Recent Posts

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21
The Roundtable / Re: What's happening with/to the VFW?
« Last post by T.O.M. on March 27, 2024, 08:18:14 PM »
Not a member.  My service doesn't qualify me for membership.  But, our local VFW sponsored our Boy Scout Troop, so I spent a lot of time there, and interacted with a lot of the members.

Gotta say that the older (Viet Nam) members were absolute aholes to a lot of the GWOT vets who joined.  No internet in the bar.  No modern music in the juke box.  Snide remarks about how easy they had it with coffee shops and such at their bases.  Not real welcoming to women vets.  No activities that appealed to vets under 40.  And, they shot down any suggestions to make the bar more appealing to the younger vets.

If that is any indication of the organization beyond this post, it's no wonder the VFW is fading away.
22
The Roundtable / Re: Bridge collapse in Baltimore
« Last post by dogmush on March 27, 2024, 08:06:24 PM »
OK sure, but again:

1. Marine diesel engines do not shut off when they lose electrical power.  They have enough battery power to keep running for a bit, and
2. The Dali was required by International Maritime Organization regulations (and US CFRs) to have an Emergency Generator that comes on line automatically within 45 sec and powers, among other things, engines, steering, and navigational equipment.

Those things are required in ship design for exactly this reason, so if you lose an SSDG you can navigate the vessel safely until power is restored.  I'm confident watching that video that the E Gen didn't come on as it was supposed to, but unless the whole thing was just an unmaintained POS (a possible scenario) this doesn't add up.  This is multiple failures in multiple non connected systems, and we still don't have an explanation as to what caused that abrupt turn to starboard right when the power came on the first time.  The internet can *expletive deleted*ck right off with "wind and current".  You don't drift in a straight line while dark ship for a full minute, then as soon as the power comes on have the current swing your bow 15*-20* in 40 secs.
23
Politics / Re: Maybe we should just start a The World Has Gone Mad thread
« Last post by Perd Hapley on March 27, 2024, 07:52:51 PM »
A not-insignificant number of Christians would be happy to have both "Easter" and eggs disassociated with the Paschal season.

I'm not necessarily against Easter eggs, but I'm not sure it would be a bad thing if non-believers stopped trying to celebrate holidays they don't believe in or don't understand. Perhaps gesture eggs would be more appropriate for those people.
24
The Roundtable / Re: Bridge collapse in Baltimore
« Last post by WLJ on March 27, 2024, 07:18:10 PM »
Hmmm

Quote
The Dali cargo ship which smashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge suffered a 'severe electrical problem' while docked in Baltimore days before, according to a port worker.

Julie Mitchell, co-administrator of Container Royalty, a company which tracks cargo, told CNN the ship was anchored at the port for at least 48 hours prior to the deadly crash.

Following the devastation, she said: 'And those two days, they were having serious power outages… they had a severe electrical problem. It was total power failure, loss of engine power, everything.'

Mitchell explained that refrigerated boxes tripped breakers on board the ship on several occasions, and mechanics had been trying to fix the issue.

She said she didn't know whether the problem had been fixed when the ship set off.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13246079/Dali-cargo-ship-suffered-severe-electrical-problem-docked-Baltimore-days-prior-bridge-collapse-crash-saw-suffer-total-power-failure-loss-engine-failure-port-worker-says.html
25
Politics / Re: A Prelude to Taxing Unrealized Income?
« Last post by AZRedhawk44 on March 27, 2024, 07:18:05 PM »
I expect to see this as cryptocurrency becomes more and more valuable, particularly if the BRICS nations follow through with using Bitcoin rather than the USD as an international trade currency.  The current President of Argentina (a Libertarian!  Take that, Peronists!) has basically shut down most of the government and is attempting to stifle horrific inflation by migrating economic activity to the US dollar, while BTC adoption as a store of wealth is picking up heavily in the private sector down there.

Bitcoin is going to hit at least $150K in 2024 (currently flexing at $70k right now, 3 weeks before a major event called "The Halving" that will begin to swell its value more), and is forecast to hit anywhere from $1 million to $4 million by 2030.  There are a lot of "HODLers" out there from early on in Bitcoin's development, and have hundreds or thousands of BTC.  More interestingly, they don't measure their wealth in terms of USD.  They measure it in how many BTC they hold.  They don't live extravagantly, and only cash out a tenth of a coin here and there to get by through the year.  It's getting to the point where they only have to cash out a few hundredths instead, and possibly a few thousandths if it comes anywhere near that $1 million forecast for 2030.

26
Politics / Re: Maybe we should just start a The World Has Gone Mad thread
« Last post by WLJ on March 27, 2024, 06:36:37 PM »
And on that note closer to home

Quote
"Easter eggs are aborted chicken babies that are painted in drag for small children to worship," .
New Jersey Democrat facing pressure to resign after mocking Easter online with drag, abortion references
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/new-jersey-democrat-facing-pressure-resign-mocking-easter-online-drag-abortion-references

27
The Roundtable / Re: Battleship Texas Rebuild 2022
« Last post by WLJ on March 27, 2024, 06:23:23 PM »
Drach is on the ship during the above

Live Drydock from a Drydock during Drydocking - Aboard USS New Jersey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSne0Co_iLs
28
Politics / Re: Wut's with all the Obama talk?
« Last post by lee n. field on March 27, 2024, 06:12:23 PM »
I keep seeing this theme in social media, about how Obama runs the Biden administration right now. It's counterproductive.

Like most on the right, I have no use for Barack Obama, and I enjoy a good Obama-bashing. That said, I've long felt (like, since 2009) that it was a mistake to spend too much time attacking him, personally. Like Bill Clinton, he's a terrible human being who's nonetheless admired and respected by a huge swath of the electorate. Vast numbers of the voting public are nostalgic for the relatively peaceful and prosperous 90s, and the Obama days before Trump ruined everything the Left decided to go ahead and burn everything down.

So it's counterproductive to keep saying Obama is running things behind the scenes. It suggests to Democrat and left-leaning voters that it's safe to vote for Biden, because they're really voting for good, ole Daddy Obama; their political dreamboat.

I always figured BHO was the frontman/tool of whatever loose or tight cabal or power group was really running things on that side of the duopoly.

29
The Roundtable / Re: Bridge collapse in Baltimore
« Last post by WLJ on March 27, 2024, 06:08:53 PM »
Nah, I blew up the original picture on a good monitor.  It's just strange shaped wreckage.  False alarm.

You had me seeing it . The power of suggestion :rofl:

But it turns out as stated above they didn't drop it.
If that article is correct of course.
30
The Roundtable / Re: Bridge collapse in Baltimore
« Last post by dogmush on March 27, 2024, 06:05:05 PM »
Nah, I blew up the original picture on a good monitor.  It's just strange shaped wreckage.  False alarm.

Blown up, I can see the Stbd Windlass under some wreckage, and clearly moved from where it should be on the deck, and I can see the Stbd anchor chain going into the mess of wreckage, but I haven't found either the anchor chain coming out of the wreckage (like the anchor was in the water) or the anchor itself.  Of course if they were dragging it when they hit the wreckage could have snapped the chain.
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