Posting Anon

Q: Dear 100HB,

Why do we call an unidentified dead guy "John Doe" (or of course there's Jane Doe). I assume John/Jane are just common names, but where on earth did the "Doe" part come from???

Regards,

CSI Fan

A: Dear CSI Connoisseur,

If I were your husband I would begin to worry about being a CSI fan. Especially if you're taking notes while watching. I wouldn't want to be unidentifiable later.

But your question is an interesting one, considering the history of this term comes from one region where it isn't used any more, and is popular in another. In America John Doe is used for an unidentified person, generally a dead one because a live one could usually tell you who they are. Unless they are really old and forget, or a boxer. But John Doe can also be used in court cases where the defendant (usually) isn't know or named.

Of course we have expanded this usage to include a variety of sexes and relations: Jane Doe, and for siblings, James, Judy, etc., and children - Baby Doe. Although Precious Doe has been used for a child also (at least in one case in KC). So where do they come from?

The 100HB first turned to the local University morgue for an answer. We figured that those workers who dealt with and studied unidentified bodies may know the term's history. So please imagine the the 100HB journeying to the deep, dark dungeon of the hospital, echoing steps along the tiled, serpentine hallways. The lights flicker, a chilled wind passes and we enter through double steel doors in to the morgue. Walls of brushed, mirrored boxes each with its own occupant. Sheets lay over subtle forms, punctuated by the pungent smell of chemicals and death. Our mortician hovers over the latest customer, saw in one hand, and a roast beef sandwich in the other. Ok, not really. But you get the idea.

The morgue's take on our term's origins? John Doe was used in English law as a legal term for a familiar case study.

But is it true? Yes!

John Doe was invented in England, is now used in America (and Canada somewhat) and no longer in England. In the reign of King Edward III (mid 14th Century) John Doe and Richard Roe were two names used to describe a generic property case where the landlord Doe leases and then ejects Roe. The names do not mean anything (although Doe is a female deer and Roe is a small English deer), but they stuck. Both terms are now used in American law, and by extension to 'identify' unknown bodies. In fact the Roe in Roe v Wade is such a fictitious name.

So what do they use in England? John Smith or Joe Bloggs. However according to Dickson in What's in a Name, John Doe and Richard Roe are required in legal proceedings for the 1st and 2nd names (followed by John Stiles and Richard Miles.

And in other countries? A lot use some type of NN: nomen nescio, Latin for I don't know the name. But Fulan(o) is also common (Brazil, Middle East, etc.) and in France it is Jean Dupont.

But John Doe is also the name of the creepy serial killer in Seven, who kills according to the seven deadly sins (lust, gluttany, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride). He finishes the movie in one of the twisted endings in movie history. Much scarier than just an unknown body.

100HB

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Musical Logos

Dear 100 Hour Board:

Q: How does the NCAA deal with changing the logos on the basketball floors for various games?

A: Dear Ms. Double-Dribble:

In this world of brand management and recognition it is essential that the drunk masses of March Madness fans from across the nation recognize the team they have shown up to cheer. Or at least the game. Luckily for us and the NCAA Gary Gray, Connor Sport Court's Southwest Regional Manager has a solution. You asked the question and 100 Hour Board went right to the source.
Gray: "Remember those tile games you used to play as a kid? Where you had to shift the tiles around to recreate the image printed on them? Connor Sport Court's offers a solution kind of like that. It's exactly what we did for the NCAA championship."
100HrB: "Exactly, really? Does that mean between games we have NCAA employees working out which tile to move where just to get the next logo in just right? It's like a strategy game in between basketball games. Do the fans just love that?"
Gray: "Okay, not exactly. There floor has a zipper configuration. We start in the center of the arena and work in both directions we incorporated seven panels that can be changed."
100HrB: "Why? Why change them? Why all this musical logo business?"
Gray: "Why? Well...I've never thought of that before."
100HrB: "You sell a product that you haven't defined the need for?"
Gray: (nervous laughter) "No." (more nervous laughter) "I sell a product that enables fans and TV viewers to recognize what game they are watching. With more than 64 games played for the tournament, viewers will flip channels until they find the game they want. It's easier when they recognize the logo on the Quicklock court."
100HrB: "So Quicklock is for ADD channel switchers like my father?"
Gray: "Sounds like a promising niche market to me. Fight ADD with Quicklock."

While Gray works on passing those clinical trials we'll explain Connor Sport Court's Quicklock portable court. It comprises of a concrete substrate, with recycled rubber product- Nike Grind- providing resiliency and shock absorption on the bottom of each panel. This also makes the players jump higher- but just a smidgen. The Maple Flooring is varnished and created in panels that interlock.

But really, Gray is Mr. Corporate America pushing a product that might not be that great. It isn't like his employees have to change the logos. What about ease of use?

100HrB was able to speak with Director of the McKay Events Center at Utah Valley State College, Mark Hildebrand. Mark and his team have less than one hour between basketball games scheduled for UVSC Lady Wolverines and the new NBA Development League team, the Utah Flash.

Hildebrand: "It works great. We take out the Wolverine logos and replace them with Flash logos and have a few minutes to spare."
100HrB: "But how long does this take you?"
Hildebrand: "We put the whole court down in two hours and forty minutes."
100HrB: "And the logo panels?"
Hildebrand: "About 20 minutes."
100HrB: "So you would say that replacing Connor Sports Court's logo panels is easier than finding a second wife in San Angelo, TX?"
Hildebrand: (chuckling) "Well, I don't know about that...don't they shoot new comers who want to stake claim to their girls? We don't have anyone shooting at us."
100HrB: "Alright. So you are afraid to go on record. Let's move on. The question that is really burning is why change the logos? Are fans really that stupid not to know what game they showed up to watch?"
Hildebrand: "It's all part of the experience. The brand of the team. Making the fans feel as though they are a part of the actual team."
100HrB: "But if the teams suck- you know like the...what are they called? Wolverines and Flash? Yeah, well if they suck like these teams do fans really care about brand? Besides who wants to watch women calling themselves wolverines? I've seen X-Men and that guy was hairy.
Hildebrand: (laughing) "No comment."
100HrB: "So it has nothing to do with the gallons of alcohol fans swim in during the games that impairs judgement as to where they are located?"
Hildebrand: "I don't know anything about that. We have a four drink minimum in Utah."
100HrB: "You can't swim in 32 oz. of alcohol?"
Hildebrand: (chuckling again...I swear this man isn't serious) "I don't think so."
100HrB: "How does that make fans part of the team?"
Hildebrand: "We immerse them in visuals and concessions."

So there you have it. The NCAA uses the Quicklock portable panel system that saves trees and makes for quick, efficient turn-around times between games. Oh, it also is a potential helper for those suffering from ADD. What it doesn't do is assist with your foul shot. So keep dreaming Double-Dribble!

HRB

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Board Question

Q:
How do you ask a question on your 100 board?
Flying Cumulus

A: Dear Airborne Nimbus

You just did. Look forward to more.

HRB

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Count It Yourself!

Q: 100hrb
How many times do you say good question(?) to a good question?
The Patronizer

A: Dear 'Patron' of the Board,
2%
But if you count that one of these was actually "excellent question" it is only 1%.
But even if the Board does say 'good question' it may actually be just a lie and we look to make you feel better.
HRB

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Greening the Diamond

Q: Dear 100 Hour Board

How do major league grounds crews get the grass looking so green on opening day before the normal blossoms of spring ~ thank you george toma.

Pat

A: Dear Baseball Aficionado,

Care and love. It is possible. Although I assume you are asking about colder weather parks and not just Turner Field or Tropicana Field. (Although Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay uses artificial grass) Of course there are fundamentals. It is only recently that ballparks are switching back to real grass en masse. There was a long trend of artificial turf because it stayed green consistently. Water management remained the biggest issue. Nowadays all 16 National League teams and all but 3 American League teams use grass. (Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Toronto don't - hmmm...maybe no sun :) )

Newer fields are a work of magic - or smart engineering. I can only quote the system at Dodger stadium to give you an idea:

"The Dodgers installed a brand new state-of-the-art grass field after the conclusion of the 1995 season. Prescription Athletic Turf (PAT), created and installed by the Cincinnati-based Motz Group, used the latest agronomic and engineering technology to manage field moisture through controlled drainage and irrigation. The 100,000 square feet of bermuda grass is grown on pure sand, beneath which a vacuum chamber is laid over a water-tight plastic barrier that forcibly extracts water during heavy rains. New moisture gauges monitor the field's water level in coordination with a microprocessor that controls drainage functions. A computer controller has the ability to reverse the scenario and subirrigate when the sand's moisture reading drops below the optimal level."

So proper water management is key. Other pieces? From an interview with Boston's Fenway Park Ground Crew, steps include: watering the field, cleaning up, moving, removing and changing the tarp (a hard job - it can create a vacuum when sitting for a while), fertilize, mow, roll patterns, spread chopped up rubber tires into the grass (protects for wear and tear), and finally repaint lines. This all helps.

But I found an article from Baseball Field Renovation that offers tips on how to get grass green (and grown) by Feb/March start. Rye, fescue and bluegrass seeds need sunny weather over 50 degrees to germinate well. Sometimes that is just luck. But tips include light straw, minimum water layup, black tarps to keep seeds warm to germinate (but remove it before it kills new grass), automatic irrigation systems and fertilizer. Another tip - seed every two weeks through January. Of course if you plant before the winter it's just maintaining the field and covering it at night.

And how do they get the checkerboard? Easy. Mow and roll it flat. The bent grass gives the patterns. But make sure you alternate rolling to keep from damaging the grass too much. Now go watch some ball!

100 HB

PS and if you didn't know George Toma - the legendary 'God of Sod'. Mostly a grass consultant for the NFL, he's an old timer the pros turn to for 'live or die' grass. Multiple Superbowls, World Series and other events are under his belt. Yes - thank you!

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Science Attack

Q: Dear 100 Hour Board:
(Continued from before)
3. Please explain in simple ways (so that we who are oh so stupid) why gravity is so weak and the 6 dimension.
4. Why are scientific books written in a demeaning and authoritative voice? They are really condescending as though they know all when in fact you get reading the book and there are so many questions unanswered. Do scientists think that if they right with absolute authority then they won't have to defend their theories?

Your Bro

A: Dear Bro,

Way to ask the scientific questions. I'll help you get down to the answers.
3. Gravity is somewhat mysterious, but can be explained and discussed in simpler ways. It doesn't need to be dark and scary. Gravity is actually very cool.
Gravitation is the realisation that all mass attracts each other. Gravity refers to the force some suppose causes gravitation. Why? What the 100 Hour Board can't answer is what exactly is the mechanism of gravity. Newton described gravitation as a force between two bodies - the force is gravity. This theory doesn't really work out perfectly, like for planets as an example. Einstein discussed the force as a bending of spacetime, and causing gravity as acceleration. This is a powerful theory but has some failures on the quantum level (i.e for really small particles). Quantum mechanics uses the theory that objects exchange gravitons (wave-particles, kind of like photons used in electricity) that cause a force of attraction (like two baseball players throwing balls back and forth). This is good too, but fails to completely describe things totally. So there is no perfect model for gravity.
What we do know is what we observe and how we approximate this in math. Several rules on the gravitational force: proportional to both masses (not weight - that's based on the pull of another mass), decreases proportionally to the inverse square of the distance (1/x^2) - ie. drops off quickly the farther you get away and is relatively weak compared to mass. The formula is Gravitational force = G x (m1 x m2) / d^2 (d is distance, m1 is mass 1 and m2 is mass 2). G is a constant that is calculated to fit (a smart guess) = 6.67 x 10E-8 dyne * cm2/gm2. Yes small! Electricity (and magnetism) have similar equations. But the constant for electricity is 1020 times larger than G. You can't compare them exactly, but to get anything strong with gravity you have to be close and one of the objects massive (ie. earth).
To let you know - electrons keep you from falling through the sidewalk when gravity is pulling you down! That's strong - b/c they are pretty tiny.
Why is this so? Can't really say - we don't totally understand. In quantum mechanics electrical forces are governed by spin 1 particles and gravity by spin 2 particles. Confused - so are physicists. If you can figure it out - unify forces - there is a Nobel prize for you. To make it worse, some people think that all forces are connected and actually stem from one electron that is wrapped around the universe millions of times. Freaky, huh?
Is the dimension a 2nd question? Because there are really 4 dimensions in classical relativity (3D in space and time). But millions of dimensions when you include other things (mass, brightness, electrical charge, etc. etc.) Just another way to describe things. nothing says that gravity is 'the 6th dimension.'

4. As for scientific books, I believe your question mostly stems from a matter of opinion - relative position. Let us understand about science. It is only theory. Science is based on observations, hypothesis and developing a model. It changes all the time. The best that can be said, is that current science is the best way we can describe life at this time. So no - any scientist that writes a book has no authority to be the end all authority.
But generally books are written for two audiences: the unscientific and colleagues. There are fantastic books written for 'unscientific' people, with calm, humble explanations for people who do not have all the background. Other books for colleagues generally are written with presupposed knowledge. If you read them and don't have this, it can come off condescending. But finally there is a phenomenon in scientific writing. A need to prove authority. Each writer is trying their best to show a 'bullet proof' theory, knowing their work will be heavily attacked by sceptics. Must they be condescending in their stance? No, but they usually are otherwise people will reject them. It's like trying to prove you are king of the jungle. So some good ones? The Universe on a T-Shirt (fantastic!), Brief History of Time and Universe in a Nutshell by Stephen Hawking, Brian Greene's works. There are some treasures there. So keep on reading.
100 Hour Board

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Holy Questions Batman

Q: 100 Hour Board,


Couple of questions:

1. Since when did Lief turn into a bearded Vin Diesel- even with a Triple X Shield?
2. Since we're on history- please explain how the Phoenician's were able to live in such peace considering the Romans, King David, Alexander the Great, Babylonians, Assyrians, Hittites,Nebuchadnezzar etc. were surrounding them?
2b. Why after years of peaceful living with mercenaries doing the fighting did the Phoenicians turn to Carthaginians who were war like and pretty much almost successfully conquered the largest power in the world, namely Rome? Seems like a huge paradigm shift- what happened?


(To be continued)


A: Dear Inquisitive,


Let's slow down on all the questions (since these were 3 of 5 you asked in one shot). I can answer this, so let's take this one step at a time.


1. There are no known pictures of Lief. Or depictions. So who is to say he isn't a buff looking viking? Vin Diesel though is bald. So I don't get the confusion. The Triple X has less to do with Vin being a bad-$%# spy and more to do with viking women. (Have you been to Denmark!) Though there is something wrong with the pictures. Horns. Horns weren't typical for vikings - they get in the way of war.

2. Sounds like you know a lot about Phoenician history. Enough to be dangerous.

Historians have traditionally ignored this people, for a variety of good reasons. The chief of which being the answer to your question. They are the proverbial wusses of history. Ie. they paid their way out of being bullied. But were at least smart enough to make money at the same time. (Otherwise your life as a bully boxing bag is short lived).

The Phoenician empire was a rather loose connection of city-states sharing only a new language and similar financial goals, started roughly around 1500 BC. This amorphous group already suggests a reason for living peacefully. Even if one city were conquered by one of the neighbors, it doesn't mean the end. Which is why they are considered to end in 539, no 332, no 286...ok the last city fell in 65BC to Rome.

But in reality they survived solely by buying off the aggressors. The Israelites (as noted in the Bible) with cedars and gold (and a palace), the Assyrians (a whole lot to them), the Babylonians (ie. Nebuchadnezzar, to limited effect), the Persians, Egyptians, and so on. A lot of milk money spent on keeping bullies away. They tried to bluff sometimes, but generally capitulated.

This could only last so long and eventually the Persians, Alexander the Great, Rome, Egypt and others conquered them.

The city of Carthage did step out of the norm and these Phoenicians tried to be aggressive. They attacked the Greeks in Sicily and Italy in retaliation of raids - and were basically pwned on the battlefield. But later, after the fall of most of Phoenicia, they went on to fight the Punic Wars (think Hannibal and the elephants sacking Rome). Why the difference? Well, several reasons: they watched their brother cities get destroyed, they were the largest city of the empire and a little arrogant, they had the most to loose in controlled colonies.

The real sad part? Carthage should have learned. In peace they prospered. When they grew fat and attacked others, they eventually lost. Until their very city was razed and the earth salted. Hmmm...maybe something to learn there. In a nutshell.

There is an interesting essay about 'what if' and Carthage's aggression here.

Regards,

The Answer King

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I Totally Paused...

Q: Dear 100 Hour Board,

You can be overwhelmed and underwhelmed, but can you ever just be..whelmed?

Help.

(6400)^1/2

A: Dear 5x2x2x2x2,

Yes. You can. Although not so much these days. But I'm glad you are cultured and stay up on Alicia Silverstone dialogue. So witty.

According to my research:

Overwhelmed: \ˌō-vər-ˈhwelm, -ˈwelm\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English, from over + whelmen to turn over, cover up
Date: 14th century
1: upset, overthrow2 a: to cover over completely : submerge b: to overcome by superior force or numbers c: to overpower in thought or feeling

and

Underwhelmed: Pronunciation: \-ˈhwelm, -ˈwelm\
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: under + overwhelm
Date: 1949
: to fail to impress or stimulate

and again

Whelmed: Pronunciation: \ˈhwelm, ˈwelm\
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English
Date: 14th century
transitive verb 1 : to turn (as a dish or vessel) upside down usually to cover something : cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effect 2 : to overcome in thought or feeling : overwhelm intransitive verb : to pass or go over something so as to bury or submerge it

So let's focus on the timeline. Whelmed and overwhelmed came first. Then 600 years later comes underwhelmed. You can assume that the original words used were whelmed and overwhelmed. And gradually underwhelmed replaced the original word. So unless you are turning a dish upside down on something, you generally won't use the term any more. Or you can refer to Yggur's scary servants on Santhenar - at least according to Ian Irvine in The View from the Mirror. But don't worry they are afraid of light - so bring a flashlight along.

Regards,

I got a .45 and a shovel, I doubt anybody would miss you.

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