Hi, Yes I though the Titan thing was good. As for the moons… well, it’s understandable. Our generation called Pluto a planet – the category of dwarf planets didn’t exist then, and all those moons are simply too much to remember.
Titan is one of several places which look well worth investigating. In a perverse way, all these moons and some of the dwarf planets: Ceres and even Pluto, may make better targets for human occupation than planets. They are deep space but with a surface and no gravity well. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_(dwarf_planet) Actually, the Solar System is looking more interesting than it has, but not in the ways or in the places we expected.
And… it hasn’t been a good week for me, and though I’m through it ok, I may be distracted suddenly for a while.
On Wednesday evening, Noreen got a phone call from Margaret to say “there’s sewage in the yard” of our cottage down in Cork City. A photo was enough to confirm the issue and in the time it took to collect a few tools (overalls, gloves, drain rods…) and a change of clothing I was on my way (40 miles to Cork City).
By 01:30 I had the mess cleared and had established that while the loo and shower-room drains were working satisfactorily, the gulley for the kitchen (which was the source of the effluent), was blocked. There had been things in that effluent which had not come direct from any kitchen and certainly not ours, including an almost complete sausage! No, I do not know what variety; it was like a length of garlic sausage with a reddish skin. The mess cleared up and it being possible to use the loo (but not the kitchen sink) I washed and went to bed.
The following morning, Noreen (who fortunately is on vacation from school) was down at 09:00. While I started trying to clear the blockage, Noreen started on the internet and phone. In not so short order she went through: Irish Water, Cork City Council, 2 drains companies and even the Gardai (police, because we needed to get access to the house next door). Everybody was very helpful, but there were issues all along the way. Meanwhile, I bailed and “plunged” and groped.
By a miracle, “plunging”, persistence, groping in the darkness and with the use of chemicals, there was water movement by about 15:00 and by 16:00 I had the gulley draining in a satisfactory way. We had managed to resolve the immediate crisis for about EUR 30 on parking, EUR 20 on drain cleaner and whatever we spend on petrol. After I’d demonstrated the results, I washed up, we all shared some tea and a bun, and Noreen and Margaret went home, while I remained, to enjoy a TV dinner and a single can of strong cider. I went to bed early and I slept like a log.
The following day, I did a survey of my drains and the area. Compared to the previous night I felt amazingly relaxed. In the early afternoon I had a visit from someone from our preferred drains company. The bloke explained that we had two issues: 1) No rodding/jetting access and 2) No vent to relieve pressure from the sewer. The solution is going to have to be removing the loo pan and using the access into the sewer for inspection with an endoscope and then digging up the yard (guided by the endoscope results), and then jetting and fitting a small inspection chamber. Really what is behind all this, is that I have a house which is over a hundred years old and the foul drainage has developed by a process of accretion.
I’ve fixed the immediate crisis, but now I have to take control of the project (because that is what it has become). Of course, the screws holding down the pan are badly rusted. I’m going to investigate removing the bowl but I’m reconciled to hiring a plumber and I know that the usual solution in these cases is to break the bowl – it’s easier and cheaper. If I get someone else to do the work, I will get them to fit easily removable screws and a service valve on the cistern at the same time (to save the need for draining the cold water tank in the future).
I’ve now got an excruciatingly large scale map (stolen from the Irish Gas website) of the relevant houses, and the results of my survey. Tomorrow evening I will investigate the loo pan and then we will move on from there.
I may be busy for a few days…
Cheers,
Tom
Trying to stay out of the brown. Onward to Mars, or Titan!
(Originally posted 17th June 2021)
From: pink582 [mailto:pink582@btinternet.com]
Sent: 10 June 2021 10:54
To: Tom Gillies
Subject: Re: Titan
Hello Tom,
thanks for doc about Titan, I may watch others in the series. When it comes to the moons I get a bit hazy....when there were only a handful of moons knowing their names seem to make sense but when you get 53 confirmed moons plus 29 other likely candidates....well I lost the plot.
two things did come out of the doc for me...1) the magnetic field of Saturn itself is strong enough to protect the atm of Titan from solar wind for 90% of the time...I also guess the solar wind is less dense out there.
2) very thick atm...if you want a fast trip to Saturn slowing down won't be so difficult...reference ballute idea in 2010 movie.....may be you could rig a past both through Saturn and Titan.
All the best
Jeff
------ Original Message ------
From: "Tom Gillies" <gillies.tom@googlemail.com>
To: "Jeff Pink" <pink582@btinternet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, 9 Jun, 2021 At 19:32
Subject: Titan
I’m sure you will be interested in this, and I’m going to check some figures tomorrow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGy4uyHVUYA
Regards,
Tom
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