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Comment: Re:Ice anyone? (Score 2) 157

by Demolition (#39653703) Attached to: Coming to an Ice Cream Shop Near You: Soft Serve Beer

Because it keeps it nicely cold. The beers are stronger (6.7%) to begin with. With temperature of 30-40 celsius beer gets warm really quickly. Ice helps with that, and it doesn't really ruin it.

The way to keep your beer from warming up is to drink it faster. The positive side effect to this tactic is that you get to drink more beer.

Yay! Problem solved. :-)

Comment: Re:You used to be cool, Canada (Score 1) 211

False. They only took people before they were drafted. Once the person here received a actual draft order by the military, Canada did not help them (not officially, anyway).

Not true. Canada turned a blind eye to draft dodgers because draft evasion is not a crime here. Official records show that as many as 30,000 draft evaders came up here, but unofficially many more slipped across the border without declaring themselves because Customs and Immigration officials were instructed not to question people about their draft status. After the amnesty was declared in 1977, about half of them returned to the U.S., but the other half stayed here and most became Canadian citizens.

Deserters were another matter because desertion is a crime here. Our military condemned the practice, but ended up looking the other way, despite pressure from the U.S. military. Subsequently, our government only paid minimal attention to it (i.e. nobody was charged with an offence and/or deported). The only times that deserters were charged were when they voluntarily returned to the U.S.

On a personal note, I know many draft evaders and a few deserters because my family is originally from a town in southeastern B.C. where we welcomed them with open arms. We already had an interesting mix of First Nations, hippies, Doukhobors, descendants of WW2 Japanese-Canadian internees, Mennonites, loggers, and farmers, and were known as a haven for pacifists, so an influx of hundreds of people resisting a war was considered fairly normal. As a result, we all got along and it wasn't surprising when many of these men (and their families) also became Canadian citizens.

Comment: Re:watch the video (Score 1) 27

by Demolition (#36794756) Attached to: Robot Helps Quadriplegic Scratch an Itch

Yeah, I watched to video. It's not really that the robot is shaving for him, but putting the shaver next to his head. He does most of the work. Not particularly impressive.

First, the GP didn't say that the robot was shaving for him. He said that Henry looked happy.

Second, what's impressive about the video is that Henry is now able to do these tasks by himself (via robot proxy), rather than depending on his wife to do them. It may not be significant to you because you're probably completely abled, but being able to do even simple tasks is a very big deal for the severely disabled.

Just wait until you lose your independence. Then, you'll be craving such minor things as scratching an itch by yourself.

Comment: Re:interesting angle (Score 1) 358

by Demolition (#36493784) Attached to: Infertile Daughter To Receive Uterus From Mother
Just FYI...

The doctor (read: butcher) was found guilty of "maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm" back in March. His sentencing hearing began earlier this month. The woman gave a victim impact statement last week and the judge is now deliberating on the sentence.

Although, I doubt the doctor will be strung up or drawn and quartered, he will probably be censured for breaching medical ethics and will likely be on the hook for a big cash award. Unfortunately, that's as good as it gets in cases like this.

Comment: Re:Can't they tie them down? (Score 1) 236

by Demolition (#36443270) Attached to: Studying the Impact of Lost Shipping Containers

They fit into holes (four on the top, two on the bottom) on the corners of the container.

I just re-read my post and noticed an error. It should read "four on the top, four on the bottom".

Originally, I was trying to decide whether to write "two pairs of holes" on the tops and bottoms of the containers and only managed to confuse myself! :-)

Comment: Re:Can't they tie them down? (Score 4, Informative) 236

by Demolition (#36429460) Attached to: Studying the Impact of Lost Shipping Containers

If you look at those two green containers on the far right, hanging in the air with nothing supporting them, I'd say they must be secured in some fashion, otherwise, they could not possibly be where they are. The containers on the left seem to be hanging in the air as well. That circumstance would be adequately explained with chains.

I worked at a container terminal while putting myself through university, many years ago. This is why those containers in the photo are still stuck together...

A device called an intermodal box connector (AKA "IBC", a hefty steel pin with a twistlock mechanism) is used to connect containers to each other. They fit into holes (four on the top, two on the bottom) on the corners of the container.

This is the usual method for loading and locking them together: A container is dropped onto a ship and locked down (via IBCs welded to the deck). Then, four IBCs are placed in the top holes of the container and another container is lowered. The IBCs slide into the four holes on the bottom of the new container and their twistlocks are turned. No chains are required. For extra safety, some companies erect a steel scaffold/frame around the outside of a block of containers to keep them from swaying in rough seas. Otherwise, the IBCs are the only things holding the containers together.

If you push the "extra ice" button on the soft drink vending machine, you won't get any ice. If you push the "no ice" button, you'll get ice, but no cup.

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