Edition #1158

Wednesday. And new tariffs and stuff from Canada as a completely unnecessary and counterproductive trade war develops with one of our closest allies. This is what happens when you give an ignorant, impulsive, thin-skinned, authoritarian wannabe power and refuse to call it out for what it is. Making America Irrelevant Again.

“Those who sit in the window seat but don’t open the window when taking off/landing have no lust for life. They will never enjoy the great fruits of mankind’s collective efforts. They will experience nothing more than mere life.” Quote by Tyler Cosgrove. And I could not agree more. Nothing frustrates me more than looking over to the window as we are beginning our trek down the runway, only to see an off-white screen blocking the view, usually as the occupant of that seat has leaned back, attempting to sleep. Fuck you, man. I want to experience the rush of seeing the ground move faster and faster under us, to feel the plane rotate up into the sky, watch the ground retreat below, to enjoy the growing view of the planet below. So, yeah. Fuck you.

China was scheduled to launch an incredibly ambitious mission to the Moon a few days ago. But there was an apparent weather issue that scrubbed the launch, and now…well, now we don’t have any date scheduled except for some indication that it may not be until next year. Kind of a long weather-related hold, right? So I am sure something else is going on, and given the secrecy and reluctance to admit failures or other issues, we will never know. Kind of like the “lab-leak” theory, could be true, could not be true, but those with the actual data are not releasing it, so all we have is the speculation. But back to this mission. Chang’e 7 was/is intended to orbit the Moon, eventually sending down a landing craft that will have a host of capabilities intended to look for ice water on the Moon’s south pole. Altogether, this mission includes an orbiter, a lander, a rover, a hopper, as well as what is described as a wide range of international experiments. While we have seen all of these things in various missions, having them packed into one mission is different. And the hopper, while I have not seen any video of it…probably could find it, but too lazy right now…it seems out of some cartoon show. Hopping from one place to another on the Moon? Of course, with no atmosphere, a helicopter like Ingenuity on Mars would not work. So a rover is a natural choice, but being able to hop over obstacles? Next level. And all of this is in preparation for a planned Chinese manned visit to the Moon in four years. Locating actual water ice deposits will make a permanent manned presence on the Moon viable. And right now, I believe that the Chinese will beat us to this milestone. But first, they need to get this sucker launched.

Why can’t Trump leave Canada alone? What is it about our northern neighbor that gets under his skin? Perhaps a golf resort that was not permitted at some point in his past? Or maybe he was rejected after some attempted fling with a Canadian citizen who had better taste? Or he just doesn’t understand or appreciate the value of allies and cooperative neighbors? In any case, we are now in a trade war with one of our most trusted allies, a country with which we do a good deal of business, and one in which, if you remove our imports of Canadian oil, the US enjoys a significant trade surplus. Yes, that is right. The one commodity that makes our trade account go negative with Canada is our demand for oil. And truth be told, Trump wants to expand our imports of oil from the north. Not that I ever expected Trump to understand basic economics, but what he is doing right now is just insane and will negatively impact on the American economy for years to come, if not forever.

Most, if not all, military systems have evolved over the years to take advantage of new technologies and to incorporate lessons learned from prior experiences. Biplanes (those with double wings) made way for mono-winged planes. Propellers gave way to jet engines. Sails were replaced by diesel engines, which shared the space with nuclear-powered ships. And on and on since time immemorial. But not in Trump’s world. To a man like Trump, where everything is image and status and sleight of hand and mirrors, improvements are only valid if they fit a set aesthetic. So, even though the Navy does not need another class of battleship, Trump has ordered a new class of battleship to be named the Trump class…which will be easier when the Navy eventually sends the whole class to storage. Even though the latest technology for launching planes off of the deck of an aircraft carrier is an electromagnetic rail, Trump likes the look of steam coming off the deck (à la the “Top Gun” opening), and so he has ordered an aircraft carrier that is already being built to retrofit their launch system into a steam one. This change will cost us taxpayers a billion dollars or more…for a less efficient system. But Trump does not like magnets to begin with. He somehow got it into his head that if a magnet gets wet, it is no longer magnetic. It is stupid and just plain wrong, but no one in his orbit will tell him that he sounds like the idiot he is every time he repeats it. And, in addition, the Navy has learned over the years that the proper location of the control tower, or “the island” as it is called, is set far back and to the side. This allows better views and is a safer location. But to Trump, who must have seen too many WWII movies with that vintage carrier plowing through the waters, control tower midship, the modern versions just don’t look right. So he is trying to have that changed as well. And again, no one has the balls to look him in the eye and tell him to just sit down. The danger is not the man in the chair as much as it is those who are afraid to tell him that he has no clothes on.

Not really. No, really, do not ditch your eyeglasses. I do not need that kind of liability. But an interesting phenomenon was discussed in this video that you might be able to use in a pinch. If you are having a hard time reading something very small, try looking at it through a small hole. Pinch your fingers together to form a small opening through which you can look with one eye. You will be amazed at how crisp your vision becomes. Same thing with a small hole in a piece of paper or cardboard. The physics are simple. Watch the video if you have the time, rather short, so no real excuse. But the concept is that as our eyes invite light in, that light comes from various angles and is focused by our lenses to a point at the back of the eye. If your eye cannot adjust to guide that light to the right spot, if the focal point is either too deep or too shallow, the object will be blurry. But if you limit the source of the light, such that it comes to you through a small opening, or aperture (just to be fancy), there is less adjusting that needs to happen. So the image comes into your eye straighter, if that makes sense. And the result is kind of amazing, if your experience is the same as mine. And if it isn’t, aren’t you glad that I told you not to throw away your glasses?

A bit brief today, as I took a long hike with my dog, who is now looking for a new owner who will not make him take long hikes, and then actually had some business stuff to do. So, until the next time, stay healthy and be good to each other.

Me.