Highway Driving

Highway Driving

Hurry Up and Get There

Speed limits are up in most states – cruising speeds are up even more.

“America is a country that doesn’t know where it is going but is determined to set a speed record getting there”, quipped Laurence J. Peter, author of The Peter Principle, in 1977. Peter was speaking metaphorically, but more recent studies of American driving habits underscore his point: The report bu Prevention magazine shows that 55 percent of drivers on the nation’s highways today exceed the posted speed limits, up from 44 percent in 1983. Moreover, the national speed limits on federally funded highways in urban and rural areas (55 mph and 65 mph, respectively) are likely to be repealed soon.

Better roads have played a role in this speeding up of American traffic, as has a return to larger, more powerful cars, according to Jerry Scannell, president of the National Safety Council in the 90s. But the main reason, he suggested, is that police are too busy fighting other crime to enforce speed laws.

“Speeding initially increased in the western part of the country,” explained Scannell, “where the highways are long, flat, and straight.” The raising of speed limits in many rural areas has not only encouraged speeding but led to increases in automobile-related fatalities in states with 65 mph speed limits, Scannell argued.

Despite these developments, motor vehicle-related death rates nationwide have actually been declining for some years now. In 1994, for example, there were 41,300 such deaths in the United States, according to the National Safety Council. Calculated as a death rate per 100 million vehicle miles, this was only about one-half of what it was in 1980 and one-third of what it was in 1960.

The recent decline in vehicle-related fatalities can’t be credited to improvements in driver attentiveness. One-third of those in the Prevention survey said that they try to read maps and directions while driving, and nearly two-thirds said that they change cassette tapes or radio stations.

Part of the improvement in death rates can be attributed to higher seat belt use. In the Prevention survey, 73 percent said they always wear a seat belt when sitting in the front seat of a car; in 1983 only 19 percent reported doing so.

The other big factor, experts say, has been the raising of the legal drinking age to 21 in some states. “The number of people who drink and drive has steadily decreased,” says Scannell, who gives much of the credit to Mothers against Drunk Driving, or MADD. While 56 percent of all automobile fatalities were alcohol-related in 1983, it was down to 44 percent in 1993. But studies have shown that drivers who imbibe enough to be presumed tipsy under the laws of most states are at least 48 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than those who avoid the beer or bottle.

Fact File: Feeling Drowsy

One in four drivers has dozed off at the wheel at some point, according to a number of surveys by the Institute ofr Traffic Safety Management and Research. The study found:

About 1 in 14 men are involved in reported accidents because of sleepiness, compared with fewer than 1 in 100 women.

Snorers are more likely to nod off while driving, perhaps because they are generally less well rested, according to the studies’ authors.

Mount Pleasant Road. Photo by Elena

Holding Your Liquor

Percentage of alcohol in the blood one hour after drinking

Examples of alcoholic drinks – amount of alcohol (oz) – body weight in lbs (100, 120, 140, 160, 180, 200)

    Three Dubonnet cocktails – 3.0 – .252, .208, .176, .152, .134, .119.

    Four Bloody Marys, Daiquiris, Wiskey Sours – 2.8 – .234, .193, .163, .141, .124, .110.

    Two glasses Fish House Punch – 2.6. – .217, .178, .151, .130, .114, .101.

    Three Martinis or Manhattans or glasses malt liquor – 2.4 – .199, .163, .138, .119, .104, .092.

    Two Maltais or Mint Juleps – 2.2. – .181, .149, .125, .108, .094, .083.

    Four champagne cocktails – 2.0. – .163, .134, .113, .097, .084, .075.

    Two Margaritas – 1.8. – .146, .119, .100, .086, .057, .066.

    Two Martinis or Manhattans – 1.6. – .128, .104, .087, .075, .065, .057.

    Two highballs, Bloody Marys – 1.4 – .110, .089, .075, .063, .055, .048.

    Two 3 oz glasses fortified wine (port, vermouth, etc.) – 1.2. – .092, .075, .062, .052, .045, .039.

    Two glasses beer – 1.0. – 0.75, .060, .049, .041, .035, 0.30.

    One Black Russian – 0.8. – 0.57, .045, .037, .030, .025, .021.

    One Sloe Jin Fizz – 0.6. – 0.39, .030, .024, .019, .015, .012.

    One 1 oz cordial or liqueur – 0.4 – .021, .015, .011, .008, .006, .004.

The Meaning of Tipsy

These figures represent the blood alcohol content past which you shouldn’t drive.

Blood alcohol content – Effects on Feeling and Behaviour – Effects on Driving Ability

    .40, .20, .19, .18 – At this point most people have passed out. – Hopefully driver passed out before trying to get into vehicle.

    .17, .16, .15, .14, .13 – Major impairment of all physical and mental functions. Irresponsible behavior. Euphoria. Some difficulty standing, walking and talking. – Distortion of all perception and judgment. Driving erratic. Driving in a daze.

    .12, .11, .10 – Difficulty performing gross motor skills. Uncoordinated behavior. Definite impairment of mental abilities, judgment and memory. – Judgment seriously affected. Physical difficulty in driving a vehicle.

    .09, .08, .07 – Feeling of relaxation. Mild sedation. Exaggeration of emotions and behavior. Slight impairment of motor skills, increase in reaction time. – Drivers take too long to decide and act. Motor skills (such as braking) are impaired. Reaction time is increased.

    .06, .05, .02 – Absence of observable effects. Mild alteration of feelings, slight intensification of existing moods. – Mild changes. Most drivers seem a bit moody. Bad driving habits slightly pronounced.

(Sources: National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information. National Safety Council)

Heaven Thunders the Truth

Heaven Thunders the Truth

K.J. Parker

A lot has changed in that time. The People of Heaven had fought a bitter war against an alliance of their most powerful neighbougs and had lost badly; we’d managed to patch up a sort of a peace, but it wouldn’t be long before they’d be back to finish us off. The king’s army was mostly dead; of the survivors, five regiments had crossed the northern border and kept going, until nobody knew where they were, and the king was only still alive because his three senior generals were still trying to decide which of them was going to kill him and take his place. There weren’t enough soldiers left for a civil war, so they were having to talk it through instead.

Meanwhile, the king’s illness, which he’d suffered from on and off for the last five years, had finally broken his will to resist, and he was about to save his loyal people the job. I, on the other hand, had prospered. I’d cured a plague. More to the point, I’d accurately predicted each crippling defeat, with enough circumstantial detail to convince even the most skeptical observer. I was turning away any job that didn’t interest me, and asking for (and getting) ridiculous fees for the few I condescended to take on. I think it’s fair to say I was the only doctor in the country who hadn’t messed up at some point in the war. I was universally respected, and if I’d wanted to, I could’ve chosen who was going to be the next king, and everybody would’ve accepted my decision. But I chose not to. I was, I gave them to understand, above things like that. who cared only for wisdom. And truth. Heaven no longer thundered it. I did.

Heaven Thunders the Truth. Image by Elena (Sunset in Jamaica).

So he came to see me instead; unannounced, uninvited. But he still had a bodyguard of two hundred picked veterans; I had about seventy men minding my cattle and doing odd jobs for me, but even if I’d had notice and mustered them too fight, they wouldn’t have lasted very long against the guards. So, when two guard captains burst into my cave late one night and said the king was paying me a visit I just yawned and said yes, I’d been expecting him.

He’d changed. It was a particularly unkind sort of illness. He’d swollen up like a body that’s been in the water. His arms and legs were like tree-trunks, and his body was grotesque; his head, though, was more or less the same size, which made him look ridiculous. He couldn't stand or sit, so he had to be carried on a stretcher, with trestles to rest it on. They brought him in, and I didn’t look up, « Go away, » I said. A moment or so later, I heard them filing out of the cave. Only then did I lift my head and look at him.

« Hello, uncle, » I said.

His puffed-up cheeks had almost closed his eyes; they were narrow almonds of white, glaring balefully at me. « It’s true, then, » he said.

« Oh, yes. How did you find out, by the way? Oh,» I added, because my father was standing over him. He was grinning.

« Is he still there? » asked the king.

« Yes. »

He sighed. « I can’t see him all the time, but I know he’s there, I can fell him. »

My father shrugged and pulled a face. He’s a jolly man, with a good sense of humor. I like him. I wish I’d known him.

Test in Orbit

Test in Orbit

By Ben Bova

The satellite had been launched from the mid-Pacific, nine hours ago. Probably from a specially rigged submarine. It was now in a polar orbit, so that it covered every square mile on Earth in twelve hours. Since it went up, not a single radio transmission had been detected going to it or from it. And it was big, even heavir than the ten-ton Voshkods the Russians had been using for manned flights.

“A satellite of that size,” said the colonel from the Special Weapons Center, “could easily contaon a nuclear warhead of 100 megatons or more.”

If the bomb were large enough, he explained, it could heat the atmosphere to the point where every combustible thing on the ground would ignite. Kinsman pictured trees, plants, grass, buildings, people, the sky itself, all bursting into flame.

“Hale the United States could be destroyed at once with such a bomb,” the colonel said.

“And in a little more than two hours,” Borgeson added, “the satellite will pass over Chicago and travel right across the heartland of America.”

Murdock paled. “You don’t think thed’d… set it off’?”

“We don’t know,” General Hatch answered. “And we don’t intend to sit here waiting until we find out.”

“Why not just knock it down?” Kinsman asked. “We can hit it, can’t we?”

Anadyomene, sculpted in 1983 by Maryon Kantaroff. donated by Senator Nancy Ruth in honour of the women who walk here... Photo by Elena.

Hatch frowned. “We could reach it with a missile, yes. But we’ve been ordered by the Pentagon to inspect the satellite and determine whether or not it’s actually hostile.”

“In two hours?”

“Perhaps I can explain,” said the civilian. He had been introduced as a State Department man; Kinsman had already forgotten his name He had a soft, sheltered look about him.

“You may know that the disarmament meeting in Geneva is discussing nuclear weapons in space. It seemed last week we were on the verge of an agreement to ban weapons in space, just as testing weapons in the atmospheere has already been banned. But three days ago the conference suddenly became deadlocked on some very minor issues. It’s been very difficult to determine who is responsible for the deadlock and why. The Russians, the Chinese, the French, even some of the smaller nations, are apparently stalling for time… for something to happen.”

“And this satellite might be it,” Kinsman said.

“The Department of State believes that this satellite is a test, to see if we can detect and counteract weapons placed in orbit.

Things To Do While Waiting

Things To Do While Waiting

Life is full of waiting and waiting can be quite difficult and frustrating. So, whether you’re at a doctor’s office or at the train station, you may find yourself waiting longer than expected and perhaps bored or frustrated. Therefore, here is a list of things to do while you wait:

Call (or text) a friend. Time will go by faster if you’re talking to someone. You may even strike a conversation with a friendly stranger sitting next to you. However, stay aware of the policies of the waiting room, some waiting areas disallow cell phones or conversations altogether.

Read a magazine or newspaper. A great way to pass the time, it allows you to stay on top of current affairs, which may come in handy in conversations, especially when making small talk.

Waiting place. Photo by Elena

Arrive early; this is especially true of places where you have to take a number. Usually, there tends to be less people waiting in line at 8:30AM, than say at 2:00PM. However, it may not always be the case, as I remember a facility that opened at 7:00AM and when I arrived at 7:00 there were already twenty or so people ahead of me. Still, it was much better than the previous day when I arrived at 4:00PM, not to mention the clerks, nurses or whoever you need to see may be tired at the end of their working shift.

Solve a sudoku or a crosswords puzzle. Most newspapers today, even the free ones, have at least one puzzle to solve. Of course, most of these activities are only applicable if you can sit down while waiting. Hard to solve a puzzle while standing in line.

If you have a smartphone things get even easier since you can do many things. Connect to Wi-Fi (if available) or use cellular data to browse the Internet, play games, listen to music with earphones (obviously not recommended if you have to be called on by speakerphone or otherwise) or review your to-do-lists, planners or notes. Hope this helps!

A nice tip: Google Pixel 3 may be your best choice as a smartphone to play with while waiting!

They are patiently waiting. Photo by Elena

Old Photography

Old Photography

Panoramic Photography

Photographers, excited by their ability to capture images, soon wanted to take pictures of large scenes such as landscapes and city skylines. Before the introduction of panoramic cameras, wide angle lenses and zooms, these wide photographs were created by a sequence of overlapping slides. The panoramic photograph was thus created by the sequence of sheets.

Cased photographs

Daguerreotype is the first process which produced « one-of-a-kind » images. The image was exposed on a silvered copper plate, which gives it the mirror-like effect (1839 – circa 1860).

Ambrotype (or collodion positive) is also a “one-of-a-kind” image. The image is a glass negative created using the collodion wet-plate process, and is backed with black varnish or paint to create a positive image (1852 – circa 1880).

An old wall enhanced. Photo by Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Tintype is created using the collodion wet-plate process like the ambrotype. However, like the daguerreotype, it is created on a metal plate, in this case, one made of “black japanned iron” (circa 1856 – circa 1940).

Cases were usually made of wood and embossed with different designs. Inside the photographs were placed, usually on the right hand side, and on the left was a “cloth-covered pad”.

Colour Tinted Abrotype

Paper prints

Cartes de visite were widely produced starting in 1861. Using the collodion wet glass negative, a positive image was created on albumen printing paper. The paper was then mounted on a card, usually around 2 ½ x 4 inches.

Cabinet photographs were a larger version of the carte de visite and were also mounted on cards, measuring approximately 4 x 5 ½ inches. They had information about the photographer or studio intricately printed on the back. These gained popularity in 1866.

Early 3D Imagery

Stereographs are two photographs taken of the same image at a slightly different angle.

Stereoscope – when you place a stereograph in a stereoscope and look through the viewfinder, you will see a 3-dimensional image. When you look through this particular stereoscope you will see a Spirit Stereograph. Are they really ghosts in the image or is it simply a double exposure meant to trick the viewer. Spirit photography was common in the early years of photography.

Sea canon digitally enhanced. Photo: © by Megan Jorgensen (Elena)

Photo Album

Photo Album was introduced in the later 19th century. In Canada photo albums were produced by a Canadian female photographer, Madame Brunner. Photo Albums in most cases, would have contained photographs like the popular carte de visite (although some contained a few tintypes.

Set of Apertures which control the amount of light that comes into a camera. Tripod. Thornton Pickard Imperial Triple Extension Camera, circa 1890s. Plates of various sizes, including a book-type plate; Crayon Photoprints were photographs that were drawn over with crayon. Artists` Set used by artists that were often hired by photographers to touch-up or paint their photographs.

Composite photographs

Composite photographs were made by combining images from many individual portraits onto a painted or photographed background.

Early photography required long exposure times and people had to pose for quite long periods of time. It was difficult to have people stay still long enough to create a group portrait. Composite photography meant that photographers could overcome the technological limitations of the day.

The photographer would arrange for each person to pose for their picture in the studio at separate times. Then all the images were put together, “cut a paste”, just as we do today. Sometimes is hard to find where the photographer pasted individual people into a composite picture. Sometimes, the original portraits were displayed around the border on the puzzle panel.