Sci-Fi Art
Asides
Spooky Spiral Spawned by SpaceX Rocket Launch Sparks Alien Speculation
A sizeable spiral that appeared in the night sky over Britain and parts of Europe sparked alien speculation among some awestruck observers, though the wondrous sight wound up having a terrestrial origin. The huge blue illumination was reportedly seen by countless witnesses on Monday night as it slowly formed overhead and vanished after a few minutes. Unsurprisingly, social media was soon flooded with photos and videos of the spellbinding spiral with many wondering if the eerie whirlpool of light was otherworldly in nature.
Fortunately, fears of an impending alien invasion were soon assuaged by authorities and scientists who indicated that the spiral was no cause for alarm. Specifically, it was explained that the weird whirlpool came from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that had taken to the sky earlier in the day. While such sights have become more commonplace with the increase in private space launches in recent years, much like Starlink satellites they continue to befuddle those on the ground who have yet to get the proverbial memo about the source of the odd aerial scenes.
Christopher Walken’s House of Pantaloons
Kevin Pollak impersonating Mr. Walken
Remote Antarctic base staff send plea for help due to ‘disturbed’ colleague
The Sanae IV research facility. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 3.0 Dr Ross Hofmeyr
An e-mail sent from the base describes a ‘threat’ from within in the form of a staff member who threatened to kill another.It almost sounds like something from classic science-fiction horror movie The Thing, but the circumstances surrounding a recent cry for help from the staff of the remote Sanae IV Antarctic research facility appear to be very much the real deal.
Situated 100 miles south of Antarctica’s ice shelf, the facility – which is manned by a ten-man South African research team – is about as remote as it gets.
To make matters worse, the Antarctic winter is about to close in and the current team stationed there is not due to be rotated out until December.
The alarm was raised recently when an e-mail was sent calling for “immediate action” due to a member of the team who had been acting in a hostile and threatening manner.
“Regrettably, [his] behavior has escalated to a point that is deeply disturbing,” the email states.
“Specifically, he physically assaulted [name withheld], which is a grave violation of personal safety and workplace norms.”
“Furthermore, he threatened to kill [name withheld], creating an environment of fear and intimidation. I remain deeply concerned about my own safety, constantly wondering if I might become the next victim.”
“It is imperative that immediate action is taken to ensure my safety and the safety of all employees.”
Authorities in South Africa are now understood to be weighing up options.
“A full investigation is currently being commissioned and the department will act accordingly in relation to any wrong conduct against any official that has misconducted themselves,” said a spokesperson for the department of forestry, fisheries and the environment.
Certainly, being trapped in a remote Antarctic base with someone who you think might attack you at any moment must be a harrowing experience to say the least.
Exactly what will be done about the situation, however, remains unclear.
Vintage Ads from Decades Past
Pepsi from the early sixties, bikini clad women always garner attention, eh.
1969
McDonald’s 1964
1965
1963
Who the hell is Midge?
1962
German toy ad 1963
Swimsuit ad 1953
1953
Early 1970’s, they would wear anything back then!
1943
Diaper change after every 3 swigs?
Lets get them Boy Scouts hammered!
Space Force’s Secret Plane Returns After More Than a Year in Orbit
The X-37B Space Plane. (NASA)
The X-37B is a reusable robotic space plane operated by the US Space Force. It resembles a miniature space shuttle at just under 9 metres long with a 4.5 metre wingspan and is an uncrewed vehicle designed for long-duration missions in low Earth orbit.
The craft launches vertically atop a rocket, lands horizontally like a conventional aircraft and serves as a testbed for new technologies and experiments that can be returned to Earth for analysis.
It’s development was a collaborative effort between NASA, Boeing, and the US Department of Defence. It was originally conceived by NASA in the late 1990s to explore reusable spaceplane technologies but transitioned to the US Air Force in 2004 for military purposes.
The X-37B mission profiles remain classified but the Space Force acknowledges that it conducts experiments related to advanced guidance systems, thermal protection materials, autonomous orbital operations, and various payloads for the Department of Defence and NASA.
Since its first launch in 2010, the X-37B has now completed seven successful missions, extending its mission length with each flight and demonstrating amazing versatility for technology development.
Landing at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California earlier this week , the X-37B showed how it can launch quickly and recover systems from various locations.
This 7th mission also marked the first time it was launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket into a Highly Elliptical Orbit. It’s an impressive fact that the Falcon has the capacity to launch ten, yes ten, of the X-37B planes at once!
During this mission, just one was launched and it conducted numerous tests and experiments to demonstrate its advanced manoeuvring abilities (having demonstrated its aerobraking manoeuvre – using atmospheric drag over multiple passes to adjust orbit with minimal fuel burn) and enhance understanding of the space domain through space domain awareness technology.
It means that the space plane can detect and track objects in space making it useful for satellite and space debris monitoring and identification of potential threats to other objects in orbit.
The awareness of the space domain and the technology that enables this capability enhances the Space Force’s understanding of the space environment which is vital for operating in an increasingly crowded region of space.
After performing its aerobraking manoeuvre to enter Low Earth Orbit, the mission completed its objectives and safely returned to Earth. Lt. Col. Blaine Stewart praised Mission 7’s achievements, highlighting its contributions to advancing the X-37B program.
The Big Glorious Steamers
I heard the sounds of locomotion
and a whistle’s plaintive cry
of weakness, but the wheels were turning.
Steel on steel the sole reply.
The sounds of force accelerating
rhythmically as drums would play
recalled a light and tender time,
though made of steel the permanent way,
when near a depot long abandoned,
waiting for a passing train,
a child would sit alone for hours
just to hear the steel refrain.
I heard the sounds of locomotion
carrying a longing man
with freight and cargo to a place that
rails of steel alone could span.
“I looked out of the train,
And I suddenly saw the empty station
As we hurtled through, with a hollow roar . . .
‘Harviston End’ . . . It was dark and dead”
A quiet hymn to all that we’ve lost. It’s all here, the sights, sounds and smells of a country station about to close. I’ve searched my railway book shelves to see if Harviston End existed, but it appears not. But the word ‘end’ in the title goes much further than the white-pebbled station name.
I took a freight train to be my friend, O lord,
You know I hoboed, hoboed, hoboed,
Hoboed a long long way from home, O lord,
The Cincinnatian, Baltimore and Ohio steam locomotive 1956.
Belgium Atlantic Class steam locomotive, built 1939 Brussels to Ostend run.
The Mallard. World’s fastest steam locomotive timed at 125 miles per hour, Doncaster, England.
Virginia coal train
Durango Silverton line Colorado
How Did Nicolas Cage Blow Through A $150 Million Dollar Fortune
I always liked Nick Cage as an actor. ‘Raising Arizona’ got me hooked, very funny movie. But how did this guy waste so much money?
One person who definitely knows what it feels like to owe a little bit of money to Uncle Sam is Nicolas Cage. Nick is unfortunately one of dozens of high profile celebrities who happen to be way better at acting or throwing a ball than they are at taking care of their personal finances. After years of extravagant over-spending, not only did Nicolas find himself owing the IRS $13 million, but he also managed to blow through a $100 million fortune. How, in the name of ZEUS’ BUTTHOLE, did this happen?
I have to admit, Nicolas Cage is probably my favorite actor of all time. The Rock, Lord of War, Con Air, National Treasure, Raising Arizona, Leaving Las Vegas, Face/Off, Snake Eyes… I celebrate the man’s entire catalog. I realize that some of Nick’s movies can be perceived as slightly cheesy or even flat out bad, but you have to admit his movies are rarely dull. At the peak of his career, Nick was one of the highest paid celebrities in the world who pulled down as much as $40 million per year. Between 1996 and 2011 Nick earned more than $150 million from acting alone. He earned $16 million for Snake Eyes, $20 million for Gone in Sixty Seconds, $20 million for Windtalkers, $20 million for National Treasure… just to name a few.
Nick Cage’s $1 Million Ferrari Enzo
Not surprisingly, as his income went up so did his spending habits. Actually, to be fair, as his income increased Nick’s spending habits SKYROCKETED. Between 2000 and 2007 Nick went on a spending spree that would make the Sultan of Brunei blush. During that time Cage made the following purchases:
15 Personal Homes: Cage’s property portfolio included an $8 million castle in England that he plunged millions more into remodeling. He never spent a single night in the castle. He also bought a second castle in Bavaria, two multi-million dollar mansions in New Orleans, a $17.5 million palace in Bel Air, a $10 million Malibu beach house, a 24,000 square foot home in Rhode Island, a mansion in Las Vegas and a getaway property on Paradise Island in the Bahamas.
Bel Air mansion
A Private Island: Apparently having a house on Paradise Island didn’t fill Nick’s penchant for the Bahamas because in 2006 he spent $7 million on a 40 acre private island 85 miles south of Nassau.
Four Luxury Yachts: Cage at one time owned four luxury yachts including one called Sarita that had 12 master bedrooms that was valued at $20 million.
A Fleet of Exotic Cars: At its peak, Nick Cage’s garage contained dozens of high end luxury vehicles including nine Rolls Royces. He owned an extremely rare $500 thousand Lamborghini and a $1 million Ferrari Enzo, one of only 349 produced. Cage also owned 30 motorcycles.
A $30 Million Gulfstream Private Jet
Other: Nearly 50 expensive works of art, dozens of jewels, a 67 million year old dinosaur skull, two extremely rare albino King Cobras.
When you total everything up, it becomes pretty clear that Nick was living well beyond his means even for a guy who makes $40 million a year. To make matters worse, while he was spending money like there was no tomorrow, Nick wasn’t paying his taxes. By 2009, his unpaid tax bill and penalties totaled more than $13 million! Nick immediately began attempting to dump as many of his assets as possible, starting with the houses. It didn’t help that 2009 was quite possibly the worst time in the last 100 years to try and sell a house in a pinch.
The good news is that Nick is still a bankable Hollywood star. In 2013 alone Nick has starred in several big budget films. He also sold his prized Action Comics #1 for a record setting $2.16 million. Hopefully Nick can churn out a few decent movies, pay down his debts and move on with his life. Fortunately, agent Stanley Goodspeed loves pressure. He eats it for breakfast.
Now worth around $40 million (as of September 2024), Cage is reportedly “taking [film] roles left and right” in order to pay off his remaining debts.
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