Category Archives: Texana

Happy Berth Day

Posted on March 13, 2013 | Comments Off on Happy Berth Day

The Dragon robot spacecraft docked (or berthed) with the International Space Station since Sunday morning March 3rd, which owner Space X (which tests its rocket engines just up the road from the rancho) trumpeted in its news release as being “thrilled to bring this capability back to the United States.”

The Russians, of course, have doing automated resupply to the ISS for some years, though the Dragon supposedly will be able to return lots more stuff when it recapitulates the old ocean splashdown routine last seen in the Apollo days, March 25 off Baja, California.

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Posted in Science/Engineering, Space, Texana

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Grasshopper’s latest leap

Posted on March 12, 2013 | Comments Off on Grasshopper’s latest leap

SpaceX seems determined to develop a vertical takeoff and landing space rocket system, just like the ones in the old science fiction stories and movies.

In its latest test, just up the road from the rancho (note the ubiquitous Texas water tower), their Grasshopper rose to 80 meters on a tail of chemical flame, hovered for about 30 seconds, and then made a safe controlled landing. The controlled landing is the important part.

Here’s their good video of the event, set to the tune of an old Johnny Cash favorite. Note the cowboy-hatted figure on the base of the rocket, before the launch and after the landing, meant to represent Cash. Fire-proof, no doubt. Faster, please.

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Posted in Rancho Roly Poly, Science/Engineering, Space, Texana

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Yesterday’s global cooling

Posted on March 4, 2013 | Comments Off on Yesterday’s global cooling

The pols like to keep the little people agitated with one scare or another—see the Boy Emperor’s current gun control campaign which has no chance of becoming law—because it helps keep the snooze media busy while hiding the thieving they’re actually, uh, spending their time and our money on.

The Texas Legislature does it every biennium with some threat of, say, new regulations for abortion (the snooze media backs abortion, you see).

Hence global warming/climate change’s little-remembered antecedent: global cooling leading to an imminent Ice Age. Ah, but these are scientists who preach this stuff, you say? Not really, they’re politicos with science degrees who depend on federal funding to keep their university jobs. And who controls the funding? Congratulations. Now you’re catching on.

Via Powerline, which has a neat video clip showing one “activist” who lately has preached warming actually preaching cooling way back when. Gotta love the Internet.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Obsessions, Science/Engineering, Texana, Weather/Climate

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In which I join the LOCO

Posted on February 28, 2013 | Comments Off on In which I join the LOCO

Last night I officially (if there is such a thing) joined Austin’s Local On-Call Orchestra, a pickup group of fiddlers sometimes joined by a banjo, mandolin, guitar or even a double bass.

LOCO plays every Wednesday at the Hancock Rec Center on East 41st Street for fifty or so impromptu contra dancers (a traditional line dance that’s sort of square dancing without the square) who rely on the rhythm of old timey tunes like Red Wing, Whiskey Before Breakfast, and Liberty.

Some of last night’s pickup fiddlers were much better than me and consequently played a lot faster (around 112 beats per minute) than I can (more like 60 bpm), so I followed my teacher’s instructions to just play chords, “chunk” the rhythm on the key string (most everything was played in G, D, or A), even improvised a little. I was able to play the two waltzes at the end of the evening.

The dancers rely on the rhythm. They applauded the players at the end of a tune (looped repeatedly for about ten minutes) but otherwise ignored us. So there was no audience pressure as such. I doubt they heard the notes at all, though some of the fiddle players were quite good and helped us beginners sound not-too-shabby. It was a lot of fun. I will go back next week.

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Posted in Music, Scribbles, Texana

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Strange Search Engine Queries

Posted on February 28, 2013 | Comments Off on Strange Search Engine Queries

An idea cribbed from Dustbury, though we do not get near as many weird ones here at Rancho Roly Poly as he does at the Bandwidth Wastage Station:

Unusual water towers Why, yes, indeedy, we have a few of those right cheer.

Sugey Abrago is not chubby. Nope. We would have to agree wholeheartedly with that. And in addition to having a really charming pair of buttocks, she gives a dandy weather report for the caballeros, as well.

Fight level 390. Which just goes to show you how far Google will go to correct what you type. Bless ’em.

Known Chinese submarine bases. Hmm. Ain’t no hackers around here, so the Chinese navy should please go pull a denial-of-service on the Pentagon. Please.

Breanne Ashley nude. Our shameless attempt to game the system seems to have worked. But we still avoid nude at this here family blog.

Mexican de haviland dh-4. We see the old rumors of a Free Mexican Air Force are persisting, even if the inventory is about 94 years out of date.

Christine McLoughlin ks schlage. We’ve polled the membership and we agree that we’re not sure what a ks schlage is, but we here at the Scribbler definitely are not guilty of doing one like it to Christine.

How to build a model of the Alamo. Well, we had it around here somewhere but it seems to be, uh, lost. Perhaps the exterior plans will do.

Miles Austin girlfriend 2013. This has been a perennial draw for we don’t know how long. And we still don’t have a pix or notice or whatever of her. Does he even have a girlfriend? Maybe he’s, uh, well, you know…

Rhonda Rousey feet. As a matter of fact, we have never seen Rhonda’s feet. We’re not even sure whether she has feet or wheels. Will the rest of her do?

Whoopi Goldberg nude. Not a chance. Not no how. Not never.

Scribbling empty headed random… mindless snooze of an a ecuse. We agree. That does seem to account for a lot of what you can read hereabouts. Ecuses and all. And Google agrees, as well, for as you can see they gave us the No. 1 hit on this query.

Long sheng for men ereksiyon. Now that you mention it.

cache:zgzural18rqj:texasscribb…13/02/10/rule-5-jordan-carver/ We are very happy to announce that Ms Carver has, indeed, replaced our former Rule 5 hit Alizee as the No. 1 cheesecake draw. Although Alizee ain’t bad.

bone pinewood derby car. This is the cannibal version, we guess.

Who sang the song “Goodby, Texas, Hello Mexico”? Another poll, another blank. We know we used to know the answer, but we have forgotten.

Alizee nose job. Thanks for the chuckle, but if any of her parts have been remodeled, we doubt it was the nose.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Rule 5, Scribbles, Site building, Texana

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Vice President Stupid does it again

Posted on February 24, 2013 | Comments Off on Vice President Stupid does it again

Joey Hairplugs, who seems to live for sounding like a tough guy, epitomizes Cactus Jack Garner’s famous remark that the vice presidency isn’t worth a pitcher of warm spit.

But when it comes to firearms advice, Slow Joe is an actual moron who advises Americans to break the law and injure their neighbors by firing shotguns in the air to ward off burglars. Or as the NRA puts it “As often as he puts his foot in his mouth, it’s a wonder Vice-President Joe Biden can walk.”

Oh, I don’t think he walks. He may not remember how. He”s been sucking on the federal teat his whole life and very probably only rides, in limos at our tax expense.

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Posted in Guns, Obamalot, Texana

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Wind and solar mean burning trees and smog

Posted on February 6, 2013 | Comments Off on Wind and solar mean burning trees and smog

Reliance on wind and solar, both heavily subsidized by tax money but still undependable and ruinously expensive for consumers, is denuding parks in Germany and Greece and creating air pollution.

“Both countries are reporting that trees are disappearing from forests and parks as ‘impoverished residents, too broke to pay for electricity or fuel, turn to fireplaces and wood stoves for heat.’

“In Germany, Der Spiegel blames high energy costs for a rise in tree thefts and wood-burning stove purchases: ‘Germans bought 400,000 such stoves in 2011, the German magazine FOCUS reported this week. It marks the continuation of a trend: The number of Germans buying heating devices that burn wood and coal has grown steadily since 2005.’

“Similarly, the Wall Street Journal reports that in Greece: ‘As winter temperatures bite, that trend is dealing a serious blow to the environment, as hillsides are denuded of timber and smog from fires clouds the air in Athens and other cities, posing risks to public health.'”

We can expect these trends to come to the USA when King Putz and his Progressive and Green cronies get finished banning coal-fired power plants, thereby significantly raising the price of electricity.

Smog and denuded parks, coming to a town near you. Fortunately, here in Centex, we have plenty of mesquite to burn. A more or less endless supply, but the air won’t be so breathable anymore.

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Posted in Obamalot, Science/Engineering, Texana, The Economy, Weather/Climate

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