Two Party Opera by Brian Carroll for February 15, 2023

That’s the explanation I have my money on. ‘Cause I really don’t believe it’s at all likely that critters who COULD get here from the stars … WOULD.

And even less likely that they’d let us shoot down their (whatever-the-heck-it-is).

I’m sure someone will be along soon to explain to us that the UFOs are evil, Central American, job-stealing rapists trying to invade our country via balloon!

UAP? UFO!

A not unreasonable explanation. When the radars are set for higher power, smaller objects show up. And one might set a threshold for object speed. You have to remember that flights of geese detected by early warning radars caused a fear of attack by Soviet bombers back in the early days. Setting the detection threshold to ignore low speed flying objects gets around that. But I would think there would be a filter for objects operating at altiudes that would conflict with commercial jet traffic. 20,000 to 40,000 ft is in that range, which is why the objects were shot down.

That’s probably not a hard an fast rule. When I took airlines between Hawaiian islands, the max altitude seemed to be around 18,000 ft. Likewise, I remember in-state flights in California being about the same max altitude. So, some places you’d want to lower that altitude from 20,000 ft.

And I have just read the the US tracked that balloon from Hainan Island in China.

You are back! I had given up hope…

I’m thinking a jet-stream version of the great Pacific garbage patch. Large panels of lightweight building material blown up in typhoons or other intense wind storms. 99.9%* fall after a brief “ride” but 0.1% catch successive gusts until they’re stratospheric.

*made up numbers for illustrative purposes.

Just think what the U.S.might see if it actually updated a 1980s vintage radar system.

King Richard the Nix always WAS somewhat spaced out…

Wait til the big space ship gets here now that we shot down the little one.

Carter’s just lucky it’s only balloons and not a plague of feral rabbits.

Nixon always wanted to take credit for the first moon landing, so it’s no surprise he’s love to be an astronaut.

Recently sold all of my “Nixon’s The One” stuff on eBay – my wasted youth!

Love the new characters.

I heard the last one shot down was shaped like Mickey Mouse?

Years ago I heard someone remark, “if you quit just looking at the ground all of the time, and looked up sometimes, you might notice more things”…

“He-Man” Lincoln!(they look great, Brian!)

I’m so glad you’re back; It’s been so long since you updated I almost removed you from my favorites thinking you were going to go away forever