RocketDave, Volume XII

Sometimes when Dave is fixing to become a Rocket, he props himself up on a pillow so that he is pointing towards the sky. Basic geometry will tell you that this is more effective.

A New Frontier

Dave, ever the investigator, had a whole new world opened up to him today: the back porch. After only occasional dashes out the door onto the enclosed porch, Dave found himself allowed to roam freely today. Another door prevented him from venturing further, but Dave was grateful for the chance to thoroughly investigate this border zone. 

The outside of this particular home remains a great unknown to Dave, but he has now been to the brink, and should he ever find himself out there, he feels prepared to face whatever he might face. This is the true spirit of RocketDave.

Guest Appearance: LeiLei, Volume VII - RocketLeiLei

The similarities between LeiLei and her colleagues only continue to mount. Here you can see that she has adopted the RocketDave pose, one of Dave's favorites. 

At this point, you might begin to wonder if LeiLei is just copying the strategies of other cats, but that would be the wrong way to think about it. In fact, Dave's impetus for developing creative napping strategies goes far beyond a mere desire to be comfortable. He wants to share his inventions and discoveries with other cats all around the globe, so that they too can be comfortable. He is glad that LeiLei has found comfort in the RocketDave pose. 

RocketDave, Volume XI - Perspective

One of the great advantages of the RocketDave pose is that it can be performed anywhere, due to its compact nature. Thus, it is not restricted to locations with large surface areas, like the Conch and some other strategies are. 

This provides Dave with the opportunity to perch his Rocket-self on a great vantage point. This makes Dave's dream of being a Rocket even more real. His physical form is like a Rocket, and he also feels like he is up in the air like a Rocket. 

The Bullet Train

Last week, we studied Dave's uncanny ability to combine multiple napping strategies into one. His ability to do this certainly plays a large role in the tremendous berth that separates Dave's napping abilities from those of all other cats. Here you can see what appears at first glance to be yet another installment of the legendary napping strategy, RocketDave. But when you examine Dave a little more closely, you will see that he has actually combined RocketDave with one of his natural land formation-inspired styles, The Valley, creating something wholly new, a strategy that we can call "The Bullet Train."

RocketDave, Volume X

Dave has been a little melancholy lately. His excitement level had approached maximum levels recently when he noticed that his travel box had been taken out of the closet. He assumed, as any rational cat would assume, that he was about to take a trip somewhere. He would have been happy to go anywhere really. It's not that he doesn't enjoy and appreciate his home life, it's just that it does get dull at times being cooped up indoors. After growing up on the mean streets of Iowa, it can be tough for Dave to stay in one spot all the time. 

That's why he again adopted the RocketDave position today. He wants to be ready at a moments notice in case he gets to go somewhere soon. 

And all this science I don't understand!

RocketDave, Volume IX

As you can see here, Dave has a bit of a one-track mind lately. After spending the bulk of his Wednesday daydreaming about rocketing through the atmosphere to a far-off destination, he did the same thing today! Perhaps he was again dreaming about Davos, a place renowned not only for its world-class skiing, but also for its periodic economics forums. Dave is an intellectual after all, a real renaissance cat whose interests go far beyond creative napping. He would feel quite at home sipping a beverage while discussing the great economic issues of the day with other wise intellectuals.

In fact it's cold as hell! And there's no one there to raise them, if you did!

RocketDave, Volume VIII

In yet another installment of what may be Dave's favorite napping position, RocketDave is ready for liftoff. Dave was most certainly dreaming about traveling to some far off location, such as his favorite winter sports destination. He sure does enjoy seeing new places, but he appreciates the journey just as much as the destination. He can imagine himself rocketing through the clouds, past skyscrapers, and through canyons. It would be a great time.

Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids!

RocketDave, Volume VII

RocketDave made his long-awaited reappearance today, forming an impressive, slightly upward-pointing nozzle. It definitely looks like Dave is ready for liftoff, although it will be more of a horizontal flight-path than vertical. Fortunately, Dave has enough power in his loins to launch himself with enough force so that he will be able to a sustain a good trajectory towards whatever his destination is this time. 

I'm not the man they think I am at home! Oh no no no, I'm a Rocket Man!

RocketDave, Volume VI

Let's take a closer look at the anatomy of a RocketDave. Here is the view from above. The paws come together in front to provide the greatest aerodynamicity possible. Dave is aligned perfectly straight. The ears do create some drag, but that's unavoidable for a cat-rocket. On the whole, Dave does a great job preparing for liftoff, considering the tools he has to work with.

Most importantly, being a RocketDave allows Dave to do more than just get ready for liftoff. It is also a very comfortable way to nap. Win-win.

It's lonely out in space, on such a tiii iii iiimeless flight!

                              

Dave and Organic Chemistry

There is a concept in organic chemistry called conformational isomerism. The idea is that two different molecules can be made up of the exact same atoms, chemically bonded in the same ways, yet take slightly different forms. These different forms are called conformations. Conformations still have the same molecular formula, and maintain the integrity of their chemical bonds, but they act differently. For example, a certain molecule might be part of a chemical reaction, but it may have to be in a certain conformation in order to be part of the reaction. Any time it is in another conformation, it won't react. 

Now, what does this have to do with The Dafe? You came here to read about The Dafe, did you not? Well, this is very relevant to Dave. When Dave adopts different napping positions, he is in effect adopting different conformations. When he adopts a certain napping position, he is the same Dave, made up of the same matter, and connected together in the same way that he always has been, but he reacts with the world around him differently depending on what conformation he has adopted.

For example, he might be splayed out on the bed, without a care in the world. This would not be a great time to attempt to pet Dave. If you petted his belly while in this position, you would likely find yourself scratched in short order.

Alternatively, he might be a RocketDave, at his most aerodynamic, ready for liftoff. In this case, you could probably pet Dave, but he still wouldn't be happy about it. He is focused on being a RocketDave here, so you shouldn't bother him.

RocketDave! I miss the earth so much! I miss my wife!

If you want to know when a good time to pet Dave would be, this would be one. He is performing The Crevasse here, where comfort and warmth are his top priorities. You would certainly be welcome to aid him in these pursuits by providing Dave with a headrub. Dave is all about the headrubs.

Despite the fact that Dave adopts so many different conformations at different times, at the end of the day, when it is time to be counted, Dave is the same Dave no matter what his current conformation is.

RocketDave, Volume V

Dave doesn't always make himself into a perfectly symmetrical RocketDave. Sometimes it is more comfortable to lean to one side, and Dave does not hesitate to adapt. He pays no mind to fools who think nappers should adhere to rigid methods. Dave does not suffer fools gladly. He is his own cat, and the whole reason Dave developed so many napping methods in the first place was because not every method is good for every situation. 

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time!

RocketDave, Volume IV (The closeup)

This is what the head/nozzle area of a RocketDave looks like closeup. Let's evaluate what is actually going on here. Dave has stretched his front legs out straight in front of himself, and placed his nose between his legs. This makes RocketDave very aerodynamic, and he looks ready for liftoff. His legs are also angled inwards to a degree, providing an extra bit of aerodynamicity. It's unclear where Dave thinks he is going to launch himself, but at least he is well prepared to do so if the opportunity ever arises. 

RocketDave! Zero hour, 9 AM! And I'm gonna be hiiiii iiii iighhhh as a kite by then!

RocketDave, Volume III

This RocketDave is on top of the couch. Dave likes to keep things interesting by employing the same napping strategies in a variety of locations throughout his abode. Sometimes, that makes his napping positions look a little different. In this case, it has made RocketDave look a little silly. He is on top of both a pillow and a blanket, which were well-placed on top of the couch for Dave to lie on. Dave likes to make the most of every opportunity, such as this one. It's not every day that he'll find a pillow and a blanket on top of the couch. If he had let this opportunity pass, he may have never had another chance to be the RocketDave you see here.

RocketDave! She packed my bags last night, pre-flight!

RocketDave, Volume II

This RocketDave is not quite ready for liftoff, because in this instance Dave took the form of a rocket while draped over a pile of blanket and pillow. This definitely still qualifies as a RocketDave though, although it could easily be mistaken for a TobogganDave. You might think Dave is getting a little sloppy when you look at this pose, but a keen Dave observer knows that Dave's goal is comfort. It might not look like the perfect RocketDave, but it sure does look comfortable.

And I think it's gonna be a long, long time ‘til touch down brings me round again to find!

RocketDave

Dave's great girth causes Dave to find comfort in ways that other cats don't understand. Normal cat poses often don't work for Dave, and Dave's poses often don't work for other cats. One such Dave pose is RocketDave. This is a pose that Dave will employ anytime, anywhere. He just stretches his arms in front of his head as if he is preparing to launch like a rocket or a bobsled.

RocketDave! Burning out his fuse up here alone.