Back from Mexico

Temple of the Sun
Originally uploaded by jhf.

I got back from Mexico alive, and am beginning to upload some of the pictures I took.

Distance

Distance
Originally uploaded by jhf.

It's the 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl Meltdown, and I uploaded some old photos I took of two reactors at the Idaho National Laboratory. These are X-39s, they were part of a project to put nuclear power onto airplanes.

Secret Pentagon Spaceship?

From a thread in D&D, Aviation Week and Space Technology has an article up regarding a reusable spaceplane used by the Pentagon. From the article:

For 16 years, Aviation Week & Space Technology has investigated myriad sightings of a two-stage-to-orbit system that could place a small military spaceplane in orbit. Considerable evidence supports the existence of such a highly classified system, and top Pentagon officials have hinted that it's "out there," but iron-clad confirmation that meets AW&ST standards has remained elusive. Now facing the possibility that this innovative "Blackstar" system may have been shelved, we elected to share what we've learned about it with our readers, rather than let an intriguing technological breakthrough vanish into "black world" history, known to only a few insiders. U.S. intelligence agencies may have quietly mothballed a highly classified two-stage-to-orbit spaceplane system designed in the 1980s for reconnaissance, satellite-insertion and, possibly, weapons delivery. It could be a victim of shrinking federal budgets strained by war costs, or it may not have met performance or operational goals.

Oh god I am moving to Australia now

These Aussies build RC boats, arm them with air powered cannons and blow up others in an organized league.
Christ, this is the best hobby ever.

Whistler

I'm up in Whistler until Saturday night, in case anyone is wondering where I am.
Today I took a group lesson to get rid of all the bad habits I've invented this season. I think tomorrow and the rest of the week I'm going to be soloing various black runs, and if the weather is good enough I'll go down the Blackcomb glacier. If I'm feeling pumped/suicidal I might take a double black, but probably not.
Free wifi in hotels is awesome, I'm sitting on the couch browsing the sites I normally vist and posting on the Something Awful forums.

Rube Goldberg in Half Life

I finally got around to installing Steam and the Half Life 2 demo. While browsing a thread in SA, I came across a link to this google video done in HL2 with Garry's mod. It is a massive system of exploding barrels and flying girders that culminate with a ball crushing a headcrab zombie.

Fuck.

Check out this map of where nukes are targeted in Washington State. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but in an attack I'm going east.