One-time long-distance walker; now slow triathlete. Loves life, engineering, and wandering slowly around the country.
Joined April 2022
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In "Just because you can, doesn't mean you should" news:
"JUST IN: A California space startup has illuminated a section of desert near Mount Whitney at night, demonstrating how future satellites could deliver sunlight to Earth on demand."
xitter.cf/outerspacetoday/status…
JUST IN: A California space startup has illuminated a section of desert near Mount Whitney at night, demonstrating how future satellites could deliver sunlight to Earth on demand.
Reflect Orbital conducted the October 10 test using powerful ground-based spotlights to simulate sunlight redirected from orbit by large reflective mirrors.
Working with China Lake Mountain Rescue, the company illuminated terrain across roughly three miles, allowing rescue teams to conduct nighttime searches, stretcher carries and other emergency-response exercises.
Reflect Orbital ultimately wants to deploy satellites capable of directing sunlight toward specific areas on Earth after sunset, potentially supporting emergency operations and extending electricity generation at solar farms.
The company received FCC authorization in July for its first experimental satellite, Eärendil-1, which will use an 18-meter reflector to test the concept from orbit.
The October demonstration used ground-based lighting. No orbital mirror has yet demonstrated the proposed capability.
So I've booked my first two triathlons for next year: Holkham Middle (a 70.3 race), and T100 London.
My aim is to do three middle-distance races, and the third (actually, the first) will probably be a ATW Events race in May. Each should have unique challenges.
#Triathlon
Well, what a race that was. Congrats to Taylor Knibb and Vincent Luis; both worthy champions.
And commiserations to Magnus Ditlev and Solveig Løvseth, both of whom faded in the last few miles (in Solveig's case, the last km).
Everyone taking part are Iron.
#triathlon
And it's Ironman World Championship time!
Good luck to everyone taking part in Kona!
youtube.com/watch?v=tbph-vLJ…
#triathlon
I've been having a bit of hassle from my bad ankle, but we went out this morning to do a local park run. After 1k, on an uphill stretch, my ankle ached enough that I was run-limping for 1k.
I got my fastest-ever 5k: 23min 56s.
Perhaps I should be in pain more often...
For the first time in over a year I'm relatively injury-free, but the end of the season, coughs, colds and niggles have made the miles difficult.
But after a terrible day yesterday where I barely managed a 5k run, today I did a 70km Zwift ride followed by a 10k run.
#triathlon
David Cotton retweeted
A reporter asked JD Vance about the widow of fallen airman Alex, she’s struggling to get benefits because the conflict hasn’t been “officially declared a war.” She’s got three young kids.
Vance didn’t spin it. Didn’t dodge it.
He asked for her private contact info and said the White House would reach out as soon as the briefing ended to make sure she gets everything she’s entitled to.
His message to her: we love you. We’re grateful for the sacrifice. We take very seriously our commitment to get you what you need.
That’s how you treat the family of a man who died serving this country. Fix it. Don’t bury it in paperwork.
Here's a hot take: universities and companies should hire people without degrees. Because when someone says: "I have no degree," they're not lying...
My 70.2 triathlon last week had the swim cancelled and replaced with a run, making it a duathlon.
So I booked another 70.3 for next Saturday, 13 days later. 13 days is not much recovery (or taper...) time, but it is doable.
Then yesterday I fall whilst running and bang myself up.
RIP Jamie Urquhart, co-developer of the ARM chip and cofounder of ARM. A British boffin who quietly changed the world with little fanfare.
businessweekly.co.uk/posts/j…
Many politicians fought during WW1. 264 parliamentarians and 323 Lords fought in WW1. 46 MPs or Lords were killed in action.
The experiences of the survivors must have had a massive impact on politics in the late 1930s.
parliament.uk/globalassets/d…
Right. Andy Burnham.
Instinctively, I don't like him over the Stafford scandal, and the way he handled the aftermath.
But he's now PM, and I'll give him a chance. From my perspective, the slate is wiped clean. I hope he had learnt lessons and uses the opportunity well.
Congratulations to Josh Kerr for breaking the mile record which has stood since 1999.
3 minutes 42 seconds is an amazing time; and the record's back with Britain!
bbc.co.uk/sport/athletics/ar…
RIP Bonnie Tyler.
One of the voices of my childhood.
Unfortunately when I think of her nowadays, I invariably think of the literal version of 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'...
youtube.com/watch?v=fsgWUq0f…
The interesting thing about Kimi Antonelli's success is that few seem to be upset, and not many people are dissing him online. His success seems genuinely well-received.
I cannot remember the last time that happened.
So a man who was twice rejected for party leader whilst in opposition, may now become PM because no-one else will stand up to him.
This will not end well.
Remember another mayor with leadership ambitions who undermined the PM and arranged a safe seat?
Is Burnham Johnson redux?
If Twitter really believes in free speech, the algorithmic Gods should downplay any tweets where the owners restrict who can reply to them.
Push them to fewer users; perhaps only the ones who can reply.
For some reason, when I see the headline: "'Residents of Romanian city hit by drone share fears"
my mind autocorrects 'Romanian' to 'Romulan'.
Which is probably a very different story...
had just been, a bright fireball. ... A terrible purple-black mushroom cloud, so familiar from the pictures from the textbook on weapons of mass destruction. The steppe began to rock and the air began to shake, and all of the soldiers and officers froze. " (2)
from the launch pad. " " We arrived at the fueling station and were horrified-the windows and doors were smashed out. the iron entrance gate was askew. the equipment was scattered about with the light of dawn and was turned to stone-the steppe was literally strewn with dead (6)
animals and birds. Where so many of them came from and how they appeared in such quantities at the station I still do not understand."
About the N1 explosion, from the excellent:
russianspaceweb.com/n1_5l.ht…