Mystery missile

A “missile” was fired 35 miles off the coast of California yesterday. No one knows who fired it. See story.

My theory is that it was model rocketry nerds. They built a really big rocket, which would be illegal to launch in the United States, so they went out into international waters. UPDATE

Just an airplane is a more likely explanation.

* * *

Peter asks:

Are model rocketry nerds as total failures with women as are their D&D and WoW counterparts? Perhaps the hands-on aspects of rocketry makes it more like a manual skill, which women like in a man.

A little bit less nerdy than D&D and WoW, more in line with ham radio.

Does anyone even play D&D anymore?

Comments

[Dr. Grzlickson]

Nope, that is a ballistic missile.

[JP]

Ahmedinejad and Kim are model rocketry nerds of a sort.

[Peter]

Are model rocketry nerds as total failures with women as are their D&D and WoW counterparts? Perhaps the hands-on aspects of rocketry makes it more like a manual skill, which women like in a man.

[Shawn]

Model rocketry is not for nerds for these three reasons:

- 1) It is a hobby that confers status to males

- 2) Women are primarily interested in model
rocketry

- 3) It takes a significant amount of money to
enjoy this hobby, relegating it to the
'elite guys'

[JP]

Speaking as a (former) model rocketry and AD&D guy... yeah, it's pretty much for guys who have no chance to get laid.

[tommy]

It's probably just a commercial jet:

http://www.smartplanet.com/technology/blog/thinking-tech/the-mysterious-california-missile-launch-that-wasnt/5646/

[rightwingnut]

With this event, I wouldn't discard there being a skunkworks type lab of the coast of California.

Did you hear about the earthquake 'like' reports about a year ago, also in California ? They didn't register a bleep on any geological survey (i.e.richter scale) in the region.

Then it was an alleged 'sonic boom', then the press never digged into it again. (Similar earthquake 'like' reports were made about 5 years ago, but it was also thrown under the rug).

Here's one source on the 2009 'sonic boom' or just search "california mystery sonic boom"
http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_11840107?nclick_check=1

Ahmadinejad better be putting two and two together. "Mysterious Sonic booms" and now "Mysterious Missiles"

[Peter A]

I see D&D books for sale at my local Borders all the time - someone is buying them.

Sig - this seems right up your alley, surprised it hasn't come up yet

http://live.washingtonpost.com/snoburbia-10-25-10.html

[AMcguinn]

Anyway I have DnD tonight so the comic's gonna be late but I think it will be worth it!!!!!!! HOPE YOU LIKE RUN-ON SENTENCES

http://twitter.com/#!/jephjacques/status/2114358196830208

(SWPL webcartoonist)

[dearieme]

Someone is yanking your chain. I suppose that the People's Republic is the most obvious contender.

[Tom]

My brother and his friends play D&D, so yes, people still play it. But for them it's more like their version of a poker night than an obsession.

Which doesn't make them not nerds, it just makes them a bit less nerdy.

[Tom]

Peter A-
Wow. Snoburbia is basically where SWPL meets having children. Time to ditch that condo in Manhattan and move out to Westchester!

[Sid]

D&D is now, in a way, a weird hipster-nerd hybrid. I've played a few games, and the DM was a girl. It has SWPL appeal because playing on a board gives it a retro, vintage appeal that SWPLs love. It's also so nerdy that it can be played ironically, which SWPLs love too. But of course, most D&D players are exceedingly nerdy, it's just that it has some SWPL appeal on the side.

[Peter]

"A little bit less nerdy than D&D and WoW, more in line with ham radio."

Ham radio? I always thought of that as your grandfather's hobby.

[Matt]

"Are model rocketry nerds as total failures with women as are their D&D and WoW counterparts? Perhaps the hands-on aspects of rocketry makes it more like a manual skill, which women like in a man."

I think the creative, story, empathic character understanding aspects of tabletop roleplaying may well tend to put them up on model train enthusiasts and airfix guys and the like, whether through shared causation or direct causation - seems like people who are into a social activity where they play a character might have better empathic and group skills in the first place. Though total obsessives who are into making the strongest druid ever or whatever may be down a bit, as would be delusional escapist fantasist types, so perhaps tabletop roleplayers would be down on average after all.

[Big Don]

We live near airport and have observed many contrails create in real time. It takes awhile for a plane to travel the distance required to produce that "mystery contrail." Didn't folks observe that "contrail" occur quickly (as with a rocket)? Way too quickly to be a contrail...??

[JP]

Hey, we guys who hung out in the computer room and played D&D used to look down on the ham radio dorks as total social rejects!

[Half Sigma]

Ham radio enthusiasts would say that their hobby is social because they talk to people all over the world. But it's my impression that 90% of the conversations revolve around where they are located and what kind of equipment they are using.

[JP]

Heh, ham radio provides a means for boring social rejects to talk to other boring social rejects. Now that there is the internet, ham radio is obsolete!