INFO-VAX Sun, 13 Jul 2008 Volume 2008 : Issue 388 Contents: Re: Q: Configure TCP/IP Services for a node not yet booted? Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:52:28 -0700 (PDT) From: "Bart.Zorn@gmail.com" Subject: Re: Q: Configure TCP/IP Services for a node not yet booted? Message-ID: <4ae29930-2a19-45c9-bf23-5e93855a4ded@k37g2000hsf.googlegroups.com> On Jul 12, 9:09=A0am, "R.A.Omond" wrote: > Ken.Fairfi...@gmail.com wrote: > > [...snip...] > > > QUESTION: Is there a way to configure the interfaces for > > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 the production nodes on the new system disk > > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 *before* each of the production nodes boots > > =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 from that disk. > > > I've been told I can, but from a somewhat unreliable > > source. :-( =A0It seems to me that while I can mount the > > new system disk on the other cluster nodes without > > booting them from it, trying to run TCPIP$CONFIG from > > that disk probably wouldn't work because it would > > look for TCPIP$CONFIGURATION.DAT, etc., in "SYS$SYSTEM" > > which would not exist on the old system disk. > > > Is there a way to specify a node to configure other > > than the node that's running TCPIP$CONFIG? > > I would strongly recommend NOT attempting to do this. > IIRC some of the configuration files use the hostname > as a key into index files. =A0One of my customers got > burned by trying to do something similar (they changed > the IP address of an interface, changed the system name, > rebooted and wondered why it didn't come up with the > new IP address). Confirmed. I have worked with a fairly complex TCP/IP configuration. To keep things managable, I put most of the configuration in DCL files. However, a new member added to the cluster required a manual configuration using TCPIP$CONFIG first. HTH, Bart Zorn ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:35:44 -0700 (PDT) From: AEF Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: <74da2d63-1e16-434c-8b04-452261b42e7a@a1g2000hsb.googlegroups.com> On Jul 12, 12:36 pm, billg...@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) wrote: > In article <4878b41c$0$5010$607ed...@cv.net>, > VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG writes: > > > > > Where's our USPS VMS advocate? Please tell me that this is _NOT_ a VMS > > foul up. How does the USPS foul up routing like this? > > > A package, sent priority overnite from Warminster, Pa to Jackson, proNJ > > (a distance of approximately 50 miles) on the 8th of July, is STILL NOT > > here? > > > Label/Receipt Number: 9101 7850 9140 1639 8149 11 > > Detailed Results: > > > Processed, July 12, 2008, 12:11 am, TRENTON, NJ 08650 > > Processed, July 11, 2008, 1:04 pm, KEARNY, NJ 07099 > > Processed, July 10, 2008, 10:27 pm, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176 > > Electronic Shipping Info Received, July 08, 2008 > > > Warminster to Philly I understand, but then to Northern proNJ (Kearny) to > > go back to Trenton (across the river from Philly)? What next? Hamilton > > facility for a nuking before I get it? That should render it useless up- > > on arrival. > > Why would this surprise you? I live in Luzerne, PA. Zipcode 18709. > Yes, we have our own Post Office. If I send a letter to my next > door neightbor it will take at least 3 days and usually 5 or 6. > All mail from here is sent to Allentown for sorting, even mail > addressed to the same ZipCode. (Now, shall we go into the definition > of "Overnight" according to the USPS Regulations? Or does your head > already hurt?) > > bill > > -- > Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves > billg...@cs.scranton.edu | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner. > University of Scranton | > Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include Yes, the USPS is the worst! I routinely find 80% of my outgoing mail opened, ripped up, burned, and dumped in front of my home!!! I'd be better off hand delivering it! Fooey. AEF ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:38:12 +0000 (UTC) From: gartmann@nonsense.immunbio.mpg.de (Christoph Gartmann) Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: In article <4878ee0a$0$1807$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com>, JF Mezei writes: >VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote: > >> A package, sent priority overnite from Warminster, Pa to Jackson, proNJ >> (a distance of approximately 50 miles) on the 8th of July, is STILL NOT >> here? > >Had a package from colorado to montreal *CANADA* make it in about 4 >days. Global international airmail. Had a package from "Thief River Falls, MN" to Freiburg in Germany make it within 30 hours. Shipping cost was US$18 ;-) Regards, Christoph Gartmann -- Max-Planck-Institut fuer Phone : +49-761-5108-464 Fax: -452 Immunbiologie Postfach 1169 Internet: gartmann@immunbio dot mpg dot de D-79011 Freiburg, Germany http://www.immunbio.mpg.de/home/menue.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:58:20 -0700 (PDT) From: "johnhreinhardt@yahoo.com" Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: On Jul 12, 3:38 pm, gartm...@nonsense.immunbio.mpg.de (Christoph Gartmann) wrote: > Had a package from "Thief River Falls, MN" to Freiburg in Germany make it > within 30 hours. Shipping cost was US$18 ;-) Digi-Key? They probably ship enough so they know how to do it right. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:12:22 -0400 From: "William Webb" Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: <8660a3a10807121312p51272572gf3a813b05bf16c84@mail.gmail.com> ------=_Part_68476_12649959.1215893542248 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline On Sat, Jul 12, 2008 at 9:39 AM, wrote: > Where's our USPS VMS advocate? Please tell me that this is _NOT_ a VMS > foul up. How does the USPS foul up routing like this? > > A package, sent priority overnite from Warminster, Pa to Jackson, proNJ > (a distance of approximately 50 miles) on the 8th of July, is STILL NOT > here? > > Label/Receipt Number: 9101 7850 9140 1639 8149 11 > Detailed Results: > > Processed, July 12, 2008, 12:11 am, TRENTON, NJ 08650 > Processed, July 11, 2008, 1:04 pm, KEARNY, NJ 07099 > Processed, July 10, 2008, 10:27 pm, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176 > Electronic Shipping Info Received, July 08, 2008 > > Warminster to Philly I understand, but then to Northern proNJ (Kearny) to > go back to Trenton (across the river from Philly)? What next? Hamilton > facility for a nuking before I get it? That should render it useless up- > on arrival. > > -- > VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)COM > > "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?" > > Copyright 2008 Brian Schenkenberger. Any publication of _this_ usenet > article > outside of usenet _must_ include its contents _in_its_entirety_ including > this > copyright notice, disclaimer and quotations. > > The citizens of our state must be free, within reason, to speak out on > matters > of public concern. So long as they state the facts implicated fairly > and > express their opinions, even in the most colorful and hyperbolic terms, > their > speech should be protected by us. -- NJ Superior Court Appellate Div. > (NJSC) > > ... pejorative statements of opinion are entitled to constitutional > protection > no matter how extreme, vituperous, or vigorously expressed they may be. > (NJSC) > > "Coding is _not_ a crime!" Support the EFF: http://www.eff.org > You may have been thinking of me, but I was just a contractor. The national financial applications the systems my team managed all got migrated. The information I am about to relate is somewhat dated, as I went off that contract in 2004. USPS still uses VMS widely in its operations division. All the carrier routes are calculated on a GS1280 (the classic computer science "routing" problem). All the mail sorting machines used to have Jensens as part of the apparatus, at the time I left, I understood from my field service contacts that they were updating them with DS10s, and later, DS15s. The tracking stuff, or at least the database you hit when you go online to look something up, is on Big Blue hardware. As for the "human factors", well, the mileage may vary, as is true within any large organization. WWWebb ------=_Part_68476_12649959.1215893542248 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline

On Sat, Jul 12, 2008 at 9:39 AM, <VAXman-@sendspamhere.org> wrote:
Where's our USPS VMS advocate?  Please tell me that this is _NOT_ a VMS
foul up.  How does the USPS foul up routing like this?

A package, sent priority overnite from Warminster, Pa to Jackson, proNJ
(a distance of approximately 50 miles) on the 8th of July, is STILL NOT
here?

Label/Receipt Number: 9101 7850 9140 1639 8149 11
Detailed Results:

Processed, July 12, 2008, 12:11 am, TRENTON, NJ 08650
Processed, July 11, 2008, 1:04 pm, KEARNY, NJ 07099
Processed, July 10, 2008, 10:27 pm, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176
Electronic Shipping Info Received, July 08, 2008

Warminster to Philly I understand, but then to Northern proNJ (Kearny) to
go back to Trenton (across the river from Philly)?  What next?  Hamilton
facility for a nuking before I get it?  That should render it useless up-
on arrival.

--
VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker   VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)COM

 "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?"

Copyright 2008 Brian Schenkenberger.  Any publication of _this_ usenet article
outside of usenet _must_ include its contents _in_its_entirety_ including this
copyright notice, disclaimer and quotations.

The citizens of our state must be free, within reason, to speak out on matters
of public concern.  So long  as  they state the facts  implicated  fairly  and
express their opinions,  even in the most colorful and hyperbolic terms, their
speech should be protected by us.   -- NJ Superior Court Appellate Div. (NJSC)

.. pejorative statements of opinion are entitled to constitutional protection
no matter how extreme, vituperous, or vigorously expressed they may be. (NJSC)

"Coding is _not_ a crime!"  Support the EFF:  http://www.eff.org

You may have been thinking of me, but I was just a contractor.

The national financial applications the systems my team managed all got migrated.

The information I am about to relate is somewhat dated, as I went off that contract in 2004.

USPS still uses VMS widely in its operations division. 

All the carrier routes are calculated on a GS1280 (the classic computer science "routing" problem).

All the mail sorting machines used to have Jensens as part of the apparatus, at the time I left, I understood from my field service contacts that they were updating them with DS10s, and later, DS15s.

The tracking stuff, or at least the database you hit when you go online to look something up, is on Big Blue hardware.

As for the "human factors", well, the mileage may vary, as is true within any large organization.

WWWebb

------=_Part_68476_12649959.1215893542248-- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:28:17 -0500 (CDT) From: sms@antinode.info (Steven M. Schweda) Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: <08071215281712_20213764@antinode.info> From: "johnhreinhardt@yahoo.com" > On Jul 12, 3:38 pm, gartm...@nonsense.immunbio.mpg.de (Christoph > Gartmann) wrote: > > > Had a package from "Thief River Falls, MN" to Freiburg in Germany make it > > within 30 hours. Shipping cost was US$18 ;-) > > Digi-Key? They probably ship enough so they know how to do it right. There isn't much in Middle-of-Nowhere, Minnesota besides Digi-Key. Postal employees there may be less corrupt than those in, say, Newark, however, which may give them an advantage in shiping. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Steven M. Schweda sms@antinode-info 382 South Warwick Street (+1) 651-699-9818 Saint Paul MN 55105-2547 ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:44:29 -0700 (PDT) From: AEF Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: <640fa330-c1bd-4889-b07f-2f452d5d72b6@79g2000hsk.googlegroups.com> On Jul 12, 12:36 pm, billg...@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) wrote: > In article <4878b41c$0$5010$607ed...@cv.net>, > VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG writes: > > > > > Where's our USPS VMS advocate? Please tell me that this is _NOT_ a VMS > > foul up. How does the USPS foul up routing like this? > > > A package, sent priority overnite from Warminster, Pa to Jackson, proNJ > > (a distance of approximately 50 miles) on the 8th of July, is STILL NOT > > here? > > > Label/Receipt Number: 9101 7850 9140 1639 8149 11 > > Detailed Results: > > > Processed, July 12, 2008, 12:11 am, TRENTON, NJ 08650 > > Processed, July 11, 2008, 1:04 pm, KEARNY, NJ 07099 > > Processed, July 10, 2008, 10:27 pm, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176 > > Electronic Shipping Info Received, July 08, 2008 > > > Warminster to Philly I understand, but then to Northern proNJ (Kearny) to > > go back to Trenton (across the river from Philly)? What next? Hamilton > > facility for a nuking before I get it? That should render it useless up- > > on arrival. > > Why would this surprise you? I live in Luzerne, PA. Zipcode 18709. > Yes, we have our own Post Office. If I send a letter to my next > door neightbor it will take at least 3 days and usually 5 or 6. Perhaps it takes them that long to stop laughing about the fact that you can't be bothered to just walk next door! :-) > All mail from here is sent to Allentown for sorting, even mail > addressed to the same ZipCode. (Now, shall we go into the definition > of "Overnight" according to the USPS Regulations? Or does your head > already hurt?) Probably part of the hub-and-spoke method (see my first post in this thread). Maybe your post office is too small to be worth giving it a fast sorting machine? You do have to sort out the local mail. Maybe the vast majority of it isn't local? While it may not be optimal for local mail, perhaps it is optimal on average for all mail. Or it could be a question of costs. If a tiny portion of your post office's mail is for the same zip code, and they have a much better sorting operation at Allentown, well, ..., etc. You get the idea. But then again, maybe not. > > bill > > -- > Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves > billg...@cs.scranton.edu | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner. > University of Scranton | > Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include New, from IDG books: BRAIN SURGERY FOR DUMMIES AEF ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:49:02 -0700 (PDT) From: AEF Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: On Jul 12, 9:39 am, VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote: > Where's our USPS VMS advocate? Please tell me that this is _NOT_ a VMS > foul up. This reminds me of a particular time when I was getting a ride and the driver had GPS and I was telling him that the whole thing depends on Einstein's relativity theories and soon it became evident that the driver's GPS unit wasn't very good. So I had to explain that it wasn't Einstein's fault but instead the fault of how the program (and its database) handled the coordinates as given by the GPS reciever. Einstein is not to blame for that! BTW, this is the only commercial application of relativity I know about, at least in such a direct way. The rest of the time it's used in particle accelerators and associated detectors, and in astrophysics, including cosmology, searches for gravitons, QED, and other basic research in physics- and astronomy- related subjects. (Amazing how physics is involved with everything, eh? Everything is physics, if you just look at it at a small enough [or sometimes large enough] level.) It often happens that finger of blame points the wrong way. > How does the USPS foul up routing like this? > > A package, sent priority overnite from Warminster, Pa to Jackson, proNJ > (a distance of approximately 50 miles) on the 8th of July, is STILL NOT > here? > > Label/Receipt Number: 9101 7850 9140 1639 8149 11 > Detailed Results: > > Processed, July 12, 2008, 12:11 am, TRENTON, NJ 08650 > Processed, July 11, 2008, 1:04 pm, KEARNY, NJ 07099 > Processed, July 10, 2008, 10:27 pm, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176 > Electronic Shipping Info Received, July 08, 2008 > > Warminster to Philly I understand, but then to Northern proNJ (Kearny) to > go back to Trenton (across the river from Philly)? What next? Hamilton > facility for a nuking before I get it? That should render it useless up- > on arrival. Some variation of the hub-and-spoke method, which often produces paths that look ridiculous when looked at in isolation, but make perfect sense when looked at globally. See my first post. > > -- > VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)COM [...] AEF ------------------------------ Date: 13 Jul 2008 01:03:22 GMT From: VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: <4879545a$0$11596$607ed4bc@cv.net> In article <6ds4seF44al3U2@mid.individual.net>, billg999@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) writes: >{...snip...} >Why would this surprise you? I live in Luzerne, PA. Zipcode 18709. >Yes, we have our own Post Office. If I send a letter to my next >door neightbor it will take at least 3 days and usually 5 or 6. >All mail from here is sent to Allentown for sorting, even mail >addressed to the same ZipCode. (Now, shall we go into the definition >of "Overnight" according to the USPS Regulations? Or does your head >already hurt?) You make is sound like Allentown is a bad place. Some great things have come out of Allentown! ;) -- VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)COM "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?" Copyright 2008 Brian Schenkenberger. Any publication of _this_ usenet article outside of usenet _must_ include its contents _in_its_entirety_ including this copyright notice, disclaimer and quotations. The citizens of our state must be free, within reason, to speak out on matters of public concern. So long as they state the facts implicated fairly and express their opinions, even in the most colorful and hyperbolic terms, their speech should be protected by us. -- NJ Superior Court Appellate Div. (NJSC) ... pejorative statements of opinion are entitled to constitutional protection no matter how extreme, vituperous, or vigorously expressed they may be. (NJSC) "Coding is _not_ a crime!" Support the EFF: http://www.eff.org ------------------------------ Date: 13 Jul 2008 01:06:55 GMT From: VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: <4879552f$0$11596$607ed4bc@cv.net> In article , AEF writes: >On Jul 12, 9:39 am, VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote: >> Where's our USPS VMS advocate? Please tell me that this is _NOT_ a VMS >> foul up. > >This reminds me of a particular time when I was getting a ride and the >driver had GPS and I was telling him that the whole thing depends on >Einstein's relativity theories and soon it became evident that the >driver's GPS unit wasn't very good. So I had to explain that it wasn't >Einstein's fault but instead the fault of how the program (and its >database) handled the coordinates as given by the GPS reciever. >Einstein is not to blame for that! BTW, this is the only commercial >application of relativity I know about, at least in such a direct way. >The rest of the time it's used in particle accelerators and associated >detectors, and in astrophysics, including cosmology, searches for >gravitons, QED, and other basic research in physics- and astronomy- >related subjects. (Amazing how physics is involved with everything, >eh? Everything is physics, if you just look at it at a small enough >[or sometimes large enough] level.) > >It often happens that finger of blame points the wrong way. > >> How does the USPS foul up routing like this? >> >> A package, sent priority overnite from Warminster, Pa to Jackson, proNJ >> (a distance of approximately 50 miles) on the 8th of July, is STILL NOT >> here? >> >> Label/Receipt Number: 9101 7850 9140 1639 8149 11 >> Detailed Results: >> >> Processed, July 12, 2008, 12:11 am, TRENTON, NJ 08650 >> Processed, July 11, 2008, 1:04 pm, KEARNY, NJ 07099 >> Processed, July 10, 2008, 10:27 pm, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176 >> Electronic Shipping Info Received, July 08, 2008 >> >> Warminster to Philly I understand, but then to Northern proNJ (Kearny) to >> go back to Trenton (across the river from Philly)? What next? Hamilton >> facility for a nuking before I get it? That should render it useless up- >> on arrival. > >Some variation of the hub-and-spoke method, which often produces paths >that look ridiculous when looked at in isolation, but make perfect >sense when looked at globally. See my first post. Regardless, overnight is one-day -- not 4 or 5! -- VAXman- A Bored Certified VMS Kernel Mode Hacker VAXman(at)TMESIS(dot)COM "Well my son, life is like a beanstalk, isn't it?" Copyright 2008 Brian Schenkenberger. Any publication of _this_ usenet article outside of usenet _must_ include its contents _in_its_entirety_ including this copyright notice, disclaimer and quotations. The citizens of our state must be free, within reason, to speak out on matters of public concern. So long as they state the facts implicated fairly and express their opinions, even in the most colorful and hyperbolic terms, their speech should be protected by us. -- NJ Superior Court Appellate Div. (NJSC) ... pejorative statements of opinion are entitled to constitutional protection no matter how extreme, vituperous, or vigorously expressed they may be. (NJSC) "Coding is _not_ a crime!" Support the EFF: http://www.eff.org ------------------------------ Date: 13 Jul 2008 01:52:52 GMT From: billg999@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: <6dt5fkF470enU1@mid.individual.net> In article <4879545a$0$11596$607ed4bc@cv.net>, VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG writes: > In article <6ds4seF44al3U2@mid.individual.net>, billg999@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) writes: >>{...snip...} >>Why would this surprise you? I live in Luzerne, PA. Zipcode 18709. >>Yes, we have our own Post Office. If I send a letter to my next >>door neightbor it will take at least 3 days and usually 5 or 6. >>All mail from here is sent to Allentown for sorting, even mail >>addressed to the same ZipCode. (Now, shall we go into the definition >>of "Overnight" according to the USPS Regulations? Or does your head >>already hurt?) > > You make is sound like Allentown is a bad place. Some great things have > come out of Allentown! ;) Name one. And Billy Joel is definetly not it. bill -- Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves billg999@cs.scranton.edu | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner. University of Scranton | Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include ------------------------------ Date: 13 Jul 2008 01:56:33 GMT From: billg999@cs.uofs.edu (Bill Gunshannon) Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: <6dt5mhF470enU2@mid.individual.net> In article <4879552f$0$11596$607ed4bc@cv.net>, VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG writes: > In article , AEF writes: >>On Jul 12, 9:39 am, VAXman- @SendSpamHere.ORG wrote: >>> Where's our USPS VMS advocate? Please tell me that this is _NOT_ a VMS >>> foul up. >> >>This reminds me of a particular time when I was getting a ride and the >>driver had GPS and I was telling him that the whole thing depends on >>Einstein's relativity theories and soon it became evident that the >>driver's GPS unit wasn't very good. So I had to explain that it wasn't >>Einstein's fault but instead the fault of how the program (and its >>database) handled the coordinates as given by the GPS reciever. >>Einstein is not to blame for that! BTW, this is the only commercial >>application of relativity I know about, at least in such a direct way. >>The rest of the time it's used in particle accelerators and associated >>detectors, and in astrophysics, including cosmology, searches for >>gravitons, QED, and other basic research in physics- and astronomy- >>related subjects. (Amazing how physics is involved with everything, >>eh? Everything is physics, if you just look at it at a small enough >>[or sometimes large enough] level.) >> >>It often happens that finger of blame points the wrong way. >> >>> How does the USPS foul up routing like this? >>> >>> A package, sent priority overnite from Warminster, Pa to Jackson, proNJ >>> (a distance of approximately 50 miles) on the 8th of July, is STILL NOT >>> here? >>> >>> Label/Receipt Number: 9101 7850 9140 1639 8149 11 >>> Detailed Results: >>> >>> Processed, July 12, 2008, 12:11 am, TRENTON, NJ 08650 >>> Processed, July 11, 2008, 1:04 pm, KEARNY, NJ 07099 >>> Processed, July 10, 2008, 10:27 pm, PHILADELPHIA, PA 19176 >>> Electronic Shipping Info Received, July 08, 2008 >>> >>> Warminster to Philly I understand, but then to Northern proNJ (Kearny) to >>> go back to Trenton (across the river from Philly)? What next? Hamilton >>> facility for a nuking before I get it? That should render it useless up- >>> on arrival. >> >>Some variation of the hub-and-spoke method, which often produces paths >>that look ridiculous when looked at in isolation, but make perfect >>sense when looked at globally. See my first post. > > Regardless, overnight is one-day -- not 4 or 5! Not to the USPS. See tha applicable Postal Regulations. bill -- Bill Gunshannon | de-moc-ra-cy (di mok' ra see) n. Three wolves billg999@cs.scranton.edu | and a sheep voting on what's for dinner. University of Scranton | Scranton, Pennsylvania | #include ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:55:30 -0400 From: JF Mezei Subject: Re: USPS (Unbelievably Sl-o-o-o-w Postal Service) Message-ID: <48797cc2$0$1839$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com> AEF wrote: > This reminds me of a particular time when I was getting a ride and the > driver had GPS and I was telling him that the whole thing depends on > Einstein's relativity theories and soon it became evident that the > driver's GPS unit wasn't very good. Actually, GPS depends on doppler. ------------------------------ End of INFO-VAX 2008.388 ************************