The crankshaft is the heaviest part of a piston engine

Which is why V8s and V6s are so popular for car engines.  A V engine crank shaft is only one half as long and half as heavy as a straight 8 or straight 6 engine of the same displacement  (size).  Back before the jets took over, there were two kinds of aircraft piston engines.  There was the radial engine with the cylinders arranged in a circle.  This design offered the shortest possible crankshaft, hence light weight.  And all the cylinders were right up front allowing air cooling.  All the cylinders in a radial engine got equal amounts cooling air.  The competing aircraft engine design was an inline V pattern which required water cooling, because the rear cylinders were far removed from free air flow.  For WWII warplanes both types of engines were popular.  The water cooled inline design offered lower air resistance (drag) and claimed higher power output.  It was vulnerable to any bullet holes in the radiator, coolant hoses, or engine block, which allowed the coolant the run out and the engine overheat and seize up.  The air cooled radial engine was more rugged, there are stories of radial engines continuing to work after an entire cylinder was shot off.  The later radial engines were as powerful as the best in line engines by the end of WWII. 
   But the shortest crankshaft in the radial engine made it lighter than the equivalent in line engine. 

The Kavanaugh hearing yesterday

Judge Kavanaugh got to testify in his own behalf about 3 PM yesterday.  He came on strong, calling it a witch hunt, denying all accusations, displaying sorry and anger.  He was as convincing, perhaps more convincing than Dr Basley-Ford's testimony in the morning.

   At the end of the day, I would call it a draw.  Both of them were convincing.  Neither was tripped up by what little cross examination took place.  Little to no evidence, save a calendar from Judge Kavanaugh was introduced.  The calendar suggested (but did not prove) that back in 1982 Kavanaugh was too busy to have attended that infamous party.
  Me, I tend to believe Kavanaugh based on his long federal service, many female friends testifying in his favor, and convincing manner.   Dr. Basley-Ford has no friends backing up her story. 

Words of the Weasel. Part 48

"Prioritize".  New word from Democrats.  I think they are trying to say "increase funding"   If that is what they mean, they ought to just say "increase funding" out loud. 
"Close tax loopholes"  is a Democrat phrase that means "Hike taxes". 

The Dr Blasey-Ford hearing

It got off on time, 10 AM, and ran until 2 PM.  I watched it all.  Dr Blasey-Ford was clearly uneasy about the whole thing.  Her voice was husky, on the verge of tears thru out.  Her hairdo was unbecoming, and served to hide her face behind  long locks of blonde hair.  I had to wonder if she, a senior college professor, looked and sounded that bad in front of a class.  She repeated the story about Brett Kavanaugh groping her and attempting (but failing) to rape her at a teen age house party in Maryland 35 years ago.  She didn't offer any new details.  I do think she believed what she was saying.  Cross examination did not expose any contradictions.  She made no goofs in testimony.
   On the other hand, the incident is 35 years old.  Everyone's memory is unreliable going that far back.
   A lot of Democratic senators were still calling for an FBI investigation.  I don't think that would prove anything.  No  physical evidence  has survived that long.  I would have my doubts about any witness testimony after all these years.
   Senator Diane Feinstein  did not offer any explanation as to why she sat on Dr. Blasey-Ford's letter until just two weeks ago.
   All of the witnesses Dr Blasey-Ford mentioned refused to back up her story.
   Judge Kavanaugh is next up.  We will see how he does.  

Investigation of a 35 year old party cannot prove anything.

Christine Blasely Ford's accusations against Brett Kavanaugh are 35 years old.  No investigation at this late date will prove anything.  Witness memory after 35 years is suspect.  Many of us have firm memories of things that never happened.  For instance for years I remembered graduating high school out of doors, in the Greenwood theater.  At my 25th reunion, my classmates all told me that it had rained that day and graduation had been held indoors.  How many other firm, but false, memories do witnesses have after 35 years?  And how much does anyone remember about 35 years ago?  I am not sure even where I was living 35 years ago.  It doesn't matter what an investigation turns up in the way of witness stories, I will have suspicions of all  of them.  
  Which makes the calls for an FBI investigation stalls.

The US Constitution does not require separation of church and state.

First Amendment says "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;  
Establishment is an old fashioned word that we don't use hardly at all anymore in America.  Back in 1789 establishment was enjoyed by the Church of England in England.  You had to be a member of the Church of England to receive a commission in the Royal Army or the Royal Navy.  Catholics, Quakers and others were banned.  You had to be a Church of England member to be crowned as king, or ruling queen.  And a number of other goodies were reserved for Church of England members only.  In the Commonwealth of Massachusetts the Congregational Church (Puritan's they had been called for many years) was established.  I'm not exactly sure just what bennies were reserved for Congregationalists in colonial Massachusetts, but Massachusetts did not "disestablish" the Congregational church until maybe 1808 if memory serves. 
   At Constitution time there were a number of large and influential churches doing business in North America.  Congregational, Quaker, Episcopal, Methodist, Catholic, and others.  It was an easy decision on the Founder's part to prevent endless lobbying, back stabbing, and wheeling and dealing by saying that no church will get the bennies of being established.  Massashusetts was required to disestablish the Congregational Church. 
   In short, the establishment clause merely puts all churches on equal ground, no church gets special bennies for their members.  It does not call for separation of church and state, it calls for treating all churches alike. 

Cars and features that Detroit ought to offer.

Firstly, Detroit should not be abandoning the market for sedans.  That's just turning a huge slice of the market over to Japanese and Korean companies.  Granted, there is more mark up in big SUV's and pickup trucks, which makes it easier to turn a profit.  But there are a helova lotta people who just want something to drive to work.  Most families have both husband and wife working outside the home, which means they need two cars.  One car only needs to get a single individual to and from work.  A small four door econobox is plenty.   The other car can be a SUV big enough to hold the entire family, kids, luggage, skis, lunch.  One key to a competitive sedan is distinctive styling.  The old VW Beetle was distinctive , not especially handsome, but nobody would ever confuse it with a Toyota.  
   Another small sedan that would sell is one that could bring sheet goods home from the lumber yard and furniture home from the auction.  Perhaps a lift off top?  A really stout factory roof rack?  A hatchback with a lift off top?  As a hauler, it only needs to work in good weather and short range, on secondary roads.  Interstate performance with a load is not required.
   Features I would like to see:  Power windows with a master "Close them all" switch.  Switch to just work, and not require putting the key in the ignition.  Even better would be a button on the key remote that would close all the windows while you are sitting on the deck.  In summer I like to leave the car windows open to prevent the car from becoming an oven when the sun shines on it.  It would be nice not to have to put one shoes, find the keys and go out to the driveway to roll the windows up in the evening. 
  An outside thermometer.  Up here we want to know if that black patch up ahead on the road is just a puddle or black ice. 
  A plug to let your Ipod play back on the car's speakers.