[Discuss] Fw: Industrial aesthetics

[Patrick]

This might be a little off-topic, but not entirely.

The other day I was trying to explain to my dad what I was doing
with a used server [an HP ProLiant DL360 G5].  When he wrote back
about cars, I immediately realized that I'd been speaking the
wrong language.  Tried to correct that mistake here.

I'm not sure if he'll be amused or horrified by the results.
Maybe both.  :-)  And that's okay; we have a similar sense of
humour.

[This is the `Samos 3' we're referring to, btw, mentioned
explicitly in a previous message, but only implied here;

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5nmxHjPuvY&t=30s  ]


Begin forwarded message:

Date: Sun, 1 May 2016 21:22:29 -0700
From: Patrick
To: [Dad]
Subject: Re: Industrial aesthetics

Hi Dad.  :-)

On Sun, 1 May 2016 19:06:23 -0700
[Dad] wrote:

> *You're quite right; your Samos 3 gizmo is beyond*
> *my grasp, but I did remember the car.

That's okay.  All you really need to know is that when you power
it on, it idles for a moment, then the cooling fans kick-in at
full speed and it goes `VOOOOOOOOP!' like a fighter jet.  Or like
that car in that movie -- although the Lola T70 Mk III probably
didn't sound like that in real life.  George Lucas always loved
those exotic sound effects, still does.

Hmm...  Nope, never sounded like that;
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBAls2mxWZU

Then, probably, the computer pauses to read its temperature
sensors, and comes to the realization that it is not, in fact,
on fire.  So the cooling fans settle down to a more reasonable
speed.

It also has many fascinating indicators and controls, again much
like the car in that movie.

Has absolutely *no* creature comforts, simply exists to get the
job done.  Safety features, yes, bomb-proof safety features, but
no creature comforts at all; no cup-holder built into the dash,
no chrome-plated trim.  And I like that.

Originally, it was a piece of heavy duty industrial hardware,
which I've further hot-rodded since I bought it -- upgrading it
with stuff it doesn't really need to do any of the things I've
actually used it for [but it does do them faster now].  And what
I've been using it for lately is like driving an M1 Abrams tank
down to the store to pick up groceries.  But it is fun to
drive.  :-)

Imagine a city garbage truck with flames painted across the
sides.  Goes from 0 to 60 in four seconds.  Rarely, if ever gets
out of second gear, even on the freeway.  Its fuel efficiency is
measured in gallons-per-mile, not miles-per-gallon.  Burns
nitrous oxide.

Kind of silly, but fun.

[...]
> 
> *(The fastest car I ever drove was a 1955 or 56*
> *Mercedes 300 SL, which at 154 mph was the fastest production car in the
> world at the time.*
> *It's hard to imagine that the guys who ran the*
> *sports car shop would loan such a beast to a 17*
> *year old kid, but they did.

Yeah, like that.  :-)


> 
> *More soon,  [Dad]*

Looking forward to it,  :-)
Patrick.
-- 
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.