The Great War
Published on 28 Apr 2018Chair of Wisdom Time!
April 29, 2018
Tank Crew Training – More German Tank Prototypes I OUT OF THE TRENCHES
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Minnesota Vikings 2018 draft – third day
With the first two days of the 2018 NFL draft in the books, we roll on to day three where Rick Spielman is usually a busy trader. After trading their third-round pick to Tampa Bay late on Friday, the Vikings began the final day of the draft with the following picks in hand:
- R4N02 (102nd overall) – Acquired from Tampa Bay
- R5N30 (167th overall)
- R6N06 (180th overall) – Acquired from Tampa Bay
- R6N30 (204th overall)
- R6N39 (213th overall) – Compensatory pick
- R6N44 (218th overall) – Compensatory pick
- R7N33 (225th overall) – Acquired from Denver
With the second pick of the fourth round, the Vikings selected Jalyn Holmes, defensive end from THE … [dramatic pause] … Ohio State University:
Holmes was a team captain in his true senior season of 2017 and made nine starts, garnering an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten selection by coaches and media.
The 6-foot-5 defensive end totaled 51 games during his Buckeyes career.
Holmes helped Lake Taylor High School win its first Virginia 4A state championship in 2012 by racking up 79 tackles, 40 tackles for loss and 11 sacks.
The pick was announced in St. Paul by the U.S. Olympic Curling Team.
Holmes doesn’t rush well enough to be a 4-3 end and needs more strength to fit into 3-4 fronts. However, if he improves his hand usage and adds lower body strength, he has the potential to become an effective 3-4 end with the ability to push the pocket as an interior rusher in sub packages. Holmes lacks the explosiveness to be a starter who will fill up the stat sheet, but he has intriguing size/strength potential that could make him a better pro than college player.
That last paragraph is quoted from an NFL.com pre-draft evaluation.
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Pipe Dreams: What Happened To Hovertrains?
Mustard
Published on 8 Apr 2018In 1974, a French train sets a speed record, exceeding 250 miles per hour. But this train is unlike any other before it. Instead of rolling on wheels, it hovers on a cushion of air. In the 1970’s hovertrains were seriously being considered the solution to slow, antiquated railways, which increasingly had to compete with new superhighways and even intercity air travel.
Without the rolling resistance of train wheels, hovertrains promised greater efficiency and much higher speeds. By feeding high pressure air through lifting pads, hovertrains float on a cushion of air much like a hovercraft.
One of the most widely known hovertrain prototypes was called the Aerotrain. Lead engineer Jean Bertin and his team in France, designed several versions, including one that could carry 80 passengers. The i80HV was powered by a turbofan sourced from an airliner, producing over twelve thousand pounds of thrust. At the front, a 400 horse power gas-turbine supplied high-pressure air to hover the twenty loaded train a quarter of an inch off its guideway. The British and Americans also experimented with hovertrain technology, incorporating the linear induction motor for improved efficiency. British research led to the development of the RTV-31 Tracked Hovercraft, and the American’s developed several prototypes, culminating in the development of the Urban Tracked Air Cushion Vehicle (UTACV).
But like their counterpart the Maglev, Hovertrains failed to revolutionize rail. Hovertrains, Maglevs, or any other innovative alternative to rail has to compete with nearly a million miles of rail line already in existence. With stations and infrastructure built-out in nearly every city in the world. The limitations of conventional railways were overcome not a single innovative leap forward, but by incremental improvements. Existing rail networks were modernized with sections of track that could handle higher speeds. New signaling technologies were developed along with more advanced wheelsets.
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QotD: Impostor Syndrome
… the list of people who sometimes worry about being uncovered as an impostor is as impressive as it is long. Having to live with a nagging fear of being “found out” as not being as smart or talented or deserving or experienced or (fill-in-the-blank) as people think is a common phenomenon. So common, in fact, that the term “Impostor Syndrome” was coined to describe it back in the 1980’s. Indeed, researchers believe that up to 70% of people have suffered from it at some point. Myself included.
Apart from serial narcissists, super low achievers and outright crazies, no one is immune to the self-doubt that feeds Impostor Syndrome. But what matters most is not whether we occasionally (or regularly) fear failing, looking foolish or not being ‘whatever enough’; it’s whether we give those fears the power to keep us from taking the actions needed to achieve our goals and highest aspirations. Unfortunately, too often people do just that.
Impostor Syndrome is the domain of the high achiever. Those who set the bar low are rarely its victim. So if you are relating to what I’m sharing, then pat yourself on the back because it’s a sure sign that you aren’t ready to settled into the ranks of mediocrity. Rather, you’re likely to be a person who aims high and is committed to giving your very best to whatever endeavour you set your sights upon. A noble aim to be sure.
But giving your best is not the same as being the best. Likewise, there’s a distinct difference between trying to better yourself and being better than every one else. Overcoming the Imposter Syndrome requires self-acceptance: you don’t have to attain perfection or mastery to be worthy of the success you’ve achieved and any accolades you earn along the way. It’s not about lowering the bar, it’s about resetting it to a realistic level that doesn’t leave you forever striving and feeling inadequate. You don’t have to be Einstein to be a valuable asset to your organization and to those around you. Nor do you have to attain perfection to share something with the world that enriches people’s lives in some way.
Margie Warrell, “Afraid Of Being ‘Found Out?’ How To Overcome Impostor Syndrome”, Forbes, 2014-04-03.
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