The Daily Mail reports on a new blood test that will indicate how long you have to live. Robert A. Heinlein wrote a short story about this very idea, way back in 1939. In the story a fictional Dr. Hugo Pinero invented the technique. The story opens with Dr. Pinero invited to a scientific convention and getting trashed by disbelieving scientists. Pinero's invention plays hob with the life insurance business, who hire hitmen to do away with him and make the world safe for life insurance salesmen.
Science fiction comes to life, again.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Monday, July 8, 2013
Trayvon Martin/George Zimmermann trial
The TV newsies are giving it wall to wall coverage, they put up a breaking news alert everytime the trial breaks for lunch. Then we have to suffer thru hours of opining about who is ahead, Florida law, judges instructions to the jury and other legal gobble-de-gook.
In actual fact, it's purely up to the jury. If they think Zimmermann was in fear of his life then it's self defense. If they think Zimmermann was stalking Martin, then it's murder. It's all about what you think. So we won't know until the case goes to the jury.
In actual fact, it's purely up to the jury. If they think Zimmermann was in fear of his life then it's self defense. If they think Zimmermann was stalking Martin, then it's murder. It's all about what you think. So we won't know until the case goes to the jury.
So did they set the parking brake?
Just north of here, the Canadians suffered a dreadful train wreck. Tank cars loaded with crude oil derailed in the center of town and burst into flames. Five are known dead, 40 are missing, and it's a good bet the missing are actually dead, but the fire was so fierce nobody got close enough to check. Center of town is burned out.
The railroad (Canadian National? Canadian Pacific? the TV didn't bother to say) says that the train was parked, the crew was catching up on sleep in a motel. It was claimed that "all safety devices were set". But somehow the train got loose and rolled into town.
There are a few questions unanswered. Unasked by clueful newsies.
Were the train brakes set, or just the engine brakes? Every car in a train has air brakes as well as a separate set of brakes on the engine. For ordinary operations (flat terrain, expected station stop) it's customary to use just the engine brakes. Train brakes are reserved for tougher situations like decending mountain grades. If the brakes on every car were set to park the train it is hard to understand how it could run away. If just the engine brakes were set, a run away is more likely.
Brakes are fail safe. Air pressure holds the brakes off. Should the train line leak, or worse, separate, the air runs out and the brakes go on.
Were the diesel engines left running? It's standard practice around here to leave them running, especially in winter, 'cause they might not start when cold. A runaway is more likely if the diesels are running, with nobody on board.
Oher interesting bit. The train was loaded with North Dakota crude headed for an Irving refinery in New Brunswick. Accident would not have happened if that North Dakota crude had been headed for a US gulf refinery thru the Keystone XL pipeline.
The railroad (Canadian National? Canadian Pacific? the TV didn't bother to say) says that the train was parked, the crew was catching up on sleep in a motel. It was claimed that "all safety devices were set". But somehow the train got loose and rolled into town.
There are a few questions unanswered. Unasked by clueful newsies.
Were the train brakes set, or just the engine brakes? Every car in a train has air brakes as well as a separate set of brakes on the engine. For ordinary operations (flat terrain, expected station stop) it's customary to use just the engine brakes. Train brakes are reserved for tougher situations like decending mountain grades. If the brakes on every car were set to park the train it is hard to understand how it could run away. If just the engine brakes were set, a run away is more likely.
Brakes are fail safe. Air pressure holds the brakes off. Should the train line leak, or worse, separate, the air runs out and the brakes go on.
Were the diesel engines left running? It's standard practice around here to leave them running, especially in winter, 'cause they might not start when cold. A runaway is more likely if the diesels are running, with nobody on board.
Oher interesting bit. The train was loaded with North Dakota crude headed for an Irving refinery in New Brunswick. Accident would not have happened if that North Dakota crude had been headed for a US gulf refinery thru the Keystone XL pipeline.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Wall Warts multiplying like rabbits
Dunno where they all come from but, today's shop cleanup yielded 6 old wall warts, left over from forgotten gadgets I suppose. But perhaps they mate in the dark and multiply? Did I really have six wall wart powered gadgets? Even with gadget loving children to help?
Anyhow they are useful. One spare wall wart got my cable modem back on line a year ago, several others are powering the HO railroad. So I won't pitch 'em.
Anyhow they are useful. One spare wall wart got my cable modem back on line a year ago, several others are powering the HO railroad. So I won't pitch 'em.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Innumeracy at San Francisco
The TV news has been going berserk about the 777 crash in San Francisco today. They had the San Francisco lady fire chief up in front of the TV. The question we all want answered, How many people made it off the plane alive? She didn't answer that question, and none of the newsies were smart enough to ask it. She did say that the airline reported 307 souls on board. She allowed as how 48 survivors were hospitalized and 192 turned up at the airport. That's only 240 people. What happened to the other 67? Did they fail to get off and burn to death when the plane caught fire? Did they wander off the airport in the confusion and take taxis to where ever they were going? Are they still wandering around in the tall grass off Runway 28L? Are they stuck in customs?
I expected a fire chief to know how to count. This one clearly didn't. Probably never did learn the new math.
Also kinda disgusting, all the officials called it "an incident". Here they have a burned out airliner still smoking on the runway, debris all over the runway, and they can't come right out and say "accident"? What's wrong with this picture?
I expected a fire chief to know how to count. This one clearly didn't. Probably never did learn the new math.
Also kinda disgusting, all the officials called it "an incident". Here they have a burned out airliner still smoking on the runway, debris all over the runway, and they can't come right out and say "accident"? What's wrong with this picture?
Does John McCain know anything?
John McCain was on NHPR this morning calling for cancellation of US aid to Egypt. I don't agree. Egypt's population decided they had had enough of the Muslim Brotherhood and Morsi, they staged protest demonstrations bigger than the ones that deposed Mubarak, the Egyptian Army took the hint and showed Morsi the door. Morsi and the Brotherhood had managed to throw most Egyptians out of work, ruin the tourist trade, and were getting ready to provoke a war with the Israelis.
And, you gotta understand who the Muslim Brotherhood is. They are an underground Islamist revolutionary movement that got started in the 1920's, with the objective of throwing the British out of Egypt. They were so violent that the British, Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak had all outlawed the party and threw every brother they caught into jail. They are the best organized political party in Egypt, having had the last hundred years to get organized . The Brotherhood founded Al Quada, Abu Nadal, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The Brotherhood killed Anwat Sadat. Osama bin Laden started his political career with the Brotherhood. They are dangerous and they want us dead. There is no way we are gonna change their minds, we cannot kiss and make up, we have to oppose them.
After the "Arab Spring" demos last year, Obama helped throw Mubarak out of power. The Brotherhood moved right into the vacuum thus created and managed to gain a majority in the legislature and elect one of their own to the presidency. They have spend the last year driving the county underwater. Good work Obama.
Last week we had a stroke of pure unadulerated luck, the second Arab Spring, and the Egyptian Army has removed Morsi and the Brotherhood from power. The army was able to do this because it have been receiving sizable American money ever since the Camp David Accords back in the Carter Administration. This enabled the Army to pay the troops, buy rations, ammunition, spare parts and fuel, without having to pay off the Egyptian politicians. We made training spaces available in all the US military schools so most of the Egyptian officer corps has done schooling in the US. Some of our ideals have rubbed off on them. In short we have built the Egyptian Army up into the most powerful institution in the country, an institution that has the respect of their citizens and is sympathetic to the American point of view. It wasn't cheap, but right now, it looks like money well spent.
And the ever clueful John McCain wants to screw all this up by cutting of the money. Good work McCain.
And, you gotta understand who the Muslim Brotherhood is. They are an underground Islamist revolutionary movement that got started in the 1920's, with the objective of throwing the British out of Egypt. They were so violent that the British, Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak had all outlawed the party and threw every brother they caught into jail. They are the best organized political party in Egypt, having had the last hundred years to get organized . The Brotherhood founded Al Quada, Abu Nadal, and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. The Brotherhood killed Anwat Sadat. Osama bin Laden started his political career with the Brotherhood. They are dangerous and they want us dead. There is no way we are gonna change their minds, we cannot kiss and make up, we have to oppose them.
After the "Arab Spring" demos last year, Obama helped throw Mubarak out of power. The Brotherhood moved right into the vacuum thus created and managed to gain a majority in the legislature and elect one of their own to the presidency. They have spend the last year driving the county underwater. Good work Obama.
Last week we had a stroke of pure unadulerated luck, the second Arab Spring, and the Egyptian Army has removed Morsi and the Brotherhood from power. The army was able to do this because it have been receiving sizable American money ever since the Camp David Accords back in the Carter Administration. This enabled the Army to pay the troops, buy rations, ammunition, spare parts and fuel, without having to pay off the Egyptian politicians. We made training spaces available in all the US military schools so most of the Egyptian officer corps has done schooling in the US. Some of our ideals have rubbed off on them. In short we have built the Egyptian Army up into the most powerful institution in the country, an institution that has the respect of their citizens and is sympathetic to the American point of view. It wasn't cheap, but right now, it looks like money well spent.
And the ever clueful John McCain wants to screw all this up by cutting of the money. Good work McCain.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Too young for fireworks
Did the Fourth of July thing. Barbeque burgers and hot dogs on the deck (Brother John's deck this time) Chewed the fat, reminisced about old times, drank some beer, put on some weight. The rain held off, just barely. Children are small, less than 1, 2,and 4. Grownups decided not to do fireworks, at least not this year. Maybe next year.
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