Empire of the Odd

Now this is interesting. I made a couple of comments to the effect the Richard Hoagland is being a bit er- ingenuous about his criticism of the Deep Impact probe and NASA in general. He suggested that the bombing of Baghdad was about as difficult as smacking a comet with a space probe I.E.

The entire thread can be seen here.

(Hoagland)
There are many ways I could answer your criticisms of our latest blog — sincere … sarcastic … ironic … with humor …. Or–

Seriously.
Let’s try serious:

For starters, it is obvious you are telling the absolute truth when you state, you “can’t even imagine ….” You seem somewhat easily impressed with “big numbers,” but apparently lack the context to put them in perspective. You have obviously “bought” with little independent thinking (or research) another consistent NASA mis-direction: “this is the FIRST time we’ve EVER done this …. This space business is S-O-O-O-O difficult ….”

Fortunately, you don’t have to “imagine.” We have excellent, INDEPENDENT examples of precisely what the Deep Impact Team accomplished the other night, and how “difficult” it was — and in the public domain.

To begin with: the “extreme difficulty” of what the Deep Impact Team accomplished — “steering by radio control an object, traveling at many thousands of miles per hour, into another object … all the while televising in ‘real time’ a stream of television images back …” — WAS REPEATEDLY, SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT OVER TEN YEARS AGO … AND BEFORE AN ENTIRE WATCHING WORLD.

It was called “The Gulf War,” and featured EXACTLY this type of “remotely-monitored, computer-controlled, terminal guidance technology …” — in the form of guided SMART BOMBS and CRUISE MISSILES … which were used with clear success to devastate Saddham’s air force, command and control facilities, communications networks, etc., etc.

….That’s serious? I guess I’m just a seedy-podunk poor gum chewing sod. Hoagland proclaims it so it MUST be so! He uses a lot of ALL CAPS when he writes too, that must mean something important!
I replied;

Whew! You are certainly good at painting a succession of wonderful pictures. Let’s just assume for a moment that I don’t comprehend the huge difference between the example you cite and the achievement of the Deep Impact probe.

No hang that sir! I am an experienced radar technician, I worked on high powered tracking and terminal guidance semi-active homing radar sets for the US military. Our job was to bring a payload moving around 900 MPH to within several yards of a moving target(around 400-500 MPH relative) at around sixty miles distance. What we did was about 100 times more difficult to accomplish than your example and we used 1960s technology (this was in the early 1980s.)

They were steering a missile around the same mass as ours, into an object that was around 536,800 miles away around four miles across moving at a relative velocity of about 6 miles a second. I would say that this much more difficult than what we used to do and thousands of times more difficult than just dropping a dumb bomb on a fixed structure. People shooting notwithstanding.

In other words Mr. Hoagland. You may think this is like falling off a log, I know better.

(this was corrected for typos, I bashed it out too fast apparently.)

He replied.

I didn’t say this was “easy,” I said it was “state-of-the-art.” Big difference.

I’m honestly impressed with your personal, technical experience in this type of endeavor … and must say, it TOTALLY proves my point.

If you could do something like that — using ’60’s technology (WOW!! My hat’s truly off to you …) — and in 1980 (or, thereabouts), with Moores Law alone just extrapolate what could be done NOW …. [I have friends at Raytheon, setting up similar experiments back then, using such “60’s technology,” so I KNOW what you accomplished …. 🙂 ]

The “big numbers,” “closing velocities,” “size of target,” etc., are all bigger … yes … but NOT … compared to the vast improvements in computer size, power consumption, processing power, sensor technology, thruster capabilities, etc., etc., etc.

And, the BIG factor I tried (gently) to underscore: with Deep Impact (except for those last 30 minutes) they had ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD (~ six months in “cruise”)to track the spacecraft, refine the trajectory, update the on-board guidance computer, burn, track again, update, etc., etc., etc.

Like you, I’m NOT a novice at this stuff (check my bio). And, I know when NASA is, again, practicing “artful mis-direction.”

Frankly, compared to actually HITTING the Comet, acquiring the information we’re all (still) waiting for was MUCH, MUCH harder — with NO ROOM for a “second go around” …).

For which I give A’Hearn’s Team full credit.

Now, if they would only SHOW us what they’ve got! Because, again, once this data’s on the ground, analyzing it is NOT (sorry …) “rocket science.” (I mean, look at all the OTHER teams — including those downlinking satellite numbers — which have managed to put up ACTUAL data on their websites … including SPECTRAL data …). 🙂

No, there is something definitely fishy going on here, which “wowing the public with Big Numbers” only serves to obfuscate.

To which I replied

“I’m honestly impressed with your personal, technical experience in this type of endeavor … and must say, it TOTALLY proves my point.”

Sarcasm noted. ) ; )

(check my bio). And, I know when NASA is, again, practicing “artful mis-direction.”

Um, Sir, these were not experiments. This was a long range SAM system mounted on a US Navy vessel. We did live fire shoots about twice a year and simulations daily. The Military does not work under Moore’s law–like NASA as you know, more like Murphy’s law. For example; the Space Shuttle still uses relatively primitive computers compared with that thing sitting on our desks.

I’ve never accused you of being a novice. You have written several popular books on the subject and ‘ve read the claims on your web page many times. I would submit however that, you probably have as much experience with sending a probe to a comet rendezvous as I’ve had.

That aside, I’m more concerned with the common thread that runs in all of your writings, that of suggesting huge government conspiracies in the space program and many other things. Deep impact is just a recent example, you really think that two weeks is a long time for data to trickle out of the program? Is that unusual? How long did it take for chemical data to emerge from the recent Mars landers? What about the Titan lander? Did spectrograph data get released instantly? Perhaps you could compare the relative time-flow of information because truly (even though I’m ‘jest’ a novice.; )) I really don’t see the big problem with waiting a few weeks.
20/7/05 9:34 AM

I don’¢t know why I do it. I’ve placed a couple of comments on Richard Hoagland’s web log. Mostly I’m suggesting that he should lay-off the NASA bashing and try to do something positive, like actually support the space program.

Getting some interesting response.

It’s kind of amusing. Richard C. Hoagland is already yammering and yelling about a NASA cover-up of the recent Deep Impact probe.

“No one at NASA has shown us ANY REAL DATA on what Deep Impact actually found from these “impressive” instruments… for two whole weeks–

From a $333 million dollar mission that, again, we paid for!
And, the real story here is that–
No one really cares ….

.. I mean — no new images … no spectra (!) … no excited Mission scientists publicly going on and on about all the “marvelous new data” … at the obligatory NASA press conferences … where they could be questioned by equally excited members of the press”

Yes sheeze! It’s been almost two solid weeks! Come on! We should know everything there is to know about comets now, hell! We should have spent the 333million on a sequel to Armageddon, why waste all this taxpayer money on a science project? Especially one that refuses to turn over all it’s data to “science guy” Richard C. Hoagland for TWO WEEKS!!!!!
(gaaa!)

I get all kinds of letters here at the Odd Empire. Many of them are polite, thoughtful. There are others though which are not polite nor thoughtful. Downright strange, weird and not a little creepy. It would be a shame to keep all of these to ourselves.

Recently on the Odd Empire home page I placed several endorsements that we have received over the years. Quotes as it were from people I would term “communicatively challenged.” Some are unbelievably rude, others are strange or just silly.

After putting up some of these blurbs I wandered around the expansive Odd Empire Imperial Palace Compound, finding myself in the dank, Imperial Dungeon I was approached by the Imperial Postmaster who had a smoking letter on his fine silver letter plate.

***

From seaglow99@yahoo.com;

I do not how you decided Regan Lee made the comments you have quoted on your web site, but it would be only correct if you were to fix that immediately. If not I will take legal action. Do not take this as a challenge or taunt or anything else. I am serious. I use many ID’s and use many sources, and you cannot say with certainity [sic] I am, or am not, a specific individual. It is also beneath even you to do this. And a very low blow. Considering I’ve taken down my blog, etc. and here you go and assume a certain name is also the same person who made those comments. What possible purpose is there in your doing this? Prove yourself right and me wrong; in other words, prove me wrong that you aren’t a slimeball, and a stalker, and make the correction. Do not respond to me, just make the correction, and do it now. If not, I will proceed with legal action.

***

Hmm, I was thinking about waking the Hounds-of Hell, that would be the law firm of Labrusky, Skinflint, Shyster, and his larger brother Leo but they were happily asleep in the Imperial Dungeon, I decided not to disturb them for now.

To my untrained eye, this letter seems contradictory on several fronts.

Here is my commentary on the letter the short version first;

***
I feel that it is impossible to respond to the writer at this time. If in the future the writer of this message chooses to outline their concerns in clear, plain, polite language I will be more than happy to think about what they are saying. Since the letter was written very early in the morning and is not carefully crafted (like one would expect for a “please remove content” request) I must assume that the writer is *not* or *should not* be serious.

***

Now; each section of the letter in turn.

“I do not (know) how you decided Regan Lee made the comments you have quoted on your web site, but it would be only correct if you were to fix that immediately.”

The first part is easy. One of the Imperial Technoflunkies gave me the information and we are very sure it is correct. (That’s what I pay them for.) The second part I can deal with in a moment for it’s repeated.

“If not I will take legal action. Do not take this as a challenge or taunt or anything else. I am serious. ”

Oh I believe you, I believe you believe that you are serious. However if I were to truly take this letter at face value than it is not really much *of* anything is it? It is  not a taunt, nor a challenge nor a request for anything. “Legal action?” That covers such a wide range of things. What kind of legal action? It helps to be more specific. (In this case the “legal action” turned out to be doxing people on webages like Storemfront, a notorious white supremacist slime pit. -editor) 

“I use many ID’s and use many sources, and you cannot say with certainity [sic] I am, or am not, a specific individual.”

That is incorrect–part of it is anyway. This person does have many email accounts that much is true. However my technoflunky can say *with* utter certainty that this person did in fact relate such verbiage in a number of messages. Even though she has many sock-puppets and many different alias, it can be very hard to be anonymous on the Internet. Any technoflunky will tell you that.

If I were to use your logic however; I could not be certain that *you* are who you say you are . You could be anyone. If you are correct, I cannot even be sure we are talking with each other. (Although I am very sure who I am, do you know who you are?)

“It is also beneath even you to do this. And a very low blow.”

Interesting that someone who has already made many public statements as to my demeanor, called me things like “stalker,” “psycho” and implied that I’m a serial rapist is worried about “low blows.” I feel the world should be enlightened as I have been.

“Considering I’ve taken down my blog, etc. and here you go and assume a certain name is also the same person who made those comments.”

I did give that some consideration . First off, you have not taken down your web log (at the time of this writing), you have only de-linked it with a message suggesting that you might put it back someday. Either you are lying or you really don’t know better. I’m not sure which one is true yet.

What I find here is someone who believes they can say whatever they want with impunity and that just pulling off a link absolves any responsibility for their statements. That is  simply incredible to the Odd Emperor. If one cannot stand by ones statements either don’t say them or retract them! Don’t simply pretend it didn’t didn’t happen, that’s very dishonest to yourself and personally irritating to the Odd Emperor.

The Internet is a form of publishing. If you libel someone you have libeled them pure and simple. If offense is taken they have a number of options available including legal action. Although one would think that such a drastic, time consuming and utterly fruitless choice would be the very last resort, unless you are like the writer of this letter.

Even when you pull your page the echoes will still be flipping from one server to another for years. Besides, If you are the author of Psycho Skeptics your motivation for pulling the page was not done in the spirit of reconciliation or mutual understanding.

As a matter of fact, you actually said so.

“What possible purpose is there in your doing this?”

See above.

“Prove yourself right and me wrong;”

Sorry, it is not necessary for me to do that.

“in other words, prove me wrong that you aren’t a slimeball, and a stalker, and make the correction.”

I tis not necessary to do that either. The choices I make on the Odd Empire do not make me a slimeball etc simply because someone says so. I also do not allow people like, ….well this individual to dictate who and what I am. My demeanor is reflected by how I respond to challenges, as are everyone’s. If I behave like a slimeball it is because I choose to. If telling the truth is slimy to some people than by that standard I am proud to be a slimeball. Perhaps the reason that this person’s name is displayed next to her own rude statements is indicative of my idea that “rudeness has its own rewards.”

–Or, something like that.

“Do not respond to me, just make the correction, and do it now. If not, I will proceed with legal action.”

Oooh! Two legal threats!

But here we get sticky. Legal action for what? What is correct? In my opinion, those statements are already correct. Did Regan Lee posting as seaglow99@yahoo.com not make them? Are they lies? Can you prove the Regan Lee did not make those statements?I can prove that Regan Lee did indeed make those statements and many others. This kind of thing is only defamatory if —

1. the plaintiff can prove that the statement cannot be attributed to the person named or
2. The statements are false or taken out of context. In the honest opinion of the Odd Emperor the direct quotes reflected on the homepage of the Empire of the Odd are true, can be attributed to the people named and are completely in context. I feel that it is a public service to disclose the name of the person who wrote me that very rude verbiage.

You want to see the proof? You can always ask.

Besides; you failed to detail exactly what you believe is wrong. For if the name Regan Lee is incorrect, you have nothing to worry about. Whoever Regan Lee is can contact me, I will consider any reasonable changes to the Odd Empire as detailed on my IFAQ page that is to wit The Odd Emperor will respond to any polite inquiries and consider all requests as described on the disclaimer on every page of the Empire of the Odd web page.” The history of the page (should you bother to look) suggests that I do exactly that.

If the name is correct and the words were in fact uttered by Regan Lee than changing them would not be correct. Right?

Or should I obey your demand and not respond at all? Since the words “Do not respond to me” are part of this message I can’t be accused of promptly not responding–can I?

Which one do you want?

You might want to speak to a legal professioal before shooting crap like this at me again, you might also try communicating and not ordering.  Communicating works, what you (Regan) are doing here just get you in deeper.

Oh yes, the terms  “slimeball, and stalker” are not very polite, are they?

***

These are questions that the Odd Emperor ponders for a very few moments as he watches the Hounds of Hell in their peaceful slumber. Soon however, he takes his leave on the dank Dungeon and climbs back into the light and his luncheon.

I was perusing around the Internet and ran across this definition, it sounded … so right somehow. Where have I run into this kind of person…. Think Odd Emperor think!

http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/troll.htm

***
Domination Trolls;

Nevertheless, the lesson behind this is that you need to get verification data for list managers as well as other list members.

***

Anyway; the entire piece is pretty interesting. I’ve run into all kinds of people on the Internet. Some have been quite charming and some have more than resembled the types detailed in this article.

As I said; fascinating.

This Wikipida entry on Scientology religious belief system .
Space opera in Scientology doctrine

(Welcome to the early 21st century.)

If anyone deserves to have their own weblog, it’s the world-famous Richard Hoagland. This is liable to be a regular stop for the Odd Emperor. Can’t wait to see what he goes on about next.
So far, only two posts.

I’m always astounded by India Daily. Each time I see a new—crazy article in their sciece and technology section I think, “there’s no way they can top this.� You see how wrong the Odd Emperor is? They manage to top themselves almost every time.

Here’s a bit on the Deep Impact comet probe. They admit that smacking into the comet with a probe is not going to cause it to smack into the Earth. This isn’t Hollywood after all. But smashing a hole in the comet might just cause inter-dimensional damage. Good grief!

But here’s another one. Comets have secret UFO bases. And we are crashing a probe into a comet, that means strange aliens will be declaring war on the planet Earth, could keep India Daily in stories for months.

I noticed the Red Queen has taken down her Psycho-Diary. Probably for the best. It’s got to wear thin after a while and, although it’s kind of amusing it really did not accomplish very much.

On to happier subject. I’ve been corresponding with Nancy from
The Project at Earth.
She’s the alien contactee with the cleaning service. I’ve found she’s a very nice lady with some deeply held convictions regarding how the universe is put together. We have been having a very enlightening dialog and I hope we can continue. I still think her ideas are a little out-there but, that’s what makes them interesting!

Here’s something from Non Sequitor that seems, oddly appropriate.