LPT You are rich enough to hire movers. They will be worth every penny.

Growing up an Army brat my family moved almost every 2 years on the dot. The gov covered those moves, and it was great sitting in a chair in your front lawn, and watching movers come in, pack everything into boxes, then load them all. It was not until I got much older that I realized that was not the norm with moving.

Hire.

When I moved from fancy downtown apartment and bought my house 4 years ago, hiring movers was the best decision I ever made. And I was able to find a company that charged by the item vs by the hour. They definitely had some hustle.

Lately, I've been hiring labor to help with the larger items.

For local moves like this, I really kind of prefer doing it gradually, a few small loads each weekend. Makes it easier for me to keep track of everything.

Insert ramble: Thought we were going to have to make "the decision" for our oldest dog yesterday. Thankfully he recovered and we get to pick him up today at lunch.

This... is damned interesting. It fundamentally challenges my understanding of network routing:
I honestly thought that was not physically possible.

Clearly I was wrong.

Why not? There's nothing special about net 10 or 192.168 addresses, routers can route them just fine. They are just reserved as not being loaded into the global routing tables so that individual sites can choose to use them however they wish.

Most likely the traceroute above is traversing one or more VPN tunnels that are invisible from the overlay network.

Also note that the address printed out by each stage of traceroute is simply the source address of the ICMP TTL expiry message generated by the routers along the chain. That doesn't actually have to be a routable address, in normal IP processing the router doesn't even look at the source address of a packet before making a forwarding packet. (security features like ACLs and unicast RPF can change this, but they may or may not be enabled on any particular path)

--Ian

I honestly thought that 192.168.0.0/16 was genuinely non-routable.

Like, that there was something about the fundamental design of internet routers which would cause them to simply Gandalf any packets bearing that identification.

Now I know that this belief, which I have held firmly since the 1990s, is incorrect.

I do believe the tracert results. Those addresses, aside from the 192.168 one, are all part of the valid range of address spaces on this company's WAN.

How this started: We have several genuinely-isolated networks in the building, for truly broadcast-critical stuff that we don't want corporate IT touching.

All of those networks have at least one Windows machine on them which is dual-NICd, so that I can VNC into it and use it to see the equipment on the other side.

One such machine recently started complaining about an address conflict on the 192.168 side. This was puzzling to me. Since that machine's netmask (on the 192.168 side) happened to be 255.255.0.0 (I don't know why), I ran a full ping-sweep of all of 192.168.


And when I saw many, MANY 192.168 addresses which I didn't recognize, well, I was confused. It hadn't occurred to me that these would be visible to that machine, not through its private NIC, but through its connection to the WAN.

So the gear which is on the isolated side is fine, no conflicts there. But the machine was seeing a duplicate of one of them coming in through a connection which I'd never realized was capable of carrying said traffic.


So that's the fun new thing I learned today.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...35dc8a5804.png

RFC 1812 ("router requirements") defines "martian addresses" that are not to be forwarded. In general that's packets where:

- source address is multicast or 0.0.0.0/8

- destined to 127.0.0.0/8 or 0.0.0.0/8

- destined to "class E" addresses (240.0.0.0/4) (these have been reserved for future use essentially forever)

These are also just conventions/standards though. I'm pretty sure at cisco we had hidden "nerd knob" CLIs to turn off the filters on each of them though, because there was at least one customer who had a non-conforming network and needed to allow those kinds of packets. None of them break anything fundamental.

--Ian

My perception of "big" networking is, to some extent, tainted by the fact that my first big corporate job was at Harris.

Being a DARPA-involved defense contractor, Harris was one of those companies which scored an entire /8 address block all for itself. So, during the entire tenure of my employment there, literally every single device had an actual, real-world IP address.

Back then, DNS and NAT were for chumps. If I wanted to access the FTP server which I had running on a linux box in the in the lab, from my house, I just typed in the address.

That gives a man a sort of warped view of the landscape.

A lengthy but interesting watch:

Technically, Grindr is a Large Hardon Collider.

Up until a few days ago, if you had asked me "What is the sickest thing you can possibly imagine?" I would not have said "Posting a video of yourself online, in which you play with two kittens for a while, then put them into a vacuum storage bag, seal the bag, and use a household vacuum cleaner to pull all of the air out of the bag, crushing the kittens to death."


Mostly because my imagination would not have conjured up such a thing.


That having been said, the recent 3 part documentary series "Don't F**k with Cats" is a damned interesting (and, kind of disturbing) show to watch. I won't spoil it too much, I'll merely say that what I described above was not the worst thing which happens, and that a small group of internet vigilantes formed an online posse dedicated to discovering the identity and whereabouts of the Kitten Vacuumer.

I'd like to do vacuum "testing" on that guy indefinitely...
Take him down to just above the boiling point of blood and bring him back up just long enough to catch his breath and then back down again.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
I've got enough vacuum pumps that I could reach that level in a coffin shaped box in 15 seconds. 15 on, 45 off forever.
He'd feel like he'd die once ever single minute...

I saw that show a year ago, he was one sick puppy.
The posse kicked ASS!

That's a good way to do it.

I would concrete those people just above their knees and string them up just enough so they can't slump over. Then let the town people throw walnut sized rocks at them all day and night their they were buried. Remove rocks and repeat until they were dead.

Pretty sure that was a real thing people did back in the day.

Nor could mine, and now I'm left wishing I could go back and unread it. :cry: :sad2:

You'd do that....Without Remorse?

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...58d79aa89.jpeg

Following up on this post from a few years ago.

I now live in a house. Nobody above me, nobody below. The exterior walls are brick. Thick, heavy, load-bearing, "Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria is still alive" brick. This is a wholly new experience for me.

Over the weekend, I realized that I can now crank up Pomplamoose, Hipster, Gangstagrass, The Electronic String Orchestra, and, yes, even Frog Leap just as loud as I damned well please, late at night.

As a test, I put on Leo Moracchioli's Africa and turned the level up to a point verging on "uncomfortable." Then I put on some shoes and went outside.

At the side of the house directly outside the temporary office room (I'm still getting settled in and arranged), you could sort of tell that music was playing, barely. But you had to be standing right there to notice it. And there is absolutely no way in hell that the neighbors would hear it unless they had a window open and their head hanging outside.

So that gave me license to start acting like Jesse Pinkman.

Long story short: as inexpensive nearfield monitors go, these speakers are amazing. Virtually zero perceptible distortion (admittedly, while adjusting for the source material being compressed YouTube audio), no matter how hard I push them. The left one, which contains the amplifiers for both, started getting noticeably warm to the touch, but never complained.

I like these speakers. In fact, I've purchased a few more sets of the newer version of the exact same model for use in a couple of new post-production suites at the TV station. I'll probably buy yet another set when we build the new band recording studio next year.

More amps, more speakers..........if you aren't annoying your neighbors, it's not loud enough.

Remember that one time that an arms company decided "Hey, let's manufacture a 7.62mm rifle as a bolt-on attachment to a semi-autonomous robotic dog and sell it," and everyone was like "Yeah, that's a great idea, and the potential implications of this product existing are not utterly terrifying at all."

https://sworddefense.com/wp-content/.../10/SPUR-3.jpg

Good times...

doh

Do you have any doubts about there already being FULLY autonomous versions?

...that can fly?!

Honestly, I'm not concerned about a Skynet / ED-209 situation.

I am concerned that this product will function reliably, exactly as intended.

Because hardware designed for the military seems to have a way of trickling down into domestic police departments in the US, both the Federal and local levels.

I think I found the solution for all the walgreens being closed due to shoplifting in Cali!

Do you seriously need a Stoffer's Microwave Lasagna, Plan B, and a handle of New Amsterdam at 2am with enough frequency that this has impacted your lifestyle? :rofl:

New Zealand council ends contract with wizard after two decades of service

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3fef1c5e7f.png

The official Wizard of New Zealand, perhaps the only state-appointed wizard in the world, has been cast from the public payroll, spelling the end to a 23-year legacy.

The Wizard, whose real name is Ian Brackenbury Channell, 88, had been contracted to Christchurch city council for the past two decades to promote the city through “acts of wizardry and other wizard-like services”, at a cost of $16,000 a year. He has been paid a total of $368,000.

The Wizard, who was born in England, began performing acts of wizardry and entertainment in public spaces shortly after arriving in New Zealand in 1976. When the council originally tried to stop him, the public protested. In 1982, the New Zealand Art Gallery Directors Association said he had become a living work of art, and then, in 1990, the prime minister at the time, Mike Moore, asked that he consider becoming the Wizard of New Zealand.

“I am concerned that your wizardry is not at the disposal of the entire nation,” Moore wrote on his official letterhead.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...1f5cc6393d.png
The Wizard of New Zealand watches with other members of the crowd as Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, play cricket in Christchurch in 2014. Photograph: REUTERS/Alamy


“I suggest therefore that you should urgently consider my suggestion that you become the Wizard of New Zealand, Antarctica and relevant offshore areas … no doubt there will be implications in the area of spells, blessings, curses, and other supernatural matters that are beyond the competence of mere Prime Ministers.”

Since then he has performed in Christchurch, rain-danced in New Zealand and Australia during droughts, and was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in the 2009 Queen’s Birthday Honours. But he has also encountered controversy with off-colour comments about women.

In an April screening of channel Three’s comedy current affairs show New Zealand Today, hosted by Guy Williams, the Wizard said he liked to tease women by telling them they were devious, and said “they use cunning to get men who are thick”.

“I love women, I forgive them all the time, I’ve never struck one yet. Never strike a woman because they bruise too easily is the first thing, and they’ll tell the neighbours and their friends … and then you’re in big trouble.”

The council said it had sent the Wizard a letter thanking him for his services to Christchurch over the past decades and informing him they were closing the book on his contract, a council spokesperson, Lynn McClelland, said.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...0e03b23007.png
The Wizard of New Zealand, real name Ian Brackenbury Channell, was contracted to provide ‘acts of wizardry’ by the city of Christchurch. Photograph: agefotostock/Alamy

McClelland added that it was a difficult decision, but the Wizard would “forever be a part of [Christchurch’s] history”.

The city is embarking on new tourism and promotional direction that will reflect its diverse communities and “showcase a vibrant, diverse, modern city that is attractive to residents, domestic and international visitors, new businesses, and skilled migrant workers”, she said.

The Wizard said the council had decided to stop paying him because he did not fit “the vibes” of the city. He said he was a provocateur.

“It implies that I am boring and old, but there is nobody else anything like me in Christchurch.”

“It’s just they don’t like me because they are boring old bureaucrats and everyone likes me and no one likes them,’’ he said.

The Wizard is a well-known face to Christchurch residents, but in recent years, his presence has diminished, and sightings have become rare. He says that is because the council has made him invisible and would not respond to his suggestions to improve tourism.
The Wizard IS Christchurch. I'm glad he will still be around, but gosh how out of touch are the CCC if they think he doesn't fit into ChC's image. He always has and always will.https://t.co/txJ2U9K9Ma
— Bex (@awrighternz) “But when they cancelled this honorarium, everyone got furious, they have awakened a hornet’s nest here, it’s hilarious. The next few months are going to be real fun.”

The Wizard said he would keep up his regular appearances at Christchurch’s Arts Centre, chatting to tourists and locals. The centre is hosting an exhibition of his life this month, which is supported by the council.

When asked if he would curse the council over its decision, he said he preferred to give blessings.

“I give children happy dreams, general good health, and I want to make bureaucrats become more human.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...des-of-service

I drove through the beginnings of a tornado Friday night. Kind of scary.

Back in November of 2019 my sister died (liver cancer), and with the whole covid mess we were never able to hold a memorial service. Well, we finally got permission to use an outdoor venue at the Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Lenox, Ma. So we drove up Friday night, and just off the NYS thruway, the rain and wind got crazy. Just then all of our phones started going off with what I assumed was an Amber Alert. It was a tornado warning, with instructions to seek shelter immediately. Then, for a few minutes it got eerily calm before the rain and wind started up again. But at that point, the road turned south, and the storm kept moving northeast. Not sure if that particular cell actually became a tornado, but there were several that touched down further east of us in Mass. There were also warnings as we left Saturday night, but they were northeast of us, and all we hit was steady rain.

BTW, the wildlife sanctuary is a beautiful place, with lots of hiking trails up Lenox Mountain. It's run by the Mass. Audubon Society. The views are spectacular, and I highly recommend it if you are ever in the area.

I have a new game at work. I call it reverse spam. Otherwise known as wasting the spammer's time.
You know the calls; extended warranty, car insurance, free money. They annoy everyone. Well, I am less than busy most of the time, so I figure it's a public service to take up as much of their time as possible, simply so they can't bug others.

Hang up or don't answer? Hell no, they just go on to the next one. Well, they will anyway, but a few minutes here and there mean a couple fewer people getting calls. I answer in my "old lady" voice, and press 1 to speak with the dipshit caller. Make up stuff, and listen while they type it all in. Why, yes, I'd love an extended warranty! My car is a 1938 Buggatti. My address is 111 elm street. Oh, you can't cover that one? How about my 1960 Lamborghini Miura? It's yellow. My grandson bought it for me. He's a realtor, donchaknow. He sells houses. Do you want to buy a house?

The best part is when they hang up on you because you've droned on for 5 minutes, saying nothing.

^ I used to sob a bit, and tell them, from the point of view of my brother, that "I" had keen killed last night. Hit by a drunk driver. Never had a chance, but at least my organs went to good use. The wife and kids are inconsolable, and I (my brother) and barely holding it together.

Then I just stopped caring.



Serious question:


Envision a two-cycle engine. But not the kind you're thinking of.

Let's arbitrarily say that it's a three cylinder, with evenly-spaced crankpins at 120°. It has a normal pressurized oil system, and there's no connection (from the point of view of air) between the crankcase and the combustion area. Well, maybe a pump-assisted PCV system. But the crankcase is not responsible for pushing air into the cylinders.

Instead, there's a positive-displacement supercharger. So that the engine can, you know... start and run. Obviously it has a continuously-variable bypass valve under ECU control. No need for a throttle plate.

And direct injection.

Why isn't this a thing? Why have I not heard of any automaker even experimenting with such a concept?

Isn't that pretty much all supercharged 2 stroke diesels?

Close as I could find:

Not 120*, though.

No. All supercharged 2 stroke diesel engines run on diesel.

This one runs on pump gas. Or ethanol.


But, yeah, I get what you're saying. Which is why I am confounded that it does not presently exist in production autos.

Fair enough!

If I had to guess, getting control over the fuel is probably really hard. Since exhaust and intake are at some point both open and you're using a supercharger to clear it would an o2 sensor and typical catalytic converter even work?

I guess they used to rock air pumps, so anything is possible. The real reason I'd guess is if it were developed, it'd have a lifecycle measured in decades if even that. Why bother?

I've got a little rotax 717 I'd love to stick an AMR500 on, went down that rabbit hole a while ago. There are some cool 2 stroke threads out there on the net.

There's also this...


4psi, whoopie!

No.

Landing on the moon, and then coming back, using 1960s technology, was hard.

Smart people can calculate how much air (by mass) remains in the cylinder after the piston crosses upwards above the inlet port, for a given temperature, barometric pressure, RPM and bypass-valve position.

That's honestly MS1-level stuff.



Wideband O2 sensors are mainstream nowadays in the OEM world. And software is a thing which exists.


1: Because a couple of decades is far more than enough to provide a good ROI on an engine design which fundamentally changes things.

2: Because securities exchanges, as a whole, are short-sighted and react positively to innovations with the promise of near-term awesomeness.

Cali is banning new combustion engine vehicle sales in 2035. A lot of other countries have similar legislation in the works. There's no "couple decades" left. Assuming they had one out tomorrow, it would have the same lifetime as the NA/NB chassis.

Most engines I know of are refinements of tech that's already decades old, too. No clean drawing board. The miata is a good example, a truck block then stretched and slightly changed as time and tech went on. Pretty sure all the manufacturers do it, adding VVT, cylinder deactivation, direct injection heads on the same bottom end.

And securities exchanges only go nuts over trendy useless shit, usually attached to a subscription, which sucky blowy things aren't any longer.

Speculation:

I would guess that while you can probably get the mixture right with sensors and software, that's not going to stop you blowing unburned fuel out the exhaust. Compared to 4-stroke engines that's higher emissions and poorer fuel economy, neither of which is going to help a business case.

--Ian

Thus the point of direct injection.

By not adding fuel into the mixture before the piston has risen above the ports on, that problem is eliminated.

This is one of those situations in which I hesitate to write anything, on the basis of "why haven't people with far more expertise than I tried this? Surely they must have."

Maybe they have, but I absolutely cannot find any evidence of them having published their results.

I'm fairly certain that outboard motors all went 4-stroke due to pollution issues, but now have gone back to 2-stroke (way better power to weight ratio) now that technology has allowed it.

“Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.”

LEO BURNET

I know very little of outboard motors.

A quick bit of searching landed me on the homepage of Mercury Marine, where I looked at their 3.0l 2 stroke diesel. It features spark ignition.

Huh?

Joe. Mercury made a 2 stroke DI outboard. Pretty sure they had multiple variants of it too. V6 Optimax is what they were called.

I think it's discontinued though.
​​​​

The 2 stroke classes in outboard racing is extremely popular.

​​​​​​(SST boats)

Though I think these are regular carburated engines.
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...3ab6127392.jpg

So, I've now read up on that engine.

While it was using DI for fuel delivery, it seems to be an otherwise ordinary 2 stroke. I infer this from the fact that the literature boasts of how "Mercury engineers installed an ECM-controlled oil pump that oils connecting rods directly. With the ability to electronically control the pump, oil ratios vary from 400:1 at idle to 44:1 at wide-open throttle. As a result, OptiMax engines use up to 50 percent less oil and run virtually smoke-free."

So it's still burning its own lubricating oil.

As automakers struggle to keep internal combustion relevant, wouldn't it be great to develop an ICE which has double the power-to-weight ratio of any other on the market, and an eighth the moving parts, without sacrificing either fuel efficiency or emissions?

What am I missing that makes a supercharged, sealed-crankcase DI 2 stroke not an avenue worth exploring here?

It might be, Joe. But the industry is looking for something other than fossil fuelled ICE, or fossil fuelled anything. The investment is swinging into electric (for better or worse) and investing in better ICE engines looks a bit like breeding 6-legged horses as Henry was firing up the T model production line.

The trucking/shipping use case might be a basis for its examination, but for more mainstream personal transportation electric has the momentum. That could change if some ICE-related innovation emerges, but if the tipping point hasn't yet been reached, it is not far away.

I see Tesla has pulled its web pages for the cybertruck, while Ford seems to be saying that it is going battery for the F series - are Tesla reacting to Ford, do they have another ace up their sleeve?

@Joe Perez , Did you watch the video I posted in 31471? Ferrari used crankcase oil, a positive displacement supercharger, and an exhaust valve. Almost exactly what you are asking about, except for the 120* (I am picturing a radial engine) arrangement.

DNM

Gee Emm. Electric vehicles is a recipe for shortages until nuclear power is brought in to produce the electricity the vehicles need. They will only speed the USA into its transition into a third world nation.

EDIT: Erat... I think the motor you show on the green boat has the letters "FI" on it, which I take to mean "Fuel Injected".

I think it says F1 for NGK formula one series.

I did.

And while that was definitely moving in the direction I was thinking of, it stopped short.

GDI wasn't really a thing in the 90s, so I get that. The engine also appears to have a camshaft driving exhaust valves, which sorta makes sense if you're aiming to score that last little bit of power for a racing engine, but takes away some of the advantages of the overall design concept for a street engine.

Here's what's really bugging me:

1: New gasoline / ethanol engines are still being designed by mainstream automakers. Toyota is working on a compression-ignition design, Nissan and GM are doing variable compression, etc. But they're all variations on the 4 cycle OHC theme.

2: Crackpot inventors are also coming up with all sorts of wild engine designs in an attempt to score investor funding. Opposed-piston, weird rotary things, things with swish-plates, etc. But they're all obviously going for maximum absurdity in order to create something truly novel and patentable.

What happened to the middle-ground?

You are likely correct. Thanks for replying.

EDIT: Understood, Joe.

I have not watched this yet. But it is a look at continuing research into improved ICE's.

Holly hell this guy is starting to look gray. havent seen any of his new videos in a while.

One thing that will improve gasoline engines is a hydrogen/gasoline hybrid. Hyrogen has a very high flame front which will help dramatically with combustion. Mythbusters did a shit experiment on it long ago but they fucked it up because they didn't retard the timing at all and got tons of knock. This is how HHO water/hydrogen models work.. the goal here is to mix in hydrogen to get a benefit of the flame front which improves combustion of the gasoline mixture.

Here's the mythbusters episode highlights in a random video. first they screwed up royally on the HHO generator so that was a fail but in the end, they powered a vehicle with strictly hydrogen which again worked but didn't work properly because they were running at 20 degrees advanced timing.. 2:45 for the hydrogen experiment.
Straight off of the website here..
The flame speeds are not the actual engine flame speeds, A 12:1 compression ratio gasoline engine at 1500 rpm would have a flame speed of about 16.5 m/s, and a similar hydrogen engine yields 48.3 m/s, but such engine flame speeds are also very dependent on stoichiometry. (http://www.faqs.org/faqs/autos/gasol...section-1.html)

Hydrogen, by itself, is a useful fuel.

The problem with hydrogen is that it doesn't exist. At least not in its pure form, in nature. Hydrogen *really* loves to spontaneously combine with other stuff, like oxygen and carbon. Or, if you're having a particularly bad day, both of them at the same time, plus a dash of nitrogen.

Obtaining pure hydrogen, therefore, is a real ball-buster.

The vast majority of hydrogen produced at industrial-scale is from steam-reformation of hydrocarbons. Meaning that you take fossil fuel, put a bunch of energy into it, and get some hydrogen (plus a bunch of carbon monoxide) out of it. The resulting hydrogen contains *way* less energy than the original fossil-fuel did, and you still used up that fossil fuel and released all of the carbon from it.

Of course, hydrogen can also be obtained by running electricity through water. This is massively inefficient and costly, which is why it's not done at large scale. Also, most of the electricity in both the US and the world comes from (drumroll, please...) fossil fuel.

So why not just build tons of solar / wind generation, and use those to electrolytically liberate hydrogen? Well, yeah. You can totally do that. Except that it's still massively inefficient, and you wind up with way less useful energy in the end than you would have by just using that electricity to charge batteries.

Unless something really amazing happens in the foreseeable future, hydrogen is a dead-end technology as a vehicle fuel.




Speaking of batteries...

CHEAP TOOL ALERT!

Do you own at least one Ryobi One+ battery already? Then go to Home Depot and buy this Ryobi inflator for $19.97 while supplies last: https://www.homedepot.com/p/RYOBI-ON...737D/307627867


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...d21dfb4d6a.png

Sure it does -- just not on Earth. :) LOTS of the stuff on Jupiter.

(but I agree, hydrogen makes no sense as internal combustion engine fuel for cars)

--Ian

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...c28fadca14.png

I has a sad. With the first snowfall of the season, the Miata is off the road until spring.

Today I learned:

The Samurai were officially abolished as a caste in Japanese society during the Meiji Restoration in 1867.

The first ever fax machine, the "printing telegraph," was invented in 1843.

And, of course, Abraham Lincoln was famously assassinated in 1865.

Which means that there was a 22 year window during which, in theory, a Samurai could have sent a fax to Abraham Lincoln.

I am currently serving day 7 of a two week house arrest.
2 weeks is the standard sentence for testing positive for Covid.
Delta variant, to be precise.

The only symptom I can report is loss of smell. I am pretty much normal other than that.

I feel sorry for the virus for messing with me.

Hakan, I say this with all of the love and respect in the world:

You were never normal. :giggle:

Well, what else could we say (as you have no other symptoms) - get smell soon... ;)

Oxford University was founded hundreds of years before the Aztec empire.

Another weird/random thing I didn't know.

This is one of the odder nuclear incident reports which I've read:



ACCESSION #: 9603120071
LICENSEE EVENT REPORT (LER)

FACILITY NAME: SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING PAGE: 1 OF 3
STATION, UNITS 1, 2 AND 3

DOCKET NUMBER: 05000206

TITLE: DISCOVERY OF FOUR SLIGHTLY CONTAMINATED KITTENS AT SAN
ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION

EVENT DATE: 02/01/96 LER #: 96-001-00 REPORT DATE: 03/05/96

OTHER FACILITIES INVOLVED: SONGS UNIT 2 DOCKET NO: 05000361
SONGS UNIT 3 05000362

OPERATING MODE: 0 POWER LEVEL: 000

THIS REPORT IS SUBMITTED PURSUANT TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF 10 CFR SECTION:
Other: VOLUNTARY REPORT

LICENSEE CONTACT FOR THIS LER:
NAME: R. W. Krieger, Vice President, TELEPHONE: (714) 368-6255
Nuclear Generation

COMPONENT FAILURE DESCRIPTION:
CAUSE: SYSTEM: COMPONENT: MANUFACTURER:
REPORTABLE NPRDS:

SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT EXPECTED: NO

ABSTRACT:

On 2/1/96, four kittens were discovered in a small space between office
buildings inside the Unit 1 Protected Area/Restricted Area but outside
the radiologically controlled area. As they were being taken out of the
Protected Area/Restricted Area, contamination was detected on them by the
exit portal monitors. The kittens were surveyed and each measured about
6000 counts per minute. Health Physics workers gave each kitten a warm
bath and shampoo, which lowered the levels to about 1000 counts per
minute. After the baths, Health Physics analyzed each kitten and found
about one microcurie of activity, (primarily cesium 137, and small
amounts of cesium 134 and cobalt 60). While the quantity of radioactive
material found on and in the kittens is far below Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) reporting requirements, Edison is voluntarily providing
this report.

After the kittens were found, the remains of an adult cat on Interstate 5
were sighted and recovered by a plant worker. Subsequent analysis of the
cat found similar levels of activity as in the kittens. Based on the
similarity of color between this adult cat and the kittens, the rarity of
cats on-site, and the similar contamination in each case, Edison believes
it likely the adult cat was the mother of the kittens.

The kittens remain under the care of plant workers. A local veterinarian
has described the kittens as very healthy. There have been over 500
requests from local residents, the general public, and plant workers who
wish to adopt the kittens. Because of the very low quantities of
activity involved, this occurrence did not affect the health or safety of
plant workers or the public.

END OF ABSTRACT

TEXT PAGE 2 OF 3

DESCRIPTION OF THE EVENTS:

Plant: San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2,
and 3
Reactor Vendor: Combustion Engineering
Discovery Date: February 1, 1996
Mode: Unit 1, Safestor
Units 2 and 3, About 99% Power

On February 1, 1996, four small black kittens were discovered in a small
space between two Unit 1 administration buildings inside the Protected
Area/Restricted Area but outside the radiologically controlled area. As
the kittens were being taken out of the Protected Area/Restricted Area,
contamination was detected on them by the exit portal monitors in our
security building. Health Physics immediately responded and surveyed the
kittens and the workers who handled them with a standard frisker. The
results showed that none of the workers were contaminated, but each
kitten measured about 6000 counts per minute. To reduce this activity,
Health Physics workers gave each kitten a warm bath and shampoo, which
lowered the levels to about 1000 counts per minute.

After the baths, Health Physics analyzed each kitten and found about one
microcurie of activity, primarily cesium 137, and small amounts of cesium
134 and cobalt 60. Since the initial evaluation, measured activity has
steadily decreased. A local veterinarian, who has made several visits to
the plant and provided the first recommended vaccinations, describes the
kittens as very healthy. Presently, their living quarters, which
includes a pen, bed, and toys, is in a room within the Unit 2/3
radiologically controlled area near the main entry station. They remain
in the care of plant workers.

The quantity of radioactive material found on and in the kittens is far
below Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reporting requirements.
Nevertheless, SCE has provided prompt and frequent updates to NRC
resident and regional personnel and is voluntarily providing this
Licensee Event Report.

During an effort to find the kittens' mother, we learned that an animal
control officer had caught an adult cat on Edison property just outside
the Protected Area/Restricted Area near Unit 1, one day before the
kittens were found. Because the cat was wet from a rainstorm and
listless, the animal control officer took the cat home where it slept
overnight in a cage in the officer's garage. The next morning, the cat
appeared healthy and alert. Thus, consistent with our practice, the cat
was released in a suitable area away from the plant.

After the kittens were found, workers at the plant tried, without
success, to find the adult cat in the area where it had been released.
Health Physics then contacted the animal control officer who handled the
cat and surveyed him, his vehicle, and his home. While no contamination
was found in or on him or in his vehicle or home, trace levels of
activity (a few nanocuries) were found on a rag he used to dry the cat,
and in feces deposited in the cage.

As the search continued, the remains of an adult cat on Interstate 5 were
sighted and recovered by a plant worker. Health Physics analyzed the cat
and found similar levels of activity as in the kittens. Based on the
similarity of color between this adult cat and the kittens, the rarity of
cats on-site, and the similar contamination in each case, Edison believes
it likely the adult cat was the mother of the kittens.

In an effort to find out how the kittens became contaminated, Health
Physics performed a comprehensive survey both inside and outside the
radiologically controlled area. While no contamination was found in
either the area where the kittens were discovered or outside the
radiologically controlled area, a few areas were identified inside Unit
1's radiologically controlled area where a small animal (like a cat)
could gain access and become contaminated. These areas meet all the
regulatory requirements for access control and precautionary procedures
to restrict

TEXT PAGE 3 OF 3

worker access. Nevertheless, to reduce the chance of a small animal
entering these areas again, additional physical barriers will be
installed, where practical.

The kittens remain under the care of plant workers. There have been over
500 requests from local residents, the general public, and plant workers
who wish to adopt the kittens. Because of the very low quantities of
activity involved, this occurrence did not affect the health or safety of
plant workers or the public.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

A search of the LER files yielded no similar event in the last three
years.

ATTACHMENT TO 9603120071 PAGE 1 OF 1

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA R. W. Krieger
EDISON Vice President
Nuclear Generation
An EDISON INTERNATIONAL Company

March 5, 1996

U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Attention: Document Control Desk
Washington, D. C. 20555

Subject: Docket Nos. 50-206, 50-361 and 50-362
Voluntary Report
Licensee Event Report No. 96-001
San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2 and 3

This submittal provides a voluntary report describing the discovery of
four slightly contaminated kittens at San Onofre. Neither the health nor
the safety of plant personnel or the public was affected by this
occurrence.

Sincerely,

Enclosure: LER No. 96-001


*** END OF DOCUMENT ***




Source: https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webS...ber=9603120071