We now have alligators in New Hampshire. A three footer was captured yesterday in the Lamprey River near Portsmouth NH. A town police officer, assisted by a state fish and game warden captured the reptile alive. And a good thing for the alligator, summer may be nourishing up here, but I don't believe alligators can take it when the river freezes over in winter. Global warming hasn't gone that far, yet. This story made the front page of the Manchester Union Leader.
Up here we aren't that used to alligators yet. A three footer took two men to deal with it, and caused a front page story. Down in real alligator country, Florida, a nine foot gator showed up at an elementary school. The school resource officer, a strapping young blonde woman, all by her self, got a rope around its neck, flipped it upside down, and duct taped its jaws shut. We need some practice before we get that good at dealing with gators.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
A Mailing from Annie Kuster
Annie is my democratic US rep. She did a constituent mailing, a duo-fold color post card. Had artwork showing Main St Littleton (my home town, close enough) the State house, the Ammonusuc River, the covered bridge up by the Flume.
Open it up and Annie promises to go to bat with federal agencies for you, expedite your grant requests, obtain service academy appointments for your children, obtain a greeting card from Obama, expedite your passport applications, offer internships in her office[s], issue official attaboys, and get high school students into the Artistic Discovery Contest. Lots of nice giveaways to voters.
Not a word about taxes, Obamacare, IRS, Benghazi, jobs, war on coal, cutting off subsidies to the Egyptian army, Keystone XL, sequester, Northern Pass, or any other reason to vote for her.
On the back page it says "This mailing was prepared, published, and mailed at taxpayer expense."
Way to go Annie.
Open it up and Annie promises to go to bat with federal agencies for you, expedite your grant requests, obtain service academy appointments for your children, obtain a greeting card from Obama, expedite your passport applications, offer internships in her office[s], issue official attaboys, and get high school students into the Artistic Discovery Contest. Lots of nice giveaways to voters.
Not a word about taxes, Obamacare, IRS, Benghazi, jobs, war on coal, cutting off subsidies to the Egyptian army, Keystone XL, sequester, Northern Pass, or any other reason to vote for her.
On the back page it says "This mailing was prepared, published, and mailed at taxpayer expense."
Way to go Annie.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Lifeline
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.
Science fiction comes to life, again.
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?
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