Gobsmacked!

8/23/26:

It looks pretty danged real. I've seen videos of model planes that could land. But it is also possible that it is a CGI fake. In any case, it is pretty danged realistic looking.

Having seen the real thing, of course this is not IT. The noise from the real thing is so loud that you can FEEL it miles away.

This video is almost 7 years old, too. Something like this might be possible. Just look at how Ukraine is stalemating Russia with drones. Remote controlled vehicles are a real thing. The difference between this and the real thing is in the scale. SpaceX's machines are freaking huge and freaking powerful.

10/25/19: The original post follows:

Comment:

Is this real? If so, it is an RCS controlled device.  People do mess around with RCS planes and such. ( But I haven't seen rockets, especially ones like this.)

The Fly in the Ointment argument against anti-matter propulsion

8/18/26:

Civilization should be much further along than what it is. It's a shame.

12/24/24: The original post is below:

There's always a "but", isn't there

The stuff you need for this kind of rocket doesn't exist yet. It has to be invented. The fly in the ointment is the chicken and the egg too. If there's no bucks, there's no Buck Rogers.

The problem is that the Luddites have managed to convince us that economic growth is bad. It's called "Limits to Growth". It grew into the so-called environmentalism that has choked off economic growth in the West, and encouraged it to take place in the East.

In other words, the communists did it. We let the commies talk us into sabotaging our own economies. They'll lie about politics being downstream from culture, but amongst themselves they tout the reverse, which is described by Gramscii. Gramscii held that if the commies grabbed all of the high ground of the culture, they can seize the power. And so they have.

The cure is to take it back. But the fly in that particular ointment is that you can vote your way into communism, but you'll have to shoot your way out.

The issue hasn't been decided too much in favor of the commies yet. But they are really close. We have but a few years to turn this around.

Raising the level of civilization may be a pipe dream

8/9/26:

Some say the internet is forever. But these old links go dead a lot. It's a good practice to check the old posts on a regular basis and see if they're still good. This one has a link that is still working, but the article link isn't there, or it wasn't good to begin with.

As for the title of this post, the level of civilization will rise, but not evenly. There is always the possibility of collapse, though.

The original post was on 2/15/12:

After getting back into the world for the last few weeks, I realize the difficulty of the concept of raising the level of civilization. Progress doesn't come easy, and it is also not guaranteed to continue with the gains that have been made.

People are not that civilized. I see it every day.

Are people really just smart apes after all?

Civilization has outraced biology. Human beings may not be ready for the high tech living we now enjoy, nor for any further advances.

This is not in any way considering the Luddites as correct. I would prefer continued progress, but progress may not be easy against the headwinds that also exist.

Where does this blog go for the future?

8/2/26:

The future is now, as far as yours truly is concerned. Whatever I do, I must do soon. Know what I mean, Vern? This is not being morbid, but at this age, anything can happen at any time.

The original post follows:

7/24/24:

Not only will off-grid posts go here, but also cutting edge tech. Not much else to say on the subject right now. Politics has the floor, so to speak.



Correction to right sidebar when I get around to updating it. In the link described as up to date spacex mission info, substitute this link. Still going through the list, so bear with me.

Talk given at TEAC11 a few years ago

James Conca has a few words to say about his experiences giving talks about radioactivity.

I can relate to this somewhat. He says that you have to make it fun, or people won't listen. What I was told was that my writing on this blog was "too dry". You can complain about all these kinds of things, but it does no good. So you just work with it.

Coding skills for what?

7/10/26:

I'm juggling all these blogs. No wonder I haven't got much time.

1/12/26: The original post follows:

  Update:

  New blog. Details over there. Anyway, no more blogging on this blog about my coding. All coding issues will be blogged on the new coding blog.

  There is a league at w3schools, where you can compete with others for points. Points are awarded for completed lessons and challenges and so forth.

  This may be bragging, but I tend to finish near the top every week.

  But the competition is not very fierce. It did start that way, but I got suspicious that it wasn't for real. I don't know if I've changed my mind on that or not.

  At this point, there's not much left to do. Perhaps I could go for a certificate, but that means more money spent. I'm not going to spend more money on this. Not that it was all that much anyway.

  The question now is what to do with this. I don't want a job at a company. It may be a marketable skill, but my working career is over. If I could find something that didn't require punching a clock, I'd consider it.

  I don't want to keep posting on this either. So here I am. What to do with this?

Financial roadmap for LPPFusion

Disclosure: I own shares ( originally 1 share, but there was a split, so now it is ??).

Comment: This is what you call "risk-capital". That is to say, it won't be ruinous for me to lose all of my investment, because $200 investment that goes kaput won't kill me. Read on to see the large potential payoff.

A copy of an email is shown below:

Ivy here with the financial roadmap and exit strategy.

Most investors want to know:

When do I see returns?

What's the exit path?

What's the projected valuation growth?

Let me break it down.

Timeline to Liquidity:

2025-2026 (Current Phase):

Raise $4-5M (this round)

Achieve net energy by end of 2026 (more energy out than in)

Surpass China's hydrogen-boron fusion record

Expected share price increase when net energy achieved

2027-2030 (Prototype Development):

Demonstrate working commercial prototype

Begin licensing discussions with manufacturers (GE, Siemens, Samsung)

Raise additional capital (likely at higher valuation)

Expected share price increases as prototype milestones hit

2030-2031 (Commercialization & Exit):

Execute licensing deals (revenue begins)

IPO / Acquisition (liquidity event for investors)

Projected valuation: 10-100x current ($83.9M - $800M-8B+)

Exit Options:

Option 1: IPO (Most Likely)

Timeline: 2030-2031

Once we demonstrate working prototype and secure licensing deals

Comparable: Helion Energy (projected $3B+ valuation pre-IPO)

LPPFusion advantage: Published results (not just promises)

Option 2: Acquisition

Potential acquirers: GE, Siemens, Samsung, Energy companies

Strategic value: Patents, know-how, team expertise

Precedent: Many fusion startups acquired by larger players

Option 3: Secondary Market (Available Now)

Some investors already selling shares to each other

Liquidity available before IPO (though limited market)

Price: Negotiated between buyer/seller

Financial Projections:

Revenue Model:

Licensing fees: $10-50M per manufacturer

Ongoing royalties: 3-5% of generator sales

Target: 10-20 licensing deals by 2035

Market Capture:

Goal: 25% of global energy market by 2040

100,000 generators deployed globally

Each generator: $5-10M manufacturing cost, powers 4-5K homes

Investor Returns (Hypothetical):

Scenario 1 (Conservative):

IPO valuation: $800M (10x current)

Your $50K investment @ $25/share = 2,000 shares

At 10x: $500K value = 10x return

Scenario 2 (Moderate):

IPO valuation: $4B (50x current)

Your $50K = $2.5M value = 50x return

Scenario 3 (Aggressive):

IPO valuation: $8B+ (100x current)

Your $50K = $5M+ value = 100x return

Disclaimers:

Projections are estimates, not guarantees

High-risk investment (R and D company, technical execution risk)

Past performance (10x share price growth since 2003) doesn't guarantee future results

But here's what we DO guarantee:

Published, peer-reviewed science

Transparent financial audits (SEC-required)

Mission-driven team (refused VC control)

Capital efficiency (proven track record)

Ready to discuss your investment strategy?

Book a call to explore:

Detailed financial projections (Excel model)

Risk factors and mitigation strategies

Large investor perks ($100K+: advisory board seat, lab tours, etc.)

Timing your investment (now vs. waiting for milestones)

BUTTON: deleted

Or invest now:

BUTTON: deleted

The math works. The science works. Let's build it together.

Ivy

P.S. - Investors $100K+ can negotiate custom terms (board seats, advisory roles, preferred reporting). Book a call to discuss.

Kirk Sorensen of FLIBE Energy has a new post

Just noticed that this AM.

The dude is amazing. Unfortunately, the best of what's available is not necessarily the one who wins. The man is doing great things, but is not getting the traction that he should get.

The reason? The world is not a just and decent place. Yep, and the starry eyed idealists and naive school-girlish types will continue to believe the fairy tales that are being told every day that keep them in the dark.

He is doing the obvious things. The obvious thing is the thing hiding in plain sight. Meanwhile, Western Europe commits suicide, and America is not far behind. When will we ever learn? We don't have an energy crisis. We never did. It has been forced upon us by those who want us all in chains.

No, I haven't lost my mind. The world has lost its way. Or to put it better, the world has always lost its way. It's a wonder we are all still alive.

One America News

Google likes to do stuff so that you won't see it. The email from Rumble could've gotten to me sooner, but Google hides it.

Perhaps this wasn't Google's intent, but I am suspicious. I look at results, not intentions. If my emails are being shunted off to another folder without my intention, I have to wonder what the real reason for that is.

Going back over old steps

Just about forgotten Canva. Went back into it yesterday, and found some useful ways to incorporate my videos into my web pages.

So now there's a video that was all but unusable because of the file format, and now it is on my calendar in the calendar portion of the Version 3 blog.

Version 3? Look for the link on the right sidebar.

Canva sent me an email as a reminder. Good thing I went there. It's a big help.

I got an idea to add the link to the Canva post I made. It all connects together, so all my blogs are a big, happy family.

Suckers born every minute

6/3/26:

It is worth noting that I terminated the account at Twitter before Elon Musk bought out Twitter and renamed it "X". I opened a new account under X. That's why this particular tweet won't show. It's no longer there.

A second comment to this is that it contains political opinion. I'm trying to avoid that on this blog and keep it on the other. Flat Earth is dumb. Go watch a Starship launch, and that should disabuse anyone of any such notion as a Flat Earth. The same goes for the notion that the Apollo landings were fake.

I will make a new category on this blog as in the main blog---call it "reaction posts".



11/28/18:

That's why AGW works politically. People can be led to believe the most absurd things.

Hundreds gather at Flat-Earth conference https://t.co/YQ3fDCArLY

— Greg Meadows (@BootsandOilBlog) November 28, 2018

Added a little more capability to the calendar

6/1/26:

The new upgrades and a bug correction this morning has introduced some complexity into the program. I'm thinking of creating a new video which will be a default video that will play some instructions about using the calendar. This may clear up any confusion which may result in the use of the program. That confusion may have existed all along, but a new instruction video may help with that.

5/30/26:

Prior to the upgrade, videos in previous months were available. Now all videos are available in the order in which they were placed in the calendar.

As with anything, it seems to have taken more time and effort than what I thought when I began the project. Now it's done, and I'm happy that it is done.

This is nuts

Long term Houstonian here... The place mentioned is friggin' HUGE. There's a lot of room. The Astrodome sits between Fannin and Kirby. NRG Stadium is next to Kirby. The Dome sits in the middle. Nothing on the Fannin side, except a LONG WALK. That area is freaking huge. Plenty of room to build something.

The procedure would be to tear down the Dome. Use that cleared area for a parking lot, and start building the new stadium on the Fannin side.

The problem is MONEY. If you build a new stadium, you'll have to spend several billion dollars. The problems mentioned in the video go away if the DOME goes away. While building the new stadium, the "old" stadium can still be used. Parking is solved if you tear down the Dome during the off-season, and put in the new parking lot for where the Dome used to be. Construction of the new stadium can take place on the Fannin side. Lots of room. The problem is going to be how much money, and who pays for all this. The football team doesn't want to pay, and the taxpayers don't want to pay. Where's the money coming from?

The narrator is an original Texans player named Seth Payne. He keeps talking about "Bridgeland". Bridgeland is about 30 miles or more away. Therein lies another problem. The Texans want a new practice facility to replace the one close to the current stadium. If they go all the way out there, then what? The current facility is on the Kirby side. There was the old AstroWorld site that got demolished several years ago. Why not use that area? It's right across the freeway from the Dome. Who's making these decisions? That seems to identify another problem. How do you coordinate between the government and the organizations that use the facilities?

Not exactly germane to the discussion, but here goes anyway

This may not be the best time and place for this, as it isn't the usual fare on this blog.

It might be better at the Version 3 location. But it will go here because I wouldn't exactly know where to put it in that blog.

The school this kid went to was pretty close to where I was being treated while in Irving Texas in 2017. It caught my eye.

 

Texans drafted this guy. Here's an interview of him when he was in high school

Check out newest Texan Febechi Nwaiwu in high school!

Dude was a beast and a great kid and interview

Rooted for him since then and so glad to have him on the squad @officialfeb_54 https://t.co/trRwqRIr0G

— Jeremy Beadling (@JeremyChuggs) April 25, 2026

Automated systems can lead to you ridiculous outcomes

There's a problem I'm experiencing with the "system".

The problem cannot be resolved because it is too automated and the part that isn't automated is too inflexible to deal with the problem.

Without going into specifics, the problem could be easily resolved if there was another human being with decision making authority that could do what it took to resolve it.

This is being written once again to warn people about the future we are running headlong into. When automated systems control everything, fundamentally solvable problems will become unsolvable because machines cannot solve all problems. People are needed. Even further, people with COMMON SENSE are needed. Evidently, there is a shortage of that quality as well.

Now here's a video for ya

The video doesn't have a lot of views, nor a lot of comments. It is of interest to me personally because I've lived in Texas all my life, and some of these places mentioned in the video were completely unknown to me.

Some of these places seem to be intentionallly hidden. Tourists aren't necessarily welcomed, if you catch my drift. If they were, there'd be a lot more access.

Anyway, it is definitely an interesting side trip if I'm ever in these regions again. As a matter of fact, a few of these places are not that far from here!

Rockwall Texas

 The "rock wall" found there has raised a question: Is it natural or man-made? The answer doesn't seem quite satisfying.

Why not? Because it appears to be along straight lines that line up with the seasons. Strong indication of man-made, but the results say natural. Not quite satisfied with that answer...

What Elon Musk Just Said "Changes Everything"

Brief comment:

It is a rather over-used phrase there. Does it really "change everything"? You decide!

What the hay?

 

  Here's a repost from the main blog.

  I'd forgotten about it until I watched several videos today.

  Here's that video that reminded me of a series of posts written over a decade ago.

  The point is that people took what was a nuisance and turned it into a resource.

  Perhaps a lesson can be learned from it, eh?

The original post follows:


This truck, which was hauling hay, gave me an idea for a post. It made me wonder if raising hay for biochar and methanol would be worth it.

The process would be as follows:  after collecting the hay, pyrolyze it into syngas and biochar.  Using the syngas, synthesize methanol.  Ship the methanol to the final end purchasing site where it is reformed into hydrogen for fuel cells.

The biochar would be used for improving soils and could also serve as a carbon sink.  Since the entire process doesn't use fossil fuels, it is actually carbon negative.  Some of the carbon goes into the soil, the rest is recycled back into the atmosphere where it can be harvested again some day.

You would obtain the necessary platinum from mining asteroids. If the price of platinum can be brought down low enough, the final end result could be a cleaner source of energy at a reduced cost. How could you lose?

How much fuel could you get out of this much hay?

Update:

Only three posts in this series, but I wrote extensively on the subject of using seaweed in the Dead Zone of Gulf of Mexico to clean it up and make biofuel out of it.

Part 2
Part 3

Many of the posts for this could be found in the category labels that are at the end of this post or others in the first two parts may give leads to finding more reading.

What can you get from watching this video?

 

  Do you get a headache?   Do you get bored?   Or do you become fascinated???

  To me, this is fascinating.

  In what way?

  Something that he said reminded me of a concept in physics called "interference"...  In physics, waves can interfere with each other, thus canceling each other out. Now if I am right, his demonstration of his toothless gears is also demonstrating that basic concept in physics.

  Wave interference is the physics concept that was used in a theory about why cold fusion works.  Hence, in a Bose-Einstein condensate, the wave interference results not in gamma rays, but in infra-red waves.  In other words, heat.

  The next problem with that theory is with temperature. A Bose-Einstein condensate occurs a near absolute zero.  How could that be possible at temperatures near room temperature?

  There was an explanation for that too.  Don't recall it right now, though.  It would take some further research.

  All of this is fascinating because of what is possible, but it gets overlooked because it doesn't fit preconceived attitudes.  In other words, "there is no one more blind, than one who refuses to see".

  Fascinating, yes? No?

  What do you think?  Or would you rather not think, and just check your brain in at the door?