ORION

@MCCCANM @dougdrvr Your platform is helping, even if hysteria spreads. I frequently link to your explanations as a short hand for texting relatives or friends a lengthy text.

@dougdrvr Oh man…yeah, I was hoping we could avoid this!

Ok, the helicopter & the United flight. You’re hearing that the United jet got an “R.A.” on final approach. This is a “Resolution Advisory” from the “Traffic alert & Collision Avoidance System” (TCAS). TCAS is a small unit in the jet or helicopter that talks to other TCAS units in other flying machines. Sometimes little airplanes don’t have a TCAS, so the TCAS in that case just listens to that airplane’s transponder. When TCAS determines that the airplanes will get close, it issues a “Traffic Advisory” (TA). It announces “TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC” over the speaker & colors the visual depiction of the traffic on your screen so you can see who it’s concerned about, what altitude they are at & whether they are climbing or descending. With that information, you know specifically where to look outside to visually acquire the offender. It’s not too unusual to get a TA. You don’t have to do anything about it & usually the offender levels off a thousand feet above or below you…TCAS doesn’t know that’s the plan though, and it didn’t like the rate of closure, so it spoke up. Now, if things start getting even closer & TCAS thinks there will be a collision, it issues a Resolution Advisory (RA). TCAS has been planning for this possibility the whole time & coordinating with the other TCAS…they are chatting to each other specifically, even as both continue to talk to all the other little TCAS boxes in the area, too. TCAS can only tell you to climb or descend (it can’t tell you to turn), so they work together to figure out who will climb & who will descend to create separation the fastest…they will *not* issue the same instructions, like having both jets descend. Even if the other airplane doesn’t have a TCAS, TCAS can perform basically the same thing by listening to that airplane’s transponder…it’s just that the other little airplane without TCAS is probably still clueless that a potential collision is looming. Anyway, TCAS comes over the speaker & says “CLIMB, CLIMB” (or descend). It puts a target on your attitude indicator to raise the nose to. If it doesn’t like how you’re doing it, it says “INCREASE VERTICAL SPEED”. It will do this until it announces “CLEAR OF CONFLICT”, at which point you return to your ATC cleared altitude. You *must* obey TCAS. It overrides ATC instructions. There might be a circumstance where you wouldn’t obey it, but it better be bulletproof because you are going to have to explain yourself. Not obeying TCAS has caused at least one major accident. As soon as TCAS issues an RA, you tell ATC “Responding to TCAS RA” & they know you are busting their clearance. They’ll focus on making sure you don’t become a problem for someone else in the area. Eventually, the whole thing gets written up in reports & the incident is investigated for a loss of separation. In the DC crash, the TCAS never said a word, and that’s by design. Below a certain altitude, it inhibits itself, as it assumes you are landing…I think it’s around 1,200’, but don’t quote me on that. As you approach to land, there are a bunch of jets on the ground with their transponders turned on…TCAS can’t filter out who is doing what, and if it worked like it did when you were in the air, you’d never be able to land. So, that’s basically what happened here. Hope it helps!

@jarvis_best This is easily the worst attempt at inserting themselves into what the Americans are up to and making it about them I’ve seen in literal hours.

I'm sorry were there other professional football teams that feel like tangling with the Seahawks? Hmm? Toronto Argonauts you want to mosey on down here and try to protect your part time Uber driver quarterback from Derick Hall?

@G_S_Bhogal “Man does not know what to desire, and so he turns to others in order to make up his mind. We desire what others desire because we imitate their desires.”

Most people don’t follow ideals, they follow people who follow ideals.

@CWLemoine Jokes on him. He’s not even a pilot.

The most common, cringiest joke on the planet.

@MCCCANM Ground and pound crew

@WarPath2pt0 Don Frye’s letter to Takayama (the other guy in the viral fight he had at Saitama Super Arena) after Takayama’s life-altering injury from pro wrestling could make anybody’s old man tear up.

Don Frye is a national treasure--

@mikenelson586 This is the greatest real world pun set-up, maybe in world history.

But Doctor, I am Pagliarini

@TrungTPhan Damon’s point about the bar being far higher for customers to walk out of a theater than changing the channel is excellent. Listening to the details of the thought put into how they plan a film is eye opening.

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on Rogan taking about how Netflix has changed filmmaking. A major considerations is dealing with distracted viewers. To keep them tuned in, “you re-iterate the plot 3-4x in the dialogue because people are on their phones.” Then, in action films, you change the ordering of climatic fights. In traditional action films, you’d have “three set pieces” in every act (I, II, III) and each would “ramp up” (spend the big money on third set piece). But streaming has to hook viewers within 5 minute, so the incentive is to put a major battle or action sequence much earlier. Also, the directors have less incentive to make a film look great because so many people watch on laptops and phones. They do say that streaming allows for more bets on risky projects since the theatre economics are geared towards IP, sequels and super-heroes. Example: an independent film with a $25m budget would spend $25m on marketing (1:1 ratio). But since it splits box office with the theatre, the film needs to make $100m (1/2 of which is $50m) just to break even. They’re realistic about the state of film and call it a supply-demand issue. If the demand is for at-home viewing (eg. Netflix 300m+ subs), then filmmaking approach will change to feed the algo. When there’s demand for theatre, Damon will go team up with Christopher Nolan to make “The Odyssey”.

@alittleleader This is a hilarious subculture of law I never considered.

You can ask on a listserv “hey, anyone have an expert in moon phases,” and minutes later you get 10 emails back telling you to contact Frank, he’s the moon phase guy ever since he litigated moon phases one time in 1998. And damned if Frank won’t be thrilled to hop on a call.

The thing about criminal defense is you will unwittingly & unintentionally become an expert in something weird as hell. You have one case where someone steals an expensive lizard, and years later you’re still the person everyone goes to with all questions about lizard valuation.

@dilanesper I’m kind of surprised there’s not a way to stop it. What that’d look like I have no idea. But even fighter jets have arresting cables.

Right Now Michael is thinking about a solo career....

@CodifyBaseball This is incredible

So the Kyle Farnsworth/Iowa mystery might have been just been solved with a DM someone sent to Baseball Reference! 🕵️‍♂️😂

@SGT_B_Dub Will legit be the first military memoir I’ve bought in years.

Follow the legend IYKYK

@Iamhere4theAds @Haugan16 @AliceFromQueens Not quite true. US criminal jurisdiction is based on statutory reach not geography. The US writes statutes that apply extraterritorially when our interests are implicated. Ranging from terrorism to drug conspiracies to sanctions violations.

Anyone know how DoJ builds a case against Maduro's wife?

@Haugan16 @AliceFromQueens This is actually a very good question. Getting an indictment is one thing, proving it beyond doubt in court is a whole different thing.

@AliceFromQueens And what happens if either one of them is found not guilty? Do they just get flown back to Caracas?

@westcoastaerial @rosebowlgame @RoseBowlStadium @JoePompliano @espn @barstoolsports @CFBPlayoff @NCAA @darrenrovell @FOXSports @CollegeGameDay Incredible shot, Mark.

2026 Rose Bowl Game B-2 Spirit Flyover video

@JackCarrUSA @USMC @CMC_MarineCorps I bought your book several months ago. It’s always been something I knew happened but never knew the details of beyond “this happened.” Really eye opening.

Sincerely honored and humbled to learn that TARGETED: BEIRUT was selected for the U.S. Marine Corps 2026 Commandant’s Professional Reading List.   There are lessons in the pages of history. @USMC @CMC_MarineCorps 🇺🇸

@PitchingNinja Prime Zito was an artist. Such a shame his time in San Fran didn’t live up to his stint with the A’s. I remember when he changed his delivery and it was all over sports radio.

Barry Zito's Ridiculous Tunneling. 😳 VERY Elevated Fastball/"Waste" Pitch & Curveball (backwards K), Individual Pitches + Overlay.

@BussinWTB This is like a discovery channel nature documentary on warring tribes.

This video is insane 😂

What is the aviation equivalent to "Burn the Boats"?

@dilanesper I do recall that Lincoln witness episode! It’s crazy how far away in history things seem when they truly aren’t.

@NeonPsalm filmed, not televised. but a witness to Lincoln's assassination did appear on a TV game show (What's My Line- I am sure there's video of it online).

they are already old but believe it or not there was even a 1938 reunion and FDR spoke at it.