Article

2004-09-20 -Short Attention Span Theater-

When all else fails, pray to machine god

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Posted by Steve White 2004-09-20 12:32:07 AM|| || Front Page|| [11126 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 ...to Adams the dynamo became a symbol of infinity. As he grew accustomed to the great gallery of machines, he began to feel the forty-foot dynamos as a moral force, much as the early Christians felt the Cross. The planet itself seemed less impressive...Before the end, one began to pray to it; inherited instinct taught the natural expression of man before silent and infinite force.

--Henry Adams, The Dynamo and the Virgin

Posted by Angie Schultz 2004-09-20 1:04:20 AM|| [http://darkblogules.blogspot.com] 2004-09-20 1:04:20 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 According to some cocktail napkin calculations:

1.6 million workers for 108,700 km of track gives you something like ONE EMPLOYEE FOR EVERY 25 FEET OF TRACK.

One would think that they could rather easily inspect the entire length of their railbeds and avoid all those accidents.

Posted by Zenster 2004-09-20 1:09:45 AM|| 2004-09-20 1:09:45 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 RPM - Repetitive Percussive Maintenance

Posted by OldSpook 2004-09-20 2:02:10 AM|| 2004-09-20 2:02:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 Somebody somewhere has gotta have an image of the classic maintenance shop cartoon. It shows Mickey Mouse dressed up as the sorcerer's apprentice, holding a humongous four foot long monkey wrench which he is tapping into his other palm, as he says:

I CAN FIX ANYTHING!

Posted by Zenster 2004-09-20 2:28:23 AM|| 2004-09-20 2:28:23 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Instead of praying I use a 26 inch long X 1 and 1 fifth inch round hardwood tool. It works on many malfunctioning humans too. Many times just by equiping it to my strong hand.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-09-20 4:46:35 AM|| 2004-09-20 4:46:35 AM|| Front Page Top

#6 Worshipping a machine god? I dunno, that looks like a good way to find yourself in an anime storyline.

Posted by BH 2004-09-20 11:32:03 AM|| 2004-09-20 11:32:03 AM|| Front Page Top

#7 I wonder if the Paleos could use some of this mojo to cut down on their "work accidents"?

Posted by xbalanke 2004-09-20 12:52:35 PM|| 2004-09-20 12:52:35 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 I remember reading in a mid '60s Nat. Geo. (so it's gotta be true) that not a single mile of rail had been replaced or added on too since Louis the M left.

Posted by Shipman 2004-09-20 2:03:47 PM|| 2004-09-20 2:03:47 PM|| Front Page Top

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