Early Risers.

[PupCam]

25 minutes ago, BoD said:

When people quote that “it’s not rocket science”, they forget that, in the main, rocket science isn’t that difficult.  It’s the rocket engineering that can be challenging.

 

My emphasis, I'll leave you to check the workings-out for the Voyager trajectories then and you can report back and compare your answers with NASA's ..... 

I note from this link that they assessed more than 10000 trajectories during the mission planning.      I would have enough  trouble picking 1 from 10!

 

All jokes aside, what an astonishingly successful programme Voyager has been; 46 years and they are still "doing science" with the vehicles albeit getting them to send the data back is proving a little troublesome currently.   It must soon be time for them to stop work, put their metaphorical feet up and then just enjoy the ride.    

 

Just for amusement I thought I'd take a screen grab from the simulation of "where Voyager 1 currently is" and see if Astrometry.net (an online tool for identifying  stars) could work it out.

 

Here's the screen grab of the simulation I took (with the wick turned up so you can see more stars)

 

 

Well, it turns out that it could so I'd say that's a pretty darn good simulation of the sky you are looking at on that page.   Why am I not surprised?

 

 

 

Philosophical thought for the evening:     Astrometry.net is used for analysing the star fields and identifying stars  from Earth.     In our terms Voyager 1 is now a very long way from Earth, it's left the solar system some years ago and yet it's actually gone such a tiny, tiny distance in the Universe that the stars from its position look just the same as they do down here.   Makes you think doesn't it!

 

And on that bombshell I'll say Goodnight!

 

Don't forget your homework @BoD 🤣

 

 

 

[PupCam]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water cake shop......

The Bear's back........😱

 

Apologies for being AWOL for so long....and many thanks for the kind thoughts and messages - it's much appreciated.

 

All down to a significant dose of the dreaded BD (well actually there was a huge pack of 'em, all the size of horses) of the sort I've never experienced before (or ever wish to again).  Hopefully they've got fed up and are in the process of p1ssing off to annoy someone else instead now.

 

Bear has just started swimming drowning a couple of times a week (the first since being in a Hotel Pool back in 2016) as part of the process - I can think of better things to be doing at 0615am though (sleeping being one of them - but there's diddly squat chance of that).  I am managing 0.6 miles (1Km) in a session now though - I even overtook someone on Monday (so what if she was in her 80's.....).

 

I also now do a lot of walking - about 3 hilly miles on most days.  Why all this health madness?  Well I had a medic check a few weeks back and as part of that discovered that I'm not 5' 10" after all - but 5' 7".  Why does this matter?  Well my previously nicely in the green BMI is now not so nicely in the amber.  Turdycurses.

 

Cake?  Nope (I even turned down a free mince pie on Monday - but don't spread it about).  Bikkies?  One a day, tops.  Chips/Curly Fries/Hash Browns/sweets/spuds?  Nope.  Calorie counting?  Yep......

Double Piggin' Turdycurses.

The once-a-week Pizza stays though - even this Bear has limits.

 

I've also started volunteering at the local Hospice (doing Warehouse and Delivery work to their Shops) - it gets me out n' about and mixing with other people.  Working somewhere where they are all friendly, welcoming and appreciative is a real culture shock after 39 years "being a number" in The Great Empire.....

 

Oh yes, and I've even been planning things to do with bits of brass and a gearbox - the first such thing since well before chrimbo.

 

BG

 

 

YAY!     He's back!     

 

That's great news!

 

 

[BoD]

9 minutes ago, PupCam said:

I'll leave you to check the workings-out for the Voyager trajectories then and you can report back and compare your answers with NASA's ..... 

I note from this link that they assessed more than 10000 trajectories during the mission planning.      I would have enough  trouble picking 1 from 10!

That’s not rocket science … just basic map reading skills.

[PupCam]

2 minutes ago, BoD said:

That’s not rocket science … just basic map reading skills.

 

This should be all we need then  🤣

 

[Winslow Boy]

Nah that's old fashioned it's digi..., digit...., ditigiz..... I give up just Google it.

[Tony_S]

24 minutes ago, PupCam said:

My emphasis, I'll leave you to check the workings-out for the Voyager trajectories then and you can report back and compare your answers with NASA's ..... 

As soon as something like that is claimed for science, it won’t be long before the mathematicians claim it. 

[Gwiwer]

1 hour ago, polybear said:

The Bear's back.......

That has made my day.  You are most welcome back

 

In other news is the glass half full or half empty?  Is someone out to get me or is someone watching out for me? 
 

Driving over to MRC I was taking the road as steadily as a regular driver on a winding road should. A steady 40mph despite the 60mph limit. If you took most of it at 60 you wouldn’t make the corners. 
 

I came over a crest which includes an easy left-hand bend and came face to face - at about 20 metres range - with a very abnormal load. I had stopping distance and I was mid-lane so with about a half-metre on the left before a stone hedge and the same on the right before the white lines. 
 

There, right ahead of me and approaching at perhaps 40-45mph was a heavy-haul rig transporting a caravan. The rig was already my side of the line.  The caravan overhung by a good two feet either side of the trailer. 
 

We both blared horns at each other as I stood on the brake and waited for the crunch. The outriggers passed by my window every one closer than the last. The last one or two were so close that they passed above my driving mirror and only cleared the car bodywork because of its inward-sloping shape. 
 

With a long blast on the horn the offender was past. I’m not sure I could have slipped paper between us nor between me and a stone wall but paper of a certain kind was definitely required. And so we went on our ways unscathed. 
 

Exceptional loads are supposed to have an escort, are they not?  They are not supposed to fly along winding hilly roads unescorted and unable to avoid oncoming traffic. They might need more than the single lane available but what driver careers along with utter disregard for any oncoming road user?  Had I been driving the bus, as I once did on that road, I might well have stopped but could not have avoided a catastrophic collision. 
 

No, I didn’t get his registration. But yet again I have a reminder of why there is an idiot-cam upstairs waiting to be fitted to the Little Red Driving Box. 
 

And breathe. 

[PhilJ W]

Glad to see you back @polybear

Edited February 21 by PhilJ W

[southern42]

1 minute ago, Tony_S said:

As soon as something like that is claimed for science, it won’t be long before the mathematicians claim it. 

 

Then it won't be long before it is part of the infant school curriculum (thinking back to the days when the Venn diagram left Uni and became part of our senior school maths club (too much for the Maths class) and by the time I was in College it was being dished up to the Infants).

[BoD]

17 minutes ago, PupCam said:

 

This should be all we need then  🤣

 

 

Whatever book you use the answer is still 42.

[jamie92208]

Great to see @polybear back among us.  I just wonder how effective the locks are on tbe cake cupboard at the Hospice.

 

Jamie

[jamie92208]

Just now, BoD said:

 

Whatever book you use the answer is still 42.

No it's actually 27which is the magic number in inches for a crate from an unmentionable to fit through an exhibition hall single doorway.

 

Jamie 

[Hroth]

39 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

My BMI according to the various leaflets isn’t healthy and I need to get taller.  

 

Nobody expects The Spanish Inquisition, but their racks might be useful for BMI reduction....

 

@polybear  Good to see you back!

 

[PhilJ W]

1 hour ago, southern42 said:

'It seems my history and geography knowledge is expanding as family members dig up the past. On one side of the family, it seems I hail not only from East Anglia, both Norfolk and Suffolk, but as far afield across the norvvern border to a couple of Clans. On top of that, there are (unconfirmed) links to early monarchy but not Alfred, which seems odd as I keep burning or nearly burning the toast!

It's surprising what you can discover when doing your family history. In my family tree I have a spy, a pirate captain and a current cabinet minister is a distant cousin.

[Hroth]

1 minute ago, PhilJ W said:

It's surprising what you can discover when doing your family history. In my family tree I have a spy, a pirate captain and a current cabinet minister is a distant cousin.

 

A CURRENT cabinet minister?  Thats something to keep quiet about!

 

[Tony_S]

5 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

current cabinet minister

If it is the one you mentioned before then no longer current. 

[BSW01]

Good evening everyone 

 

Well, it was good news from my oncologist this morning, as predicted, both scans showed no signs of cancer. So the plan is that I carry on with the continuous monitoring, having PSA tests done every 3 months, follow by a consultation a week or so later. 

 

Max came round this afternoon, Ian dropped him off just after 3 o’clock and we spent a couple of hours in the workshop. Today I got him painting some of the smaller detail items, that need to be painted before fitting. It’s still early days yet, but he does seem to be enjoying himself, his next visit will be a week on Sunday, then we’ll make a start building the engine and gearbox etc. 

 

Yahoo, @polybear the bear is back, welcome back mate. 

Edited February 21 by BSW01

[PhilJ W]

8 minutes ago, Hroth said:

 

A CURRENT cabinet minister?  Thats something to keep quiet about!

 

 

3 minutes ago, Tony_S said:

If it is the one you mentioned before then no longer current. 

I get confused when the cabinet room has a revolving door.😁

[BSW01]

Goodnight all 

[PhilJ W]

Evening all from Estuary-Land. No further blood in my urine but still taking a PSA test as a precaution. Also I'll be asking  for a sound scan of the kidney with the stone, that is the most likely candidate.

[PhilJ W]

Goodnight all.

[Smiffy2]

4 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I have toad-in-the-hole for dinner tonight, it only requires five minutes in the air fryer. Talking of which on BBC breakfast this morning they were talking about what some people use an air fryer for.  Cooking broccoli and eggs but some people use one for making tea!

I would love to know how that works.

[BR60103]

Grizz might find the attached interesting.

derailment technical reports

srt track

 

Steve Munro is Toronto's top transit fan.

Last July one of Toronto's rapid transit lines suffered a notable derailment. This is an orphan line that has passed its best before date and was due to be replaced by the end of last year. It ran on a linear induction motor with the induction part between the rails. Part of the cover rose up and derailed the last car of a train. Steve has been trying to get the reports on maintenance that was (not) done. (2nd link)

 

If anyone gets excited, ask and I'll bore you with political history.

Many parts of the Toronto subway now have slow orders because of out-of-spec track.

 

[BR60103]

I will try to remember someone's distinction between Science Fiction and Fantasy.

 

Science Fiction assumes an extension of our current science with possible future discoveries. Fantasy makes an assumption contradictory to our current beliefs e.g. magic works.

The better fantasy follows rules (that they may have made up) like "using mind magic to lift things takes as much effort as lifting them with your arms."

 

[polybear]

7 hours ago, DaveF said:

Welcome back polybear, it's very good to have you here again.

 

David

 

Thanks Dave - and everyone.  I figured that @iL Dottore iD has been having his own way for far too long.....

 

7 hours ago, Tony_S said:

Nice to hear from you @polybear. Did they install icebergs for you in your local pool?

 

It certainly feels like that for the first minute......

 

7 hours ago, Gwiwer said:

That has made my day.  

 

Thanks Gwiwer - but you really do need to get out more...

 

7 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

Great to see @polybear back among us.  I just wonder how effective the locks are on tbe cake cupboard at the Hospice.

 

Jamie

 

Thanks Jamie.

Guess what - no locks; it's all free.  Only Bear mustn't......😭

 

Bear here.....

....since 0430am.....silly o'clock is now the normo'clock (which usually means that Bear doesn't get to find out whodunnit on anything broadcast after 9pm on the telly cos' I usually fall asleep.  Poo.

 

Apologies if I've missed anything of importance** over the last X weeks (some time before Chrimbo in fact) - hopefully all fellow ER'ers are fine and well.

 

Not sure what today will bring as yet - makeitupasIgoalong will be the order of the day methinks.  Going for a wander isn't looking hopeful at the moment cos' it looks like it's gonna wee for much of the day - especially post-din dins.  It could be a day for backing up the laptop and also updating the dashcam with new maps - that'll be a start, and also cross a couple of things off Bear's reminders list too.

 

** Such as iD discovering that Pizza, Curly Fries n' Beans really IS the finest food in the world after all.

Or Puppers making a start on finishing THAT project.....

Or Hippo suddenly realising that the Midland (and LNER) really ARE the centre of the universe after all....

Or WB getting a Shed......

 

BG