Maybe tomorrow or Tuesday. Short version: camera problems, computer problems, rocket problems. No biggie 'cause I had a badly-needed mondo-relaxing weekend. Big fun.

Posted by: Ted at 07:53 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Due to some technical problems with an altimeter bay design I threw together at the last moment didn't completely think through, I wasn't able to make a couple of big flights yesterday like I wanted.

Fixed that little problem last night though, and it didn't keep me from flying other stuff.

The Hot Jets made a perfect flight, and once again many comments were made on the paint job and listing of all those ladies names. Gonna fly her again today on an F24 motor.

And the meaning of this post? Why, it gives me a chance to link to all of the Rocket Jones Hot Jets cheerleaders, best sideline squad in the Blogger Bowl fantasy football league!

The Hot Jets cheerleaders are:

Nic, of Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax!
Lemur Girl, of... uh, Lemur Girl!
LeeAnn, of The Cheese Stands Alone!
Blogoline, of Blogoline's Journal!
Gir, of Your Moosey Fate!
Tink, of Flitting Here and There!
Wegglywoo, of On the Beach at the End of the World!
Dawn of Dawn Enterprises!
Stevie, of Caught In The XFire!
Helen, of Everyday Stranger!
annika, of annika's journal!
Cindy, of Dusting My Brain!
Mookie, of MookieRiffic!
Denita, of Who Tends The Fires!
Lynn S., of Reflections in d minor!
Susie, of Practical Penumbra!
Sarah, of Trying To Grok!
Kat, of Mostly Fluff!
Big Hair, of Left & Right!
Jennifer, of Jennifer's History and Stuff!
Heather, of Angelweave!
Margi, of Margi Lowry!

Gotta run. Have a great Halloween!

Posted by: Ted at 06:55 AM | category: Rocketry
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1 Thanks for the Linkage again, hon! Sorry about the technical difficulties--I can't wait to see the pictures when you finally sort things out though! :-)

--TwoDragons

Posted by: Denita TwoDragons at November 01, 2004 10:24 AM (FyB1G)

2 And two cartwheels and a split have been done in your honor.
Of course, I may not ever walk correctly again, but...

Posted by: LeeAnn at November 01, 2004 11:24 PM (vqSdN)

3 I feel like we should be submitting wet T-shirt pix or something to keep things inspiring.

Posted by: dawn at November 02, 2004 06:41 AM (Rgkju)

4 Feel free! It'll distract me from the fact that my fantasy team stinks.

Posted by: Ted at November 02, 2004 07:09 AM (blNMI)

5 Turn on the hose!!!

Posted by: dawn at November 03, 2004 01:08 AM (Rgkju)

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It's a little foggy this morning, but once it burns off the weather is forecast to be beautiful!

Links to directions here. Spectatin' free, kids launch free, adults pay a minimal fee.

If you go, look for the red Mazda pickup next to a red sun canopy. I'll be somewhere around there, and I'd love to meet you! I also have several kid-friendly rockets with me that the junior space cadets are welcome to fly and take home for their very own.

Pictures later.

Posted by: Ted at 08:29 AM | category: Rocketry
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A while back Robert Heinlein's lost novel was published.

Not long ago they discovered a complete Jimi Hendrix concert filmed in 1968.

Check out what they've found now:

Danny and Shirley are a young couple with a problem: it seems that Danny can't rise to the occasion, and Shirley's running out of patience. The mysterious Madame Heles is a necromancer who has the solution to their boudoir blahs - a hands-on approach involving her two lovely assistants, the house stud, and some very special rituals.

Oh yeah. They're releasing one of Ed Wood's 'lost' smut films, Necromania (link safe for work, but I'd wait until I was home). Best known for "Plan 9 from Outer Space", some say his films were so bad that it's sure proof of his genius. Besides his attempts at sci-fi, westerns and horror, he also did porn. But of course even his blue movies are blessed with that Ed Wood magic.

As I went through the Ed Wood filmography, I was delighted to discover that Rene Bond starred in several of his more mature offerings. You may recognize her, she was very popular in adult movies and as a model in men's magazines in the 60's. Knowing that doesn't mean I'm old, it means that I can appreciate vintage erotica.

I don't watch much porn, but since this is Ed Wood, well, you know I'm gonna order it.

Posted by: Ted at 05:07 AM | category: Cult Flicks
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1 Ed Wood and Porn?

whooo hoooo

Posted by: vadergrrrl at October 29, 2004 05:12 PM (LhmlK)

2 appreciate vintage erotica... yeah right
You're old!

Don't watch much porn...yeah right
You're a... uh... porn... uh... watcher guy

Posted by: Tricia at October 29, 2004 07:02 PM (lRTFS)

3 I've actually seen Necromania; it's terrible, in the Ed Wood tradition, but it's compulsively watchable, in the Ed Wood tradition.

It's low on my want list, but it's definitely there.

Posted by: CGHill at October 30, 2004 01:00 PM (AUDQP)

4 Thanks for keeping us updated on the Wood deliveries!

Posted by: Liz at November 30, 2004 04:28 PM (/9qCk)

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From last weekend in Whitakers, North Carolina:

Probably the most anticipated flight of the day... Doug G, with Gerald R's assistance, launched the "Triton 2 Stage," a 50-pound, 13 1/2 foot, 6-inch diameter behemoth. The booster section was loaded with an L1300 staging to a K605 in the sustainer. The L1300 roared to life, lifting the Triton with ease. After booster burnout, the sections drag separated as intended, but the electronics failed to light the second stage igniter. The altimeters did their job and deployed the mains bringing all components down safely. It was still a very pretty flight despite the second stage issue.

After passing his Level 2 exam, Blaine J brought a little spice with his rocket entitled "Democracy, Whiskey, Sexy." Just over five feet tall, and fire engine red, its multi-diameter body ended with aluminum air brakes at the base of the fins. The name fit the bill. He launched it on a J270 for a beautiful take-off. Unfortunately, both sections came down without recovery, resulting in damage to the air frame. I'm sure we'll see him next month for another attempt! UPDATE: During motor disassembly, Blaine discovered the exit cone portion of the nozzle was gone. The onboard RDAS data showed a drop in thrust 0.3 seconds into the flight, confirming the nozzle had failed.

Posted by: Ted at 04:54 AM | category: Rocketry
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Dentist: "I'm determined to get this done today!"

Me: "From your seat, it's easy to be determined."

Posted by: Ted at 06:58 PM | category: Square Pegs
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When you have toddlers, and they reach that perfect age - it doesn't last long - and you walk through the door and they come running to give Daddy a hug. And basically you get a full-speed head butt right in the balls.

At that age, they're young enough to think you fell to the floor to play.

Posted by: Ted at 05:25 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Red Sox win the world series. Let the whining begin anew until sometime after 2100.

Posted by: Ted at 11:38 AM | category: Square Pegs
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My mind is going about a gazillion miles an hour this morning. Lots to do at work, my basement looks like a cold-war era missile maintenance shop, and I get to go see my dentist again this afternoon.

As I was pulling onto our street the other day, a old and beat up red ford mini-station wagon was coming out. It had those new spinning hubs. A bit of Mookie-wisdom: "Before spending hundreds of dollars tricking out your car, have a car worth more than hundreds of dollars."

This picture made me laugh.

My wife thinks it's unusual that I say things like "I ran out of epoxy". According to her, most people wouldn't use it up before it went bad. I'm waiting for a good moment to tell her that the next time I'm buying epoxy, I'm getting a gallon of resin, a quart of hardener, plus a bunch of extras like microballons and milled fiberglass. And for completeness' sake, I highly recommend this guy for all your adhesive needs.

Superglue. Most folks buy those little tiny containers, the hobby-grade stuff I use comes in 8 ounce bottles. Thick and thin viscosity too.

Since I seem to be stuck on the subject (*owww*), I was digging through my adhesives box, and noticed that I had:

Oldest daughter Robyn went to the hospital in an ambulance the other day. She collapsed at school and the doctors say it was dehrydration. My diagnosis is stupidity so I yelled at her on the phone to take better care of herself and we both felt better. So anyway, she's done at the hospital and gets a ride back to campus, walks into her room, and has this conversation with her roomie:

Roomie: "Were you really taken to the hospital?"

Robyn: "Yeah."

Roomie: "I guess you don't wanna go out partying tonight."

Robyn: "Here's your sign."

Posted by: Ted at 06:00 AM | category: Square Pegs
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1 Do you actually USE all those adhesives..or is this like a man thing where more is better? Perhaps that question should go to your wife?

Posted by: Catt at October 28, 2004 09:31 AM (UUS/P)

2 LOL Each has a specific purpose and there's a reason I use certain ones at different times. I might do a post on glues. If you think political flame wars are bad, you should see the epoxy vs. wood glue schism (about as bad as DOS vs Unix).

Posted by: Ted at October 28, 2004 09:43 AM (blNMI)

3 Ted, please don't go around spray-painting spiders. Or if you do, please don't tell us.

Posted by: Victor at October 28, 2004 10:31 AM (L3qPK)

4 And for more unsolicited advice: Perhaps you should get daughter Robyn a Camelbak for Christmas. Heh.

Posted by: Victor at October 28, 2004 09:01 PM (etHvD)

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I found them while searching for old baseball cards, but there's so much more. Hours of fascination for those with a love of history.

The US Library of Congress Online Collections Finder.

Posted by: Ted at 05:43 AM | category: History
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I post something for my wife, just because.

Lady Love

Lady love, your love is peaceful
Like the summer's breeze
My lady love, with love that's tender
As a baby's touch
You give me all of the things
That I need so much
You're my world, lady love

Lady love, your love is cooling
Like the winter snow
My lady love, with love that's cozy
As a fire's glow
And I keep on needing you, girl
A little more and more
And I thank you, my lady love

You know, it's not easy to keep love flowing smooth
People are people and they all have their moods
But it's so nice just to have someone like you
Who wants a smooth and easy thing
And all the good times that it brings

My lady love, you've been with me
Through all of my ups and downs
My lady love, I once was lost
But now with you I'm found
You got the love I need
And I want to stay around
Heaven sent you down, my lady love

Let me tell you that it's not easy to keep love flowing smooth
You know, people are people, they all have their moods
But it's so nice just to have someone like you
Who wants a smooth and easy thing
And all the good times and the joy that it brings

My lady love, you've been with me
Through all of my ups and downs
And my crazy turn-arounds
My lady love, you got the love I need
So stay around
Heaven sent my lady love

Lady love, sweet lady love
You are so good to me
Lady love, like a warm summer breeze
(So glad I found my lady love, lady love)
(so glad I found my lady love, lady love)

Written by V. Gray and S. Marshall
Performed by Lou Rawls

Posted by: Ted at 05:28 AM | category: Square Pegs
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Where I work, we've got this one elevator that creaks and groans and is generally cranky. During the day, when things are busy, it's kinda fun to watch people's expressions when it shows up and they get on, because more than a few are convinced that their next ride will be a nonstop Express to the basement. Just for fun I've considered hanging a sign in there that explains that jumping up and down in a falling elevator is a myth.

In the wee hours of the morning, when I arrive, the damned thing is just plain creepy. About every third day it's the one that shows up when I press the up button. I never worry about the big plunge, because then it would be repaired or replaced, and it doesn't want that. It wants to bide it's time, and every once in a while, when no one is looking, it feeds. One person at a time.

Posted by: Ted at 05:21 AM | category: Links
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I talked about it here, and the weather is looking very very good. By friday I should have some pictures of what I'll be flying. For sure, the Hot Jets rocket will be taking flight at least once.

Posted by: Ted at 08:35 PM | category: Rocketry
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1 Total eclipse was awesome here in gaaaawgia Rhett!

Remember to wear your seat belt

Posted by: Tricia at October 27, 2004 10:26 PM (lRTFS)

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Go ahead, you know you want to. I promise, it's safe for work.

Awwwwwww.

Posted by: Ted at 07:48 PM | category: Links
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Courtesy of the Library of Congress, 2,100 early baseball cards dating from 1887 to 1914.

And here's a nifty site that includes some 30,000 vintage baseball card photos (click the "OBC Specials" button), and an article about Topps, the all-time king of baseball cards, and some of their more obscure card sets and collections (click their "Library" button, then select the "Topps Insert, Test And Supplemental Baseball Issues 1949-1980"). It sounds dry, but there's a ton of interesting history to be found inside.

Years ago (1938 to be precise) four brothers, Abram, Ira, Joseph and Philip Shorin, erstwhile cigar manufacturers, established a chewing gum company in Brooklyn (where else?). Wanting to select a name that would let the public know how good their gum was and they settled on Topps (the extra "p" was for effect) and unwittingly created what was to become the largest bubble gum card entity in the Western Hemisphere. At some point, most probably toward the end of World War II, or just after, they began marketing their famous Bazooka bubble gum and yet another American institution was born. Looking for ways to increase product exposure, Abram hit upon the idea of packaging their bubble gum with trading cards. This was in 1948 and things have never been the same...

Posted by: Ted at 05:28 AM | category: History
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Check out the list at RetroCrush.

A rattle of the bones to Dave for pointing it out. I saw it in the comments at Vadergrrrl's place, and she has an excellent post on her personal favorite scary films too.

Posted by: Ted at 04:50 AM | category: Cult Flicks
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I've been tinkering with CSS lately at work, and using Rocket Jones and the Skunkworks as guinea pigs. This has been going on for quite a while, and the "Under Construction" signs will remain up for the forseeable future. So if you notice anything odd (like those damned gray boxes around various bits), well, it's me tweaking.

For some reason, I can twiddle and play at work but don't always see the changes until I get home.

Anyways, never mind the mad genius behind curtain #1, it's just me. Now maybe if I pull this level while twisting the that knob...

Posted by: Ted at 08:55 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Mad scientist. Check.
Creepy assistant. Check.
Pulsing brains and hearts. Check.
Homicidal monster. Check.
Splashing blood and gruesome gore. Check.
G-Men. Check.
Foreign spies. Check.
Busty babes in bra and panties or bikinis. Check.

So can someone please tell me why this movie is so damned dull?!?!?!?!?

Astro Zombies has a decent cast, and you'll probably recognize several of the actors. Robert Carradine stars as the evil scientist, but he's barely trying here. Robert Bagdad checks in as the odd assistant, and while he looks like an evil assistant, he spends a lot of time alternating between evil genius in his own right and bumbling idiot servant. Tura Satana of Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! is the head of an international ring of spies out to steal the doctor's secrets, but her acting is if anything even worse in this movie. The G-men are just annoying, and tend to die after long boring chase scenes. They're supposed to be the good guys, but such faceless drones that I really didn't care whether or not they lived or died.

I think the idea was to build suspense by dragging out the action, but the director had no real clue about how to really build tension. There wasn't a lot to work with either, because the script is bad, the acting is bad, the plot is bad, the sets are bad... The cars are nice though, it's fun to see yesterday's roads filled with Mustangs and Galaxys.

About three-fourths of the way into this movie, you can almost hear the director say "time to liven this mess up!" Suddenly spies and G-men start to get shot and stabbed, the monster starts to attack, the gore becomes more graphic, and characters actually run instead of meander around the screen. Not that any of it saves this bomb.

One part that made me laugh was that the monsters (the Astro Zombies), are powered by photoelectric cells stuck to their heads. Yep, solar powered evil. For nighttime badness, they also have a built in battery pack that recharges during the day. In one fight scene, a G-man manages to remove the battery pack from the monster. The monster grabs the G-man's flashlight, and we're treated to a long sequence where the monster is struggling through the back alleys of Los Angeles, trying to make it back to the doctor's secret laboratory, all the while holding the flashlight to his forehead!

An interesting bit of trivia, this movie was co-written and produced by Wayne Rogers - Trapper John of television's M*A*S*H. I'm curious to know how many times he's been punched for having a hand in this movie.

Simply put, this movie sucks, and not in a good way. Stay away from this one, unless you need the sleep. What a shame, because it had so much potential too.

Posted by: Ted at 11:45 AM | category: Cult Flicks
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Whoooo! This is quickly becoming the Tidy Bowl 2004 for the Rockets. Jim of Snooze Button Dreams has two reasons to celebrate: first, he beat me this week even though one of his receivers was on a bye, and he found a new job. Looks like you can afford a lap dance or two to celebrate your gridiron prowess, my man.

At least I know he won't be getting a happy lap from the the Rocket Jones Hot Jets cheerleaders, because these ladies are much too classy for that (and if I'm wrong ladies, let me know via email. Confidentiality promised. This definitely does not apply to Mookie.)

Wegglywoo, of On the Beach at the End of the World!
Dawn of Dawn Enterprises!
Stevie, of Caught In The XFire!
Helen, of Everyday Stranger!
annika, of annika's journal!
Cindy, of Dusting My Brain!
Mookie, of MookieRiffic!
Denita, of Who Tends The Fires!
Lynn S., of Reflections in d minor!
Susie, of Practical Penumbra!
Blogoline, of Blogoline's Journal!
Gir, of Your Moosey Fate!
Tink, of Flitting Here and There!
Sarah, of Trying To Grok!
Kat, of Mostly Fluff!
Big Hair, of Left & Right!
Jennifer, of Jennifer's History and Stuff!
Heather, of Angelweave!
Margi, of Margi Lowry!
Nic, of Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax!
Lemur Girl, of... uh, Lemur Girl!
LeeAnn, of The Cheese Stands Alone!

So who's up for next week? The undefeated Fire Ants! That's ok, because it just makes it sweeter when I stomp you like a Dolphin stomps a Ram or like a Bengal stomps a Bronco.

Who's this King of Fools anyways?

Posted by: Ted at 05:59 AM | category: Links
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Just for fun, I googled the phrase "Baseball Oddities" and here's a sampling of what popped up.

"Despite my enduring respect, there are many attributes of the game that make me scratch my head." -- Aaron Arkin.

Four things that don't really make sense: Pitchers that can't hit, arguing balls and strikes, coaches in uniforms and pitchers wearing a windbreaker when they run the bases.

Here's a quiz about odd baseball stats and trivia. It's tough, I only scored 6 correct out of 15!

In May, 2001, Baseball Digest printed an article about the Nine Strangest Major League Games. Good stuff.

This next one had me laughing. A Day at the Ballpark - with Middle-Schoolers. In it, the author talks about a surreal day watching the Oakland A's taking on the Boston Red Sox.

Middle schooler: How much for the sodas?

Vendor: Three dollars.

Middle schooler (with a very sarcastic look on his face): No, for reals, how much?

Vendor : (remains silent, but obviously thinking of a very bad word)

Posted by: Ted at 05:46 AM | category: History
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