power most terrible

—US Navy Photograph

On January 31, 2008 the US Navy tested a railgun that fired a shell at 10.64 MJ with a muzzle velocity of 2,520 m/s. [roughly 1.6 miles per second] [15] Its expected performance is a muzzle velocity over 5,800 m/s [roughly 3.6 miles per second], accurate enough to hit a 5 meter target over 200 nautical miles (370.4 km) away while firing at 10 shots per minute. The power was provided by a new 9-megajoule (MJ) prototype capacitor bank using solid-state switches and high-energy-density capacitors delivered in 2007 and an older 32-MJ pulse power system from the US Army’s Green Farm Electric Gun Research and Development Facility developed in the late 1980s that was previously refurbished by General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (EMS) Division.[16] It is expected to be ready between 2020 to 2025.[17] —Wikipedia entry

An amazing picture. The plume you see behind the object is the surrounding air; turned to plasma by the pressure and friction produced by the missile's terrific speed. Note the thin shock wave ahead of the object.

ha-ha...

Was procrastinating writing a proposal by way of adultswim.com, and was reminded of my favorite phil ken sebben "ha-ha..." quote ever:

"Ha-ha... toile!"

colbert's delivery makes me lol every time.

LINK:CONTEXT

i breathe in the familiar smell of old gasoline and vinyl and mould.
a thin layer of dust has accumulated on the dashboard.
a new hole has been ripped there, sprinked with delicate fibers where a resin hula girl used to jitter.
on the hood, oxidized paint forms the shadow of a decal applied long ago but just now removed.
the front seat is worn with heavy use. there is a small hole in the center. cigarette burns dot the cabin.
the passenger seat is pristine. the back seats are pristine.
i think about the few times i wasn't alone in that car.


i take a few pictures and wonder if this moment is significant in some way.

dear nasa:

New Web Project is live!

From the site:

"Let's TeamUp.
Recent statistics suggest that 1 in 20 adults in DC have HIV, and in some of the city’s neighborhoods, 1 in 8 people are infected. To compare, nearly 3 in 25 people in South Africa have HIV/AIDS. Each year, 2.5 million people die of AIDS and 2.5 million new infections occur. HIV infections are preventable when people receive accurate and comprehensive information, but talking about HIV/AIDS is not always an easy task. The Grassroot Project and Grassroot Soccer have demonstrated the power of using athletes as role models to cut through stigmas. The Team Up campaign empowers youth to become role models in their own communities, and unites them as leaders in the global fight against HIV/AIDS."

View it live!

trivia night update:

Just did an Answer Sheet for trivia night. Not only will it make the papers easier to grade, but it solidifies the format (5 categories, 6 questions per category, plus a 3 point bonus question)


Also created this 5"x4" card for the winning team with space on the back for the bartender to keep track of the card's value. The answer sheet and card are both meant to reinforce the brand I established in the promotional posters, seen here:

not much else to say really

The only way i'll ever achieve immortality is to create work that outlives me.
that'll be great. right up until it's all consumed by a crimson dying sun.

Looks like i've found a new brand for this site.

not much of a carpool when nobody wants to ride with you.