Examples of Cascade Failures

Here are some other examples of cascade failures:

  1. The 1965 blackout on the east coast of North America.
  2. The 2003 blackout, again on the east coast.
  3. A bank run is not by itself a cascade failure, but if it causes runs on other ones, it is.
  4. The stock market crash of 2008.
  5. The final fall of the World Trade Towers.

Frankie Manning

And now from the other side of my brain … Frankie Manning, one of the founders of the Lindy Hop style of dance, died last night, a month short of his 95 birthday.

Good bye Frankie. A lot of people are going to miss you.

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Cascade Failures

For another article I’m writing, I need an online definition of a cascade failure. I wasn’t very happy with the Wikipedia definition, so I thought I’d fine tune it a bit. You might want to click on theirs too.

A cascade is a series of waterfalls that follow one another sequentially.

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Get out of the way!

Today I witnessed an ambulance, all lights flashing, siren and horn blaring, held up at an intersection. Not held up by cross-traffic who didn’t see him, held up by traffic in front of him going the same way. No one even tried to get out of his way. No one! What is wrong with people?

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Are Retirement Savings Funds a good idea?

First response, from everyone, is always – Of course they are!

I know. It used to be my response. But is it true?

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The Dearth of Generalists

Is this, perhaps, the death of Generalism in general?

When I studied computers, back in the iron age of computers, the study was called Computer Science.

When we questioned, once, the wisdom of calling the course of study Computer Science, we were told that Physics was once called The Physical Sciences. When, in due course, the study of computers was understood by everyone to be a science, the language would follow and drop the redundant tail.

But is that what has happened? (more…)

About the name

I’d been wanting to start a new Blog for a while. But I was stuck on what to call it.

At first, I wanted to call it look both ways. That would make it both a reference to what we tell children, look both ways before you cross the street, and also to my belief that we need to look both to the past and to the future before deciding on the best course of action.

But the domain name was already taken. (more…)

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Does the world really need another Blog?

I think so.

Sometimes I see things that just make me want to ask What on earth is going on here? A lot of times, I don’t have the answer. I’m not even sure I’ve got the right question. But, a lot of times, no one else is asking any questions. Not even incorrect ones. And yet I’m full of them. So I’m going to start asking. (more…)

Posted in Purpose. 6 Comments »