Hear hear! SMAC was just about perfect. I still enjoy it, and recently got my wife hooked as well. Too bad it has so many annoying bugs... I hope one day some of the SMAC concepts make it into FreeCiv (there was an effort to do just that, but it has seemingly stagnated) so that we will have a bug-free SMAC to play.
Not the trailer. The movie. Pre-release, complete with opening spiel by Whedon himself.
If you saw the tv shows, it's good. It's really good. But if not, go buy the DVDs, watch them, then go see the movie when it's out. You'll see why Firefly has such a loyal following.
From what I know of history, it was more like this: JFK asked the Russians if they might want to get in on the moon shot. At first they wanted a race, but later thought cooperation might be a good idea but by that time JFK was dead. Meanwhile, they had this huge rocket they were testing. It was looking pretty promising except it kept blowing up. Finally, they thought they were ready to go but had one last explosion. The USA then launched, virtually uncontested.
There once was a transit of Venus Which put that small planet between us But you shouldn't stare At the solar glare 'Cause it might shrivel up your... retinas.:)
Ok, I took the bait and googled, and when I found out what they were for some reason I laughed my ass off. Maybe it's the silly name, maybe it's the recognition that yes, these things are necessary, but it totally ticked my funny bone. Thank you!
I dunno, I'm as big a South Park fan as anybody but season 8 has been consistently bad so far.
Anyway, when these shows come back, I'd be concerned about the voice talent, the writers, the desire of the studio to just crank out some crap hoping the title of the show keeps people watching. I mean, have you seen the Simpsons lately? Definately past its prime.
Maybe, and I hope I'm wrong, these shows were cut down in their prime for a good reason: to avoid jumping the shark.
Now here's a show I'd love to see brought back, but it'll never happen... Invader ZIM. Too bad, the creative genius of the show has gone on record saying he'd rather die than animate.
Except to make it easy. Following a few guides on doom9, I was able to cobble together a procedure for creating avis of DVDs that would fit into a CF carc for play on PocketMVP on an iPaq.
It goes a something like this: dvddecryptor to rip, then dvd2avi + xvid to get a "manageable" file. Then virtualdub, converting to divx, shrinking the size, letterboxing, decimating the frame rate, and converting the audio to mp3. (How much of that software is "illegal"?)
Yeah, there's more steps to the procedure but its free and it works. That is, until my iPaq crapped out and died. The 3670 had all kinds of problems. I sent it in for repair 5 times and it never did work right. I eventually gave it away. That sucked, because it was great for wardriving and I also had SSH running on it for when I really really needed a portable shell prompt.
So long as they pay, the fans are free to keep doing what they are going to do anyway -- share the music they love using whatever software they like on whatever computer platform they prefer -- without fear of lawsuits. (emphasis mine)
The EFF doesn't propose you pay to download. Without all that DRM and junk, that'd be stupid. What they suggest is that you pay if you want to share - the default mode of p2p software, the most detectable use of p2p software, and the only thing anyone has thus far been prosecuted for.
And to clarify my post, I meant that I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the non-coplanar transfer is similar in fuel cost to a transfer from the moon's plane (not counting the plane change, if any). From what I understand, NASA is already hip to this info - they don't bother changing planes except to do tiny mid-course corrections for things like Spirit and Opportunity.
Anyway, I learned to do the non-coplanar transfer so I could do the Delta Glider Challenge. I'm still no good at landing though:)
Given its high orbital inclination, ISS isn't the ideal first stop, but it's still possible to go places. In a simulator, I've gone from ISS's orbit to the moon without changing inclination. It looks scary, but really it's no worse than any other trans-lunar-injection. As for fuel cost, well, the simulator gives you a huge fuel budget but the non-coplanar transfer orbit is still WAY cheaper than changing inclination before heading out! I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the cost is the same.
For a lunar-orbit-rondezvous mission, I can see one potential problem: the possibility of having to wait longer for a launch window from the surface to the command module.
All that said, I kind of like GWB's plan of jumping out of our commitment to ISS as soon as possible. Consider it an experiment in international space cooperation, more than a scientific platform. The experiment is over, lets learn what we can from it and move on.
Slashdot Mirror
The real veterans are busy on Friday night. We get back to /. after sleeping in on Saturday morning.
Not entirely true.
f er+orbit
http://www.google.com/search?q=non-coplanar+trans
Disclaimer: Not a rocket scientist. I only know this tidbit because of a space sim I sometimes play with.
Hear hear! SMAC was just about perfect. I still enjoy it, and recently got my wife hooked as well. Too bad it has so many annoying bugs... I hope one day some of the SMAC concepts make it into FreeCiv (there was an effort to do just that, but it has seemingly stagnated) so that we will have a bug-free SMAC to play.
Not the trailer. The movie. Pre-release, complete with opening spiel by Whedon himself.
If you saw the tv shows, it's good. It's really good. But if not, go buy the DVDs, watch them, then go see the movie when it's out. You'll see why Firefly has such a loyal following.
Burn, karma, burn...
There'd still be SCO and all the "In Soviet Russia, all your Natalie Portman overlords welcome YOU with hot grits" jokes.
So when a Chinese reactor melts down, do they call it America Syndrome?
In Soviet Russia, spies in China give nuclear secrets to YOU!
Sorry. Burn, karma, burn...
I seem to recall reading that in some cases, subdermal implants can get absorbed, grown over with real bone, and become permanent fixtures.
In other words, not +1 Funny, +1 Insightful!
From what I know of history, it was more like this: JFK asked the Russians if they might want to get in on the moon shot. At first they wanted a race, but later thought cooperation might be a good idea but by that time JFK was dead. Meanwhile, they had this huge rocket they were testing. It was looking pretty promising except it kept blowing up. Finally, they thought they were ready to go but had one last explosion. The USA then launched, virtually uncontested.
Can you tell me, please, if this quote is featured in the film anywhere?
"I am not an atomic playboy."
There are a million tests that can be given in the MR scanner. Some of them can be really funny.
Examples on request.
I could use a laugh. Let's hear some.
There once was a transit of Venus :)
Which put that small planet between us
But you shouldn't stare
At the solar glare
'Cause it might shrivel up your... retinas.
Ok, I took the bait and googled, and when I found out what they were for some reason I laughed my ass off. Maybe it's the silly name, maybe it's the recognition that yes, these things are necessary, but it totally ticked my funny bone. Thank you!
I dunno, I'm as big a South Park fan as anybody but season 8 has been consistently bad so far.
Anyway, when these shows come back, I'd be concerned about the voice talent, the writers, the desire of the studio to just crank out some crap hoping the title of the show keeps people watching. I mean, have you seen the Simpsons lately? Definately past its prime.
Maybe, and I hope I'm wrong, these shows were cut down in their prime for a good reason: to avoid jumping the shark.
Now here's a show I'd love to see brought back, but it'll never happen... Invader ZIM. Too bad, the creative genius of the show has gone on record saying he'd rather die than animate.
In Ohio, that's "Reckless Operation of a Motor Vehicle on Private Property". Don't ask how I know that.
The first thing I thought was "OH NO! GREY GOO!", but then I read the article. Whew... More like self organizing on a prepared substrate.
So small it fits in your anus and uses a methane-powered fuel cell.
Beats running out of batteries... But not by much.
Slashdot looked deep within my soul and assigned me a number based on the order in which I joined
Drop and give me twenty.
SMOKE... SMOKE... SMOKE...
Are you SMOKING yet?
(Not now, Jerry!)
Except to make it easy. Following a few guides on doom9, I was able to cobble together a procedure for creating avis of DVDs that would fit into a CF carc for play on PocketMVP on an iPaq.
It goes a something like this: dvddecryptor to rip, then dvd2avi + xvid to get a "manageable" file. Then virtualdub, converting to divx, shrinking the size, letterboxing, decimating the frame rate, and converting the audio to mp3. (How much of that software is "illegal"?)
Yeah, there's more steps to the procedure but its free and it works. That is, until my iPaq crapped out and died. The 3670 had all kinds of problems. I sent it in for repair 5 times and it never did work right. I eventually gave it away. That sucked, because it was great for wardriving and I also had SSH running on it for when I really really needed a portable shell prompt.
Used to? It's still going strong! www.cosmosfactory.org
:)
Anyway, RHPS was the first thing I thought of, thanks for stealing my +5.
So long as they pay, the fans are free to keep doing what they are going to do anyway -- share the music they love using whatever software they like on whatever computer platform they prefer -- without fear of lawsuits. (emphasis mine)
The EFF doesn't propose you pay to download. Without all that DRM and junk, that'd be stupid. What they suggest is that you pay if you want to share - the default mode of p2p software, the most detectable use of p2p software, and the only thing anyone has thus far been prosecuted for.
Same user name as here.
Why yes, yes I do.
:)
And to clarify my post, I meant that I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the non-coplanar transfer is similar in fuel cost to a transfer from the moon's plane (not counting the plane change, if any). From what I understand, NASA is already hip to this info - they don't bother changing planes except to do tiny mid-course corrections for things like Spirit and Opportunity.
Anyway, I learned to do the non-coplanar transfer so I could do the Delta Glider Challenge. I'm still no good at landing though
Given its high orbital inclination, ISS isn't the ideal first stop, but it's still possible to go places. In a simulator, I've gone from ISS's orbit to the moon without changing inclination. It looks scary, but really it's no worse than any other trans-lunar-injection. As for fuel cost, well, the simulator gives you a huge fuel budget but the non-coplanar transfer orbit is still WAY cheaper than changing inclination before heading out! I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the cost is the same.
For a lunar-orbit-rondezvous mission, I can see one potential problem: the possibility of having to wait longer for a launch window from the surface to the command module.
All that said, I kind of like GWB's plan of jumping out of our commitment to ISS as soon as possible. Consider it an experiment in international space cooperation, more than a scientific platform. The experiment is over, lets learn what we can from it and move on.