Category Archives: Random

The Last Command

My imagination sometimes causes me to make unexpected connections between things. And if presented with an unusual word or phrase, I may not immediately make the expected connection.

For example, in Howard County, on Brighton Dam Road, between the county line and Clarksville, there are several signs alerting passerby to the presence of an “Underground Fire Suppression Tank” along the road.

Now, what I think these signs are referring to is underground storage facilities for water to be used in fighting fires. An alternative to the more common fire hydrants.

But the phrase “Underground Fire Suppression Tank”… that’s just a bit awkward. The word “tank” has meanings beyond a container for liquids, in particular, it also refers to a particular type of armored vehicle used in combat. And once you make that sort of connection, the words “fire suppression” also take on a different meaning.

Is this “underground fire suppression tank” a machine intended to defend the local populace against something? And it’s underground? Perhaps so it doesn’t draw attention to itself? And it’s probably automated too, right?

That’s a rough approximation of my train of thought the first time I saw one of those signs, and it triggered a memory of another automated tank.

One of my earliest exposures to science fiction was a book titled Tales of Time and Space, I’m unsure who gave it to me or when, but over the years, it became quite worn. One story which particularly stuck with me was “The Last Command,” the story of an automated tank which is accidentally activated by a construction crew. And when the tank is unable to contact its command facility, the onboard AI concludes that it’s been attacked and must respond accordingly.

The story was originally published in 1967, but it still holds up today. Give it a read.

Extreme Sports

If you see a human run up the wall… that’s parkour.

If you see a dog run up the wall… that’s barkour.

If you see a cat run up the wall… that’s parpurr.

If you see an elephant run up the wall…. I want one of whatever it is that you’re drinking.

Dowden’s Ordinary Park

There’s a park in Clarksburg called “Dowden’s Ordinary Park.”

It turns out to be an historical site and an “ordinary” is pretty much a normal, every day inn. This one was on an important trail between Frederick and Georgetown (In 1755, General Braddock stayed there on his way to the battle at Fort Duquesne)

This leaves me wondering though. If this was an “ordinary”, what was going on at the other inns? Do you suppose it involved dinosaurs?

Google cannot decide

Looking for a download link, I did a Google search for “emacs“. To my amusement, Google asked, “Do you mean vi?”

Screenshot of the results of a Google search for "emacs". Google asks, "Do you mean vi?"

Emacs and vi both have die-hards among their users, so this could be a somewhat contentious suggestion.

But wait, what if you search for vi? Yep, Google asks, “Do you mean emacs“?

Screenshot of the results of a Google search for "vi". Google asks, "Do you mean emacs?"

(For completeness, I’ll note that what’s generally distributed as “vi” is actually a lookalike called “vim.”)

Slash and Axl

I’m not really what you would call a huge fan of Guns N’ Roses. Nothing against them, just not my music and I doubt I could name more than one of their songs (even then, I’m not sure I’ve ever actually heard “Sweet Child O’ Mine”).

Pretty much the main thing I know about the group is that two of its members are Slash and Axl.

The other thing I know is this:

If you do a Google search for Slash, you’ll be presented with a large number of pages about the guitarist. (As an aside, his interview on Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me was quite a bit more entertaining than one might expect from the rocker stereotype; a good lesson in not judging a book by its cover band.)

On the other hand, if you do a Google search for Axl, you’ll be presented with a similarly large number of pages for a B-movie about a boy and his robotic dog. (Definitely a “popcorn” movie; I enjoyed it, but I’m glad I didn’t pay to see it in the theater.)

Hunt Valley Inn Flashback

The Hunt Valley Inn (most recently a Delta Hotels by Marriott property) is permanently closing on Monday. Yesterday the Shore Leave and Farpoint conventions held a farewell event to say goodbye to the hotel which had been host to both events for most of the past 40-plus years.

It was a nostalgia-filled day, mostly spent reminiscing about past conventions and memories associated with the hotel. Memories such as the time we all got snowed in during the 2003 Farpoint, the Hunt Valley Stargate, and more. One of my own memories is from 2006 when Shore Leave 28 guest Kent McCord and his wife took me on a tour of the new Hunt Valley Wegmans (it turned out they’d been going there for breakfast all weekend).

One topic that came up several times was the time Marriott imposed their “standard” corporate look on the hotel, without regard for whether it would actually fit in. The Hunt Valley Inn was built in 1969 by the McCormick company and the building’s design reflected the area’s history. But as quickly became apparent, a design that might be OK in a recently designed building with neutral wallpaper and ballroom-sized foyers, might not be well-suited to dark brick and less sprawling areas.

I don’t recall the exact reason for being there (it likely involved the Farpoint committee meeting with the hotel staff), but I happened to visit the hotel in December of 2005, when the renovations were just getting started. I took a few photos.

Sign reading 'Dear Guest, Please Pardon Our Appearance While We Improve Our Hotel"
Please Excuse the Mess
A sign showing samples of the carpets that would soon appear throughout the hotel
Carpet Swatches
Lower Level elevator lobby.
Hunt Ballroom
Valley Ballroom light fixture
Hallway/foyer outside the Hunt-Valley ballroom
One of the ceiling light fixtures outside the Maryland ballroom. It’s hard to make out, but each bulb is covered with a colored-glass globe, giving an appearance of depression-era colored drinking glasses.
Maryland Hallway Carpet
Guest Room Carpet Swatches
Salon Hallway