Other things I would like to see on the website: an accurate list of buildings with the abbreviations that seem to show up in the registration system. ‘Cause I have no clue sometimes.
The Lamb Particle….
Posted in Uncategorized on 07/26/2010 07:16 pm by ElfAn article on Yahoo News about the Large Hadron Collider discussed progress toward understanding the elusive Higgs boson. Within the article, the Higgs boson is referred to as “the God particle.” This of course sparked off a huge rant about God, the nature of God, the existence of God, et cetera.
Favorite comment EVAR:
“Brenticulus: Wow. I find it strange that a rather religion-neutral article about high-energy physics started such a rant about religion. Do any of you realize that referring to the Higgs boson as “the God particle” is really just an arbitrary name for it? Imagine that the Higgs boson had taken on the name “the Lamb particle.”
Then further imagine that this had engendered a discussion about whether or not Mary did or did not in fact have a little lamb, and this had gone on to a discussion about the perceived existence or non-existence of lambs, and then a heated discussion as to whether or not a lamb exists if it baah’s in the forest but no one is around to hear it.
Having a degree in physics, this is what all this religious hoopla sounds like from my point of view.”
It shall henceforth be called the Lamb particle. Woot!
–Em
multidimensional mattresses…??
Posted in Uncategorized on 07/26/2010 11:47 am by ElfWe were in Java class discussing the final exam (due on the 30th). And we’d talked about initializing an array, in the past.
Well, you can have a more-than-one dimension array! Like… A TWO-dimensional array (columns and rows)
Which is like working on matrices, explained our instructor.
Only, he’s got this accent. And he didn’t say “Matrices”, he said (I swear) “Mattresses”.
Well, when I’m done with this stupid term paper for my english class… I’d like to explore a three-dimensional mattress, since the one on my foldycouchbed is kinda … flat. 
–Em
Math does not compute…
Posted in Bad Days, Comments on the World on 07/22/2010 07:33 am by ElfI looked at my bank balance to see if my paycheck has hit yet. I was greeted with a negative balance.
Apparently, they’re charging me a $34.00 NSF fee when I have (had) $5.01 in my account.
O.o I don’t understand…
Java Class
Posted in Comments on the World, Good Days, School Stuff on 07/21/2010 11:12 am by ElfOkay… we’re discussing objects, and classes, and behaviours, and the differences among them. My brain, however, is working overtime on innuendo.
“So we have a public class, called ‘Box’.” (fine.)
“We define the size of the public Box, and assign it a behaviour of accepting input.” (….okay. Public Box. Input. Got it.)
“Now, do we automatically expect an output from the public Box if it has accepted input?” (Oh god…)
“We must define the size of the public Box, because you cannot put something very large into a small Box. That is, unless we define the size of the box to be variable.” (of course. It stretches…)
“I will now define another class, called MyBox.” (…please don’t…)
Soooo at the end of this, let’s see. We’ve got an object, called MyBox, which is public, accepts inputs, is of variable size, and is not expected at this time to produce any output despite numerous inputs. At this time, the box can accept anything from very small to very large, but you can only insert one object into the box at a time.
Oh god…. I try so hard to pay attention in this class, but I think I need a break.
–Em
New locking-mechanism on gascans?
Posted in Bad Days, Comments on the World on 07/20/2010 11:05 am by ElfI am NOT a mechanical engineer. I am a biologist. But I digress.
I was on my way home, at 1:30 AM, and ran out of gas. This is mostly because I thought I could make it home and get gas in the morning. Wrong. Also, I’d made a series of judgment calls: New tire? or gas? *new tire*. Feed the animals? or gas? *feed animals*. Gallon of milk? or gallon of gas? *milk*. That last one was a dumb idea. Borrow $30 for therapy? or for gas? Well, I thought it was for therapy, but there I was wrong again. 
Anyway, the police officer was kind enough to drive me to the local BP station (which was open), where I was able to purchase a gas can and two gallons of gas. He forgot to open the windows in the back of the squad car, so… between having pushed my car a short way up an incline and sitting in the back of his cruiser, I was so overheated I wanted to puke. He did apologize, which was polite of him.
It took two police officers and their giant flashlights and myself to figure out how to unlock the nozzle on the damned gas-can so I could get the gas into my car. I made some crack about “what do they think we are here, a town of rocket scientists?” (ha! funny! I live in Huntsville!! haha!! Ok, maybe it was funnier last night.)
I relayed the story to a couple of friends, and one suggested that rocket scientists wouldn’t know how to unlock the gas can either. The other friend said: “I agree, scientists don’t know how to do everyday things, because they’ve figured out some complex mathematical-language hybrid algorithmical rocket/computer robot toaster that can do it for them.”
True….. Also, given that after some efforts to unlock the mysteries (and nozzle) of the 2.5-gallon gascan, I was rewarded with zero fuel flowing through the nozzle, but some leaking out of the cap. I decided that the whole thing must have been designed by BP.
–Em
When have I EVER …
Posted in Uncategorized on 07/18/2010 08:44 am by ElfVirgo: 18 July 2010: “You are attempting to live your life within the limitations of other people’s ideas, rules and expectations now. But it’s not always a smart idea to color within the lines of your coloring book. Extending beyond your current boundaries should prove to be quite exciting, especially if you are willing to let your emotions be your guide.”
Um.. thanks, horoscope, for your permission. Seems like I do this a lot.
If I “color outside the lines” just because my horoscope says to, am I attempting to live within others’ expectations, or not? Hmm.
No, they’re never “okay”.
Posted in Bad Days, Comments on the World on 07/17/2010 08:43 pm by ElfPlanes are much different from cars. Plane CRASHES are much different from car crashes. It’s really that whole… third dimension of space thing, I guess.
If you hear, “I just heard that my friend crashed his car,” it’s pretty reasonable to say, “Oh my goodness, is he okay?” because…. it’s not unreasonable to picture a scenario that involves the driver walking away, relatively unscathed, from a mangled vehicle.
I received a text message from a suddenly-reintroduced long-ago and far-away college friend: “I just heard that my friend and coworker crashed his plane.”
No, they’re never “okay”… it’s wrong and just plain stupid to even ask.
“OMFG! Shit, is he alive?”
That’s more like it. And after some review of news blips from Portland, Maine… I know the answer. He’s probably more “okay” than if the answer had been “yes”.
My heart is with you, Jamin. My deepest prayer is that it was quick. I’m so very sorry. If I can somehow be of any comfort in any way, please let me know.
–Em
“Hardcore” must have a different meaning.
Posted in Uncategorized on 07/17/2010 09:20 am by ElfI play silly flash games at Kongregate.com … it’s a hobby that occupies some of my time, and I enjoy it.
There’s a chat window, as well, and it’s filled with people who can’t spell, who dis each others’ religions, who go around rampantly screaming obscenities until a moderator silences them, that sort of thing. Sometimes people talk about games, but that’s rare. There’s also a VERY healthy dose of young males boasting about something, whether it’s how strong they are, how many girlfriends they’ve had… etc. We all know how young males are. Thus, it’s no surprise for them to try to one-up each other on how devoted they are to any given topic. I usually stay “away” in chat, even if I’m at the computer.
In the following instance, I have no idea what the topic was.
PlatypusMan: no
PlatypusMan: i gess u culd sai im hardcor
Kong Bot: Set status to active
Elfnow: ….
Elfnow: A hardcore what? lolcat?
PlatypusMan: A hardcore hardcore.
Hate: Alabama. Love: Cortisone cream.
Posted in Bad Days, Comments on the World, KarmicBalance on 08/02/2010 11:56 pm by ElfTwo words: Fire. Ants.
That’s right, it’s Alabama, and there are fire ants.
KB likes running out the door when I’m walking in or out. Because it’s a one-room apartment, he’s learned he can lurk near the door and scamper out, sometimes without me even realizing he’s left. This leads to the fun Catch-The-Damn-Cat game.
This evening, KB ran out as I was bringing things in from my car. Rather than just poke around the parking lot or the bushes near the building, he scampered across the road.
So, I, barefoot, grab the box of catfood kibbles, and dash across the street to call to him and rattle the box to get him to come back. It’s dark. And I was barefoot. And I stepped on a fireant hill.
*cries*
Cortisone cream helps a lot. But MAN are fire ants freakin’ evil.
–Em