Superman was very good

TRACERS Launch

https://www.youtube.com/live/es7tnMxgOuY

https://youtu.be/-wwhK6OBfac Here's more info about the TRACERS mission.

And here's the launch livestream: https://www.youtube.com/live/kKYOQAy8t-Y
Launch window starts 11:13AM California time.

TRACERS (one of the projects I work a lot on) launches tomorrow. https://science.nasa.gov/blogs/tracers/2025/07/18/nasas-tracers-mission-targeting-launch-on-july-22/.

I should post the link when it's up.

Me: I listen to the same 10 songs; I should listen to some new stuff.
Also me: Eh I haven't heard this song; I'd rather listen to my normal music.

Any time some mildly funny thought comes in my head now, I stick it into ChatGPT and ask it to write a standup bit about it....

Honestly, it does pretty well. I think I could take these to an open mic night.

Had my annual performance eval. It's an interesting thing. I definitely am not paid as much as I could be making if I didn't work at a non-profit but at the same time I have a lot of resources I wouldn't have if I worked somewhere else. Idk it's a balance for sure.

The Senate ignored the White House proposed NASA budget!

The White House had proposed that NASA science be cut 47% and on the research spacecraft side, 60%. That would turn 3/5 satellites currently in operation into rocks. This is incredibly short-sighted as practically all of these are doing "firsts" of some sort and it's stupid to kill them now when we already spent all the money in the development. Why do all that and not even get science back?
Also, you ever try to run something on less then half of the paycheck you got last year?

However, I didn't think Congress would agree to that bc that means we essentially cede the Moon and Mars to China and everything beyond to the EU. Also we'd be unable to learn how to protect our satellites and astronauts.

The Senate ignored it entirely and their proposal essentially leaves it the same as last year. TBD what the House and others try to do but that's a big departure from earlier this year when they were just signing whatever the White House said.

Idk how I feel.

I'm fliping heated about the Texas flooding deaths in Kerr County.

121 dead, many still missing. And for why.

Absolute failure. Ill prepared with no sirens and such for one of the most flash flooding potential areas in the country?

Comfort, TX had pretty much the same flooding (~32ft instead of ~35ft or something), but 0 deaths.
But they had sirens going since 10pm the night before. Instead of sleeping, they evacuated.

I looked up the costs of the sirens that Comfort installed? $40k each, or $70k for the entire town. The cost of a nice sedan or 1 fliping cop car.

Mismanagement, missed opportunities, and fliping politics are why so many are dead.

I kinda thought it was just "natural disaster" scenario, but the more I read into it, the more I realized how awful this was.

Since at least 2016, the Sheriff and other officials called for funds for a whole rework: sirens + gauges + remote activation systems, etc. Problem is, they asked for $1M in budget for it. The town and commissioners were not in agreement, some saying it was necessary, others saying it's "extravagant" and lavish.

Either way, they did apply for the $1M a few times:

- FEMA under Obama denied due to costs and justification.
- FEMA under Trump denied a slightly amended version due to funds going to Hurricane Harvey.
- They applied again to Texas gov't under Trump first term, State denied.
By now (2020) the Sheriff and others have retired and the county is more MAGA.
- 2022 - Biden grants the county $10.2M to use as they see fit for "community and safety improvement." The commissioners and residents refused to use it for sirens (instead using it for like internet, walking trails, and raises). Why? Because they didn't like Biden. This is bonkers to me.

Here's some quotes from the meetings on how to spend the money:
> “I’m here to ask this court today to send this money back to the Biden administration, which I consider to be the most criminal treasonous communist government ever to hold the White House.”
> “We don't want to be bought by the federal government, thank you very much.”

The solution was right there! And even if it wasn't, they could have done what Comfort did and bootstrapped it themselves.

And the governor in the response? Useless.
A reporter asked "Who's to blame for this?" And Greg Abbott said that "that's the question of losers" and went on some metaphor about football. It would have been so much easier to say, "First, our hearts are with the victims. As for the question, we're working out the details to see where our successes were and where our failures were. We can and will make Texas stronger by coming together." Idk, maybe empty words but still way better than calling everyone who doesn't suck it up a "loser." 121 people are dead. My coworker described as "it's like they're angry people are even asking and trying to hold them accountable" and I agree.
Trump admin? Also useless. They said it was bad "because it happened at night." Very cool that the richest country on earth can't handle an emergency because "it's nighttime."
Others blamed DEI, because we all know Texas is the bastion of DEI /s. Any DEI initiatives tied to the state are banned and have been banned for years.

A couple lessons to learn for sure.
1) Instead of asking for $1M and getting nothing, ask for $250k and just get some of it. Even $100k would have been plenty. Moral: "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good."
2) Sometimes you give people the resources and they won't use it for their benefit. Moral: "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink."
3) Just act. What can you work with of what you have. Comfort did it without a money influx. They also dedicated time to teaching what the sirens are for and working with the community. Moral: "Failing to plan is planning to fail."


Lol long post, but as always, I have lots of thoughts.

Lol I thought it was August for a minute

There's always a lot I want to do but often I feel like I don't do a great job of focusing as well as I could.

Feelin' good

Grrr


I've been stuck on why my data is screwed up in trying to plot it. I think it's because my data files don't have milliseconds/microseconds so I have 4 timestamps with the same time for every second.

First, the Minnesota politically targeted murders are absolutely wild. The other things I expected during a Trump presidency. I mean we had the same sort of protests in 2017 and other general "unrest" situations.
But the murders? That's a shock to me. Can't think of any other first world country where this kind of thing could happen.

But second? I've actually complained before that I don't think police officers should be allowed to pull you over or do normal police operations while undercover. Police should be clearly differentiated. This guy was in a security patrol car, which has uniform and vehicles that look too much like police cars.

Reports say that the suspect was dressed in black security uniform and driving a black Ford Explorer with police lights active and walked up to the front door of the victims, who then opened the door. I don't think this would have happened as easily if say a silver Ford Fiesta pulled up.

I already think police officers have way too much power and leeway, but because of lax design and uniform rules, any mall cop is essentially granted that same level of visible power.