posted

The Cold War Legacy Lurking in U.S. Groundwater

[Ed: I’ve made many transits of the lands referred to in this informative if not disturbing read. One crucial issue not mentioned in this article are the rapid developments in the science behind groundwater modeling in relation to biotic vectors and what exactly is happening to uranium compounds that are available and mobile underground. The redox (and subsequent immobilization) of uranium through biotic/microbial vectors has recently been demonstrated to have major effects on reductive sedimentary environments, though gauging the precise impacts on particular situations remain difficult. See, for example, Biotic-Abiotic Pathways: A New Paradigm for Uranium Reduction in Sediments]

The town of Uravan, Colorado (named so, combining the words URAnium and VANadium) with the Manhattan Project era uranium mill operational, ca. 1950. Photo credit: Colorado Historical Society.
The town of Uravan, Colorado (named so, combining the words URAnium and VANadium) with the Manhattan Project era uranium mill operational, ca. 1950. Photo credit: Colorado Historical Society.

This story was originally published by ProPublica and was written by Mark Olalde, Mollie Simon and Alex Mierjeski, video by Gerardo del Valle, Liz Moughon and Mauricio Rodríguez Pons.

In America’s rush to build the nuclear arsenal that won the Cold War, safety was sacrificed for speed. Uranium mills that helped fuel the weapons also dumped radioactive and toxic waste into rivers like the Cheyenne in South Dakota and the Animas in Colorado. Thousands of sheep turned blue and died after foraging on land tainted by processing sites in North Dakota. And cancer wards across the West swelled with sick uranium workers. The U.S. government bankrolled the industry, and mining companies rushed to profit, building more than 50 mills and processing sites to refine uranium ore. more “The Cold War Legacy Lurking in U.S. Groundwater”

posted
  • place: Washington, D.C.

Appendix 8: The Systems Process

[Ed: this document was written by Cleveland Hopkins as an addenda to an unidentified white paper produced in the early 1970s at the Office of Telecommunications Policy (OTP) — a White House office dedicated to policy-making in a rapidly shifting telecom environment. It is meant as an introduction to the concept of the systems process for those unfamiliar with the approach. Cleveland Hopkins was involved as a Systems Analyst looking at USPS electronic mail-handling; international and domestic telecom policy; digital medical record-keeping in the context of universal health care, among many other projects. His early career included twenty years in weapons system development (radar and ICBM) with DOD and MITs Lincoln Laboratory and Radiation Lab (Rad Lab) among other organizations. See his obit for further information.]

APPENDIX 8: The Systems Process

It is the objective of this short paper to invite attention to the Systems Process, its concepts, its essential nature, limitations and capabilities, and its output.

Introduction

“The systems approach basically applies scientific methods to the solution of practical problems,” [1], Concepts of the systems process vary from regarding it as the most powerful intellectual tool ever devised to “…the vacuous systems approach…” Historically, some of these ideas were applied to the activity used during World War II by small groups of people in trying to solve problems that were beyond the capacity of one person in the available time; these initial applications were to radar matters involved in the defense of Britain. Larger business firms have used such a process for many years to pool the efforts of management to subsequently maintain or improve their profit margins. The process began to get widespread public recognition shortly after Robert S. McNamara became Secretary of Defense; he brought in a group of technical people, later called the “Whiz Kids“ by the military, who, after some effort were able to break up the massive military problems into pieces that could be profitably worked on by individuals of different professional backgrounds. Their results were then combined and modified by operational people so that the solutions were relevant to the real world. Some duplication was taken out of the military services, and great efforts were made to obtain maximum results for the money spent, giving rise to cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness schemes.

more “Appendix 8: The Systems Process”

posted

Militarizing Cyberspace

In the dreamy 1990s, when the Internet was first popularized, the ruling meme was beautifully and evocatively utopian with that enduring desire in the human imagination for a technology of communication that finally matched the human desire for connectivity and (universal) community finally finding its digital expression in networked communication. Few voices were raised concerning the specter of harsher realities to come, namely the possibility that the Internet was also a powerful vehicle for sophisticated new iterations of ideologies of control as well as for inscribing a new global class structure on the world. To the suggestion that the destiny of the digital future was likely to be the rapid development of a new ruling class, the virtual class, with its leading fragments, whether information specialists, from coders to robotic researchers, or corporate visionaries closely linked–nation by nation, continent by continent, industry by industry–by a common (technocratic) world-view and equally shared interests, the response was just as often that this is purely dystopian conjecture. As the years since the official launch in 9/11 of the counter-revolution in digital matters indicates, the original funding of the Internet by DARPA was truly premonitory, confirming in the contemporary effective militarization of the networked communication that the visionary idea of developing a global form of network connectivity that harvested the most intimate forms of individual consciousness on behalf of swelling data banks was as brilliant in its military foresightedness as it was chilling in its impact.

from the CTheory.net monograph Surveillance Never Sleeps, July 2015, Volume 37, #1.

Red Herring and Wired magazines might have been dreaming of a utopian desire-filling network, but I surely wasn’t. Yeah, there was a tiny window for using the Master’s tools to quasi-autonomously generate disembodied and low-bandwidth connections with other humans remotely, but some of us knew that DARPAs master was the master of the protocols that drove the ‘net. And the maxim that ‘whomever controls the protocols of human connection controls the very human energies that are carried via those protocols’ applied then, applies now. This very much independent of any privacy concerns, as privacy is simply not a characteristic of communications or data storage when someone else is controlling the communications protocol.

posted
  • place: Boulder, Colorado

Full dissertation text: The Regime of Amplification

Well, I guess it’s about time to put the PhD dissertation text out there in .pdf form, so, here it is (PDF download):

The Regime of Amplification

Have at it, be polite, no grabbing, pushing, or shoving. Do not fold, spindle, or mutilate. If you can prove that you’ve read it back to front, I’ll buy you a bottle of Herradura Añejo Tequila*, as long as we can split it!

*this is my hard liquor drink of choice since 1980 when it was hard to find even in the US southwest — cherished bottles imported into Iceland (bought in NYC at NY Liquors on Canal Street, the only place in NYC that carried it!) would last up to six months, like a fine Scottish whiskey, small glasses for sipping — none of that brutish slugging down shots or making margaritas with this fine distillate.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 29 November, 1963

Talked to Norm Koss again; he would furnish curves of relative simulation between the decoy & R/E vehicle. He asked for Pippert’s extension so he can tailor his presentation to what is needed.

Finished the Mk II PA Summary Sheet & gave it to PC for distribution.

39˚F – 100% OC
Rain later

Lent Lee Murray the router and gave him three rough oak boards.

Went to bed more or less early.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Wednesday, 27 November, 1963

Talked to Allan Hunter/AvCo/Lowell/249 re: the β & CoA for Mk 6 & Mk II decoys. He responded by saying that they no longer use these values in describing decoys as they vary so much during a trajectory. They resort to the basic coefficients of Cd(drag), Cn (normal forces), and Cnσ (damping moment). He thot that these for Mk 6 Mod 2 are in RAD-SR-63-168, and would get the others for Mk II. Norm Koss ret’d my call of several day ago at 3 PM and said that he would like to know what we want with the numbers, either decoy trajectory estimation, or for R/E vehicle simulation. Called Glen Pippert on this, and he said he would select a value as a basis of comparison. I agreed to call Koss on Friday.

100% OC
Windy

Made arrangements to see Fred Lake at 0715 Monday 02 Dec.

Took DCH to Newton to spend the night at Marlin Krider’s prior to going to Mt. Washington with him for the weekend. MK showed some of his slides of that area.

Stopped at Maynard Lumber Co. to see what they have; they are liquidating to settle an estate. 2″x4″x8′ are 59¢ each compared to 76¢; 2″x16″ fiberglass insulation is 4¢/sq.ft. I suppose we should get enough for the basement.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Tuesday, 26 November, 1963

With ELE, talked to Jack Slade for a time relative to the Hndbk that I’ve been working on for months. He had 7 items as ff:

1) Need R/E vehicle separations, δ & Range.

2) Add to schedules what has been fired — add to basic chart the documentation of results.

3) PS’s — summary in each section.

4) Code letter for stabilization.

5) Mk IV Improvement Program — detail on.

6) Mk VI Schedules

7) Separate WAC & Rex.

Jack also thot a room should be allocated for info display — as I have been telling these people here for 1-1/2 years.

Aubrey Stinnett in to see who was the former head of Div 3 — J. V. Harrington, now Dir. of the Space Research Center at MIT. Aubrey wants to work at MIT & this looks like a good way to do it. Apparently his work hasn’t been particularly appreciated; I suggested that he talk to Vic Guthrie at length. Aubrey had the name of William Juan, 4509 Banner Drive, Long Beach, as a recommended individual for Versamat operation, so I phoned this to Ward Topping.

I’ll probably have another tangle w/ AvCO.

100% OC

Back at work after a stunning weekend. The chap who shot the President, one Oswald, an ex-Marine who had lived in Russia, was shot & killed by Jack Ruby, a Dallas night-club owner, as Oswald was being moved from one jail to another. This occurred yesterday morning.

CHH called to say that Winifred isn’t feeling well and that we had better not come down.

Cleaned the spark plugs on the Ford.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Monday, 25 November, 1963

Laboratory closed for the funeral of the President.

Aubrey Stinnett called about 0830 to say he wanted to see me. I made an appointment to meet him at PSC at 3 PM. See other diary.

30˚F – Clear

At 0830 Aubrey Stinnett called to say he is back in Cambridge, so I arranged to meet him at PSC at 3 PM.

Watched the funeral services from 0930 until 2 PM when I left to go to PSC. On the way in it occurred to me that I didn’t have the two keys I need, one to Tom Erickson’s office, and the other to the Echo Organ loft. I went on in, finding Park Street blocked off by a public gathering at the State House, so went down & back to Washington Street in 20 minutes. Met Aubrey, and went back home after the keys but couldn’t find them! Aubrey told of his efforts to revitalize the church at Kwajalein — he apparently did it single-handed. We ret’d to PSC and AS helped me run the level again to check the floor elevations, it turned out at 7-5/16″.

The President’s funeral was astounding; TV coverage was complete. About a hundred heads of state & emissaries from foreign countries walked up to St. Michael’s Cathedral from the White House, behind Mrs. Kennedy.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 22 November, 1963

Rec’d call from Dr. Pippert C-230 for wt, β, and CoA on Mk 6 & Mk II decoys about 1:30 PM when I was working on it. As I tried to get AvCo, it wasn’t possible due to the load on the phone lines caused by the shooting of the President.

The Laboratory was closed about 3:15 PM.

Checked out the transit from John Paddleford, and a T-square from Gp22 Drafting Room.

40˚F
Foggy

Called Ed Poore to see if he 1) has the keys to the Echo organ chamber — no, but would see me tonight & 2) has a sheet of 1/8″ hard-tempered Masonite I can use for a drawing board.

death In trying to get through to AvCo at 1:50 PM I couldn’t get an outside trunk line, and then the telephone operator in trying to get a line out said she didn’t think she could “with the news.” “What news do you have?” “Kennedy has been shot!” He was shot as his car passed an underpass, as was the Governor of Texas; a Secret Service man was killed. This must be the work of a twisted mind.

Checked out a transit from John Paddleford — Gp75 to use at PSC tomorrow. Also checked out a T-square from the Gp22 Drafting Room.

Dr. Ockenga’s prayer mtg has changed to a Memorial Service, but he had a chap from Dutch Guiana who took 1/2-hour instead of 10 minutes. Met w/ Ken O., J. A. Cheever, who asked questions that showed he hadn’t looked at the block diagram.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Thursday, 21 November, 1963

Made a good effort to finish the Mods A, B, & C parts of Mk II.

39˚F – 100% OC

Some rain.

Stopped at AMS & picked up heater & radiator hoses for Paul B’s ’54 Chevy; they didn’t have the fuel pump diaphragms yet.

posted
  • place: Boston and South Acton, Massachusetts

Wednesday, 20 November, 1963

Made a final chart for decoy characteristics, and had some prints made by 11:30 AM.

I think I ought to write out my thots on the L2 group at BSD for ELE.

Filled in the table or chart w/ MkII mods A&B after much search.

30˚F — 75% RH

Couldn’t find my pocketbook at home, and it wasn’t at my desk. About 0900 the supervising guard called to say that the Janitor, Thomas Cazzio turned it in at 7:15 PM last night. He also said the night guard should have called me at home.

There was frost on the car windows this morning.

Had dinner at PSC, and gave my remarks quickly, and then went home & to bed by 9:20 PM.

CHH called about 9:30 PM to talk about Thanksgiving. We decided to go ahead & eat out. Decision as to whether we go at all or not will be made Sunday night on the phone.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Tuesday, 19 November, 1963

Had a discussion with ELE on 1) the Payload Physical Characteristics Handbook, 2) 2A letter from BSY (Col. Middlekauf) requesting the set-up of a small group at Norton to assist in the planning of long-range testing and to provide a channel for the results of L2 efforts in re-entry physics to get into BSD/BSY. Apparently the decision has been made to do it on a 3-month rotation basis. I suspect he was fishing to get me to go out there. I have been thinking for some time that such a party would have payoff. BSY has only one civilian in a civil service capacity.

100% OC
Light rain
92% RH — 45˚F

Worked on a talk for tomorrow night at the Sunday School Teachers. In spite of the temporary file on this I still couldn’t find the copy of “Science” that talked about C. P. Snow’s proposal to put public affairs in the hands of scientists. Finally decided to read what I have to say.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Monday, 18 November, 1963

AAG ret’d from Kwajalein.

Had lunch w/ Bill Sen at ESL re: going to work in his outfit; I hope something comes of it.

Worked some more, not much, I admit, on the decoy sheets.

Had lunch at MITRE w/ Bill Sen, head of ESD/ESL; I set forth my need to return to the gov’t in view of my retirement situation. He spoke of his basic planning job, a sizable one foe AF all over the world. I’m glad to know it’s being done. As we parted I suggested that he check me out with Hugh Miser. I sure hope something comes of it. Called HJM to tell him the above.

Went home about 2 PM and sprayed cream color on the Ford fenders — temps almost a record — 60˚F or so.

Had an altercation with DCH — I can’t tolerate the rudeness and constant back-talk.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 15 November, 1963

Finally got the Wallops Island sheet from Leo S.; he wants it completely unclassified and has a letter from Frank Hudson at CRL establishing Dr. Pipperts letter to him of April 1962 as the classification policy.

ELE back from another LORU 8 Test Planning Mtg. He found that the conflicting TRADEX tracks of the REX III shot apparently caused by program errors/range safety errors that cut the HIRS rocket operation in half; this seemed to interchange the positions of the RE vehicle & the decoy compared to the planned positions.

At ELE’s request gave Dr. Pippert CoA on MK II Mod 4A — my values for β were inverted and should be changed at late reentry.

30˚F – 70% clear

Wrote report on audio-TV matters, and presented it. There was some discussion, particularly from Jim Petersen who wanted to know it “… this would see the end of it?” John Zvara had an estimate of $1500/2000 for the move, having added $500 for a bank of Sanctuary overhead light switches. I agreed to make a scale drwg. of the layout — probably can get to it on Sat. 23 Nov.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Thursday, 14 November, 1963

Dave Reiner in to ask about the use of the Itek spectral sensitometers at Holloman; Capt. Frischett raises this question. I gave DR a copy of my letter of 23 Sept. ’63 to Ward Topping which raises the question of re-examining the payoff from these devices; Dave will send a copy to Ray Holland.

Have a good draft of the decoy chart.

Leo S. not in early, & did not return my call.

30˚F

DCH went off last night to library to “study”, returning at 10:45 PM; he apparently spent the evening on a schedule for folk-singing.

Went in to the Harvard Astronomical Library for the 8 PM mtg. on the ATM. Two films were shown, and cider & doughnuts served. Had an interesting disc. w/ Frank Kovac who has a 1620 Fortran program for Maksutov design. He & his associate have also been able to successfully test their photo-electric guiding device at Harvard’s Agassiz Stations. Some snow on way home.

DCH to the German class at Harvard.

posted
  • place: Boston and South Acton, Massachusetts

Wednesday, 13 November, 1963

Went in to office at 1 PM and worked on the decoy summary chart until 5 PM; this chart is different from the R/E vehicle chart.

35˚F – 1/2 Overcast

Stayed in bed until about 11:15, when LCH cut my hair, and I took a shower. My back seems to hurt a lot more; I must have overdid on Monday.

On the way to work after lunch I stopped at the office on the Town Engineer to see if he would have some gravel put on my driveway to replace what was taken away last summer. He said that he has no trucks, etc., that I should talk to the Street Department, Mr. Nelson. He wasn’t in. I suppose I should get some hauled in at my expense. The rear bkt. on the Ford tailpipe should be replaced also.

I think that the schools of education are turning out high school administrators who think that what goes on in the high school should be watered down and made simple, also allowing the students to slide by.

LCH off to DCH Open House at school.

The review of Conant’s book has made quite an impression on me.

Took Bud LeMoine to Men4s Club at PSC; Dr. Eldersveld spoke on Science.

Geo Pickering said last night that John Svara had asked him to look into the move estimates as he would be out of town for the Trustees Mtg. on 15 November. I see I’ll have a lot to do. I’ll make a scale drwg. on proposal.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Tuesday, 12 November, 1963

Worked up draft of chart for decoy tabulation.

46˚F – Overcast 100%

Too tired to sleep last night.

Left office about 3:30 PM and went home. Apparently I can’t breathe the vapors from the spray gun. I had a bad headache across my eyes that must have come from these vapors.

Read in the Maksutov Club notes some more; the whole activity is beginning to make sense. I hope I can afford some kind of a good lathe or multipurpose tool. Mr. Packard of the Pkd Machinery Co. at Kendall has a few used 9″ South Bend lathes — one at $350 for a 3-1/2′ bed, $450 for one with new head-and tail-stocks & a 4-1/2′ bed. The British multipurpose tool is perhaps more useful for telescope-making.

LCH talked to Miss Proctor, DCH’s guidance counselor for about 45 minutes. She thinks that he should stay after school two days/wk and study French w/ the teacher. She also does not think he should have to stop his PO job or others to study.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 08 November, 1963

The weekly Lab bulletin carried the news that Dr. James W. Meyer, head of Div 3 will assume management of Press immediately; with Mel Herlin on Roi about 1/2-time, C.F. Kaye of Div 3 will handle admin mtrs. On 1 Feb, Vic Guethlin will relieve Paul Sebring, & Dave Moore will become Associate Mgr. for logistics & admin — Hal Curtis, Ass’t. Mgr. for Airborne Operations.

Home at 1:30 PM.

Rain 45˚F

Called Mr Phillips at Lake Service and told him of the trouble last night. He told me to put the unit on auto and bring up the Beam Control and see if the image came in; I called Ed & had him go thru this exercise, but the image didn’t appear. Called Phillips but he was out; a Mr. Green called, saying that Phillips might not be back: he sent down the chap who put the unit in, and it worked alright during the evening show. Dr. Eldersveld spoke so low that we couldn’t boost him enough.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Thursday, 07 November, 1963

Home in AM.

Rain

Home in AM. Put another coat of undercoater on the Ford Fender, went to Maynard after holding bolts, sanded the fender, and then put a coat of Colonial White on it.

Got to office about 11:30 AM.

DCH in bed with a sore throat — he has stayed up too late too many nights.

Am trying to assemble a good make-b4-break switch from salvage junk; had Rudy in shop drive out the pins. Then he sharpened a 1/4″ drill for me — he is a craftsman!

When I went to turn off the rented TV camera, it had no image on it; couldn’t get it to reappear. I went up & down stairs so many times last night that I almost had a shin splint. Martin Howell was quite taken with the clear image of the rented camera; I hope he will buy it for us. He even went up and downstairs to see the screens in the Hawey Room.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Wednesday, 06 November, 1963

Worked on the decoy listing in the AM, and started to re-do the MkII Mod 4A profile drawing.

Home in PM.

Call from Bill Sen/MITRE to say that he has to go to DCA & will see me another time. I hope so.

40˚F
Rain

Went home in PM to take care of NJH & JCH.

Put another coat of grey undercoater on the Ford fender and a first one on the air cleaner.

Call from Bill Sen/MITRE cancelling tomorrow’s lunch date; he has to go to DCA. I hope he calls back.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Tuesday, 05 November, 1963

Started to clean up my desk.

Overcast 30˚F

Went to Waltham at noon, stopping at Black’s for a brake cylinder clamp, and for some kelp.

I should have stayed home to spray the Ford fender.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Monday, 04 November, 1963

I should have stayed home today and sprayed the Ford fender.

Rec’d. 3 sketches of LORV (low observable reentry vehicles) SS vehicles & the one of Mk II Mod 4; this latter one has insufficient dimensions.

Went in to PSC early to get the labeling machine I left there last night. The traffic funneling into Tremont Street in enough to cause delays several blocks long; I left the Willys about 100 yds. from the Fire Station and walked. There were many parking spots on Park Street.

Took Bud LeMoyne to the Mass State Employment Service, 14 Spring St., Waltham, to Mr. Mulligan at Hanscomb Employment Office, and left him at 3:20 PM with Jack Sullivan, one of Jack Dargin’s men in the Non-Professional Personnel Office.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 01 November, 1963

Call Jack Slade re: the schedule. He wants a copy of the physical characteristics handbook. We may be able to send him the one LK now has, as it is an extra.

Went home at 1:30 PM and went to bed to rest my back & get rid of the sniffles.

Borrowed the label embosser from Gp75 to use tomorrow at PSC.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Thursday, 31 October, 1963

Jack Slade in to ask about HIRS, and what vehicles it will be on that Tradex we’ll see.

Wrote to LAB re: engineering education.

Talked to Mary Lou re: the schedule — the schedule Control Board meets 4 November & she will mark the next issue with HIRS & Tradex identifications.

RH 30%
Warmer

Went over to Lincoln Auto to pick up the rear tail gate sills for the Willys; Ed Boyer had not ordered them, so I went to the Jeep warehouse and got the part nr. again — 664416; then took it out to them.

It seems to me that this has been the longest time between paydays that I can recall.

posted
  • place: Boston and South Acton, Massachusetts

Wednesday, 30 October, 1963

Spent day at PSC after putting CoA on the Mark II Mod4A sheets. Got home at 7:20 PM.

35˚F – windy

Spent the day at PSC working on the audio system with Geo Costello. The Altec Line Amp & tone control were put on one of the 6′ relay racks, and finally connected after a three hour chore by Geo. A short in the movie input plug was responsible for no sound out of the house system, and the jumper between the 100′ mike cable and the sound floor jack was shorted. After all this and finding the radio, I was able to get a good signal out of the Overhead and Under Balcony speakers. We plan to finish this part and put on the filter Saturday morning.

This seems the longest time I’ve gone without cash.

The Lemoyne’s arrived from Belle Fourche, S.D., and decided to stay in a motel.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Tuesday, 29 October, 1963

Talked to Dave Gray — optical engineer in Div3 — re: my desire to make a Maksutov scope. He has a program that will trace the rays and compute the minimum of the f…f[path length]2. He gave me a sheet of symbol definitions and a copy of one of the recent subroutine inputs.

Inked in the Mark II Mod4A sheet as Pat had kept it for a week.

Wind – rain in morn.

Rain up to about 0900, then cooler with lots of wind.

Arrived at Lakes office at 0705 and talked until 0845, ironing out many questions on my block diagram of 26 April ’63. Lake thinks he can get it all done by Thanksgiving — cost around $1200. I’m quite relieved.

My back hurts a lot; the strain of last night plus exp in the rain gave me more cold and it seems to settle in my back.

Punched the Maksutov Club notes. Also spent an hour or so with Dave Gray in Div3. He said he had been an optical designer for 20 years and had been working on his optical system program for the 7090 for 1-1/2 years.

The School Board’s proposal was defeated by less than a 50-vote majority.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Monday, 28 October, 1963

Talked with W2 re: the details of a filter for the 980∿ feedback frequency at PSC: he thot a series II inductor-capacitor arrangement would be okay — suggested that I talk to Bob Bergeman, and perhaps set up a bread board in our lab. Bob worked up some values & tried them, I think I ought to get the variable components and take them to PSC for a trial.

Rain!

Ret’d Cornelius’ 1/8″ drill at 0745; he gave me some Rustoleum thinning oil, saying that Rustoleum can be put on without going down to bare metal. I’ll have DCH get the rust off, then spray the Rustoleum, follow with undercoat and then the final last coats.

Bob Bergeman worked up the crt constants for a 50 Db/octave filter to take out the 980 cycle feedback frequency — I’d like to go down now and try it out, but of course I can’t. He used a simple R-C filter across the line.

Made arrangements to meet at Lakes office at 0700 in the morning.

Went to Town Mtg. and listened to 3 hours of discussion on the problem of voting on eminent domain proceedings to obtain 40 acres of the Conant land for a campus-type school. We left b4 the ballots were cast, as my back was hurting.

Hurricane Ginny off Nantucket.

JAH left a note on my pillow to the effect that Dave Nelson had called to say that the under-balcony short had been found.

posted
  • place: Granite Mountain Wilderness, Arizona

.50 calibre sacrifice, in the zone

sacrifice, Granite Mountain Wilderness, Arizona, October 2013

Entering the zone on the north side of Granite Mountain Wilderness area on a long and mesmerizing transit. It’s the site of a massive wildfire burn from last June: I feel a bit like I’m in Tarkovsky’s Stalker. This image witnesses spalled granite (from the great heat of the fire) and completely dead, a sunstantial manzanita trunk. The fire was of such a heat that much of the burn area was sterilized rather than being regenerated. More images and commentary shortly.

posted
  • place: in the cloud

what to think?

EJ happens on this disturbing instance in front of his house: disturbing to me at least as I research the costs of ever-expanding surveillance (as a form of feedback) within the social system that we in the US happen to be participating in these days. Look for yourself: the 19th block of Mapleton Ave. in Boulder. I plan to complain to Google about this — in Europe at least my car and body would be fuzzed-out like my license plate — but they likely will only fuzz me out, not more. The images are from August 2012 when I was house-sitting for those folks… In StreetView you can see that I am wearing Nike socks, and you can even see inside the cab of my truck.

caught via

posted
  • place: Glade Park, Colorado

cyberwar, or so (what)

Why is it nearly impossible to limit or ban cyberweapons? First, although the purpose of “limiting” arms is to put an inventory-based lid on how much damage they can do in a crisis, such a consideration is irrelevant in a medium in which duplication is instantaneous. Second, banning attack methods is akin to banishing “how-to” information, which is inherently impossible (like making advanced mathematics illegal). The same holds for banning knowledge about vulnerabilities. Third, banning attack code is next to impossible. Such code has many legitimate purposes, not least of which is in building defenses against attack from others. These others include individuals and non-state actors, so the argument that one does not need defenses because offenses have been outlawed is unconvincing. In many, perhaps most cases, such attack code is useful for espionage, an activity that has yet to be banned by treaty. Furthermore, finding such code is a hopeless quest. The world’s information storage capacity is immense; much of it is legitimately encrypted; and besides, bad code does not emit telltale odors. If an enforcement entity could search out, read, and decrypt the entire database of the world, it would doubtless find far more interesting material than malware. Exhuming digital information from everyone else’s systems is hard enough when the authorities with arrest powers try it; it may be virtually impossible when outsiders try.

Libicki, M., 2009. Cyberdeterence and Cyberwar. RAND Corporation. pps. 199-200.

posted
  • place: en route South Acton, Massachusetts - Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington - Bradbury State Park, Maine

Friday, 31 May, 1963

Went to office and made out Travel Voucher.

Talked for two hours to Josef F. Schneider AFMDC/MDSCP Holloman AFB, New Mexico, re: the photo installation for the DPC. Apparently they are going ahead with the installation there, as he wants the specifications as soon as he can get them. Suggested that they hire a photo/mechanical consultant to design the pump-piping-water conditioning system if they decide to put in the entire plant, i.e., 2 Hi-Speed machines and one Versamat. The Versamat only doesn’t need a consultant, as EKCo will sell or itemize what is needed for mixing + pumping.

Went to office for 5-6 hours. Then went to Baldwin Ins. Ofc in Wayland to get endorsement on INA policy for trailer – $2 – then to the Registry of MV at Framingham for trailer License plates.

Finally left about 4 PM and drove to the Bradbury State Park in Central Maine – taking the Gray exit. The trailer brakes really work; I wonder how much voltage is on them. Bradbury is in a rural region. We got settled about 9 PM.

posted
  • place: en route Cleveland, Ohio - Rochester, New York

Tuesday, 28 May, 1963

Sat in mtgs until 4:30 PM. A. D. Hall‘s paper on Systems Engineering was excellent. Also paper L2, “On the Need for Improvement in Implementation of OR Results” by Donald G. Malcolm was fine.

The principle theme for these mtgs was he emphasis on OR in industry, and the more heavily attended sessions were in this area.

Left in a driving rainstorm and went to Rochester for the night.

Overcast

Inside hotel all day, attending mtgs.

Left about 4:30 PM and drove to Rochester, NY. Had car lubricated at Mobil next to Holiday Inn.

posted
  • place: Cleveland, Ohio

Monday, 27 May, 1963

Sat in several sessions as recorded in my notes.

Saw Dick Jordan, Al Blumstein — now with IDA and Gayle Bond — Bob Wheeler is now at Armour, so Gayle said.

Two FAA chaps were at the Transportation Section Mtg. I spoke with one [?] of the ATC Branch, NAFEC, re: the MOE’s developed by T. Pearcey + [?] in Australia, and the Arcon paper on the North Atlantic Study.

I also spoke to the Transportation Section Chairman re: trying to get papers on problems in ATC.

HJM’s retiring Presidential address was quite good as was the dinner speech of the HHFA Director, Dr. Robert C. Weaver.

See other log book.

The Gideon Bible in Rm 358 of the Sheraton-Cleveland Hotel has several pp in the front of excellent references. The following are those under the heading “Practical Precepts”:

Christian Home Relationships – Eph 5:22 – 6:4
A Model Wife & Mother Prov – 31:10-13
Marriage & Divorce – Matt 19:3-9; Malachi 2:14-16
Sin of Adultery – Prov 6:23-33
The Prodigal Son – Luke 15:11-32
Employer-Employee – Col 3:22 – 4:1
Business & Prof. Principles – Psalms 15; Prov 3:11-22
Sep from Worldliness – II Cor 6:14 – 7:1; I John 2:15-17
Decision or Doubtful Things – Romans 14
Christian Fruitfulness – John 15
Heavenly Wisdom – James 3:14-18
Christian Responsibilities – Romans 12 & 13
Christian Stewardship – II Cor 8 & 9
Christian Witnessing – Matt 28:18-20; John 17:18-20
Prevailing Prayer – Matt 6:5-15; Phill 4:6,7
Heavenly Priorities – Matt 6:25-33
Brevity of Man’s Days – Psalms 90
Consequences of Forgetting God – Hosea 4:1-11
The Causes of War – James 4:1-4
The Value of the Soul – Mark 8:36-37

The Gideons International, 212 East Superior St. Chi II, Ill., 1961 Edition.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Friday, 24 May, 1963

Continued to work on trip report. Came back in at 9 PM on way home from ATM and finished trip report at 1220 AM, 25 May.

Had mtg with ELE and Dan Dustin to show them ELE’s accumulation of MK6 etc mt’l. We will send him 3 cys Monday AM.

Left note on Pat Crosby’s desk for her to get my longhand trip report from my 2-drawer file, show it to ELE for coord by VJG and publication on Tuesday, I hope.

Took Willys to the Waltham Spring Service shop on Music Hall Avenue to have the front spring replaced. It cost $45 and makes it ride easier.

Mr. Hussey called to say that he had another talk w/ Tony Tremarche of the Auditors Committee, who said he is being pressed by the Bank for $4500 in taxes and interest. They have 90 days to produce. I think the bank is doing this to get something going in this situation.

Picked up 6.70×15 inner tube and new rear shocks for Willys and new air cleaner for Ford — all at Sears. Left tire tube + rim at Mobil for mtg. Got gas.

Took JCH to Mary’s for weekend. LCH + JAH to GS overnite at Cochituate. Stopt at ATM on way home to see if Walter Singer was on hand, but he wasn’t.

posted
  • place: Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington and South Acton, Massachusetts

Thursday, 23 May, 1963

Started to write trip report after making up travel voucher.
Overcast

Went to Waltham at lunch time and picked up a gallon of honey, kelp, and paprika.

Played ball with the girls + JCH after dinner.

LCH to her last class at BU for this semester.

DCH seems to be in line for a job at Emerson Hospital for the summer. He is wild to go to the Stony Brook School next year so is trying to save or earn $800, the tuition. He thinks he can get into Harvard this way.

Picked up some 3pr twisted cable at Leo’s and had my stainless muffler bracket welded by Leo.

Mr. Cerier — NET&T — said he was directed to answer my letter. They can’t sell us any gear. Got wire sizes from him.