Random Nuclear Strikes. The link goes to a special post about the First Special Forces Group (Airborne), but everything there is a good read.

Posted by: Ted at 11:34 AM | category: Links
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An explosion and fire at the Solid Propellant Fuel Plant. Undetermined numbers of fatalities and injuries reported.

Posted by: Ted at 10:14 AM | category: Space Program
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Everyone is focused on Mars right now, but Fred at The Eternal Golden Braid points up some links about our other planetary neighbor - Venus. I highly recommend this interesting collection of images, exploration history and timelines.

Posted by: Ted at 08:51 AM | category: Space Program
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Our rocket was scheduled to make her maiden flight this weekend, but high winds prevented it. I could've launched, but probably would not have gotten it back from the drift under parachute.

Posted by: Ted at 07:24 AM | category: Build It
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For our wonderful new work system, I'm having to learn more than the barest smattering of SQL I know. Any advice on some good books or website resources?

Posted by: Ted at 07:11 AM | category: SciTech
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When you pull into the parking lot at work with the song "Let the Bodies Hit the Floor" rocking at full volume, your co-workers all cheerfully greet you while trying to casually locate the nearest cover and concealment.

Posted by: Ted at 06:04 AM | category: Square Pegs
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In a continuing effort to be fair and balanced, I've googled up a bunch of image links of firemen for Susie, Jennifer and other interested readers. Enjoy, and I hope it distracts you from life's wobbles for a little bit.

But first, a joke:

Why do policemen have bigger balls than firemen?
They sell more tickets.

Now these links will seem so much better in comparison. Some aren't really firemen, but I don't want to hear any complaints. Comprende?
Fireman.
A wrestler called "The Fireman"?
Fireman.
Fireman.
Fireman.
Fireman.
Fireman.

Y'know, while finding these I came across some old old photos of firemen, as far back as 1880's. That got me to thinking about a guy here in town who collects and restores old fire engines. I wonder if he's still around? Hmmmm... maybe something for a future post on Rocket Jones.

Posted by: Ted at 09:55 AM | category: Square Pegs
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Des-what?

Descon stands for Design Contest, and it's an online rocketry event held three or four times a year. People from all over the world enter their original rocket designs, and folks vote for their favorites. Prizes are donated by various hobby businesses and are awarded. Sometimes there's a theme or specific requirements, sometimes it's a free for all.

Mookie won it once, when she was 10 years old. I believe she's still the only kid and only female to ever take first place. In the extended entry is a photo of her posing with her prize. more...

Posted by: Ted at 09:03 AM | category: Rocketry
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Boy Howdy, do I have some off-the-wall fun for you this time around. Y'all know that I enjoy the lesser-known classics (translation: crappy movies), but some of what I watch falls more literally into the actual classic category. These movies are perfect examples.

The Gorilla (1939) – This is a true Hollywood production, and the quality shows. Featuring great sets, real actors, a plot and special effects, this early spoof of horror movies has plenty of slapstick comedy to go along with the thrills and chills. Bela Lugosi makes a fine butler, and the Ritz Brothers play a trio of private eyes hired to protect a millionaire targeted for murder. The high point of the movie is the funniest maid (Patsy Kelly) ever to steal a scene, but it’s pretty obvious why the Ritz Brothers never made it as big as Abbot and Costello or any of the other great comedy teams. Nevertheless, this zany movie is an ok way to escape for a little while. My favorite line: “Did you see that face? I’ll bet when snakes get drunk they see him.”

The Ape Man (1943) – More Bela Lugosi and more monkey business! In this film, he plays a mad doctor who ends up the victim of his own experiments. To recover, he must kill. Overall, the mood is darker than in The Gorilla, but this flick still has some humorous moments and a rich plot full of details and minor storylines. The ending has a twist that you’d never guess in a million years.

When The Ape Man was originally released, World War II was in full swing and there are frequent mentions of it. In fact, in one scene a female character makes fun of a guy for being a “4-F reject”, and he proudly let’s her know that in 30 days he goes into the Navy. She apologizes immediately.

Something else I noticed, in both movies, was that guns were common and unremarkable. Many of the characters (male and female) were armed, and casually pulling a pistol out for protection caused no great reaction from other characters. At the same time, the guns were always handled safely and nobody was trigger-happy, in fact they were never used at all in The Gorilla and not until the very end of The Ape Man – and it wasn’t a hail of gunfire either.

Both of these movies get two opposable thumbs up.

Posted by: Ted at 09:02 PM | category: Cult Flicks
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A new aphrodisiac pizza is being test-marketed. Called Pizzagra, it features a heart-shaped crust.

The Pizzagra toppings include:

* Tomato, garlic and basil base: Basil is a renowned stimulant, helping to boost sex drive, fertility and produce a general sense of well being for body and mind. Garlic traditionally stirs sexual desires and has been used for centuries to cure everything from the common cold to heart ailments.

* Artichoke: The French once believed women who ate artichokes were reputedly loose.

* Asparagus spears are rich in vitamin E, which is thought to stimulate the production of sex hormones.

* Red peppers are said to stimulate circulation.

* Onions: Egyptian priests were forbidden to eat onions, as it was once believed they stirred up passions.

* Ginger, which stimulates circulation and heightens sensitivity.

* Cardamom, which contains two androgens (hormones that increase sexual desire in men) and cineole, a compound known to stimulate the central nervous system.

* Chocolate spread: Chocolate is a popular aphrodisiac containing the chemical, phenlethamine, which is released naturally in the brain when humans fall in love.

* Banana slices: Bananas are rich in potassium and B vitamins, necessities for sex hormone production.

No mention is made if that's all on one pizza. Yuck.

Thanks to The Meatriarch for indirectly pointing the way to this story. His link to Naked News led me to watch their preview, which had the pizza story. A little google action and voila!

*Oh yeah, their joke: "I wonder if it has a self-rising crust?"

Posted by: Ted at 02:00 PM | category: Square Pegs
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Mucho thanks and manly back-slapping hugs to Pixy. With his efforts, all the Munuvians are now hosted on a new and much faster server. This means that Rocket Jones will now rocket*.

*Speed-wise that is. Expect the drivel to continue as before.

Posted by: Ted at 01:53 PM | category: Munuvian Daily Tattler
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Eric of Off Wing Opinion is proposing a blog meet for the metro DC area, to be held, appropriately enough, at a Washington Capitals game.

I'm making tentative plans for this one. Anyone else?

Kevin?
Nic?
Victor?
Phillip?
Ross and/or Buckethead?
Rob?
Dawn?
Scott?

Who am I forgetting?

Posted by: Ted at 08:42 AM | category: Links
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1 I'll go if Scott drives.

Posted by: Dawn at February 20, 2004 10:29 AM (Q0xHi)

2 Ahh, someone who has never driven with me before. Most people don't know this, but the actual reason I left Connecticut in 1996 was that I was ordered out for driving malfeasance.

On a serious note, hockey sounds fun. Though I'd usually Metro to those things to avoid the blistering $25 parking charge -- money better spent in the MCI Center on the 2 domestic beers it would buy.

Posted by: Scott at February 20, 2004 11:05 AM (zL4bg)

3 Oh, metro is absolutely the way to go. I'd drive to Springfield and pick it up there.

Posted by: Ted at February 20, 2004 11:32 AM (blNMI)

4 Metro is an excellent idea -- Shawn told me how you drive, Scott. I'd like to live to see my 30th birthday!

Posted by: Dawn at February 20, 2004 11:35 AM (Q0xHi)

5 I'll have to talk it over with the boss...I mean, the gf. But it's not like she's wont to turn down a hockey game. I saw Eric's list; I'm already going to the Ottawa game. The others are up in the air.

Posted by: Victor at February 20, 2004 02:01 PM (L3qPK)

6 Field trip! Field trip!

Don't mind me, just passing through.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at February 20, 2004 10:41 PM (jtW2s)

7 Isn't James of Outside The Beltway not too far outside the beltway? Phil Dennison of Catch me if you can is local as well.

Posted by: buckethead at February 23, 2004 11:06 AM (ztNrs)

8 I'm up for it!

Am trying to get the family to the 3/20 game for my birthday, but I don't know if that's gonna happen.

I'll see if the Big Hair wants to go.

Posted by: Rob at February 24, 2004 11:20 AM (rOi9m)

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Diamonds, that is. Terribly terribly not-precious anymore if these guys are right.

Thanks to Across the Atlantic for the pointer. Can you tell who the romantic is between the two of us?

Posted by: Ted at 07:18 AM | category: SciTech
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When my wife was rid of her wheelchair and allowed to drive again, this is the custom license plate I put on her car (extended entry): more...

Posted by: Ted at 05:05 AM | category: Boring Stories
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As promised, here's another bit about the mysterious workings of technology. Once again, I found this on the newsgroup Rec.Models.Rockets.

I have found most electronic devices are powered by smoke contained in small black chips.

In fact, once the smoke is released from one of these black chips, the electronic device will stop working.

Next lesson: Gravity doesn't suck.

Posted by: Ted at 04:33 AM | category: SciTech
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Taking a cue from the flea ethereal, here's a list of countries that have appeared on my visitor logs:

United States, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, South Africa, Italy, Sweden, Japan, New Zealand, Netherlands, Germany, Estonia, Norway, Belgium, Spain, Finland, France, Switzerland, Hong Kong, Singapore, Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Romania, Poland, Isreal, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Greece, Malaysia, China, Brazil, Iceland, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, India, Philippines, Portugal, Argentina, Slovenia, Nigeria, and the Russian Federation.

Welcome all, and thanks for visiting. And I know not all of them are countries, but they have their own internet country code suffix. And that, as my dad would say, is good enough for the girls I go with.

Posted by: Ted at 08:28 PM | category: Munuvian Daily Tattler
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My "Big 30" Psychological Profile, because everyone knows you don't need years of education in order to disect my soul and tell all about me, just 155 questions.

(in the extended entry)

I saw this one over at DeMythology, and Glenn talks about a different one that he took. more...

Posted by: Ted at 11:53 AM | category: About Ted
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NASA has announced their new Atkins-friendly 'space food' tablet rations. more...

Posted by: Ted at 05:53 AM | category: Square Pegs
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Tick Remover.

*or politicians for that matter.

Posted by: Ted at 05:38 AM | category: Square Pegs
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Nifty pictures, and not one joke about "Black Hole Rips Unlucky Star Apart". Too easy.

Posted by: Ted at 08:49 PM | category: Space Program
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