CatastrophicFailure

My wife seems to be too, every ride she’s ever had has had a flat sooner or later. I’ve only had one once [frantic wood knocking], on the gremlin-ridden Sentra that’s still the only car I’ve ever owned. Maybe that’s the connection... Her 3 has the basic 18s, so pretty low pro overall I suppose but mild by modern standards. That stiffer ride “improves handling” too, at least up to a point, but now that’s cemented “rubber bands = MOAR POWER!!!1!1!1!1!11” into the modern automotive psyche. I felt like committing sacrilege when I stepped up to 17” rims on my truck, I’d stick with good ol’ dependable 15” stamped steelies if they fit, but that was the only way to get true 35s. It was a big disappointment, that’s for sure, tho we are admittedly one of those edge cases. It would have cost us like $350 just to have the “provider” hop the ferry over to deliver a loaner rim, then still have to deal with the bad tire ourselves and bring the loaner back. In the end, we just re-upped our AAA membership for like half that, car was towed to the local Les Schwab in about an hour and tire was patched at no charge. Might have been a different experience over on the mainland but before we head on any major road trips (still haven’t taken one since we go the thing) we’re for sure getting a spare & Jack. If I ever get around to finegelling that other Model X, first thing I’ma do is slap some proper nail-resistant mud tahrs on it.

And following on that...

Speaking of which, Scott Manley had some interesting ones...

The pics seemed to stop exactly when it did happen.

Aaaaaand confirmed. And it just occurred to me.. this was the thirteenth launch...

Telemetry started going weird right around battery hot swap, right around time the camera feed was lost.

Ooh! Ooh! I know this one! (actual look Vanamonde will give you)

Oooooooh no, I carbed my last buretor a long time ago. Anyone remember checking ignition points? Timing, valve adjustments, non-syncho transmissions...

Looks like the cotter pin to someone’s hitch pin, killed one tire but these newfangled cars (of all brands) don’t include spares anymore. Tesla-specific gripe is that apparently you can’t use tire slime, due to some kind of sound-deadening foam liner.

This thing happened. @$&€£#%!! this thing. @$&€£#%!! this thing very much. Because then this happened: And Tesla roadside has been about as useful as a screen door on a submarine at this point. We live on an island, not Mars for crepes sake. Mars might get a faster response. Fortunately, this had already happened: so we’re not reduced to eating the not-leather seats while some dink in California struggles with the concept of a “ferry.” and we don’t even get the tricked out Model X with the tool racks, apparently, just some rando in a tow truck.

They better light both those candles at once, then.

And check the oil. They’ve had problems with low oil before... everything old is new again...

Allow me to introduce my ducks... That too. Apparently crickets are smarter.

Elsewhere...

So, who would win in a fight, 500lbs of duck poop soup and leverage, or paper-thin rusty metal? Well... crap. But my former lawn is finally blooming.

In the “also interesting, not really discussed” pile, I just came across this: the first Dragon 2 Cargo mission in October of this year will also carry an airlock. In the trunk. (it’s that little doodleybop on the far left) It will serve to deploy cubesats for Nanoracks, and I do mean serve. There won’t be any hatches, sats will be loaded from the berthing hatch on Harmony, then the RMS will just pick the airlock shell off like, “bon apétit, space, hon hon hon!”

Hmm. If it holds, GPSIII-3 launches on the 30th around 3:55 local. So that would be two launches within almost 48 hours from the same coast, that’s gotta be a new record for SpaceX.

And the official:

[screaminFizgig.gif]

Um... how ‘bout this?

Joke’s on y’all. That render is from the year 252525. ....if man is still alive...

Better?

Boom. if you squint reeeeeeal hard...