Cloverfield Concept Art

I found this. I don't know if it's real.

Eastern Standard Time: Day 1

My vacation started June 21st. I was going to fly out to see my friend, a grad student at Princeton, NJ.

After a short hop to O'hare, I would catch my connecting flight to Newark three hours later. I waited around for two hours and, on a whim, asked the fellow at the gate desk if my flight was still on time. He informed me that it had been canceled and I should check with so-and-so at some desk somewhere.

Turned out they transfered me to a flight that had already left. Suck. The best I could do was get on another one early the next morning. I called my sister, who thankfully lives in the Chicagoland area, and she picked me up. Unfortunately, she couldn't drive me in the morning so I had to call a cab to take me back to the airport.

New Computer

My computron broke last week; it just decided not to start up anymore. I'd been saving up for a new one anyway, so this was my opportunity. My friend came over to help - I'm glad he did. It turned out to be a bit more complicated than I thought.

It works now though. Good times.

Food Poisoning

If you ever have the choice between food poisoning and death, well, just be sure to think it through. My vice got me in big trouble a week and a half ago and I missed two days of work.

Monday I was up all night with my head over a trashcan. It was horrible. Tuesday my face is all red with broken capillaries and my eyes are horrifically bloodshot. Nearly two weeks later and I still look hungover. Wednesday I called the health department. They asked what I ate, what symptoms I had and when I experienced them and then told me they'd send somebody over to inspect the place.

I like to think I saved someone else from a fate worse than death. My sacrifice will not be in vain!

Snack Box

Our office used to have an honor-system snack box on top of the soda machine. The lady who used to supply it stopped doing so. There has been a void in our lives (and stomaches).

Monday, this void will be filled.

Plastic Window Seals

Our electric bill arrived today. I had heard bad omens from a few friends of mine, but it was still a shock that we owe more than double what we did last month. We resolved to do whatever we could to bring that number down. Tonight's project: sealing up the bedroom windows. Plastic window sealing kits can be found at your local hardware store.

If, like us, your blinds are screwed directly into the window frame, you'll have to remove them. The office and spare room will have to do without blinds for the rest of the winter, as I don't want to screw through my brand new pristine seal. Luckily, the master bedroom's blinds are affixed to the wall above the window.


The kit comes with a big plastic sheet and some double-sided tape.


Tape along each side of the window.


After 15 minutes, remove the protective backing from the tape on the top of the frame. If you're doing multiple windows, tape them all, and by the time you're done with the last, the backing on the first can safely be removed.


Measure out and cut a piece of plastic, making sure there will be a few extra inches on each side.


Stick the plastic to the top of the window, then remove the protective film from the tape on the sides and bottom of the frame, and attach the plastic there. It's okay if there are wrinkles.


Using a blow dryer on the highest setting, heat the plastic, starting with a corner. It will shrink (immediately), forming a tight seal around the window. When you're finished, the plastic will be totally invisible except for reflections. It doesn't look tacky like I thought it might.


Put your blinds back, if you can. Enjoy your draft-free window, but don't touch it!

Dord

This is my new favorite word.
dord (dôrd), n. Phisics & Chem. Density

edit: Though thagomizer is a close second.

The Hawking Paradox

We watched this show the other night called The Hawking Paradox (Dan's thoughts). Basically, it was about Hawking trying to reconcile the ideas that black holes destroy stuff utterly, and information can never be utterly destroyed.

His final solution was this:
When information is destroyed in a black hole, there are many other alternate universes where the information is still intact - because there isn't a black hole in that spot. If you average all the results from all parallel universes, the problem of destroyed information cancels out.

I call "bull$*@#!" That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. It's tantamount to saying "No, see, if you just pretend the black hole isn't there, then there's no problem! See?" ...crickets chirping.