Date: Fri, 27 Jun 2003 20:28:01 -0400 From: Steve Smith <sgs at aginc.net> To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net> Subject: [WSFA] Re: why government surplus is cheap Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at keithlynch.net> ronkean at juno.com wrote: > On Thu, 26 Jun 2003 17:44:02 -0400 Steve Smith <sgs at aginc.net> writes: > >>Biggest problem they had was that the surplus weather balloons had >>deteriorated to the point where they nearly blew their helium budget >> >>when too many of the half-filled balloons broke. >> > > They should have tested the balloons with air before filling them with > helium. As an engineer, I'm often appalled at the standards of engineering on some of these shows. I suppose I could comfort myself with the thought that they are doing it deliberately, to keep kids from succeeding at home. (Kids *will* try it.) But I doubt it. -- Steve Smith sgs at aginc.net Agincourt Computing http://www.aginc.net "Truth is stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense."