Wacky news that makes you go "wtf?"

[jasong]

http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2013/0...in-20-seconds/

The best part is over the second picture. She got $50k, which will help "pay for college."

Bill Gates must've gotten teary-eyed when he read this, probably reminds him of that dude he screwed when he bought MS-DOS and resold it for a huge markup of millions of dollars.

[kladner]

Originally Posted by jasong

That's a long time to make a decision. I'm guessing the decision was based on them being sick and tired of fighting the blaze.

Not judging or anything, but realistically that would be a horrible task to have to do for 15 hours straight.

It would indeed have been a nasty task.

At some point, the firefighters must have changed their goal from saving the structure to containing the fire. There was not information given about how long it was before the fire was discovered and attacked.

The chances are very good that there was a lot of creosote-impregnated wood involved. I can't be sure of this as there have been considerable advances in wood preserving treatments. However, for a very long time things like railroad ties, trestle timbers, and utility poles were pressure treated with creosote to inhibit rot and insect attack. There are a number of sources for creosote, but the most commonly used wood treatments are distilled from coal tar. Regardless of source, creosotes are highly flammable.

The point of all this is just to say that such a structure probably had (literally) tons of accelerant involved. Once such a fire got going it would be very difficult to extinguish. The vertical nature of the structure would lend itself to spreading flame upward through convection, and downward through falling embers. At some point structural integrity would be so compromised that there was nothing worth saving.

[cheesehead]

Originally Posted by jasong

http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2013/0...in-20-seconds/

How did she get "screwed by Intel", as your title claims?

You aren't thinking that just because she won the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award, that somehow Intel gets ownership of her invention, are you? If you are, can you show us any evidence to support that, or is that just another of your fact-free fantasies?

[kracker]

Originally Posted by cheesehead

How did she get "screwed by Intel", as your title claims?

You aren't thinking that just because she won the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award, that somehow Intel gets ownership of her invention, are you? If you are, can you show us any evidence to support that, or is that just another of your fact-free fantasies?

When I see a post by jasong, usually I'd say way over half of the time it's just crap. Nice entertainment though on how some people refuse to see common logic and sense, though.

[jasong]

Originally Posted by kracker

When I see a post by jasong, usually I'd say way over half of the time it's just crap. Nice entertainment though on how some people refuse to see common logic and sense, though.

Maybe I mis-read it, but I interpreted the article as saying Intel bought the patent.

I also read a quote somewhere else that said the Internet is a world devoid of compassion. Would you verbally attack me if you had to do it to my face? I'm not suggesting a challenge or anything, these jabs genuinely hurt.

I admit, I do it myself, so I guess the Internet just naturally brings out the worst in everyone who takes the time to post on it. Less accountability, so less self-control.

Edit: I re-read the article, and it is indeed possible they didn't get to buy the patent.

[Brian-E]

Originally Posted by jasong

I also read a quote somewhere else that said the Internet is a world devoid of compassion.

Whoever said that would have been more accurate if they had said that on the internet sentiments such as compassion are difficult to convey. In real life, a remark like "you really do talk a lot of rubbish, don't you? - who says Intel gets the rights?" accompanied by a grin and a dig in the ribs, might let you respond "oh yeah, of course, hehe" with a grin back and everyone then would forget about your momentary lapse. Whereas here it's all in barefaced text, it stays here too so that everyone can read it again and again, and what might have been just a bit of fun at your expense escalates into a drama. That's the internet for you.

[kladner]

This isn't really Wacky by my standards, but it does make me go "WTF?".

@Chappy- Hope you are not anywhere close to this. Just the garbage fire sounds horrendous.

http://readersupportednews.org/news-...ear-waste-site

[chappy]

Originally Posted by kladner

This isn't really Wacky by my standards, but it does make me go "WTF?".

@Chappy- Hope you are not anywhere close to this. Just the garbage fire sounds horrendous.

http://readersupportednews.org/news-...ear-waste-site

I am relatively close to this, but upwind :)

I knew about the fire but not about the radioactive waste. I suppose we are becoming death, the destroyer of suburbs.

[xilman]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

New Yorker wins U.S. spelling bee with 'knaidel': (Reuters) - Arvind Mahankali, a 13-year-old boy from Bayside Hills, New York, won the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday by correctly spelling "knaidel," a kind of dumpling.

I thought the U.S. national spelling bee was supposed to be in English, not Yiddish. But if they're going to go down that road, it's spelled "Knödel". :)

I thought the U.S. national spelling bee was supposed to be in American, not English. But if they're going to go down that road, it's spelled "Kneidl". :)

If necessary, I'll post a picture of a packet of Kneidl mix I've here in my kitchen.

[Uncwilly]

Originally Posted by kladner

@Chappy- Hope you are not anywhere close to this. Just the garbage fire sounds horrendous.

http://readersupportednews.org/news-...ear-waste-site

Originally Posted by chappy

I am relatively close to this, but upwind :)

I knew about the fire but not about the radioactive waste.

Underground fires can be difficult to handle. 2 sides of the 'fire triangle' are unavailable to be dealt with often (heat/source of ignition and fuel). Tyre fires are easier, but difficult still.
Controlling the oxygen is the big key. Coal seams have many spots that air can get in.

I am aware of someone trying to put out an underground fire at a landfill by adding water underground (a whole water tanker full). All that did was give the microorganisms what they want. At a typical municipal waste landfill, sealing the surface and using 'fuel quenching' are the 2 main tools. I have heard about attempts or plans to pump liquid CO₂ underground. The idea would be to add both cooling and a huge volume of gas to smother the fire.

I once discovered what was termed (in the official report) 'an underground smoldering event. Melting PVC is a nasty smell.

[kladner]

It may be easier than coal or garbage, but tire fires can be very difficult items, especially if the pile is big. There are huge tire graveyards just across the Mexico border which could be disastrous if they caught fire.

http://www.epa.gov/osw/conserve/mate...2012-tires.pdf