Technology and transmissions (was: Re: Biometrics)

[Bill Vermillion]

On Tue, Jun 08, 2004 at 09:52:07AM -0400, Jay R. Ashworth thus spoke:
> On Tue, Jun 08, 2004 at 02:29:24AM -0400, Bill Vermillion wrote:
> > On Mon, Jun 07, 2004 at 02:29:44PM -0400, Fairlight thus spoke:
> > > Simon--er, no...it was Bill Vermillion--said:

> > > > > Well hell, making sure the right person is picking them up is
> > > > > a low-tech problem, but you're already bringing in high-tech
> > > > > equipment far beyond reason. What's one more step?

> > > > It's called $$$.

> > > If you're gonna do something, do it right? :) What was the
> > > saying about fast, cheap, or good--pick any two?

> > High tech is not always the correct way to do things.

> Indeed.  If nothing else, it complicates things, sometimes too much.

> Case in point.  

> The Plymouth Voyager my insurance company just totaled (so I had enough
> money to buy a BMW; mixed blessing) has an A604 electronically-shifted
> 4-speed automatic transmission.  Because the tranny shifts by computer
> control -- and because it doesn't *sense* what's going on, but
> *computes*  it, based on the fluid properties of the *required* ATF+3
> transmission fluid -- if you use Dexron III, as so many people
> (including the Oil Can Henry's I haddo fluid and filter at 80) seem to
> *think* you can, that computer doesn't really know what's going on...

> and the shifting, and shortly the transmission, go to hell.

> That's why my 635 has a stick.

> Well, y'know, that and the mid-life-crisis.  :-)

I have probably about 2000 miles driving an automatic.  And part of
that was when my partner and I went to two conventions in Atlanta
and since he's a big guy he rent a big Lincoln.  The other was
driving my mothers Plymouth Fury on those exceptionally long flat
roads in Montana and it would get up to 100-105 mph.  Speed limit
in MT at that time was 55MPH at night or if it was raining.

The first car I owned with >anything< automatic was a Sunbeam Tiger
and the automatic choke failed.  Now the computer in the Honda runs
the engine and last week the PGM-FI relay failed - but that's
surely better and easier to replace than oily rotating
pieces/parts.

> > > Turnstiles seem primitive, but I suppose it could work if you have
> > > full-height ones.

> > That's what I was talking about.  Havent you seen the ones with
> > multiple parallel bars.  Everything else goes to the ceiling and
> > the only way through is the one way rotation with room for only one
> > person.

> Yeah, they're popular on subways; I think boston has them.

I see them in many places.  I think some of the theme parks here
in O-town have them too.

> > Having a scanner is far easier than having to have someone identify
> > a person visually and push a button that unlock a door.  It's just
> > a more expensive and less labor intensive lock.

> Ah yes... artificial stupidity.

And when they improve that is becomes Artificial Super Stupidity
and we all know that acronym.


-- 
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com