Conservative. Idaho. Software engineer. Historian. Trying to prevent Idiocracy from becoming a documentary.
Email complaints/requests about copyright infringement to clayton @ claytoncramer.com. Reminder: the last copyright troll that bothered me went bankrupt.
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." -- Rom. 8:28
I needed 3/16" holes in these carbon fiber bearing blocks. I ordered 3/16" carbide end mills and 3/16" endmill holder. Endmill holders need to hold an endmill of a specified shank diameter very exactly in the center. The end mills arrives, made in Taiwan.
The Sherline 3/16" endmill holder arrived and it was not centering the end mill. Why? It was .235" ID. This was a Sherline endmill holder. I verified the label and the packing list. I was disappointed.
I looked through my collection and found a 3/8" shank 3/16" end mill. I cut at very low feed rate and it did a good job. The helicoil that I will epoxy into the holes measured close enough diameter that I screwed it onto a 6-32 screw (which is the internal thread of the helicoil) and it just slides into the hole. I will put some release agent on the screws, turn the helicoils onto the screws, dip the helicoils in epoxy, then put the bearing block flat and slide each screw helicoil assembly just inside the hole and let it all cure. If not for the smell I would bring then inside and bake them. Somewhere I think I had a heat gun, but where?
2/3/25 New York Times explains how both Mexico and Canada have received a delay on increases tariffs while correcting border issues involving illegal aliens and fentanyl smuggling:
"President Trump and the leaders of Mexico and Canada struck last-minute deals on Monday to postpone the imposition of hefty tariffs on goods exported to the United States, averting at least temporarily a damaging trade war that would roil North America and the global economy.
"Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, after speaking twice by telephone with Mr. Trump, said U.S. tariffs on his country’s goods would be postponed by 30 days as negotiations on a border deal took place. That announcement came hours after Mexico negotiated a similar delay, agreeing to send thousands of troops to the U.S.-Mexico border."
The tariff threat has caused serious stock market damage, so it appears this may alleviate it.
"A large crowd gathered in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday in response to the recent increase in ICE raids and deportations.
"The protest initially began on Olvera Street, but grew to a few thousand people who marched to City Hall before walking onto the 101 Freeway.
"Some protesters sat down in lanes, while many others held Mexican flags and signs that read phrases like, "Nobody is illegal," and "Viva Mexico," as they marched along the busy thoroughfare while being closely watched by law enforcement.
"The California Highway Patrol's Transportation Management Center reported that some protesters were blocking some lanes, though the CHP has not confirmed any closures."
I am looking at the slow motion declination axis control. This could be a worm gear or two spur gears. The exact reduction ratio is not terribly important. A slow motion control is used by an astronomer to make small changes, fractions of a degree at a time. A worm gear is nice but worm gears with a .5" bore diameter are shockingly expensive. A couple spur gears could do the job. There are devices out there likely scrap that have slow gears galore in them. Buy what sort of devices?
We do not know if the controllers at DCA were hired under this DEI program but it is insane that these criteria existed instead of hiring based on merit. This is the archived FAA page:
"The FAA meets the goals of the PWD Program through a variety of practices:
"Targeted Disabilities "Targeted disabilities are those disabilities that the Federal government, as a matter of policy, has identified for special emphasis in recruitment and hiring. They include hearing, vision, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, epilepsy, severe intellectual disability, psychiatric disability and dwarfism.
"On-the-Spot Hiring "A non-competitive hiring method for filling vacancies with Veterans and/or individuals with disabilities. Managers can choose to fill an open position through the On-the-Spot hiring process given they provide the required documentation for doing so."
I have a sister who is about to inherit enough money to lose her Section 8 HUD rent subsidy. She was hoping to use the inheritance as a down payment on a home (perhaps a mobile home?) in the boondocks somewhere. Her Social Security income is such that it would have to be under $80,000. She no longer drives, so it has to be in walking distance of whatever town has medical srvices.
This may be a impossible situation. There are actually houses in California below $80,000 such as Alturas, Susanville, and Weed. California or Oregon beause of their generous healh insurance. Any suggestions?
Today, I am very honored to recognize February 2025 as National Black History Month.
Every year, National Black History Month is an occasion to celebrate the contributions of so many black American patriots who have indelibly shaped our Nation’s history.
Throughout our history, black Americans have been among our country’s most consequential leaders, shaping the cultural and political destiny of our Nation in profound ways. American heroes such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Thomas Sowell, Justice Clarence Thomas, and countless others represent what is best in America and her citizens. Their achievements, which have monumentally advanced the tradition of equality under the law in our great country, continue to serve as an inspiration for all Americans. We will also never forget the achievements of American greats like Tiger Woods, who have pushed the boundaries of excellence in their respective fields, paving the way for others to follow. "
"In New York City on Wednesday, police said that eight illegal immigrants were now in custody charged with running an extensive arms and drugs-running operation spanning at least six states.
"Authorities seized a cache of 34 illegal guns, including AR-15 assault rifles and a Glock 9mm with a trigger modification making it an automatic, tied to the suspects, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said."
"For many years, groups around the world have rehearsed what to do in case we discover an asteroid that might impact Earth. Well, this time is for real. Asteroid 2024 YR4 has been placed at Level 3 on the Torino impact scale, with a 1.2 percent chance of impact with Earth in late 2032. This estimate will likely change as more observations are conducted, but it has activated the global network of centers that focus on planetary protection – and that is a good thing."
It is not a dinosaur extinction event object, but a splash in the Atlantic might be pretty impressive and not as performance art.
1/31/25 Gizmodo tells of a police officer and DEA agent who decided that drug dealing was a good side hustle:
"In one of the more bizarre schemes, Hickox stole a kilogram of cocaine from an evidence locker and replaced it with a brick he’d made in a 3D printer. He sprinkled the fake brick with real cocaine in an attempt to make it look real. This is the drug-stealing equivalent of a teenager bulking up their bed with stuffed animals in the hope their parents don’t notice they’ve snuck out."
Best of all, in court he used the Breaking Bad defense: "He’d gotten a cancer diagnosis and that he was worried about leaving money behind for his family after he died."
"Justice Department warns of 'potential prosecution' after NY sheriff released migrant
"Tompkins County Sheriff Derek R. Osborne's office released a 27-year-old Mexican citizen despite having been served with federal warrant for his arrest"
1/28/25 ABC10 discusses the CalExit ballot initiative. The last time Democrats seceded to keep their cheap labor force who could not say No, hundreds of thousands died, they were under military occupation and government. If go straight to that result, we can avoid the enormous loss of life and property destruction.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A small business owner in San Francisco's Richmond District is beyond frustrated after his shop was targeted in four smash-and-grab burglaries involving vehicles ramming into the front door within six months. The latest incident has left him and neighbors questioning whether police could have done more to stop the suspects.
The most recent break-in occurred early Wednesday around 3:15 a.m. when a car crashed into the front of Cigarettes Cheaper at 17th and Geary. Surveillance footage shows multiple suspects fleeing the scene with what the owner estimates was $20,000 to $30,000 worth of cigarettes.
"It's not safe. It's horrible," said Rosie Cavan, who works in the building next door. "We've been here a little over a year and I think a car has driven in this guy's front door probably five or six times."
Despite nearly 20 security cameras capturing the thefts, suspects have continued to evade arrest. Surveillance footage from the latest burglary shows two San Francisco police officers arriving on the scene, lights flashing. They exit their police cruiser, guns drawn as the suspects load cartons into a getaway vehicle. The officers do not approach the suspects who then flee the scene in two vehicles. This was perplexing and infuriating to the owner, who after so many break-ins, declined to go on camera out of safety concerns.
Remember if poliice approach the criminals and attempt to arrest them, a gunfight might break out and the police will become "racists." Heck, the malefactors might be white but I suspect police know who they will be shooting and know better.
Because my big reflector's clock drive suffered an electrical fault (thanks reader Wayne for working on it), I pulled out my Televue-85 and put it on the incredibly cheap EQ1 mount that I have. The EQ1 is the Yugo or Lada of equatorial mounts. When I mentioned my plans to put my Televue-85 on it on cloudynights.com, the reactions were close to using crayons for your "Become a Dutch Master" class.
It would not track. So I spent some time working on balance. Equatorial mounts are quite dependent on proper balance in both axes.
This is my public astronomy setup if I need to go somewhere. I was pleased to get it aimed at the Orion Nebula tonight and even at 60x, it stayed perfectly centered for several minutes, until it became too cold to stand outside.
Tomorrow night is my last clear night for a while. I have a superfancy Losmandy G811, a goto mount under the 8" reflector my father and I built in the 1960s. I have never had much luck on the goto part apparently because it is very demanding about perfect alignment on True North. The solution is not just a good aim at it, but using the Drift Alignment method to get it into the tenths of a degree alignment.
If you were outside the U.S. and made an announcement that could not be independently verified about a technological breakthrough that would devastate Nvidia's stock price, would you engage in short selling? This is technically unlawful, but imagine the insane laughter if we submitted an extradition request to the PRC.
As some have observed, this new AI breakthrough gathers a lot of information about its users. TikTok was a quirk, right?
"A bid to free five elephants from a Colorado zoo has been rejected after a court ruled elephants are not people.
"An animal rights group argued Missy, Kimba, Lucky, LouLou and Jambo were effectively imprisoned at the zoo, and had filed to have them moved to an elephant sanctuary.'
Animals should not be made to suffer. While it is a form of cultural imperialism, cock fighting is unlawful.
Colombia refused to accept Colombian deportees. 1/27/25 BBC:
"A looming trade war between the US and Colombia appears to have been averted after the Colombian government agreed to allow US military flights carrying deported migrants to land in the Andean country.
"The spat erupted on Sunday when President Gustavo Petro barred two military planes carrying Colombians deported from the US from landing.
"The Trump administration responded by threatening to slap punitive tariffs on Colombian exports to the US.
"President Petro at first said Colombia would retaliate by imposing tariffs on US goods, but the White House later announced that Colombia had agreed to accept migrants - including those arriving on US military aircraft - "without limitation or delay"."
What makes this article especially interesting from the anti-Trump BBC:
"Petro responded on X with a long, rambling but ultimately defiant post in which he said he would match any US-imposed tariffs.
"Your blockade does not scare me, because Colombia, besides being the country of beauty, is the heart of the world," he wrote."
If you have toyed with buying a Dobsonian telescope, this may be of interest.
First, some background which those of you with a telescope mount with a clock drive may find useful. When I lived under a magnitude 6 sky, I was able to often find dark sky objects such as the Ring Nebula without too much problem. This was without the fancy computers that have taken over the hobby of late. How? Setting circles! Setting circles sit on the polar and declination axes:
As you can see, one of these (on the equinoaxis) consists of degree markers that go from 90 degrees to 0 then back to 90 degrees. The other (on the polar axis) us marked in hours and minutes. The declination setting circle is fixed: 90 degrees north is fixed to the mount. The polar axis setting circles is marked in hours and minutes (relative to the Sun's positionar at the vernal equinox). The RA settinaaag circle is loosely bound to the polar axis. It normally follows the polar axis as the clock drive moves the nomount, but it is loose enough to be moved as needed.
To use them, you get the polar axis aimed as precisely North as you can. Pick a known bright star such as Vega.
Look in your star atlas for its RA (18H 35M( and declination (38 degrees if my memory serves me). Is your declination circle at 38 degrees? If so, rotate the polar axis setting circles to 18H35M. If not try to improve your pointing to North.
S sefuOnce you have managed this, you should be able to point to any other objeful ect by its RA and isdeclination.. likes the Ring Nebula. You should at least sobe close enough for a low power, wide field eyepiece to get close.
This is useful.
On to the Dobsonian. Part of why they're cheap is that they use an alt-azimuth mount. Setting circles are pretty useless, right?
This YouTube video shows how to create setting circles for azimuth and altitude and use them like ⁵equatorial mount setting circles with a program called Sky Safari which shows altitude and azimuth for any object in the sky. Just like or other solution, you pick a bright star, verify that the setting circles are right, then aim using your setting circles.
Stellarium also supports altitude and azimuth. You select an object, hit center button, scroll down and look for a right arrow.
