Old Rocketeer Rant - Part 2

"Listen up kid - you might learn somethin' . . ."

RIP-STOP NYLON?
Why, back in my day we made chutes from garbage bags. "Para-Wad" . . . yeah, that's what we called 'em.

EJECTION BAFFLES?
Think fiberglass Son, I say fiberglass.

INTERNET HOW-TO VIDEOS?
Nope, just Estes Yellow Pages. If you were lucky, you might see an  MRN Idea Box page.

CLUSTERS?
Hah! Ya better have "Sure Shots" and a car battery handy. Heads up!

3D PRINTED PARTS?
What you gonna' learn about life from that?

ROCKSIM?
You need a computer to design a rocket? We did it all on the fly!
You need RockSim? We used Luck-Sim.

FIN ALIGNMENT TOOLS?
Just a door frame and a pencil line. Our rockets spun on the way up.
Extra stable if you ask me.

KEVLAR?
Shock cords were rubber bands. They were short, waaaay too short.

E through M ENGINES?
We were lucky to get a "Mighty" D13 that didn't blow!

COMPOSITE ENGINES?
$5.00 for one Enerjet engine? An A engine was just four bits each!
No wonder Enerjet ain't around no more.

ALKALINE BATTERIES?
The PhotoFlash "D"s sorta' worked, if they didn't leak battery acid inside the base of your Electro-Launch.

PICTORIAL INSTRUCTIONS?
Our instructions had words - many, many words in English. Do these kids read?

ALTIMETERS?
Nah, we'd guess. Hey, my Big Bertha gets 2,000 feet on a C6-5!

CHUTE RELEASE?
Close recovery? Hah! That's what those two legs are for. Hey kid, go find my rocket.

MADE IN CHINA?
Dang Communists.

RTF? E2X?
WTH!

Old Rocketeer Rant - Part 1

Heck, when I was a boy - 

Did you have LASER CUT parts?
What's that? We had to cut out and trace a pattern, then cut out fins with a dull X-Acto blade.

ENGINE HOOKS?
We friction fitted and were happy to do it!

FINGER TABS?
Oooooh! You're a real rocket man aren't you.

PRE-ASSEMBLED PARACHUTES?
Heck no! Parachutes had to be cut out and tied up. Did you ever try to cut a straight line through a plastic sheet with Mom's good scissors? These kids today don't even know how to tie a decent knot!

Hobby Lobby DISCOUNT COUPONS?
Immediate purchase? I don't think so - We mailed one of Mom's checks and paid full retail. Then waited a week and a half for the mail order to arrive!

HOBBY STORE ROCKET DISPLAYS?
We'd buy rockets from a tiny line drawing in a comic book ad.

CARPENTER'S WOOD FILLER?
Fillercoat and sanding sealer was all we'd let near our balsa.

TAMIYA TAPE?
What in the Sam Hill? I'm not paying no extra for fancy yellow tape! We had one choice, brown paper tape.

PLASTIC NOSE CONES?
We filled the balsa, and got a bonus cheap high from Sanding Sealer fumes.

PLASTIC ESCAPE TOWERS?
You don't get your rocket man card 'till you've scratch built a Apollo Capsule tower from toothpicks.

TRI-FOLD MOUNTS?
Old School - Slit the tube twice, cut your finger then weave that bloody shock cord through the slits.

IGNITERS?
All there was, was bare Nichrome bent into a little coil. Cross your fingers and keep holding that button down.

LAUNCHERS?
A block of wood. Launch rod made from a straightened coat hanger.

PLASTIC FIN CANS?
Why I ought'a introduce your can to my boot!

I got more to say -

Goodbye AT&T DSL Internet!

I've given up on AT&T Home Internet service!
My internet went out last Wednesday night and is still out a week later.
Too many promises with no action!

Tomorrow morning Spectrum is coming by for an install. They gave me a one hour arrival window. AT&T gave me a 12 hour wait time for repair last Thursday!
AT&T DSL is phone line based, slow and outdated. Spectra is supposedly four times faster. It's more expensive, $5.00 more per month and will go up after the first 12 months.

I've tried to keep my cool when calling about repair updates. I talked to supervisor yesterday. To get Internet service I've been going to McDonald's for breakfast. I told her I'm keeping my breakfast receipts and will send them to her for reimbursement. Her response was: "I don't think we can refund you that money." She didn't quite get my sarcasm.
You can bet I'll receive a Internet bill this month. We'll see if it gets paid.

Where's The Posts? When It Rains - IT POURS!

TIP: Don't EVER use AT&T for your internet service!
My home Internet went out early in the day on July 5. Just a flashing red light on my modem.
This has happened twice before in the past two months.

I called AT&T Tech Support and was told they would be there for repairs between 8 am and 8 pm.
Gee, only a 12 hour window? I had to repeatedly interrupt the rep: No!, no!, no! when he was trying to sell me a Direct TV package.
I couldn't leave home so I waited and did some rocket related building and worked on an order fro Apogee. 12 hours pass, to AT&T rep and no phone call.

Fast forward to today, July 6.
An early morning call said they would repair between 8 am and 12 noon. The phone rep said she would call back before 11 am with an update. No call by 11 a.m.
So I'm at McDonald's using the free Internet on my old laptop.

Don't you want to scream when the online recording tells you: "You can solve many internet problems by going online directly to bellsouth.net?"
How can you use the internet to troubleshoot when you can't get online?

Why am I not using my newer laptop?
The battery is dead! I've got to do some online ordering, the Staples vendor doesn't carry the battery I need!

Blog Ground Rules

It seems I have to set some ground rules every year or so -
This is not directed at everybody reading the blog -
Just a few who are treating it like a forum.

I used to post more often on rocketry forums. I got tired of people telling me I was doing things wrong. "That's not the way I do it" was one of the reasons this blog was started.

If the builds and tips shown here have helped out - great!
This is simply how I do it. My methods are not the only way to get a rocket built. If you disagree with my techniques, don't post a comment to tell me I'm doing it wrong.
This is what works for me. If you don't agree, you can start your own blog.

I do welcome comments - but -
If you make a comment, don't advertise or post links to another rocketry vendor.
The blog is not here to advertise products for another vendor. I'll occasionally let you know about a sale or clearance.
If you post a website address link it might be deleted. I can't promote your rockets, cosmetics or home siding. (This has happened!)

The blog is free! If you have learned something or were helped in a build,
Please consider joining Patreon. You'll then have access to all the plans, decals and downscale PDF models. RANT OVER!

Toll Road Rant

Rant - 
Every time I can, I avoid the toll roads. This goes back years ago when I was stuck in bumper to bumper toll station traffic during rush hours. I used to think: "What am I paying for?"
Yesterday I got on 528 (Bee Line) and ended up paying the new, higher toll of $2.25!!! This was at the Beachline West Plaza near the Florida Mall area.
The Airport Plaza Toll Station is gone. They have combined the toll totals at the second toll plaza. I used to skip the Airport Plaza toll ($1.25) bypassing it by taking the frontage road. then get on the Beeline later, saving the $1.25.
Example: 15 years driving to and from Sea World, avoiding two Beeline tolls (at the time $1.00 each) each day saved me $984 a year or $14,760 in total!!!
I guess they figured out that thousands of drivers have been skipping that Airport Toll Station every day.
Sorry, Expressway Authority you're not winning this one. Never again . . .
Over the years, the thousands of dollars I've saved by going a few minutes out of my way have gone to more important things. Not to pay for their office building (are the upper floors even being used?) or fancy new toll stations.

$984 a year could buy a lot of rockets and engines.

An Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg,

Dear Mr. Zuckerberg,

I am $53.00 in debt.
Could you please send me $100.00 so I can bring my rockets to the world?

Chris "Kanye" Michielssen

Star Wars . . .

I finally went to see the newest Star Wars movie.
I know, about time, right? At my age I don't feel a need to camp out for the Midnight premiere.

I wasn't blown away.
It was nice to see some of the old characters and the old Millennium Falcon. Chewbacca had some grey hair. The location shots were pretty amazing.

I think it was the third movie where Darth Vader said:"Luke, I am your father".
In this one Han Solo and Princess Leia's son is the new Darth Vader. (He didn't look like either of them, no family resemblance whatsoever.)
In the first movie they found the weakest area of the Death Star and blew it up.
This movie had a bigger Death Star. They found the Achilles's heel and blew that one up, too.

Maybe I'm numb from all the movie explosions I've seen over the years.
I remember the NARAM participants talking about the original and how funny the cantina scene was.
This new version just didn't have the heart of the the original.

Happy Thanksgiving, Y'All

Happy Thanksgiving from
TUNA (the overbite dog) Sock Puppet!

This was actually a Christmas project for my Daughter, Whitney. Yes, I made two - socks come in pairs and I hate to waste anything.
RANT: I just had the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on. I'm not Diabetic, but after all the overly sweet patter, lip syncing and fake smiles I might need a shot of insulin.
The Dog Show is on now. A least dog the smiles are real.

Daylight Saving Time?

Can't we just drop the whole Daylight Savings Thing?
Here's my solution - a compromise.
Next Spring, move the clocks ahead only 1/2 hour and leave it there.
Some suggest moving the clocks ahead the full hour, but that usually means kids waiting for the dark for the school bus. Just the 1/2 hour shift could help with that.


From an article on the CNN website:
Energy Savings?
"A 2008 U.S. Department of Energy study reported Daylight Saving Time reduces annual energy use by about 0.03%."

Safety?
"The clock changes can also raise the risk of accidents by sleep deprived motorists. The New England Journal of Medicine published a study in 1996 reporting an 8% increase in traffic accidents on the Monday following the spring shift."

Better for Farmers?
The idea that Daylight Savings Time was created to help farmers get their harvests in is so ingrained in the national consciousness, it's hard to believe it's not true.
But it's not, according to Prerau, whose 2009 book "Seize the Daylight" traces the history of the time shift.
Farmers, in fact, vociferously fought the proposals, arguing they cut productivity and made life overall tougher for them.
"If you want to cut off 25% of the productiveness of the American farmer, just keep this law on the books," Prerau quotes on agricultural lobby as arguing during an effort to repeal Daylight Saving Time in 1919."

Magazine Rant

I got a letter from one of the airlines telling me I'd lose my accumulated frequent flyer miles after the first of the year. But I could redeem them for "Free" magazine subscriptions!
The trouble was, there wasn't many magazines I was interested in.
One of the few titles I knew was "People". But, the last time I was at the dentist office I didn't recognize any of the "People" in the magazine.

I read the descriptions and chose "Details" magazine.
The description implied: "A must-read for any man who wants to stay on top of current issues, while improving every facet of his personal life."

Instead I got a magazine that had 25 pages of ads before even reaching the Table Of Contents.
A fashion magazine? There were ads for expensive watches and groups of men in plaid jackets blankly staring at the camera. And, pages of men in their underwear.
I'm no prude, but I felt creepy paging through it.

I found the contact number online and called to cancel the subscription.
The call center was in Iowa. Iowa? I would expect this magazine to be home-based in New York.

I explained to the operator that the magazine was not for me.
She replied: "Well, it is very "Metro".
"Metro? That's the new word, I guess.

I asked her to cancel my subscription.
Save the trees! That, or print something worthwhile.
That reminds me, I'd better re-up my subscription to Consumer Reports.

Angry Older Man Rant

One of my big gripes are lazy, inconsiderate people skipping parking spaces and parking right in front of the store. They'll turn on the emergency flashers assuming that makes it okay.
While blocking traffic they'll use the ATM or make a trip to the liquor store. There are always parking spaces just a few feet away.

I've mentioned it to the store manager a few times. "A car parked in front of the store blocks traffic and would put everybody in the store in danger if there was a fire." (I know, a little dramatic, but a good argument.) I e-mailed the Publix corporate offices.
Last week, Publix finally put up signs and painted yellow fire lanes. I'd like to think I had something to do with the change.

Here's the front entrance of that Publix grocery store near my home.
Imagine a car parked on the left (store) side.
There's only two lanes. If a car was stopped, all cars behind him have to go around and right into the oncoming traffic.

It seems to have solved the problem on the store side, to the left.

When I was taking pictures I saw this - 
Some idiot parked on the right side, beside the planter! You can see the truck that had to go around him.
It's okay though, he had his emergency flashers on. Lazy ass.

Alaska Cruise Nonsense!

I joined the HAL Zaandam in Skagway, Alaska on June 17th. I spend a LOT of time preparing for these shows. My band books are very involved. I packed for the standard Holland America five piece band - Piano, Bass, Drums, Guitar and Sax.
When I checked in at the Cruise Directors office I was informed that the band format has changed.
No Sax! The band now has a second keyboard, a synthesizer.
I have a synth book but didn't bring it.

The show length had also changed. Six months ago there were three 35 minute shows. Now there is two 45 minute shows. It took three hours and a few cups of coffee to change and write up some "get-by" charts for the show the following night.

There's a good reason why there hasn't been any posts over the last four or five days.
The HAL Corporate office has changed how you buy internet time.
Before you'd pay $20.00 for 200 minutes, enough to get you through a seven day cruise.
Now you pay $55.00 for 500 minutes!
No unused time can be rolled over to another cruise or different ship. I refused the offer.

I'm in Seward, Alaska today at the National Park Office using the free internet.
I'd rather make a donation to the park service for their help.

Rant Over!!!

Noisy Neighbors! RANT

In 1978 (yes, I'm backtracking) I moved into my first apartment in San Jose.

The guy next to me thought he was a DJ. He'd point his speakers into the open grassy area between the buildings for all to hear his favorite - heavy metal music.

These were $15.00 J.C. Penny grade speakers that couldn't handle the peaks. There was a lot of rattling and distortion.

After I asked him to "Please, Turn It Down", he flipped me off and yelled some stuff I couldn't understand over the noise.

I gave him an OK sign with my hand, went inside and started setting up my P.A. system. 

These were 15" woofers in a three way cabinet. Pretty good quality for their time.

I didn't aim them into the open area outside, I just set them right against the wall of his apartment. This way his whole wall would vibrate and work like a giant speaker.

I put in a bagpipe band cassette and plugged it into the mixer.

I started at at level 2 out of 10. 

He pounded on the wall yelling: "Turn that crap off"!

I turned it off, his heavy metal music was back on.

I switched on the bagpipe music again but increased the volume to 3.

He pounded on the wall, I turned it up to four.

By the time I got to 6, he figured it out and turned off the heavy metal.

I guess some people don't like bagpipe music. 

Too bad, the next selections would have been from a Polka album.

Tonight, I have new neighbors - right next door.

They've been there a week and every night is a party.

Tonight it's hitting a new peak. Loud Latino music.

I may have to find my old cassettes.