Dimensional Door - Freeople Thread 7

[Mo1]

Buy one of those locks to cover the thermostat and hide the key

[Mo1]

Mom's these days sure have changed

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/971929/posts

[grannie9]

How Specifications Live Forever

When you see a space shuttle sitting on the launch pad, there are two big
booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are the
solid rocket boosters, or SRBs.

The SRBs are made by Morton Thiokol at a factory in Utah.

Originally, the engineers who designed the SRBs wanted to make them much
fatter than they are. Unfortunately, the SRBs had to be shipped by train
from the factory to the launch site in Florida and the railroad line runs
through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to be made to fit through
that tunnel.

Now, the width of that tunnel is just a little wider than the U.S. Standard
Railroad Gauge (distance between the rails) of 4 feet, 8.5 inches.

That's an exceedingly odd number. Did you ever wonder why that gauge was
used? Because US railroads were designed and built by English expatriates,
and that's the way they built them in England.

Okay, then why did the English engineers build them like that?

Because the first rail lines of the 19th century were built by the same
craftsmen who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they
used.

I'll bite, why did those craftsmen choose that gauge? Because they used the
same jigs and tools that were previously used for building wagons, and you
guessed it, the wagons used that wheel spacing.

Now do you feel like a fish on a hook! Why did the wagons use that odd wheel
spacing?

Well, if the wagon makers and wheelwrights of the time tried to use any
other spacing, the wheel ruts on some of the old, long distance roads would
break the wagon axles. As a result, the wheel spacing of the wagons had to
match the spacing of the wheel ruts worn into those ancient European roads.

So who built those ancient roads?

The first long distance roads in Europe were built by Imperial Rome for the
benefit of their legions. The roads have been used ever since.

And the ruts?

The initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying
their wagons, were first made by Roman war chariots.

And since the chariots were made by Imperial Roman chariot makers, they were
all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.

Well, here we are. We now have the answer to the original question. The
United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet,

8.5 inches derives from the original specification for an Imperial Roman
army war chariot.

Specs and bureaucracies live forever.

That's nice to know, but it still doesn't answer why the Imperial Roman war
chariot designers chose to spec the chariot's wheel spacing at exactly 4
feet, 8.5 inches.

Are you ready?

Because that was the width needed to accommodate the rear ends of two
Imperial Roman war horses!!!

Well, now you have it. The railroad tunnel through which the late 20th
century space shuttle SRBs must pass was excavated slightly wider than two
1st century horses' asses.

Consequently, a major design feature of what is arguably the world's most
advanced transportation system was spec'd by the width of a horse's ass!

So, the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horses'
rear end came up with it, you may be exactly right.

Now you know what is "behind" it all.

~Author Unknown (sounds like a Paul Harvey)

[lodwick]

Check out the Sublime Comfort mattress topper - it is wonderful

Our hosts in Ohio had this on our bed, and it was the first purchase after returning home. Bed Bath & Beyond carries them here. Cheers everyone.

[lodwick]

Senator McClintock will host the Roger Hedgecock show on Thursday, August 28th, from 3-6 pm on KOGO, AM 600 on the radio dial. Internet listening is available at www.KOGO.com.

[Sundog]

Hi Grannie,

You are back in fine form this morning.

Yes, It was a horse's rump that set up the whole thing.

Love your pic of Matthew taking a nap, I've never seen a computer program do water reflections and highlights like the real thing, just look at those highlights in the water.

Pretty Deer too. Just don't smack one of them at night when you are travelling in your car. Their fur absorbs car headlights so completely they are invisible.

[ValerieUSA]

Good morning all

Good job with the deer through the window, Gran!

My new place

[lodwick]

Rack of Venison

[ValerieUSA]

[lodwick]

Good job with the new digs Valerie - enjoy.

[grannie9]

This is before the nap.

I guess I'll have to give my camera some of the credit too Dog.. As far as the deer go, yes.. we do have to be very careful at night for them and the occasional bear and moose.. I'm very wary driving at night at this time of year.. It's when the young stuff start to wander away from Mom..

[grannie9]

Oh Val... I'm sooo glad you posted pics of the new place.. I love to see them.. It looks wonderful.. ;)

It sure doesn't take you long to get settled in..

[lodwick]

Get your electronic deer whistle here

[grannie9]

I've seen these before, and asked Al's cousin Ted about them. He's lives much further north, but he didn't give them a thumb's up..

Said they only worked part of the time, and people relied on them too much and it was worse than not having them..

Go figger... ;)

[ValerieUSA]

Amazing! The Austin firefighters have turned down their approved 2% pay raise because they feel uncomfortable accepting an increase when other city employees are being laid off.

[lodwick]

Wow - big ups to the AFD!

Thanks for the good news.

[Sundog]

Isn't he a little tiger!

I'm pretty much convinced those little black deer whistles you buy in pairs and put on either side of your car's bumper work.

I've watched deer and they listen to them, and seem to be able to figure out that something is going to go on either side of them when a car is coming at them.

I suppose it is the same way they listen to a predator trying to sneak up in the dark. Headlights are way beyond anything they can imagine.

[Sundog]

Rack of Venison is Good.

Little silver dollar sized pieces of sliced Venison tenderloin fried in butter and crushed garlic, is great.

Add some boiled red potates, green beans, corn on the cob, squash, and sweet seedless watermellon afterwards until you are stuffed...

Ahhhhhhh.......

[Sundog]

That is a very nice pad there Val, Good choice of chairs, pillows and furniture.

[Sundog]

I have bookmarked that whistle.

Too bad they don't guarantee it against cows on the open range. Got rid of a good jeep that way once...