shellback3

Wow, this brings back the memories of a Byte (I think it was Byte) article about how a person used this strange thing (don't know if it was called "mouse" yet) to keep on working after his keyboard died.

I've been using a "hamster" for some time now. Its top surface is a track pad - nice.

The last I heard a meteor is a flash of light caused by a meteorite interacting with the atmosphere. Is this distinction, like 'lecturn', now dead?

Shwllback3 was my radio callsign in Vietnam in '67 & '68.

I was issued one at King's Point Merchant Marine Academy in 1957 and used it constantly. A side benefit was the learned ability to estimate an answer and decimal point a skill which I still use. As I recall I mostly used multiplication, division, logs, and trig. I think I quit using it when I purchased a HP scientific calculator years later.

As for books in the 1700's over 60% of women were not literate so if one happened on one of the books it couldn't be read - but the illustrations would have been interesting to them.

I think that many of the poor lived in habitations where they all slept in one, unlit, room where they would get hints about sex from childhood.

Interesting, but I had expected to see a comparison of generating DC voltages using tubes, which were used in my university Electronics course, with solid state. In those days to generate a DC voltage from another DC voltage required generating an AC voltage from the DC and then rectifying it.

I bought Corelle about 15 years ago and none have broken - I suspect it's because none have ever been dropped. I glad to hear that when one does drop on the hard floor it might survive.

'stocastic parrot' I like that better than dubious correlations.

Technical achievements are impressive but who needs another 2 cycle engine. Yesterday I read that one two cycle engine (for a car or motorcycle, I think) puts out as much pollution as 40 modern 4 cycle engines.

A few decades ago I needed proof of my military service, US Navy last duty in Vietnam, and was astounded to find that they had been in that St. Louis fire but I did get a copy of my DD 214 so not all was lost. I'd still like to get my records.

I agree, my thoughts were along this line especially when I noticed the 'magic' number -3.

McNamara cut his teeth on real world problems in the AAF's Office of Statistics and worked with General Curtis LaMay to plan how best to use the B29 bombers. He became an expert with statistics and other math tools and thought they could be widely applied to business and, of course, war. Once he had these marvelous tools he found nails everywhere.

For instance the rate of German tank production was accurately estimated by collecting the serial numbers of all the tanks (and some tank components) that were knocked out. Best methods of attacking submarines was worked out this way as well as well as where to place armor in bombers, etc.

It should be remembered that McNamara cut his teeth working for the office of statistics with Curtis LeMay in the use of B29 aircraft. He was proud that he was part of a larger effort using statistics and other math that helped to win the war and, with that hammer, most everything could be a nail.

I was in Vietnam in a Naval Support Group. I had conversations with army officers that had combat experience and learned that since no statistics were collected about dead civilians all the dead were counted as enemy soldiers - and everyone from the top down knew it.

AUTOVON brings back memories from the mid 1960s. I was on a US Navy Oiler which was getting some maintanance from the shipyard in Subic Bay, PI. The shipyard officer we were assigned hosted a small party at his home and learning that I had been frustrated in not been able to complete a phone call to my wife in California imitated a call for me from his phone. Amazingly the call went through almost instantly and as I heard my wife answer an operator said more or less: "Sir, are you aware that this priority is used by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and ... . Sir what is your name, rank, and position?" Operating under the conceit that I may be stupid but not that stupid I quickly hung up.

The handset was a 'regular' one, not the one illustrated.

My wife's mother was a head librarian and 'Ask a Librarian' is her motto. Thanks for the link.