Oh by the way, folks, My more serious diary: |
Today we celebrate the birthday of Lee de Forest, born in 1873. He invented the triode vacuum tube, which became the basic component of radios. His theory of how the triode worked was wrong, but somehow it worked anyhow. Improved understanding of how it actually worked led to the development of more different kinds of tubes, later to the development of transistors and eventually integrated microchips. This is not the only instance of something working but the inventor didn't understand why. Another example is the Kettering ignition system used in lotsa car engines. Charles Kettering had a completely wrong theory about how it worked. When engineers started discovering the correct theory of how it worked, they were able to invent the modern electronic ignition systems most car engines use today. Well anyhow, nothing happened yesterday, thus allowing me to lotsa stuff that nobody else could possibly care about. The tron undergrounders didn't do anything, thus suggesting the possibility that the tron company may actually be making good on their threat to put the undergrounding contract on hold while they figure out why the contractor keeps snagging gas lines. And today it looks like nothing's gonna happen until late this afternoon, when it'll be time to go get my picture took for the new church membership directory they're publishing. Fortunately they're gonna let me go in disguise (that is, wearing a coat and tie, an unnatural act for me) so nobody'll ever recognize me from my picture. Happy Tuesday! OrneryPest |
Signs of life Pam's House Blend
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