I also wonder about Patrick's use of the phrase - "so-called "pitot tubes". Why "so-called"? They have been called pitot tubes ever since they were invented by Henri Pitot in the early 1700's. Now, the real question is, why do modern state-of-the-art aircraft still use such a primitive technology? Is it really that difficult for aircraft to determine their speed from GPS satellites? Shouldn't pitot tubes just be a backup? After all, ships don't still measure their speed by throwing logs overboard. Patrick assures us that pitot tubes are heated. Fair enough, but at what point does ice overwhelm the heating system? The evidence so for indicates to me that pitot tube failure due to icing was the primary cause of this accident, not severe weather. Severe weather was probably a complicating factor after the pitot tube failure had already caused the planes computers to misinterpret plane speed. So again, why the phrase "so-called pitot tubes"? Does Patrick want to avoid putting any blame on the airline?

Patrick, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, your use of so-called is correct. Although it normally is used as a term of abuse, it can also be used to point out an esoteric technical term:

2. In attributive use (hyphened): Called or designated by this name or term, but not properly entitled to it or correctly described by it. Also loosely or catachr. as a term of abuse.

More recently, and now quite commonly (esp. in technical contexts), used merely to call attention to the description, without implication of incorrectness {Oxford English Dictionary]

Borduin,

Thank you for information re: pitot icing. This is obviously highly significant and I don't understand why Patrick would dismiss it.

As for the LW who pointing out that pitot tubes measure airspeed, and GPS would measure groundspeed - I realized my error soon after I posted. Thanks. But there must be some technology better than pitot tubes for measuring airspeed.

Are there really families out there these days that can survive on a single income? Adults work, earn money, and then care for the kids during the evening and on weekends. You can do both. Babysitting the kid or kids as a full-time job is not a good option for well-educated men or women. Also, if you can't handle 2 kids, stop at 1. As for kids being with someone they love - they are, all evening and all weekend. Kids love to go to a decent daycare where they meet other kids. They need to get out of the house too, you know.

Maybe a laser air speed sensor:

http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/NewsReleases/2005/press_130620058.html

In this country, money is more important than human life and human lives are sacrificed to the god of profit. I see no sign of anything changing.

"Asian women are smokin hot"

Exactly. Especially compared with those big beefy American soccer-playing women who look like men with breasts.

In this miasma of sordid sexual and racist stereotypes, there may be some lessons. Asian men, in particular Japanese, Korean and Thai, should stop treatin their women like dirt if they don't want to lose them to western men, who, while not perfect, do not find the ideal of equality for women totally bizarre. American women, on the other hand, should entertain the notion that displaying hatred for men may not be the best reproductive strategy. The good that feminism does stops at precisely the point where the fight for women's equality becomes simple man-hatred.

Men who hate women are fools; women who hate men are fools. In the past, women have been treated in nearly all societies worse than men. I am glad that has changed. More than half of all law graduates and medical school graduates are women. Women can control their reproductive health. Women can earn as much, or more than men. This is all very good. Personally, I like women far more than men. Absolute equality, whether in Asian or in the west is the only way to go for men and women - it is the only goal worth fighting for, and both men and women have to be careful not to let that struggle descend into hatred, which is quite evident on this discussion thread and is both depressing and boring.

"It is very common here in Japan to see women in their 30's and even 40's carrying around "little Mermaid" roll-alongs or "Winnie-the-Pooh" handbags: something that most women in the US gave up before their teens. In the school where I work, the most popular course of study, by far, is the "Bridal" program, where young girls get to perpetuate their fantasies of "Cinderella"-style princess weddings"

And fantasy is about as close as many Japanese women want to get to a wedding. I have read several articles about Japanese women choosing to stay with their parents and remain single rather than marry a Japanese man. I blame Japanese men.

"So am I to presume you were joking when you posted this comment or am I to conclude based upon your most recent post that you are a fool?"

My apologies to all soccer playing women out there. I'm just jealous because I was lousy at sports.

The way the economy is going, it may not be long before planeloads of older, fat Chinese and Korean men descend on American cities to have lots of sex with young, cheap American prostitutes. One can only hope they will use condoms.

Note to advertisers: Many of us use ad-blocker and never see your ads anyway. Just lots of nice white space to the right. I shudder to think of what ads would be generated by this discussion. Condoms, perhaps?

Truth is the roadkill on the superhighway of stereotypes.

Do you realize how lucky you are to have escaped from this prick? Why think of him? Forget about all the asian/white garbage and just find a decent man.