OFF-TOPIC: Mil Specs

[Suzanne Townsend <ac158 -at- CHEBUCTO -dot- NS -dot- CA>]

Alan Sklar is an old family friend who became a success when he moved to
Idaho and became chief engineer of 6 radio stations. Enjoy.
- Suzanne
ac158 -at- chebucto -dot- ns -dot- ca
Nova Scotia

This E-Mail was passed on to you by Allen Sklar   ajsklar -at- northrim -dot- net
Chief Engineer,  KTFI, KMXM, KIKX, KTPZ, KMHI, AA7BJ
FM Idaho Co.  Impact Radio Group,  Twin Falls ID

How Mil Specs Live Forever
--------------------------
Q: The US Standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4
feet, 8.5 inches. That's an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used?
A: Because that's the way they built them in England, and the US
railroads were built by English expatriates.

Q: Why did the English people build them like that?
A:Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built
the pre-railroad tramways, and that's the gauge they used.

Q: Why did "they" use that gauge then?
A: Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and
tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.

Q: Okay! Why did the wagons use that odd wheel spacing?
A: Well, if they tried to use any other spacing the wagons would break
on some of the old, long distance roads, because that's the spacing of
the old wheel ruts.

Q: So who built these old rutted roads?
A: The first long distance roads in Europe were built by Imperial Rome
for the benefit of their legions. The roads have been used ever since.

Q: And the ruts?
A: The initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of
destroying their wagons, were first made by Roman war chariots. Since
the chariots were made for or by Imperial Rome they were all alike in
the matter of wheel spacing.
        Thus, we have the answer to the original questions. The United States
standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches derives from the original
specification (Military Spec) for an Imperial Roman army war chariot.
MilSpecs and Bureaucracies live forever.
        So, the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what
horse's ass came up with it, you may be exactly right. Because the Imperial
Roman chariots were made to be just wide enough to accommodate the back
ends of two war horses.

-------------------------------
From: Keller Rex:
WINDOWS PROBLEM
I'm wondering if anybody can help me with a problem I'm having on my
computer at work. I recently upgraded to Windows 95 from Windows 3.1416,
and I've noticed that when I running WordWanker Version 2.0.9.4 (which I
upgraded from 1.8.4.7) in conjunction with FaxBuddy! Version
4.2.4.3.7857, everything works fine for about the first 25 minutes, but
then if I try to type a subordinating conjunction followed by any form
of the verb foment, the keyboard locks up permanently and the hard drive
makes a whimpering sound and all current data is erased, including data
in computers several cubicles away. I have tried everything, including
reformatting my hard drive and exorcism. Please help!

REPLY TO: WINDOWS PROBLEM
I had exactly the same problem, and after a lot of trial and error I
found out that if you click on the Windows Control Panel, then on
Command Center, then on Reset Variables, then on Establish New
Parameters, then on Define Standards, then on Modify Criteria, then on
Effectuate Paradigms, then on the little icon that says Do Not Ever
Click On This Little Icon, then go down to the box that says Enter New
Value, and type in 2038, you will still have the same problem. This is
why I started using heroin.

- end -

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