Category Life

Jul 10 2013

No penalties for altered roof flaps

Now I’ll explain later why this was a pure smokescreen for something that NASCAR did behind the scenes. Now, when I explain it, keep an open mind and realize I’m speaking business wise, ok? Even sports associations have business plans.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR announced on Wednesday there will be no penalties for the 31 teams caught with altered roof-flap spacers last weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

NASCAR confiscated the roof flaps, designed to keep cars on the ground during wrecks at high speeds, from 16 Sprint Cup teams and 15 Nationwide Series teams before Thursday’s practices.

Officials said the roof-flap spacers had been machined down to reduce weight in the roof of the car.

Teams and manufacturers, according to the NASCAR rulebook, must be installed as specified in the instruction sheet supplied with the hinged air deflector kit. Teams were allowed to replace the spacers that attach to the hinge of the roof flaps to meet specifications.

Because the governing body frowns on alterations to parts, particularly when they apply to safety devices, many teams expected penalties.

“We examined this from every aspect we possibly could and determined that there would be no penalties involved,” NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said in a statement. “Based upon our inspection and subsequent review it was our determination that the functionality and safety aspects of the roof flaps were not compromised and the on-track competition would not be impacted.

“Moving forward we will work with the roof flap manufacturer and the race teams to evaluate and optimize the associated installation hardware, review the process in its totality and communicate in a timely manner to the garage area any revisions that we determine need to be made.”

The Cup drivers whose cars had the altered spacers were: Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Clint Bowyer, Martin Truex Jr.,Michael Waltrip, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Trevor Bayne, Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, Marcos Ambrose and Aric Almirola.

Jimmie Johnson won the race in a Hendrick Motorsports car, none of which were found to have the spacers.

Jul 9 2013

Dangers of the Railroad: Head-On Collisions Part 1

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This is a powerpoint created by one of the Unions about a head-on collision CSX had in Newsoms, Va.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.blet375.com%2FMisc%2FCSX-headon-VA.pps&ei=CNbcUar4DoLD4AOv_4CYBA&usg=AFQjCNE3ry6Ev-LIiWpqbPfSGtYum1fJtA&sig2=x45ZWqseWMGnQVJE65IlkQ&bvm=bv.48705608,d.dmg

Jul 8 2013

CSX Dispatcher Lecturing A Crew

 

 

 

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“Going to the Second Engine” is a euphemism for having to take a bowel movement. Most railroaders don’t want to do that in the ‘lead’ engine because that’s what they’re cooped up in for 12 hours or more a day. Makes sense in a way, but at this point, it wasn’t a very good time and the CSX dispatcher lets the crew know what he thinks about it. For those who aren’t from America, “Going on the Law” means the hours of service law is about to be applied. Once a crew hits 12 hrs, they need to safely bring the train to a stop and it cannot move until a new crew replaces the original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcihgwT_oEQ

Jul 8 2013

Mountain Railroading At Its Best

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American freight railroading is like nothing in the world. The sheer amount of tonnage carried, the length of trains, power of the engines, it’s all something to behold. Mountain railroading is the epiphany of this. Freight trains struggle to climb grades higher then 1.6% due to the sheer weight being carried, thus calling for pusher power. Not all trains require this, because the ability of the engines to pull the train up the grade is enough. When it’s not, then additional power is added on.

Here are two of my favorite mountain railroading videos, one from each of the Eastern United States Class 1’s.

CSX:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHLkqyxGso0

Norfolk Southern:

Note the sound of all the blowers on the trailing motor screaming. While I’m not an EMD fan, it’s something else to hear the sound right up to the time to pushers come by.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6oo2vYoOuE

 

Jul 4 2013

Absolutely Ridiculous Comment on Depression

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This was said on writingforums.org about the subject of writing and depression.

Actually, one of the main reasons that they slowly pull someone off of anti-depressants is to allow their body to start taking over the job that the medication had previously been doing. They do this with any different kinds of medication. The anti-depressants are meant to keep certain chemical levels stable. When the body has had the chance to start creating those stable levels for themselves, they slowly move you off the medication, thus allowing your body/mind to be accustom to producing those chemicals on their own. And, yes, if they don’t do that, it can become an addiction.

How many ways can I say this is the comment from the biggest dumbass on the planet.

Actually, one of the main reasons that they slowly pull someone off of anti-depressants is to allow their body to start taking over the job that the medication had previously been doing

Untrue. If someone has clinical depression, then the body isn’t making receiving the proper chemicals. That’s not going to change just because of a medicine. The meds allow the body to receive them better.

As for the mind/body to be accustomed to make chemicals it doesn’t make or intake correctly? That comment speaks for itself about stupidity.

Just another case of discrimination on mental illness due to stereotypes.

Jul 3 2013

RIP Ken Custalow

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May you rest in the arms of the Lord, Ken. I know he called you home this morning and you are walking the streets of gold, free from the pain our earthly bodies give us. A true and faithful servant to the Mattaponi tribe.

I will remember you and your deep voice and big laugh for the rest of my life. Enjoy the streets of gold, my friend.

Jul 3 2013

Depression and BiPolar

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I read a post on the forums today, and I have complete compassion for the poster. The question was how to write when depressed?

As someone who suffers from Bipolar, I’m not sure it’s possible to be able to effectively write when suffering from clinical depression. When I’m hypomanic, I might get more ‘work’ done but it’s sloppy and needs complete rewrites to get it to make sense. On the other hand, when depressed, I don’t get much work done and what does get accomplished is wordy, slow and twinged in sadness. It also ends up being a miserable time to work.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, is worse then having Bipolar or Schizophrenia. For me my mood swings can sometimes be minute to minute but mainly day by day and it’s miserable to go through. When younger I used to a complete cycle in a matter of minutes. Someone or something would bother me, it would build then I’d rapidly shoot up into an explosion and then suddenly drop into a hole and feel like crying. It was miserable.

I’m not trying to help Big Drug with my next comments but I need to tell the truth. Nothing I’ve done in the past has ever helped until my Doctor found the right medicine combo. There’s no real way to self treat Bi-polar. It just doesn’t work…and the damndest thing is: it’s fairly common for Bipolar people to be great artists (and writers). However, if we don’t treat ourselves, the odds of killing ourselves and depriving the world of what we can do go up drastically.

I don’t have the stats at my fingertips but the rate of untreated Bipolar patients who commit suicide is higher than those who are. And that’s no guarantee that it won’t happen either…but it helps out a lot.

If anyone reading this blog feels like they might have Bipolar, than I suggest seeing a physician and let them check you. While it might cost a lot of money sometimes to get treated, you’ll feel so much better and happier that it’ll be worth it.

I hope everyone has a good day.