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To: DoughtyOne
These are some of the best ideas. They are not hindered by the rules of physics as they are understood. From time to time, those ideas defy the rules. They tap into some unknown loophole. Don’t let someone give you a flippant response to dash your hopes that your idea could lead to something.

Your thoughts remind me of a great Heinlein quote...

“Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it.”

9 posted on 06/03/2017 12:52:24 PM PDT by Flick Lives ("Daddy, what did you do in the Deep State War?")
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To: Flick Lives

That’s about it...

Good one.


10 posted on 06/03/2017 12:54:54 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (May the Covfefe be with you...)
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To: Flick Lives
“Always listen to experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it.”

Reminds me of Cmdr. Edward Ellsberg's book about rehabilitating the wrecked Italian naval base in Massawa, Eritrea in WWI.

Among many other problems, he inherited:

Machine shops whose equipment's driving motors were smashed and had parts removed from each one. According to the "experts", those buildings were "Totally worthless. He'd have to wait for a complete new shipment from the States." - months away.
He recognized that the Italians weren't consistent in their sabotage - not all motors smashed the same way. He had all the motors stripped and cannibalized and ended up with 20 good ones. Same deal with machine parts. By the next day he had a working lathe and mill. Using junked crucibles, he cast new parts out of bronze or iron, trued them on the lathe, cut teeth with the mill and soon had the whole shop at a production level greater than before the sabotage - all in 30 days.

Two large sunken dry docks with their bottom compartments blown open. Experts said 50 divers and 200 men taking six month with no guarantees. The Admiralty have given up on their salvage.
With 16 Americans, two old diving rigs and four air compressors, he raises the big one (600' long) in nine days. No expert thought to use compressed air.

He had the job of scraping the hulls of Tobruk supply ships who hulls were so fouled they could only do four knots, making them ideal targets. He had three days for each ship. He hires a horde of Eritreans for the job, only to find out they were too slow. The Brits experts who supervised them said they were worthless and threw up their hands. Ellsberg tells the native chiefs that if they can't do the job in three days he will fire them. "Tough" say the chiefs. "Not even Allah could do better". He then says he will pay them for three days work even if they do the job in less time, figuring two days would be a blessing. The natives get energized and are finishing each ship in 1 1/2 days.

There's plenty more "Can't be done" according to the experts - and he does them. The book is called "Under the Red Sea Sun".

33 posted on 06/03/2017 3:50:48 PM PDT by Oatka
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