mistake any of them as universal.<br /><br />To look into the mirror is to see a preponderance of flaws, shortcomings, and failures. The silvered glass offers no hope for the critical eye. Instead, one must look at the refection offered by those around him, friends, family, spouse, and child. In these I see both the critical judgement needed to burn off impurities, but also a heartfelt appreciation of not only accomplishments, but of the spirit that propelled each one.<br />
<br />
As these, the final hours of 2013 drawn to the arbitrary close that is the end of the year, I look back, take stock of my life, and use these lessons to force a compass that will guide me through the year to come.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Therefore...</i></span><br />
<br />
I shall strive to work harder, mentally and physically, to demonstrate to others, and to prove to myself that I can, and well be an example of industriousness, determination, and resolve.<br />
<br />I shall endeavor towards formal certifications in skills important to me, both personally and professionally.<br /><br />I shall compete unreservedly, setting my goal no one step ahead, but ten of those around me. In victory I shall celibate the good health of those I passed. In defeat, I shall celebrate twice as hard for them, for it is their example that I should learn from, and they who will likely be there when I fall, answering my cries for aid.<br /><br />I will forgive my transgressors, and free myself of the heavy, painful chains of hatred and spite, not because they deserve it, for they truly do not, but rather, because I need the peace it will offer, and can stomach no more fighting on these fronts.<br /><br />I will look inward, and scrutinize myself, a personal crucible to burn away all but the truest thoughts and desires.<br /><br />I will look to others. I will be more aware of those who have made efforts to befriend me, and will make efforts of my own to reach out in kind. For these are the bonds that raise us up from just existing in this word to truly living in it.<br /><br />I shall read more, for the page is both mentor and playmate to the mind.<br /><br />I shall write more, for the pen can is as fine as any doctor's scalpel, as powerful as any sword, as strong as any fortification, and as enduring as any mountain. With my words, I hope to entertain, to educate, to declare and to defend in the new year.<br /><br />I shall not answer the cries of lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy or pride.<br /><br />I shall aid the weak, uphold the honest, defend the persecuted, give to the wanting.<br /><br />I shall cherish all that I have, and acquire only what I truly need.<br /><br />I will love my wife all that much more because she is so dear to my heart.<br /><br />I will cherish my son, and be glad in his every joy, for his is a legacy I have the privilege of helping to build, and one that I hope will surpass my own.<br /><br /><br />And finally, I shall endeavor to learn from every mistake, every failing, and refocus myself yet again this time next year.<br /><br />So say I,<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cisco Cividanes</span><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4249068871996391766.post-63515496148049698642013-12-29T20:44:00.000-08:002013-12-29T20:44:05.445-08:00Keeping everything in it's place. Well, I spent some time sewing today, and worked on a little project I have been meaning to tackle for a while.<br /><br />There is a product out there called "<a href="http://www.cocooninnovations.com/grid.php" target="_blank">Grid-It</a>", which is more or less a board with elastic straps woven through each other, and used to hold small items in place for transport and storage. Its marketed to the computer user demographic with some success, and has gotten some good reviews. I liked the idea, but wasn't about to pay the market prices for it, exotically when I wasn't sure it would work for me. Fortunately, the concept is fairly simple, meaning the DIY community has come up with countless ways to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzpYjCjfu2Q" target="_blank">make your own</a>.<br />
<br />
I went to Wal*mart, got eight yards of elastic, and then came home a pulled out the sewing machine and an old shoe box. Two hours later... I came up with this.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7iVvjgqIns/UsD5iGVX5kI/AAAAAAAAFF0/CAf3gWrObS8/s1600/IMG_20131229_211013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-I7iVvjgqIns/UsD5iGVX5kI/AAAAAAAAFF0/CAf3gWrObS8/s1600/IMG_20131229_211013.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And the other side.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PxFgC9twJpw/UsD5kKzUBbI/AAAAAAAAFF8/DnpO9sE8Gbk/s1600/IMG_20131229_210958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PxFgC9twJpw/UsD5kKzUBbI/AAAAAAAAFF8/DnpO9sE8Gbk/s1600/IMG_20131229_210958.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
And as a final test, with all of this stuff jammed in there, will it fix in the medium pocket of my bag?<br /><br />And the answer is...<br /><br />Yes!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WjfUZ8gEaPw/UsD58qgEkEI/AAAAAAAAFGM/i8oNLAJYScw/s1600/IMG_20131229_211035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WjfUZ8gEaPw/UsD58qgEkEI/AAAAAAAAFGM/i8oNLAJYScw/s1600/IMG_20131229_211035.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0