Just now noticed that Professor L. managed to get his favorite physics joke into the Quantum Mechanics textbook he co-wrote (albeit rather severely curtailed). On reflection, I'm kinda surprised that it took him until Chapter 5 to find a suitable opening.


He's a serious professor, but he does have his sense of humor. One of the students in our class is getting ready to take the Physics GRE exam, and he warned us that the people who put the questions together 'love to try to trick you. They're out to get revenge on the world because they, like all physicists, got picked on in high school.' Half-beat. 'And most of them think I was the one picking on them.' Half-beat. 'And most of them are right.'

Just checked up on my application for the computing labs. They're still going through the applications (which really weren't stacked all that high, at least not the ones the man had on his desk), but they do have mine. The man made a comment about looking at the times of availability in particular. Yay me for picking up on the importance of that sheet and showing flexibility in that regard, I guess. I can be less than incredibly dense on occasion, you know. I'm to keep an eye on my student email account for further word.



Penny's still having fun with chasing squirrels out of the apple tree. They've been getting used to getting into position to leap wildly away from the tree towards a bush or other relatively safe place, though. Cheaters. :~P



I've updated the Evil Physics Thread at KellyzKorner. Right now, the tentative plan is to run through all the basic math subjects listed before returning to actual, proper physics. It kinda bugs me when I'm writing a bit up about some physics topic and I have to backtrack to explain what I'm doing mathematically. Not because it's a pain or anything, but because I'll probably wind up explaining it again later on because I've forgotten that it was already explained.


On that note, remember that the KellyzKorner Summer Writing Contest has been extended through this month. If you ever wanted to write something geared for television, now's your chance!

Hey, look at that! They ran a Sunday "Hi and Lois today by mistake!

[/sarcasm]

Spent the past 30-60 minutes filling out and submitting an application to work in the computing labs. Pretty good application if I say so, aside from the scrawly printing in half of it.

Oh, that time includes the 'when can you work' sheet. There was a box on that for maximum hours per week. Didn't know what to say to that so I just ballparked it and wrote down 20. Aside from dealing with balky printers, there doesn't seem to be much for attendant types to do in these labs, so I figure I can probably get away with burying my face in a textbook three minutes out of five most of the time.


I really should clean out my university email account . . . nahhhh. That thing's worse than my room, really. Maybe some other time.


The squirrels are wimping out. Half the time now they just skitter up to the apple tree, pick up the first windfall apple they get to, and scamper off before That Black-And-White Terror* has a chance to attack them unawares. Shame, because it's really quite funny when Penny manages to get out there before one (or more!) of them can get out of the tree.

*Penny

instead of being framed and hung on a wall in a college library:


EASTERN RAILROAD
NOTICE.
_____________
The Train advertised to leave BOSTON for SALEM, at
10.15 P.M.,
will, on THURSDAY and FRIDAY, March 28th and 29th,
Be detained until 11.15 P.M,
To accommodate those wishing to attend the Opera.

J. PRESCOTT, Sup't

Boston, March 27, 1861
____________
[Name], Printer, [Boston address]




(I'm not going to attempt to convey the usage of 4 or 5 fonts.)

Got license plates "renewed" today. New design is not nearly as nice-looking as the old, IMO. Plus they gave me a new number, and it's ugly like ugh. *shakes head* At least it seems like they might leave the vanity design separate this time.

(I like looking at license plates, okay? :~P)



Still working on cleaning up my room, but all the papers are pretty much sorted out now. If I get those squared away, I think I'll be able to pretty much claim victory.

Pulled out some more of my packrat stash-thingies to better inventory what's available for use as storage. Let's see:

• translucent green . . . ummm, what is this called? LOL . . . manila plastic envelope with a flap and brad snap at the narrow broad end
  Been using this for newspaper clippings. Plenty of room still, but there aren't many (if any) clippings still to put away.


• maroon binder #1 (arbitrary enumeration)
  This is going to be my collection of "To-do" lists for
  
  • KellyzKorner
  
  
  • my website
  
  
  • ???
  
  Now, that sounds pretty useless, right? I'm just going to abandon the binder and not even physically use it for this purpose, you say . . . except that I have indeed started a few to-do lists and they are indeed currently in that binder. Ha! Whether I actually keep it up is an entirely different matter, of course . . . .

( and on and on )

OK, I can do this. I don't think I've sorted out the loose papers into too many categories. It's entirely doable. Or it would be if I weren't the one doing the doing-it. *rolls eyes*

As in, like, an actual schedule.

12:40 - 1:00 PM: Eat lunch

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (less time for brushing teeth or whatever): Work on stuff for Kellyz Korner (right now I'm feelin' the "reviews" thing)

3:00 PM - however absurdly long it takes (unless disrupted by brother jumping on computer): Post what I've got on Kellyz Korner


I will post about my trip north at some point, honestly I will. Possibly twice for neatness's sake.

If a Reasonably Good-Looking Individual happens to be desperate to attract a Significant Other, all he or she has to do is to enlist a Reasonably Good-Looking Individual Of The Desired Sex to pose as his or her spouse as part of a Really Stupid Plan To Impress Others. This will invariably lead to embarrassment (and, quite often, tinkly music), but the upside is that the second person will turn out to be the first person's True Love. (Very rarely, this may fail, but in such cases the sheer stupidity will, like a vacuum, attract the R.G.L.I.'s actual True Love into the situation, and things will develop from there.)

Obviously, this is only feasible if the R.G.L.I. is really desperate, or if he or she isn't irritated by tinkly music.

(Those unfamiliar with the peculiar insights offered by popular media may wonder whether the inevitable embarrassment would deter anyone from attempting this method. I quote the 58th T.I.H.L.F.W.M.: "The possibility of embarrassment has never stopped anybody from doing anything stupid--only from doing anything that would be vaguely intelligent.")



We tried to go fishing, but the tornado siren and freaky clouds nixed that idea. We may try again tomorrow morning or Sunday afternoonish.

Mind-boggling but true:

Preliminary results indicate that wood ticks have a greater resistance to being terminated than garden weeds and incumbent politicians* combined.

(As of this writing, there has been no interest expressed in the prospect of a follow-up study.)

* It is of course understood that "termination" is not intended in a fatal sense with regard to this particular lot.

[x] the dark
[ ] staying single forever
[x] being a parent
[ ] giving birth
[ ] being myself in front of others
[ ] open spaces
[ ] closed spaces
[x] heights
[ ] dogs
[ ] birds
[ ] fish
[X] spiders
[ ] flowers or other plants

Total so far: 4

[ ] being touched
[ ] fire
[X] deep water
[ ] snakes
[ ] silk
[ ] the ocean
[x] failure
[ ] success
[ ] thunder/lightning
[ ] frogs/toads
[ ] my boyfriends/girlfriends dad
[ ] boyfriends/girlfriends mom
[ ] rats
[ ] jumping from high places
[ ] snow

Total so far: 6

[ ] rain
[ ] wind
[ ] crossing hanging bridges - only flimsy-looking ones
[ ] death
[ ] heaven
[ ] being robbed
[ ] falling
[ ] clowns
[ ] dolls
[ ] large crowds of people
[ ] men
[ ] women
[x] having great responsibilities
[ ] doctors, including dentists
[ ] tornadoes

Total so far: 7

[ ] hurricanes
[ ] incurable diseases
[ ] sharks
[ ] Friday the 13th
[ ] ghosts
[ ] poverty
[ ] Halloween
[ ] school
[ ] trains
[ ] odd numbers
[ ] even numbers
[ ] being alone
[ ] becoming blind
[ ] becoming deaf
[x] growing up

Total so far: 8

[ ] creepy noises in the night
[ ] bee stings
[x] not accomplishing my dreams/goals
[x] needles
[ ] blood
[ ] dinosaurs
[ ] the welcome mat
[x] high speed
[ ] throwing up
[ ] falling in love
[ ] super secrets - wha?

Final Total: 11

... if you wish to post this in your journal, it's been requested that you title it "I'm afraid of _ out of 72 common fears"

Pastor wanted to talk about God empowering us today, so he brought an action figure for children's time. He turned the conversation away from GI Joe and the like to superheroes.

There were four children up there with him, all girls. He asked them what superpower they would want if they were superheroes.

"Eye lasers!" one girl immediately piped up.

The next child said she'd want to be able to turn into a dog.*

The pastor asked the other two what they'd want as a superpower. The first child's sister said she'd want invisibility, which (as the pastor pointed out) is a smart idea when your sibling can shoot lasers from her eyes.

That left the last child. She thought about it a little, then said she'd want to be a shapeshifter. 'Oh? What would you want to change into?'

"My mom," she said, "so I could trick my dad."

*snerk*


* This actually makes almost too much sense. "George, the One-Man K-9 Unit! Coming Soon to a comics store near you!"



Also, KellyzKorner chat is up. Come join us if you like. :-)

We now have a new sofa. This one's leather, but on the bright side, it's a little smaller, so the one chair gets to come out of the corner about half a foot or so. Now anyone sitting in that chair will hardly need to strain his or her neck at all in order to almost watch the TV.

I'm 99.99999...% certain I haven't plugged Savage Chickens here yet. It's very funny stuff. Give it a look-see unless you're already procrastinating badly or something.

Mom just came in with a ladybug trapped inside a glass. Apparently it landed on her and then decided it liked the glass better than the leaf she was trying to get it to crawl onto. Heh. She took it back outside and let it go.

Yay for Laser mouse!

Our irises are in bloom. Even one of the yellows has blossomed. :-) I love irises. I'll have to go outside at some point today and enjoy them.

nahtmmm: aha, now we test the innate magnification-determining skills of the microscope against my abilities :->

nahtmmm: Hmmm, somebody failboated /:)

[...]

nahtmmm: *awards himself a prize for being the first person to use "failboat" as a verb in reference to [scanning electron microscopy] work*

That pair of ducks that was hanging around our yard last year was back in the birdseed again this morning (I assume it's the same two).

Nice weather lately. Mom's been saying today is supposed to be especially nice.

5'4NHOT

Heheh.



Too much in a rush to say anything else just now.

There isn't even much of substance here, but what there is is more than enough.

( Notice the one thing he DOESN'T claim the Pennsylvanians 'cling' to? )
If only clues were vowels. Then he could buy one.
There are a bunch of other disturbing points to point out about the excerpt(s), but I won't bother with them here. For now, anyway.


Of course, it's also funny to read about McCain and Clinton striving to make all the hay they can while this sun is shining:
( It's remarkable how much he let his guard down )