Word. I hated working like that. Going from office work to a job I actually enjoy doing (and that is everything but 9-5) was one of the best choices I ever made.

Indeed. No matter how much I know intellectually that I could easily invest it better myself (even risk-free government bonds are better than the annuity), I know that the annuity is a great safety net against my inevitable stupidity.

I’m not big on gyms either. Hardly ever enter one except in hotels while traveling for work.

Ah yes. Then again in this Internet age the whole sentence is waaaay too long. ;)

Still milking it, no?

That’s how most large Samsung TVs, and I think LGs as well, work these days. There’s a separate box for all the connections. Apart from allowing a thinner TV, it makes connecting cables, USB drives and so forth way more convenient. I’m all for it.

Haiii-yaaa. This sounds familiar. But like you I can’t remember the book...

Really? Now I’m embarrassed that I didn’t remember exactly...

No worries. I guess I’ve given the matter more thought than any normal person should. :)

Looks can indeed be deceiving. I agree they don’t look completely comfortable. I have worn “cheap” dress shoes and to be honest they tend to be way less comfortable. Certainly J&M aren’t like wearing a pair of sneakers but they don’t look like sneakers either. ;)

First off, you do need to paint with something, even it is clearcoat, just to protect the aluminium. Secondly, smooth and clean paint can be better from a drag perspective than just one layer.

The maintenance on that aluminium is not cheap. It must be clearcoated if nothing else. Besides, modern planes are more and more composite...

First off, on re-reading my comment I realize I misunderstood what you were trying to say. Sorry.

Andy Weir freely admits that the radiation shielding in The Martian is made up of handwavium alloys. Hard to get around it if you have a guy in a spacesuit and a hab on mars for months on end.

It looked like it pooped the bombs.

I like your thinking. :)