OT: Kickstarter to build a Death Star

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March 20th, 2013 at 12:25 AM
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M-Wolverine
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OT: Kickstarter to build a Death Star

It's OT to be sure, but it's after midnight, and we've gotten our second "do we root for Big Ten teams" thread in as many days, so the boards aren't burning down. And this is a Kickstarter for something IMPORTANT. Since the government refused to fund building a Death Star (no politics) someone has taken it upon themselves to protect and save the earth-

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/461687407/kickstarter-open-source-de...

If we get the word out, the sky is not the limit, and this just may work. Sure, creating city gardens and helping communities and feeding people is nice, but how is that compared to the ability to destroy a planet?

Give early; give often.

 

 

(The author of this post is in no way affiliated with this project, the Empire, or the Sith)

"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk

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March 20th, 2013 at 12:55 AM | I'm in (Score:3 Normal)
TWSWBC
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I'm in

If I tell you it's Easter, you better start looking for eggs.

Some folks call it a sling blade, I call it a kaiser blade.

March 20th, 2013 at 12:56 AM | OT (Score:4 Normal)
exmtroj
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Joined: 10/24/2008
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Since we're talking OT in this thread, does everyone know John U. Bacon has another book coming out in the fall? Found out today and it totally made my week.

 

 

"All I've had today is, like, six gummy bears and some scotch"

March 20th, 2013 at 1:10 AM | About what? (Score:2 Normal)
ILwolverine
Joined: 02/24/2011
MGoPoints: 977

About what?

This might be arrogant, and if it is, it is, but we're Michigan

March 20th, 2013 at 1:13 AM | He followed OSU, PSU, (Score:3 Normal)
exmtroj
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He followed OSU, PSU, Michigan and Northwestern during the 2012 (I think) season and he's writing about those programs' seasons and their fanbases. It's calle Fourth and Long. I'm surprised he got access to Michigan football again so soon.

 

 

"All I've had today is, like, six gummy bears and some scotch"

March 20th, 2013 at 8:27 AM | Yeah no kidding.  But really (Score:2)
RowoneEndzone
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Yeah no kidding.  But really if you look at where the fan base is and the general mood of the program I doubt we'll see any bombshells.  Looking forward to buying and reading though.  Thanks for the heads up.  

"Wasn't that Michigan drive just great.  That's like Patton riding into Berlin." ~Bob Ufer

March 20th, 2013 at 1:04 PM | Didn't listen to the thing (Score:2)
M-Wolverine
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But the text with the audio seems to confirm the book title-

http://mvictors.com/?tag=john-bacon-new-book

 

"I love him, he's a great coach, he's a great mentor, he's a great friend. He's every single thing you want a college coach to be, and he does it flawlessly." -David Molk

March 20th, 2013 at 3:18 PM | "Access?" (Score:0 Trolling)
March 20th, 2013 at 12:59 AM | skip to 26 seconds. (Score:2)
Gobgoblue
Joined: 07/07/2012
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I love Greg Mattison

March 20th, 2013 at 1:00 AM | Is it too political to say (Score:5 Normal)
Needs
Joined: 08/05/2008
MGoPoints: 4162

Is it too political to say that the White House's response to that petition was all kinds of awesome? I might even deign to say that Paul Shawcross has single handedly become my all time favorite Chief of the Science and Space Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget. 

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/response/isnt-petition-response-youre-l...

March 20th, 2013 at 1:54 AM | Great Find (Score:2)
Greatgig
Joined: 11/29/2010
MGoPoints: 21

That was fantastic, I think the force supercedes both sides of the aisle and is truly bipartisan.

"It's not going in our yard Russ, it's going in our living room."

March 20th, 2013 at 6:36 AM | "...the United States doesn't (Score:5 Normal)
evenyoubrutus
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"...the United States doesn't have anything that can do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs."

But we have Denard...

Not that I loved Rich Rod less, but that I loved Michigan more.

March 20th, 2013 at 10:03 AM | THat made my day... (Score:1)
jdon
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seriously, that is amazing...

 

almost as amazing as the 327K they have fund raised already.

 

We are the dead.

March 20th, 2013 at 11:14 AM | I rarely agree with anything the WH says... (Score:1)
wolfman81
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But that response was pretty awesome.

 

So, no, it wasn't too political.

The beatings will continue until morale improves.

March 20th, 2013 at 1:06 AM | Whoever created this (Score:3 Normal)
julesh
Joined: 11/28/2011
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Whoever created this Kickstarter is clearly a fan of The Hudsucker Proxy, so he's got my support!

March 20th, 2013 at 3:25 AM | You know, (Score:2)
maizenblueCW2
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for kids!

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.

-RIP Mitch

March 20th, 2013 at 8:03 AM | "The Board, they took ol' (Score:2)
saveferris
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"The Board, they took ol' Norville for an imbecile"

 

"...what do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?"

"Fix the cigarette lighter."

March 20th, 2013 at 1:15 AM | "The goal has been set high (Score:4 Normal)
MGoneBlue
Joined: 05/30/2011
MGoPoints: 313

"The goal has been set high enough to make successful funding impossible."  

You know that's just playing with fire.

March 20th, 2013 at 1:48 AM | So far they've raised (Score:2)
MGoSteelers
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So far they've raised $500,000 of the $30m goal.  That's really awesome.

March 20th, 2013 at 3:21 PM | Too bad... (Score:1)
Tater
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Too bad they don't get to keep any of it.  They obviously made the goal so high as to be unattainable to keep it legal, but it would be nice to see their creativity rewarded.

 

 

 

March 20th, 2013 at 2:27 AM | Sure, fund the Deathstar (Score:5 Normal)
drewz05
Joined: 06/01/2011
MGoPoints: 144

I'll spend my money financiing the X-Wing squadron that is agile enough to exploit the tiny flaw in your design.


http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/simonkwan/crowdfunding-rebel-alliance-x-wing-squadron?ref=live

March 20th, 2013 at 5:25 AM | Like the Blue's Mobile (Score:1)
quiverfull
Joined: 12/21/2011
MGoPoints: 528

but in space...the new death stars are in early this year!

Quiverfull

March 20th, 2013 at 5:53 AM | How banal.  The Death Star (Score:3 Normal)
UMgradMSUdad
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How banal.  The Death Star has already been done a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.  Now if there were a kickstarter for something in the future, like a starship named Enterprise to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldy go where no man has gone before, I would be all in.

March 20th, 2013 at 6:32 AM | Well I'll donate (Score:2)
FreeTheFabFivePlz
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As long as they fix the womprat sized hole in the exhaust port. Who woulda thought that would be the Achilles heel?

So hot.  Milk was a bad choice.

March 20th, 2013 at 9:32 AM | Didn't you read the Kickstarter? (Score:3 Normal)
inthebluelot
Joined: 01/05/2010
MGoPoints: 76

They are installing chicken wire over all exhaust ports for impenetrability.

March 20th, 2013 at 10:16 AM | Then it's solved (Score:2)
FreeTheFabFivePlz
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Do they accept PayPal?

So hot.  Milk was a bad choice.

March 20th, 2013 at 6:49 AM | The destruction of the first (Score:0 Overrated)
March 20th, 2013 at 7:22 AM | How would a Death Star save the earth? (Score:2)
TrppWlbrnID
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Isn't it more likely to do the opposite? Besides blowing up planets, there really is not much difference between the Death Star and one of those triangle things.

2013 resolution - make it onto the 2014 favorite MGoPosters post, not ironically
March 20th, 2013 at 7:41 AM | A U of M connected project (Score:1)
halzeus
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Lara graduated from Michigan in 1989.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/656540017/poised-for-success-a-photo...

March 20th, 2013 at 8:35 AM | Not politics, just fyi (Score:3 Normal)
PinballPete
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For anyone interested, here are the articles that started this idea. This was ZeroHedge's jab at the Federal Reserve for seemingly unlimited Quantitative Easing. At least, that was my take. 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/modest-proposal-boost-us-gdp-852-quadrilli...

The first comment on the article made me lol. 

It's rollin' baby, It's rollin'.

March 20th, 2013 at 9:46 AM | Ha ha... (Score:1)
French West Indian
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....but there's nothing "seemingly" about it.  QEternity is unlimited.

March 20th, 2013 at 10:20 AM | True, but this was written (Score:2)
PinballPete
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True, but this was written over a year ago when the merits of QE3 were being discussed.

It's rollin' baby, It's rollin'.

March 20th, 2013 at 8:37 AM | Somewhere Tenacious D (Score:1)
One Armed Bandit
Joined: 12/23/2010
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Is beaming with pride.

"Hoke, you're my best friend," - Miss Daisy.

March 20th, 2013 at 8:53 AM | This is one of the few stories (Score:2)
quigley.blue
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This is one of the few stories where I'm proud that living in DC means this was news 2 months ago.

March 20th, 2013 at 8:58 AM | So what happens if (when?) (Score:2)
Lionsfan
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So what happens if (when?) this is funded, and then the guy runs off with 20 million Euros?

If you're doing nothing, how do you know when you're finished?

StraightDave owes me a steak dinner

March 20th, 2013 at 8:59 AM | Well, I say he gets (Score:3 Normal)
quigley.blue
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Well I say he gets ALL OF THE KUDOS.

March 20th, 2013 at 9:23 AM | no, no, NO (Score:1)
superstringer
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Guys... sorry to say, Disney cancelled this too, along with Clone Wars.  Move on.

March 20th, 2013 at 9:40 AM | But we basically... (Score:1)
French West Indian
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MGoPoints: 930

...already are building a Death Star, or at least a kind of cyborg planet earth.  As Koolhaas pointed out in his Junkspace essay, since the advent of air conditioning & escalators architects, engineers & builders have seemingly been working on a single grand project. 

Yet to be fully connected, you can already see this playing out even locally by just looking at campus.  The Medical Center in particular is like a cancerous tumor slowly engulfing the surrounding city.  Someday, it might very connect Central & North Campus (if it doesn't overwhelm them, that is).

Later, Ann Arbor will connect to Detroit.  And that conurbation will stretch to reach similar grand projects in Chicago, New York and eventually London, Tokyo and all points beyond.  These grand city/buildings will come full circle and fully squeeze every last ounce of whatever "nature" is left and the Earth will be, if not a fully artifical Death Star, then at least a giant robot-ized rock.

Michigan stadium will probably have a roof by then.  Shit, thinking about the future makes me really look forward to being dead.

March 20th, 2013 at 10:39 AM | If we are already doing (Score:1)
MGOReader
Joined: 07/05/2011
MGoPoints: 53

this in the growth of the Medical Center, wouldn't that me more of a Life Star?

 

The Blog, the Blog, the Blog!

March 20th, 2013 at 11:59 AM | The subtle Hudsucker Proxy (Score:2)
MaizeAndBlueWahoo
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The subtle Hudsucker Proxy reference is fantastic.

"We've beaten Michigan the last four years.  So where's the threat?"

- Mark Dantonio

Blogging the Virginia Cavaliers at http://fromoldvirginia.blogspot.com/<

March 20th, 2013 at 12:03 PM | How does the pledged money work? (Score:2)
Gordon Berenson
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MGoPoints: 1557

Is it strictly an offer to give money until it reaches it's goal? I can't believe that people would've actually given ~$500k to a death star project, but then again, a lot of people in the UK to identify as Jedi for their religion

March 20th, 2013 at 12:19 PM | Got A Laugh Here... (Score:2)
LSAClassOf2000
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Joined: 01/07/2011
MGoPoints: 8743

"To keep costs lower the entire project will use open source hardware and software."

It would take many Linux servers of hardware designed in KiCad to hold the schematics of the main reactor alone. That being said, in reading their FAQ, I feel that making the plans publicly available to the engineering community at large does have tremendous advantages, and indeed, they would fee far more motivated to not leave it about 15% constructed as they did in Return Of The Jedi. Community ownership of such a project is essential because the ability to whack a planet can potentially benefit the community. 

"Funny isn't it, how naughty dentists always make that one fatal mistake."

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