Re: Larry wont get a new yacht
He was hoping to get an aircraft carrier to replace one of his yachts. Preferably with some nuclear weapons to use on Seattle.
52 publicly visible posts • joined 14 Oct 2013
Young EEs are lucky to be toying with low voltages.
Back in the vacuum tube era, the voltages were much higher. I remember being in middle school, wiring my 65 watt CW transceiver in the bedroom. I learned about paying attention to polarity on electrolytic capacitors one night. Night of the flaming confetti. Dad wasn't impressed.
From Boeing AERO magazine:
To comply with FAR 24.1001, the 747 and MD-11, for example, require a fuel jettison system. Some models, such as the 777 and some 767 airplanes have a fuel jettison system installed, but it is not required by FAR. Other models such as the DC-9, 717, 737, 757, and MD-80/90 do not require, or do not have, a fuel jettison system based on compliance with FAR Part 25.119 and 25.121(d).
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/aeromagazine/articles/qtr_3_07/article_03_2.html
I got locked into our NOC once, years ago. Despite my very explicit instructions that all electric door strikes must fail to the unlocked state, the contractor did whatever they please.
I called facilities, but they couldn't get the door to release either. Fortunately, we had a big plate glass window into the lobby (so that people could see the pretty NOC without having to enter the NOC).
I'm a pretty big guy, so I simply threw a swivel chair through the larger of the windows (the most expensive one) as a sign of my displeasure. Once I got access to my tools, I ripped the entire door frame out of the wall.
I had no more trouble getting into and out of the NOC that weekend. :-)
I wonder how these developers would like a stay in San Quentin? Last I heard, disobeying a court order can buy you a charge of contempt of court, which can lead to unhappy consequences.
Of course, Tim Cook would just import a few additional battalions of H1B's the next day to fill the empty seats.
You're nicer than I am. My property is posted No Solicitors.
I slammed the door, called the cops, and went with them to the magistrate where I swore out a complaint. If wasn't much of a fine, but it did keep them off the street for an evening and my neighbors got to eat dinner in peace.
I also got a no contact order against Verizon. If any of their devil spawn grace my door, they'll be dealing with a contempt of court citation.
My late father had a problem with someone stealing his roast beef sandwich from the refrigerator at work every Monday morning. So, being a biologist, he engaged in gastrointestinal warfare.
He mixed phenolphthalein (the active ingredient in ExLax) into the horseradish on the sandwich. A bit after lunch time, the culprit was obvious after spending a long time in the men's room.
No more problems after that. Knowing that Dad developed insecticides, the thief got off easy! :-)
I wore out one of the rotary switches on our IBM 360 from doing console debugging... First thing in the morning I used to depress the Lamp Test switch just to make certain that none of the address or data indicators wasn't burnt out.
Hexadecimal forever!
Many years ago, when I was the supervisor of network ops (and the help desk), the VP of Information Technology called me on my personal line and told me his brand new Memorex color mainframe terminal was down and he needed help ASAP. He was demonstrating it to our Senior VP at the time.
I strolled down the hallway into his office, turned the power switch on, turned around and went back to my desk. You could have heard a pin drop in the VP's office, although I did get a smile from the Sr VP. :-)
I miss those old terminals -- a lot simpler problems and they don't get viruses!
I can testify with regard to floor loading problems. Even if it has an access floor already installed. Actually, especially if there is an access floor -- they come in different strength levels and add an appreciable amount of weight to a structure.
Decades ago, I was helping some friends of mine (different company) and our IBM field engineers install a new IBM 3033 mainframe. As we were pushing it into the computer room, we noticed that we seemed to be going "down hill" a bit. Caution ruled and we pushed it out on their loading dock while we investigated.
We opened up the suspended ceiling in the employee's cafeteria below and found chunks of concrete which had spalled from the deck. Imminent structural failure.
IBM had to take the machine back until they built a new data center (about two years later!).
Oooops. I wonder how much an IBM 3033 depreciates if it drops a floor? :-)
2 KW in 2U is just nuts. If you aren't going to have direct-to-water cooling, then just resign yourself to going elsewhere. Why move all of that air when a few gpm (or lpm) of water can do the job?
We had water-cooled IBM mainframes here for many years and I can only recall one very minor leak.
Of course, you could always immerse the whole kit in some nice cold Fluorinert... :-)
About 40 years ago, I worked for a bank as an applications programmer. One of the systems for which I was responsible was the US Savings Bond program we ran for some external payroll customers (we were also sort of a service bureau for some of our bank customers in those days).
There was a definite cutoff time for these external payrolls, with checks (and bonds) that must be delivered to these bank customers in time for Friday paydays. And the armored car was late in delivering the blank savings bonds to the data center (they were stored in the Trust Dept vault in town).
So my boss sent me into the city in a marked bank car to fetch them! I walked into the bank HQ building and signed for about $500K worth of blank savings bonds in white bags. And carried them two blocks to the parking garage. No guards, no guns... Off to the data center. We made the deadline. Barely.
I don't think that I would do that today!
"The Register asked Ericsson whether its upgrades may have introduced vulnerabilities to the broadcast platform, but the telecoms giant categorically denied it had anything to do with it."
Actually, he/she probably said something along the lines of, "God. I hope not." :-)
I work for a power utility in the US (37 years and counting). We ran a lot of fiber in unused power and gas lines in urban areas. Early one morning the substation operators were busy re-energizing some manholes after a fiber-pulling session.
We had a phase-to-phase fault (34 KV, IIRC). A 36" manhole cover was blown into the 4th floor windows of one of the local banks. No one was hurt, but the fireball and falling debris tore up a few cars. And there were more than a few broken windows (and dirty shorts).
That certainly broke the monotony.
Was a good and proper whack in the backside at an early age. I watch parents struggle with their children in the supermarket on a regular basis after work - pulling stuff off the shelves in the cart, grabbing candy and eating it while shopping, while the "parent" is busy jabbering on their telephone in a tone that carries two aisles over.
It is enough to make you believe in retroactive abortion.
In the old days (70's in my case), IBM ran a really good educational system on a regional basis for all things mainframe. In some courses (thinking Basic Assembly Language for starters) there was a serious reading assignment and an exam on the first day - fail and they would send you home. There were even specialized schools for specific industry segments such as Financial.
If IBM wants to keep their Z-series relevant, they need to bring those courses back (with some updates, of course -- we learned SNA, not IP in those days!).
john