Brittany Waldrep

Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Anthropology at The National Museum of Natural History is all about what makes us human, our place in nature, our common concerns and our differences. National Museum of Natural History anthropologists explore these issues through laboratory and collections-based research at the Museum and at field sites throughout the world. The National Museum of Natural History anthropology staff build and maintain the Museum’s world class collections which now include more than 600,000 objects documenting the diversity and accomplishments of humankind. Museum anthropologists also teach others about what they have learned through exhibits, school age educational programs, public programs and opportunities for advanced training. This thorough, thought-provoking web site also includes outside links to research projects conducted by the National Museum of Natural History and other institutions, among them the Field Museum’s New Guinea Research Program, a a fascinating multidisciplinary endeavor bringing together expertise in archaeology, social anthropology, human biology, museum studies, and data analysis to explore the history and human diversity of the southwest Pacific. Since 1987 the New Research Program (NGRP) has been using the world-famous ethnological collections at the Smithsonian and other institutions as a starting place “benchmark” for researching the social life, prehistory, and contemporary cultural change on the Sepik Coast of New Guinea.

If the main management tool of the past half dozen years has been business process reengineering (BPR), a far more comprehensive approach is urgently needed to handle the challenges of the new situation. What matters in every case is that the new technologies can transform not only business processes but also the way products and services are created and marketed, the structure and goals of the enterprise, the dynamics of competition, and the actual nature of the enterprise. “Virtually every business will find it possible to use these new tools to become more competitive,” Vice President Al Gore said in his 1994 speech to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. “And by taking the lead in quickly employing these new information technologies, America’s businesses will gain enormous advantages in the worldwide marketplace. Why isn’t BPR making the grade?

‘Hunters and fishermen need to know that a transmission will last the life of vehicle—if it’s cooled properly,” Appelgate says. “Unfortunately, the way your guys use their trucks—grinding slowly over offroad trails, climbing steep hills, towing boats and trailers—places a great deal of stress on the transmission. Stress creates heat, and heat is the number one killer of automatic transmissions. That’s the main reason why so many 1il prematurely But that can be prevented.”
How?
“The primary way to control heat is with an auxiliary transmission oil cooler. Any good unit that can circulate transmission fluid efficiently will do the job.Asd when the fluid stays cool, the transmission enjoys a long life.”
I interrupt. “All right. I hear you. But over the years I’ve talked to many outdoorsmen who believe such equipment really isn’t necessary. They say, ‘I don’t stress the vehicle enough to need one. And besides, the truck comes with a cooler. The dealer’s just trying to rip me off for another option.’”
“Yeah.Well, we at B&M for the most part disagree. First, just doing what you guys do—hunting and fishing—stresses the transmission in ways many outdoorsmen don’t consider. For example, when you climb a steep offroad trail, you often get a lot of wheelspin, which generates extra heat in the transmission fluld.That’s why even though original-equipment transmission radiator technology has come a long way, we still recommend an auxiliary cooler.
“Still not convinced? Think of it this way. It’s really no more than an inexpensive insurance policy. Our cooler costs about $60 retail. Compare that to as much as $2,000 for a rebuilt transmission.”
Appelgate’s eyes have lit up. He’s in his element. “In addition, (here are a few other things—besides ongoing maintenance, such as changing the fluid and making sure the filter is clean, which many people ignore completely—that anyone can do to increase the life of the transmission. “Next on the list is to install a deep transmission oil pan. A deep pan allows the transmission to benefit from another 3 to 4 quarts of fluid. If you can circulate a larger quantity of transmission fluid, you greatly increase the ability of the transmission to stay cool.”
Though a deeper pan means a small loss in ground clearance, most 4×4s are high enough so the loss doesn’t affect offroad performance. It’s a worthwhile compromise.

I think the vision an outdoorsman has of a hunting or fishing trip is a lake fIlled with jumping trout or a big deer stepping out
into view at first light. I don’t think it’s peering under a truck, watching boiling transmission oil pour out onto the ground.
Those are the words of transmission specialist Brian Appelgate of B&M Racing and Performance Products. I’ve corralled him at a trade show to talk turkey: I want to know how hunters and fishermen can improve the performance of the automatic transmission in their 4×4.
His words surprise me. I was braced for an arcane discourse on clutch packs, control valve bodies, and vacuum modulators.
Appelgate looks at me, smiles, and says, “Now that I’ve got your attention….” This is a guy used to the thousand-yard stares that transmission talk normally induces. I realize I’m in Ibr something special. So stay with me; you’re about to get a painless lesson on how to keep your transmission out of trouble.