Carl Sagan

I just looked at the Bolton forum and in their Derby match thread "worthy4England" had posted an interesting analysis of last year's run-in. Basically, with 8 games to go last season, the teams that got over the line really picked up the pace and averaged 2.5ppg from hereon. Of last year's top 6, only Barnsley didn't average >2ppg for the final 8. The last line is interesting that more than one defeat from hereon is likely fatal. Last year it was a sprint to the line. I don't see why it would be different this time around. ********************* I think there's some interest in looking at how many points the last 6 accumulated in the final 8 games, last season. Plymouth on 80 after 38 = 21 Sheff on 79 after 38 = 17 Ipswich on 78 after 38 = 20 Barnsley on 75 after 38 = 11 Bolton on 74 after 38 = 17 Peterborough on 63 after 38 = 17 Plymouth are on the same tally as the team who won it last season P2 is 4 points lower P3 is 4 points lower P4 is 1-4 points lower (depending on game in hand) P5 is 3 points lower P6 is 2 points lower It suggest that whilst the teams below Plymouth might be a bit adrift, we still might have to accumulate 17-21 points out of 24. There's not a lot of perms that do this (possible I've missed a couple). 17 = 5W, 2D, 1L 18 = 5W, 3D or 6W, 2L 19 = 6W, 1D, 1L 20 = 6W, 2D 21 = 7W, 1L 22 = 7W, 1D 23 = Not possible 24 = 8W There probably aren't too many losses left in the games with a route to automatics. 1 would be bad, 2 might be fatal.

You do realize you can go into Twitter settings, search "interests" and untick anything you don't want to see?

He's always said no, for the same reasons why he hasn't gone into space at all yet. We're at such a critical juncture in Human history that if something happened to him, it would still set us back decades (or potentially forever). For the same reason, SpaceX is privately owned to prevent shareholders taking control and deflecting the company from its mission of colonizing Mars. Eventually, he wants to go to live on Mars.

Here's a video capture of the moment of stage separation from space. For efficiency SpaceX has moved to "hot staging" meaning they light the engines on the Starship upper stage, while still attached to the booster, which caused problems previously but worked flawlessly this time. It's great to see the giant booster in the background - today it just went back to the Gulf of Mexico, but in future it will be caught by the launch tower! Then, when the screen splits in half, the left-hand side is that booster heading for home, while the right-hand side is the Starship itself, heading on into space. The graphics bottom right and bottom left, show you which engines are lit at any one time. Edit: And, even as I typed this post, I get an alert on my phone that it's less than an hour until a SpaceX Falcon 9 is launching another batch of Starlink satellites. The Falcon 9's 25th mission of 2024. SpaceX is making the impossible look routine.

The reason for this strange behaviour...

The most amazing watch. Frequently I found myself applauding. As it happens, SpaceX is 22 years old today, and they have created such wonders. The Mars colonization programme is partly going to have to be funded by Starlink (genius business idea), which for the first time in history enabled us to get these views during reentry, when there'd normally be a comms blackout. Huge, huge congratulations to all involved. This third flight test has pushed things much further along, using the cargo bay doors and moving fuel around the vehicle while in orbit. I would expect the fourth test (within the next 2 months) to carry and deploy payload into orbit (of more Starlink satellites)!

Must not lose. Possibly the only remaining game where that's the case, as Portsmouth look too far ahead. Probably unchanged. Bradley was ill before and after the last game, and at fault for the goal we conceded. If there is a change, then Fozzy can come in for him, and is the better player, but as he's still coming back I think it will be as you were. If we win it's a giant stride towards the autos, but defeat makes Bolton favourites - while we remain favourites with a draw. Wildsmith Nelson Bradley Cashin Ward Adams Hourihane Sibley Mendez-Laing Gayle Barkhuizen Subs: Loach Wilson Forsyth Thompson Smith Blacktt-Taylor Waghorn

There's a young lad scoring for fun in the National League who we should try to snap up. Only 18 years old, and six goals in the last four games - they're calling him "the Beast". I haven't delved into the stats (but others can: https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=174067) but since he went there, I think he's scoring a goal every 45 minutes or maybe even better. The lad's name is Brown, Dajaune Brown. Could do a job for us next season I'm sure.

The 110 minute launch window opens at noon tomorrow, UK time. You watch that video and marvel at how far SpaceX has come in such a short space of time. No other company can have such global dominance as they do in space launch. Massively ahead of everyone else. Elon is in a hurry to build our multiplanetary future.

"You've heard of the Bear [the nickname for one of Gateshead's forwards], we've also got the Beast". Dajaune "the Beast" Brown!!!!!

@RampantGreat work so far - with so many other tangential threads in place for the weekend, I suggest it's time for you to start the next ball rolling so people can talk about the match where it matters.

Oh so important to have won again. Surprised people are talking so much about the decisions. They all seem justifiable. But the point there is that in what looks like a vital early season game vs Bolton, this same ref was so appalling that Derby released the Assessor's report. Which showed the ref effectively gave a 4 goal swing against us in favour of Bolton. That's extraordinary and it meant the same ref couldn't go against us tonight or serious questions would have been asked about him. I certainly don't want this ref every week, but maybe he's got it out of his system? Regardless, it sounds a well-deserved win. For context with the goal conceded, in the post-match Warne said Bradley had felt ill before the game and was sick afterwards. Our game management does seem a weakness in terms of seeing games out. Hopefully we can improve that quickly.

Thursday or Friday for flight 3, depending on the formal licence approval from the FAA and then the weather. Despite this being much the world's biggest rocket, SpaceX has upgraded what is called the "tank farm" meaning they can fuel the vehicles incredibly quickly. Also, there's a new flightpath which will be shorter. It gives them a longer launch window and means the launch will be in daylight and the descent will be at night, which makes it easier to track the Starship in infrared. For the first time, there is a planned deorbit engine burn, and the hope is the vessel will come down in the ocean west and maybe north of Australia. The booster will attempt a "soft landing" in the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico. Elon has said they're hoping for at least six test flights this year. I'm surprised it's not more, but maybe he's being cautious for once. Already the next Starship (Ship 29) has been on the launchpad doing pre-flight tests.

Tuesday 12th March: Portsmouth 2 Burton 1 RAMS 2 Reading 1 Bolton 5 Oxford 0 Carlisle 2 Barnsley 3 Everybody won, which we have to expect most weeks in this league. Leaving the picture as: Clearly a four-horse race for second. Saturday has become a "must not lose" game. A win would be a massive stride towards the automatics.

Now, with 8 games to go, we can't finish lower than 11th. So we'll definitely be top half! Only Bristol Rovers and above can overtake us. Maybe with 4 or 5 games left I'll start looking at the remaining fixtures to see what a difference that makes in terms of people being mathematically able to overhaul us.

When actually he's only 34. Not 35 till October! Meaning he can defo play three games a week.

You could read back one page! Or am I meant to update it every day, even when there are no matches?

RamsTV Highlights: https://www.dcfc.co.uk/news/2024/03/match-highlights-bristol-rovers-vs-derby-county-march-2024 Great to see. Could have been many more. Well done everyone. Come on you Rams!

It was the quarter final of the FA Trophy so a pretty big deal. And now through to the semi-finals. Well done Dajaune! Great he's found his scoring boots. Looks really promising.

What a great Saturday: Blackpool 0 Portsmouth 0 Exeter 2 Bolton 2 Bristol Rovers 0 RAMS 3 Barnsley 1 Lincoln 5 Burton 1 Peterborough 3 With nine games to go, we have moved into our best league position of the season - for the very first time we are second on points per game. Objectively second. There are going to be a fair few twists and turns between now and the end, but I'd rather be in our position than the three below us. Plus our excellent goal difference had another boost. Come on you Rams!

Some great results today at the top. At the bottom, we can't now finish lower than 14th. I do remember one ignominious point earlier in the season when Burton Albion were above us in the league. Now they can't catch us!

Pleased Sibs is doing the pre-match as he might even get a start. Before being hauled off, first to go, after 55 minutes...

Next Mars flight test is scheduled for Thursday 14th March UK, 6-8pm UK time. This is much more ambitious than previously so, once in space, there'll be a test of the cargo bay doors (I don't think I can do that, Dave) and also a test of orbital fueling. This flight test is Ship 28 on top of Booster 10. But SpaceX is building loads of these, so today Ship 29 was being tested out on another launchpad. The plan is to do a flight test per month from now on.

Based on points per game, before tonight we were 4th and have now moved up to third. A draw was much the best result for us, with both these promotion rivals dropping 2 points. Fabulous!

Best result tonight in terms of the Barnsley Bolton draw. A shame Peterborough are coming up on the rails. With Portsmouth off in the distance, it's turning into a 4-horse race for second spot: There will be twists and turns, but we can't afford too many. Ten games to go. Seven wins and we're in the mix, eight wins and we're probably over the line. Obviously the Bolton game has massive significance and is "must not lose".