- You know what's fun? Turning off a megawatt generator in the dark. No, wait, that's what's not fun; not the turning it off (flip a tiny switch and a huge silence falls) but the long walk in the dark. I have got to check the remote start/stop on that thing, which probably works but every time I have to use it, I think, "better not find out the hard way."
- On the other hand, my own "lion" (well, Broad Ripple Miniature Biting Tiger) decided to drape himself across me, purring, and sleep most of the night. They do love you best when it's chilly out and the electric blanket is on -- but it was still sweet of him.
- Props to Jimmy Fallon, whose post-game chat-show opening sequence did my city proud. So did the Superb Owl coverage; Indy's about #11 in population (and #26 in media markets) and Downtown is generally overshadowed by the Motor Speedway in the national spotlight. We did okay for a "cornfield with lights," tax-funded boondoggle of a stadium and all. Hey, it's here now, might as well have some fun with it. ("Mister Nero, put down that violin!")
BUILDING A 1:1 BALUN
4 years ago
11 comments:
Miniature?
Compact, maybe.
Travel size, possibly.
But based on this weekends pictures I wouldn't say miniature.
BGM
What, you didn't get one of those headlamp-LED-things in anticipation of the long walk in the dark?
Or are those things frowned on for some reason?
I liked what I saw of your stadium, especially that it wasn't round and domed. It was like the biggest damn barn you ever saw, and that seems appropriate.
Why, thank you, Crashr!
Karrde: I had a flashlight and I had left the floodlights on -- but it is very dark beyond them, I was turning them off as I departed, and it is a very large, dark, isolated and coyote-colonized field all around the North Campus. It starts out spooky (subsonics from the HVAC) and at midnight after a 12-hour shift, it's... Well.
Adding to the fun, No Guns Allowed. I supposes the suburban bedroom community that had engulfed the place would take exception to me shooting 'yotes even if I could, but I take exception to getting bit. So I compromise with a four-cell Maglight.
BGM: 2/3 scale?
They wouldn't be able to say anything if you carried a Gladius Hispaniensis when you turned off the megawatt generator, would they?
Mike James
In fact, they would. Which is why those of us who carry pocketknives make a point of using them in our daily work: a "tool" is not a "weapon," or so the official line has it.
Difficult to argue a Roman shortsword as a tool, I suspect.
("It's for cutting sandwiches at lunch. Really big samiches." Yeah. Not so much.)
I've found it difficult to claim a double edged blade is a tool. About the only one that comes close to being convincing is a diver's knife, but then carrying it properly (strapped to a calf or forearm) raises even more eyebrows.
Have you considered a quarterstaff?
I knew I was missing at least one item of context. (I assumed that you and the generator were inside a structure. Then I remembered that MW generators are much bigger than KW generators, and tend to be kept far from a main building...)
Yes, a 4-cell MagLite definitely helps, but a dark field with coyotes nearby don't make things fun.
My own version of the Roman Gladius is actually from it's revival in the Nineteenth Century, when it was commonly issued to artillery crews. Mine was actually issued to pioneers, and is not actually double-edged; it has a cross-cut saw on the back edge.
"Difficult to argue a Roman shortsword as a tool, I suspect.
("It's for cutting sandwiches at lunch. Really big samiches." Yeah. Not so much.)"
Screwdriver tip? Or maybe an e-tool. The originals and better repros have one edge of the shovel blade chamfered. But I would be surprised if you didn't know that.
Heh....
I'm reminded of one of the perks of burning toast professionally.
I walk around with a collection of razor sharp, forged German and Japanese slashy goodness in lengths from 2" to 14" and can legitimately call 'em tools.
They give me fire and caustic chemicals too. Bliss.
BGM
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