Saturday, August 13, 2011


Well, I got a job that is going to involve a lot of driving through the Oklahoma/Kansas countryside, looking at ancient records of various mineral rights, which will hopefully help me start paying student loans while I wait to apply to the Air Force JAG. Anyhow, I needed something to get me all over, and I chose the more dangerous route, a motorcycle. I was going to get a 1983 Camry for like 800 bucks, but I figured if I pay a bit more and buy a fairly new motorcycle, I'll not only get better gas mileage, I'll also avoid a couple of repairs. Not that you don't have to fix motorcycles, and a Toyota will last for a long time, but when choosing between a motorcycle with a few thousand miles and a Toyota with a few hundred thousand miles, the former seemed more logical.

Now I just need to exercise more caution than I've ever done before. 



Friday, August 05, 2011

 So, we went to the Albuquerque Balloon Museum, and it was interesting to see all the hot air balloon stuff. But what caught my eye, as well as Eli's, was the helicopter making exhibit, where you could make little helicopters out of paper or paper cups. I made two, or should I say invented two, and Eli liked them a lot. He actually wanted to make some exactly like mine, but kept getting frustrated with himself. I was trying to teach him that everyone can make different ones, and they don't have to be exactly like mine to be awesome.

What I didn't tell him was that the fan they had for you to test out your helicopter with was so crappy that, in order to fly, they did have to be at least as good as mine, physics-wise. He didn't listen to me anyway, and gave up to go fly a hot air balloon simulator.

I was proud that the finer blade one would actually take off from the screen over the fan if you set it there. The other one has potential, but it will only fly if you hold it up a little higher. Both tip over within 6 or so seconds... not that great. But seriously, I can blow harder than this fan, so it was still an accomplishment. If you look close, I incorporated Bernoulli's famous shape into each blade. Good times, probably more time than I should have spent
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