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Fatwa Arbuckle: Misanthropologist

That’s an odd-looking raccoon in the thread GIF.

Paddy --

Glad you returned home safely; hope y’all had a nice trip.

Mac --

Thanks for the additional stories about your Dad; I enjoyed them. (My Dad left some pretty big “integrity” shoes to wear, too.)

I was also reminded of when he built a large balsa-and-tissue-paper glider model. It was designed for RC use but the electronics were too expensive for him at the time.

That sucker had a wingspan in excess of 5′; it was designed so the front wings were removable. After getting it trimmed-out and prior to taking it to a local park for its maiden voyage, Dad soaked the large rubber band used for launch in glycerine. (A trick which helped me win a few Cub Scout “rocket races”.)

After sticking a post in the ground and attaching the rubber band, Dad hooked on the glider and pulled the rubber band back. Way back.

When he let that thing go, the glider took-off like the proverbial bat out of hell. Well, at least the fuselage did; there was enough air resistance to detach the front wings, which gently fluttered to the ground a couple of feet in front of where he was standing. 🙂

The rest of the glider flew in a straight, pretty flat parabola quite a distance and landed undamaged. Subsequent launches at slower speeds flew pretty darned well.

=============

Got a carp-tonne of driving to do today for various ClanK-related stuff; feh. (Good thing I’m fond of them…)

Paddy O'Furnijur
Editor
8 years ago

A blessed Sabbath, Gerbil Nation!
Good morning, Fatwa!

We had a wonderful trip -- very relaxing. It was good to wander around a different part of the country and leave all the stress behind. We stayed at a little B&B in a town with a population of 345. We drank wine at the local winery with the locals and swapped stories. While hiking, we encountered this guy:

On the way back, we stopped in Sonoma to meet up with some long-time friends and share a birthday dinner.

It was a very good trip.

Just Sven
Editor
8 years ago

That’s not a coon in the thread video, Fatwa. It’s a dog from Oregon named Kiva.

Just Sven
Editor
8 years ago

Sounds like a wonderful trip, Paddy. Glad you guys got away.

Just Sven
Editor
8 years ago

Thanks for the stories, Mac.

Just Sven
Editor
8 years ago

At teh bestest place ever, I got my annual review last Friday. Decent enough raise as befits teh bestest place ever, but you may recall a small incident I had with a manager a few months ago? Ayup, that was brought up. It’s an “opportunity” for me to improve myself. I laughed, which might not have been the bestest of responses.