Karmann work
Posted on July 18, 2010
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New post on the Karmann Ghia buildlog
http://www.cmdr-fire.co.uk/karmannghia/?p=53
Sasha
Posted on July 15, 2010
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Consolidated Cupcake
Posted on June 23, 2010
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I bought a new domain, but I’m not sure what to do with it.
http://www.consolidatedcupcake.com/
Haddock, and related matters
Posted on June 18, 2010
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I wrote the Captain Haddock Insult Generator way back in June of 2006 (it’s the Insult Generator’s fourth birthday today!). I just did a google search for Captain Haddock, out of interest… and it’s the second link after the Wikipedia entry! Not bad going for something left more or less untouched for four years. Someone must like it!
Edit: Some quick stats from webilizer… in May 2010, there were 2471 unique hits. It is, amusingly, the most visited portion of my little domain.
U2
Posted on May 24, 2010
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Jalopnik recently ran a couple of articles on the U2 spyplane which are worth reading. The first covered the U2 itself, a sublimely elegant aircraft that was concieved of in that strange time where jet power was becoming common but satellite surveillance still required a canister drop of film from orbit.
The Dragon Lady
There’s something ethereal about that shape, isn’t there? Designed to fly at the edge of atmosphere, those long wings eked out whatever lift they could. James May recently took an emotional flight in the “Dragon Lady”; of all the things that’s he’s been priveleged enough to do, I think this is the finest and most unparalleled by far (it really is worth watching in fullscreen if possible).
The second of Jalopnik’s posts is rather more down-to-earth, but still pretty thrilling nonetheless, concerning the chase cars that would follow the U2 on its perlious, knife-edge of landing.
Not quite as cool as U2-equipment, I once had the opportunity to buy a MiG-25 Foxbat flight suit, which was for all intents and purposes a space suit. The Foxbat was designed to hunt down U2s, and later SR-71s; it never did, but it was still a Mach 2.5+ fighter-interceptor that was effectively a tiny cockpit ahead of a pair of massive afterburning turbines. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to purchase the suit (it wouldn’t have fit me anyway, designed for a 5-foot tall Soviet airman), but it would’ve been a nice part of that strange (and deadly) competition that played out throughout the fifties, sixties, and seventies.
IC day
Posted on May 7, 2010
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Jack Kilby with the first Integrated Circuit
That little device which changed – and continues to change – everything was first introduced this day in 1952.
The Integrated Circuit itself.
Moduhardindin
Posted on April 16, 2010
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I can smell sulphur outside. Just a slight hint, that irritates the back of the throat.
Moduhardindin means “the hardship of the fog”, and refers to the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Laki in 1783; a far more violent and devastating eruption than that of Eyjafjallajokull which is ongoing at the moment and causing massive disruption in Europe.
The Eruption that changed Iceland Forever
Agilent don’t like Canadians? – update, yes they do!
Posted on April 7, 2010
Filed Under Blog, Engineering Humour, Idiocy, Linkage, Politics and/or Conspiracy Theories, Technology | 4 Comments
I was looking at IEEE Spectrum online earlier, as is my wont, when I noticed one of the adverts by Agilent for some new kind of oscilloscope. By entering an email address they’d enter you into a competition to win a Agilent ‘scope, so I did so, then checked out the Terms and Conditions.
Should’ve done this first, as the contest is only open to US Citizens and Canadians… but then I read a bit more into the T&C’s and found this weird clause…
…such individual will be declared the “winner” of the promotion. If the selected entrant is a Canadian resident, that resident will be required to answer a mathematical skill-testing question, without assistance of any kind (whether mechanical or otherwise)…
Why this weird singling out of Canadians? Do they not believe that Canadians are of equal capability? Does Agilent believe undeserving Canadians will apply for this oscilloscope? I really don’t understand.
Debbie from Agilent is kind enough to explain the situation in the comments:
…Agilent is required to do so according to Canadian federal law which prohibits the awarding of profits/prizes, etc. through games of pure chance. Canadian law compels the inclusion of a skill element in ALL sweepstakes conducted anywhere in Canada.
Rocket
Posted on April 7, 2010
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The Rocket (or at least, a replica of the Rocket in original form) is running in Hyde Park. Somehow they (being the Science Museum and I think the National Railway Museum) managed to get permission to lay 100m of track and they’re taking passengers on rides up and down this track.
I was mightily impressed (and quite thrilled to go on said ride).
Primed Ghia
Posted on February 5, 2010
Filed Under Blog, Karmann Ghia | 1 Comment
Primed Ghia, originally uploaded by CmdrFire.
Ghia after chemical stripping and priming at Surface Processing. She’s in quite good condition under all the paint and filler, the damage to the right rear quarter isn’t nearly so bad and there’s a couple small holes here and there but overall in good condition.
keep looking »
