Things that were not immediately obvious to me

The Trinity test was remarkable in many ways, but the one that stands out for me is the simple fact that it succeeded. The plutonium device detonated in the Trinity test was a novel construction, and it worked – the first time. Even more remarkable is the fact that the Hiroshima bomb was never tested at all; its first deployment was in combat.

That’s an impressive display of engineering skill and confidence. (And, probably, a little luck.)

Bonus Trinity trivia: The provenance of the name “Trinity” (in relation to this test) is unknown.

Yesterday was the 65th anniversary of D-Day, and the occasion for another Obama speech. For contrast, I though I’d link to Reagan’s 40th anniversary speech:

• Obama
• Reagan

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If you’re in the Berkeley area, and are feeling a bit peckish (or, for that matter, esurient) you could do a lot worse than stopping by IB’s Hoagies and ordering a cheesesteak and fries. This modest establishment is a national treasure.

“Wall Street” is a very well-made movie. (If you get a chance, you should also listen to the commentary track Oliver Stone did for it; it’s a good example of the form.) It’s interesting that Gordon Gekko, the quasi-villian of the piece, is its most charismatic character. I have a theory as to why that is.

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A funny thing happened to me today; a fellow came to my door, identified himself as a Special Agent with the U.S. Federal Investigative Services, and said he wanted to ask me some questions about a former neighbor who’d moved out in 2006.

To get a couple of questions out of the way:

• The US FIS is a real agency. They do background checks on people who are seeking security clearances.
• I didn’t know my neighbor, and so the guy just went away.

The funny thing about this was that the guy came to my door at 12:50 on a Tuesday afternoon. Is this really the best way to get in touch with someone? Furthermore, is it really likely that asking questions of the people who currently live near someone’s 3-year old residence will turn up something interesting? (“Oh, yeah – Bob. I remember him. He moved out years ago, but was always talking about how he wanted to make some extra money by selling inertial navigation systems to the Chinese. Good thing you stopped by to ask!”)

Maybe it is an effective technique, but it looks pretty damn feckless to me. (A criticism not directed so much at the poor guy who’s got to go door-to-door doing this crap, who I’m sure is governed by established procedure, but rather at the bureaucracy which came up with the procedure in the first place.) I wonder if it’s ever done any good at all.

The 2nd movement of Beethoven’s 7th symphony really is quite breathtaking. This observation might seem a little jejune; after all, it’s Beethoven. The 7th symphony isn’t exactly obscure. (And the 2nd movement encored at the symphony’s premier.)

Nevertheless, I think it bears pointing out. A lot of “high culture” music has a good reputation, and is well represented in symphony halls and dentist’s offices, but can sometimes seem a little difficult to appreciate. This piece, however, has always had a visceral impact on me. I suggest you give it a listen. (Bonus recommendation: The piece is featured – over some striking B&W imagery – in the opening to “The Fall“, which is quite an experience in its own right.)

I’ve written about Keith Hennessey before, but this post is particularly interesting: He writes about the internal bureaucratic arrangement of the Bush (43) White House staff. Of special note: Bush 43 had about two dozen direct reports, which is more than one would see in a typical organization, but not that many more, given that he was at the head of an organization (the U. S. federal gov’t) that is not only undeniably huge, but arguably the most influential on earth. This fact suggests that ~25 people is the outer limit of the size of an effective team.