Calmamity: So we sent the very last thing made in the USA to Mars? Great.

Shut up. At least we're exporting.

What's Mandarin for "Craftsman"?

Seriously, congratulations, my Yankee know-hower friends.

Yeah, when you pay a billion dollars for a little remote control car it ought to be reliable.

The US-made cars you and me can afford to buy? Not so much.

Fun Fact: Space.com was founded by pumpkin-headed, mexiphobic cable news host Lou Dobbs.

That's some fine dot comming work there, Lou.

I think that was before I was born.

Oblig XKCD (new window)

I remember coding videos relating to the early days of the Mars rover project back in undergrad (2004 I think). The first 90 days is nothing but "we'll try this but PLEASE hope it doesn't break down". Then the next 90 days are along the lines of "cool, we are still going let's try this". Then as it moved into 2005, it became "well, I explored everything on my list, does anyone have any single thing that this rover didn't get to look at". It was fascinating to watch the thought process and creativity as some of the scientists realized that this thing may last and they could do some more innovative work.

Also fun to watch, them referring to 1 point as a yoplait can and one as a oreo because that's what it looked like on screen.

Once NASA figures out how to grind a lens, take measurements in metric, and install sensors right side up, they do pretty well with hardware.

The CPU is a radiation hardened PowerPC chip. IBM design, contracted by a company out of Virginia. No idea where the chip fab is, though.

What is this "made in USA" you speak of?

Joce678: Yeah, when you pay a billion dollars for a little remote control car it ought to be reliable.

other countries stuff can't even make it to the surface without taking a shiat though...

As opposed to

xxmedium: Oblig XKCD (new window)

I don't know why, but that comic always gets to me. It is one of the very, very, very few things to bring me close to tears.

"quality" is not a definitive term, subster. there is poor or low, medium or good, and excellent quality for example. no nazi, just wanted to share.

Headso: Joce678: Yeah, when you pay a billion dollars for a little remote control car it ought to be reliable.

other countries stuff can't even make it to the surface without taking a shiat though...

I'm pretty sure the pics we've got of the surface of Venus were taken by the Russians.

vwarb: xxmedium: Oblig XKCD (new window)

I don't know why, but that comic always gets to me. It is one of the very, very, very few things to bring me close to tears.

Awwww. Don't have a sad. Here's the alternate ending director's cut. (new window)

Mugato: I don't even remember when "Made in the U.S.A." was a sign on anything in the store.

You have to check the gun section. You'll find plenty there.

/My first three guns were actually German, Russian and Croatian though...
//#4 was American at least!

Joce678: Yeah, when you pay a billion dollars for a little remote control car it ought to be reliable.

The US-made cars you and me can afford to buy? Not so much.

BS, no major car maker in the world routinely makes unreliable cars, they'd go out of business if they did. Ford makes some of the most reliable out there with the Fusion taking the top two spots in CR's 2011 family car category (V6 and I4 models).

Mugato: I don't even remember when "Made in the U.S.A." was a sign on anything in the store.

Calmamity: So we sent the very last thing made in the USA to Mars? Great.

erveek: Calmamity: So we sent the very last thing made in the USA to Mars? Great.

Shut up. At least we're exporting.

*Sigh* The US still makes lots and lots of heavy equipment, technical equipment, and things that need extremely skilled craftsmen. What we don't make are cheap consumer goods, there is more manufacturing in the US then there ever has been, it is just not done by Billy Bob and Earl, who barely passed high school. It is done by robots monitored by Jimmy, the guy Billy Bob and Earl tortured through out high school, but went on to get a college degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics discipline. He makes three times what Billy Bob and Earl ever made, but replaces them and another 198 of their buddies.

Outlier

last thing i bought that was made in the usa was a plastic spray bottle which promptly broke. union made at that.

I was made in the U.S.A. I am a high quality, low maintenance product of two high quality made in the U.S.A products.

/maybe medium maintenance

Remember when "Made in the U.S.A." was a sign of quality?
No. But I remember when Made in Japan was a sign of inferiority.

/anybody else?

SmithHiller: Remember when "Made in the U.S.A." was a sign of quality?
No. But I remember when Made in Japan was a sign of inferiority.

/anybody else?

Yes, same goes for the "Made in Germany". Enjoy the freedom fries :D

Proudly made in the USA...

SmithHiller: Remember when "Made in the U.S.A." was a sign of quality?
No. But I remember when Made in Japan was a sign of inferiority.

/anybody else?

like the steel used in the I-35 bridge in Minnesota?

xxmedium: vwarb: xxmedium: Oblig XKCD (new window)

I don't know why, but that comic always gets to me. It is one of the very, very, very few things to bring me close to tears.

Awwww. Don't have a sad. Here's the alternate ending director's cut. (new window)

It should have one more panel:

Day 15,345 of 90

Shown: Rover with 3 people standing next to it.

"Control, we've found Opportunity. We're bringing it back to base."

Thought bubble from the person on the right:
"Is the antenna... wagging?"

Draskuul: Mugato: I don't even remember when "Made in the U.S.A." was a sign on anything in the store.

You have to check the gun section. You'll find plenty there.

/My first three guns were actually German, Russian and Croatian though...
//#4 was American at least!

Handguns, sure. But Springfield makes some top of the line.

Rifles, you wont find any better than Remmington. My 300 RUM will outshoot just about anything on the market today out to 1000 yards.

Calmamity: So we sent the very last thing made in the USA to Mars? Great.

Right now we have a very favorable trade balance with Mars. Don't jinx it.

Great, the last thing the US is good at and the GOP keeps cutting funding for it.

robodog: Joce678: Yeah, when you pay a billion dollars for a little remote control car it ought to be reliable.

The US-made cars you and me can afford to buy? Not so much.

BS, no major car maker in the world routinely makes unreliable cars, they'd go out of business if they did. Ford makes some of the most reliable out there with the Fusion taking the top two spots in CR's 2011 family car category (V6 and I4 models).

You can't enlighten the unconscious. I've had them all and strangely enough they all break. Despite the hyperbole.

Yeah, even Toyotas. Really, they do. They need brakes and exhaust and timing belts and some times the door handles fall off. Really, they do. But I hear if you own a Toyota you will awaken every morning to unicorns crapping solid gold turds in your yard and being hand fed by garden gnomes.

I personally prefer US branded (and usually assembled) cars these days but that wasn't always the case.

I'll keep that in mind next time I am shopping in the Private Sector.

/planned obsolescence, get used to it.

Nightsweat: The CPU is a radiation hardened PowerPC chip. IBM design, contracted by a company out of Virginia. No idea where the chip fab is, though.

The RS6000 was EOL-ed a long time ago. Fortunately for NASA, one of the geeks who wrote the firmware is a packrat. When they had technical difficulties, the dude pulled his dusty board out of his file cabinet, fired it up and fixed the problem.

The biggest challenge with sending stuff into space is that, by the time it gets there, the product is obsolete.

theMagni: xxmedium: vwarb: xxmedium: Oblig XKCD (new window)

I don't know why, but that comic always gets to me. It is one of the very, very, very few things to bring me close to tears.

Awwww. Don't have a sad. Here's the alternate ending director's cut. (new window)

It should have one more panel:

Day 15,345 of 90

Shown: Rover with 3 people standing next to it.

"Control, we've found Opportunity. We're bringing it back to base."

Thought bubble from the person on the right:
"Is the antenna... wagging?"

YES!

theMagni: xxmedium: vwarb: xxmedium: Oblig XKCD (new window)

I don't know why, but that comic always gets to me. It is one of the very, very, very few things to bring me close to tears.

Awwww. Don't have a sad. Here's the alternate ending director's cut. (new window)

It should have one more panel:

Day 15,345 of 90

Shown: Rover with 3 people standing next to it.

"Control, we've found Opportunity. We're bringing it back to base."

Thought bubble from the person on the right:
"Is the antenna... wagging?"

Yeah, that's what usually improves XKCD comics. More frames. lol

Yes, but when do we put the rocket-powered grocery cart into space?

/Too obscure?

Suck it, China!