Youtube videos worth watching

[Skywagon]

Lowndes...that is the most enjoyable video I've seen all year.  When I was taking my flight instructor rating in Livermore, Ca, I was fortunate to have SR 71Pilot Rich Perkins as my instructor.  His standards were beyond impeccable.  He was not ok with 5 degrees variation in heading ( even though the faa was), he was not ok with 50 ft altitude deviation (even though the faa was), he was not ok with +- 5Kts even though the FAA was.  He was an absolute, no nonsense, perfectionist. When I was going through spin training with him, I never thought I would get through it.  We did spins everyday for weeks to prove without any shadow of a doubt I had mastered spins whether normal, inverted, or accelerated.  At the time I honestly thought he was a bit of a prick....but at the end of the day he probably made me a 500% better pilot than most.  Thanks for that video.  It was awesome.

 

If there are any aspiring pilots in Ca, I would encourage you to go to Attitude Aviation in Livermore.  I don't know if Rich is still active or not, but if he is you will be a far better pilot spending time with him and he might share some SR71 moments with you.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

My sister and her husband lives in Lousville, CO.  On Thursday around lunchtime, they were getting text messages warning of poor air quality due to a grass fire near the Front Range.  An hour later they were getting reverse 911 calls and cops driving through the neighborhood on their PA systems telling everyone to get out NOW.  During the ten minutes they spent packing a few things in the car, the interior of the car was thoroughly crapped up with smoke and ash.  On the way out of their neighborhood they saw houses fully engulfed in flames.  They holed up at their daughter's house a few miles east, then a couple of hours later had to retreat even from there.  My dad, who was in a rehab facility recovering from a broken hip, also had to be evacuated 30 minutes east.  The assisted-living facility where he had been living (where he had broken his hip) also had to be evacuated.  Can you imagine the logistics of rapidly relocating hundreds of elderly folks, many with dementia, and most with special transportation/medication/assistance/dietary needs?  Holy crap.  Where do you take them, how do you quickly get them there, and how do you take care of them while they're there????

 

Yesterday my sister and her husband got back to their house, which was still standing.  Neighborhoods less than a 1/4-mile away were burned to the ground (same deal for my dad's assisted-living place).  The gas supply to all the houses in town had been shut off for a compressor repair, expected to take about a week.  So, no heat,  and a low last night of 8F, meant they had to drain the pipes and water heater as best they could before heading to a hotel.  Many of their friends and acquaintances have lost their homes, and with the dense smoke and violent winds, even their own house is grossly smoked up on the inside.  

 

My sister's other daughter also lives in Lousville, and they keep a few chickens in a backyard coop.  The chickens reportedly are "smoked, but not barbequed."  

 

Here's some drone footage of the aftermath (you can bump it up to 2X speed if you like - see settings at bottom right):

 

 

[ESokoloff]

8 hours ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

An hour later they were getting reverse 911 calls and cops driving through the neighborhood on their PA systems telling everyone to get out NOW. 

Glad your family made out Ok.  
Been there, done that. Woolsey Fire 2018.

Favorable winds plus a nice wide disced swath around the perimeter of the track by the HOA saved our house.  It was my worst nightmare turned come true.  
A large wind driven fire event with resources stretched Extremely thin. 
 

  

 

[Rinkydink]

Almost two years since Neil Peart passed. This song, with lyrics haunts me to this day. Worth six minutes of your time. That time is ticking…
 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Something to try at the next UnRally - maybe after the group dinner, when everyone's good and liquored up?

 

 

[Skywagon]

Now that Ezekial Wheel was cool.  When I was a kid we use to buy a firework just like that only it was bout 3inches and would only last about 10 seconds.  We would light it on the street and run back a bit because sometimes it went straight up, sometimes it came right at you, and sometimes it didn't have enough umph to lift off.  I haven't thought about those in decades.  Made me smile.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

8 hours ago, Skywagon said:

Now that Ezekial Wheel was cool.  When I was a kid we use to buy a firework just like that only it was bout 3inches and would only last about 10 seconds.  We would light it on the street and run back a bit because sometimes it went straight up, sometimes it came right at you, and sometimes it didn't have enough umph to lift off.  I haven't thought about those in decades.  Made me smile.

 

Sounds like the classic ground bloom flower:

 

Or maybe a jumping jack?

 

 

That video I posted is apparently the only one out there that refers to such a device as "Ezekiel's wheel;" that name is actually a biblical reference, although the description in the bible is a pretty good match for what's in that video.  

 

The technical name for the pyro device in the video is girandola.

[Hosstage]

No potential for danger there!

That was pretty cool.

[John Ranalletta]

I want to be this old man.

 

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

3 hours ago, John Ranalletta said:

I want to be this old man.

 

 

 

Probably stone-deaf after that first shot.  

[John Ranalletta]

1 minute ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

Probably stone-deaf after that first shot.  

 

He does a great job launching anvils, too. Fire in the hole!

 

[Rougarou]

Loudest weapon organic to an infantry battalion,......its fawkin' loud!!!!

 The SMAW (Shoulder launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon)

 

https://www.dvidshub.net/video/490661/marines-fire-smaw-have-blast

 

187 decibels 

As a result, the SMAW is one of the loudest weapons on the battlefield, with a 187-decibel muzzle report; according to US military literature, the only louder conventional weapon in the US inventory is a mine-clearing line charge.

[ESokoloff]

Speaking of flying…….

 

 

[Lowndes]

I submit "Mr. Baseball":

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPMOBLPr0hA

[Hosstage]

41 minutes ago, Lowndes said:

I submit "Mr. Baseball":

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPMOBLPr0hA

Loved that guy. I remember him on Johnny Carson's show, talking about setting up a hockey camp for kids, and they're using clear hockey pucks. I thought I was going to die laughing!

[Skywagon]

3 hours ago, Lowndes said:

"Mr. Baseball":

 

That was a great video... Thanks for posting.  When I was traveling heavily I would often say....I must be in the front row.

[roadscholar]

 

[roadscholar]

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Life in rough seas aboard a tanker.  Makes me appreciate terra firma.  Sometimes I cross Lake Michigan on the Lake Express ferry, and I have trouble walking across the deck without looking like I'm seriously drunk.  The missus in this video has crazy-good sea legs; she gets around the cabin like nothing's happening at all.

 

 

[John Ranalletta]

7 minutes ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

Life in rough seas aboard a tanker.  Makes me appreciate terra firma.  Sometimes I cross Lake Michigan on the Lake Express ferry, and I have trouble walking across the deck without looking like I'm seriously drunk.  The missus in this video has crazy-good sea legs; she gets around the cabin like nothing's happening at all.

 

 

On 1/4/2022 at 12:53 PM, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

Probably stone-deaf after that first shot.  

 

I think I'd want my bed mounted on a gimbal. 

 

[Lowndes]

32 minutes ago, John Ranalletta said:

 

I think I'd want my bed mounted on a gimbal. 

 

 

Au Contraire.  Some of the best sleeping I've ever had was on a ship in the Altantic in heavy weather.  With the sea rushing past a few feet from your head, the porthole underwater half the time, and the steady low hum of the steam engine, it was like being rocked to sleep in your Moma's arms all night.

[John Ranalletta]

8 minutes ago, Lowndes said:

 

Au Contraire.  Some of the best sleeping I've ever had was on a ship in the Altantic in heavy weather.  With the sea rushing past a few feet from your head, the porthole underwater half the time, and the steady low hum of the steam engine, it was like being rocked to sleep in your Moma's arms all night.

I'll take your word for that, but will avoid at all costs.  Can hardly watch the guys on TV catching crab in rough weather.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

6 minutes ago, John Ranalletta said:

I'll take your word for that, but will avoid at all costs.  Can hardly watch the guys on TV catching crab in rough weather.

 

Used to watch Deadliest Catch, and it was surprising how often one of the Discovery Channel's film crew team would be suffering from severe motion sickness, sometimes so bad that they couldn't stay hydrated and had to be taken back to port and carried off of the boat.  

[John Ranalletta]

4 minutes ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

Used to watch Deadliest Catch, and it was surprising how often one of the Discovery Channel's film crew team would be suffering from severe motion sickness, sometimes so bad that they couldn't stay hydrated and had to be taken back to port and carried off of the boat.  

 

Also, when they show scenes of a fishing vessel from afar in rough weather, what kind of boats do they use as filming platforms? 

[John Ranalletta]

I enjoy watching Rainman's channel.  He's an auto tech in Florida.  Great sense of humor and lots of patience.  Good technical info as well.

 

 

[TSConver]

1 hour ago, John Ranalletta said:

I enjoy watching Rainman's channel.  He's an auto tech in Florida.  Great sense of humor and lots of patience.  Good technical info as well.

 

 

I watch him too.

[roadscholar]

````````

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

2 hours ago, John Ranalletta said:

 

Also, when they show scenes of a fishing vessel from afar in rough weather, what kind of boats do they use as filming platforms? 

 

Probably not a huge concern.  Mechanical camera stabilization with gyros and suspension mounts has been around for decades, and lately digital image stabilization has become pretty common as well.

[TEWKS]

1 hour ago, roadscholar said:

````````

 

No “Baby Come Back”  

 

This sounds expensive! Last word in clip is not work safe. 

 

[RandyShields]

"Engine blows up"

 

Only ever saw that in person once.  Was at an F5000 race at Mid-Ohio in the early 1970's.  My buddy and I got a prime spot at the bottom of the back straightaway -- about the only area on the track to pass if the driver had the nerve and good brakes.  Saw David Hobbs flying down the track and trying to make a move, when he missed his downshift and went from like 5th to 1st and the entire back of his car blew up.  Rods and engine parts flew everywhere as his got the dead car over onto the grass.  His day was over, but it was great theater for the audience.  We couldn't hear what he might have been saying, but likely something similar to the 911 driver in the clip.

[Rougarou]

8 hours ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

Life in rough seas aboard a tanker.  Makes me appreciate terra firma.  Sometimes I cross Lake Michigan on the Lake Express ferry, and I have trouble walking across the deck without looking like I'm seriously drunk.  The missus in this video has crazy-good sea legs; she gets around the cabin like nothing's happening at all.

 

 

 

I'm sure some of the former squids can attest to getting sea legs fairly quickly.  If any of them has ever ridden a LST knows that yes, you can walk on the wall.  I've got many years sea time from small flat bottomed LST's to aircraft carriers,.....and when the carriers rockin', you are in a serious storm.  Piss in the water and the LSTs would rock.

 

Here's a 190ft flat bottomed boat in 20-25ft seas that I was on in 2015,....yea me!

 

[TEWKS]

With no way off the ride, this’d be me. 

 

[John Ranalletta]

4 hours ago, RandyShields said:

"Engine blows up"

 

Only ever saw that in person once.  Was at an F5000 race at Mid-Ohio in the early 1970's.  My buddy and I got a prime spot at the bottom of the back straightaway -- about the only area on the track to pass if the driver had the nerve and good brakes.  Saw David Hobbs flying down the track and trying to make a move, when he missed his downshift and went from like 5th to 1st and the entire back of his car blew up.  Rods and engine parts flew everywhere as his got the dead car over onto the grass.  His day was over, but it was great theater for the audience.  We couldn't hear what he might have been saying, but likely something similar to the 911 driver in the clip.

while we’re talking about over revving 

 

https://www.rvtravel.com/jeepdestroyed992/

 

 

[TEWKS]

I bounced off the rev limiter in my buddy’s Cayman a few months ago when he let me test drive it. It was weird, seemed to come out of nowhere.  

[fourteenfour]

 

[Rougarou]

13 hours ago, John Ranalletta said:

while we’re talking about over revving 

 

https://www.rvtravel.com/jeepdestroyed992/

 

 

 

That owner is easily a moron.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

I don't care what you say, monkeys and apes will never not be funny.

 

 

[TEWKS]

53 minutes ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

I don't care what you say, monkeys and apes will never not be funny.

 

 

Just don’t tease them! 

 

[9Mary7]

5 hours ago, TEWKS said:

Just don’t tease them! 

That idiot with the AK looks pretty funny to me!!

[Rougarou]

 

Now do humans!!

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

40 minutes ago, Rougarou said:

 

Now do humans!!

 

Not every fish can drive as good as  a goldfish (watch at 0:28):

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

3 hours ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

Not every fish can drive as good as  a goldfish (watch at 0:28):

 

 

 

If you really want to get there, hire an orangutan as your driver:

 

 

[LBump]

 

[9Mary7]

18 hours ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

If you really want to get there, hire an orangutan as your driver:

I love how at around the 3 minute mark he/she cruises past the tiger's cage....... sucks to not have opposable thumbs!!!!!

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

1 hour ago, 9Mary7 said:

I love how at around the 3 minute mark he/she cruises past the tiger's cage....... sucks to not have opposable thumbs!!!!!

 

The thing that kills me is that he's not doing it for attention or as some zany circus stunt for delicious treats, and he's not excited/intense like this is is first time behind the wheel.  He just acts like some super casual low-energy old dude who's been driving all his life, out for a relaxing afternoon cruise around the neighborhood, taking in the scenery and enjoying the breeze - and it goes on and on, never straying off of the pavement.  He drives better than some of the people in town here.

[TEWKS]

Yup, he’s way more mature and responsible than these monkeys!  
 

If you get sucked into watching more than a few minutes, what the hell is up with crashing into unsuspecting players?  That’s way up there on the crazy shit scale even for my juvenile sense of humor. 

 

 

[wbw6cos]

He should be riding a motorcycle.    That would be awesome to see

 

[Hosstage]

7 hours ago, TEWKS said:

If you get sucked into watching more than a few minutes, what the hell is up with crashing into unsuspecting players?  That’s way up there on the crazy shit scale even for my juvenile sense of humor. 

 

 

I thought it was funny the first time I saw it on Jackass, but now it's just gotten out of hand.

[roadscholar]

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

First, on the wing - a nice glider approach and landing in the rain:

 

 

At first I was thinking he was way too high and at a messed-up approach heading to land, and then was surprised he was going to circle back to line up because it seemed like he wouldn’t have enough altitude (he did come over that hillside house pretty damn low!).  Having seen a few videos of powered small planes doing deadstick landings, they come down awfully quick; in comparison, the glide ratio on gliders sure is freaky-good. 

 

Second, on the rail - this video of a train in the Rockies that was stopped waiting for a tunnel to clear before taking off again:

 

 

Mostly I just like the sound of these monster diesels spooling up to pull as hard as they can.  The whole train is 12,000 tons, and the locomotives together make 22,500 horsepower.  It’s like trying to accelerate your car with a little less than 4 horsepower.  600,000 pounds tractive force with all five locomotives maxed out, but they’re on a 2% grade, so gravity is pulling it downhill with about 480,000 pounds of force.  That leaves just 120,000 pounds of tractive force available to actually accelerate it.  I don't really consider myself a railhead, but thought the vid was kinda neat.