Flexible Mortgage Contracts

The most regrettable feature of the 2008 recession was the contagion of  foreclosures that swept through vulnerable neighborhoods, impoverishing a whole generation of beginning homeowners, many of them descendants of oppressed ancestors.  I anticipated this well in advance, having witnessed risky lending practises during the previous decade, responsive to many years of uninterrupted home-price inflation and the promise of economic stabilization by the Fed.  This dynamic affected blacks disproportionally, owing to 1990s legislation forcing home lending in redlined neighborhoods.

During the years leading to the 2008 recession, mortgage brokers maximized their commissions by encouraging buyers to take loans for the full appraised value and more.  Thus, buyers were almost ‘under water’ on day one, or following the slightest unfavorable event.  Second mortgages up to 115% of value were encouraged, tempting borrowers to treat them income streams – all on the assumption that the upward home-price trajectory would continue.  Brokers pushed adjustable-rate mortgages on the most vulnerable, least sophisticated buyers.

During the recession, home deflation became epidemic.  That is, one defaulted/abandoned home in a neighborhood caused devaluation of neighboring homes, which were consequently abandoned hence intensifying and spreading failure like a forest fire.

Interested parties just watched as this epidemic destroyed wealth of aspiring homeowners.  A broker has no interest in a completed loan once it's sold off to a bank or investor group.  Our government bailed the institutions out.  There was a government home-refinancing program that helped stronger homeowners, provided they held on through the recession.

Back in 2006 and 2007, I contemplated a flexible mortgage contract, one where the lenders and buyers would share the burden of changing externalities, so the buyer could weather a recession without losing his/her home.  Accordingly, interest and principle would be adjusted temporarily to relieve homeowners of most of the shock but eventually altered to make lenders whole after a recession subsides.  Preventing the abandonment epidemic would mollify, possibly prevent a recession.

Flexible loan contracts should have been implemented in response to the 2008 recession but weren’t.  Instead, the Dodd-Frank legislation required banks to hold more capital.  There was no legislation to protect borrowers early in a downturn.  Lawmakers, lawyers, politicians, economists and bankers, are binary thinkers, ill prepared to design loans for an economic downturn.  That work might need some engineers, the kind who guided Voyager and New Horizons near our most distant planets.

Liberal vs Conservative Legacy

In a letter to the Tennessean Oct 24, Donald and Nan Chunn say that the Democratic Party embraces godless Marxism and that electing democrats offends our veterans who sacrificed fighting communism.  This is not supported by facts.

Both of our wars to contain communism (Korea, Vietnam) were started by Democratic presidents and stopped by Republican presidents without wins.

Communism doesn’t evolve from socialism.  It springs from autocracy when too many people are suffering, hopeless and confused.  Socialism alleviates suffering and hopelessness, thereby averting communist revolution.

All political and economic systems are godless, regardless of sanctimonious claims.

Efforts by liberals to alleviate suffering and injustice have left us with valuable legacies, eg social security, civil rights, universal suffrage, medicare, medicaid, child-labor laws, 40-hour work week, affordable health care, environmental preservation, recovered economy twice.  The main conservative legacy (Reagan, Bush 2, Trump) is ballooning National Debt.  Our descendants will benefit from the liberal legacy but will be burdened by the conservative legacy.

Published in The Tennessean, Nov 1, 2018

Foot-pad cracked-skin scraper

For several years I have suffered from thickened, cracking, inflamed skin at the edges of my footpads.  The cracking is due to non-compliance of the thickend layer, which is shed skin lingering due to an adhesive that is weakened by hot-water soaking.  Pumice-stone rubbing after footsoak or shower didn’t suffice.  Similarly, Dr Scholl's foot file wasn't aggressive enough.
Sometimes my fingernails after a shower-bath were surprisingly effective, so I imagined a device that would act like a crowded bunch of fingernails.  The device described and pictured below worked better than expected, separating dead, adherant skin quickly and thoroughly without harming the live skin beneath.
  Here’s how it’s made:  Buy a multi-diameter hole-saw attachment for a power-drill.  Remove the shaft.  Leave the blades all in their slots, secured by glue if necessary.  Using the flat side of a grinding wheel, grind down the saw teeth uniformly almost but not quite completely.
After a bath/shower, rub the thick dead skin gently back and forth with the abrasive face of the scraper.  The dead skin will roll up and/or flake off exposing the good skin satisfyingly.  Don’t try to do it all in one sitting.  Repeat the process after subsequent baths/showers until the offending dead-skin accumulation is finally gone – and soft, noncracking, living skin prevails.

Super impact wrench

* My two most recent shade-tree projects presented me with a 27-mm harmonic-balance bolt and a 36-mm wheel-axle nut that wouldn’t respond to an impact wrench.  I managed to remove the harmonic-balance bolt with a 1/2"-drive breakdown socket wrench pulled at the 20" handle by a ratchet strap.  I managed to remove the wheel nut by use of  a large pipe wrench on a socket, the wrench's handle being extended by a 6-foot pipe (the breakdown wrench had snapped in an earlier attempt).
* All the while I was imagining and wishing for a new kind of impact wrench designed as shown in the following figures.
  *  The prospective device has two main parts: 1) a notched disk-shaped hammer component (diam ~ 8" - 10") cut from ~5/8" steel plate which spins on an axis counter-clockwise powered by an electric drill in reverse.

and 2) a wrench component cut from ~1/4" steel plate which transferes momentum from the hammer to a socket, via a square socket-drive bar (1/2" or 3/4") fused to a square hole at the wrench's axis.  The socket-drive bar extends through the wrench an inch on the opposite side, where it is rounded to a cylinder constituting the axis for the hammer to spin on.  The tip of this axis has a transverse hole with a pin to hold the hammer component (covered by a safety shield) flush against the wrench component.

The wrench component bears a spring-loaded catch which upon removal of a catch-retaining pin can jump into the path of the hammer's impact notch to receive the built-up angular momentum.  The wrench component's distal end is equipped with an eye to which a nylon rope is tied connecting it to a nearby stable object (eg car frame or suspension) to brake the excess angular momentum, so the device doesn't become a wild "battlebot" amputating the worker's extremities after loosening the nut or bolt.

The device is equipped with a safety shield covering the hammer to protect fingers from shearing between the hammer impact notch and the catch.  Its edge is rounded or beaded to avoid cuts.

Lessons from radio waves

* As a recreationist contemplating forces of nature, I have believed that electromagnetic fields and waves summate but do not interact among themselves, that they do interact with particles which produce, absorb, reflect, refract and diffract EM fields and/or waves.  I wonder whether that belief agrees with serious theory.
* Consistent with my belief, waves pass through fields emerging intact, opposing waves pass through each other and proceed unaffected (as in standing waves), and neighboring waves interfere constructively, a summative relation not an interactive one.  But it's hard to reconcile this belief with my belief about radio waves.
* Specifically, I believe that each phase of a radio wave is a shower of short (perhaps IR-length) photons of phase-specific spin.  The EM energy doesn’t come from the transmitter antenna as a whole, it comes from charged-particles accelerated where the EMF pulse is progressing along the antenna.  EM energy coming from an electron near one end early in a phase should not know that it is associated with EM energy coming from an electron near the other end later in that phase.
* Giving me pause is the fact that radio waves bend around obstructions, diffract in grids, filter on macroscopic polarizers and penetrate walls as if they were very long unitary photons rather than showers of much shorter like-spinning photons.  Perhaps photons contributing to a larger wave somehow interact with structures as if they were integral to the wave, implying communication across the wave (in space and time) that I wouldn’t anticipate.
*  This might be analogous to the behavior of particles in the double-slit experiment, exhibiting statistics as if responding to distant untouched structures. Attempts to reconcile the double-slit results became foundational to quantum mechanics theory.  Perhaps something enlightening will derive from attempts to reconcile particulate, spatially-separated and temporally-separated photon emission with unitary radio-wave action.  This would imply interaction among photons within a shower of photons, contrary to my beliefs expressed at the outset.

Semi-truck anti-jack-knife proposal

  * Considering a semi truck’s design, one can predict that it will jack-knife with little provocation – a modest left-right imbalance of braking traction or forceful braking during an avoidance turn.  After witnessing a jack-knifing incident up close, metal fragments dropping in my path, I have been imagining how such events can be prevented.  During a jack-knifing, the tractor points so much left or right, that steering is impossible.  Needed is a means to point the tractor in the direction of its motion, so the driver can steer it.
  *  I began by considering the range of tractor-to-trailer angles and front-wheel steering angles under common conditions.
  * Fig. 1 shows the angles during constant left turn.  The outer circle is the path taken by the tractor’s front mid-axle, the slightly smaller circle is the path taken by the tractor’s rear mid-axle, the inner circle is the path taken by the trailer’s rear mid-axle after it moves elliptically to its steady-state position.  In this illustration, the trailer’s axle-axle length (2 to 3) is thrice the tractor’s axle-axle length (1 to 2).  Once a steady state is established, a modest front-wheel pitch (1 in 3) will result in a substantial tractor-to-trailer pitch (~ 4 in 3).  

These paths might be followed during a U turn in a large lot, but typically the driver would cease turning before a steady state is established as illustrated in Fig 2, where the turn ends with a brief turn of the steering wheel in the opposite direction.

  * Here the driver takes the tractor on a wide sweep.  Approaching the side street, he/she will swing as far rightward as permitted, so the trailer’s rear wheels can best avoid a car in the left street’s oncoming lane.  For the same reason, he/she will pull as far beyond the intersection as permitted.  Early in the turn and until the tractor is in the side street, the tractor-to-trailer angel may be 90deg or slightly sharper.  Once the tractor's front wheels are in the eventual path, they will be steered rightward until the tractor's rear wheels are tracking in line.
  * Thus the relation between tractor front-wheel steering angle and tractor-to-trailer angle varies greatly during normal operation.  An algorithm and mechanism to prevent jack-knifing must freely allow those angles but quickly stop an increase of a tractor-to-trailer angle contrary to steering direction and/or it must rapidly halt and diminish a tractor-to-trailer jack-knifing angle.  A leftward jack-knife would be recognized as leftward tractor-to-trailer angle associated either with rightward drift of the tractor's rear wheels and/or with righward steering of the front wheels while skidding.  These conditions could be recognized by an optical device (analogous to an optical computer mouse) interacting with the road below the tractor's rear axle, perhaps aided by an accelerometer at this location.
  *  Figs 3 - 5 show a mechanisms to bring about the tractor-to-trailer angle responses.  
  *  In Figs 3 & 4, the mechanism consists of a servo-motor-driven spool (red) attached to the tractor's frame behind or below the cab, this connected by a cable or chain (green) to a large grooved hoop (red) attached to the trailer's frame concentric with the hitch.
  *  In Fig 3 the cable or chain crosses between the spool and grooved hoop.  The cable or chain wraps several times around the spool and is attached at its mid point.

  *  In Fig 4 a chain spans from spool to hoop on either side.  It doesn't wind on the spool, but engages a sprocket on the spool like a bicycle chain.

  *  In Fig 5, a servo-driven cog-wheel engages a larger ring attached reversibly to the trailer.

With sufficient strength of the elements, such a device should be able to halt and diminish a dangerous tractor-to-trailer angle move the angle toward optimal.

Challenge for Steve Mould

Steve,
  *  Here is a challenge for you that might have profound scientific interest.
  *  Make a hollow uniformly thick sphere of flexible and resilient material, possibly rubber or plastic, this coated or impregnated with a material that changes color with stretch.  It should have much more inertia than adjacent air so waves would propagate tangentially rather than radially.
  *  With that you should be able to visualize nodes and antinodes of spherical standing waves as you oscillate a small area with focussed sound waves of various pitches.
  *  The dynamics of your sphere should be those of a spherical bell.  You might be the first to observe such dynamics, possibly amazing shapes of overtones.
  *  It seems interesting to speculate whether energies of any electron in any atom might be overtones in spherical electron clouds.
  *  Let me know your thoughts on the spherical bell, if any.
David Regen, xmsdavidr@gmail.com

High-School Science Project

Function of radio-transmitter antenna
The goal is to test the hypothesis that a radio wave is not a unitary electromagnetic wave but instead is a shower of modest-length photons radiating from emf waves (front and back of voltage wave) as they propagate between ends of the antenna.
Studies on loop conductor
 * Using two(or more)-channel oscilloscope with signal generator and nanosecond time resolution, determine time for voltage pulse (leading edge of square wave) to reach points at various distances from positive input.  This can be done with test probes clamped to well separated uninsulated points on a loop conductor (wire forming a complete circuit from source to ground).
 * If oscilloscope cannot resolve this time difference, use longer wire between test probes.
 * If oscilloscope still can’t resolve this time, wind the wire as a spiral coil on a wooden dowel to increase inductance.  Increase number of coil loops to slow voltage pulse enough for time-course resolution.
 * If oscilloscope still can’t resolve this time, replace dowel with steel rod, perhaps a coat-hanger.
 * Using a sufficiently slow conductor, straighten two well separated 4-inch segments.  These will be test segments.
 * To each oscilloscope-channel’s probes, connect a wire loop with a 4-inch straight mid segment, each straight segment being a radiation probe.
 * Place radiation probes close to and parallel to test segments and tune channels to optimize screen display of signals.

 * Record probe signal intensities and emf directions with various probe locations, probe orientations, and objects (including polarizing filters) between test segments and probes.

 * Record probe signal shape with longer and longer voltage square-waves, noting signal decline during sustained voltage.

 * Repeat key measurements with entire loop-conductor shielded by cardboard layered with hardware cloth or aluminum screen (to block unintentional signals) with windows above test segments for intentional signal transfer.  Might be little different.
 * These studies should demonstrate that a voltage change moves as wave front from a source to the conductor's far end, that radiation occurs from any segment only as the voltage front and rear pass, that the radiation is polarized and bears information as to direction and valence of the passing voltage-change wave.
Studies on open circuit ie broken conductor
 * Cut the loop conductor at the midpoint and lay out the halves at some distance from each other.  Repeat key measurements.

Wave reflections of opposite emf valence may be observed.  Wave reflection is a feature of transmitter antennas.  By adjusting frequency, it may be possible to achieve a standing wave, best demonstrated with four evenly spaced radiation probes.
Studies on dipole transmitter antenna
 * Form the two conductor segments into a dipole antenna: conductors adjacent over the first few inches near to signal generator, then turning 90 degrees in opposite directions.  Repeat key measurements.

Wires in dipole-antenna configuration should behave the same as the wires layed out randomly, as regards what happens at various locations and times.
Characterize determinants of transmission efficiency
 * Look at signal picked up by a receiver antenna at various distances and orientations and with various objects in the way.
 * Adjust generator wave form and frequency to establish a standing wave.  Observe strength of signal in receiver antenna as standing wave is achieved.

Mapping wave source vs time

 * Shield transmitter antenna to allow radiation only from selected segments, to characterize sources of radiation at various moments after pulse initiation.  One should see that the signal leaves the transmitter antenna when and where the voltage-change wave is passing.  Parts of the transmitter antenna where and when the voltage-change front is not passing do not participate in radiation to the receiver antenna.  This will require careful time accounting.

Possible findings
 * The above studies might disclose interesting features of electromagnetic radiation and magnetism.
 * It may be possible to demonstrate that the significant radio signal is from the emf pulse during its propagation, not from voltage oscillations, this contary to numerous accounts of transmitter-antenna function.
 * One might get evidence that the significant radiation is of modest wave length (eg infra-red) not the length of radio waves, ie a radio wave is not a photon or unitary electromagnetic wave; it is a shower of modest-length photons (possibly IR) alternating in abundance and spin orientation during each cycle, contrary to some definitions of electromagnetic spectrum and photons.
 * Finally, explanations and accounts of magnetic force are mind-boggling.  Antenna radiation is kin to or the same as or easily confused with establishing and collapsing magnetic fields.  Observing these phenomena and contemplating them might evoke a valuable new insight into the nature of magnetism and radiation.
   Antenna mechanism        Photon model