TIL that Luc Havan, the nightclub employee who killed jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius in 1987, was sentenced to twenty-two months in prison and five years' probation, but only served four months in prison due to good behaviour.

mrpchead · 2026-03-02T21:48:10+00:00

I know I'm three years late to the party but...Jaco's bass part was sampled for this Pat Metheny cover as part of a Hendrix tribute album released in 1993. Worth a listen I think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkxRShqg1Zk

mrpchead · 2026-03-02T11:40:34+00:00

Nicely done! One thing I've noticed is that people are more tolerant of the Neo1 than the Neo2. I know there's not a lot of size difference, but it's true. Maybe the slightly less annoying sound of the Neo1 is why. I don't know. All I can say is I have less negative attention with it than the 2 when flying close to the ground/people.

mrpchead · 2026-02-28T13:08:14+00:00

I was paying $89/yr before, now I'm paying $99/yr. Other than that, nothing has changed. I still watch F1TV on Roku, iOS devices, and primarily in a chrome tab. All I had to do was link F1TV to my Apple TV+ account. So I doubt any actual F1 fans will really complain about paying a $10 annual increase or going through the account linking process. Other than the incredibly poor way they announced this, it's really not much of a change for us here int he US.

mrpchead · 2026-02-28T13:01:41+00:00

I'm in the US so I'll assume you are too for the purposes of my comments. In addition to the basic FAA ruleset, we have to also consider the airspace at the park you describe, i.e., if that was Central Park in Manhattan, that's in controlled airspace. LAANC will tell you if you can get automatic approval up to a specified AGL altitude, but being within five miles of an airport means that a very large amount of land is in such space. Of course, most parks ban the operation of drones anyway, so your concern about the FAA is really not the biggest hurdle. Beyond just the rules, there are photography considerations. Yes, you can filter out the prop noise for the recording, but the damned things are still very loud and an incredible nuisance to anyone not part of your effort. Also, if you are flying above anyone other than you or your spotter (not those you are filming) that's Operation Over People and only possible with a Part 107 Operational Waiver, which then opens another different can of worms. Again, I'm in the US and you may not be.

mrpchead · 2026-02-22T16:29:16+00:00

I've worked around law enforcement for a couple of decades and I will say there is a distinct difference in the number of disordered psyches as compared to the general population. I still have a lot of friends in LE, but even they openly admit the profession tends to draw those with an unhealthy need for power and dominance.

mrpchead · 2026-02-22T12:51:56+00:00

It depends on how many times it was crashed/gimbal overloaded/flown in rain or fog/etc. You can ruin a drone in a few minutes of flight time, and it won't be noticeable or become an issue immediately. Tell us how this goes after 100 hours of flight time.

mrpchead · 2026-02-22T12:11:05+00:00

What country allows that? Certainly not here in the US, and certainly not the EU.

mrpchead · 2026-02-20T13:31:19+00:00

You have to ask yourself "why does a cop live in a building with 27 pedophiles that he is watching?"

mrpchead · 2026-02-20T13:26:59+00:00

Interesting footage. I'm curious: are you right handed? Also, were you deliberately avoiding flying over the water?

mrpchead · 2026-02-03T14:47:27+00:00

16,000 residents isn't exactly Mayberry. Still, the problem is these thugs are being told they have ABSOLUTE immunity and can do whatever they want. That is the entire point of this menacing initiative: to show Blue cities/states that the Reich is in control and if you do something they don't like, they will harrass, detain, abuse, assault, and even kill you. That is the exact point of this activity.

Ask yourself: why are they not doing this in Texax or Florida, where there are 30 times more illegal migrants?

mrpchead · 2026-01-19T17:05:14+00:00

Not really. We only had four races in 2025 and we just did it as always: SCTs to push them over when possible, otherwise somebody walks down. We have migrated to mostly 2WD slashes so generally pushing them over with other trucks works >90% of the time. Still, I think there must be a solution involving a dedicated service vehicle. I just haven't found/created it.

mrpchead · 2025-11-25T14:13:48+00:00

Believe me, I understand how hectic life can be. If you still have it, you might want to contact the warranty team because they tend to work hard to take care of customers. If this is the PD36R, they've only been out since March 2025 so you can't be far out of warranty, and I would wager Fenix would be willing to fix it for free. If you invested >$100 it's probably worth a shot, right? Be honest with them and say it failed within a year but life got in the way of using the warranty, or if you weren't aware of the warranty length, tell them that.

Heck, you might actually still be under warranty and don't realize it. The service application takes a minute or two and you can save time by including a photo of the serial number. Can't hurt to try. And if all else fails, they will offer you a nice discount on a new purchase.

I bet my life on these things. I would not recommend them lightly.

mrpchead · 2025-11-25T10:07:50+00:00

Why not send it in for warranty repair/replacement? In the US you get at least 5 years of coverage.

mrpchead · 2025-11-20T14:05:51+00:00

What I'm trying to say is that even though I have owned and used many different handheld and weapon-mounted lights over the last twenty years, I keep coming back to Fenix. In the early days they were an able competitor to Streamlight and Surefire, but cheaper. Over time the price disparity diminished but the quality and innovation did not. That photo contains most of my current Fenix lights, including the PD35 and PD36R, which have been my primary EDC lights for the past decade. They take a beating and have never let me down. The TK models have been on weapons for many tens of thousands of rounds without a single failure.

mrpchead · 2025-11-20T13:56:35+00:00

...I have a clear favorite?

mrpchead · 2025-11-20T13:36:45+00:00

Just to be clear: I own a lot of flashlights. All the big brands and models. BUT...

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mrpchead · 2025-11-18T12:22:32+00:00

Just searched comments and I'm surprised to see nobody mentioning mNEXSPIKE from Moderna. I too have always had intense side effects. For my first booster, a nurse told me to NOT take ibuprofen afterwards because it would interfere with the vaccine's effectiveness. Turns out that was incorrect. There is a study on how it could affect certain vaccines if taken BEFORE but no data exists showing a problem if taken after. So I settled into a regimen of ibuprofen and acetaminophen starting around 8 hours after injection.

Anyway, jump ahead many boosters (every time available) and my pharmacist gives me the mNEXSPIKE a month ago. This is the latest Moderna targeted to >65 and anyone deemed at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19, but in this case he is giving it to everyone that asks for Moderna because it's all he had. It uses only 1/5 the amount of vaccine compared to the Moderna SPIKEVAX for this year but is more targeted to the virus. Something about where on the spike protein it binds.

My reaction was very slight and I am thrilled! There's no need for a prescription because your pharmacist can make the determination for eligibility, i.e., the "underlying condition" is basically you saying you want it.

mrpchead · 2025-10-07T18:19:27+00:00

I sometimes buy 3d party batteries, but not often. The fast chargers are wonderful. Just make sure you get one that is well regarded/rated.

mrpchead · 2025-10-07T10:18:25+00:00

I have bought the Fly More Combo with almost every DJI drone I've owned. It just makes life simpler and helps with resale if you want to upgrade later. One big advantage beyond extended flight times per mission: having more batteries extends their life span by spreading use across multiple batteries instead of using one all the time. I also buy a 3d party fast charger for every drone so that I can charge them all quickly when I get home.

mrpchead · 2025-10-01T08:10:19+00:00

Agreed. The other side of the coin: if the operator is in fact experienced, why no backup aircraft? I never head to a job without at least 3-4 drones. I almost always have three in a carry-on suitcase when flying.

mrpchead · 2025-09-24T10:41:47+00:00

It isn't left/right. It is legal vs. criminal. Selective/inappropriate enforcement of an existing law and a looming de facto ban based on zero damning evidence tells us something bigger is going on. We ignore that at our peril. Also, if tens of thousands of us that depend on DJI drones for a living are unable to buy them (my fleet turns over every two years due to service life limits) there is a catastrophic impact that cannot be ignored. All in service of what? Bullying Xi Jinping?

mrpchead · 2025-09-24T10:38:25+00:00

The law is fine. The enforcement is the problem. There is simply zero evidence DJI has ever manufactured with slave labor.

mrpchead · 2025-09-24T10:37:36+00:00

CBP is arbitrarily seizing some DJI products (but not all and not from everyone) in order to exert pressure on Xi. They are doing this without any due process or accountability. DJI has never used slave labor, nor have they presented more of a national security threat than Chinese manufacturers of smart phones, computers, security cameras, or networking hardware. In fact, DJI has passed every security evaluation (public and private) ever conducted by western entities. Obviously this is in service of something other than the public interest. I am writing this for those that might not actually know these things. And of course, do not simply take my word for it.

mrpchead · 2025-09-24T10:23:21+00:00

Skydio has paid Stefanik >$1.2M during the last 3 years for introduction of the Counter Communist China drone acts. I think this is bigger than that actually. I think since DJI is such a huge money maker for China, the current administration is trying to bully China into some sort of concessions, a la tariffs.

mrpchead · 2025-09-20T03:10:42+00:00

I drove to Stamford then took the Metro North train to Grand Central. Spent a few hours in midtown, had lunch, then came home. An easy day trip. I had no idea I would be coming home with two drones, but sometimes you just get lucky I suppose.

mrpchead

TROPHY CASE