PTINS

We saw the AN-225 when it came to Oklahoma City in 1990, along w/ 2 Sukhoi Su-27's, the first time they had been showcased to the "west." Both were equally impressive, the wings of the 225 hanging over the taxiway on either side, and the way the plane appeared to fly in slow motion as it took off and lumbered around the airport. The SU-27s were amazing, the equivalent of "chicks dig the long ball." They had the stage to themselves, letting their balls hang. They did an ultra slow speed pass, pitched up at roughly a 45 ℉ angle. I'll have to find my old photos, pre-digital age. I don't think they allow this at airshows anymore. Seeing Soviet Fighters over Mid-America was an eerie feeling. Notice the smaller C-141.

Anybody going to this?

I thought they landed on one runway (west) and departed on the other (east); do they takeoff and land on both runways all the time?

I’m curious. Today I went on google earth looking got past US places I’ve visited, and a lot of stuff is blurred with no historical imagery available. New Google policy, some body lost the files, or coincident to Chinese ballon overflight?

We used to go there when I took Drivers Ed. Tooling around in the country eating a hot link, good times.

Yeah, the smoke makes your eyes water, but the meat ... ooohhh, talk about...makes your mouth water, and you make uncontrollable uuummm sounds! My Family moved to Bastrop in 1871, been cooking over oak since then. My uncles cooked for the National Guard for 25 years, and have cooked for our Family Reunions since 1980. My grandmother's (1900-1968) family is 1 of 8 (last picture, 12 UT grads), ~ 250-300 people total. We usually cook ~ 15-20 ~ 15-20 lb briskets, and ~ 170 lbs of Elgin Sausage (Southside Market). No complaints yet, except from maybe the family cardiologist.

Speaking of renewables... The costs of solar panels has come down, in part, because plastics (hydrocarbons) replaced the glass or metal. Know what they do with retired windmill blades? Nothing. They have no use and are buried. They are primarily made from fiberglass, which is not biodegradable.

What’s the top source of electricity in your state? First, generally Hydro > Wind> Solar> Gas > Petroleum > Coal ; Nuclear is in a class by itself... Ok, but for 24/7 power generation, Hydro is good, wind & solar need not apply. The evolution of Coal to Gas to Renewables will be a long process, with Coal to Gas in about the 2 or 3rd inning. Just, within the US, there are widespread areas where Coal fired power generation is dominant. The main reason is coal power generation is proximate to coal reserves. Secondarily, limited gas infrastructure has hampered meaningful growth. Please note Colorado's primary source. In those coal states, as a 24/7 source, gas needs to replace coal as a first step. Worldwide, coal-fired power generation is by far the dominant source. Regardless of what the US does, if gas (nuclear) doesn't start displacing coal worldwide, it doesn't really matter. Yes, Coal is being retired. A lot? ok, how much is a lot? Yes plants are being retired, but not enough to move the needle. Growth in electric cars? Yes it will come. The average price point needs to come way down for the average consumer. Agree, no one is building new coal plants. "Entities with money": New renewables go to the front of the line and can produce at 100%. If there is a need for incremental demand, only then can new gas fired plants come on line as a peak shaving plant. That inherent unfairness kinda distorts the economics, doesn't it? So, dinosaurs lived ~ 100 million years, human ~ 200,000 years. We still have a ways to go. If, and when, we have reliable 24/7 alternatives to oil & gas and all their derivatives, O&G will go the way of the dinosaur. We just need a way to make plastics. and a bunch of other products without hydrocarbons. Queue Red Foreman. Think you can go 7 days without using a petroleum product? Renewables have their place and are an important part of the matrix, but they are not a 100% reliable 24/7 fuel. Not anywhere close. By the way, you do know that oil production saved the whales, don't you? Eliminated the need for whale oil in lamps. I doubt this. Where is the power generation coming from at night when the wind isn't blowing? The Amoco (BP) Texas City refinery was built in 1934. They focused on making transportation fuels, as they did not see an alternative to that in the foreseeable future, ~ 50 years. Make that ~ 100+ years. Other than rubber bands(?), there has not been a viable alternative as it relates to aircraft transportation. What is your solution? Who is paying for all the electric fueling stations between I-35 and the west coast, and the power lines to serve them? Generally, oil makes gasoline, distillates (diesel & fuel oil), lubricants, and asphalt. Natural Gas Liquids, seperated from gas, are the preferred feedstock for chemical plants to make plastics. You recognize the need for oil & gas derivatives, but not to use them as transportation fuels, or as a power generation fuel. If you can't do without the derivatives, you can't do without the primary source. 100% of NGL are consumed, with an ever growing worldwide demand. The only country with the necessary gas supply and the NGL infrastructure to matter in a meaningful way is the US. THE US IS THE ONLY COUNTRY. What are you going to do with the natural gas, once you've removed the NGLs? Flare it? What are going to do with the cleanest, most abundant naturally occuring compound known to mankind?

To do it after the fact, I agree on expense. We moved to new build area on top of a limestone plateau with a thin veneer of topsoil, and all the utilities are buried. I'm guessing the developer opened the ditch, each utility installed their stuff, and developer closed the ditch. Power line maintenance is ugly for both utilities and landowners. Only in extreme cases do landowners ask the utility to come cut on their trees. Once they are out there, do they make a cut for the next year, or one that will suffice for 10 years? Blaming utility officials, weather people, etc. Good for you if it makes you feel better. You can only do so much, and mother nature always wins. Always. Ice storms are prevalent in this part of the country, and there is not much you can do about it. We consume more energy here than almost everywhere, because it is hotter here for more hours of the day, more days of the year, and it is humid, not dry. At some point, the bigger lines have to go above ground. If they get enough ice on them, they are coming down.

We did some of that; and it's fucking worse!!!!!!!!!!! I'm 8th generation Texan, born in Austin, dad was born in Pflugerville and mom in Bastrop. In 2014, we bought our "final resting place" in Driftwood. The developer gave me the plats and I drove my F250 through the country to see what area looked like. We choose 2 lots covered w/ mature oaks, a couple of 4 ft diameter (~ 100-150 years old) and about thirty 2-3 ft diameter. The rest of the lot was covered with persimmon, cedars and algarita. We turned the house on the lot to face the line of large oak trees towards the south. The builders who bought 20-30 lots were pissed to holy hell that I got first pick of the lots, the corner with the big trees. We kept it natural, selectively removing small trees and trimming branches to optimize esthetics and habitat for the Hill Country critters. We also did not put in a lawn, because watering a large lot in the Hill Country is STUPID. Until 2 days ago, we enjoyed our little island covered with a canopy of mature oaks, that has served as a mini oasis for whitetail deer. Every spring, we have been blessed with new fawns born here, and every fall, trophy bucks have come by looking for a hookup. That literally came crashing down yesterday and today. These are the same twin trees, 2 years apart. February 2021 February 2023 Yesterday, Feb 1 Today, Feb 2 Every tree I have looks like this. I am crushed. I have no words to describe my emotions this morning.

I lived in Tulsa then, 1980. I remember they took all the tree debris to the river channel as a large, central place to process the waste. There was a stench of damp and decaying vegetation from the huge mounds of dead trees. I am so sad that central Texas will look like a massive tornado just sat on top of us.

Saw this on ... gulp ... Tex Ags Interesting read, kinda long. I don't recall reading anything from this website here. I make no representations on the validity of the article. The gist of the article is the Russian Cruise Missile shot down last week has some features that may have not been known to "western intelligence" (my word). The Drive /The War Zone Intriguing Features Seen On Largely Intact Russia Cruise Missile Wreck "One of Russia’s most modern missiles, and one that has ravaged Ukraine in recent months, came down relatively intact in Central Ukraine. Pictures of what looks to be the relatively intact remains of a downed Russian Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile offer an unusually clear view of some of its features. This includes a look at what appears to be the camera for its Otblesk-U electro-optical guidance system and what may be some kind of countermeasures system. The Kh-101 in question was reportedly shot down by Ukraine's forces in the country's central Vinnytsia region on January 26." "Whatever the case, this would not be the first time that the conflict in Ukraine has exposed a previously unseen countermeasures capability on a Russian missile. Ukrainian battlefields have already proven more broadly to be a goldmine of at least partially intact examples of all manner of higher-end Russian weapon systems and other military equipment ... It's all but certain that officials in Ukraine have forwarded details they've gleaned, and entire captured systems, along to their international partners, including the United States, for further analysis."

Driftwood. I always wondered how Abbott had a tree fall on him. Not anymore. Fuckin' brutal.

Thanks for posting. Surprised it wasn't paywalled... "Last week, the U.S. and Israel carried out their largest-ever joint military exercise involving more than 7,500 personnel from both countries and a series of scenarios to test their ability to take out air-defense systems and refuel jet planes—both of which could be key elements of a major military strike on Iran." "Israel’s latest strike comes as Israeli and American officials are discussing new ways to combat Iran’s destabilizing operations, including its deepening military cooperation with Russia." "The main target of Saturday’s strike was a warehouse located behind a mall in Isfahan that Iran said was an ammunition storehouse. Satellite imagery released on Sunday appeared to show minor damage to the building. The small size of the blast indicated that the target wasn’t an ammunition storehouse, instead, it could have been a lab or military-logistics site. Satellite imagery showed the warehouse is located across the street from a site belonging to a unit of the Iran Space Research Center—a U.S.-sanctioned organization that has worked with the Shahid Hemmat Industrial Group, which is responsible for Iran’s ballistic missile programs, and the Iranian Ministry of Defense." I get the sense this was more of a FAFO reminder and not an attack to destroy Iran assets. The target in Ishran is deep into Iran, ~ 500 miles from the northern border. The "target" was across the street from a a U.S.-sanctioned organization, responsible for Iran's ballistic missile program. The drones came in naked, without any air defense suppression of any kind. The "target" of the attack was clear, with visible holes in the roof. The "target" was across the street from a a U.S.-sanctioned organization, responsible for Iran's ballistic missile program. There did not appear to be an explosion at this particular "target". It appears Israel snuck into Iran in the middle of the night and did a "ding dong dash" just to show they could. Why send an instrument of war 500 miles to take a dump on a building across the street from a coveted military target? Israel - Operation Opera

You think China can waltz in and "re-conquer" Taiwan without anyone noticing? Taiwan is the world's largest supplier of computer chip manufacturing, with a $Trillion economy connected to every major economic power in the world. "... people would not be happy with them" is a bit of an understatement. The Taiwan Strait is probably the most watched space of open water in the world, next to the Strait of Hormuz. The responses above detail why this is problematic, especially with nobody watching. Whatever issues China has to deal with today, they are positioned to capitalize on a neutered Russia, become Russia's #1 export market and decrease China's oil & gas costs ~10-40%. Mega Billions of $$$. You think China would rather have some Iranian Rials (equals ~ 0.000024 US Dollar) instead? It's like China got a bye to the finals of the World Poker Tour for just sitting back and watching. Will China trade that for a front row seat on how effective the US front line weapons really are? I think not.

Not sure how one would quantify that. From a natural resource and economic perspective, I don't know if anything compares to this. This is a dated slide, but the general comparison is still representative. Russia used to be the #2 producer of Oil & Gas in the world, behind the US and well ahead of Saudi Arabia. The US & Russia are more balanced between oil & gas production, while Saudi is much more oil heavy. Russia's gas production pushes them past Saudi Arabia. One main thing driving the US & Russia gas production volumes is market for the produced gas. The main reason for US & Russian export volumes is because pipeline deliveries dwarf LNG deliveries due to efficiencies and economics. Russia killed the golden goose, the European gas market, in February 2022. Increased pipeline deliveries to China are at best 10 years away. Sanctions will crush the Russian domestic industrial demand and over time, the sanctions will cripple Russian oil & gas productive capacity. Russia production will eventually find its way back into the marketplace, but as a secondary supply source at a much different price point (see Venezuela). Rough numbers, Russia put ~ $250 Billion/yr of O&G exports at risk by invading Ukraine.

These are probably true statements. If you frequent any area ~ 30 miles west of I-35, you'll see the extreme opposite of the statistics. I would think +70% of vehicles in the Hill Country are trucks and the majority are used "off road" and for hauling stuff on a regular basis. Never using the trucks for hauling and frequently using the trucks for shopping are not mutually exclusive, as shopping for and hauling a 1000 lb of corn & protein is a pretty frequent occurrence. Though some truck drivers ... Saw this 2021 F250 while waiting for service, a cool $119,357 + TT&L. The little dick douche that bought this is the left-lane hogging, over-the-line parking, never on a dirt road, tailgating, SOB we all have to deal with.

There was a thread early yesterday, got purged later in the day.

Love the guy on the 30 yd line pulling a hammie' chasing VY.

Chief, Avatar & User Name Hall of Fame!

Cut & Paste newbie ... "RC's recruitment pitch was powerful. This was back before kid's had internet, ... RC got in their living room and preached; I mean old tyme gospel hour preached, values to their parents. But that turned to hypocrisy after what happened and many HS coaches refused to even meet with him. It can't be discussed much more on TexAgs without getting deleted and i may have already said too much."

Smart kid. Gotta cultivate the Tesla connection and get some Elon money into the program. Ok, I see it's the same VW used? car guys, but it's a start.

Thank you all for your posts, they help crystallize this for me... The social justice changes in my ~60ish years is a significant inflection point in our beliefs and behaviours in our 250 year US history. The age of the internet and high technology is a similar societal step change in a much shorter period of time. The life of the average american changed significantly from before and after WW1, it changed significantly from before and after WW2, and the dramatic changes in the internet age are ongoing. For the average Russian, which I'll define as the non-ruling Elite, it is hard for me to comprehend their everyday life. The concept of the spoils of war have existed since the first dispute. For Russians in Ukraine, it means a toilet, a bathtub or a stove. Are you kidding me? It's the miners from Chernobyl, "I'm wearing my fucking hat". It's hard to imagine when it wasn't that way for them, because its always been that way for them. Y'all rag on Katy any time you get the chance, but drop Katy anywhere in Russia, and other than climate, it would be a Top 10 city in the whole country. We see the lifestyle differences as reality, Russians see it as fantasy or entertainment. "‘what do the Russian people know?" They know what they are told to know. They stick their heads in the sand. That's who they are, and what they have always done, and it hasn't changed for 100's and 100's of years. If you've never left Russia, what do you really know? "They are predisposed to except accept all kinds of shit that a western populace would not take." They act like they don't know any better. Whether they do or not is academic. They are groomed since birth to believe what the state tells them, and it's your patriotic duty to do what are told to do do. Whether or not they do the former, they still do the latter. "Not only do Russians not care what happens to other countries or people, they appear not to give a shit what happens to other Russians. Like all people, they care about their family and their friends." The caring for family is expected. The cavalier attitude for any other human life is ... also incomprehensible. From what I have seen and read of Russian behavior over the past 335 days, I think, "...why prolong it, just "turn 'em into glass." Okay..., breath..., relax, ... patience grasshopper. "Lt. Col. Daniel Kiley: What do you think? Maj. Wolenski : Well, sir. I'm regular Army. I don't get into beefs between colonels. But I'll tell you what some of my stir-crazy men Surly Horns thinks. They think we got a great opportunity here. We got a chance to wipe out Germany Russia. Just wipe it clean off the map. Knock everything down, every city, every castle, all the bridges, all the roads. Everything. Don't leave two stones standing together. Just wipe the slate clean. Turn Germany Russia into a prairie, then ship over a few buffalo and let them start from scratch. Now, what do you think of that, colonel?" Time to fire up the Abram's, the Leopard's, and the other NATO toys and go Ralphie on their asses.

Went looking for a 911 in '86. Bought a 944S off the truck instead. Sales guy said the 911 is quicker and faster, but it will beat you up. The 944S is a touring car. You can drive it 500 miles/day back to back and enjoy the experience. Not the same in a 911. It was a great driving car. "Drive it like you stole' it." Marvel of Engineering, and a maintenance nightmare. If you have property in the country, you need a truck.