I was wondering when that was going to happen

I'm still puzzled by what happened in strip 216, since what Ernie saw there was not discussed or explained afterwards.

It is true that, at the time, the fact that the ice block had no spin was slightly suspicious. Of course, the explanation that it was done to make things more convenient for Bert and Ernie wasn't completely implausible. But now I'm really puzzled. Would a little rotation have made things impossible for the stealth stowaway? If not, why risk doing something that might call attention to him?

I suppose the answer is simple enough too - such as the stealthed ship being somehow less detectable if it isn't being moved.

I'm still puzzled by what happened in strip 216, since what Ernie saw there was not discussed or explained afterwards.

What we were seeing was just in Ernie's imagination. The talk about X-rays set him off.

... the fact that the ice block had no spin was slightly suspicious. Of course, the explanation that it was done to make things more convenient for Bert and Ernie wasn't completely implausible. But now I'm really puzzled. Would a little rotation have made things impossible for the stealth stowaway? If not, why risk doing something that might call attention to him?

Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. EFT doesn't have "tractor beams." So how would Bert & Ernie be able to push the berg if it had spin? Answer, they couldn't. Had Mr. Li not killed the bergs angular momentum, Bert & Ernie would have had to do so before they started for TLP.

Had Mr. Li not killed the bergs angular momentum, Bert & Ernie would have had to do so before they started for TLP.

Which makes his action less suspicious - but explains it if it was... since in killing the berg's angular momentum, they would have noticed the extra mass, particularly as it was on the surface of the berg (and presumably off axis for the rotation).

Wouldn't have to be.  All the assassins' ship would need to avoid being detected by its odd mass would be to.
A. have a center of mass that pretty much matched the center of volume.
B. be essentially neutrally buoyant in water.

Any slight flaw could be chalked up to a void in the ice somewhere, maybe a rocky inclusion, or even its' odd shape.

My line of thought was that since Bert and Ernie didn't need to stop the rotation they were a lot less likely to notice the stealth ship.  On the other hand since the old asian did, he should have noticed it and told them, unless of course he was in on it.

My line of thought was that since Bert and Ernie didn't need to stop the rotation they were a lot less likely to notice the stealth ship.  On the other hand since the old asian did, he should have noticed it and told them, unless of course he was in on it.

The stealth craft followed them to Li's berg and did not land on the it until Little Toot went through turn-over. Remember the "Romulan" that was only visible because it eclipsed some stars?

The stealth craft followed them to Li's berg and did not land on the it until Little Toot went through turn-over. Remember the "Romulan" that was only visible because it eclipsed some stars?

Now that you mention it. But that makes it curiouser. Because if Bert and Ernie would have had to stop the rotation anyways, it is not the case that its rotation was stopped to make it easier to land on. So if the stopped rotation is not a red herring, I'm now at a loss to see how it comes in. Unless the purpose was simply to get Bert and Ernie on their way more quickly.

I  don't know...  it could just be a guy doing a favor for someone who made a BIG sale.
Ever hold the door for a complete stranger?  Ever tell one, as you're leaving somewhere, something worth knowing about as they enter?

Edit.  I think it's reasonable to say this was an example of ungoverned reasonable men being reasonable.  Technically, they could have complained that Li had promised them the whole 'berg, and demanded a balance of its volume, but Li did them a favor, and their purchase was one of an approximate need.  A few gallons more or less was of no consequence, and they weren't put out by its "loss".  Li had another customer come up and had the opportunity to make a small profit, (the difference between the discount price and the regular price,) please the second customer, and do a favor for the promised first customer.

If you looked over and saw that your neighbors lawn was looking a bit shaggy...was just about to pull out the lawnmower anyway, just as a favor, and someone told you they needed about 10 gallons of anything organic, so long as it'd decay properly for a science project, and they'd pay 10 bucks for it, what would you do?

... I think it's reasonable to say this was an example of ungoverned reasonable men being reasonable.  Technically, they could have complained that Li had promised them the whole 'berg, and demanded a balance of its volume, but Li did them a favor, and their purchase was one of an approximate need.  A few gallons more or less was of no consequence, and they weren't put out by its "loss".  Li had another customer come up and had the opportunity to make a small profit, (the difference between the discount price and the regular price,) please the second customer, and do a favor for the promised first customer.d they'd pay 10 bucks for it, what would you do?

Li is in the business. He knew that the boys could not move the berg until its angular momentum was zero. So somebody had to use some of the berg's mass. Li chose to do it as a bonus. Sort of like the 13th donut.

If you looked over and saw that your neighbors lawn was looking a bit shaggy...was just about to pull out the lawnmower anyway, just as a favor, and someone told you they needed about 10 gallons of anything organic, so long as it'd decay properly for a science project, and they'd pay 10 bucks for it, what would you do?

I'd ask my neighbor's permission.  He's a lot pickier about his lawn than I am (mows it at least every other week, while I prefer to let ours grow a month at a time so there's enough photosynthesis to encourage root growth under the bald spots).  And I can provide ten pounds of organic matter real quick anyway, unless trash day was this morning (as it was).  We have five cats that use boxes.  And weeds from the garden (I really don't care about weeds in the lawn).

Mind you, the town government doesn't share my opinion on lawn maintenance.  We've been threatened with fines several times.  The nastiest they got was the year after we had the front retaining wall rebuilt (the old one fell over) and we filled the space with "free" "composted leaves" provided by the town government.  Sorry, the composting was not hot enough, as we had a spectacular crop of local wildflowers (AKA weeds).  There were complaints about what was growing.  So I tossed in a bag of "wildflower mix" from the local garden department, since there was nothing to be done (that we could afford) for the rest of the summer and I actually started watering it.  Yeah, that 10x20 foot patch is mostly grass now, but we still get plenty of volunteer flowers around the edges by the wall.  Under and around the lilacs by the porch, anything goes (and grows).  (Especially new lilac sprouts, which I am especially thorough at removing, they're worse than the kudzu that takes over the right side of the porch most every year -- not much this year, I guess the late spring and cool wet spring and early summer [June and July] discouraged it]).  Official web pages are saying that kudzu has spread as far as southern Pennsylvania -- bullshit, it's well established in North Jersey, 11 miles as the pigeon craps from where the WTC used to stand.