RD-180 part two

…But having mulled over the facts I have to back off of my earlier fury some. “Our side” has produced the Saturn V F-1 engines, after all. Five of these pushed astronauts and hardware all the way to the Moon. Not only did we get them back, but in succeeding missions we even sent a moon buggy to drive around the lunar surface. That in addition to the lunar lander and Apollo service craft. We made it several times, and then built the Skylab. A booster stage was used as housing for a capacious station, sent up in one flight.

Today we have the Delta-IV heavy, which can throw quite a bit of weight into orbit. There are also the solid rocket boosters which flew the shuttle, and can be re-purposed for other craft. If we ever get the Space Launch System built, that will be an enormous booster, possibly bigger even than the Saturn V. Our side has accomplished a lot too – and made mistakes, just as the Russians have.

Fair is fair. Enough of this subject. Thanks for reading.

 

RD-180

So far the fall of the once exalted,

our technological wunderkind thought
so superior in so many ways. Humbled
by a simpler engine design producing more power.

The so-called backwards industrial power of Russia

came up with a rocket technology so far ahead,
we still do not have anything like it. Even today,
the Russians have more powerful rockets than us.

Our distracted, cellphone-glued society can stay

oblivious as long as we want. But we are being
surpassed and bested on the world stage.
In a state that refuses to go along with a
national education standard, instead turning
out religious-ideological lockstep copycats...

Perhaps we deserve to be bested, lost as we are

in the illusion of our own superiority. Blinded
to the necessity of hardware and engineering hard work –
we instead disparage science and research, and follow
the cultural dictates of our new Chinese masters.
And we keep buying Russian rockets, unable to muster
the will to even design anything ourselves anymore.

Pathetic.

 

 

Disco 2000 NYC

They found a way to be free,

Partying all night and getting paid;
it was a club-funded drug spree,
For those bodies it was easy to get laid.

Outrageous costumes to outdo each other,

Cutting catty remarks their casual chat,
They forged careers out of party matter.
Sex was their first and last fringe benefit.

The “piper still had to be paid,”

skittish club owners placated,
Police scrutiny dodged or avoided,
Drug dealers paid (or laid) off.

The final outcome was predictable,

Murder and addiction took their toll;
Casual barbarism seemed despicable
From these kids dressed up as trolls.

Some clubbers used up their fame fast,

Best years spent, their lives soon crashed.

     - end

a big WTF

Robin Williams   1951 to 2014
 

How one can have everything,

be on top of their game, with
money and loved ones and fame.
Then get depressed and rob
themselves and us of it all.

What horrible thoughts,

what cruel stabbing words
or depressing circumstances
could cause him to do this?

We will never know,

since he took that to his grave;
Left  behind three unreleased movies
and decades of laughter to savor.

Your self-inflicted act was inexplicable.

Words do little justice to an untimely fall.

     - end

 

Fair Exercise

The traffic is here, crowd noise is clear,

can hear performers from far and near.
Congestion and celebration are common:
Time to get out two-wheeled transportation.

Then it is ride the scooter to work,

leave the car parked in the driveway;
Or perhaps ride the bicycle to the store,
A way to exercise and buy groceries too.

Still one must dodge pedestrians on the sidewalk,

pedal furiously to stay ahead of impatient cars.
No matter how you get here to there,
the traffic is always hectic at the fair.

At least I can safely surmise,

It is good to get the exercise.

In another week it will all be done,

Driving the car again will be fun!

     - end

Summer Reading Options

Mirror Worlds www.createspace.com/3633147

A Strange Enterprise www.createspace.com/4281639

Future Property www.createspace.com/3859469

Shadow Intersection www.createspace.com/4113022

 

- Thanks for taking a look.  Enjoy!

 

 

slipstream

Skipping across time like a rock across water,

First I'm here, then there, then somewhere else,
where the hell did this day go?

Wasn't I paying attention, or

maybe I just wanted to get through it ASAP -
Mondays are like that.

Hereby resolve to be paying close attention

to every Saturday and Sunday I have left.
Weekdays too, if they are worthwhile!

How long will this resolution last?

Don't know, I cannot remember when
I made the last one.

Time to move on.

 

 

Copy Paste Reality

Cut and paste without haste.
Saving text from one program,
copying it into another -
Good old OLE...
practically drives the Internet,
most peoples online experiences.

Want to find info on something?

Highlight it, copy it and paste
in the search box of your preferred
Web browser. You are pointed to
whatever it is you seek.

This is used countless times

each day by so many people.
A simple capability that
drives much of civilized activity.

Wish I could copy and paste

the car of my dreams to the homestead,
house of my dreams to some vacant place,
the perfect lover to couch or bed.
Perhaps someday the uber-rich can.

Copy and paste your desired perfection,

debit the appropriate account.
Copy and paste more money into the bank.
Ultimately something has to pay the price.
Somewhere, somehow, the
universe will be debited.

When something copy and pastes
our universe into another,
will we feel anything, or
wonder why our lives change so?

Probably not, and we will just keep

muddling along like the human race
always does.

     - end