The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon
COS ON THE EAST SIDE writes: Its good to know that even when one is Older Than Dust, it’s doable to study one thing new from the comedian pages. It’s even higher when it turns right into a B-M and results in a revelation regarding one thing most individuals in all probability already know.
On April 11, the Jumble had a drawing of two hippopotamuses in a river, with one giving the opposite a tough time about consuming an excessive amount of. The clue was When the river horse criticized his son about his weight, he was being a ____. The reply was HIPPO-CRIT. From this I deduced {that a} hippopotamus should even be often known as a river horse. I by no means knew that.
Just a few hours later I used to be watching Jeopardy! and the clue was Africas Lake Victoria is house to a plethora of wildlife, together with these water horses. I figured that water is equal to river and guessed the reply have to be What are hippopotamuses? This was right, and I had myself a B-M and in addition a minor thriller specifically, why is a hippopotamus often known as a river/water horse?
Unwell admit that my information of hippopotamuses is restricted. Ive seen photos and movies of them, know in regards to the sport Hungry, Hungry Hippos and have heard that annoying Christmas music I Desire a Hippopotamus for Christmas. So I do know {that a} hippo doesn’t take a look at all like a horse. So what offers?
Apparently when the traditional Greeks first noticed a hippopotamus in Egypt, they known as it a horse of the river, with hippo coming from the Greek phrase for horse and potamus coming from the phrase that means river or water. So we are able to blame the traditional Greeks for not having a phrase for an enormous funny-looking animal with 4 legs and deciding that horse was shut sufficient.
This led me to the phrase hippodrome, which was an historic Greek stadium for horse and chariot racing and is now used because the title of a spot that hosts equestrian occasions basically. And that explains why the State Honest Coliseum was as soon as known as the Hippodrome and doubtless ought to be as soon as once more.
Did everybody already know that besides me?
BULLETIN BOARD SAYS: No. Thanks!
Dept. of Neat Stuff . . . Tom Swift, The Radio Boys, and Me Division
GREGORY J. of Daytons Bluff writes: We hear the phrase wi-fi fairly a bit these days normally in reference to cellphones and pc networks. Its really an previous phrase that has been repurposed.
The primary use of wi-fi dates again to the Nineties, when Marconi discovered a method for telegraph units to speak to one another utilizing radio waves as an alternative of wires. This enabled ships at sea to speak with one another and with stations on land. In 1912, the Titanic used a wi-fi telegraph to ship out misery calls.
A 12 months earlier, in 1911, our good buddy Tom Swift created a wi-fi telegraph station within the ebook Tom Swift and His Wi-fi Message and used it to name for assist when he was stranded on an island.
Different ebook collection had been marketed behind Tom Swift books. One among these collection featured the Radio Boys. Their first ebook, revealed in 1922, was The Radio Boys First Wi-fi. I purchased a replica to see what kind of wi-fi the boys had been constructing, as a result of in accordance with the outline, this was a brand new collection of books giving full particulars of radio work . . . telling how small and huge newbie units may be made and operated.
Wi-fi had a special that means on this ebook. The boys had been going to construct what was then known as a wi-fi phone, normally shortened to easily a wi-fi, however not within the sense we consider a wi-fi telephone at the moment. Nobody carried these huge units of their pockets to speak to different individuals. A wi-fi was really a quite simple AM radio receiver, also referred to as a crystal set. Though there have been many radio stations broadcasting by this time, house radios utilizing vacuum tubes had been comparatively costly so individuals usually purchased or constructed their very own wi-fi.
The very first thing I did after I obtained the ebook was to search for the images, drawings, schematic diagrams and components listing wanted to construct a radio. There werent any. As a substitute, there have been written descriptions of the required components, how one can assemble them right into a radio receiver and how one can function it. This might in all probability have been reasonably complicated apart from one factor I spotted that I had constructed virtually the similar radio a few years in the past.
The April-Might 1968 concern of Radio-TV Experimenter journal had an article titled Real Wi-fi Receiving Equipment which contained the images, drawings, schematic diagrams and components listing I had anticipated to seek out within the Radio Boys ebook. In order that summer season I constructed the radio. These radios wanted what was often known as a crystal detector, which mainly converts the radio indicators into sound. Each this text and the ebook informed the builders to purchase the detector, which I did, and it labored nice. However that was too straightforward.
I discovered one other article that described how one can make your personal crystal for the detector. It’s in all probability finest not to enter the main points, however lets simply say they concerned utilizing lead, sulfur, and a propane torch. Again then, the Daytons Bluff boys had been properly acquainted with enjoying with chemical substances and hearth, and we had a whole lot of enjoyable with this experiment. The selfmade crystal detector might not have appeared as good because the business one, but it surely labored simply as properly.
What occurred to my wi-fi? I nonetheless have it and determined to get it out, clear it up and take some images. It isnt fairly as professional-looking as I remembered, however contemplating that I constructed it as a teen, it isnt unhealthy.
Did it nonetheless work? There was just one method to discover out: Check it. I already had the radio and an previous pair of surplus headphones. No batteries had been required as a result of the facility to run the headphones comes from the radio sign itself. It wanted to be related to a long-wire antenna. Happily I’ve one within the attic (doesnt everybody?) with a connecting wire coming right down to my den/pc room. It additionally wanted earth floor, which was no downside as a result of there’s a radiator within the room. I used to be tempted to make some enhancements to the radio earlier than testing it, however that may be dishonest. As a substitute, all I did was repair a few solder joints and clear some electrical contacts.
And it labored. I managed to obviously tune in 5 AM radio stations with out a lot effort and may be capable to obtain others when I’ve extra time to play with it. Nevertheless, I have to confess that after my preliminary checks, I swapped the very uncomfortable headphones for an digital battery-powered audio amplifier. It was made by the now defunct Radio Shack and doubtless qualifies as an vintage itself.
So right here I sit at my pc, which has a wi-fi connection to my router, with my wi-fi smartphone in my pocket, listening to Mexican music on WREY-AM 630 on my 55-year-old wi-fi receiver, and there are a few 100-plus-year-old books on the bookshelf about youngsters who constructed wi-fi radios.
Bizarre, huh?
BULLETIN BOARD SAYS: No. Unbelievable!
Now & Then . . . Royal Division
THE GRAM WITH A THOUSAND RULES: Topic: Coronation Day.
As I sit alone in my pretty Impartial Dwelling house and watch nonstop repeat protection of the coronation, I understand I wouldnt be doing this if my husband had been nonetheless alive. He was as anti-Anglophile as my expensive departed Aunt Ethel was pro-Anglophile.
I keep in mind solely snippets of newsreel protection of King Georges coronation, merely due to Aunt Ethel and Princess Elizabeth. Aunt Ethel took me to the theater to observe the clips, and I keep in mind each little princesses of their ermine robes waving from the balcony. In fact I wasnt a terrific fan of Princess Elizabeth, however was intrigued by images of her just because she appeared nothing in any respect just like the Princess Elizabeth doll Santa Claus had given me; it was disguised in a Shirley Temple field. I idolized Shirley, and when Santas elves made the ghastly mistake of putting Elizabeth in a field with an image of Shirley on the duvet, Aunt Ethel tried mightily to rectify the error by telling me how very fortunate I used to be to obtain her as a result of, and I quote: A lot of little women have Shirley dolls, however not everyone seems to be so fortunate to have a Princess Elizabeth doll. She will likely be a queen sometime!
Nicely, Elizabeth turned queen, and whereas the coronation was filmed by tv in England, we needed to wait to see that movie within the film theaters. We had been newly engaged, so after I prompt going to see this, my fianc didnt protest or categorical (to place it kindly) his lack of enthusiasm for all issues British. (He all the time appeared to emphasise the final syllable within the phrase British.) He by no means may perceive why my daughters and I’d rise up early within the morning simply to observe stay tv protection of royal weddings. Because the years went on, my husband mellowed or possibly he grew weary of my reminding him each time he would rant in regards to the the damned Brits that in reality their heritage was each bit as German as his was. He even commented a time or two that the previous queen looks like a pleasant type, however that doesnt imply he would have willingly joined me getting up within the wee hours of the morning to observe the pageantry.
So, now I’ve lived lengthy sufficient to witness three British coronations, and my query is: How can all these individuals sit by means of that lengthy ceremony with out being in determined want a WC?
In memoriam
JOHN IN HIGHLAND: Topic: The Canadian composer.
It was a tragic day lately after we misplaced singer/composer Gordon Lightfoot. All by means of the Seventies, he would come right here in the midst of winter, to play on the OShaughnessy in St. Paul. Since he was a Canadian, we figured that he was used to chilly climate.
He would inform tales associated to his songs, and he stated that he liked enjoying on the OShaughnessy due to the intimacy that he felt with the viewers.
One music that he all the time would sing was Bitter Inexperienced. It informed of a younger lady in St. Paul ready for the return of her long-lost lover. Within the music he alludes to her strolling within the seven hills of St. Paul.
I’ve all the time puzzled if the younger lady actually existed right here in St. Paul or solely in Gordons creativeness. I suppose we’ll by no means know.
Gee, our previous LaSalle ran nice! . . . Together with: The Everlasting Neighborly Document
THE ASTRONOMER of Nininger: Topic: The Previous Malibu Gasoline Tank.
Quite a lot of Minnesotans drive, particularly in winter months, what we name beater automobiles. They dont price a lot and simply barely get us by means of the extreme abuses that chemical substances and potholes inflict on our cars.
I have to calmly admit to having owned a number of such autos through the years.
One beater was a 1966 Malibu. I bought it for $200 and two years later offered it for $250. It wasnt precisely fairly, but it surely appeared to have a nice functioning engine that dependable previous Chevy in-line six. The guide transmission had been moved from three on the tree to 3 on the ground, however didn’t comply with the conventional H shift sample. Not an issue in the event you knew the place to seek out the suitable gear.
I wanted to drive a load (really, solely 5 – 6) college students to the planetarium. We obtained there simply nice and loved our program, however as soon as we obtained onto the Interstate returning to campus, the automotive hesitated, slowed considerably and at last simply wouldnt go any farther as if it had run out of gasoline. That shouldnt have been I had stuffed it the day gone by however all proof appeared to point that we certainly had been out of gasoline. The gasoline gauge itself was not a lot assist, because it didnt work in any respect. I managed to nurse it alongside and pulled safely to the aspect. I didnt must say a lot. My college students disappeared like magic and located their method again to campus. There I used to be, alongside the streets of Minneapolis with a broken-down automotive.
This was again when one would try to make things better your self. The Good Spouse drove up and rescued me and took me house for supper. As soon as at house, I talked with neighbor Ed, top-of-the-line mechanics I’ve ever met. Ed may repair most something mechanical as a result of he was a wonderful welder and engine mechanic, and he usually got here up with concepts that may substitute extremely engineered programs. He drove a beater made by Renault and in the event you may maintain that factor working all winter, you might maintain something going. Ed provided to assist me retrieve the previous Malibu.
It didnt take lengthy. He prompt we convey alongside some components. They included an previous OMC outboard motor gasoline tank, partially stuffed, about 20 ft of rubber hose, an acceptable hose clamp, some wrenches, pliers and screwdrivers. We returned to the scene the place the previous Malibu was ready to be resuscitated. Ed knew what he was doing. He positioned the outboard gasoline tank on the seat subsequent to the motive force and with none hesitation related the rubber hose to it. That mannequin of Malibu had a type of little fly home windows that had been vertically hinged. Some individuals known as them vent or wing home windows. In any case, the opposite finish of the hose went out that fly on the passengers door and routed underneath the hood, the place it was merely plugged on to the vacuum gas pump and secured with a hose clamp. In lower than 5 minutes, we had the automotive working once more.
What had occurred was that we certainly had run out of gasoline. The additional weight of the scholars was an excessive amount of for the previous suspension, and it had settled down in order that it crushed and collapsed the gasoline line. Ed drove it house from the place it was disabled. It ran properly till I changed the outboard tank with an acceptable line.
Ed and I reminisced about this, and he knowledgeable me that he smoked on the way in which house. Dont do this your self.
BAND NAME OF THE DAY: Enjoying With Fireplace
