Wapsi Square Forum

Red Rover: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=7713

As always, enjoy the story as a story - not as a formatting exercise!

Al

Only one question so far.

Would that be a metric virgin goat, or SAE virgin goat?

Re: Metric vs: SAE:

Goats are a locally-sourced item so it's more down to the availability than it is for the goat type. They're like graphite packing or gasket material - one size fits all.

No pygmy goats, though - those are reserved for working on Hyundais.

Meanwhile, you mean to tell me that we have poutine mines, up in Canada, and I never knew?!?!?!?

My life will not have any meaning until I get to see such a wondrous place!

lake_wrangler wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 3:53 pm Meanwhile, you mean to tell me that we have poutine mines, up in Canada, and I never knew?!?!?!?

My life will not have any meaning until I get to see such a wondrous place!

Where the hell else do you think it comes from? Next, you'll be telling me that you think bread is bakes in ovens! It's actually mined as well. My grandfather worked in the bread mines as an ore separator - seprating the prime bread ore from the dough slag.

Just Old Al wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 1:06 pm Re: Metric vs: SAE:

Goats are a locally-sourced item so it's more down to the availability than it is for the goat type. They're like graphite packing or gasket material - one size fits all.

No pygmy goats, though - those are reserved for working on Hyundais.

Locally-sourcing the goats is a very good idea, especially if you're thinking of having them do double duty and provide goat hair for packing or gasketing. Historically, imported goat products were a major source of exposure to anthrax, for those handling the hides and hair and felt.

If you're going to use imported goats when rebuilding a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, make sure you run them through jeep-dip first to disinfect them properly.

Forgive the ignorance, but I was under the possibly mistaken assumption that Range Rovers from the era described shared a great deal of running gear with a certain other vehicle. This certain other vehicle sported a blue oval and had the unflattering nickname of "Exploder" due to some issues regarding the tires - and something regarding the gas tanks.

jwhouk wrote: ↑Fri Dec 17, 2021 6:37 pm Forgive the ignorance, but I was under the possibly mistaken assumption that Range Rovers from the era described shared a great deal of running gear with a certain other vehicle. This certain other vehicle sported a blue oval and had the unflattering nickname of "Exploder" due to some issues regarding the tires - and something regarding the gas tanks.

No, not a bit. The RR Sport in that vintage owed nothing to the Blue oval - they never did. The millennial items and thereabouts, yes., but never the flagship models.

1. BIR is a good two hour drive from Wayzata, and only half of that is Interstate. Sounds worth it, though my preference would be Road America.

2. The GT is going to get to really fly on the 3.1 mile course. Don’t let her do any Stupid Mustang Tricks, though.

3. Why do I get the feeling that “Miss Janik” might very well wreck out the RR if she’s not careful?

jwhouk wrote: ↑Sun Dec 19, 2021 10:28 pm 1. BIR is a good two hour drive from Wayzata, and only half of that is Interstate. Sounds worth it, though my preference would be Road America.

Brainerd's a nice legit road racing course. The trip there and back is part of it - the whole exercise is checking the driveability of the beast out and back and some high-speed runs while there under Al's tutelage. It's also a time for Al to take the measure of his interns by putting them behind the wheel up and back - see how they treat a customer vehicle.

2. The GT is going to get to really fly on the 3.1 mile course. Don’t let her do any Stupid Mustang Tricks, though.

Ari's far too intelligent to do that - and read on. This will run more or less through midweek - I chose it (with permission of the others) to give a nice little holiday interlude with the RE crowd.

3. Why do I get the feeling that “Miss Janik” might very well wreck out the RR if she’s not careful?

Not if she has any common sense and listens to her track briefings. I've seen what happens to idiots who don't. Beth is mouthy and headstrong, but not at all stupid - and Al is aware of her youth. He's commanded young folk - and knows how to handle them properly.

I hadn't noticed before, and did not take time to check for consistency throughout the rest of the text, but I did see that Al wrote with British spelling at least once... "on my honour"...

lake_wrangler wrote: ↑Mon Dec 20, 2021 9:42 am I hadn't noticed before, and did not take time to check for consistency throughout the rest of the text, but I did see that Al wrote with British spelling at least once... "on my honour"...

Perfect consistency, at least in this story so far.

(He only used the word once, which makes it easier.)

(I briefly looked through some old stories and found a couple instances where - within a single chapter - Al and various other Brits said or thought "honour" while Americans used "honor".)

So... are the photos supposed to be illustrative of the kind of vehicle we're talking about, or are they supposed to be the vehicle in question?

The reason I ask is that in the photos, though it's hard to make out, the steering wheel is definitely on the left. Meanwhile, as they were driving on the racetrack, Al looked to his left to see his passenger, making it a right-hand drive vehicle...

lake_wrangler wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 12:10 pm Meanwhile, as they were driving on the racetrack, Al looked to his left to see his passenger, making it a right-hand drive vehicle...

oops...a bit of dyslexia...

Just Old Al wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 2:35 pm

lake_wrangler wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 12:10 pm Meanwhile, as they were driving on the racetrack, Al looked to his left to see his passenger, making it a right-hand drive vehicle...

oops...a bit of dyslexia...

I was wondering, seeing as I didn't think right-hand drive Range Rovers were all that popular in Rhode Island...

Then again, I figured it might have been the author projecting... as I seem to recall a mention of the IRL existence of RHD vehicle(s?) in the author's stable...

lake_wrangler wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 7:32 pm I was wondering, seeing as I didn't think right-hand drive Range Rovers were all that popular in Rhode Island...

Then again, I figured it might have been the author projecting... as I seem to recall a mention of the IRL existence of RHD vehicle(s?) in the author's stable...

I would be very surprised to see on of those in RHD here in The States, given the fact that they were imported here for commercial sale. You see UK-market cars here when the model was little or not imported to the US and the grey market kicks in. For examplke (as you quite correctly state) I have a RHD vehicle in my collection - my 1954 LR (the one used as a shop truck by RE). Lovely little thing.

I just spaced...

Just Old Al wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 8:14 pm I just spaced...

Naah... just following industry precedent.

There's an (alleged-to-be) IBM Field Engineering Service Division memo that I first read when I was back in college in the 1970s, giving an intricate and detailed multi-step procedure to help the IBM FEs keep track of the distinction between their left hands and their right hands.

If followed carefully, the procedure yields with 100% certainty a very specific, well-defined result. The FE's two hands are flat on the table in front of him/her, palm down, with an indicator letter written in ink by the base of each thumb, clearly visible.

By the base of the left thumb is written an "R" (since that's the way the thumb will be pointing, directly at the right hand) and an "L" is written at the base of the right thumb (equivalent justification).

At that point. the FE is authorized to unseal and read the classic IBM memo concerning the proper care and handling of mouse balls.

Dave wrote: ↑Tue Dec 21, 2021 9:54 pmAt that point. the FE is authorized to unseal and read the classic IBM memo concerning the proper care and handling of mouse balls.

I understood that reference!
(Where's a Captain America emoji, when you need one...)

(Found something: 🛡)
(And another: ⍟)

Blossom laughed again. “No, they are NOT suspenders! That may be what you call them here, but at home suspenders are the lady clothing bits used to hold up silk stockings.”

Beth guffawed. “Oh, yeah. A garter belt is definitely not Al’s style…though who could tell under those coveralls?”

Thank you ever so much for the imagery.

(Rocky Horror Picture Show flashback time. RE's service bay, trimmed out as as Dr. Frank N. Furter's laboratory. A vehicle lift descending from the ceiling. "Come up to the lab. See what's on the slab.")