Day: February 18, 2008

Making Dick Cheney Proud

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

According to the LA Times, in an amazing coincidence just before the Wisconsin primary (a big deer hunting state), Hillary Clinton has let it slip that she once went hunting and shot a poor defenseless duck. Today, on the eve of voting, the New York senator remembered more details about hunting once in Arkansas with male colleagues and standing in chilly water early one morning.

“They said, ‘We won’t shoot. You shoot,’ ” Clinton told reporters. “They wanted to embarrass me. So, OK, the pressure was on. So I shot, and I shot a banded duck. And I was as surprised as they were.”

Well, at least she’s a better shot than Dick Cheney.

(sound of crickets chirping)

I’m here all week, folks. Try the chicken.

P.S.: I hear Obama’s planning to shoot a duck as well, just to keep things even. Of course, he’s taking no chances. He’s aiming at a lame one.

Share

A Bittersweet Golden (i.e., mixed red and yellow) Anniversary

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

The following will certainly be of interest to larymotrmn, zarchasmpgmr, jumbach, and the other transit and rail fans on my FL. March 3, 2008 will be a bittersweet golden anniversary. As noted in the February 17, 1958 edition of the LA Times (page 1, page 2), March 3, 1958 was the date that the original Los Angeles Metropolitan Transit Authority took over control of rail and bus lines from Metropolitan Coach Lines, Los Angeles Transit Lines, and Asbury Coach Lines. From MCL, MTA received 711 busses, and 71 rail cars, operating over 1,242 one-way route miles. From LATL, MTA got 721 motorbusses, 109 trolley coaches, and 207 streetcars operating over 291.5 one-way route miles. From Asbury, MTA received 51 motorbusses operating over 173 route miles. MTA also received property such as the PE Terminal (not the PE Building) and the LATL building. MTA was promising better line operation. The article quoted the new MTA head as saying: “Within a month the public transportation riders will see an improvement throughout the system through changes in schedules and a changeover, as far as Metropolitan Coach Lines is concerned, from rail cars to more satisfactory busses.” The first rail line to be abandoned: the Bellflower Line. A long range product was elimination of all streetcars.

As for livery, the busses were going to initially remain in their MCL and other colors. They would be repainted. Two-toned blue was discussed, as well as red, orange, and green. According to the head of MTA, “I don’t care what, just so long as it is not yellow and green (the colors of LATL and Metropolitan Coach Lines).” Of course, the green at least lasted for a long time — I remember green busses when I rode RTD busses in the mid-1960s.

Of course, we all know that the original MTA, and its successor the (ahem) Rapid Transit District, didn’t fully improve the system. We’re seeing a return to streetcars (ahem) “light rail” and subways. Los Angeles is being on identifying transit problems, and proposing solutions, but not on actually fixing the problems.

Share

Govt Standards Organization Proposes to Shorten the Inch

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Today in History…

Dr. Lyman J. Briggs, director of the United States Bureau of Standards, wants to shorten the inch. It is too long, he says, and furthermore, the difference between the length of the inch in this country and in Great Britain “is intolerable.”

In line with Dr. Briggs recommendation, the House Committee on Coinage, Weights, and Measures, has reported out a bill which would fix the length of the inch and the weight of a pound. The bill proposes to establish the inch to equal 25.4 millimeters exactly. This would shorten the inch by two parts in a million. It is now 25.40005 millimeters, as against 25.39996 in Great Britain.

Dr. Briggs, in urging the legislation, hastened to assure industry that the change would not be disturbing.

“I wish to emphasize,” he said, “the fact that the change will not disturb industry in any way. Industry, from a practical standpoint, will not realize that a change has been made, because the change is too small; it is far within the limits of tolerance permitted in making industrial measurements.”

Note that this was in February 1938. Note that this proposal must have gone through, for in the US an inch is still defined to be 25.4 millimeters (to be precise, 1/36th of a yard, which is 0.9144 meters. This definition was standardized on July 1, 1959 (so the 1938 proposal took a long time to be adopted). Given that a meter is defined as the length of the path traveled by light in vacuum during a time interval of 1/299,792,458 of a second, this means than an inch is, oh, you do the math!.

Share

Birthday Wishes for cecerose

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

OK, Folks, you know the drill. Allright everyone, let’s gather in front of our large, 13″, Black and White TV set, and watch as a tall, lanky man in a bright green silk uniform (with antique military buttons) strides out, introduces himself as Sheriff John, puts on a pair of oval wire-rim glasses, picks up an electric guitar, and starts singing Birthday for cecerose:

You say it’s your birthday
It’s my birthday too–yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

Yes we’re going to a party party
Yes we’re going to a party party
Yes we’re going to a party party.

     I would like you to dance–Birthday
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance-Birthday
I would like you to dance–Birthday
Dance

I would like you to dance–Birthday
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance-Birthday
I would like you to dance–Birthday

You say it’s your birthday
Well it’s my birthday too–yeah
You say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you.

[Yes, it’s here. The 4th Annual Birthday Poll. So, if you want to make sure that the Sheriff sings the song you want, please fill out the poll. Note that if you want the birdie to be able to inform the Sheriff about your birthday, you need to make sure your birth month and day is in your profile, and it is visible to your friends]

Share