Off Season Question Of The Day.

[Yankee Traveler]

Were Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary to end the war or was the US just sending a message to the world?

I believe it was a very unfortunate extreme necessity.
The Japanese culture was not going to let them surrender any other way.
There were still some that wanted to continue and felt Emperor Hirohito was weak for surrendering.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

I still can't understand why we never developed a rail system like Japan's. I took the 'Bullet' from Yakuska to Ngasaki and from Sasebo to Tokyo. Nothing like a smooth ride at 125 mph point to point.

This.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately.
They are pushing electric cars with some states banning the sale of ICE in the near future and some car manufacturers pledging to go all electric.
One problem is range. For me to drive home to Vermont (Home...I haven't lived there since 1990) I stop for gas between Cleveland and Buffalo, then again between Lake George and Rutland. 30 minutes worth of fuel stop max. With electric, that bumps up to a few hours of recharging. At least.
So people will travel less or fly more, or a combination. Flying is a fuel sucking, carbon spewing mode of transportation. Trains are not. Huge difference. For short and intermediate distances, so much time is spent waiting on runways and circling airports that the time advantage of flight over a high sped train is lost. Trans continental or trans oceanic flights not withstanding.
We already have the corridors, high speed trains could run right along highway interstates. Above or beside. Stop only in major cities The pipeline welders that are out of work could be put to work welding rail road, as well as every other trade of construction. If France can have a train that does 325 mph, surely we could. If we wanted.

 

[Southieinnc]

Were Hiroshima and Nagasaki necessary to end the war or was the US just sending a message to the world?

The battle of the Pacific was brutal. Many Americans lives were saved by ending the war suddenly. If I was in charge, I would struggle with the decision of what to do. We sacrificed many civilians to end the war early. Is this the moral thing to do? Is war moral at all?
I cannot find peace in either decision.

Attending a tour in Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, I saw the names of a great many Japanese soldiers. I also saw the names of a great many American soldiers. The Okinawans cared about both. Old woman spoke of the history of the war. I remember an American asking why no men took part in the tour? With tears in her eyes she said, "You killed them all" It was said without mean intent, just matter of factly.....

 

[BigKen]

We already have the corridors, high speed trains could run right along highway interstates. Above or beside. Stop only in major cities The pipeline welders that are out of work could be put to work welding rail road, as well as every other trade of construction. If France can have a train that does 325 mph, surely we could. If we wanted.

Most people don't know that almost every commercial jet has to dump fuel because the struts can't take the extra weight when they hit upon landing. They can't dump below 35,000 feet so when you're sitting in your seat and you hear, "Ladies and gentlemen, please put your seats in the upright position as we begin our approach to your airport." Then you hear a few clinks and clunks and everyone thinks that the landing gear is going down. Nope, it's the fuel release system that creates a very fine spray of jet fuel that usually evaporates by the time it hits 15,000 feet because of the heat created while free falling.

Think that Exxon-Mobil and Shell are going to sit and watch billions of their dollars go to Eversource or PG & E? First time they threaten to pull campaign dollars, attitudes will change very quickly.

Ran out of electricity? Call the AAA Generator Truck and wait three hours while he's charging up someone else 100 miles away. Lotbeasier toput two gallons of gas in a tank and move on.

 

[BigKen]

Is this the moral thing to do? Is war moral at all?
I cannot find peace in either decision.

I lost all moral feelings and direction when I was there. You can't have a debate with yourself and survive. There is no morality in war. They are fought ion one side to conquer and the oither to defend. The defenders always believe what they do is necessary and right while the conquerors are driven by a leader or leaders that have them believing that their cause is right and just.

In combat, you kill everyone who is shooting at you. Doesn't matter. Ki;; ;em all and sort it out when the smoke clears and you hope that they were all enemies. Sometimes the innocent get caught in the crossfire, for whatever reason. You may have been the one who ended them. Sadly, they don't count in the overall scheme of things. The worst phrase of war..."Collateral Damage."

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Most people don't know that almost every commercial jet has to dump fuel because the struts can't take the extra weight when they hit upon landing. They can't dump below 35,000 feet so when you're sitting in your seat and you hear, "Ladies and gentlemen, please put your seats in the upright position as we begin our approach to your airport." Then you hear a few clinks and clunks and everyone thinks that the landing gear is going down. Nope, it's the fuel release system that creates a very fine spray of jet fuel that usually evaporates by the time it hits 15,000 feet because of the heat created while free falling.

Think that Exxon-Mobil and Shell are going to sit and watch billions of their dollars go to Eversource or PG & E? First time they threaten to pull campaign dollars, attitudes will change very quickly.

Ran out of electricity? Call the AAA Generator Truck and wait three hours while he's charging up someone else 100 miles away. Lotbeasier toput two gallons of gas in a tank and move on.

Copy that, all of that.
What Exxon/Mobil or Texaco or Chevron or whoever should be doing is convincing auto makers to develop...codevelop...standardized replaceable batteries.
Instead of pulling into a charging station, pull into a changing station.
Swap out a battery and motor on. You own the car, not the battery.
First one with that technology gets to sell it to their competitors.

 

[Southieinnc]

Copy that, all of that.
What Exxon/Mobil or Texaco or Chevron or whoever should be doing is convincing auto makers to develop...codevelop...standardized replaceable batteries.
Instead of pulling into a charging station, pull into a changing station.
Swap out a battery and motor on. You own the car, not the battery.
First one with that technology gets to sell it to their competitors.

Interesting. Kind of like ?buying" a propane bottle. You don't fill them, just swap em' out.....

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Interesting. Kind of like ?buying" a propane bottle. You don't fill them, just swap em' out.....

Exactly!
I almost used that analogy.

 

[nefansince75]

This.
I've been thinking about this a lot lately.
They are pushing electric cars with some states banning the sale of ICE in the near future and some car manufacturers pledging to go all electric.
One problem is range. For me to drive home to Vermont (Home...I haven't lived there since 1990) I stop for gas between Cleveland and Buffalo, then again between Lake George and Rutland. 30 minutes worth of fuel stop max. With electric, that bumps up to a few hours of recharging. At least.
So people will travel less or fly more, or a combination. Flying is a fuel sucking, carbon spewing mode of transportation. Trains are not. Huge difference. For short and intermediate distances, so much time is spent waiting on runways and circling airports that the time advantage of flight over a high sped train is lost. Trans continental or trans oceanic flights not withstanding.
We already have the corridors, high speed trains could run right along highway interstates. Above or beside. Stop only in major cities The pipeline welders that are out of work could be put to work welding rail road, as well as every other trade of construction. If France can have a train that does 325 mph, surely we could. If we wanted.

Ran out of electricity? Call the AAA Generator Truck and wait three hours while he's charging up someone else 100 miles away. Lotbeasier toput two gallons of gas in a tank and move on.

The battery and charging technology is changing rapidly. Battery density is improving (more charge held by less weight). Battery chemistry (less toxic) and molding (spread it to thin across the undercarriage rather than a traditional battery) is constantly evolving. Also the ability to safely dump more charge safely through is also very quickly evolving.

This isn't a commentary about why we should go electric, though I do have an electric car. It's just a response addressing the battery downside.

 

[nefansince75]

The battle of the Pacific was brutal. Many Americans lives were saved by ending the war suddenly. If I was in charge, I would struggle with the decision of what to do. We sacrificed many civilians to end the war early. Is this the moral thing to do? Is war moral at all?
I cannot find peace in either decision.

Attending a tour in Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, I saw the names of a great many Japanese soldiers. I also saw the names of a great many American soldiers. The Okinawans cared about both. Old woman spoke of the history of the war. I remember an American asking why no men took part in the tour? With tears in her eyes she said, "You killed them all" It was said without mean intent, just matter of factly.....

I wasn't there and don't actually know any of this is true, but...

The Nazis fire bombed London until the allies retaliated by fire bombing Dresden and other cities. The Soviet population was being starved by the Germans, then turned it into a war against sects within their own population and neighbors.

That war was cruel and it seems cruel responses were needed to end it. To ending the war with cruel tactics, I'm sure over cruelty was used to ensure that under cruelty didn't cause failure. We don't know if less cruelty would have had the same results. We do know the tactics used DID end the war.

I'd rather be a pacifist. Being a realist first make we see pacifism on a global level won't work because somebody would ruin it in favor of their own greed.

 

[Southieinnc]

I wasn't there and don't actually know any of this is true, but...

The Nazis fire bombed London until the allies retaliated by fire bombing Dresden and other cities. The Soviet population was being starved by the Germans, then turned it into a war against sects within their own population and neighbors.

That war was cruel and it seems cruel responses were needed to end it. To ending the war with cruel tactics, I'm sure over cruelty was used to ensure that under cruelty didn't cause failure. We don't know if less cruelty would have had the same results. We do know the tactics used DID end the war.

I'd rather be a pacifist. Being a realist first make we see pacifism on a global level won't work because somebody would ruin it in favor of their own greed.

Pacifist?
A pacifist is a liberal who has not been punched in the mouth!

Okinawans are mostly pacifists. That is one reason it was so easy for Japanese to subordinate them.

Pacifism is a wonderful goal but unfortunately, we live in a world full of evil people.

I'm thinking of John Lennon and his song "Imagine" Then he gets murdered.......

 

[YankeeRebel]

Question Of The Day: What famous people live or lived where you grew up?

Alan Shepard
Robert Frost

 

[nefansince75]

Question Of The Day: What famous people live or lived where you grew up?

Alan Shepard
Robert Frost

Where? Do you mean the same house? Street? Town? State? I assume those two didn't grow up in the same house as you, but beyond that I'm not sure... but more details about where would be helpful.

 

[YankeeRebel]

Where? Do you mean the same house? Street? Town? State? I assume those two didn't grow up in the same house as you, but beyond that I'm not sure... but more details about where would be helpful.

I was thinking the town but the State is acceptable as well. I went with town.

 

[BigKen]

I was thinking the town but the State is acceptable as well. I went with town.

I owned a house in Derry, NH from 1988-1994. Alan Shepard and Robert Frost both left their estates to Pinkerton Academy in Derry as did H.P. Hood, the milk magnate. Derry has had some notable people live there.

If it wasn't so politically messed up (65% of their budget is paying off pensions)it would be a great place to live. When I moved there in '88 my property taxes were $2800 a year. When I moved in 1994 I had just received notice that they were up to $6000. No town water, no sewer, no trash collection. Downtown homes and businesses have all that and pay the same rate. My daughter is selling her house in Derry and moving to Dallas, TX in July. Her property taxes last year were $16,000. 4 Bedroom Colonial on one acre. She bought it new ($255K) in 2009 and the Taxes were $8000. She's hasn't listed it yet and already has an offer of $500,000. No available real estate in Derry and nothing close to her house and my guess is that she'll get $600,000+.

 

[BigKen]

I was born and raised in South Portland, Maine.

No superstars other than BigKen.

 

[nefansince75]

I was born and raised in South Portland, Maine.

No superstars other than BigKen.

as you have referenced before, Billy Swift is notable...

 

[nefansince75]

I was thinking the town but the State is acceptable as well. I went with town.

Nobody really notable from my home town, except maybe some prominent state politicians. There's a list on Wikipedia that includes some accomplished botanists... but I won't bore everyone here.

 

[YankeeRebel]

I was born and raised in South Portland, Maine.

No superstars other than BigKen.

Isn't Stephen King from Maine?

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Question Of The Day: What famous people live or lived where you grew up?

Alan Shepard
Robert Frost

I grew up just down the street from where Nathanial Hawthorne lived.
Even closer to Laurie Cabot. New her well. And her daughter.