Trust
Bullet Points:
** The Bee – CAMBRIDGE, MA — A Harvard University student later identified as Luke Dillon left a lecture on microaggressions a little early so he could make it to the “Kill the Jews” rally on time.
The University happily hosted the rally for mass murder and rape after being assured that no one would be misgendered. “Hate speech has no place here at Harvard,” assured President Claudine Gay. “We affirm everyone’s right, regardless of gender, to feel safe to express their deep hatred and longing to kill Jewish people. That’s why Harvard is more than a school – it’s a family.”
** Don’t get stabbed! “Finally, they cornered Roly, who was now consumed by the twisted power of the dagger. He brandished the blade, its exquisite jewels glowing ominously with a smoky amber light. In a fit of rage and madness, he swung the dagger towards the prince, but the blade turned against him as if possessed by its own will. The dagger seemed to defy gravity, reversing its course and striking Roly in the chest. He was instantly reduced to dust, and the darkness within him extinguished.” Another masterpiece from Jules.
** Ford Motor is considering cutting a work shift at the plant where it builds its electric F-150 Lightning pickup as demand for the EV truck falters, according to a memo from a United Auto Workers official.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that our sales for the Lightning have tanked,” the union leader wrote in the memo, which was viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
** From the Mail Bag: Name a toxic trait that you have. — If I’m hungry, I’ll graze from the OTHER person’s french fry bag on the way home.
** “Free Healthcare” isn’t free.
** NASA photo of the solar eclipse the other day.
Identify the Aircraft
1
Is it reasonable to mount the heat-seeking missile between two incredibly hot jet engines?
2
This aircraft’s only claim to fame is thinning the ranks of its nation’s pilots.
3
From the Days of Fighting Sail
The First Rate – Ship of the Line
The concept of a classification system for British naval vessels dates back to the accession of James I of England, in the wake of which the fleet was officially divided into “large,” “medium,” and “smaller” ships. A 1618 Commission of Inquiry added the designation “Ships Royal” for the fleet’s largest and most prestigious ships, each capable of carrying at least 400 men.
HMS Britannia 120-guns (1820). Leaving a Mediterranean Harbour, by Robert Strickland Thomas (1787–1853)
The first Ships Royal – Elizabeth Jonas, Triumph, White Bear, Merhonour, Ark Royal, and Victory – were all converted galleons, including three ancient ships fighting the Spanish Armada in 1588. Their condition was generally poor, with Elizabeth Jonas and Triumph already completely unserviceable and White Bear so unseaworthy that she was sold for scrap in 1627.
Early first rates had only 60 guns, but by the mid-1660s, they generally had between 90 and 100 guns. By the early 18th century, it had become accepted that 100 guns were the standard criterion for a First Rate in wartime (while 90 guns, later 98 guns, became the standard equipment for a Second Rate in wartime). (Towards the end of the century, ships were built with more than 100 guns and were classified as first-rate.
Second-rate ships with 84 to 98 guns and larger third-rate ships with 70 to 80 guns. Smaller third-rank ships of about 60 to 64 guns and fourth-rank ships of about 50 were once considered suitable but gradually phased out. The fifth and sixth-class ships were frigates that could usually maneuver independently of the battle line.
The English first-rate of the 1750s onwards was the finest and largest the Royal Navy could field. Because of their size, these 100-gun ships had 800-850 men on board to operate the guns and keep these big ladies running. And speaking of size, we arrive at an approximate length of 64m and a displacement of 2000 tons. They served as flagships in every squadron they sailed in and usually had an admiral and his staff to carry. To build such a lady in 1760 cost around £67,000, which by today’s standards is about £95 million.
This cost, however, included the supplies needed, and their sheer quantity made them a rarity in the navies, which is why many needed more in service. In the 18th century, for example, the Royal Navy had only 5 in service, which later increased to 11. But they were designed for longevity, so they were often in service for more than 50-70 years and were often adapted and refitted. The famous HMS Victory was over 40 when she sailed into the Battle of Trafalgar and was rebuilt twice.
She is also the only one who has survived to this day. Others even built in the 19th century, some with around 120 guns, were scrapped after serving as floating navy academies or prisons.
(1) One of the Su-27 family, not sure which one.
(2) Not sure, but is that a Fairey Fulmar… in Yugoslav service!?
(3) Boeing XB-15
-Kle.
Identify the Aircraft:
1. A member of the Su-27 family fitted with what looks like a R-27 missile.
2. Fairey Battle
3. Boeing XB-15
It’s a Battle.
That makes me feel better.
Is that Yugo livery, though?
I didn’t know Battles served with them, either.
-Kle.
I’ve found this photo labeled as a South African Battle.
FMC- Gee, Lightning pickup sales tanking probably has nothing to do with unreliability and short drive distances and few and far between charging stations, or once it dies it locks you out leaving you stranded with no way to move out of traffic or get a tow. Nah, that’s not it. Murphy strikes again with The Big Three…If it works, don’t fix it!…climb in bed with government for “free” handout’s (like healthcare) and we get useless junk with a hefty pricetag.
Jules: Marmalade Cottage has enhanced the skills…that is some good stuff.
Ford will pass the costs of the government goof onto you.
Proving once again DC does very little well (and that amount is shrinking exponentially every week). And when they get involved, meddling as they like to do because they are smarter than everyone else, especially with feel-good bravo sierra like “renewables”, we pay while they skim off the top. Just once I’d like to meet one of them face-to-face and ask a direct question, which they wouldn’t answer straight…since I only do my own plumbing, I could be renamed by MSM Morons “Paul The Rural Rube Engineer” and have my life ruined. (Altho, except for here and intermittently a few other places, my internet footprint is pretty tiny by comparison so the establishment shills would have to make up stuff from my past that isn’t entirely true, not that I’d care…in fact, I’d be curious what they “discover” – heh.)
Not if we stop buying new trucks. Buy used and spend what you need to keep the used one running. Less plastic to fall apart and less bad software to drive you crazy.
Yep, but easier done outside the rust belt.
LL, what you meant to say is they messed up our order and Forgot the others Fries
Yeah, that’s what I meant to say.
I thought #2 might have been Italian.
Trait- incidentally, stealing fries from your spouses stock is not a bad trait, it is The Hub’s duty to finish their remaining meal and dessert to help them stay svelte, even if we gain more “middle ground” in the process. It is truly a marital honorable thing to do…for them of course.
Free medical care. There is no such thing as a free lunch. I always try to keep that in mind. Helps me maintain a realistic view of the world.
Another great history lesson, thanks.
Ford trucks. Which ever management team thought to switch so much production capacity to EV’s needs to be punished by the stockholders. Just on the surface to switch is absolutely nuts. Don’t get me wrong EV’s have potential to be a good idea but we are not there yet. Both energy production to charge the things and energy storage to run the things needs to get a lot better before EVs are a viable alternative to internal combustion engines in a country where we drive as far as we do. Still haven’t seen a realistic cradle to grave analysis of the total cost of EVs. There always seems to be “and magic happens” step, usually on disposal of toxic waste side of things.
“and magic happens”
I have sat in meetings with the sales and marketing folks discussing a subject we engineer-types called “creeping feature-itis”, those just thought of details that will enhance our product offering. Translation: more features same schedule and COG’s….assuming we could get it done (and usually did)…to which I would spout that exact phrase — “So we have prototypes and you want more in the same package within the same release schedule, we can do a redesign of the existing original specs…”then some magic happens” for the new invention that somehow we’ll come up with, and we’ll complete this on time…am I right?”
Blank stares.
The secret sauce is always money. I get calls from people who want me to do things. The people I know don’t do this, but the newbies give me the “I’ll gladly pay you Thursday for a hamburger today” speech. Now I just snail mail them deposit slips. I tell them, “Put your money into the machine, and Zoltan will tell your fortune.”
The replacement battery cost is the 800 lbs gorilla in the room. You can lease and you might dodge that bullet, but somebody will have to sink $30K into a new battery when the old one goes to the toxic waste landfill. I have a 2014 Raptor, almost 10 years old, still running strong. If it had been an EV, I’d be on my third battery by now. All that in addition to range problems, cold weather problems, etc.
Car and Driver magazine did a towing test with all the available EV pick-up trucks.
Pulling a full load, all of them saw their range drop from “300 Miles” down to less than 100 miles.
Yup, but excellent for grocery-getting, going to the salon, and taking the kiddos to their various activities. Then plug in at night into the newly installed expensive garage charging receptacle, now required by certain city edicts…to be “green”.
If you live close to the Mall, I’m sure the plug-in truck would work.
Jo Nova recently suggested that insurance costs may put paid to the electrification fad. Lithium batteries are potentially flammable and charging them in your garage possibly lethal or at least risky.
The can’t build an ev or an iPad without baby negro slaves mining toxic metals in Africa . Or Chinese slaves assembling i phones . We are all guilty of enslaving foreigners at some level.
My oldest friend was considering an ev till I pointed this out. I told him yeah buy one , and sell me your Mercedes He decided to keep his 25 year old Mercedes.
Getting “malicious domain request 22” when I access your blog.
You and others. I’m not quite sure what to do about it.
I’ve decided to rebuild the motor and transmission on my 1974 International scout instead of buying a new (newer) vehicle. It’s 48 years old. If I get another 30 out of it I will be done. One of my boys can drive it after that. I will be 95 at that point. That’s about the age my dad quit driving.
It’s better than buying a new rig IMHO. At 95, the rocking chair replaces the driver’s seat.
$5-K to fix the transmission in my 2000 Corvette or $70-K for a new one, or more likely, more. Could be a whole lot more, if I was stupid enough. So. $5-K it is.
I feel we must meet up with Jules at the Captain Kid pub in Wapping and then fall back to the club(s). Just a thought.
Hybrids show a lot of promise, but there seems to be a wholesale abandonment of them. Seems like some backroom strong arming going on. Can’t have an alternative that might actually work.
Hybrids are workable, efficient, and require less chinesium in the battery pack. The new Ford Maverick is a hybrid, has plenty of power, and you don’t have the “range anxiety” that you do with a pure EV.
They make sense, which is why The Other Side doesn’t like them.
“Malicious Domain?” You’re on the naughty list, LL. Knock-knock. “Who’s there?” “FBI, we’d just like to talk to you, you’re not suspected of a crime…as yet, and we would like your cooperation.”