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fifty years have ridden off into the sunset
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I'm sorry but I'm just thinking of
the right words to say
I know they don't sound the way
I planned them to be
But if you wait around a while
I'll make you fall for me
I promise, I promise you I will
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| 1:45 PM, Sunday, June 29, 2003 |
For some reason I'm never the one who gets pulled over. Going there, I got passed by a Saab 944 who was going about ten mph faster than I was, and I was doing about 75. He was pulled over. I wasn't.
An unmarked car flipped a u-turn across the highway and dropped in a few hundred yards behind me. I knew it HAD to be an unmarked car, nobody else would do that. So I let up on the accelerator a bit and dropped back to a comfortable 70. Score another for stickshift -- in an automatic, I would have had to brake, which would be an automatic ticket, 'cause it meant I was going too fast and knew it.
Coming back I saw like four, five people pulled over on I-84. I never got touched. Dunno why.
It's weird.
Everybody knows us, we're the wonderful ones
Nothing's our fault, we never get caught
Everybody loves us, how about you?
-David
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For some reason, since yesterday and today I've started to take a liking to "Scarlet". Blah. Maybe it's because I got some new insight into the meaning of it and "Whatever She Wants", but it's ... yeah. Still a really creepy song. Oh, and for some reason I've started to like "Silence" too. Em, if you even start to laugh I will seriously consider killing you. :-)
EPW: No you do not get to hear about yesterday.
And my time flies but we'll fly farther
Into the night where the eyes of loneliness can never bother
All our dreams of together, uneclipsed by never-never
My time flies, it's in your eyes, but we'll fly farther ...
-David
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Side note: when you're driving at 75mph and sort of falling asleep already, Josh Joplin Group is a VERY BAD band to listen to.
Another lonely highway in the black of night
There's hope in the darkness, you know you're gonna make it
Another ditch in the road, you keep moving
Another stop sign, you keep moving on ...
-David
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maps.yahoo.com: 3 hrs 19 minutes
Person who previously drove said route: 4 hrs
Time going: 3 hrs
Time returning: 2 hrs 45 minutes
Boo. yeah.
Be still; let your hand melt into mine
The part of me that breathes when you breathe is losing time
And I can't find the words to say I'll never say goodbye ...
-David
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| 5:18 PM, Friday, June 27, 2003 |
Oh. My. Goodness.
That is one beautiful machine. I ... wow. I so wish I could afford one.
Still don't like the case design though, but ... oh. my. gosh. 64-bit goodness. A theoretical 16 EXABYTES of RAM. For those of you who aren't quite as literate in Greek prefixes and computer terminology:| 1 kilobyte [KB] | 1024 bytes | | | | | |
| 1 megabyte [MB] | 1024 KB | 1048576 bytes | | | | |
| 1 gigabyte [GB] | 1024 MB | 1048576 KB | 1.074*109 bytes | | | |
| 1 terabyte [TB] | 1024 GB | 1048576 MB | 1.074*109 KB | 1.010*1012 bytes | | |
| 1 petabyte [PB] | 1024 TB | 1048576 GB | 1.074*109 MB | 1.010*1012 KB | 1.126*1015 bytes | |
| 1 exabyte [EB] | 1024 PB | 1048576 TB | 1.074*109 GB | 1.010*1012 MB | 1.126*1015 KB | 1.153*1018 bytes |
| 16 EB | 16384 PB | 1.678*107 TB | 1.718*1010 GB | 1.759*1013 MB | 1.801*1016 KB | 1.845*1019 bytes |
In other words, its theoretical RAM capacity is roughly 1.6*1010 times that of most new computers today. In other other words, take a gigabyte. Now raise it to the power of a gigabyte. Now multiply by 16.
That's how much RAM it can have. Imagine loading the entire contents of your hard drive into RAM.
That's still a ways off. But for now, imagine playing a game that's loaded completely into RAM. How freaking fast would that be? 8 1-GB RAM chips and you've got 8GB of RAM. That's twice the size of my old hard drive. And it's MORE than enough to load half a dozen games completely into RAM and run them all without ever accessing your hard drive.
Oh. My. Goodness.
-David
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This is getting annoying. I'm having some serious problems transferring high molecular weight proteins to the membranes, and I can't figure out why. *grumbles*
In other news, the air conditioning in the lab is off. Again. Blah. It's like a sauna here. Can't wait to go home.
-David
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Oh, and so Sunday when I said it needed to stop raining, I didn't mean for it to be 100 degrees every day from Tuesday on.
-David
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Two more hours of doing nothing, then fifteen minutes of work, then another forty-five of doing nothing for five minutes of work.
This sucks.
-David
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| 4:03 PM, Thursday, June 26, 2003 |
I know more about Windows than anyone else in this place.
That's just sad.
-David
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Mornings are the worst invention since the guillotine.
Actually I think mornings came before the guillotine, but my mornings didn't, which is all that really matters because this is my blog. If your mornings started before the guillotine you can make your own blog. But don't look at me for sympathy when your pet pterodactyl dies.
-David
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| 7:20 PM, Wednesday, June 25, 2003 |
Oi. It's Wednesday night already? Where does the time go?
That's rhetorical, for any of you who feel like smarting off in the comments section.
Odd happening of the day: my iTunes alarm goes off at 8:15 as usual. Instead of actually waking me up though, the song it chose -- "The Comforter Has Come" (Jars of Clay) got worked into my dream.
Blah. :-p At least I got up and to work by 9, though it was a struggle. Not like I'm doing one heck of a lot these days anyway.
-David
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| 2:18 AM, Tuesday, June 24, 2003 |
Eww.
Apple released the G5 specs and design today. Specs are sweet, but the design ... well ... case in point:
Arany: Is it just me... or is the G5 rather, well, ugly?
Kaelis: ewww.
Kaelis: It's ... a ... box.
Arany: a perforated box
Arany: okay... so the tech specs are impressive, but still...
Kaelis: yeah
Arany: it looks like something out of a dazed and confused physics lab
Kaelis: it's ... not ... Apple design.
Arany: seriously... I now know of PC boxes that look better
Kaelis: That's just sad.
Arany: and I can't figure out what skin Apple wants to use for its interface... Aqua? or Metal? (re: panther finder preview)
Looks like Apple is having some decision-making problems. Blah.
I mean, I like Metal, it's cool ... but I don't want my whole Finder in Metal. If I did I'd have downloaded Brushed a long time ago.
On the plus side, 10.2 is sweet for modding the GUI. And hopefully they won't push Panther on us for another six months, at least.
-David
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| 9:31 PM, Monday, June 23, 2003 |
Saturday ... at least I think it was Saturday ... Verg pops up on me rather annoyed that, while she was gone, I referred to her as having the coldest heart on fsw. I maintained that I was right; from what we knew of her at least, which is really all that matters. She responded that I was wrong; that who she was, or who she believed she was, was more important than what we believed she was.
She demanded to know why I said that. I didn't have an answer for her, but I think I do now. Running western blots gives you a lot of time to think.
Food for thought: does how we act towards others define who we are, or does who we are define how we act towards others? Is it a combination of both? (ed. note: The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks. [Lk. 6:45])
Who's more correct about who we are, ourselves or others? If we have an image of ourselves in our head, and someone (honestly) tells us that who we appear to be is completely different, are we right or are they? Neither? Both? Somewhere in between?
I'm opening this up for discussion, because I think it's an interesting topic. I'm curious to see what your responses will be.
I've also posted this on TNB, for those of you who know what that is. For those of you who don't, look over at my links section. See "The New Buzz"? If you want to see what people who don't read my blog think, you can go here and view responses. You can even post responses if you want; no registration required.
This should be interesting.
-David
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| 10:55 PM, Sunday, June 22, 2003 |
Life is really, really weird in its intricate turns and twists sometimes.
If you'd told me, two years ago, that I'd be here today, where I am, with the people I know and the situations in my life ... I'd have told you, rather bluntly, to see a good shrink.
Instead I'm here, and ... yeah. It's nowhere what I thought my life would be like at 18. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
In other news, it needs to stop raining.
Rain rain on my face
Hasn't stopped raining in days
My world is a flood ...
-David
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| 11:58 PM, Saturday, June 21, 2003 |
Looks like Apple went with the PowerPC 970 architecture to base the new G5 chip off.
*drool*
I almost wish I hadn't bought a computer just last year.
-David
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I don't know whether it was the absolutely ridiculous out-of-body-experience-for-the-brain I've been having on fsw all night, or whether it was something else, but tonight's 8-bit had me absolutely ROLLING.
Drizz'l and Astos. Now I'm never going to be able to stop. Sweet mother, it hurts.
-David
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| Kaelis, I'm going to try not to flame, but you have no idea how much I'm not liking you right now. |
My heart weeps. The guy who hasn't shaven in days because of lack of social contact ... on a MESSAGE BOARD ... doesn't like me.
-David
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| 11:11 PM, Friday, June 20, 2003 |
I haven't even shaven in days because I've had barely any social contact.
shaven? social contact? clue me in here, but isn't this why we are on these boards?
I guess this counts as social contact somewhat. |
What IS it with geeks anyway? *shudders*
... and please tell me this isn't turning into a place to quote (and mock, obviously) the biggest losers of starwars.com.
-David
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I know Kaelis, at least I thought I did! I post some info on a DVD and Kaelis responds with: WE DON'T CARE.
I was thinking.... that was kinda rude.... I posted to him that I do not want him to reply to me at all if he doesn't care and if he is going to reply in a negative manner.
Then I get this:
look, genius boy, there's a perfectly good thread for DVD discussions. Anybody who gives a flaming hat about the TTT extras will be THERE, so posting it here is extremely bloody IRRITATING when you INTERRUPT A PERFECTLY GOOD CONVERSATION TO REPOST A STUPID LIST FROM TORN JUST SO YOU CAN OUTGEEK THE REST OF US.
Now if you other mods don't see this as a post aimed at dissing somebody(hate) then I don't know what you think is!
genius boy -- that was negative
interrupted a perfectly good conversation- LOL....Oh...So now I can't post in that thread at all I guess... Like it is his.. and only his friends have a right to chat in there and be accepted.
TO REPOST A STUPID- Negative, I mean come on.... It's like he hates me... for posting a list........!!!!!!!!
If nobody thinks that this is negative.... then you are probably a friend of Kaelis who doesn't want to go against him....
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I love fsw.com. J-fricking-e-e-z, you're pathetic.
-David
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Went to Redbone's today for lunch with the gang as a farewell party for Jeff. Those were some seriously good ribs. Kinda sad though but I guess it had to happen sometime.
Today was basically a slack day at work, and for once I didn't mind. Poured a few gels for a western blot on Monday, set some stuff in motion for a transfection.
Got home and Platinum had arrived. Woo! Go me.
-David
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| 3:35 PM, Wednesday, June 18, 2003 |
Superglue officially sucks. I was supergluing a pipetter cap back together. Or trying anyway. It's not like it's a big piece of equipment.
The pipetter cap is still in two pieces.
On the plus side, if I were to commit a crime now I have no fingerprints to trace.
-David
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| 11:06 AM, Tuesday, June 17, 2003 |
Thought of the moment: running buffer for western blots is weird stuff. It's basically a solution which causes the DNA to shift through the gel by molecular weight when electricity is applied. DNA is a polar molecule so it sorts itself out ... anyway, to load the gels you mark where the DNA is supposed to be inserted. Each well gets an ink mark.
So I look down into the gel chamber and see this black line floating around ... and I realize that it's the ink.
The ink solidified and detached from the gel plate. The running buffer did something really, really strange to that ink. I almost wish I knew what it was, 'cause it was kinda cool.
Unfortunately when I tried to remove the ink from the running buffer it all went to pieces. But it was still cool.
-David
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| 10:43 PM, Monday, June 16, 2003 |
I just found an incredible a cappella rendition of "Champagne High" by a student group at UColorado-Boulder.
I mean, this is seriously GOOD.
Take a listen and tell me what you think.
-David
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I think I just made the biggest polyacrylamide gel the world has ever seen. That sucker was two and a half inches high in a beaker five inches wide. 15.625 cubic inches. 804mL. Pure toxic acrylamide.
Doesn't it just warm your heart? I know it did mine ... or maybe that was just the heat it gave off as it solidified.
Anyway, I wanted to take a picture of it, but the digicam's batteries were both drained. Grrr.
-David
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I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow
Casting shadows on the winter sky, you stood there counting crows
One for sorrow, two for joy
Three for a girl, four for a boy
Five for silver, six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told
And there's a bird that nests inside you sleeping underneath your skin
Won't you open up your wings darling, I wish you'd let me in ...
-David
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| 8:24 PM, Thursday, June 12, 2003 |
Wow.
I actually had stuff to do at work today.
Running Western blots. ... okay, well, at least it's interesting. And I have a decent shot at finally finishing this project which has been hanging over my head for the last three years, if the cells will just grow already.
In other news, rain sucks.
-David
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| 9:15 PM, Tuesday, June 10, 2003 |
Work sucked. Stayed until 7 doing nuclear extractions. No, I'm not recreating Chernobyl, I'm talking about cell nuclei.
On the other hand, I took a bike ride after dinner from 8 until ... well, now. I'd forgotten how much I missed that. *sigh* Gonna have to do that more often.
-David
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| 7:40 PM, Monday, June 09, 2003 |
Well, today officially sucked. I spent two and a half hours pHing a stupid Tris-HCl solution. By the end I was so frustrated that I just made up new standards. "Time flies when you're not getting anything done," indeed. That took the entire morning up. Afternoon went down to the post office and mailed off the MO for Platinum and then headed back to the lab where I ... did nothing. Basically worked on the website and got the CSS file finished off, then hammered out a couple of the PHP files for the lab personnel. Then went onto the 'net and jacked around for a few hours. Boring day. Tomorrow's looking more interesting ... sort of. Should be running a nuclear extraction, another cell culture (joy!) and I have a doctor's appointment. That really ... bah. Life is uninteresting and singularly infuriating right now.
-David
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| 5:25 PM, Sunday, June 08, 2003 |
WOOO! I got Platinum! *does a little happy dance*
-David
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| 6:07 PM, Saturday, June 07, 2003 |
Why do like half of eBay sellers call Jars' first album Frail? The album is called Jars of Clay, people! "Frail" isn't even on it, it's on Much Afraid! Frail is a completely (sort of) different demo album, it only has nine tracks and looks totally different.
Sheesh.
-David
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Woo! Won This Road off eBay. Now all I need is Platinum. 1.5 days and counting ...
-David
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So today I go into work and T.C. tells me to pitch all my cells, because the PACAP response was too blunted to be of any use.
Instead of starting real work next week, I get to waste another week while waiting for cells to grow up, and only the week after next will I be able to actually make use of my time.
That really sucks.
In other news, cell cultures still reek, designing a website with no idea of content is hell, and I have the perfect comic panel for anyone who comes to me with a dumb idea in the future.
-David
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| 8:08 PM, Friday, June 06, 2003 |
This is the reason we sign up for Preferred Readers cards.
Shatterpoint MSRP: $25.95.
With tax (5% in MA): $26.50 (or thereabouts)
With book card: $20.84
It cost ten bucks to sign up for the card for a year, and I just saved half that.
On one book.
I probably saved the other half on Tatooine Ghost come to think of it and we won't even go into all the paperbacks and non-SW stuff I buy.
Oh, and I really need to remember that Blogger runs off HTML, not BBCode.
-David
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| 3:45 AM, Thursday, June 05, 2003 |
Hee.
I got a Bubble Bobble ROM.
I loved that game when I was younger. But when Mom gave my NES away, I lost it. :-(
Now I can play it again. Hee.
Cute dinosaurs.
-David
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| 8:54 PM, Wednesday, June 04, 2003 |
Oh, and as for the actual WORK today ... I've remembered why I hate bacterial plasmid preps. They can be summed up in three words I said about halfway through today: "This is disgusting."
The cell cultures reek. Really, really badly. Then there's the SDS/KDS/bacterial soup, which is ... yeah. It's just plain disgusting.
And T.C. wonders why I was drowned the stuff in bleach when I finally got to dump it out? At least the chlorine smells clean.
Oh, and I get to do it tomorrow and Friday, too. Lovely. When do I get back into the hypoxia again? Please?
-David
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ugh.
Four hours of sleep and work from 9 to 6 ... this is getting ridiculous. I need to get to sleep earlier.
On the plus side, Andy Ihnatko is possibly the greatest Mac columnist in existence. Two excerpts from his July 2003 Macworld article, "Memo to Al", show why. (ed. note: the article is addressed to Al Gore, who recently joined Apple's board of directors. Why did he do it? Maybe he wanted to invent a new internet.)
"Will Microsoft ever consider muscling into Apple's territory by making a reliable and easy OS that people actually want to use? Who knows? But if it does, the mental image of you and Steve standing across from each other in front of a keyboard, typing in the IP address of Microsoft's primary server, exchanging a solemn nod, and then simultaneously turning a pair of keys on an Xserve should give that company pause."
"What made the iPod such a winner? Lots of things, but high on the list is its sensible antipiracy approach. I can copy music between my Mac and my iPod naked for all Apple cares; it emits a discreet cough of reprimand only when I try to copy music to someone else's computer. Sony's MP3 players incorporate Sony Music's vision of a world where you have to check music in and out of a device's library, and a future in which you have to cough up another dollar every fifth time you want to listen to David Bowie's Lodger.
Which is why nobody buys Sony's MP3 players."
In other news, apparently Shatterpoint is out. Blast ... another book to pick up and not enough money with which to do it. Jars is coming out with a new album in October ... still need to save up fifteen or so for that. And Reunion comes out in July, and I need money for that, too. Being broke sucks.
Oh, and when I got home I found out that the hard drive on my old beige G3/233 had failed sometime between March and May. So now I'm stuck running my second box from an even older Powerbook G3/233, with a 2GB hard drive and a video card that sustained massive damage when I got hit by that stupid car down on Pleasant Street and it flew fifteen feet to the other side of the road. Padded case, my ... ahem.
Yeah, so the Powerbook is annoying me. Fortunately I can hook up my ADB keyboard and mouse and my old monitor to it, so it's not entirely bad, but it's still a horrible, horrible little machine which lags every time someone signs off or on AIM. I think the hard drive and mobo may have taken some hits when the comp did the whole Porkins-above-Death-Star imitation.
"You are simply a horrible little monster and I pray for your quick and merciful death."
--White Mage
BTW, am currently trying to pick up a copy of Jars' Platinum and This Road off eBay. Heads will roll if I don't get at least Platinum, so be warned -- I may be cranky Sunday.
-David
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| 8:29 PM, Tuesday, June 03, 2003 |
And this is why they say I'm Thief.
So during work today a couple of us went to a seminar on genomics and proteomics. It was kind of cool, especially the stuff on dendrites and on a new assay technique which should really help our lab out; but there was this part about mice and genomic RNA analysis that I really couldn't follow. Add to that the room being insanely stuffy, no windows open, and hot; and that I got about three and a half hours of sleep last night, four the night before, and NONE the night before that, and you'll see why I kind of dozed off.
It wasn't too bad though; I wasn't alone. A few others did the same thing. But we got some interesting stuff out of the seminar, and I'm glad I went.
-David
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