January 31: Diet Coke + Mentos

Yes, Mentos DO have this effect. We did an experiment here and it was pretty impressive. Works much better with warm soda, though…

And this brings me to the end of another broadcast day. I’m transcribing my own history timeline in Excel, so I can keep track of important dates and what happened when. Tomorrow, in class, I’ll be able to expand on the things I’ve put in there, based on what the prof. says. At least this way I should be able to track his random access memory. (And boy, was it random yesterday). Book’s dense, but I’m trying to chunk it out.

Saturday I get to put together a preliminary art bin. My exacto knives will finally get the workout they deserve. Then, PIRATE FEAST!

Sunday’s busy with services, a birthday visit to friends and eventually a reset for the week to come.

Bonus:

January 30: Stairs vs. Escalator – How CLEVER is this!!!

Today’s installment in Awesome Stuff week. This is a cool example of how to make things work for people who’ve forgotten how to play.

January 29: Bobby McFerrin Demonstrates the Power of the Pentatonic Scale

This is just cool. How to understand music in relation to SCIENCE!

Posting early, because I’m wrapping up a digitizing project (CD-MP3, part 1), and I have paperwork to do this evening.

January 28: Amazing Pendulum Wave Effect!

This is just cool, and it replaces the original video I was going to use because the original wasn’t as pretty to see. More in Amazing Science Stuff this week. Seems somehow appropriate, given today’s Challenger anniversary, that I should concentrate on science.

I’m working my way toward putting the rest of my junk away, and this includes digitizing and storing all my CDs. Also redoing the electronics connections so they’re neater and easier to operate. Switching back to video transfer soon.

And my books for school arrived today. I’m scared to look in the box. Got work-related homework to catch up on. Gonna be an interesting week.

January 27: Starlings on Otmoor

Ah, thank you, Irony. I forgot how you tap me on the shoulder as I come home basking in the warm glow of a movie that’s all about letting go.

Sometime between the end of high school and my first year at New Paltz, I took the time to create a backgammon/chess board out of plastic canvas. I was, at the time, quite a fan, because it never warped and was a snap to work with. And I was addicted to backgammon in my first year at New Paltz, so this board got a LOT of play time. It used to have an acrylic base that went with it as support, and somewhere along the line I lost one of the pips, but I still had the board, 30 years after that first year there.

Sadly, no amount of plastic can stand up to my baseboard heaters.

I just found the board, which fell off the shelves in this morning’s manic shuffle of puzzles and games from shelf to shelf, leaning on the heater behind my sideboard.

Or, rather, what’s left of it, as one whole section of backgammon board has melted into a permanent chaise lounge shape completely unsuitable for playing backgammon.

Curse you, oh, Irony. I knew I had too many backgammon boards. Did you have to take this one? Really? Feh.

Well, fine. I defy you, Irony.

I intended to post this as an end to Animal week and the start to Awesome Nature week. So here we go. Natural beauty. Enjoy.

January 26: Penguin Being Tickled

Semi-productive days lead to tickling penguins.

January 25: My dog can Skype!

And so, I survived the trip around the beltway and back, with a new sound card (pci-e), a new firewire expresscard and an optical audio cable for the sound system. In theory, I should have fixed all the issues I’ve got with hardware in one trip to Microcenter. And I got good Chinese food from Seven Seas while I was out there.

Since part of the point of this exercise is to be able to Skype with reliable sound, seems appropriate somehow.

January 24: Cat helps out with the dirty laundry

Exactly what today has been like. Time for bed.

January 23: Cat gets caught barking by a human and resumes meowing

Confused, much?

 

January 22: The Funniest Otter Video Ever!!!

There’s something hilarious about watching an otter bathe. No, really.

 

January 21: Kittens vs Scary Things

I’m late, but I have an excuse – I was moving furniture – again. And installing a keyboard drawer. So there’s that.

To make up, here’s two (related) videos. Cats and scary things. It’s the music that makes it…

kitten vs a scary thing 

kitten vs TWO scary things

January 20: Extreme Sheep LED Art

I suppose this must be in honor of the Ravens, but not really.

Welcome to Wacky Animal Week!

January 19: Bambi meets Godzilla

“Swallow First” week ends with the grandaddy of them all. Next week? Funny animals? One Hit Wonders of the ’80s? Star Wars Week? Hmm…

January 18: O Fortuna Misheard lyrics

Your Friday installment of “Swallow First” week. Thanks, Rhianna – I was looking for this yesterday and couldn’t find it!

January 17: Neil’s Puppet Dreams

NEIL PATRICK HARRIS & NATHAN FILLION in DOCTOR’S OFFICE

In tonight’s edition of “Swallow First” week, we revisit Dr. Horrible meets Castle…ahem…oh, never mind. Just watch…

January 16: Mitchell & Webb ~ Jesus

Okay, so this is sacrilegious. It’s still too funny not to share.

Remember – it’s Swallow First Week!

January 15: Whose Line Is It Anyway? with Richard Simmons 3/3

It’s “Swallow the Drink” week, I think. There’s really no other explanation for this. I blame Greykell Dutton for sharing this with me originally.

Remember: Once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

January 14: Carol Burnett Show outtakes ~ Tim Conway’s Elephant Story

It is not physically possible to watch this clip from the Carol Burnett show and not laugh. Not only that, but if you’re wise, you’ll swallow the drink, stop chewing the food, wait till after work (because work-time hysteria often goes badly) and possibly visit the Necessary.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

January 13: Roll a D6

What I did with my afternoon. (Well, sort of, and only because Sean had to loan me his dice because I forgot mine on my desk.) Won’t happen again.

January 12: Flashmob Carmina Burana

Just under the wire…