Off topic galore

[wdolson]

No. France had riots because the French government prevented the parliament from voting the pension law even though it is opposed by more than 95% of working-age people. The prime minister admitted they couldn't get l'Assemblée Nationale to approve the text. The government forced both chambers to accept the text as is (49.3) or to make the government resign (which they didn't, as it would give Macron a good chance to dissolve the parliament).

Before 49.3, people were just going on strike and peacefully demonstrating. The government force it through, and that's when people got pissed. Police got extremely repressive and the ministry of Interior lies shamelessly about the violence. 53% say they won't consider joining the demonstration because of police violence (source).

The crisis isn't about the social conflict, but how authoritarian the regime has become.

I was inaccurate about the root cause of the riots, but my overarching point is still there.

My point was about people in democracies around the world distrusting their governments. In some cases it's justified, in others it may not be. The riots in France are more on the justified end of the scale (due to actual actions the government took), but it stems from people not being happy with what they believe the government is doing.

In other places people have taken action against the government based more on lies they were told, or vast exaggerations of the truth, but it all comes back to the government and the people having an adversarial relationship and this has been on the rise the last 40 years.

 

[Favguy]

I've never understood the logic in the US. Government is corrupt. We do not like it. So we will put known ultra corrupt people in power. It simply does not make sense.

When you bring up this reaction, using governmental corruption to put ever more corrupt people in office in retaliation, to those that are doing it and justifying their actions they just look back with a blank stare. I simply point out that our government accurately reflects who and what we are at this point in our nation's history and, as you have pointed out, a mirror is the very best place to start if you are truly concerned about the problem.

There is another problem when people like MTG can bank a net worth like she has adding little to no value. It is just another indication of who and what we are and of what we value. I was struck in my younger years working abroad how my European friends viewed the US as money grubbing people. I've grown to appreciate the observation. I bring all of this up here as the US' problems are most certainly not lost on Russia and their focus continues to be to exploit this and other weaknesses.

It's easy to understand. It's the age old 20/80 rule. You can use it with almost everything in life and it works here very well also. 80% of people are pretty stupid, I know I'll get lots of disagrees for this, but it's just a fact. So it's not too difficult to manipulate a lot of this 80% to vote/act against their own interests by making them scared and/or angry. "Hey 80%, are a lot of you sick and tired of Big Government and their corruption? Yes you say?" "Well here you go, this guy will get rid of all that for you..." Then they proceed to vote in to power literally one of the most uncaring, corrupt, 100% self serving, career criminal, con artist, incompetent, psychopathic, human beings to ever to walk the earth!

 

[SwedishAdvocate]

It's easy to understand. It's the age old 20/80 rule. You can use it with almost everything in life and it works here very well also. 80% of people are pretty stupid, I know I'll get lots of disagrees for this, but it's just a fact. So it's not too difficult to manipulate a lot of this 80% to vote/act against their own interests by making them scared and/or angry. "Hey 80%, are a lot of you sick and tired of Big Government and their corruption? Yes you say?" "Well here you go, this guy will get rid of all that for you..." Then they proceed to vote in to power literally one of the most uncaring, corrupt, 100% self serving, career criminal, con artist, incompetent, psychopathic, human beings to ever to walk the earth!

There are a couple of ways one could improve on an imperfect system.

1) Don't have something that is effectively a two-party system.
2) Make sure you have a system that requires that the winning candidate and/or policy is supported by at least 50,01% of those entitled to vote...

But the last time this was discussed in this thread there seemed to be quite a few that opposed 1 and/or 2 above... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[mongo]

I can guarantee it won’t be the one I get! Just the law of averages

Time to introduce service center pre-delivery pack upgrades then.

 

[Artful Dodger]

So I did 15-min of aqua-jogging this morning @ 75% max. H.R. and I feel wonderful now. Imma make pancakes for breakfast... just as soon as I can stand up.

Cheers to the Aquanauts!

 

[Ogre]

Good news is Musk will be on stage again with the millions of eyeballs watching in 2 months or so with a new bigger, burlier launch pad designed to withstand the forces of SpaceX’s next completely boring and pointless launch which will have absolutely zero halo effect on the public’s perception of Musk or Tesla at all.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649523985837686784

 

[2daMoon]

Good news is Musk will be on stage again with the millions of eyeballs watching in 2 months or so with a new bigger, burlier launch pad designed to withstand the forces of SpaceX’s next completely boring and pointless launch which will have absolutely zero halo effect on the public’s perception of Musk or Tesla at all.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1649523985837686784

For context, Starship left a crater below the launch mount big enough to swallow several Tesla cars.

 

[Ogre]

For context, Starship left a crater big enough to swallow several Tesla cars.

Saw that. Also destroyed a mini-van blasting concrete at the speed of sound. That rebar looks like cotton candy and had about as much chance resisting the launch.

 

[kbeckley]

For context, Starship left a crater below the launch mount big enough to swallow several Tesla cars.

Obvious joke is that the Boring company and Spacex have been joined.

 

[GOVA]

Three things going into the weekend:

Tesla tells/reveals absolute minimum to WS during the calls. There are plenty of good things we don't know about.

Many people still seem to think that Elon owns them something.

I've been shocked that SpaceX has had this kind of low altitude launch pad which obliterated everything. Because of Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The pit there seem to go down about 250 feet into a water pool.

 

[mongo]

Three things going into the weekend:

Tesla tells/reveals absolute minimum to WS during the calls. There are plenty of good things we don't know about.

Many people still seem to think that Elon owns them something.

I've been shocked that SpaceX has had this kind of low altitude launch pad which obliterated everything. Because of Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The pit there seem to go down about 250 feet into a water pool.
View attachment 930692

Baikonur is 295ft above sea level.
Boca Chica is 3.
Even though the launch area is built up, you can see groundwater in the OLM crater.

 

[bkp_duke]

Three things going into the weekend:

Tesla tells/reveals absolute minimum to WS during the calls. There are plenty of good things we don't know about.

Many people still seem to think that Elon owns them something.

I've been shocked that SpaceX has had this kind of low altitude launch pad which obliterated everything. Because of Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The pit there seem to go down about 250 feet into a water pool.
View attachment 930692

The launchpad is that way by design. Elon said in 2020 it might be a mistake, but it's on purpose because places Starship will land likely won't have a full blown launch pad, etc. for redirection of thruster exhaust, water splash cooling, etc.

Probably going to have to rethink this now, at least with booster launches.

 

[unk45]

Three things going into the weekend:

Tesla tells/reveals absolute minimum to WS during the calls. There are plenty of good things we don't know about.

Many people still seem to think that Elon owns them something.

I've been shocked that SpaceX has had this kind of low altitude launch pad which obliterated everything. Because of Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The pit there seem to go down about 250 feet into a water pool.
View attachment 930692

FWIW Kazakstan repossessed a substantial part of Baikonur last month:
On March 7, 2023, the Kazakh government seized control of the Baiterek launch complex, one of the launch sites at Baikonur Cosmodrome, banning numerous Russian officials from leaving the country and preventing the liquidation of assets by Roscosmos. One of the reasons for the seizure was due to Russia failing to pay their debts to the Kazakh government. The seizure comes after Russia's relations with Kazakhstan became tense due to the ongoing war in Ukraine

 

[phoggy123]

The launchpad is that way by design. Elon said in 2020 it might be a mistake, but it's on purpose because places Starship will land likely won't have a full blown launch pad, etc. for redirection of thruster exhaust, water splash cooling, etc.

Probably going to have to rethink this now, at least with booster launches.

Me being a rocket expert having watched The Martian (featuring Matt Damen) multiple times, it requires less thrust to leave mars given the lack of atmosphere, so we can conclude a lesser launchpad will be sufficient. Something to think about....

 

[bkp_duke]

Me being a rocket expert having watched The Martian (featuring Matt Damen) multiple times, it requires less thrust to leave mars given the lack of atmosphere, so we can conclude a lesser launchpad will be sufficient. Something to think about....

Yes, I am aware of this.

I was simply reporting what Musk himself said in 2020.

 

[2daMoon]

Me being a rocket expert having watched The Martian (featuring Matt Damen) multiple times, it requires less thrust to leave mars given the lack of atmosphere, so we can conclude a lesser launchpad will be sufficient. Something to think about....

That, and, um, no booster needed for Mars or Luna.

3 Raptors at launch instead of 32 will be significantly less of an issue.

 

[Webeevdrivers]

Only in a non public release for now, coming soonTM to public versions if you believe the rumors.

Thanks.

 

[phoggy123]

That, and, um, no booster needed for Mars or Luna.

3 Raptors at launch instead of 32 will be significantly less of an issue.

You guys crack me up, I thought I couldn't be anymore ridiculous with my racketeering background and you take me serious!!!!

 

[2daMoon]

You guys crack me up, I thought I couldn't be anymore ridiculous with my racketeering background and you take me serious!!!!

Oops!

 

[betstarship]

Back: I took a few days off and just realized something.

Q - How quickly did it take Starbase to be built up as a legitimate town/city? Looks like a decade from initial concept?

How quickly could it be replicated en masse?