Author of Sunflowers, Spaceport Earth, Inferno, Red Sky Morning, Four Against the West and Boomtown. Magazine writer. Spirit 544. Ghost for hire.
Texas
Joined September 2011
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“History as if pulp writer Jim Thompson had written it….The pages practically turn themselves as dozens of colorful characters—moonshiners, bank robbers, corrupt deputies and town officials, professional wrestlers, a daring oil firefighter, and, of course, a bunch of tough, seen-it-all Rangers—duke and shoot it out for control of Borger’s streets.” - Kirkus
kirkusreviews.com/book-revie…
Preorder now and be happy later
read.macmillan.com/lp/boomto…
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
As just announced in the @UN First Committee, Russia’s COSMOS 2612 military satellite has been exhibiting threatening behavior by intentionally maneuvering dangerously close to a commercial satellite, behaviors consistent with on-orbit weapons operations. This violates long-established safety thresholds in low Earth orbit. The United States will continue to secure and defend American vital national security interests in, from, and to space.
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
"Leaving the Space Institute, even in its primitive state, is a letdown. On my drive home to Corpus Christi, I stop at a Buc-ee’s, studiously ignoring the human zoo of fellow drivers and instead examining the stained concrete under my boots. I’m stuck on a pre-owned, hand-me down planet."
My latest from @TexasMonthly : texasmonthly.com/.../texas-a…...
"SpaceX’s planned Louisiana launchpad, on what is currently a duck-hunting ground, is 'highly likely' to be ready for rockets in three years, Musk said."
wsj.com/business/five-takeaw…
"Leaving the Space Institute, even in its primitive state, is a letdown. On my drive home to Corpus Christi, I stop at a Buc-ee’s, studiously ignoring the human zoo of fellow drivers and instead examining the stained concrete under my boots. I’m stuck on a pre-owned, hand-me down planet."
My latest from @TexasMonthly : texasmonthly.com/.../texas-a…...
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
The DragonBear has been actively supporting Iran since March - through political, diplomatic, material, and military-linked support. China is the systemic sustainer of Russia's effort against Ukraine. Both Russia and Iran have sided with China and joined its bloc against the US.
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
Massive alien landscapes are being built at Texas A&M’s new $200 million Space Institute as the state defends its stake in NASA and the budding spaceflight industry. 🚀
We got an exclusive first look: texasmonthly.com/news-politi…
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
Texas is leveraging relationships with its universities to secure its share of future U.S. space industry. There's no better example than the Space Institute, where @TAMU aims to draw NASA, students, commercial space and international partners to their massive indoor Moon and Mars surface simulations. My inside look for @TexasMonthly
texasmonthly.com/news-politi…
Texas is leveraging relationships with its universities to secure its share of future U.S. space industry. There's no better example than the Space Institute, where @TAMU aims to draw NASA, students, commercial space and international partners to their massive indoor Moon and Mars surface simulations. My inside look for @TexasMonthly
texasmonthly.com/news-politi…
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
3 things are true
Some of the allies in Afghanistan put heavy caveats on their forces that kept them out of direct combat
Many of the allies paid a heavy toll in blood, sometimes proportional to ours
If your time in Afghanistan was solely an inside the wire staff training role, you should probably avoid talking shit about others staying inside the wire
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
As a major in Afghanistan, I was Chief, Ops & Tng (S-3) mentoring the Afghan National Army, serving beside troops from the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Poland, Ireland, Luxembourg & even Mongolia!
No one EVER said this!
Hegseth on Afghanistan:
I was a captain in Afghanistan, and we would go to the headquarters in Kabul, and there would be 50 flags at the headquarters.
It was a beautiful thing to see 50 different countries contributing to the NATO alliance and the ISAF mission there.
Except there were like maybe five that contributed. It was actually closer to one or two that, by the end, were actually involved in kinetic operations.
In fact, the ISAF patch, we would joke that it meant "I Saw Americans Fighting."
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
Over 1100 non-American soldiers from 31 US-allied countries were killed fighting in Afghanistan, approximately 1/3 of the total combat deaths.
t.co/x4tGhxJiFG
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
9/x
Another manoeuver by KOSMOS 2612, around 12:26 UTC on the 18th October. This is clearly not over yet.
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
Knowledge isn‘t free because you have to pay attention. What you‘re seeing in front of your eyes is the emergence of the DragonBear maritime and commercial corridor in the Arctic, protected by Russian military bases along the NSR, which will drastically reduce the trade routes.
💥Pay attention: who benefits from the Three Seas Crisis:
China and Russia are quietly advancing Arctic maritime cooperation after Nikolai Patrushev’s recent China visit.
Proposals include linking the Maritime Silk Road with Russia’s Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor, developing ports, sharing automation technology, and joint research. The goal is an alternative Northern Sea Route network to reduce chokepoint risks at Suez, Malacca, and elsewhere while supporting energy and goods trade. Though still mostly plans facing ice, costs, and infrastructure limits, the effort could build strategic resilience and further fragment global shipping into rival systems.
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
"Exodus Earth: Starbase" With the globe on the verge of calamity and enemies closing in, can the escape from Earth continue in South Texas? Original sci-fi audiodrama
youtu.be/E71vCsL-u24?si=TWJg…
Joe Pappalardo retweeted
3/x
This behaviour is worrisome. ICEYE-X36 is a US registered SAR satellite reportedly used by Ukraine. I wonder if we are watching a first actual ASAT developing in Space. Let us see what happens tonight and the days after.
