The WELL: pre.vue.143: A Question for Damocles

#16: . (rujoganas) Sun 9 Sep 07 18:37

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 18:37:00 PDT

along comes a shadetree mechanic in rusted pickup..offers to help out..yanks a sparkplug wire opposite bank of the down cylinder..suddenly engine seems to run smoother..less vibration..you happily lay 20 bucks on him & he leaves..there's a hill ahead..what to jettison? The Wurlitzer strapped to the roof or Auntie Em? [Read entire topic]

#15: Gail Williams (gail) Fri 7 Sep 07 10:13

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 10:13:00 PDT

The times I've had car trouble in the Mojave were completely out of cell range. There are some garages in towns like Lone Pine, California, that specialize in going deep into the back roads to tow vehicles, for serious bucks, but usually one has to walk or get a ride (if anybody goes by) to a phone or possibly a ridge with a few twigs of cell phone reception. Go back downhill or forward uphill is a good question. In extreme environs, especially in the ciold or winter or the heat of summer, I'd be playing it safe. In nice weather in the spring or fall, or on a road with plenty of traffic, I'd be bolder. [Read entire topic]

#14: metric buttload of (cjp) Thu 6 Sep 07 19:41

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:41:00 PDT

Hm. I'd whip out my cell and call AAA. If there was no signal, I'd probably go back the 15 miles by coasting. Or, if I were a horror film (and there's no sign that I'm not in one, come to think of it), I'd probably return to that crummy looking motel I passed on the deserted stretch of the highway with no guests and check in for the night and see if that odd guy at the front desk could get the other cylinder to work. [Read entire topic]

#13: fluted pan (satyr) Mon 3 Sep 07 10:45

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 10:45:00 PDT

Okay, say you were headed home, and the nearest place with water and a telephone in your direction of travel is 20 miles away and at slightly higher elevation, whereas the nearest place in the direction from which you'd just come is 15 miles and at slightly lower elevation. Which way do you go once you get the VW running on 3/4 of its cylinders? [Read entire topic]

#12: Alan Turner (arturner) Sun 2 Sep 07 09:57

Sun, 02 Sep 2007 09:57:00 PDT

If I was in the desert and driving a VW beetle and it broke, I would do something half-assed like fix a way to run it on three cylinders to get to the nearest place with water and a telephone.

But apart from emergencies, I do it right or wait until I can do it right. Otherwise, it bites you on the butt later. [Read entire topic]

#11: Roger Ganas (rujoganas) Sun 19 Aug 07 16:12

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 16:12:00 PDT

-you are most welcome (cjp)#9 [Read entire topic]

#10: who ya gonna call? (rujoganas) Sun 19 Aug 07 07:04

Sun, 19 Aug 2007 07:04:00 PDT

I'd want to ask him-..looking out at that crowd looking back at you, Damocles...do you have any sword-spotter strategies?.. are you accessing the group as a whole..or maybe picking out one person in particular? What are your instincts in moments like these? [Read entire topic]

#9: metric buttload of (cjp) Fri 17 Aug 07 10:03

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:03:00 PDT

Mil gracias to (rujoganas)! [Read entire topic]

#8: but on to other things.. (rujoganas) Fri 17 Aug 07 09:12

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 09:12:00 PDT

<I have known some kids, however...>..i second that notion [Read entire topic]

#7: fluted pan (satyr) Fri 17 Aug 07 07:25

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 07:25:00 PDT

> no one answer

Plate of concurrence. Take the example of Damocles's own predicament, having taxed the patience of Dionysius to the point where he found himself seated at a banquet with a sword suspended above his head by a single hair. Depending on whether the sword was positioned high in the rafters or lower, if the hair should break he might have a second warning, at most two. By finding those in the crowd whose gaze kept returning to the sword and the hair by which it dangled, and watching for a sudden change in their expressions, if he kept his legs cocked and his feet positioned on something solid, as against the legs of the table, that might be enough time for him to push himself out of the path of the falling sword. It would be terribly awkward, but if executed quickly enough it might save his life.

But let's leave him under the sword for the moment, as it affords us the opportunity to put other questions to him. [Read entire topic]