Author Topic: Maps, Charts, and Shit  (Read 85960 times)

JonFromMaplewood

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #135 on: July 28, 2009, 02:36:12 PM »
The bends are caused by dissolved nitrogen entering the bloodstream and moving into the soft tissues, then expanding, forming bubbles, when decompression takes place too quickly.  As long as one is under pressure, there's no problem.

Nitrogen narcosis, on the other hand, happens while one is under compression.  The nitrogen dissolved in the blood alters the way electricity is conducted in the brain, leading to loopiness.  One source I read said that every fifty feet of depth is equivalent in its effects to one alcoholic drink, which led me to wonder a bit about those driven to dive.

This is also known as "rapture of the deep."  The book "Shadow Divers" gives some amazing descriptions of the experience:  Deep sea divers talking to crabs, pulling off their breathing apparatus 200 feet down, etc.
"I'm riding the silence like John Cage up in this piece." -Tom Scharpling

Sarah

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #136 on: July 28, 2009, 02:44:03 PM »
I think I first learned about it from The Abyss.

I really wonder if some recreational divers do it for the high and some professional divers stick to their careers because they're hooked. 

Fodder for a future episode of Intervention, perhaps?

Martin

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #137 on: July 28, 2009, 03:01:44 PM »
That's a Law & Order episode waiting to happen (or something).

Sarah

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #138 on: July 28, 2009, 04:03:50 PM »
I'm seeing a scene where a concerned family member confronts the NN junkie, waving a pair of flippers and shrieking, "You told me you got rid of all this stuff!"  Then there's a big search for more paraphernalia.  Weights are discovered.  A mask.  An oxygen tank secreted in the washing machine. 

JonFromMaplewood

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #139 on: July 28, 2009, 04:57:45 PM »
I'm seeing a scene where a concerned family member confronts the NN junkie, waving a pair of flippers and shrieking, "You told me you got rid of all this stuff!"  Then there's a big search for more paraphernalia.  Weights are discovered.  A mask.  An oxygen tank secreted in the washing machine. 

This made me laugh a lot. What a horrible place to hide an oxygen tank.
"I'm riding the silence like John Cage up in this piece." -Tom Scharpling

Sarah

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #140 on: July 28, 2009, 04:59:52 PM »
What do you expect?  The guy's gaga from the big double N!

Andy

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #141 on: July 28, 2009, 06:37:25 PM »
Have I ever mentioned how much fun diving is?  Seriously, I hate tropical weather, but I love SCUBA.
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iAmBaronVonTito

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #142 on: July 29, 2009, 10:36:13 AM »
I'm seeing a scene where a concerned family member confronts the NN junkie, waving a pair of flippers and shrieking, "You told me you got rid of all this stuff!"  Then there's a big search for more paraphernalia.  Weights are discovered.  A mask.  An oxygen tank secreted in the washing machine. 

This made me laugh a lot. What a horrible place to hide an oxygen tank.

senorcorazon

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #143 on: July 30, 2009, 08:26:04 AM »
Two lovely ones:

Iraq = Egypt, courtesy of Fox News:


From BoingBoing, a breakdown of the APs DRM for text strategy:



yesno

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #144 on: July 30, 2009, 10:07:43 AM »
The "technology" that AP is pushing is nothing more than a series of metadata tags in html.  I was unaware that people were just saving the source files for various websites and just reposting them somewhere, but I guess it's a problem.  Amazingly they haven't figured out how to disable the "copy" and "paste" features of compooters.

iAmBaronVonTito

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #145 on: July 30, 2009, 12:52:36 PM »
Iraq = Egypt, courtesy of Fox News:


this irritates me. 

senorcorazon

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #146 on: July 31, 2009, 08:24:41 AM »
Iraq = Egypt, courtesy of Fox News:

this irritates me. 

I bet you also believe that Obama "was" "born" in the United States. How dare you question The House of Murdoch!

Shaggy 2 Grote

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #147 on: July 31, 2009, 11:21:02 AM »
Re. the bends: I once heard/read that workers laying the foundation on the Brooklyn Bridge were working deep under the silt in the East River, with huge scaffolds to keep out the water and mud.  According to this account, when the first bunch of them were brought back up too quickly they got the bends, even though they never left open air.  This might be apocryphal, but I remember it seeming credible when I heard/read it.
Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

Andy

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #148 on: July 31, 2009, 02:50:59 PM »
that doesn't make any sense to me. assume they were 200 feet below sea level, but not under water. what would the effects be? now, assume you went 200 feet above sea level (I'm currently about 1200' above sea level.) what would the effects be?  Without the additional weight/pressure of the water, I wouldn't think that 200' of altitude difference would have any effect on the human body.

the way it would make sense to me is if the compressed air had some effect on the body, but I don't know. obviously that won't keep me from arguing about it.
Breakfast- I'm havin' a time
Wheelies- I'm havin' a time
Headlocks- I'm havin' a time
Drunk Tank- not so much a time
George St.- I'm havin' a time
Brenda- I'm havin' a time
Bingo- I'm havin' a time
House Arrest- I'm still havin' a time

Sarah

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Re: Maps, Charts, and Shit
« Reply #149 on: July 31, 2009, 03:31:13 PM »
The Brooklyn Bridge workers weren't in the open air; they were working under pressure in caissons.  I think "caisson disease" may predate "the bends" as a name for decompression sickness.