Re: [Thinkpad] New Pentium M chip: Dothan

http://www.murphys-laws.com/murphy/murphy-true.html

I do NOT believe this to be correct.

The term originated in a New York Times article written the day after a test
when the sensors were installed backwards by
Capt. Murphy. In an interview with the Times the next day, Dr Stepp said
(this is not verbatim but quoted from the ACTUAL times article: " When in
the course of human endeavor something can be done the right way and the
wrong way, inevitably it will be done the wrong way. In this case, Capt
Murphy could have installed the sensors two ways. He installed them
backwards, resulting in no readings".
This is from memory, but is taken from dr. Stepps obit in the Times, which
quoted the original 1947 (?) article.
----- Original Message -----
From: "James H. E. Maugham" <James.H.Maugham@verizon.net>
To: "Michael Stack" <mstack@niu.edu>; "Bruce Markowitz"
<scosgt@worldnet.att.net>
Cc: "Thinkpad List" <thinkpad@stderr.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 11, 2004 10:01 PM
Subject: RE: [Thinkpad] New Pentium M chip: Dothan

> Michael Stack <mailto:mstack@niu.edu> wrote:
> >
> > Maybe, maybe not:
> > http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq107.htm
>
> I really can't understand how you can get "maybe, maybe not" out of the
cited
> reference:
>
> The first recorded use of the term "brass monkey" appears to dates to 1857
when
> it was used in an apparently vulgar context by C.A. Abbey in his book
Before the
> Mast, where on page 108 it says "It would freeze the tail off a brass
monkey."
> [Source: Lighter, J.E. ed. Random House Historical Dictionary of American
Slang.
> (New York: Random House, 1994): 262.]
>
> It has often been claimed that the "brass monkey" was a holder or storage
rack
> in which cannon balls (or shot) were stacked on a ship. Supposedly when
the
> "monkey" with its stack of cannon ball became cold, the contraction of
iron
> cannon balls led to the balls falling through or off of the "monkey." This
> explanation appears to be a legend of the sea without historical
justification.
> In actuality, ready service shot was kept on the gun or spar decks in shot
racks
> (also known as shot garlands in the Royal Navy) which consisted of
longitudinal
> wooden planks with holes bored into them, into which round shot (cannon
balls)
> were inserted for ready use by the gun crew. These shot racks or garlands
are
> discussed in: Longridge, C. Nepean. The Anatomy of Nelson's Ships.
(Annapolis
> MD: Naval Institute Press, 1981): 64. A top view of shot garlands on the
upper
> deck of a ship-of-the-line is depicted in The Visual Dictionary of Ships
and
> Sailing. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1991): 17.
>
> Looks like a definite NOT to me!
>
> Regards,
>
> James
>
> (In real life, Capt. James H. E. Maugham)
>
>
>
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Received on Tue May 11 22:36:28 2004