Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
Jan
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
On 07/05/2026 20:04, J. J. Lodder wrote:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
Neither do crows, apparently. That does not stop the idiom from being
widely used.
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Le 07/05/2026 |a 12:17, occam a |-crit :
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
I think crows are still the, er, Prime reference. Drones must keep out of restricted airspace; crows fly where they please. On the other handrCa
"While crows do conspicuously fly alone across open country, they do not fly in especially straight lines" - <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_the_crow_flies>
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> posted:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> posted:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
Because of--
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockton_and_Darlington_Railway>, I guess.
On 07/05/2026 20:04, occam wrote:
On 07/05/2026 20:04, J. J. Lodder wrote:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking --a should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
Neither do crows, apparently. That does not stop the idiom from being
widely used.
No-one ever interviewed a crow to get their take on it.
Sloppy journalism.
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> posted:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Because of
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockton_and_Darlington_Railway>, I guess.
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking --a should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
Sense of history? Amazon? Jeff Bezos' sense of history does not extend beyond last week's spreadsheet. That son-of-a-Trump has his head so far
up Trump's arse that he wouldn't recognise his own shadow.
Le 08/05/2026 |a 08:50, occam a |-crit :
Sense of history? Amazon?-a Jeff Bezos' sense of history does not extend
beyond last week's spreadsheet. That son-of-a-Trump has his head so far
up Trump's arse that he wouldn't recognise his own shadow.
It's dark in there.
On 08/05/2026 10:33, Hibou wrote:
Le 08/05/2026 |a 08:50, occam a |-crit :
Sense of history? Amazon?-a Jeff Bezos' sense of history does not extend >>> beyond last week's spreadsheet. That son-of-a-Trump has his head so far
up Trump's arse that he wouldn't recognise his own shadow.
It's dark in there.
57 million 'mericans think that the sun shines out of that orifice. How
can it be dark?
On 07/05/2026 20:04, occam wrote:
On 07/05/2026 20:04, J. J. Lodder wrote:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
Neither do crows, apparently. That does not stop the idiom from being
widely used.
No-one ever interviewed a crow to get their take on it.
Sloppy journalism.
On Thu, 7 May 2026 20:04:28 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:Well, that's true, but drones have no self-reasoning ability. They
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
are controlled by the operator or operate under control of a program installed by the operator.
On Thu, 7 May 2026 20:04:28 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
Well, that's true, but drones have no self-reasoning ability. They
are controlled by the operator or operate under control of a program installed by the operator.
Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> posted:
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Oh yes, I realized that Sam was referring to the railway, but my question was different: why build the first public railway as a route between two not very well known places?
Because of
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockton_and_Darlington_Railway>, I guess. --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
On 2026-05-07, Tony Cooper wrote:
On Thu, 7 May 2026 20:04:28 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:Well, that's true, but drones have no self-reasoning ability. They
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
are controlled by the operator or operate under control of a program installed by the operator.
I'm not sure that's still the case. I think some of them can be set to function autonomously to some goal.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,Well, that's true, but drones have no self-reasoning ability. They
are controlled by the operator or operate under control of a program
installed by the operator.
I'm not sure that's still the case. I think some of them can be set to function autonomously to some goal.
Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, 7 May 2026 20:04:28 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:Well, that's true, but drones have no self-reasoning ability. They
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
are controlled by the operator or operate under control of a program
installed by the operator.
It does become more complicated with drones with artificial intelligence
that responds to what it sees or detects while on the way,
Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> posted:
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Oh yes, I realized that Sam was referring to the railway, but my question was
different: why build the first public railway as a route between two not very
well known places?
presumably it was transporting coal, not people.
(the first Bombay Thane railway line in India which was a passenger line)
Because of
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockton_and_Darlington_Railway>, I guess. --- Synchronet 3.22a-Linux NewsLink 1.2
Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> posted:
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Oh yes, I realized that Sam was referring to the railway, but my question was
different: why build the first public railway as a route between two not very
well known places?
presumably it was transporting coal, not people.
(the first Bombay Thane railway line in India which was a passenger line)
--Because of
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockton_and_Darlington_Railway>, I guess.
On Fri, 8 May 2026 12:56:05 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, 7 May 2026 20:04:28 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:Well, that's true, but drones have no self-reasoning ability. They
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
are controlled by the operator or operate under control of a program
installed by the operator.
It does become more complicated with drones with artificial intelligence >that responds to what it sees or detects while on the way,
Yes. but that's a result of something installed in the drone by the
operator.
On 07/05/2026 23:57, Sam Plusnet wrote:
On 07/05/2026 20:04, occam wrote:
On 07/05/2026 20:04, J. J. Lodder wrote:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in >>>>> Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking --a should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to >>>>> reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
Neither do crows, apparently. That does not stop the idiom from being
widely used.
No-one ever interviewed a crow to get their take on it.
Sloppy journalism.
Sloppy English comprehension, if you ask me. From the link I gave:
"A University of Z|+rich team lead by Hans-Peter Lipp overcame these limitations by attaching miniature global positioning system (GPS) "path loggers" to the backs of 34 pigeons. The loggers tracked the birds as
they flew home from release sites up to 80 kilometers away. "
Summary: You do not have interview a duck to see if it quacks. You
assign the problem to a bunch of social scientists, give them enough
time ...
Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> posted:
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> posted:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in >>>>> Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
Oh yes, I realized that Sam was referring to the railway, but my question was different: why build the first public railway as a route between two not very well known places?
Because of
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockton_and_Darlington_Railway>, I guess.
On 07/05/2026 23:57, Sam Plusnet wrote:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking --a should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
Sense of history? Amazon? Jeff Bezos' sense of history does not extend beyond last week's spreadsheet. That son-of-a-Trump has his head so far
up Trump's arse that he wouldn't recognise his own shadow.
On 08/05/2026 08:50, occam wrote:
On 07/05/2026 23:57, Sam Plusnet wrote:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
Sense of history? Amazon? Jeff Bezos' sense of history does not extend beyond last week's spreadsheet. That son-of-a-Trump has his head so far
up Trump's arse that he wouldn't recognise his own shadow.
Bezos might not be omnipresent in all the actions of Amazon. There must
be the odd bit of activity, here & there, which he does not personally direct.
On 08/05/2026 08:35, athel.cb@gmail.com wrote:
Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> posted:
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> posted:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in >>>>> Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me >>>>> thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to >>>>> reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest >>>>> delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
Oh yes, I realized that Sam was referring to the railway, but my
question was different: why build the first public railway as a route between two not very well known places?
Pretty well known if you lived in that area - but the main aim was to transport goods at a lower cost than horse-drawn waggons could manage.
Steam engines had been used for industrial purposes for a while, so
putting a steam engine on rails was just another industrial development.>
On 08/05/2026 10:33, Hibou wrote:
Le 08/05/2026 a 08:50, occam a ocrit :
Sense of history? Amazon?a Jeff Bezos' sense of history does not extend
beyond last week's spreadsheet. That son-of-a-Trump has his head so far
up Trump's arse that he wouldn't recognise his own shadow.
It's dark in there.
57 million 'mericans think that the sun shines out of that orifice. How
can it be dark?
Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> wrote:
On Fri, 8 May 2026 12:56:05 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> wrote:
On Thu, 7 May 2026 20:04:28 +0200, nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J.
Lodder) wrote:
occam <occam@nowhere.nix> wrote:Well, that's true, but drones have no self-reasoning ability. They
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in >> >> >> Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Drones have no reason to fly in straight lines,
are controlled by the operator or operate under control of a program
installed by the operator.
It does become more complicated with drones with artificial intelligence
that responds to what it sees or detects while on the way,
Yes. but that's a result of something installed in the drone by the
operator.
But not a result that may not be predictable by said operator,
Jan
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
On 08/05/2026 08:35, athel.cb@gmail.com wrote:
Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> posted:
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> posted:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in >> >>>>> Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me
thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to
reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest
delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
Oh yes, I realized that Sam was referring to the railway, but my
question was different: why build the first public railway as a route
between two not very well known places?
Pretty well known if you lived in that area - but the main aim was to
transport goods at a lower cost than horse-drawn waggons could manage.
Steam engines had been used for industrial purposes for a while, so
putting a steam engine on rails was just another industrial development.>
It would seem fairly obvious that the first railway line
had to start at a coal mine.
Other lines could have the coal they needed for running
by connecting to an already existing railway line,
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
On 08/05/2026 08:35, athel.cb@gmail.com wrote:
Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> posted:
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> posted:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in >>>>>>> Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me >>>>>>> thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to >>>>>>> reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest >>>>>>> delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton. >>>>>>
Oh yes, I realized that Sam was referring to the railway, but my
question was different: why build the first public railway as a route
between two not very well known places?
Pretty well known if you lived in that area - but the main aim was to
transport goods at a lower cost than horse-drawn waggons could manage.
Steam engines had been used for industrial purposes for a while, so
putting a steam engine on rails was just another industrial development.>
It would seem fairly obvious that the first railway line
had to start at a coal mine.
Other lines could have the coal they needed for running
by connecting to an already existing railway line,
Then, they were used in the "land booms" of the early 1900's.
Developers found that they could transport out-of-staters by rail to
remote locations and sell them land. Cypress trees grew in
swampland, so much of the land sold in the boom was swampland.
In article <n65o6pF69biU1@mid.individual.net>, occam@nowhere.nix says...
On 08/05/2026 10:33, Hibou wrote:
Le 08/05/2026 a 08:50, occam a ocrit :
Sense of history? Amazon? Jeff Bezos' sense of history does not extend >>>> beyond last week's spreadsheet. That son-of-a-Trump has his head so far >>>> up Trump's arse that he wouldn't recognise his own shadow.
It's dark in there.
57 million 'mericans think that the sun shines out of that orifice. How
can it be dark?
Even his shit is gold and very shiny.
[... There's no indication that it was once a smelter site, except that the residents aren't allowed to grow trees, because their roots would go
down below the layer of imported soil. I don't know who bought the
houses, but I imagine that many of them are from outside the region and
don't know all the history.
nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) writes:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
On 08/05/2026 08:35, athel.cb@gmail.com wrote:
Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> posted:
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> posted:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in >> >>>>> Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me >> >>>>> thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to >> >>>>> reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest >> >>>>> delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton.
Oh yes, I realized that Sam was referring to the railway, but my
question was different: why build the first public railway as a route
between two not very well known places?
Pretty well known if you lived in that area - but the main aim was to
transport goods at a lower cost than horse-drawn waggons could manage.
Steam engines had been used for industrial purposes for a while, so
putting a steam engine on rails was just another industrial development.>
It would seem fairly obvious that the first railway line
had to start at a coal mine.
Other lines could have the coal they needed for running
by connecting to an already existing railway line,
Steam engines originated as an adjunct to coal mining -- they were used
to pump water out of mines. Initially efficiency was poor, but using
coal as a fuel was very convenient, it was right where it was needed, available at cost. The highest use of coal was, and is, conversion to
coke for smelting iron and steel. At the time charcoal was an expensive alternative, in the modern era there is no alternative.
For driving other industrial machines water power was usual, or, in a
pinch, convicts on treadmills.
For transport, horses. Horse-drawn
trams on rails predated coal-fired railways. Horse-drawn overland
freight was expensive to a degree that is hard to imagine today.
Eventually steam engine efficiency improved to the point that they were viable for locomotion. The people who knew how to build and run steam engines were coal-mine engineers. The people who understood where steam
had advantages were coal mine owners.
Offering passenger service on the first railroad would have been an
enormous risk. Personal transport has always been important for social status, not to mention personal safety. Who knew if the public would pay money for the privilege of riding a stinking, smoking, fly ash spewing device? There was no precedent for motorized transport.
On 09/05/26 06:44, Janet wrote:
-a-a-a Even his [Mr T's] shit is gold-a and very shiny.
The less attractive part is not excreted; it's stored in his head.
Le 09/05/2026 a 02:48, Peter Moylan a ocrit :
On 09/05/26 06:44, Janet wrote:
Even his [Mr T's] shit is gold and very shiny.
The less attractive part is not excreted; it's stored in his head.
What a shame his head's leaky!
Hibou wrote:
Le 09/05/2026 |a 02:48, Peter Moylan a |-crit :
On 09/05/26 06:44, Janet wrote:
Even his [Mr T's] shit is gold and very shiny.
The less attractive part is not excreted; it's stored in his head.
'Mr T' (B. A . Baracus) wore his gold around his neck.
What a shame his head's leaky!
It's the mohawk that does that.
After the smelter closed, in 2003, there was a long period when an army
of trucks was carrying away polluted soil, and new soil was brought in.
By now, a large part of the smelter site is covered in new houses.
On 09/05/2026 02:40, Peter Moylan wrote:
snipping
After the smelter closed, in 2003, there was a long period when an army
of trucks was carrying away polluted soil, and new soil was brought in.
By now, a large part of the smelter site is covered in new houses.
Whenever this happens, I wonder which piece of land was denuded of its
soil, and where did they dump the polluted soil?
Solve a problem, or just move it somewhere else? (c.f Sliding block puzzle)
On Sat, 9 May 2026 20:36:21 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
On 09/05/2026 02:40, Peter Moylan wrote:
snipping
After the smelter closed, in 2003, there was a long period when an army
of trucks was carrying away polluted soil, and new soil was brought in.
By now, a large part of the smelter site is covered in new houses.
Whenever this happens, I wonder which piece of land was denuded of its >soil, and where did they dump the polluted soil?
Solve a problem, or just move it somewhere else? (c.f Sliding block puzzle)
When Trump had the East Wing of the White House demolished for his
ballroom, the soil excavated in the construction was found to be toxic
and included lead, chromium, and arsenic.
The soil was moved to a public golf course (East Potomac Golf Links)
in Washington DC where Trump is overseeing renovations to the course.
Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League, told
the AP that debris from the East Wing demolition has spread so
extensively that golfers must now detour around it.
Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> posted:
On Sat, 9 May 2026 20:36:21 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
On 09/05/2026 02:40, Peter Moylan wrote:
snipping
After the smelter closed, in 2003, there was a long period when an army >> >> of trucks was carrying away polluted soil, and new soil was brought in. >> >> By now, a large part of the smelter site is covered in new houses.
Whenever this happens, I wonder which piece of land was denuded of its
soil, and where did they dump the polluted soil?
Solve a problem, or just move it somewhere else? (c.f Sliding block puzzle) >>
When Trump had the East Wing of the White House demolished for his
ballroom, the soil excavated in the construction was found to be toxic
and included lead, chromium, and arsenic.
The soil was moved to a public golf course (East Potomac Golf Links)
in Washington DC where Trump is overseeing renovations to the course.
Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League, told
the AP that debris from the East Wing demolition has spread so
extensively that golfers must now detour around it.
Yes, but it's not one of Trump's golf courses so it doesn't matter.
On Sun, 10 May 2026 08:50:48 GMT, athel.cb@gmail.com <user12588@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:
Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> posted:
On Sat, 9 May 2026 20:36:21 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
On 09/05/2026 02:40, Peter Moylan wrote:
snipping
After the smelter closed, in 2003, there was a long period when an army >> >> of trucks was carrying away polluted soil, and new soil was brought in. >> >> By now, a large part of the smelter site is covered in new houses.
Whenever this happens, I wonder which piece of land was denuded of its >> >soil, and where did they dump the polluted soil?
Solve a problem, or just move it somewhere else? (c.f Sliding block puzzle)
When Trump had the East Wing of the White House demolished for his
ballroom, the soil excavated in the construction was found to be toxic
and included lead, chromium, and arsenic.
The soil was moved to a public golf course (East Potomac Golf Links)
in Washington DC where Trump is overseeing renovations to the course.
Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League, told
the AP that debris from the East Wing demolition has spread so
extensively that golfers must now detour around it.
Yes, but it's not one of Trump's golf courses so it doesn't matter.
He doesn't own it, but he is pushing to have his name on it, a statue
of him there, and to be given a trophy for winning a tournament he
never participated in.
Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> posted:
On Sat, 9 May 2026 20:36:21 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
On 09/05/2026 02:40, Peter Moylan wrote:
snipping
After the smelter closed, in 2003, there was a long period when an army >>>> of trucks was carrying away polluted soil, and new soil was brought in. >>>> By now, a large part of the smelter site is covered in new houses.
Whenever this happens, I wonder which piece of land was denuded of its
soil, and where did they dump the polluted soil?
Solve a problem, or just move it somewhere else? (c.f Sliding block puzzle) >>
When Trump had the East Wing of the White House demolished for his
ballroom, the soil excavated in the construction was found to be toxic
and included lead, chromium, and arsenic.
The soil was moved to a public golf course (East Potomac Golf Links)
in Washington DC where Trump is overseeing renovations to the course.
Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League, told
the AP that debris from the East Wing demolition has spread so
extensively that golfers must now detour around it.
Yes, but it's not one of Trump's golf courses so it doesn't matter.
Radey Shouman <shouman@comcast.net> wrote:
nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) writes:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
On 08/05/2026 08:35, athel.cb@gmail.com wrote:It would seem fairly obvious that the first railway line
Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> posted:
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> posted:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in
Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me >> >> >>>>> thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to >> >> >>>>> reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest >> >> >>>>> delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton. >> >> >>>>
Oh yes, I realized that Sam was referring to the railway, but my
question was different: why build the first public railway as a route >> >> > between two not very well known places?
Pretty well known if you lived in that area - but the main aim was to
transport goods at a lower cost than horse-drawn waggons could manage.
Steam engines had been used for industrial purposes for a while, so
putting a steam engine on rails was just another industrial development.> >> >
had to start at a coal mine.
Other lines could have the coal they needed for running
by connecting to an already existing railway line,
Steam engines originated as an adjunct to coal mining -- they were used
to pump water out of mines. Initially efficiency was poor, but using
coal as a fuel was very convenient, it was right where it was needed,
available at cost. The highest use of coal was, and is, conversion to
coke for smelting iron and steel. At the time charcoal was an expensive
alternative, in the modern era there is no alternative.
For driving other industrial machines water power was usual, or, in a
pinch, convicts on treadmills.
The Dutch industrial revolution of the 17th century
was based on wind power.
For transport, horses. Horse-drawn
trams on rails predated coal-fired railways. Horse-drawn overland
freight was expensive to a degree that is hard to imagine today.
Horse-drawn overland travel was very expensive too.
Eventually steam engine efficiency improved to the point that they were
viable for locomotion. The people who knew how to build and run steam
engines were coal-mine engineers. The people who understood where steam
had advantages were coal mine owners.
It was more a matter of power over weight, I think.
Offering passenger service on the first railroad would have been an
enormous risk. Personal transport has always been important for social
status, not to mention personal safety. Who knew if the public would pay
money for the privilege of riding a stinking, smoking, fly ash spewing
device? There was no precedent for motorized transport.
Do have a look at a picture of the opening of the Darlington
to Stockton railway line.
There is a passenger carriage right in the middle of the train.
nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) writes:
Radey Shouman <shouman@comcast.net> wrote:
nospam@de-ster.demon.nl (J. J. Lodder) writes:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
On 08/05/2026 08:35, athel.cb@gmail.com wrote:It would seem fairly obvious that the first railway line
Silvano <Silvano@noncisonopernessuno.it> posted:
athel.cb@gmail.com hat am 08.05.2026 um 08:37 geschrieben:
Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> posted:
On 07/05/2026 12:17, occam wrote:Yes, but why Stockton and Darlington in the first place?
Today's news from Amazon is that it is starting parcel deliveries in >>>>>>>>>> Darlington (UK) - the first such service in the UK. That has got me >>>>>>>>>> thinking - should the old saying "as the crow flies" be updated to >>>>>>>>>> reflect the times?
"As the drone flies" should become the new idiom for 'the shortest >>>>>>>>>> delivery distance' for parcels/letters.
Why Darlington?
If they had any sense of history they should have chosen Stockton. >>>>>>>>>
Oh yes, I realized that Sam was referring to the railway, but my
question was different: why build the first public railway as a route >>>>>> between two not very well known places?
Pretty well known if you lived in that area - but the main aim was to >>>>> transport goods at a lower cost than horse-drawn waggons could manage. >>>>>
Steam engines had been used for industrial purposes for a while, so
putting a steam engine on rails was just another industrial development.> >>>>
had to start at a coal mine.
Other lines could have the coal they needed for running
by connecting to an already existing railway line,
Steam engines originated as an adjunct to coal mining -- they were used
to pump water out of mines. Initially efficiency was poor, but using
coal as a fuel was very convenient, it was right where it was needed,
available at cost. The highest use of coal was, and is, conversion to
coke for smelting iron and steel. At the time charcoal was an expensive >>> alternative, in the modern era there is no alternative.
For driving other industrial machines water power was usual, or, in a
pinch, convicts on treadmills.
The Dutch industrial revolution of the 17th century
was based on wind power.
And of course wind was the basis of sea transport. The trouble with
wind, then and now, is that it is inconstant and hard to predict.
Sometimes dead, sometimes too hard.
For transport, horses. Horse-drawn
trams on rails predated coal-fired railways. Horse-drawn overland
freight was expensive to a degree that is hard to imagine today.
Horse-drawn overland travel was very expensive too.
That is certainly true. Ordinary people rode shank's mare, and, if they
were lucky, got a carriage ride to the graveyard.
Getting coal to
likewise provide the power to shift itself was a bit of wizardry.
Eventually steam engine efficiency improved to the point that they were
viable for locomotion. The people who knew how to build and run steam
engines were coal-mine engineers. The people who understood where steam >>> had advantages were coal mine owners.
It was more a matter of power over weight, I think.
Efficiency in the earliest steam engines was really poor, and was improved a great deal in the early days of Newcomen and Watt. If using coal for transport, efficiency dictates the weight of coal that must be carried.
Offering passenger service on the first railroad would have been an
enormous risk. Personal transport has always been important for social
status, not to mention personal safety. Who knew if the public would pay >>> money for the privilege of riding a stinking, smoking, fly ash spewing
device? There was no precedent for motorized transport.
Do have a look at a picture of the opening of the Darlington
to Stockton railway line.
There is a passenger carriage right in the middle of the train.
One? I'm sure there was hope that passenger carriage would be
profitable, but carrying coal was enough to justify building a railway.
On Sun, 10 May 2026 08:50:48 GMT, athel.cb@gmail.com <user12588@newsgrouper.org.invalid> wrote:
Tony Cooper <tonycooper214@gmail.com> posted:
On Sat, 9 May 2026 20:36:21 +0100, Sam Plusnet <not@home.com> wrote:
On 09/05/2026 02:40, Peter Moylan wrote:
snipping
After the smelter closed, in 2003, there was a long period when an army >>>>> of trucks was carrying away polluted soil, and new soil was brought in. >>>>> By now, a large part of the smelter site is covered in new houses.
Whenever this happens, I wonder which piece of land was denuded of its >>>> soil, and where did they dump the polluted soil?
Solve a problem, or just move it somewhere else? (c.f Sliding block puzzle)
When Trump had the East Wing of the White House demolished for his
ballroom, the soil excavated in the construction was found to be toxic
and included lead, chromium, and arsenic.
The soil was moved to a public golf course (East Potomac Golf Links)
in Washington DC where Trump is overseeing renovations to the course.
Rebecca Miller, executive director of the DC Preservation League, told
the AP that debris from the East Wing demolition has spread so
extensively that golfers must now detour around it.
Yes, but it's not one of Trump's golf courses so it doesn't matter.
He doesn't own it, but he is pushing to have his name on it, a statue
of him there, and to be given a trophy for winning a tournament he
never participated in.
Closer to home, the suburb of Boolaroo was built by the Sulphide
Corporation to house their workers next to the factory. The factory
produced zinc, lead, and sulphuric acid. The adjacent suburbs used to
stink, and were occupied by people who couldn't afford anything better. Eventually it was discovered that children born in Boolaroo had
noticeably lower intelligence than average. Residents were advised not
to grow vegetables in their gardens ,but they continued to live there.
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