June 2006

Liquid Nitrogen plus Pool equals fun

Anyone know where I can get a bucket of liquid nitrogen and a swimming pool? This looks like fun.

1st Annual ISAC Day

In honor of my sister, I now declare this - the fourth Friday of June, to be International Slap A Customer Day. (Or ISAC Day, if a customer is within earshot.)

Festivities are up to you, but as law enforcement agencies frown upon assaulting people no matter how little common sense they have, I recommend using inanimate proxies.

And there was much rejoicing

Ahem:

I've got my car back! WOOHOO!

Thank you.

Save me some cake

Happy 28th birthday to Garfield the Cat.

Also, happy birthdays of undetermined amounts (Yeah, like I'LL be the one to tell you...) to Devon and Sara. Their birthdays aren't TODAY, but they're close enough.

I think I've forgotten one more birthday, but I'm sure it's not that important.

For Gretchen...

...because a recent rant of hers made me think of this, even if it doesn't relate EXACTLY to what she was talking about.

"I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it."
-Voltaire

Isaac Newton and the Philosopher's Stone

File this one under "so strange it has to be true." Apparently the good Sir Newton was into Alchemy, and wanted to create the Philosopher's stone.

They're even doing a NOVA episode on it. You can hear 7 minutes of the interview here.

I'm stress free!

"Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it." - Jane Wagner

Wolverine kicks everyone's butt.

Kelli and I saw X-Men 3 last night.

Now let's see ... how to describe the movie without spoilers...

Um ... It's kind of like this.

Yeah, I think that's a good description. It had it's moments (The lady locking her car door), but it just wasn't as good as the first two.

More Car Woes

The garage (a different one from yesterday) checked the car.

If everything goes well, it'll cost @ $1,400 to check the new head gasket.

They suggested it might be better to buy a new engine. Depending on several factors an engine could run me anywhere between $2,400 - $3,900

My car only cost $3,700.

My bright and cheerful mood is going south fast.

Blow a gasket.

Yesterday on the way home from PA my car's engine started to shudder a bit. It also blew some white smoke out the back that smelled a bit like burning plastic or rubber.

This morning on the way to work it did the same thing, so I dropped it off at the local repair place. They're not the best, but they're in walking distance of work so they're convenient.

Near as the mechanic can figure, it's a leaking head gasket. A quick Google search found me a description that said the head gasket should last as long as the car, which is disconcerting for me since it's got less than 100,000 miles on it and I've had it for less than 8,000.

Ouch. At least they topped off my coolant before telling me I had to go see a Ford dealership.

Don't mess with the Marines.

4 teenagers with two guns tried to rob a cook who had been a marine in the first Gulf War. Didn't these kids ever watch Under Seige? It's the cooks you have to watch out for.

With nothing more than a pocket knife, he fended off the would-be muggers after his attempt to run away was unsuccessful. Two of them got stabbed, one of them fatally. He doesn't even harbor any grudges, saying that he was only trying to defend himself and he's sorry it came to that.

Slackers ... move?

We've all been here at some point.