TRENTON – “Drastic times call for drastic measures”, explained Governor Phil Murphy at a press conference held Friday. The controversial proposal calls for the first very foreign aid program whereby scientists and engineers of the former Third Reich will be tasked with countering the sudden influx of mystery drones targeting the Garden State. “First off, let’s not use the other N-word. Operation Paperclip and NASA set the precedent for this over 50 years ago. And yes, while the existence of a German colony on the dark side of the moon may come as a shock to many, is it really that hard to believe? How many of you knew that the first man-made object to reach outer space was a German V2 rocket in 1944?”
“We will be most happy to share the fruits of our secret labors”, said Raumfahrerfuehrer Siegfried Wagner von Ulm in a radio interview with NPR’s science correspondent Joanna Gambolputty. “If nothing else, it relieves the tedium of life that we have endured for 80 years. It is extremely difficult to brew decent beer or make good sausage up there. And no visitors either except for the occasional wayward cosmonaut, though the fresh DNA from the ova of the female ones was certainly appreciated. We waited in silence for the right time to return, but unfortunately, our politics only became less popular with the passage of time. Even so, perhaps we can redeem ourselves by displaying our technological prowess. It has only grown since the days of the so-called Wonder Weapons.”
Von Ulm went on to explain the technical details of his people’s moon habitat, which includes various schools, laboratories, workshops, mines, power plants, and refineries. As a result, he has been swamped with requests from millions of science fiction fans and aspiring astronauts for permission to immigrate to the Dunkelmondlandberg, as the colony calls itself. However, von Ulm said they can only afford to integrate those of superior intellectual and physical qualities, though they would welcome deliveries of cargo, such as schnapps, cheese, and pretzels, that might help them return to earth. “We would be more than happy to turn our base over to NASA other space explorers in exchange for citizenship and help in adjusting back to life with normal gravity.”
In the meantime, the lunar Germans have promised to assist from afar. “We have, of course, been monitoring broadcasts from earth and so are aware of such concepts as ‘work from home’, ‘remote work’, ‘coffee badging’, etc. This we will continue with respect to the drone problem until we can finish a suitable re-entry spaceship ferry apparatus. I expect it to proceed at a much faster pace than the construction of our Außerordentlichehochgeschwindigkeitselektronenentwickelndesschwerarbeitsbeigollitron. That was spearheaded by the esteemed professor Johann Jakob Jingleheimerschmidt. Furthermore, we note with both surprise and concern that your educational system is so dysfunctional that you must reach out to such a backwater as ours to find engineering talent. I have been told that this situation has been normal for some time and that you even have a special visa program to act as an antidote.”
There have been protests both for and against the Mondvolk, as they like to call themselves, with supporters eager to learn their secrets of space survival and opponents going so far as to say they should be exterminated preemptively because of their superior technology and historically aggressive nature. However, the ACLU and SPLC have stated that should the spacemen land in Mexico and cross the southern border, they should be considered undocumented immigrants and be free to display their swastika flags while parading in Skokie just like other Illinois Nazis.
Moon Nazis!
🙂
Moon Nazis and space blimps!
Derpy, you have made me very happy.
“Außerordentlichehochgeschwindigkeitselektronenentwickelndesschwerarbeitsbeigollitron”
I’m at a loss for words.
I’m never playing Scrabble with Derpy.
Is there even a German version of Scrabble?
I know there’s a French one, because one of the champions doesn’t speak the language and just memorized the list of acceptable words.
Which, come to think of it, would be a way of keeping the allowable German words under control.
https://wordfinder.yourdictionary.com/blog/german-scrabble-facts/
What about Chinese Scrabble?
I was just telling my wife this morning…
Mr. Score, if you used that word in conversation… I would really, really like to have seen the look on Mrs. Scores face. And then I would have fainted.
Furthermore, we note with both surprise and concern that your educational system is so dysfunctional that you must reach out to such a backwater as ours to find engineering talent.
*applause*
Comment *
That sounds like the wurst.
Or coming from a brat.
I wonder if the gravity difference makes lager yeasts top-fermenting. I am thinking not. And assuming that they keep themselves at 1atm, then the carbonation shouldn’t change. But if they were to keep themselves at 0.21 atm of pure oxygen, then it would. Now I’m wondering if that would be a more efficient way of designing a pressurized colony.
I would think you would be doing something along the lines of a pressurized fermentation. The temperature controls would be more important. Fermentation does generate heat, which usually isn’t a concern, but I can see it becoming one in an environment with the potential for poor heat exchanges in some areas.
Moon Dance music
https://genius.com/Will-glahe-liechtensteiner-polka-lyrics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betatron
***
The name “betatron” (a reference to the beta particle, a fast electron) was chosen during a departmental contest. Other proposals were “rheotron”, “induction accelerator”, “induction electron accelerator”,[12] and even “Außerordentlichehochgeschwindigkeitselektronenentwickelndesschwerarbeitsbeigollitron”, a suggestion by a German associate, for “Hard working by golly machine for generating extraordinarily high velocity electrons”[13][14] or perhaps “Extraordinarily high velocity electron generator, high energy by golly-tron.”[15]
***
I dont understand this phenomena. More primitive languages describe things in literal terms where more advanced languages (probably because they are old with lots of borrowed words) are more abstract. Yet German, despite their accomplishments in abstract thinking have a primitive language.
Also, I might be full of shit.
The German animal name flowchart is good for a laugh:
https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/funny-animal-names-in-german
“Does it look like a pig?”
“Are you sure?”
“Where did you see it?”
Linguistic purism and agglutinating grammar allow for very long words, such as in Hawaiian, Welsh, Turkish, and Algonquian languages like Nipmuc. They named Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg.
Compound words were a plot point in a sci-fi story about deciphering Martian writing:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnilingual
OK, so I’ve decided I’m not driving to Hurricane UT. What is the trick for renting a car NOT at the airport? Just find someplace cheaper and uber to it?
Also, I’m assuming by looking at the map that Vegas Baby! is the airport to use. So I should probably plan on extending the trip. Damn, it’s going to be expensive though.
You can check to see if the hotel you’re staying at has a car rental place attached. I’d also compare the prices between the airport and locally to see if there would be a discount.
I’ve heard Enterprise will pick you up.
Never, ever use Hertz unless you want them to lose track of the car and report it stolen.
Yeah, choices are limited, but I’ve done that. When I used to fly into Denver a lot, I learned it was better to take the light rail from the airport to one of the downtown rental agencies.
Enterprise picked me up and took me home while my wife was out of town.
St. George is closer than Vegas but flights tend to be spendy.
Drive to & from Vegas wasn’t bad.
About 30 minutes from Hurricane but sort of on your way; we enjoyed this place for lunch:
https://sgbev.com/
The match hotel is in St. George.
Ah, nice.
If you’re feeling a bit flush:
https://painted-pony.com/
We stopped on our way back to Vegas and it was very good.
Definitely Vegas. Also, I book my rental cars through Costco Travel. Pricing is usually excellent.
I will see if BJ’s has something similar. No Costco here, unfortunately.
I hear Turo is all the rage these days.
But I don’t want an electric truck.
This will be my first time flying with guns. I’ll need to ship the ammo ahead of time since the ammo weight limit won’t get you through a match.
Southern Utah Practical Shooters? You’re in for a treat. That range is out of this world.
I always flew into Vegas and just rented my car there. Never had any major problems, except for the amount of walking required.
Keep your eyes open in St. George – it’s kind of a rough town. Dirt poor, with major meth and H problems.
Plan on extending your trip long enough to at least take a drive through Zion National Park.
Yeah, that’s where Race Gun nats is this year. I haven’t been accepted yet, but I’m assuming since my review from my last nats was so good I will be.
Also, the gunsmith that installed my replacement disconnector took off too much material — it’s starting to show the same symptoms of wear that the previous one did, but 19,000 rounds earlier.
Fun fact, the CZ factory discos are less than half of a CZC/CGW one.
Of course, the shipping cost is more, but not enough more to offset.
Quote fail!
Haven’t we heard that before? What was that guy’s name?
“Power comes from the muzzle of a gun, those that have the guns have the power, those that have the power dictate what type of government their shall be.”
Any political leader who says, “…the right of the state,” unironically, should be shown a blindfold, a cigarette, and a bullet-resistant backstop at the earliest opportunity.
I’m kicking myself for not working in a Hugo Boss joke about NJ state police uniforms.
https://nypost.com/2024/06/05/us-news/nj-trooper-with-hitler-related-tattoo-jason-dare-fired-after-probe-into-white-supremacist-ties/
=”https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.F7v7-5qlleIxgbDaHlZ6tgHaJd?w=146&h=186&c=7&r=0&o=5&dpr=1.1&pid=1.7″
take 2- NJ popo uniforms
https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.F7v7-5qlleIxgbDaHlZ6tgHaJd?w=146&h=186&c=7&r=0&o=5&dpr=1.1&pid=1.7
Designed by Norman Schwarzkopf Sr.
Would you like to know more?
Nixon wanted goofy uniforms for the Capitol Police:
https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/news/pomp-and-circumstance
I wish he’d ordered them to march 24/7 in front the White House singing “all we own, owe-oh!”
My bad – Secret Service Uniformed Division, not Capitol Police.
A uniformed secret service? Not really a secret then.
Oh, and Mike Curb Congregation wrote a pro-Nixon song (Nixon Now!):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp_2embNSfQ
They could wear ninja outfits to be both uniformed AND secret.
More seriously though, the USSS is (used to be?) involved in anti-counterfeiting so having uniforms for the raid teams would make sense.
ISTR that the State Police in The Man in the High Castle had fairly basic Trooper uniforms with the addition of those collar thingies.
With actual jackboots, even.
Nixon’s uniforms have a distinct Hapsburg Empire flavor.
I just don’t like the double breasted jacket look.
Also much larger hats are needed for that commie jackboot head stomper look.
The standalone picture is reversed (note the HW on the collar instead of WH and coat opening is on the wrong side).
Also that MCC song better be “Tricks’n Nixon” to the tune of the Kelly’s Heroes song.
Their politics may have become more unpopular on the moon but here on earth they are all the rage.
They would fit in very well at Columbia.
Wait professor Johann Jakob Jingleheimerschmidt? His name is my name too!
You still used the other “N” word: NASA.
Carnage in the Premier League: Loptegui fired by West Ham yesterday, Sean Dyche fired by Everton an hour ago. And one level down, Luton Town have fired their manager.
I’d forgotten how much I missed hearing from various members of clan Gambolputty.
satire idea – Businesses Address Inflation Concerns by Writing Prices in Small Print
Or suggest your own!
Since I missed the entirety of the morning post…
For sloopy: a crazy Spaniard throws New Order some love.
El Estepario Siberiano is a new discovery for me, and he covers a wide range of music. Also, his stick tricks make my head hurt.
I find this video of the Apollo moon flyby and earthrise soothing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byLkaqycE3g
suggested music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Nii8r_EqeA
Romania sets new election date, but risks same result
Unless he is banned, ultranationalist Călin Georgescu seems very much in the race to win the presidential election rerun in May.
So what’s likely to happen?
https://www.politico.eu/article/romania-election-2025-hungary-national-liberals-social-democrats-law-court/
Romanian elections should be settled by beard growing contests.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_monarchs_of_Moldavia
They all look like Elbonians from Dilbert.
This made me think of You People:
https://x.com/Rothmus/status/1877436840304652373
What do you mean, “You People”?
Tacoma owners.
Yeah, that one hurt. It’s also a good backdrop for the, “Never forget what they’ve taken from you,” meme…
My kid bought a 22 with a manual. I predict he will drive that thing forever.
I’d still prefer the Hilux TD.
Last minutes of doomed female cosmonaut:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tQzY-bGJek
I am currently going through harassment training.
I am not a 5 year old.
I don’t need a color wheel to differentiate between rudeness and harassment.
Why would you, of all people, need to be trained to harass people?
Maybe I’m not as good at it as I thought I was?
What color is a titty-squeeze?
Depends on the situation, when I do it to my wife at home, that’s green or maybe yellow if she’s busy.
If I do it in public, it’s an instant code red.
Argyle?
If you ever are unsure of what to do or say at work, just think about my choices and then pick something else.
When do you need a color wheel?
George Costanza: Was that wrong? Should I not have done that? I tell you, I gotta plead ignorance on this thing, because if anyone had said anything to me at all when I first started here that that sort of thing is frowned upon … you know, cause I’ve worked in a lot of offices, and I tell you, people do that all the time.
Was That Wrong?
https://www.epsilontheory.com/was-that-wrong/
One of the greatest lines in sitcom history.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB62oaOeqR0&ab_channel=SuitUp
It remains one of the funniest scenes from that show.
I heard stories that NSA workers on the night shift would bang in empty conference rooms. Make sense as most NSA folk are young, single, and active-duty military.
There was one old fogey civilian I remember on the night shift who was constantly making annoying sounds and then complained to me and my friend one night about the quiet conversation we were having 100 feet away.
At DLI, I heard stories about chlamydia outbreaks and troops banging on top of Combs dining hall (DFAC).
There was a scandal one year when a bunch of gay troops decided to get too “informal” in one of the NSA group chats.
I finished, next week is our DEI course.
I like my job until the company I actually get paid by reminds me that they are a company.
Concerns
Federal Reserve officials at their December meeting expressed concern about inflation and the impact that President-elect Donald Trump’s policies could have, indicating that they would be moving more slowly on interest rate cuts because of the uncertainty, minutes released Wednesday showed.
Without calling out Trump by name, the meeting summary featured at least four mentions about the effect that changes in immigration and trade policy could have on the U.S. economy.
——-
“Almost all participants judged that upside risks to the inflation outlook had increased,” the minutes said. “As reasons for this judgment, participants cited recent stronger-than-expected readings on inflation and the likely effects of potential changes in trade and immigration policy.”
Trump is going to wreck the economy after Biden’s hard work to bring spending under control.
*It’s cute they think they really control interest rates anymore. The market has other ideas.
Oh, FFS. They’ve been signaling slowing down on rate cuts for weeks now.
The only sculpture on the moon:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Astronaut
***
Fallen Astronaut is a 3.5-inch (8.9 cm) aluminum sculpture created by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck.[1] It is a stylized figure of an astronaut in a spacesuit, intended to commemorate the astronauts and cosmonauts who have died in the advancement of space exploration. It was commissioned and placed on the Moon by the crew of Apollo 15 at Hadley Rille on August 2, 1971, UTC, next to a plaque listing 14 names of those who had died up to that time.[2] The statue lies on the ground among several footprints.
***
https://sciencefictionruminations.com/2020/11/28/short-story-review-walter-m-miller-jr-s-death-of-a-spaceman-variant-title-momento-homo-1954-and/
***
In this future, space travel is a dangerous blue-collar occupation (Note 1). After the terror of blasting off dissipates, you spend your time crawling through “dirty mazes of greasy pipe and cable” with the “omniscient accident statistics” flitting through your head (16). Spacers spend the vast majority of the trip soaring “in ominous silence” drinking smuggled booze (17). And if you are one of those statistics and die in space, as happens with Donny’s son-in-law Oley, one’s spouse receives a mere pittance of financial remuneration.
***
Submariners would make good astronauts, I think.
Good news for the Masters of the Universe!
Roughly 12% of the $50 billion cat-bond market is currently exposed to wildfire risk, according to Florian Steiger, chief executive officer of Icosa Investments AG, a Swiss-based investment firm. Even in an “extreme scenario,” many of these bonds are likely to be minimally or not affected at all by the Los Angeles fires, he said.
Twelve Capital, another cat-bond fund manager, told clients in a note published Thursday that “the majority of insured losses are expected to be absorbed by primary insurers and junior reinsurance layers, thus unlikely to significantly affect the cat-bond market.”
Catastrophe Bond Funds Say They’ll Dodge Losses as LA Fires Rage
https://archive.fo/IWiT1
My cat can’t get bonds. She has no credit history.
Daily Ray:
https://x.com/TheFigen_/status/1876641131024277711
Adoption day at the shelter.
Great. Now I have diabetes.
Reminds me a story an adopted Korean girl told me. As she got older and older it seemed that the younger kids were getting adopted and her chances were getting fewer and fewer. Then one day an older Iowa couple visited, she met them, as she’d met others before.. Little did she know the Iowans went home, talked to their 3 older boys, all agreed they needed a sister.
A long story short, she was adopted by the farm family, grew up and went off to college, became a teacher. When her parents died the assets were divided equally and she became comfortably well to do. Retired now as a teacher and still shares in all the family doings.