How to Beat a Speeding Ticket for Motorists

[Ivan Seeking]

I've noticed on several occasions that jargon familiar to me is not easily found on the internet. So it makes me suspect that it might be possible to have some fun with this. So, the normal rules apply, she or he who answers correctly goes next.

What is it?

A green weenie

Context clue: Motorized vehicle

 

[mathal]

No clue.
Here are my thoughts on the words.
green -environmentally friendly
weenie -hot dog
- stretch to - any sausage - German - VW or other
- further stretch -Polish Ukrainian etc.

 

[phinds]

Hm ... I know that phrase but can't place it. I figure what's happening is that I'm old enough to remember it but so old I've forgotten it

 

[Ivan Seeking]

more clues

small engines
air flow

 

[Argentum Vulpes]

I've always heard this referred to as a type of fishing lure. This is definitely not what Ivan was looking for.

But I believe what he is looking for is a type of air filter used mostly on dirt bikes.

If that is correct thanks to my friends that ride motorcycles.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I've always heard this referred to as a type of fishing lure. This is definitely not what Ivan was looking for.

But I believe what he is looking for is a type of air filter used mostly on dirt bikes.

If that is correct thanks to my friends that ride motorcycles.

Correct! You're up.

The infamous Green Weenie air filter has been popular ever since before I was a kid riding my first dirt bike

"Green Weenie" Foam Air Filter

Stock No. Q60000

http://www.air-techinc.com/product_detail.php?pid=2100

 

[Argentum Vulpes]

Ok here it goes.

What is it?

A Hollywood knot.

Context clue: Used on stage, but not by actors.

 

[Argentum Vulpes]

The next clue will ID this if you have good google foo.

It is a system for ID'ing things.

 

[collinsmark]

I'll venture a sort of guess. (I admit I did do a lot of googling, but I'm still not sure I have the right answer).

When filming a movie or TV show, a lot of power is required through electricity. Lots of the electricity goes to lighting, and there's lots of lighting (any photographer/cinematographer will tell you, "it all starts with the lighting"). In addition to lighting there's the electricity required for cameras, electrical props, motorized thingamajigs, and whatnot. And, due to the nature of the film industry where a lot of this power generation is portable (on location, if for no other reason), the whole electrical system is pieced together, one piece at a time.

Putting all this together means lots and lots and lots of electrical cables. Some cables will be ground (earth), some will be "hot," and different cables will be at different voltages. So if a technician wants to tap into a particular power source, that technician better be sure to pick the right set of cables out of the plethora of cables that might be lying on the floor.

If I'm not mistaken, back in the olden days before colored cables were invented, these cables were distinguished from each other by a system involving knots.

Even after colored cables and colored electrical tape were invented, I'm lead to believe that the knot method was still used so that technicians would know the type of cable in the dark, by using "feel" instead of just sight.

Finally I suspect that this knot method might even be used outside the film industry if the working area is ever expected to be dimly lit.

So that's my guess. A "Hollywood Knot" is knot used as part of a system to distinguish electrical cables from one another (possibly in addition to a system of color identification).

(I'll post a new question if my guess is correct.)

[Edit: And this sort of system can be particularly useful in the process feeding a bunch of wires or even groups of bunches of wires though a tube or conduit.]

 

[Argentum Vulpes]

Yup you hit it on the head Collinsmark.

The system is used a bit still in Hollywood, however almost all mains power distribution has moved over to a cam lock system (multi cable) or a pin and sleeve system (single feeder cable). Also most every distro box also has power taps for branching off to other distros.

 

[collinsmark]

To keep the ball rolling, I was thinking of picking an easy one. I had intended to pick "cat whisker," as in the early semiconductor detector. When I checked a couple of weeks ago, it was hard to find. But now the correct answer is the first hit in the Google search. ? So much for that. I guess I'll have to pick a different term.

Instead I'll pick another easy one. What is a "Harrier"?

Stipulation: What I'm referring here is:
o Not a hunting dog.
o Not a diurnal hawk (read not a bird).
o Not a military jet aircraft.

 

[Andre]

Harriers are running hashes and drink beer?

 

[collinsmark]

Harriers are running hashes and drink beer?

I guess that's close enough. You mentioned running, and that will do.

I was thinking more generally of a cross country runner (as opposed to strictly track runner, but I suppose any runner will do).

In high school I was on the cross country team. We would refer to ourselves and others in the sport as harriers. Similarly, members of competing teams knew and used the term the same. But people outside the sport had no idea what we were talking about.

Okay, Andre. You're up.

 

[Andre]

This is my source; hash house harriers

The new word:

Parrot

but...

None of these parrots; they are all wrong.

Also, this parrot is older than I am, so it can't be any new blue toothish gadget or similar.

 

[Andre]

It was this post ..

IFO over the pond (Aeshna cyanea)

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22026080/IFO.jpg

with a weird twist that made me select the word 'parrot'

'Weird twist' means that googling dragonfly won't help.

 

[Andre]

The name of this gadget stems from the sound it seems to be making.

 

[Andre]

the keyword in there is "seems", in reality the only real sound that it's making is tiny little clicks when operating the dials.

 

[collinsmark]

The new word:

Parrot

but...

None of these parrots; they are all wrong.

Also, this parrot is older than I am, so it can't be any new blue toothish gadget or similar.

The name of this gadget stems from the sound it seems to be making.

Would that be "squawk"?

the keyword in there is "seems", in reality the only real sound that it's making is tiny little clicks when operating the dials.

Aviation transponder? Or perhaps technically better, aviation transponder codes?

(Or maybe technically better still is a historically related piece of hardware, a World War II Identification Friend or Foe [IFF] system, which was code-named "Parrot," upon which aviation transponders are based.)

 

[Andre]

It's the transponder for identification purposes of flying objects Obviously the dragon fly was an identified flying object.

In NATO air defence jargon it is still used on a daily basis. We have a parrot check and when aircraft come to close formation ("holding hands") or when they "hassle" the wingmen have to stop the squawk for avoiding interference, which is 'jargoned' as http://usmilitary.about.com/od/glossarytermss/g/s5999.htm.

There is so many more funny jargon in there, but you can only use one.

 

[collinsmark]

Okay, here's the new technical jargon term.

What is a "watchdog"?

In this context,

• It is not canine.
• As a matter of fact it isn't even alive.
• It is not virus or malware protection monitoring software or anything like that. It does not actively monitor anything, so to speak, outside of itself. (Well it doesn't monitor anything besides the most simplest of things, which is still, technically part of itself. Although this simple thing can be manipulated externally.)
• [Edit: It does have a particular control over something outside of itself. It just doesn't monitor a whole heck of a lot outside of itself, which is my point.]
• It usually consists, at least in part, of something physical (tangible as opposed to abstract).
• Although quite common these days, a watchdog never act as a purely standalone thing; you can't go to the store and buy a complete watchdog, all by itself.
• It's quite probable that you own at least one watchdog.

 

[DeeAytch]

Some part of a watch ?

 

[collinsmark]

Some part of a watch ?

I'm going to have to say 'no' on that one.

That said, the passage of time is of utmost importance to a watchdog. But it has nothing particularly to do with a wristwatch sort of watch. (Not unless that wristwatch is a really, really sophisticated sort of wristwatch that Dick Tracy might wear.)

 

[DeeAytch]

Some part of a dog?

 

[collinsmark]

Some part of a dog?

Lol! <catches breath and cleans coffee spray off screen.>

No.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Various bits of computer-based equipment contain separate "watchdog timers" that will reset or restart them if they aren't reset within a time limit. Is that what you mean?

 

[collinsmark]

Various bits of computer-based equipment contain separate "watchdog timers" that will reset or restart them if they aren't reset within a time limit. Is that what you mean?

Jonathan Scott wins the round.

A "watchdog circuit" and "watchdog timer" is, in the technical jargon, just called the "watchdog." It consists of a hardware based timer that resets the device if it expires. If not reset in an appropriate interval of time, the watchdog resets the device.

If you own a cellphone, you own a watchdog. Your cellphone's modem processor contains a watchdog. A watchdog is not limited to cellphones though.

I mentioned that a watchdog is not a standalone device. It goes with something else. That something else (whatever it is) must

• Kick with watchdog
• Pet the watchdog
• Feed the watchdog

periodically. And in this context, kick, pet or feed the watchdog mean exactly the same thing: reset the timer. This involves the software triggering a specific address (a "memory" address known to the software which is really a hardware register address). This triggers the hardware watchdog to reset its timer. If the hardware timer expires, it resets the device. I mentioned the "most simplest of things" in my original description, because this amounts to a single bit (1 or 0) within the address that needs to be periodically written.

Software in an embedded device can "go off into the weeds" so to speak for a number of reasons including a software bug, hardware bug or even a rare interaction with a cosmic ray that toggles a bit in memory (this is rare but it does happen). If such a thing happens in an embedded device, and that device contains a watchdog, the device will fail to kick the watchdog, and the watchdog will reset the device, and the system can recover. If the device does not contain a watchdog, or the watchdog is not implemented correctly, it requires the user to manually power cycle the device, which is a bad an horribly annoying thing.

The watchdog implementation needs to be done in hardware though (at least in part). It can't be done purely in software since software operation is one of the things it's keeping tabs on.

The modem processor in a cellphone has its own watchdog. The modem processor software is responsible for kicking the watchdog within a certain time interval. If it doesn't the watchdog resets the phone.

In older phones (think clamshell phones [read not smartphones]) the phone containes a single processor that controls the modem and user interface (UI) (and perhaps digital signal processors [DSP] which are ignored in this post). If the software crashes (for whatever reason) it ceases kicking the watchdog, and the watchdog resets the phone. The user might not even notice.

If this didn't take place, the phone would just be "frozen" and require a hard reboot just to recover. And in the worst hypothetical case, the phone might end up transmitting garbage, potentially jamming other cellphones on the cellular network. That's why cell phones always have watchdogs -- to protect the network if nothing more.

And, without a watchdog, the UI is possibly unresponsive, requiring the user to manually, and painstakingly, take the phone apart and remove the battery to power cycle thphone.

Modern smartphones are more complicated in this respect. Modern phones (certainly all smartphones) have separate modem processors from application processors (even if both processors are embedded within the same chip). The modem processors will certainly contain a watchdog, but not necessarily the application processor. So the application processor freezes up, you might have to painstakingly remove the battery to reset the thing, but you can at least rest assured that the modem isn't doing anything bad.

Watchdogs are not limited to cellphones though. They apply to any embedded device. Various embedded systems in your computer might (or might not) contain their own watchdog circuitry. If your video card crashes for example, and it contains a watchdog, the system can recover without rebooting the entire system, and without relying on the software drivers to reboot the thing.

Have you ever had to manually power-cycle your router/WLAN? If so, it was because it didn't properly implement a watchdog (and probably had bugs). The lack of watchdog was either poor implementation or was ignored as a cost savings measure. If the thing implemented a watchdog, even if it was buggy it would automatically reset itself rather than requiring you to manually power cycle the damned thing, which is incredibly annoying.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchdog_timer

Instead of relying on Kyle, a properly implemented watchdog can do this for you automatically:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckIMuvumYrg

So, Jonathan Scott, good job, and it's your move.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Thanks. The next word is "kicker" but it doesn't kick anything.

(Possibly somewhat UK specific, and quite likely to be searchable, but I can't think of anything better).

 

[Jonathan Scott]

No takers for "kicker"?

It helps when you're on the run.

 

[Vagrant]

Kicker shoes?

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Kicker shoes?

Sorry, no.

But this "kicker" does help when running.

 

[Jonathan Scott]

Not running on land, if that helps.

 

[Vagrant]

Ramps?

 

[Travis_King]

The valve on some water bottles that let's you open and close the top without fussing with it?

edit: ooh, or the kicking strap on the boom (sailing)!

 

[Jonathan Scott]

edit: ooh, or the kicking strap on the boom (sailing)!

Yes, well done.

The kicking strap (also called a "boom vang") is a line primarily used to prevent the boom from rising up when sailing directly away from the wind, otherwise known as "running". It is typically referred to as the "kicker" (at least here in the UK).

(I used to enjoy small boat sailing many years ago).

Your turn now, Travis_King.

 

[Travis_King]

Woohoo! I got into sailing a bit a few years ago (can't afford my own boat though, so it's tough to get out there). I had no idea really until I re-read the "running" comment.

Ok, how about:

"Octopus" (suffice it to say, not the animal)