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Topics - asechrest

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1
Spin Zone / Education is a Fundamental Right
« on: June 26, 2019, 04:02:07 PM »
Heard this from an NPR guest this morning.

Can anything that requires the time (money) and services of another human be considered a fundamental right?

2
Spin Zone / Skiff Challenge
« on: April 06, 2019, 07:30:00 AM »
Right now there is a boat "race" going on called the Skiff Challenge. It is open to boat manufacturers who make a small skiff-type boat. It is a circumnavigation of the entire coast of Florida, including around Key West. Rules include that the boat must be a production boat that you sell, less than 18' in length, 70HP outboard, no more than a 22 gallon fuel tank.

Two people on the boat, 2 people in a chase car. You can't swap people from boat to chase car. The boat can never leave the water or be trailered, so repairs have to be made in the water.

https://captainsforcleanwater.org/skiff-challenge/

Key West Boats (based in SC, interestingly), entered their 1720 center console. This is the same boat I have, though theirs is a more modern version. The SC plant manager's two sons are the captains of the boat. This is their first year participating because it was formerly open only to manufacturers based in FL. Also participating is Sea Pro, Yellowfin, and Hells Bay. Yellowfin currently has a massive lead, but the real victory is just manage to finish.

They set off Thursday evening in the dark from the panhandle in nasty weather with a line of severe storms ahead of them. Here was an update from the Key West guys after their night rounding the bend up in the panhandle through nasty weather:

Quote
Status update

I have not read any posts

We are leaving Steinhatchee

Broken items
~Silly sound bar
~VHF antenna
~Garmin monitors (fixed)
~FLIR
~Rigid lightbar (fuse)
~USB charger
~Yamaha gauge backlights
~Mast light

That all shook loose in Port Washington , hence our lengthy stop

We thought we'd try to make up time hitting open water. The waves and wind were so fierce, I feared for my life, so we backtracked. Whoops

I've been driving nonstop since 6pm. The crossing from Apalachicola to Steinhatchee was 3-4 footers, and took 5 hours. Despite this, I almost fell asleep at the wheel. Turns out, the Skiff Challenge is challenging

Sent from my T-1000 using SkyNet




3
Spin Zone / Trump & Aviation
« on: March 12, 2019, 09:01:19 AM »

Quote
"Pilots are no longer needed, but rather computer scientists from MIT," Trump wrote in a morning tweet. "I see it all the time in many products. Always seeking to go one unnecessary step further, when often old and simpler is far better."
...
"I don't know about you, but I don't want Albert Einstein to be my pilot," Trump wrote in a second post on Twitter. "I want great flying professionals that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a plane!"

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/12/trump-says-planes-too-complex-after-crash-of-boeing-jet-in-ethiopia.html

4
Spin Zone / They Shall Not Grow Old
« on: January 22, 2019, 10:05:18 AM »
Has anyone seen it?

Directed and produced by Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings fame). He took 100 year old archive footage from WWI and remastered it, including colorization (done better that any you've ever seen, probably). Considering the challenges of remastering film that old, it's a fantastic job. He also hired forensic lip readers to understand what the people on film were saying, and dubbed voice-over in parts. The film is "narrated" by archived audio from interviews with WWI veterans. I saw it in 3D, even though I don't usually do 3D films, and it was tasteful. There is a 30 minute segment after the film about how they did the remastering.

The film was interesting. I wouldn't call it riveting, but it certainly gives life to those who served in WWI, and helps you understand the experiences they endured. I took my step son to see it, and he enjoyed it. He's 12. Some parents may be concerned with some of the images it shows, but in my opinion it was ok for him to see, given that it helps him understand what real people went through in the first great war.

5
Spin Zone / Ben Shapiro v. Steve King
« on: January 12, 2019, 08:21:04 AM »

Ben Shapiro, who I admire for his incredible debate skills, is speaking out against Steve King, who said -

Quote
“White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization — how did that language become offensive?” King asked in an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday. “Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?”

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/424731-ben-shapiro-urges-congress-censure-steve-king-after-he-questions-why-term

Why that would ever escape the lips of a politician is beyond me.



6
Spin Zone / NC Vote Fraud
« on: December 07, 2018, 10:10:26 AM »

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/lisa-britt-just-one-many-wrapped-alleged-north-carolina-election-n945051

Quote
The woman, who has been identified by voters as Lisa Britt, knocked on doors of black voters in this rural county of just 33,500 residents, asking for their absentee ballots, offering to mail, and sometimes fill them out.

...

Britt listed her home at the same address of her mother, Sandra Dowless, in public housing complex in Bladensboro, N.C. Sandra Dowless also signed tens of absentee ballot applications, according to the same documents obtained by NBC News.

Another woman, Jessica Dowless, collected and signed 175 absentee ballot applications, according to documents released by the board of elections.

And that leads to McCrae Dowless, the former husband of Sandra Dowless. He turned in at least 590 absentee ballot applications, according to the board’s documents. Under North Carolina law, only the voter, a relative or a guardian can turn in an absentee ballot.

Looks like real vote fraud ongoing.

The other interesting aspect is that California actually allows ballot harvesting. Which is stupid.

7
Spin Zone / Mods
« on: December 07, 2018, 05:49:01 AM »
It appears our "unmoderated" forum has been moderated.


8
Spin Zone / Well Done
« on: November 13, 2018, 09:07:31 PM »
Tonight I'm surfing YouTube. Watched a couple of "epic fail" videos. Funny. Useless. Took in a video from a channel I enjoy, by a gentleman who built a cabin in the woods, with simple hand tools, by himself. I find his channel refreshing.

I clicked on another video, and this advertisement began. I usually skip the adverts as quickly as possible but was compelled to watch it.



It's a marketing video. And, yeah, it's an advert for another e-gadget. But damn is it well done.

As a parent of two kids, in the modern age, I see first-hand the destructive nature of a constant global connection. I just barely escaped it myself, having mostly grown up in an age without smartphones. But even I succumb to the draw of a 24-hour connection to the world and all its inhabitants. Gone are the days when I can leave work at work.

I don't know anything about the product this advert attempts to sell. But I do know that the modern world creates such unique challenges for parents and children. Forbid your daughter from social media, and watch as she's ridiculed mercilessly by her peers. Or, allow her the access, and watch as she struggles to escape the social struggles that at one time could be left at school for the day.

What to do? Your best, I guess.

9
Spin Zone / 1980's Snapper
« on: October 22, 2018, 07:46:23 PM »
Especially for @invflatspin, but all welcome.

I have an '80s 28" Snapper rear engine rider with the 11HP white I/C Briggs & Stratton motor with cast iron bore. Electric and pull start, though pull is broken.

It runs and cuts but has some issues. Having trouble with this carb. At least I think it's the carb.

I have the horizontal flo-jet carb. When I got the mower, I took the carb apart and cleaned it, including cleaning the main jet holes. I verified inlet needle function. Inspected all the parts. Float was in one piece with no holes. I did not replace the gaskets.

When I got it all back together, I tuned it "by the book" -- from the manual. Didn't run well - it would only start and run in a small "band" of the upper throttle range. The next time I used invflatspin's method. It ran great for one weekend, and I was able to get a nice low idle and all the way up through the throttle range. Last Saturday it was back to only starting and running in a tiny band of upper throttle range. Max throttle (choke) and it dies, which I guess I can understand given it might not need chock. But in 90% of the rest of the throttle range it dies.

I probably ought to go ahead and do the carb tuning from scratch at least one or two more times. But any other thoughts? I believe I can get a carb rebuild kit for this thing if needed.

Other issues I'll eventually tackle:

  • The blade belt keeps jumping off the pulleys when the blade disengages. I've adjusted belt tension to book specs, still doing it. I found the way this thing works to be super interesting - the entire front of the mower "stretches" away from the rear!
  • The blade I think vibrates fairly much. Maybe a blade balance issue.
  • It doesn't cut as uniformly as my Honda walk-behind, but I think that might be expected given the limitations of the Snapper RER.
  • The primary blade belt pulley is bent. I've got a replacement pulley in the garage but I've heard the spindle nut is a total bitch to get off, and I don't have a wrench big enough to handle it at the moment.
  • Need to fix that pull start. I like the idea of not fussing with electric start if I can get the engine tuned so I don't have to pull my arm off.
  • I've got an oil leak from the fill tube to engine junction when the mower is on its back. Didn't realize until recently that the fill tube is plastic and must have a gasket or washer.
  • My fuel shutoff valve is broken (and not original). Finding an exact replacement is annoying.
  • The mower lurches into gear. But maybe that's an effect of how the drive system works - two discs coming into contact?

Thanks.

10
Spin Zone / Academia
« on: October 06, 2018, 07:29:12 AM »
Quote
Three scholars wrote 20 fake papers using fashionable jargon to argue for ridiculous conclusions.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2018/10/new-sokal-hoax/572212/

An interesting read. Doesn't say much for these areas of academia.

11
Spin Zone / Happy Fourth
« on: July 03, 2018, 10:10:17 PM »

Happy Fourth to you all. Weather permitting, I'll have the family out in our 17' Key West boat in the beautiful waters of the Tampa Bay area, flying the flag of our great country from one of our rod holders. I'll take some pics.

PS to invflatspin - I completed the install of my VHF black box radio and 4', 4.5dB gain VHF Digital-brand antenna. Keys trip the week of the 14th. I'm ridiculously stoked!

12
Spin Zone / Clover Discrimination
« on: April 19, 2018, 01:56:01 PM »
I don't know about you guys, but I'm sick and tired of four leaf clovers constantly being singled out as unusual, out of the ordinary, or different. Why aren't they just "clovers"?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/posteverything/wp/2018/04/19/sully-was-just-a-hero-why-label-the-southwest-captain-a-female-pilot/

Is this article as stupid as it struck me to be?

13
Spin Zone / Bannon Out
« on: August 18, 2017, 11:38:46 AM »
Unclear whether he resigned (he says he did), or Trump fired him (Trump says he did).

Does anyone know whether this level of turmoil is unusual within White House presidential staff? I don't have a good sense of how it compares to other administrations, or even how much actual turmoil it is. Though to be fair, I'm sick of political news and haven't kept up well.

14
Spin Zone / Trump to Ban Transgender Individuals from Serving
« on: July 26, 2017, 06:45:05 AM »

Thoughts?

15
Spin Zone / Colorado cuts teen births and abortion rates in half
« on: April 12, 2017, 07:18:29 AM »
http://www.alternet.org/personal-health/family-planning-miracle-colorado-program-has-teen-births-and-abortions-drop-half-and

If we're going to spend OPM in this area, THIS should be the focus.

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