When the Space Race is Between Civilian Companies, It Gets Much More Interesting

© Lockheed Martin

There's quite a splendid space vehicle and it's large too.


The race to Mars is heating up. Elon Musk recently announced his plans to colonize the Red Planet, but he’s not the only one. Lockheed Martin and NASA have their own plans for a manned Mars mission and are hoping to send people there within a decade.

Not to be outdone by Musk, Lockheed unveiled its own plans to send humans to the Red Planet at the same International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia, as the billionaire.

RT:  Space Race 2.0: SpaceX rival Lockheed Martin reveals plan for Mars (PICTURES, VIDEO)


Here's Lockheed Martin's vision for the vehicle which will transport astronauts to the planet's surface.

© Lockheed Martin


Each surface mission would last two weeks, with up to four astronauts taking part before returning to the orbiting base camp.

"Sending humans to Mars has always been a part of science fiction, but today we have the capability to make it a reality," Lockheed vice president Lisa Callahan said.

- RT


We have heard quite a bit about SpaceX with Elon Musk and his masterful work with soft descents.  Those were with booster rockets but the technology is screaming forward.  This isn't sci fi anymore.  It's still close to it but they're making it real with each new step.

What Brings Class to a Million Dollar House More than a Functioning WWII Tank

When a rich man cannot muster whatever minimal talents are required to play golf, there's always the grand sport of collecting military equipment, in this case a fully-functional WWII battle tank.

Attorney Tony Buzbee bought a fully functional World War II tank overseas last year for $600,000. Now he's temporarily parked it outside his multi-million dollar home in River Oaks.

KHOU:  HOA fight over World War II tank in River Oaks

At six hundred grand, the tank was coming up to the price of the house and how about an exercise in comparative values.

The idea of value only wastes time but we do have one live bitch and it's valid due to the tank's tracks which will play hell on any asphalt roads on which they're used.  It's not just a ludicrous display of wealth, it's also an active maintenance problem for the roads.

Note:  that's no exaggeration since you will after a tank chugs by there are evenly-spaced horizontal cracks which could only have been made by the tank.


"If you're offended just lighten up, my goodness it isn't hurting anyone," said Buzbee.

But finding concerned neighbors wasn't easy. Everyone we spoke to loves it.

"I wish it was permanent," said Douglas. "I think it's an asset and I think if you watch the cars come up and slow down, you say to yourself, 'wow, that's America.'"

- KHOU

There's about all the strange you will need for a while.  At the top, Buzbee talks about his goodness but wtf goodness is that?

In the middle, everyone loves this eyesore.

At the end, we discover this is America.  Wow.

You know America, right?  It's where we have a chicken in every pot and a tank in every driveway.

The Great Monkey Invasion Continues in Lebanon, Ohio

LEBANON, Ohio (AP) — Residents of a quiet town in southwest Ohio swear they’re not seeing things when they tell people monkeys are on the loose in their neighborhood.

WLWT-TV reports residents in Lebanon, a city about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Cincinnati, have used their phones to capture photos of the monkeys hanging out in trees.

WIAT:  Ohio residents say monkeys on the loose in neighborhood

Crikey, mates.  How many bloody monkeys are in this invasion?


Lebanon police say they’re aware of the reported monkey sightings and are investigating. Residents suspect the monkeys were pets at some point.

- WIAT

We could see it that these monkeys could have come from pet owners if there were only one or two of them but not when they comprise an invasion force.


Residents say the monkeys haven’t been spotted since being photographed several weeks ago but can still be heard.

- WIAT

They're biding their time until they're ready and then they will start advancing again.

Zen Yogi:  why do they do it?

Maybe they just like carpet and they want to go to Harry's Carpet Barn for the best deals on carpet anywhere.

Zen Yogi:  I hate to break it to you, Silas, but Harry ate the carpet about three years ago and he's now an ex-carpet salesman.

That's bad news, Yogi, since that means we have no idea why they come.

Zen Yogi:  we can only wait to see what they will do when they make their next move

Meanwhile get out of Lebanon?

Zen Yogi:  it does seem prudent

Seraphin and the High Art of Cinematic Terribility

Seraphin, you must know of Ed Wood since it may be that no-one did bad better than he.  An excellent source of bad movies was 50s Hollywood and Ed Wood wasn't the only one; he was arguably the best of the worst, tho.  (WIKI:  Ed Wood)

I'm not sure who directed it but there was an unforgettable piece of work named "Teenagers from Outer Space" so that led inevitably to teenage romance with the space aliens and "Star Wars" couldn't hope to keep the depth of that that going.

"Robinson Crusoe on Mars" was a delight for the Rockhouse over the last three or four days but it won't ever show up on the program for the Academy Awards.

As you have now discovered, MST 3K is an excellent source of bad movies and the Rockhouse is ever grateful such sources exist.  It seems MST 3K must have been around for at least twenty or thirty years


After seeing some of the video which has been floating around with your troupe, I'm hopeful we will see some of that here on Ithaka.  Any video I have created has been thirty or forty years out of date relative to to you and your troupers ... but ... the video which has been produced already is right on the beam.  It's wild material.

There's a long-time favorite quote from Benjamin Disraeli when he said, "When I feel like reading a book, I write one."

Your troupe has already been approaching video that way ... so let's see 'em.  I know it may not be possible because it's become so complicated in ruling which video may appear in which place but hopefully that can work out.


The thought doesn't travel for too far since people polarize quickly as to whether "B" movies are a worthless imitations of real movies or the other side which isn't so hard about it.  The Rockhouse provides clear Symps to the "B" movies since such movies fill an unusual genre which will almost always diverge from mainstream thinking.

The "B" movie philosophy has always been it shouldn't take millions to make a rubbishy movie such as "Terms of Endearment" since a film like "Plan 9 from Outer Space" (Ed Wood) can be made for peanuts.  Other masterpieces from the 50s, otherwise known as the Grand Age of Bad Sci Fi, included "I Was a Teenage Werewolf," "Devil Girl from Mars," "Attack of the Crab Monsters," and so many others.

That comes to the perennial lament that there are so many trash movies ... but so little time to watch them.

B rated terribleness, or My Introduction to MST 3K

So her majesty Lady Raven and I took a break from remodeling and furnishing the dining and living area today to just relax and watch some tv together after i got home from work. This was quite enjoyable, we started with watching Neo Yokio, a new Anime series starring Jayden Smith which is designed to be terrible and ends up being incredibly entertaining.

I dont really care to talk about Neo Yokio right now however I mention it only to give premise to the start of the evening. Now anime or horror or anything inbetween, The Lady Raven and I greatly enjoy B rated, terrible cinema.

Now with this in mind, imagine the good Queen's shock to discover I had never watched Mystery Science Theater 3000, aka MST 3K.

Harley: never darlin'?!

Seraphin: not even once my chaotic friend. It had never caught my eye before.

Harley: but its exactly what you love! Making fun of terrible movies!

Seraphin: this is very true. But i didnt fully embrace my geek until after college and by then I was busy being a circus kid so cut me some slack.

Anyway, of course we must begin with the original series and its campy terribleness, which I love. Now for those unfamiliar, MST 3K is a show where you watch a terrible movie and the host and his robot buddies riff, or make fun of, the film for its entirety. Lots of heckling and ablibbed interjection complete with intermissions and side skits

Now to launch this series in fantastic form it begins with the most terrible film ever made. And thats not just me saying that, this film is reportedly the worst film ever made.

Some history on it as Ive discovered. The film was written, produced, directed and starred Harold P. Warren and it was produced for 19,000 dollars.

Harley: they aughta get a refund

Si2: yea, you've made better films in your free time.

Seraphin: now guys, thats not entirely fair, they were working in 1966 and the movie was made as a result of a bet and none if those involved had any filmmaking experience.

Harley: it shows

Seraphins: be nice

Anyway the film is atrocious and thus makes it perfect for MST 3K and i loved it. I cant wait for more.

Yall stay crazy and having fun :)

A Look at Engine Explosion on a Air France A380 Aircraft Yesterday

Photo taken by Air France passenger David Rehmar who was on the A380 flight from Paris to Los Angeles that was diverted to Newfoundland after one of its engines sustained serious damage. 

Photograph: David Rehmar


An Air France A380 superjumbo jetliner taking more than 500 people from Paris to Los Angeles made an emergency landing in Canada on Saturday following “serious damage” to one of its four engines, the airline said.

“Flight 066 landed without further damage at the Goose Bay military airport in Canada and all of the 520 people on board were evacuated with no injuries,” an Air France spokesman in Paris said.

The Guardian:  Engine breaks up on Air France Airbus A380, forcing emergency landing in Canada

The article takes that tone throughout regarding the danger of the situation and that accompanied by comments such as this one.

“Engine failure halfway over the Atlantic ocean … birdstrike possibility,” he wrote.

- Guardian

Let's review.  The A380 is a large and fast, high-flying aircraft.  Many of its flights are extremely long haul so they will be flying at 30,000-40,000 ft.  This reporter hasn't seen too many (i.e. any) avians at that altitude.


That generally grim vibe persists through the article but there's more to it than that.

The article got me curious about the minimum number of engines needed to fly.  I had heard at one time they can fly on only two so I wanted to know.  It turns out that old statement was true ... to a point.  The aircraft may be able to fly on two depending on different factors such as altitude, etc.  They can definitely fly on three, however.

The Rockhouse sees this as an excellent example of the failsafes working since the motor blew right up and yet there was no shrapnel, etc.  There was no fire beyond the engine due to protections designed into the engine to prevent any fire from getting out of control.  All of those systems worked perfectly.

The pilots also did a superlative job since they were switching to flying in a different way to compensate for the loss but they did it flawlessly.

All in all, it looks like all the parts worked perfectly.  Extremely well done.

#Photography for the Unusual: Palo Duro Canyon 10/2

Photographer:  Silas


Any mountain like this but I'm sorry I don't know it.  The mountain can be easily found when you get to Palo Duro Canyon which is near Amarillo, TX, in the northern extreme of the state.

The Canyon is a highly mystical place and you can feel it while you're there.  It has ancient human history since the Indians made this a tribal homeland many centuries ago.  They had their herds of cattle and they had their crops to be fully settled here.  I believe the Indians were primarily Apache but you will need to verify that one.

You know the culmination since the white man's army came and wiped them all out.  It's a common story from the West but the result of it is the spirits of those Indians live in Palo Duro still.  Fortunately, it's now a National Park so it should be vastly more difficult for anyone to exploit it for personal purposes, etc.

You may question the mysticism but going to Palo Duro will reveal the basis for it and you may find it magical.


This was the first step of the Galactic Peace Tour trying to find the Ultimate Place to Play regardless of whether it was big or small.  I had to turn back to put it on hold not long after this but even turning back is ok now since at least there was this mountain in Palo Duro.

This one was to give an overall perspective on Palo Duro since the whole area is surprisingly large.  One striking thing about it is the surrounding land in northern Texas is generally flat.  As one approaches Palo Duro Canyon, it will remain invisible.  That likely afforded considerable security to the Indians and made it all the more attractive as their homeland.

There's the Galactice Peace Tour selfie to prove she was really there.  She was such a magnificent vehicle.

The Curiosity of APFS, the New Apple File System for macOS High Sierra

From the reading at the time a week ago when macOS High Sierra was released, I gleaned some mixed material but the gist overall was that APFS is present in High Sierra but don't turn it on yet.  Maybe I mixed up some publication dates since advisories to defer activating APFS may have gone out to the Beta audience which has been doing the field testing all along.  In any case, the advisory was not correct.

APFS is active in the system from the moment you boot into High Sierra.  To validate that for yourself, launch Disk Utility and select your internal SDD (i.e. flash drive).  That will show specifically the drive is active under APFS.


It may be any confusion arose in others the same way as with me since there was no conversion required.  There's been no activity so there's the immediate question.  When the new file system changes so much, how is it possible the files do not apparently change at all.  I'll leave that to the interested student or relentless Apple nuthead since I'm curious but not enough to do the research.


Maybe some of you geezers know of IBM's DA or Direct Access datasets / files and it was a special place in Hell's programming center which came up with that one as there wasn't any conversion of those DA datasets which would not inflict pain.  The contrast does bring up a measure of ooh wow but I'm content to leave it at that.


In other words, I apologize for my own confusion when relating how things went with the installation since the result was incorrect.  Since then I've validated for myself whether APFS is present and it definitely is live with High Sierra.


There's another update with High Sierra and the High-Performance video codec.  That one was seen by reviewers as probably not suitable for home videographers.  The update is Apple has now released their latest version of iMovie and it fully exploits the new code.  It is not supported in Final Cut Pro or not yet but iMovie is right on it.

Researching the effectiveness of the MP.5 format is up to the interested student but there are large potentially-significant benefits so it's worthy of the research.


That will about do it for Ithaka and High Sierra.  I'm damn glad it's here and no need to itemize anything since you have seen it already.  For anything more, I'll leave it to the Big Dawgs and I'll continue doing what I do

Zen Yogi:  and without the blasted autoplay videos

Finest kind of way, Yogi.

What's Hot on the Blog 10/1

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The Extraordinary - it looks like you got a kick out of the Sociology

When Life - this is a stink which is only know to Huntington Beach but Underdog is here

Cadillac Man - the arrival yesterday when he got to Dallas

Racism

#Photography

Stonehenge - my stop right after Salisbury Cathedral when I was fumbling my way North to get to Edinburgh

Note:  this article and all those following are from previous days

Trump's Neglect - a message from Our Revolution (verbatim)

Salisbury Cathedral - another from the Galactic Peace Tour

Our Tax Fight - from Our Revolution (verbatim)

An Idyllic - considerations of a waterfall

There Was Another Pilgrimage Today on the Trail to the #Blotto

Disclaimer: this is straight-up writing of active lung cancer in me but nothing in the #Blotto set of articles has been written with thoughts of trying to shock or disturb.  I am using in-home hospice and that's the best circumstance I could hope relative to being in a hospice clinic or, worst of all, to be admitted into a hospital.


Cadillac Man blew into town last evening and he came to visit today and so another Pilgrimage came to the Rockhouse.  CM has a few years (i.e. many)  on Seraphin after a friendship for forty-five years so his perspective on all this is different but in some ways surprisingly resemblant of each other.  In fewer words that means there was a lot of laughing for a vibe which was positive and filled with goodness.

Almost as soon as he arrived, CM arranged for a Facetime call with his daughter.  I have seen her since she was a teeny tiny and CM brought her with him when he visited my pad which was rather more opulent than my present circumstance.  I had a huge swimming pool and it had been raining, maybe even for days and that has consequences.

CM's Daughter asked her father, "Daddy, why does he keep worms in his swimming pool?"

Note:  worms commit mass suicide like that after a rain by heading for the nearest swimming pool.  You can complain to the skies if you like but eventually you will have to get the vacuum to get them out.  The Silas recommendation now is don't get the pool in the first place.  They're way too much hassle.

CM's Daughter remembered that.  I didn't think there was any chance she would because she had been such a teeny tiny at the same time so I was flabbergasted when she did.

There's another act to this play since CM's Daughter delivered the lovely Charlotte two weeks ago and she swung her camera around to see her.  The li'l cherub was wrapped in pink for every detail of her ensemble and I usually don't find babies all that attractive but Charlotte looked angelic and she was sleeping so she was so much full of peace.

That couldn't go on for long since CM's Daughter was hopeful of some sleep as well but the time was a delight.


Mostly there was live conversation after that as in highly-engaged with Yevette feeling particularly good from it all.  There were many surprises from CM about ACACIA fraternity, the same place I met him to start this long-running friendship.  He brought some remarkable gifts and there's no telling how he may have procured them.  He brought the actual charter flag for ACACIA for the grand and also the beanie pledges to the fraternity were required to wear as were pledges for all the fraternities across the campus.

CM saw the marvel and thought, yep, this needs a picture.  Yevette immediately thought the same thing so now there are many and now a few of them.

Fashion is ever my life.


And here, both of us.

I suppose I must look as near-comatose as the pictures suggest but that's not at all hows things played since ever part of it was and this was toward the end so the Silas was tired.

Zen Yogi:  are you really copping the same plea a kid uses or a mother uses on his behalf that he's tired?

Shamelessly, my furry buddy.


It was wonderful to see CM and, get this, we shall do it again tomorrow.  It's an ongoing marvel.


Much love to you all.

The Extraordinary Sociology Behind the Ubiquity of the Painted Dick Pic Icon

This motif is so common of late that we have frequently seen it in graffiti but now we a professional building although we can't guess for which profession.

Ladies and gentlemen, perhaps you have some guess into a purpose for the central section of the building but the only one we're finding is procreation.

Zen Yogi:  maybe there are more of them and the center bit is to help stack them?

Sure, Yogi, since anything is possible, probably not that thing but many.


Perhaps you need the sociology of the sudden yet ubiquitous appearance of the motif and ...

Zen Yogi:  I don't need that, Yogi

Good, mate, since I don't know either and I don't want to have to try to figure it out.

Zen Yogi:  it will have to remain one of the last Great Mysteries of the Now

I'm not sure the Mystery is all that great, Yogi.  Some fellows find it inordinately funny to paint clumsy dick pic icons all over.  Perhaps we better need to understand their Psychology.

Zen Yogi, um, ixnay on that, Silas.  We don't need to know about that either.


The soldiers had a much better one in WWII since Kilroy was Here turned up everywhere and often in impossible-to-reach places.

I don't think Kilroy's identity was ever established as I don't really think anyone knew anything about him yet he became one of the most famous characters of the war.

Zen Yogi:  and much, much cooler than the dick pics all over the place

Definitely much cooler than those, Yogi.

When Life Starts to Stink and You Don't Know Why, You Need Captain Underdog

A surfer leaves the water at the Huntington Beach Pier. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)


A recurring foul odor that some residents say causes headaches and nausea is a serious issue and needs more focus, says a Huntington Beach city councilman who wants a special committee to be formed on the issue.

“Not enough progress is being made to address the source of the odor,” Councilman Billy O’Connell said in a statement proposing the item.

The city said in a post last week on its website that the odor wasn’t believed to be “an immediate life safety issue.”

L.A. Times:  O.C. beach cities beset by mysterious nauseating odor demand answers

Rockhouse tip on public relations for government officials:  when the people complain about something, telling them it's not serious enough to be worth fixing shouldn't be used as your first response.


Zen Yogi:  you must be aware of major problems in the world and this isn't one of them

The people of Huntington Beach probably won't agree with your assessment, Yogi, but, yes, I'm aware of the world's problems.  I choose not to report on them of late because of the heartless horror in anything about them and particularly the way such horror is bandied about as if nothing more than party conversation.

Zen Yogi:  any party starting conversation like that has got to suck!

It's what I'm tellin' you, mate.


The agency’s website says that multiple sources in the area are capable of producing disagreeable odors and the periodic nature and varying location of complaints makes assessing the cause difficult. SCAQMD spokesman Sam Atwood said last week that the analysis of complaints and wind directions points to an offshore source.

- LAT

Texans can spill out a definitive list of things which smell bad in California faster than the latest L.A. celebrity marvel can spill out his or sex life along with transitions.

Zen Yogi:  I thought it was New York Yankees they don't like?

They don't like Yankees either, mate, and that goes back to historical times but California has crept into the lead with them.

Zen Yogi:  is there any actual point to this, Silas?

When I awakened, there was a clear thought in my head for something which would work well as an article.

Zen Yogi:  and?

This isn't it, mate, and that's the basis for thinking of increasing the pace of transition.  I have frequently awakened like that with an article in my mind and it bugged me so much I had to get up because this has just got to be written.  That's changing but you won't have to be lead detective to deduce why.

The vibe is good even if a bit discomfited by that evolution and I'm pleased to report there are no discernible bad smells in the air.  Usually if there's a bad smell in Texas it means look out for an imminent explosion.  Note:  that's not a cheapshot since Texas has enjoyed explosions of multiple container ships and different types of chemical facilities along the coast in its history.

Note to Cadillac Man:  I must remind Yevette to regale you on the Fort Worth Stockyards which produced a stink which will be included in the legends.  I'm told it was so bad it wasn't something you would ever want to imagine, much less endure.


Captain Underdog is the answer:

There's no need to fear, Underdog is here

Underdog was one of the great heroes of the 60s, at least among kids, and the reverence was in large part due to his voicing by Wally Cox, coincidentally another of the great heroes of kids in the 60s.  (WIKI:  Wally Cox)

I haven't any doubt many of you Boomers out there remember Underdog.

Zen Yogi:  can we have a lament for the passage of Saturday morning cartoons?

Maybe not a full-out lament, Yogi, but how about a wistful memory of kids all over the living room for the cartoons.

Zen Yogi:  after your chores?

We don't need that much family history, mate.  When the family has one or two kids then I imagine the situation with chores is different but it's a circus when there are six.

Zen Yogi:  weren't there different systems?

I'm tellin' you, Yogi, I won't get into any soccer with this ball.  Maybe I'll follow this article with some non-disagreeable nostalgia such as the Great Family Outing to Cinerama in Sacramento.

Zen Yogi:  got it, Cap'n