September 30, 2010

There were 5 posts published on September 30, 2010 (this is page 1 of 1).

Able Archer: almost armegeddon?

I’m amazed sometimes that the world survived the year 1983. We came dangerously close to being blown up that year. Dangerously close. Able Archer was a NATO military exercise that place in November of that year. The exercise simulated an attack on Soviet forces, only the Soviets were convinced it was the real thing.

It was said that the misunderstanding so disturbed Reagan that he began to work towards defusing the standoff with the Soviets, leading to historic arms control treaties and eventually peace with the Russians. He toned down his rhetoric from then on, fortunately.

Able Archer 83 was a ten-day NATO command post exercise starting on November 2, 1983 that spanned Western Europe, centred on SHAPE’s Headquarters situated at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons. Able Archer exercises simulated a period of conflict escalation, culminating in a coordinated nuclear release. The 1983 exercise incorporated a new, unique format of coded communication, radio silences, participation by heads of state, and a simulated DEFCON 1 nuclear alert.
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North Korea’s Supreme Internet Experts

Internet Expert

I’ve already given props to Great Commander Kim Jong-Il for his Great Internet Expertness. Now it turns out his son and heir apparent, Kim Jong-Un, is also an Internet genius. Word on the street is that he’s such a wizard at the keyboard that his nickname is Computer Numerical Control, or C.N.C.

That’s right. Not only was he promoted to an instant four-star general and groomed to take over the country, Kim Jong-Un has a kick-ass Internet screen name, too.

No wonder North Korea is so cool. Its leaders are off the hook!

Partial power outage

Around 11:11 this morning I was working at my desk when the power flickered. A moment later the power came back on, but at much lower voltage! When my VoIP phone began going nuts I remembered how bad it is for electronics to be fed low voltage, so I began racing frantically around the house, shutting down all the electronics and CFL bulbs I could find. Soon the power was lost completely, ending the apparent danger.

An hour later the power returned and things seemed to be fine. All the gear I turned off came back on again. I thought we were out of the woods … until late afternoon. Kelly asked me if I had done something to the refrigerator as the ice tray was filled with water instead of ice. That’s when I realized I should’ve turned off the refrigerator, too. I think the compressor has been damaged by the low power, too.

When the ice storm hit the Triangle in 2002 the heat pump in our Garner home fell victim to low voltage. Had we waited for the power to stabilize in the neighborhood that night we wouldn’t have had to buy a new heat pump. I don’t know if I could’ve switched the power off to the refrigerator fast enough for it to have protected it but I might have done something.

The freezer and fridge are both cooling down again now, but it’s taking much longer for it to happen than it once did. It’s as if the compressor has lost 50% of its power, too. We could be facing an expensive repair, or an outright replacement of our refrigerator.

Don’t let it be said that we’re not doing our part to stimulate the economy.

Update 1 Oct: Fridge appears fine, after all. Not sure how it warmed up like it did but so far so good.

So much to say, so little time

I’ve been busting it for the past few weeks, working to get up to speed on work issues, shepherding a room renovation at home, and doing all of my public service stuff. Yesterday my day began with a meeting with Raleigh city manager Russell Allen, phone calls and labs at work, a reception for a city councilor at which I chatted with the police chief and others, visiting with the family, and painting that room until 11:30 PM. Is it any wonder that I fell asleep when reading at bedtime with Hallie?

I also took that voiceover class I’d been looking forward to for months. I’ll fill in the details later, as there’s a lot to blog about. Look for a string of updates soon!