It was a Wednesday morning in the summer of the mid-2010s, and a letter came through my letterbox. It had Honda written on it. Strange, I thought why would my car's manufacturer be writing to me. Most likely some kind of advertising trying to convince me to trade in my trusty, singer-sowing machine-sounding car in for five years of high-interest financial burden. Not something I'd be interested in, as my car had passed its MOT with no advisories, and being serviced by myself for the most time I've owned it, I knew it was relatively reliable. I placed a letter on the side to be opened later on. The letter sat for a couple of days, forgotten about. After rediscovering it, I thought it was time to read and recycle. Well, it wasn't some leaflet for a brand new shiny Honda Civic or Jazz, but instead information regarding a potentially lethal quirk with my car. You see, my 2011 Honda Insights when it was manufactured in Japan received a type of airbag. That had proven to be a little shrapnely. One of the things that drew me to the Insights was its five-star in-cap rating. Something quite important to me, especially if you see what happened to my first car. Well, this rather sobering letter informing me that my car was a potential death trap was my first taste of one of the world's biggest product recalls, the Takata Airbag Scandal. Welcome to Scandal, a new, plainly difficult series. Takata, Takata Airbags. Takata, Takata, Takata, Takata, Takata Airbags. During the 2010s, this word dominated the headlines, becoming a household name and a definition of corporate mismanagement. Although before the scandal, Takata was relatively unknown to the wider public. The company's history with airbags spans nearly 40 years. So how did it go so wrong? It is 1976 and Japanese auto safety equipment manufacturer, Takata Corporation, is looking to expand its product lineup. The company, which was now over 40 years old, had made a name for itself as the forerunner in automotive safety systems. Originally, when the company started up in the 1930s, it was in the textiles industry, manufacturing parachute lifelines. This would develop post-war in the 1950s into concepts for using these lifelines as methods to hold vehicle occupants in their car seats. Being a Japanese company, Takata sought to equip the soon-to-be juggernaut Japanese auto industry. In 1952, roughly 40,000 cars per year were being made domestically, but this, as we all will know, will change. One such company that will become entwined with our scandal was Honda. And 1958 would be the year they would release a vehicle which would catapult them to the forefront of Japanese industry. But it wasn't a car, but a motorbike. Okay, calling it that is a little bit generous. It was the Super Cub Step Through Scooter. It was cheap, reliable and reportedly had the uniquely Japanese feature of being able to be ridden with one hand holding a box of ramen. Sorry, I went a little bit off script there. Anyway, as the Japanese auto industry grew, so did Takata and its innovations in safety products. In 1960, it began to offer two-point seat belts to car manufacturers. In 1962, the company made public that it was conducting Japan's first seat belt crash tests in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport's Technical Research Institute and the National Research Institute of Police Science. By 1963, the company had built a real-world dynamic test facility in Hikone. And later on in the same year, Takata was now offering seat belts as a standard option for many Japanese vehicle manufacturers. Again, the company would make more strides in car safety when in 1965, they began to use crash test dummies. The 1970s would continue to push the company to the forefront of automotive safety. When its seat belts passed, the only to do so in the 32-mile-an-hour test performed by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But the company would begin to research into a new active restraint system, the Airbag in 1976. The Airbag seemed like a perfect fit for Takata, mixing both their fabric background and their car safety-focused products. But Takata weren't the first to look into Airbags. That honour goes way back to just after the First World War. You see, there's always been a problem for car manufacturers to keep their customers alive in the event of an accident. As you know, it's much more difficult to sell a new Cadillac to a corpse. At your Cadillac dealers now. One main issue was holding occupants in place. This was achieved by the seat belt, but although it marked a night and day-like change on crash survivability, it wasn't perfect. Airbags were initially conceived and developed in parallel as a kind of alternative to, or even in some manufacturers' minds, a replacement to the restrictive seat belt. The first patents for early air-based restraint systems went back to as early as 1919. Early versions used compressors or springs set off by a switch on the car's bumper or in some cases by the driver themselves. But it proved not to be able to react fast enough. In 1964, Japanese automobile engineer Jezu Baru Kobori began to develop an explosive-initiated system. This would mean that deployment of the bag was now fast enough to react when incorporated with the addition of sensors to an accident. GM started to offer their explosive airbag system called the air-cushion restraint system in the 1970s. It was seen as a seat belt replacement, but not many cars were sold with this option, and as such it seemed like the airbag was a bit of a lame duck. Eventually the concept would come back to the fore and advertised as a supplemental system which was due to the thinking developing throughout the 1970s and 80s. Again, these were offered as options, but as the 1980s gave way to the 90s, gradually more and more cars were offered, at least for the driver as standard. And this is where we come back to Takata and their entry into the airbag market. Takata throughout the 1980s had experienced gradual growth with multiple factories across the world. The company began installing airbags in vehicles as early as 1988, and this would mark a lucrative milestone in the company's history. But the road to success was not without a few stumbles along the way. One such was when the company would experience a financially injuring event in the early 1990s. Now, when you think of Takata and Recall, airbags may spring to mind, but it was the company's mainstay product at the time that would cause such a financial injury. In 1995, Dr. Ricardo Martinez of the United States Department of Transport issued NHTSA Recall number 95V-103. This would affect roughly 8.5 million mainly Japanese vehicles built between 1986 and 1991 with seat belts from the Takata Corporation of Japan. At the time, it was the second largest Recall in DOT history. Reports had been made of seat belt buckles either failing to latch, latching and releasing automatically, or releasing in accidents. The conclusion of multiple investigations was that the plastic buckle of the seat belt system became degraded by ultraviolet light over time, causing it to become brittle and thus fail. The NHTSA find both Honda and Takata for their attempt to cover up the seat belt issues by not informing official bodies of incoming reports of premature failures. But this would not be the last time Takata would be linked with potentially deadly product malfunctions. By the early 2000s, Takata had grown to hold 20% of the world's market for airbag systems, but this wasn't enough for the company. Because in Business 101, I'm guessing, I haven't read the book, when you make a product that's popular, the next step is to try and cut down costs as much as possible to maximize that sweet tasty profit. Just like squeezing jam out of a donut. Now the tasty jam in this story's case is the airbag's propellant. If you can make it cheaper, the sweeter the jam will taste. Okay, my analogy is a little bit rubbish. Basically, Takata could save money by changing propellants. Ah, the pressure of capitalism. And this leads us onto a really quick explanation of how an airbag system works. An airbag system, in simple terms, uses four things. A crash sensor, airbag control unit, an inflator, and a bag itself. If the sensor is triggered by a traumatic event, it sends a signal to the ACU. This processes the data and sends a signal to the inflator. An igniter starts a rapid chemical reaction generating nitrogen gas, which rapidly fills the airbag and in most cars, will blast through the module cover.  Well, the standard for airbag propellant in the pre-2000s era was sodium azide. A volatile and worryingly toxic compound that can give chemical burns to a vehicle's occupants post-deployment. Okay, pretty concerning, not only that, it can cause breathing issues. All things that you don't want, especially if you're trying to escape a smashed up car quickly, if say it's on fire. Being blind and choking aren't conductive to surviving. So being the ever advancing company to Carter was, his engineers looked to find a less deadly chemical. And this would come with a new product called EnviroShore. The chemical compound was really called Tetrazol. And when promoted for the 1998 model year, promised to be a safer, cleaner way to have your face punched in by an inflatable woven fabric bladder. Great, but one problem. And it's always the problem it gets in the way of tasty profit. Cost. Tetrazol is hard to find and thus more expensive. Quickly the company looked for a cheap alternative and oh boy, they scraped the barrel. The replacement compound for the replacement compound is as cheap as it can get. Ammonium Nitrate. Ammonium Nitrate is brilliant for say demolition products. But not so for car inflators. As it can break down and perform with a regular ballistic qualities if stored in varying environmental conditions. Like say, heat, snow, rain, sleet and windy conditions. All of which cars are expected to endure, especially as they're used to travel distances and a car maybe in different climates at different times. Not like in the UK where you drive from one wet place to another. In 1999, Takata researchers in Michigan were pressured by executives to develop a cheap propellant based on ammonium nitrate. The engineers offered some resistance but the company shall we say insisted. Rather than dropping the idea the company looked at ways to try and stabilise the very unstable chemical. But the chemicals crystal structure is really good at absorbing moisture. Which can alter the chemicals burn rate and to make things worse the company didn't add a drying agent. Nevertheless Takata started using the chemical in its inflators which made their way into newly built cars of 2001. It is 2004 and a 2002 Honda Accord is involved in a car crash in Alabama. The driver is injured but not in the way you'd expect from a relatively minor accident. They had experienced severe cuts to their face. So strange was the injury that the car's manufacturer was involved in investigating the accident. It looked as if the propellant canister had completely exploded sending out debris into the car compartment. Honda put the event down to an anomaly but a number of other similar events were starting to raise questions between the manufacturer and Takata. Although a concern both companies decided not to report the incidents to the US transport officials. But the strange occurrences around 2003 and 2004 would not be the anomalies the manufacturers had hoped. As the 2001, 2002 model year Honda's age a number of serious injuries were reported from very minor accidents. The injuries seen in some of the photos they are horrific, I wouldn't recommend looking them up are life changing wounds with some even losing their sight.  So imagine what happens if metal fragments are involved. Many of the accidents were settled out of court with no admission of liability from Honda or Takata. Honda began investigating inflators on various cars and on September 11th 2008 a vehicle was inspected which had an unusual driver airbag deployment. Eventually they couldn't ignore the mounting concerns and first issued a recall involving Takata airbags in 2008. 4 years after the first reports of injuries caused by defective units. The NHTSA Safety Recall 08V-593 initially was only for some 4000 cars covering 2001 model years Honda Civics & Accords in November 2008 but this wouldn't be enough and reports of over pressured inflator incidents would continue to come in. It was starting to look like just the tip of the iceberg as Honda inspected and recalled units to find rust and signs of degradation of the inflators. Two more crashes just a few days apart in May and June of 2009 were reported one of which resulted in the death of Ashley Parnham an 18 year old student whose airbag deployed in a relatively low speed car park shunt sending metal fragments into her neck killing her in minutes. Honda and Takata settled out of court without having to admit liability. Another investigation was launched and determined that Recall 08V-593 should be expanded to cover 2001 Civics 2001 to 2002 Accords and 2002 Acura 3.2L TL vehicles This encompassed the best part of 500,000 cars. In December another death in a 2001 Accord would be recorded in Richmond, Virginia. The Honda's Recall would continue to expand for another three years eventually covering around 2.5 million cars. All whilst injuries still kept mounting up. It was looking like the issue wasn't just limited to Honda's and thus a Recall for many more manufacturers looked likely. The NHTSA called Takata in for a meeting in January 2012 the company deliberately tried to evade and misrepresent accusations of inflated defects and that it may be a wider issue. In a 2015 report the NHTSA would even say about Takata. In several instances Takata produced testing reports that contained selective, incomplete or inaccurate data and Takata failed to provide notice to the NHTSA of the safety related defect that may arise in some of the inflators that are the subjects of Recalls within five working days when Takata determined or in good faith should have determined the existence of that defect. This avoidance would come back to haunt Takata later on. Well Takata took over the required five days to inform anyone to say the least. Reportedly back in 2004 when the first reports of failed inflators started to come about company officials in secret recovered around 40 airbags from 2001 Honda's which had been scrapped. Out of these 40 a reported three had shown signs of failure and tested. Don't forget these cars were only three years old and ammonium nitrate can become even more unpredictable over time. So by 2012 the numbers of potentially deadly units could have run into the tens of thousands. But it didn't end there. On 11th April 2013 the Recalls would expand to Honda with Toyota motor Nissan motor and Mazda motor recalling 3.4 million vehicles globally due to potentially defective Takata airbags. This would be a financial blow to all concerned as the Recall entitled owners to a free new driver's side airbag. Takata was predicting to lose $307 million in 2013 due to the scandal. Just one month later manufacturer BMW joined the Recalls further tumbling Takata's losses. Takata and the auto manufacturers had an ever mounting disaster of replacing old inflators as well as attempting to keep on making new cars. But the Recalls so far had only affected certain priority areas such as Florida and Hawaii and other regions like Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. This was due to being more humid and thus more likely for failure. This story was the same worldwide with more humid regions only being covered by the Recall. Even though the first recorded incidents happened in the non-humid classified states Takata officially were blaming their subsidiary TK Holdings Incorporated and its Monclova plant in El Hila Mexico and almost at the same time they're blaming high humidity and excessive moisture making its way into the propellant. GM car dealerships were told not to sell any Chevrolet Cruze saloons. Probably not a bad thing regardless of the airbags. Such a terrible car and I know I owned a silver hatch it made my daches build quality look opulent. Pregnant La Sukh Le 43 died in Malaysia in July after being hit by shrapnel from a Takata airbag in a Honda city marking the first such fatality outside the US. Her child was delivered but sadly died a few days later. In November 2014 the NHTSA pushed for a nationwide US Recall and 7 automakers including Honda complied. Some manufacturers even issued statements to not drive their vehicles at all instead getting it towed to a dealership for repair. Seemingly on a monthly basis millions more cars were added to the Recall. In May 2015 the Takata airbag Recall officially became the largest auto-recall in history at 40 million vehicles but we all know that this wasn't the end of the Recalls. Today it is thought to be over 100 million airbags that have been recalled. Independent tests gave a figure of around a 50% chance of an affected inflator exploding. But the issue is you don't know if it's affected until it goes off. When my car went in for its driver side airbag replacement the car was gone for a day. I was offered a courtesy car as well. All of which costed money. Imagine that over millions of vehicles. Afterwards I felt relatively safe knowing my car was now not a hand grenade waiting to blarp in my face until yep my passenger side was also defective but I had to wait a few months. As Takata increasingly felt the strain from Recalls unsurprisingly it would also have to answer a criminal case. Because if they knew about the issues then well wouldn't that be corporate manslaughter? Well the US Department of Justice started collecting evidence on the company and planned to indict in 2018. The accusations were that the company had known about the defects as early as 2000 but had actively hidden and falsified test data. Pretty hard to disprove Takata had lied after all in that 2012 meeting with the NHTSA. Thus fraudulently misrepresenting their products to their customers, the vehicle manufacturers. In addition it was also alleged that the company had put pressure on production lines and storage facilities to keep on pumping out units and refuse returns on any damaged parts. The airbag inflators dropped here were reportedly sent to car factories even though they should have been binned. Takata had shown his propensity to try and dodge responsibility. As such it's rather surprising that they pled guilty to wire fraud. I mean the evidence against them must have been pretty strong. Just read the indictment. A settlement was ordered of $1 billion in 2017 crippling the company. If fraud, lying and creating dangerous products was an attempt to enrich the company it must certainly backfired. On the 25th of June 2017 Takata filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States and filed for bankruptcy protection in Japan. The 1 billion was more than enough for the company to sink. The remaining assets were sold off to key safety systems for $1.6 billion. I'd love to say that this scandal is over but no it's still going on with millions of cars still requiring airbag replacements. If we look at the NHTSA figures around 20% are still driving around with deadly airbags. In all seriousness get your car checked and if you're planning on buying a used car check to see if it's being repaired. In the UK you can find this out by checking the MIT history of a vehicle online and go down to the recall section. This thought that around 30 people had been killed by the airbags worldwide with many hundreds more injured and at least 42 million cars were recalled in the US alone. It's sad that the scandal went on for so long as these people were relying on their car safety systems to be able to go home after a car crash but sadly these were the exact things that prevented them from seeing their families again. I'm thinking of a scandal scale. Let me know on your thoughts in the comments of how it should take shape. And all that's left to say is Mr Music Man. Play us out please.


so guys there's a name being thrown around the traps a name I hadn't really heard of but a name I've heard a lot about in the last week his name's urban Maya I'm here apparently about 30 minutes ago literally 30 minutes ago Jaxville Jaguars the team that I back in the NFL and the team that I'll back for good for life has just hired a brand new coach so it's about time I learned a bit about this guy urban Myers it's an interesting name I feel like he's probably got a an illustrious college football coaching career if not NFL career to he is the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach I'm assuming he'll be there for a few years look I couldn't say I couldn't say he's coming in they're expecting something big Trevor Lawrence gonna be the number one pick all good if he picks him who is urban Maya gonna pick is he gonna go for Trevor Lawrence who is he gonna go for Najee Harris honestly that pretty much that's the only other guy that I'd want if you're gonna go if you're gonna say no to a quarterback I want Najee Harris but let's get into this okay so guys welcome welcome back to the channel I'm just doing a bit of editing today it is the 15th of January it's 125 in the evening and I've just gotten a couple of messages through Instagram and I do want to shout you guys out not by name but certainly by passion passion for the game and passion for telling me things that you think I'll be interested in and I'll tell you what guys there is one thing I am interested in right now and it's the Jacksonville Jaguars and it's who's gonna take them to the 2021 Super Bowl okay all right I'm gonna say it right now the Jaguars or the Jaguars the Jaguars all right the Jaguars the Jaguars the Jaguars are gonna make the 2021 slash 2022 NFL playoffs no they may not be top of their division but they'll make the playoffs that is my prediction and I'm telling you right now I've been look look I'm not gonna call myself a mystic Mac but I am gonna sit well I probably could actually by last names McDonald but um actually mystic Mac I don't mind that I'm gonna say first and foremost good luck to the Jacksonville Jaguars good luck to Urban Meyer and let's hear let's hear what this can't has to say because to be honest mate I didn't know a hell of a lot about the last coach but all I heard was was well nothing good to be honest okay let's go Urban Meyer and see what comes up first look first look absolutely no idea who the guy is and no idea what he looks like but there he is and it wasn't 30 minutes ago it was seven hours ago Jacksonville Jaguars look at this okay we've got a video by NFL we've got a video by ESPN we've got a video by the Pat McAfee show no mercy and last but certainly not least the UCF Jaguar mate this is my shout out to your channel if you do follow the Jags guys if you do want to follow the Jags if you want to know anything about the Jacksonville Jaguars okay you want someone who lives on-site or not on-site but around the around the area he's been there for his whole entire life he went to UCF he's the next football player I'm lead to believe and he knows his fucking football and he knows his Jaguars so me and him we're definitely back in the same team we're back in the right team I think I feel into this next year okay so UCF Jaguar UCF Jaguar sorry has two videos one's titled Jaguars closing in on HC or head coach Urban Meyer and nine hours later there's a video that's just been put up nine minutes ago nine minutes ago this guy has 10,000 subs congratulations by the way he's put up a video nine minutes ago and it's already got 251 views now that is now that is a captive subscriber base if I ever did see one okay first video Jaguars closing in on head coach Urban Meyer if we can just stretch stretch you out a wee bit mate we can cover the screen here honestly guys I will say that this is probably in this whole you know journey into American football of mine this is probably the first time I've actually ever cared honestly whole heartedly about a coach and it's the first time I'll ever actually do a full reaction on a coach but it makes sense right that makes sense it's the Jags they're my team and there is one thing I need to do before doing this hold on okay here we are let's continue Urban Meyer now a lot of you guys out there know who Urban Meyer is for a start and well I'm guessing I'm guessing I don't know much about the owner of the Jags I know that he's got a big moustache I'm led to believe but apart from that I don't know too much else so I you know all I hope is that this decision is a calculated decision and I do need to just see if Doug Marrone was the was the last coach I do need to I just need to confirm whether this name that I've got my head Doug Marrone I feel like that was the last coach boom okay Doug Marrone big Doug Marrone 6 foot 5 56 years of age can you imagine your head coach being 6 foot 5 and 275 pounds when in the sixth round of the 1986 draft to the Miami Dolphins played at the Saints played at the London Monarchs and as coach went through Cortland State Coast Guard Northeastern Georgia Tech Georgia Tennessee New York Jets New Orleans Saints Syracuse Buffalo Bills Jacksonville Jaguars and now he just got fired he's been if he's been through a fair few jobs guys in fact he's been through 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 different 10 years in about 29 years I suppose that's not too bad I suppose that's not too bad okay I'm gonna listen to UCF Jaguar explain explain before the deal happened and explain after the deal happened following that we'll look at a few stats and we'll we'll call it a day I don't think yet but according to Adam Schefter the Jaguars and Urban Meyer are basically right now they're just looking to finalize on a deal to basically bring Urban Meyer to Jacksonville right now what's taking so long I guess they're trying to iron out the details on the contract which is something that I definitely expected I know a lot of people were really stressing about the fact that it's been seven you know it's it's there we've been so long removed from like really black Monday and stuff like that were what 10 days removed from it and you know there's still no head coaching hire I hadn't been freaking out too much just because like what's black Monday in football black Monday in the NFL for the 2019 season will take place on Monday December 30th black Monday not in the stock market but as far as football okay here we go the day following the final Sunday of the National Football League regular season on which numerous coaches and general managers of underperforming teams are fired their contracts have expired without renewal or they re-sign their positions okay the first Monday following the end of the regular season like literally there's still seven head coaching vacancies in the NFL right now that's over 20% of the league does not have a head coach and I know us fans can kind of be impatient with this kind of stuff especially when we're not really into knowing but apparently you know it's Urban Meyers the only guy that the Jaguars won at this point shotguns basically all his searches has led up to this point and this is what he wants and you know Urban Meyers also very very interested right now they're just trying to finalize really on I guess the fine contracts of deal they met again yesterday and you know it should start becoming more official as time rolls on and you know this was really an awesome report we had nothing concrete we just basically had people saying oh you know this is what we're hearing and just nothing concrete but finally we get a little bit more closure as to you know what's going on the situation so I know Urban Meyers one of my guys just you know he's a winner program builder builds great coaching staffs and they just wins you know I mean this is just when just like it as an organization should take just given the just the franchises history of just losing it especially just over the last decade and we need someone like this to be able to come in here and change the way things are run so yeah huge news from the Jaguars front if anything official breaks I'll come at you guys later today obviously with the video but this is awesome news a big bomb so let me know what's all you guys think and go jacks boom all right so that was exactly 10 hours ago now this this video clip was put up 30 minutes ago not quite this one was okay there's one thing I do we have the Jacksonville Jaguars come in where have they come in the standings each year holy shit read this this is ESPN's listing on the Jacksonville Jaguars as a team okay oh my god they got one oh my god they won their first game of the season and lost every single other game that's just that's that's absolutely fucking terrible but that's okay new Jacksonville coach new new Jaguars coach Urban Meyer is officially quoted as saying Jacksonville has an enthusiastic fan base and the fans deserve a winning team with upcoming opportunities in the NFL draft and strong support from ownership the Jaguars are well positioned to become competitive I've analyzed this decision from every angle the time is right in Jacksonville and the time is right for me to return to coaching I'm excited about the future of this organization and our long-term prospect for success well all right then tease to us and now officially about 10 11 hours later it's happened Urban Meyer has officially become the fifth or sixth full-time head coach I forget which one it is but he is now officially as per the Jaguars website as per shotgun and as per Urban Meyer himself Urban Meyer is now the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and it is unreal I mean I am extremely excited as you guys all know this was like my number one guy from the start I mean Urban Meyer basically said that he had been flirting with actually let me go ahead and read you the exact quotes okay so shotgun said this is a great day for Jacksonville and Jaguars fans everywhere Urban Meyer is who we want and need a leader a winner a champion who demands excellence and produces results while Urban already enjoys a legacy in the game of football that few will ever match his passion for the opportunity in front of him here in Jacksonville is powerful and unmistakable I am proud to name Urban Meyer the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars all right we'll stop it there and I do want to I want to look this guy up because I tell you what if Shard Khan likes him maybe I'll like him how do you spell his name Urban Urban Meyer Urban Frank Meyer the third believe there is born July 10th 1964 I'll suck bro Ohio State I like it I like it a lot a former player who is the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and National Football League Meyer previously served as a head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons the Utah Utes Florida Gators Ohio State Buckeyes for nine years until 2019 and from 2019 to 21 he was employed by Ohio State University as their assistant athletic director of athletics initiatives and relations assistant athletic director of athletics initiatives and relations okay it was also an analyst for Fox Sports he was born in Toledo Ohio attended the University of Cincinnati played football as a defensive back during his time at Florida he coached the Gators to two BCS National Championship game victories during the 2006 and 2008 season his winning percentage through the conclusion of the 20 2009 season was 0.842 or 84.2 percent and was the highest among all active coaches with a minimum of five full seasons at a football bowl subdivision program following his temporary retirement in 2011 he worked as a college football analyst in 2004 2014 he led the Buckeyes to the first big 10 conference title and the program's eighth national championship he's one of three coaches with the others being Pop Warner and Nick Saban to win a major college football national championship at two different universities okay so he wins he does win he breathed success wherever he goes I can't believe he was at Ohio State for that long that's really cool that is really really cool guys because if you ask me what my favorite college football team is it's Ohio State and if you ask me what my favorite NFL team is it's the Jacksonville Jaguars so need we say need we say more like really really all right then and then next up is his actual quote from Urban Meyer this one I got this this is a tweet I ripped from Adam Kaplan basically Urban Meyer says I'm ready to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville has an enthusiastic fan base and the fans deserve a winning team hungry coming opportunity NFL draft number one pick multiple first round picks second round picks fourth round picks all that good stuff with upcoming opportunities the NFL draft how about we get Trevor Lawrence and Naji Harris strong support from ownership the Jaguars are well positioned to become competitive I've analyzed this decision from every angle the time is right in Jacksonville and the time is right for me to return to coaching I'm excited about the future of this organization and our long-term success boom those are powerful powerful words obviously I think Urban Meyer has been really contemplated the whole jump to the NFL for a while but I know that he could pretty much I mean he can he can pretty much demand an interview anywhere and he's gonna get I mean and it really took him he needed to find perfect opportunity that is so sick to have this guy's had so much success in his you know coaching career he could definitely you know either get the job or at least get a look in at any team that he goes for and he's chosen the Jacksonville Jaguars he didn't need to choose them I'm sure there was other options available right but he's seen something there he sees the opportunity sees the fan base situation and really right now where Jaguars are essentially a clean slate clean slate for sure he's going to be able to draft Trevor Lawrence not Justin Fields let's stop that rhetoric right now Justin Fields is not coming in here Lawrence and just the opportunities that he has to not only not only build a team but like this this team is one of 15 right now we're coming off one of 15 we are not bad no good sorry go pretty bad right now and he looked at this and this was the most attractive job in the NFL for Urban Liner to really come over here I mean they were talked about him in Los Angeles but he would not have gone to the same situation the Jaguars were in in 2013 you know I mean where there was no quarterback in sight there was just nothing on a roster I mean this roster we got some decent young talent you know when you look at offensively Leviska-Shenol after his work year was great James Robinson after his work year was really good you have obviously DJ Chark you have some guys on the office of line to work with and most importantly you got your quarterback in Trevor Lawrence either still obviously a lot of work that needs to be done and really the next step is really trying to pin down a GM but really obviously this comes with some risks but honestly like obviously the thing is like you know it's risky you know you bring an urban minor and it's obviously risky because people are worried about the health thing and it's a very serious concern we might have to sit here and understand it look we might only get five six years out of this guy but in the day every single place he has gone he has won and had a what before he dies so on December 4th 2018 you announced he would retire from coaching following the team's Rose Bowl game due to health reasons and here we are two years later and he's still going green you've taught Florida Ohio State he him and Saban are the only two coaches with national titles at different schools he comes in there and wins he's a program builder you know we have no culture right now and we have a losing culture if anything but he's gonna be able to build something he knows how to build a coaching staff you know he's got a great coaching tree out there and you guys can all you know kind of see it for yourself what I do want to ask me is how blinding on a scale from 1 to 10 is that halo light right behind the camera because I can see it right in your eyes mate look at that mine it's kind of scary honestly it's the great honestly the yeah it's kind of scary look mate I think we've got the gist of it I think we've got the gist of it I I hate to stop a video early I hate to stop a video early but hey you'll forgive me I know you will there you go the Jacksonville Jaguar is higher urban Myers head coach now there is actually a video on the NFL channel we've been talking about it all day the Jaguars officially have a new head coach urban Meyer now the official new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars just coming well cheers mate all right there's gonna be a fair bit more research for me to do but this was just a real-time video clearly it's gonna come out today on the channel it's the 15th for me it's the 14th for you and well I'll better get to editing it so thank you for being here I'm repping the Jags well into 2021 and beyond and Trevor Lawrence loads of picks in the draft we've got Robinson a running back who's killing it and and we've just hired a new head coach urban Meyer who's got a winning mentality I feel good I feel good about this coming season guys thank you for watching once again please keep enjoying the top 100 videos they will continue to come out until they're finished so I will see you when I see you peace out


Once upon a time, I went to the flying field and I flew and I crashed, cracked an arm. Fixed the arm in the field, took back off, we're flying, crashed again, caught up the wires. Fixed that up with some solder and some electrical tape, twisted it back together, not a permanent fix, but it'll get us going for the day. Takeoff, flying, crash, antenna's gone. Antenna's gone and the cameras cracked for that matter. And oh yeah, broke another arm. Quads used to be pretty, pretty fragile. The drones we were flying were made from a lot of parts that were carried over from other forms of RC aviation. We tended to crash these quads a lot more and wanted them to be more durable, which is why we were making them out of things like carbon fiber, but even so, it was pretty common that you would go to the field and spend more of your time there doing field repairs. But I'm happy to say things have evolved, things have improved. We have stepped out of the caves and into the age of five millimeter carbon fiber arms instead of three millimeter. Hey, I'm Drew from Rotorite and today we're talking about 10 things that you can do to your FPV drone to make it more durable. Number one is frame selection. There's a lot that you can say about this one because the frame is the backbone of the drone. So whatever frame you pick is gonna have a huge effect on how durable your drone is, how many crashes it can take. So what are the things that you wanna look for? Well, I mean, if you are a racer and you want the most lightweight frame that you can get, then you're gonna be looking for very skinny frames that are lightweight and cut through the air, but those aren't going to be durable. So today we're talking about durability. So what are you looking for with a durable frame? At least four millimeters, if not five millimeters on the arms. You're gonna want the main plates to not have a lot of them science holes. The older frames, there were so many unnecessary holes. How much weight are you saving by cutting out all these little triangles when you're really reducing the structural integrity of those plates? So you want solid plates. You want thick carbon where it matters. It's gonna be a little bit heavier, but that's the trade-off that you're making. You might end up with a heavier build, but if you are looking for durability, you're gonna have to sacrifice somewhere. The other thing you wanna look for on your frame is how does it protect the components? One of the most frustrating things you can break is the lens of your FPV camera. You crack that and you can't see and you can't do the FPV thing. You want your camera to be set back so that in the event of a frontal collision, the frame takes the impact, not your fragile glass lens. The trade-off on some frames is you might see a little bit of frame in the FPV feed, but shop around, look at your options because there are many frames out there that protect the camera and don't obscure your vision at all. Another thing that I think is very important in frame design is how well is the motor protected? Look for a frame that has features on the arms that protrude past the motor. In a crash, you want the carbon fiber taking the brunt of the impact, not your spinny boy. So overall durability starts with the frame that you are flying. Look for a frame that is itself durable and is also going to protect the components that you build on it. The next tip is to protect your ESCs or your motor wires if you're using a 4-in-1 ESC.  And then right over that, you've got the spinning blades of your prop and it's pretty common that in a crash, the blades can be bent down and strike the ESC or the motor wires, either damaging the ESC or cutting the motor wires. In either way, you're gonna have a bad time. One of the most common ways to protect against this is to cut one of the blades off of your props. Take that blade and put it on top of the ESC or motor wires and wrap it up in electrical tape.  Another way that you can do this is with 3D printed pieces. I like to use little ESC covers that I 3D print out of TPU, which is a very soft yet durable material. Another thing that I see fail and keep people from being able to fly is their video antenna. You want those to be out and away from your frame so that you get good video reception. But because the lobe of your antenna is out there on the stem of the antenna, when you crash, it's gonna get banged a lot and pushed all which way and it's pretty common that your antenna is going to break. So something that you can do to help prevent against this is mount your antenna with a flex point. The main thing that you are trying to prevent is your antenna bending at the SMA portion. So between the screw on SMA and the antenna lobe, you've got a flexible stem and you wanna make sure that that stem is free to flex and that the SMA mount is not gonna take the impact. So something that you can do is mount the antenna on the underside of one of the pieces of carbon fiber and secure it with zip ties, tape, double sided tape, whatever and have the flexible stem sticking out so that in a crash, the flexing is focused on that stem which is meant to bend. Another thing that you can do is mount the SMA on a flexible piece of material like 3D printed TPU. That flexible piece will allow the SMA to move without it breaking at that point. But either way, what you wanna do is account for the fact that when you crash, your antenna is gonna get knocked and it's going to bend and you want the bending to happen where the antenna is meant to bend. Speaking of antennas, another way antennas fail is the lobe of the antenna itself can break open. When it takes impact, the plastic casing will break, then you've got the antenna elements exposed and it doesn't take long before they're all bent and out of tune and then you're really reducing your video range or ripping them off altogether. So something that you can do is heat shrink the antenna lobe. The best heat shrink to use for this is the double walled heat shrink that is actually lined on the inside with glue. This heat shrink is really thick and when you heat it up, it actually glues to the thing it's being shrunk on. So this is gonna make your antenna take hits a lot better both by covering it up and by kind of like just holding it together. So if you find yourself busting open the lobes of your antennas often, look for some thick double walled heat shrink that you can put over the lobe and protect it. Now in my years and years of experience of crashing drones a lot, I found one of the most frustrating things that can happen is your battery ejecting. If your battery gets ripped off and unplugged from your drone, you're not gonna be able to turtle mode and fly back. You're not gonna be able to turn on your beeper. So it's gonna be harder to find your quad. You're not gonna have video to have any frame or reference where you are. It's just, it's very frustrating. So one of my favorite tips is use two battery straps. Double up, some frames only come with one battery strap and if so, try to get your hands on another one as soon as you can. And I think you'll find it'll be much harder to get the battery to eject and you'll save yourself a ton of headache when you're trying to find your drone after a crash. All right, so we've talked about all the stuff on the outside, the arms and the batteries and the antennas and the cameras, all the things that directly get impacted in a crash. But what about the stuff on the inside? How can you make that stuff more durable? Well, one of the most overlooked things is how the electronics stack is mounted. Many stacks come with nylon standoffs and you'll build your stack using these standoffs that screw into each other. The big problem here is those threaded nylon stems are so fragile. Your stack is going to end up flopping all over the place because the threaded nylon stem is gonna break off the standoff and nothing is going to be holding it down. So I highly recommend that when you are mounting your stacks what you use are nylon standoffs that are just a threaded hole all the way through and use a very long metal screw. So from the bottom to the top you'll just have one long metal screw and you'll thread the standoff down onto it, put your boards onto that, thread another standoff, put your next board, put your nut on top of that and with this method your stack is never going to break. Now that being said, if your stack can never break free you might be thinking to yourself are the actual boards gonna be taking too much of a shock? That brings us to our next tip which is soft mount all your boards not just your flight controllers. Now when I talk about soft mounting your electronics boards I'm talking about in the corner holes of your flight boards you might find little rubber grommets. If you don't find a flight board that has this because it's not only gonna make your drone more durable it's going to make your drone fly a lot better. Soft mounting first came onto the scene for flight controllers to reduce the amount of vibrations that made it to the gyros that you'd have a much cleaner gyros signal and that you could improve the performance of the PID controller. But we ended up finding that this also really improved the durability because in the event of an impact the board had a little bit of cushioning built in. When you slammed the board could move a bit relative to the mounting hardware. And since then we've seen more and more electronics components come with this soft mounting built in. So you might be seeing ESCs with soft mounting and you might be thinking why? Why are we trying to keep vibrations from reaching the ESCs? What does that matter? And while you're right it doesn't matter if your 4-in-1 ESC gets a little vibration from the motors it does really help with the durability. So if you're working with a board that doesn't have the holes big enough to put the soft mount grommets in try to see if maybe you could open up the hole a bit but be very careful when doing this because some boards do run the traces very close to the holes and trying to open the holes up a bit to fit in some soft mount gummies can ruin the board. So proceed with caution. I advise eye boards in the first place that have soft mounting built in. But there's still some things that we can do to even further improve the longevity of your quad. One thing that you can do is add 3D printed bumpers to your frame. Like I said it's better for the frame to take the impact than the motor directly but you're gonna end up splintering the ends of your arm. So you've got these 3D printed bumpers that wrap around the protrusions of the arm and it's gonna really help the arm from splintering apart when you inevitably run it into concrete. Again, the trade off is gonna be how much weight do you want to add to your drone? I don't care too much about weight. I run a heavier drone than average. Even I kind of have my limits and I personally don't run any of these bumpers. I just let the carbon take the hit and when the arms get worn down and the carbon's all sprayed and splintered I'll replace that arm. But a lot of people swear by these bumpers and say that it really helps their arms and other carbon pieces last a lot longer. Another accessory that you can add that's gonna help things last a little bit longer are landing pads or landing skids.  The adhesive that comes on them really doesn't last too long when you actually end up in a crash. So if you do like these foam pads and you do wanna use them I do recommend wrapping them around in electrical tape and that's gonna hold them on and make them last a lot longer. Now personally I don't use these foam skids I use quad skids. These are hard nylon pieces that mount on the underside of your motor. These have the same effect of preventing your screws and your carbon on the bottom from coming in contact when you land and also have the added benefit of allowing you to skid. So whether it's skids or pads keeping the screws from grinding on the concrete is really gonna make your life a lot easier when you have to rebuild your drone. Bonus tip for you. Now this isn't exactly the hardware of your drone it's thinking about how you fly. Learn to crash. Now this might sound weird but the more you fly the more and more it's gonna make sense.  So this awareness is gonna help you not only avoid crashes but also lean into them in the right way. So for example, if you're going to crash it's much better to pitch up and pancake the bottom of your drone rather than just go head on collision. Learning to recognize when you're kind of past the point of no return and there's gonna be a collision and maneuvering so that it'll be more of a glancing blow or that you'll pancake or whatever so that you prevent your camera or your motor from taking the brunt of the damage is a really valuable skill to have. I don't know if you can really practice it per se if it's just something that comes with time but that is gonna make a huge difference in getting your drones to last a lot longer. Guys, those are our favorite tips for making quads more crashable. But what did we forget? Leave a comment down below with your favorite hack for making quads. Take a better whack. Please forgive that horrible rhyme and press the like button anyway. Subscribe for more FPV action and we'll see you next time on Rotorad. John, what do you think of bumpers on the ends of arms? Well, I really like them. I think they're dumb.


CHAPTER XX. A Puzzling Problem. Glinda the Good, having decided to try her sorcery upon the abandoned submarine so that it would obey her commands, asked all of her party, including the skeezers, to withdraw from the shore of the lake to the line of palm trees. She kept with her only the little Wizard of Oz, who was her pupil and knew how to assist her in her magic rites. When they two were alone, beside the stranded boat, Glinda said to the Wizard, I shall first try my magic recipe number 1163, which is intended to make inanimate objects move at my command. Have you a scaropathrope with you? Yes, I always carry one in my bag, replied the Wizard. He opened his black bag of magic tools, and took out a brightly polished scaropathrope which he handed to the sorceress. Glinda had also brought a small wicker bag containing various requirements of sorcery, and from this she took a parcel of powder and a vial of liquid. She poured the liquid into the scaropathrope and added a powder. At once the scaropathrope began to sputter and emit sparks of a violet colour, which spread in all directions. The sorceress instantly stepped into the middle of the boat and held the instruments so that the sparks fell all around her and covered every bit of the black and steel boat. At the same time, Glinda crooned a weird incantation in the language of sorcery, her voice sounding low and musical. After a little the violet sparks ceased, and those that had fallen upon the boat had disappeared and left no mark upon its surface. The ceremony was ended, and Glinda returned the scaropathrope to the Wizard, who put it away in his black bag. That ought to do the business all right, he said confidently. Let us make a trial and see, she replied. So they both entered the boat and seated themselves. Speaking in a tone of command, the sorceress said to the boat, carry us across the lake to the far the shore. At once the boat, backed off the sandy beach, turned its prowl and moved swiftly over the water. Very good, very good indeed, cried the Wizard when the boat slowed up at the shore opposite from that whence they had departed. Even Cuyo with all her witchcraft could do no better. The sorceress now said to the boat, close up, submerge and carry us to the basement door of the sunken island, the door from which you emerged at the command of Queen Cuyo. The boat obeyed. As it sank into the water the top sections rose from the sides and joined together over the heads of Glinda and the Wizard, who were thus enclosed in a waterproof chamber. There were four glass windows in this covering, one on each side and one on either end, so that the passengers could see exactly where they were going. Moving underwater more slowly than on the surface, the submarine gradually approached the island and halted with its bow pressed against the huge marble door in the basement under the dome. This door was tightly closed and it was evident to both Glinda and the Wizard that it would not open to admit the underwater boat unless a magic word was spoken by them or someone from within the basement of the island. But what was this magic word? Neither of them knew. I'm afraid, said the Wizard regretfully, that we can't get in after all, unless your sorcery can discover the word to open the marble door. That is probably some word only known to Cuyo, replied the sorceress. I may be able to discover what it is, but that will require time. Let us go back again to our companions. It seems a shame, after we have made the boat obey us, to be balked by just a marble door, grumbled the Wizard. At Glinda's command the boat rose until it was on a level with a glass dome that covered the skis of village, when the sorcerers made it slowly circle all around the great dome. Many faces were pressed against the glass from the inside, eagerly watching the submarine, and in one place were Dorothy and Osma, who quickly recognized Glinda and the Wizard through the glass window side of the boat. Glinda saw them too, and held the boat close to the dome, while the friends exchanged greetings in pantomime. Their voices, unfortunately, could not be heard through the dome and the water on the side of the boat. The Wizard tried to make the girls understand, through signs, that he and Glinda had come to their rescue, and Osma and Dorothy understood this, from the very fact that the sorcerers and the Wizard had appeared. The two girl prisoners were smiling and in safety, and knowing this Glinda felt she could take all the time necessary in order to affect their final rescue. As nothing more could be done just then, Glinda ordered the boat to return to the shore, and it obeyed readily. First it ascended to the surface of water, then the roof parted and fell into the slots at the side of the boat, and then the magic craft quickly made the shore and beached itself on the sands at the very spot from which it had departed at Glinda's command. All the Oz people and the skeezers at once ran to the boat to ask if they had reached the island, and whether they had seen Osma and Dorothy. The Wizard told them of the obstacle they had met in the way of a marble door, and how Glinda would now undertake to find a magic way to conquer the door. Realizing that it would require several days to succeed in reaching the island, raising it and liberating the friends and the skeezer people, Glinda now prepared a camp halfway between the lakeshore and the palm trees. The Wizard's wizardry made a number of tents appear, and the sorcery of the sorceress furnished these tents all complete with beds, chairs, tables, flags, lamps, and even books with which to pass the idle hours. All the tents had the royal banner of Oz flying from the center poles, and one big tent, not now occupied, had Osma's own banner moving in the breeze. Betsy and Trot had a tent to themselves, and Button Bright and Ojo had another. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman paired together in one tent, and so did Jack Pumpkinhead and the Shaggy Man, Captain Bill and Uncle Henry, Tick Tock and the Professor Wugglebug. Glinda had the most splendid tent of all, except that reserved for Osma, while the Wizard had a little one of his own. Whenever it was meal time, tables loaded with food magically appeared in the tents of those who were in the habit of eating, and these complete arrangements made the rescue party just comfortable as they would have been in their own homes. Far into the night, Glinda sat in her tent, studying a roll of mystic scrolls, in search of a word that would open the basement door of the island and admit her to the great dome. She also made many magical experiments, hoping to discover something that would aid her, yet the morning found the powerful sorceress still unsuccessful. Glinda's art could have opened any ordinary door, you may be sure, but you must realise that this marble door of the island had been commanded not to open, save in obedience to one magic word, and therefore all other magic words could have no effect upon it. The magic word that guarded the door had probably been invented by Cuillo, who had now forgotten it. The only way then to gain entrance to the sunken island was to break the charm that held the door fast shut. If this could be done, no magic would be required to open it. The next day the sorceress and the wizard again entered the boat and made it submerge and go to the marble door, which they tried in various ways to open, but without success. We shall have to abandon this attempt, I think, said Glinda. The easiest way to raise the island would be for us to gain admittance to the dome and then descend to the basement and see in what manner Cuillo made the entire island sink or rise at her command. It naturally occurred to me that the easiest way to gain admittance would be by having the boat take us into the basement through the marble door from which Cuillo launched it, but there must be other ways to get inside the dome and join Osmar and Dorothy, and such ways we must find by study and the proper use of our powers of magic. It won't be easy, declared the wizard, for we must not forget that Osmar herself understands considerable magic and has doubtless tried to raise the island or find other means of escape from it and failed.  In this way the three of us have a great variety of magic to work with, and if we should all fail it will be because the island is raised and lowered by a magic power none of us is acquainted with. My idea, therefore, is to seek, by such magic as we possess, to accomplish our object in another way. They made the circle of the dome again in their boat, and once more saw Osmar and Dorothy through their windows and exchanged signals with the two imprisoned girls. Osmar realised that her friends were doing all in their power to rescue her and smiled in encouragement to their efforts. Dorothy seemed a little anxious, but was trying to be as brave as her companion. After the boat had returned to the camp, and Glinda was seated in her tent, working out various ways by which Osmar and Dorothy could be rescued, the wizard stood on the shore, dreamily eyeing the outline of the great dome, which showed beneath the clear water, when he raised his eyes and saw a group of strange people approaching from around the lake. Three were young women of stately presence, very beautifully dressed, who moved with a remarkable grace. They were followed at a little distance by a good-looking young schizer. The wizard saw at a glance that these people might be very important, so he advanced to meet them. The three maidens received him graciously, and the one with the golden hair said, I believe you are the famous wizard of Oz, of whom I have often heard. We are seeking Glinda, the sorceress, and perhaps you can lead us to her. I can, and will, right gladly, answered the wizard, follow me, please. The little wizard was puzzled as to the identity of the three lovely visitors, but he gave no sign that might embarrass them. He understood that they did not wish to be questioned, and so he made no remarks as he led the way to Glinda's tent. With a courtly bow the wizard ushered the three visitors into the gracious presence of Glinda the Good. The sorceress looked up from her work as the three maidens entered, and something in their appearance and manner led her to rise and bow to them in her most dignified manner. The three knelt an instant before the great sorceress, and then stood upright and waited for her to speak. Whoever you may be, said Glinda, I bid you welcome. My name is Aura, said one. My name is Aura, said another. My name is Aoja, said the third. Glinda had never heard these names before, but, looking closely at the three, she asked, Are you witches or workers in magic? Some of the secret arts we have gleaned from nature, replied the brown-haired maiden modestly, But we do not place our skill beside that of the great sorceress, Glinda the Good. I suppose you are aware it is unlawful to practice magic in the land of us, without the permission of our ruler, Princess Osma? No, we were not aware of that, was the reply. We have heard of Osma, who is the appointed ruler of all this great fairyland, but her laws have not reached us as yet. Glinda studied the strange maidens thoughtfully, then she said to them, Princess Osma is even now imprisoned in the Schiezer village, for the whole island, with its great dome, was sunk to the bottom of the lake by the witchcraft of Kuio, whom the flathead Suddik transformed into a silly swan. I am seeking some way to overcome Kuio's magic, and raise the isle to the surface again. Can you help me do this? The maidens exchanged glances, and the white-haired one replied, We do not know, but we will try to assist you. It seems, continued Glinda musingly, that Kuio derived most of her witchcraft from three adepts at magic, who at one time ruled the flatheads. While the adepts were being entertained by Kuio at a banquet in her palace, she cruelly betrayed them, and after transforming them into fishes, cast them into the lake. If I could find these three fishes, and return them to their natural shapes, they might know what magic Kuio used to sink the island. I was about to go to the shore, and call these fishes to me, when you arrived. So, if you will join me, we will try to find them. The maidens exchanged smiles now, and the golden-haired one, Outa, said to Glinda, It will not be necessary to go to the lake. We are the three fishes. Indeed, cried Glinda, Then you are the three adepts at magic, restored to your proper forms. We are the three adepts, admitted Outa. Then, said Glinda, My task is half accomplished. But who destroyed the transformation that made you fishes? We have promised not to tell, answered Aura. But this young skizer was largely responsible for our release. He is brave and clever, and we owe him our gratitude. Glinda looked at Irvik, who stood modestly behind the adepts, hat in hand. He shall be properly rewarded, she declared, for in helping you he has helped us all, and perhaps saved his people from being imprisoned forever in the sunken isle. The sorcerers now asked her guest to seat themselves, and a long talk followed, in which the Wizard of Oz shared. We are quite certain, said Aura, that if we could get inside the dome, we could discover Kuio's secrets, for in all her work, after we became fishes, she used the formulas and incantations and arts that she stole from us. She may have added to these things, but they were the foundation of all her work. What means do you suggest for our getting into the dome? inquired Glinda. The three adepts hesitated to reply, for they had not yet considered what could be done to reach the inside of the great dome. While they were in deep thought, and Glinda and the Wizard were quietly awaiting their suggestions, into the tent rushed Trot and Betsy, dragging between them the Patchwork Girl. Oh, Glinda! cried Trot. Scraps is thought of a way to rescue Ozba and Dorothy and all of the Scheezers. The three adepts could not avoid laughing merrily, for not only were they amused by the queer form of the Patchwork Girl, but Trot's enthusiastic speech struck them as really funny. If the great sorceress and the famous Wizard and the three talented adepts at magic were unable as yet to solve the important problem of the Sunken Isle, there was little chance for a Patchwork Girl stuffed with cotton to succeed. But Glinda, smiling indulgently at the earnest faces turned toward her, patted the children's heads and said, Scraps is very clever. Tell me what she has thought of, my dear. Well, said Trot, Scraps says that if you could dry up all the water in the lake, the island would be on dry land, and everybody could come and go whenever they liked. Glinda smiled again, but the Wizard said to the girls, If we should dry up the lake, what would become of all the beautiful fishes that now live in the water? Dear me, that's so, admitted Betsy, crestfallen. We never thought of that, did we, Trot? Couldn't you transform them into polywogs? asked Scraps, turning a somersault, and then standing on one leg. You could give them a little teeny pond to swim in, and they would just as happy as they are as fishes. No, indeed, replied the Wizard severely. It is wicked to transform any living creatures without their consent, and the lake is the home of the fishes and belongs to them. All right, said Scraps, making a face at him. I don't care. It's too bad, sighed Trot, for I thought we'd struck a splendid idea. So you did, declared Glinda, her face now grave and thoughtful. There is something in the patchwork girl's idea that may be of real value to us. I think so, too, agreed the golden-haired adept. The top of the great dome is only a few feet below the surface of the water. If we could reduce the level of the lake, until the dome sticks a little above the water, we could remove some of the glass and let ourselves down into the village by means of ropes. And there would be plenty of water left for the fishes to swim in, added the white-haired maiden. If we succeed in raising the island, we could fill up the lake again, suggested the brown-haired adept. I believe, said the Wizard, rubbing his hands together in delight, that the patchwork girl has shown us the way to success. The girls were looking curiously at the three beautiful adepts, wondering who they were, so Glinda introduced them to Trot and Bexy and Scraps, and then sent the children away while she considered how to carry the new idea into effect. Not much could be done that night, so the Wizard prepared another tent for the adepts, and in the evening Glinda held a reception and invited all her followers to meet the new arrivals. The adepts were greatly astonished at the extraordinary personages presented to them, and marveled that Jack Pumpkin had in the scarecrow and the tin woodman and tick-tock could really live and think and talk just like other people. They were especially pleased with the lively patchwork girl and loved to watch her antics. It was quite a pleasant party, for Glinda served some dainty refreshments to those who could eat, and the scarecrow recited some poems, and the cowardly lion sang a song in his deep bass voice. The only thing that marred their joy was the thought that their beloved Osma and dear little Dorothy were yet confined in the great dome of the sunken island. End of Chapter 21 The Three Adepts Chapter 22 Of Glinda of Oz This is a Lebervox recording. All Lebervox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit lebervox.org. This recording is by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum Chapter 22 The Sunken Island As soon as they had breakfasted the next morning, Glinda and the Wizard and the Three Adepts went down to the shore of the lake and formed a line with their faces toward the submerged island. All the others came to watch them, but stood at a respectful distance in the background. At the right of the sorceress stood Auda and Aura, while at the left stood the Wizard and Auja. Together they stretched their arms over the water's edge, and in unison the five chanted a rhythmic incantation. This chant they repeated again and again, swaying their arms gently from side to side, and in a few minutes the watches behind them noticed that the lake had begun to recede from the shore. Before long the highest point of the dome appeared above the water. Gradually the water fell, making the dome appear to rise. When it was three or four feet above the surface, Glinda gave the signal to stop, for their work had been accomplished. The blackened submarine was now entirely out of water, but Uncle Henry and Captain Bill managed to push it into the lake. Glinda, the Wizard, Irvick and the Adepts got into the boat, taking with them a coil of strong rope, and at the command of the sorceress the craft cleaved its way through the water towards the part of the dome which was now visible. There's still plenty of water for the fish to swim in. Observe the Wizard as they rode along. They might like more, but I'm sure they can get along until we have raised the island and can fill up the lake again. The boat touched gently on the sloping glass of the dome, and the Wizard took some tools from his black bag and quickly removed one large pane of glass, thus making a hole large enough for their bodies to pass through. Stout frames of steel supported the glass of the dome, and around one of these frames the Wizard tied the end of a rope. I'll go down first, said he. For while I'm not as spry as Captain Bill, I'm sure I can manage it easily. Are you sure the rope is long enough to reach the bottom? Quite sure, replied the sorceress. So the Wizard let down the rope and, climbing through the opening, lowered himself down, hand over hand, clinging to the rope with his legs and feet. Below in the streets of the village were gathered all the skeezers, men, women, and children, and you may be sure that Osma and Dorothy, with Lady Oryx, were filled with joy that their friends were at last coming to their rescue. The Queen's palace, now occupied by Osma, was directly in the center of the dome, so that when the rope was let down the end of it came just in front of the palace entrance. Several skeezers held fast to the rope's end to steady it, and the Wizard reached the ground in safety. He hugged first Osma and then Dorothy, while all the skeezers cheered as loud as they could. The Wizard now discovered that the rope was long enough to reach from the top of the dome to the ground when doubled, so he tied a chair to one end of the rope, and called to Glenda to sit in the chair, while he and some of the skeezers lowered her to the pavement. In this way the sorceress reached the ground quite comfortably, and the three adepts and Irvic soon followed her. The skeezers quickly recognized the three adepts at Magic, whom they had learned to respect before their wicked Queen betrayed them, and welcomed them as friends. All the inhabitants of the village had been greatly frightened by their imprisonment under water, but now realized that an attempt was to be made to rescue them. Glenda, the Wizard and the adepts, followed Osma and Dorothy into the palace, and they asked Lady Oryx and Irvic to join them. After Osma had told of her adventures in trying to prevent war between the flatheads and the skeezers, and Glenda had told all about the rescue expedition and the restoration of the three adepts by the help of Irvic, a serious consultation was held as to how the island could be made to rise. I've tried every way in my power, said Osma, but Cuyo used a very unusual sort of magic which I do not understand. She seems to have prepared her witchcraft in such a way that a spoken word is necessary to accomplish her designs, and these spoken words are known only to herself. That is a method we taught her, declared Aura the adept. I can do no more, Glenda, continued Osma, so I wish you would try what your sorcery can accomplish. First then, said Glenda, let us visit the basement of the island, which I am told is underneath the village. A flight of marble stairs led from one of Cuyo's private rooms down to the basement, but when the party arrived all were puzzled by what they saw. In the center of a broad, low room stood a mass of great cog wheels, chains and pulleys, all interlocked and seeming to form a huge machine, but there was no engine or other mode of power to make the wheels turn. This, I suppose, is the means by which the island is lowered or raised, said Osma, but the magic word which is needed to move the machinery is unknown to us. The three adepts were carefully examining the mass of wheels, and soon the golden-haired one said, These wheels do not control the island at all. On the contrary, one set of them is used to open the doors of the little rooms where the submarines are kept, as may be seen from the chains and pulleys used. Each boat is kept in a little room with two doors, one to the basement room where we are now, and the other letting into the lake. When Cuyo used the boat in which she attacked the flatheads, she first commanded the basement door to open, and with her followers she got into the boat and made the top close over them. Then the basement door being closed, the outer door was slowly opened, letting the water fill the room to float the boat, which then left the island keeping under water. But how could she expect to get back again? asked the wizard. Why the boat would enter the room filled with water, and after the outer door was closed a word of command started to pump, which pumped all the water from the room. Then the boat would open, and Cuyo could enter the basement. I see, said the wizard. It is a clever contrivance, but won't work unless one knows the magic words. Another part of this machinery, explained the white-haired adept, is used to extend the bridge from the island to the mainland. The steel bridge is in a room much like that in which the boats are kept, and at Cuyo's command it would reach out, joint by joint, until its far end touched the shore of the lake. The same command would make the bridge return to its former position. Of course the bridge could not be used unless the island was on the surface of the water. But how do you suppose Cuyo managed to sink the island, and make it rise again? inquired Glinda. This the adepts could not yet explain. As nothing more could be learned from the basement, they mounted the steps to the queen's private suite again, and Osma showed them to a special room where Cuyo kept her magical instruments and performed all her arts of witchcraft. End of Chapter 22 The Sunken Island Chapter 23 Of Glinda of Oz This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. This recording is by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum. Chapter 23 The Magic Words Many interesting things were to be seen in the room of magic, including much that had been stolen from the adepts when they were transformed to fishes. But they had to admit that Cuyo had a rare genius for mechanics, and had used her knowledge in inventing a lot of mechanical apparatus that ordinary witches, wizards, and sorcerers could not understand. They all carefully inspected this room, taking care to examine every article they came across. The island, said Glinda thoughtfully, rest on a base of solid marble. When it is submerged as it is now, the base of the island is upon the bottom of the lake. What puzzles me is how such a great weight can be lifted and suspended in the water, even by magic. I now remember, returned Auja, that one of the arts we taught Cuyo was the way to expand steel, and I think that explains how the island is raised and lowered. I noticed in the basement a big steel pillar that passed through the floor and extended upward to this palace. Perhaps the end of it is concealed in this very room. If the lower end of the steel pillar is firmly embedded in the bottom of the lake, Cuyo could utter a magic word that would make the pillar expand and so lift the entire island to the level of the water. I've found the end of the steel pillar. It's just here, announced the wizard, pointing to one side of the room where a great basin of polished steel seemed to have been set upon the floor. They all gathered around and Asma said, Yes, I am quite sure that it is the upper end of the pillar that supports the island. I noticed it when I first came here. It has been hollowed out, you see, and something has been burned in the basin, for the fire has left its marks. I wondered what was under the great basin, and got several of the skisers to come up here and try to lift it for me. They were strong men, but could not move it at all. It seems to me, said Auda, the adept, that we have discovered the manner in which Cuyo raised the island. She would burn some sort of magic powder in the basin, utter the magic word, and the pillar would lengthen out and lift the island with it. What's this? asked Dorothy, who had been searching around with the others, and now noticed a slight hollow in the wall, near to where the steel basin stood. As she spoke, Dorothy pushed her thumb into the hollow, and instantly a small drawer popped out from the wall. The three adepts, Glinda and the wizard, sprang forward and peered into the drawer. It was half filled with a grayish powder, the tiny grains of which constantly moved as if impelled by some living force. It may be some kind of radium, said the wizard. No, replied Glinda. It is more wonderful than even radium, for I recognize it as a rare mineral powder called Gaolau by the sorcerers. I wonder how Cuyo discovered it and where she obtained it. There is no doubt, said Auda, the adept, that this is the magic powder Cuyo burned in the basin. If only we knew the magic word, I am quite sure we could raise the island. How can we discover the magic word? asked Osma, turning to Glinda, as she spoke. That we must now seriously consider. Answered the sorceress. So all of them sat down in the room of magic and began to think. It was so still that after a while Dorothy grew nervous. The little girl never could keep silent for long. And at the risk of displeasing her magic-working friends, she suddenly said, Well, Cuyo used just three magic words. One to make the bridge work, and one to make the submarines go out of their holes, and one to raise and lower the island. Three words.  One is Cuy, one is E, and one is O. The wizard frowned, but Glinda looked wonderingly at the young girl and Osma cried out, A good thought, Dorothy dear. You may have solved our problem. I believe it is worth a trial. Agreed Glinda. It would be quite natural for Cuyo to divide her name into three magic syllables, and Dorothy's suggestion seems like an inspiration. The three adepts also approved the trial, but the brown-haired one said, We must be careful not to use the wrong word and send the bridge out under water. The main thing, if Dorothy's idea is correct, is to hit upon the one word that moves the island. Let us experiment, suggested the wizard. In the drawer with the moving gray powder was a tiny golden cup, which they thought was used for measuring. Glinda filled this cup with the powder and carefully poured it into the shallow basin, which was the top of the great steel pillar supporting the island. Then Aura, the adept, lighted a taper and touched it to the powder, which instantly glowed fiery red and tumbled about the basin with astonishing energy. While the grains of powder still glowed red, the sorceress bent over it and said in a voice of command, Cuyo! They waited motionless to see what would happen. There was a grating noise and a whirl of machinery, but the island did not move a particle. Dorothy rushed to the window, which overlooked the glass side of the dome. The boats, she exclaimed, the boats are all loose and sailing under water. We've made a mistake, said the wizard gloomily. But it's one which shows we are on the right track, declared Aura the adept. We know now that Cuyo used the syllables of her name for the magic words. If Cuyo sends out the boats, it is probable that E works the bridge, suggested Osma, so the last part of the name may raise the island. Let us try that next, then, proposed the wizard. He scraped the embers of the burned powder out of the basin, and Glinda again filled the golden cup from the drawer, and placed it on top, the steel pillar. Aura lighted it with her taper and Osma bent over the basin and murmured the long-drawn syllable, Oh! Instantly the island trembled, and with a weird groaning noise it moved upward, slowly, very slowly, but with a steady motion, while all the company stood by in odd silence. It was a wonderful thing, even to those skilled in the arts of magic, wizardry, and sorcery, to realize that a single word could raise that great heavy island with its immense glass dome. Why, we're way above the lake now! exclaimed Dorothy from the window when it last the island ceased to move. That is because we lowered the level of the water, explained Glinda. They could hear the skisers cheering lustily in the streets of the village as they realized that they were saved. Come, said Osma eagerly, let us go down and join the people. Not just yet, returned Glinda a happy smile upon her lovely face, for she was overjoyed at their success. First let us extend the bridge to the mainland, where our friends from the emerald city are waiting. It didn't take long to put more powder in the basin, light it, and utter the syllable E. The result was that a door in the basement opened and the steel bridge moved out, extended itself joint by joint, and finally rested its far end on the shore of the lake just in front of the encampment. Now, said Glinda, we can go up and receive the congratulations of the skisers and of our friends of the rescue expedition. Across the water, on the shore of the lake, the patchwork girl was waving them a welcome. End of Chapter 23 The Magic Words Chapter 24 Of Glinda of Oz This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. This recording is by Mark Smith of Simpsonville, South Carolina. Glinda of Oz by L. Frank Baum Chapter 24 Glinda's Triumph Of course all those who had joined Glinda's expedition had once crossed the bridge to the island, where they were warmly welcomed by the skisers. Before all the concourse of people, Princess Osma made a speech from a porch of the palace, and demanded that they recognize her as their lawful ruler, and promised to obey the laws of the land of Oz. In return she agreed to protect them from all future harm, and declared they would no longer be subjected to cruelty and abuse. This pleased the skisers greatly, and when Osma told them that they might elect a queen to rule over them, who in turn would be subject to Osma of Oz, they voted for Lady O'Rex, and that same day the ceremony of crowning the new queen was held, and O'Rex was installed as mistress of the palace. For her prime minister, the queen selected Irvick, for the three adepts had told of his good judgment, faithfulness, and cleverness, and all the skisers approved the appointment. Glinda, the wizard and the adepts, stood on the bridge and recited an incantation that quite filled the lake with water again, and the scarecrow and the patchwork girl climbed to the top of the great dome, and replaced the pane of glass that had been removed to allow Glinda and her followers to enter. When evening came Osma ordered a great feast prepared, to which every skizer was invited. The village was beautifully decorated and brilliantly lighted, and there was music and dancing, until a late hour to celebrate the liberation of the people. For the skisers had been freed, not only from the water of the lake, but from the cruelty of their former queen. As the people from the emerald city prepared the next morning to depart, Queen O'Rex said to Osma, There is only one thing I now fear for my people, and that is the enmity of the terrible Sudik of the Flatheads. He is liable to come here at any time and try to annoy us, and my skisers are peaceful folks, and unable to fight the wild and willful Flatheads. Do not worry, replied Osma reassuringly. We intend to stop on our way at the Flathead's enchanted mountain, and punish the Sudik for his misdeeds. That satisfied O'Rex, and when Osma and her followers trooped over the bridge to the shore, having taken leave of their friends, all the skisers cheered them, and waved their hats and handkerchiefs, and the band played, and the departure was indeed a ceremony long to be remembered. The three adepts at Magic, who had formally ruled the Flatheads wisely and considerably, went with Princess Osma and her people, for they had promised Osma to stay on the mountain and again see that the laws were enforced. Glinda had been told all about the curious Flatheads, and she had consulted with the wizard and formed a plan to render them more intelligent and agreeable. When the party reached the mountain, Osma and Dorothy showed them how to pass around the invisible wall, which had been built by the Flatheads after the adepts were transformed, and how to gain the up and down stairway that led to the mountaintop. The Sudik had watched the approach of the party from the edge of the mountain, and was frightened when he saw that the three adepts had recovered their natural forms and were coming back to their former home. He realized that his power would soon be gone, and yet he determined to fight to the last. He called all the Flatheads together and armed them, and told them to arrest all who came up the stairway and hurl them over the edge of the mountain to the plain below. But although they feared the supreme dictator, who had threatened to punish them if they did not obey his commands, as soon as they saw the three adepts, they threw down their arms and begged their former rulers to protect them. The three adepts assured the excited Flatheads that they had nothing to fear. Seeing that his people had rebelled, the Sudik ran away and tried to hide, but the adepts found him and had him cast into a prison, all his cans of brains being taken away from him. After this easy conquest of the Sudik, Glinda told the adepts of her plan, which had already been approved by Asma of Oz, and they joyfully agreed to it. So, during the next few days, the great sorceress transformed, in a way, every Flathead on the mountain. Taking them one at a time she had the can of brains that belonged to each one opened, and the contents spread on the Flathead, after which, by means of her arts of sorcery, she caused the head to grow over the brains, in the manner most people wear them, and they were thus rendered as intelligent and good-looking as any of the other inhabitants of the land of Oz. When all had been treated in this manner there were no more Flatheads at all, and the adepts decided to name their people Mountaineers. One good result of Glinda's sorcery was that no one could now be deprived of the brains that belonged to him, and each person had exactly the share he was entitled to. Even the Sudic was given his portion of brains, and his Flathead made round, like the others, but he was deprived of all power to work further mischief, and with the adepts constantly watching him he would be forced to become obedient and humble. The golden pig, which ran grunting about the streets, with no brains at all, was disenchanted by Glinda, and in her woman's form was given brains and a round head. This wife of the Sudic had once been even more wicked than her evil husband, but she had now forgotten all her wickedness and was likely to be a good woman thereafter. These things being accomplished in a satisfactory manner, Princess Osma and her people bade farewell to the three adepts and departed for the Emerald City, well pleased with their interesting adventures. They returned by the road over which Osma and Dorothy had come, stopping to get the saw-horse and the red wagon where they had left them. I am very glad I went to see these peoples, said Princess Osma, for I not only prevented any further warfare between them, but they have been freed from the rule of the Sudic and Cui'o, and are now happy and loyal subjects of the land of Oz, which proves that it is always wise to do one's duty, however unpleasant that duty may seem to be.