Just reading the Amazon listing for “Principles of Combustion” by Kenneth K Kuo and found that Amazon features “Statistically improbable phrases” for books it’s digitized. It displays unlikely phrases in order of their “improbability score” (Douglas Adams could not have done better himself).

Anyway, the SIPs for “Principles of Combustion” are entertaining. I particularly like “kth species”:

Key Phrases – Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
detonation and deflagration waves, detonation cell width, diffusion flame jets, limiting tube diameter, detonability limits, spin detonation, liquid fuel droplet, premixed laminar flames, reaction zone width, unconfined detonations, premixed gases, confined mixtures, detonation structure, detonation limits, fuel species, laminar diffusion flame, thermal and transport properties, burner rim, kth species, burner inlet, mass burning rate, j mwj, quenching distance, combustion problems, detonation wave

These pictures are from several weeks ago, during the heyday of the La Brea fire which, though distant, was still near enough to change our atmospheric chemistry here in Santa Barbara, and also drop ash all over everything.

On the morning of 8/13 the sky was deep red and purple; then, as the evening drew in, the temperature dropped suddenly down to around 60F, and a thick blanket of fog covered the coast.

This is what I saw leaving my office that afternoon:

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I was just browsing the Harmonized Tariff System in use by the US International Trade Commission today… you may (or, more likely, you may not) be interested to know that 6201.13.1000 is the HTS code you would use if you were responsible for the import of “Men’s or boys’ overcoats, carcoats, capes, cloaks and similar coats, of man-made fibers, containing 15 percent or more by weight of down and waterfowl plumage and of which  down comprises 35 percent or more by weight; containing 10 percent or more by weight of down.”  This category would not include anoraks, ski-jackets, windbreakers, suits, ensembles, suit-type jackets, blazers, trousers, bib and brace overalls, breeches, shorts, or swimwear.

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