The Power of Stupidity

Serendipia(?) ^ | June 1996 | Giancarlo Livraghi

[dimquest]

Are you sure it's that simple?

[ForGod'sSake]

Are you sure it's that simple?

Aw geez! Just when I thought you two had it worked out! I'd have a cold one if I drank.

Might have one anyway...

[NicknamedBob]

Sounds like a perfect discussion to have in a pub to get other patrons to buy you drinks and shut you up!

Not stupid at all, eh?

Almost reminiscent of "Who's on First?"

[ForGod'sSake]

Sounds like a perfect discussion to have in a pub to get other patrons to buy you drinks and shut you up!

Not stupid at all, eh?

Lemme see now, that would be a bandit, er, con man??? Heh, buy me a beer or I'll give you a headache you wouldn't believe!

Almost reminiscent of "Who's on First?"

Uh oh...

FGS

[dimquest]

Aw geez! Just when I thought you two had it worked out!

How can you 'work it out' with those who don't understand the basic principle behind the:

" Third (and Golden) Law; --- A stupid person is someone who causes damage to another person, or a group of people, without any advantage accruing to himself (or herself) -- or even with some resultant self-damage. "

The basics: -- Do onto others as you would have others do onto you, -- but carry a big stick to beat the stupids.

[ForGod'sSake]

Do onto others as you would have others do onto you...

Corollary: Do onto others before they do onto you???

[Congressman Billybob]

Super article. Super post. And, yes, this analysis does apply to the political "leaders" in New Orleans and Louisiana. Click below. (And I didn't write this in response to your post. It just happens that great minds think alike.)

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "Kathleen Blanco: Beyond Gross Public Dumb"

[Congressman Billybob]

The original Stanley Steamers held early speed records at or near 100 MPH. They were very dangerous in any collision, however. Imagine sitting inside a boiler whose tubes surround you on all sides. Now imagine running into anything solid while surrounded by those tubes.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column: "Kathleen Blanco: Beyond Gross Public Dumb"

[Congressman Billybob]

No, no, no. You don't plant eggs. You plant chickens. Just be sure to plant them right side up, and not too deep or too close together.

John / Billybob

[NicknamedBob]

"The original Stanley Steamers held early speed records at or near 100 MPH. They were very dangerous in any collision, however...."

Much of the negative press about the Stanley Steamers was exactly that, negative press. The Stanley Brothers eschewed advertising, or responding to scurrilous reports, assuming that the truth would win out in the end. The were clever engineers, but they were babes in the woods regarding the world of hucksterism.

Even so, let us grant that an external combustion (steam) engine could be dangerous. Let us also observe that internal combustion engines are wasteful of energy, (that is why they have radiators.)

My point was that now may be the time to revisit these technologies, and try to meld the past, present, and future, along with the competitive external vs internal, gasoline propelled vs electrically propelled, vehicles we all suspect could be built, and may need to be built.

I contend that we could build a safer, more efficient, more convenient vehicle, and save money in its operating costs as well.

Here's a thought experiment for backyard garage mechanics and erstwhile inventors. Modify an engine to run on regular fuel, but with the capability of having tiny amounts of water injected directly into the cylinder after the completion of the combustion process. Then tinker with the engine through a tunable computer, backing off on the amount of fuel consumed, while trying to make up for that loss by adding the expanding steam. If one can keep it just beween the point where it would tend to quench the fire, and the point where heat is being thrown away, it should be a much more efficient engine. I suspect that tuned properly, it could increase efficiency by 25%.

Other aspects of efficiency, such as regenerative braking, could be added separately.

We really need to put our Yankee ingenuity to work, all across the country!

[Neil E. Wright]

Bump for later ... :)

[stephenjohnbanker]

“Had the same problem raising chickens ...”

“You didn’t boil the eggs first, did you? “

This is Art Bell..........somewhere in time.......only you would have come up with a wise-ass statement like this ;-)

[NicknamedBob]

"... only you would have come up with a wise-ass statement like this .."

In fact, I'm pretty sure that I did.

It was about two or three years ago. Should I try to find it?

I know I can find the poem.

[NicknamedBob]

By the way, I think I found it.

I enjoyed re-reading the thread, thanks for digging it up.

[stephenjohnbanker]

You are most welcome.