Path: csiph.com!news.nrbbs.org!usenet.blueworldhosting.com!diablo1.usenet.blueworldhosting.com!peer01.iad!feed-me.highwinds-media.com!news.highwinds-media.com!news-out.netnews.com!feed-4.dca.netnews.com!dca.netnews.com!not-for-mail X-Trace: DXC=XZWnGM0_Kh1nE_ZM:5?BK1HWonT5<]0T=@GOK[m5A6W23[L8B6BE9j=G]B:S<74_1=^:lZX>fNCd2?`dTjf`b32=b0M@O_V6DU61O6ZH_@QN0< X-Complaints-To: support@blocknews.net From: Brock McNuggets Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.advocacy,comp.sys.mac.system,comp.mobile.android,misc.phone.mobile.iphone Subject: Re: How badly Arlen/Maria gets it wrong: the catenary curve and road racing. Date: Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:56:52 -0700 Message-ID: <1793141812.B01F108A@gmail.com> References: <11bgedj$24hp5$3@dont-email.me> <11br7q9$1ub6f$1@dont-email.me> Organization: Southern Nevada Institute of Technology X-Face: OE,U*3RQg$PaaY%:;s[%.TJFTqzGM9EL:D&.YbCOm5!c%xV@y]sZp1}|4z1e#&fu-CsQTGDv=2VH@#1t(zS,vzeoae-"89+OP('Dg:*IE(xZ}mm-/F&uPp'JhzS4($RUX5[,9lVU*4>+h03"l>poLm%m13'*KZ}:Zp5,eX)-dy{=ut.[~J=G#Go MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: Loom GS/1.0 (macOS) Lines: 95 NNTP-Posting-Host: 127.0.0.1 X-Trace: 1793141812 reader.netnews.com 22 127.0.0.1:36151 X-Received-Bytes: 4514 Xref: csiph.com comp.sys.mac.advocacy:149881 comp.sys.mac.system:146561 comp.mobile.android:156674 misc.phone.mobile.iphone:203267 On Oct 27, 2026 at 3:15 PM, Joel W. Crump wrote in 11br7q9$1ub6f$1@dont-email.me: > On 10/23/2026 4:00 PM, Alan wrote: > >> For quite some while, we've seen that once Arlen/Andy/Wally J/Maria/ >> (other numerous posting nyms) gets an idea fixed in his/her head, >> almost no demonstrations of facts will sway him/her. >> >> For instance! >> >> I'm a road racing driver and instructor. I've been racing since 2013. >> >> But for Arlen (I knew him first by that nym, IIRC) he became >> convinced that I couldn't possibly be those things... >> >> ...despite lots of conclusive evidence of the fact. >> >> And it boiled down to only a couple of things. >> >> First, I drive a BMW 135i, and Arlen insisted that if I didn't know >> which nicknames were used for BMW's cars and motorcyles, then I >> couldn't possibly be a racing driver. Mar 9, 2023 >> >> 'If Alan claims to race beemers, he's a moron for not even knowing >> the first thing about his fabrications since the term came about in >> racing circles. >> >> Jesus Christ. >> What kind of idiot 'racer' doesn't know that? >> >> Hence, I wish you wouldn't quote that moron Alan Baker, Jolly Roger, >> but now that you have, if he doesn't even know the difference between >> a bimmer and a beemer, there's zero chance of his track fabrication >> being true.' >> >> And on December 20, 2023, he brought up the "catenary" curve.: >> >> 'That's why I brought up the word "catenary" which _every_ (real) >> racer knows all about, as it's one of the most important words in >> racing schools.' >> >> And now (of course) he's taken to using AI LLMs to try and "prove" >> his "facts"... >> >> ...so I did the same: >> >> I asked Gemini: >> >> "Can you find any reference online that refers to the shape of the >> curve a road racing car takes through a corner as being a catenary >> curve?" >> >> And the response was: >> >> "No, online references and vehicle dynamics literature do not refer >> to the curve a racing car takes through a corner as a catenary >> curve." >> >> But let's not stop there! >> >> I asked ChatGPT the same question, and it answered: >> >> 'I searched for references that explicitly describe a road-racing >> car's path through a corner as a catenary curve, rather than merely >> discussing the geometry of the racing line. >> >> So far, I haven't found a convincing reference that makes that exact >> identification. I did find some useful sources discussing the >> mathematical shape of a racing line, which help distinguish a >> catenary from other curves that might look similar.' >> >> But my laughing at him over this led to him putting me in his kill >> file! >> >> And after scouring the internet, the only place he could find a >> reference to a "catenary" curve in racing... >> >> ...was the curve that one programmer chose to use... >> >> ...in a simulation... >> >> ...of a track for racing model wooden race cars... >> >> ...that were about one foot long! > > > I believe you. You're the one with standing, integrity. We've had our > disagreements, but I haven't sensed dishonesty, from you. These other > characters don't hit me the same way. Alan and I disagree at times but overall I think he is one of the good ones. -- It's impossible for someone who is at war with themselves to be at peace with you.