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Showing posts from April 3, 2011

LavaCon 2026 and the future.

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LavaCon is a conference now going on 25 years. Its always fun at conferences where folks collaborate on what the future holds. This year I drove to Charlotte NC from Duluth GA to attend. I used the Tesla in Full Self Drive. I went park-to-park without touching the wheel for over 200 miles. It's crazy. I don't think most people understand how well it works. Lots of nay-sayers still, but it really does work. Be on guard, but enjoy. I spent some of my time "driving" while conversing with Grok as part of my daydreaming. I was discussing with Grok an idea I have of building a West system (cold molded) old style barrel-back runabout maybe 20 feet long- all varnished Mahogony. Of course this boat would have an exotic 12-cylinder engine under a transparent engine hatch between the twin cockpits. We discussed the designs, available actual study plans and pre-lofted design documents for the hull. We also discussed the best engine (perhaps a BMW N73) coupled with a Velvet Dri...
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Monday I take another look at a Cessna 172 I may buy. Hopefully, I can get to Southern Sudan (not in my own plane) for their first independence day this summer (or something equally adventurous). Pilatus Porter Aircraft
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Well I made it up to NY for the weekend. I think there is a hint of Spring coming on up there. It is more than Spring in Atlanta. I think everyone I know up in NY (or up North for that matter) has told me what a long Winter it has been up there. It will be over soon. DJ and I went to see "Scheherazade" by the Binghamton Philharmonic. On the way to Church on Sunday we saw a car in the ditch. Getting closer we saw there was someone still in the car. We opened the door and it took less than a full statement to tell us she was bombed. Totally wasted. It was 8:45 AM Sunday. We convinced her to get out of the car and kind of had to drag her out. She had only a toga on, and no shoes. There was a loaded (chambered) bolt action rifle in the back seat. I locked the rifle in the trunk. DJ put the ammo in her purse and we drove her about five miles to her home. That must have been a wild party. We drove down to Baltimore stopping to see a friend in Newark Delaware. We have been in do...