Failure to Launch

 Cat Tales, General  Comments Off on Failure to Launch
Jan 022013
 

A few months ago I bought Duchess a scratching post with a perch attached. She loves it; she scratches it, sleeps on it, and sits on it to look out the window.

And, when she’s having a Crazy Cat Episode, she likes to race through the house and launch herself to the perch from several feet away.

Tonight she was having a ‘sode, galloping through the house, and attempted to launch herself to the perch as usual. She didn’t quite make it, and for several seconds I was laughing hysterically as she hauled herself up the rest of the way.

I explained the source of my hilarity to Alpha Geek, who nodded. “Poor energy management,” he remarked. “Should have applied more thrust on short final.”

FalconCam

 General, Videos  Comments Off on FalconCam
Sep 222010
 

Video of a peregrine falcon and a goshawk, from the point of view of the birds—they’re wearing little cameras on their backs. I love watching raptors fly.

Actually, I just love raptors in general, they’re such ballsy critters. Here’s one of a peregrine pwning a red-tailed hawk twice its size:

Teeny Tiny Flight Simulator

 Geek Wannabe, General  Comments Off on Teeny Tiny Flight Simulator
Jan 102010
 

Alpha Geek: Push this slider on the left to increase throttle, then tip it to steer left and right or up and down.

Bertha: That’s pretty neat.

Alpha Geek: “Pretty neat?” Look at the level of detail in the graphics!

Bertha: I’m not quite sure what to do with it.

Alpha Geek: Everybody says they’re not sure what to do with it. I don’t understand why people aren’t more impressed that I have a fully-functioning flight simulator on my phone.

Bertha: How do I go faster?

Alpha Geek: Dive.

(On the nearby couch, The Director started giggling.)

Bertha: Wheeee!

Alpha Geek: And it’s a good flight simulator. The physics are very realistic.

Bertha: I just did a loop-the-loop!

Alpha Geek: In a Cessna 172?! How did you do that without crashing?

Bertha: Maybe not completely realistic.

The Director cracked up.

Bear