Random

We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Widgets

So, WordPress 2.2 comes with Widgets, which are supposed to let me move the elements of my sidebar around easily, without messing with their individual code. The problem, is that the widgets included and that I can find don’t accurately replace what I have in the sidebar. I went through editing the code to work with widgets, I looked all over for widgets to use, and tried creating widgets to serve my purpose, then I turned off widgets because it’s just being a hassle. Besides, how often do I change the sidebar? Is it really that hard to copy-paste a section of code to move an element around?

Anyway, today is the 14th, meaning Jenn and I moved 1 month ago today. Tomorrow, the 15th, will be 1 year since I bought my car. Coming on the 19th, will be Jenn’s B-Day.

I have one more thing, but I am going to wait with it, since I have so few readers lately. It will come in a day or 2 maybe.

nick

Physics is Phun

So, I still can’t really remember what I wanted to post yet, so we will skip around it till I do.

Anyway, not sure if you were all aware of this, but I found it interesting.

When you learn math, you are put under the impression that these are all the same:

4 x 5
4 · 5
4 * 5

But, that isn’t necessarily true. It turns out x and · are opposites of each other and include a trig function. We learned about them last week in physics because they are used for forces and torques. Apparently, they used to be taught in general algebra courses, but have been moved to very advanced courses (higher than I have ever taken) over the years. So, the actual values are…

4 x 5 = 4 * sin(θ) * 5
4 · 5 = 4 * cos(θ) * 5
4 * 5

so, for θ = 90°, your answers would be:

4 x 5 = 0
4 · 5 = 20
4 * 5 = 20

Weird, huh?

BTW, you have to use ugly ASCII codes to get ·, θ, and ° to show up. I hope you appreciate it.

nick

FUBAR!

OK, so I sell my eBay stuff, ship it out, leave to Tawas, come home, have an e-mail, crap. Guy claims CD is horribly scratched and won’t load, respond immediately or I get negative. My first thought is enough of this shit, screw you and I quit eBay. I calm down a little, ask if he has tried using a disk cleaner and if computer meets full system requirements on box, specifically that it is a mac CD and isn’t compatible with Windows. Haven’t heard from him in 2 days now. Isn’t it fun when someone expects you to be really fast but takes their own sweet time? Bastards.

I got a headache Thursday night around 1:00 AM. It went away about 2 hours ago. Last night was the worst of it. That was just plain wrong. I actually wonder if it was wisdom teeth or not, as it seemed a bit too far up to be, but I don’t know.

Did some fun looking today, on locomotive engines. GM’s biggest car engine, for the most part, is the 502 cu. in. V8, the Vortec 8100, used in full sized trucks. GM-EMD’s (GM Electro-motive division) biggest engine is the “H” series 16V265. It has a displacement of 1010 cu. in. (16.6 liter) PER CYLINDER! That means each of the engine’s 16 cylinders is bigger than TWO 8100s! It has a total displacement of 16160 cu. in. (265.6 liter). The main bearing is 10.24″ (260 mm), compared to about 2″ in a standard engine. The engine also has two very large turbo chargers, and produces over 6000 horsepower. I can’t find a torque number, but I’m sure it’s insane.

And in closing, WHO THE HELL IS “ME”!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nick

That’s when I swore that someday, someday I would get outta that basement and travel to a magical, far away place, where the sun is always shining and the air smells like warm root beer, and the towels are oh so fluffy! Where the shriners and the lepers play their ukuleles all day long, and anyone on the street will gladly shave your back for a nickel!

Merry Christmas (in 2 days)

A few things to make note of

1) Scott, why do you hate Zales?

2) I will be leaving tonight for Alpena, so I will be unavailable until at least Saturday evening.

3) The guy that bought my video card on eBay (the videocard caused problems already when the last person who won it refused to pay) requested his money back claiming it was “old and worn out”. No, I am not refunding.

That’s all. News on the trip and a Christmas wrap-up Sunday evening.

nick

More Website

More work on the website. I am up to a main, school, site history, and personal info pages. I will be working on the CD DVD and Book list, links, sitemap, disclaimer, and PAQ next.

I have a new bed. My mom’s bed wouldn’t fit upstairs so we put it in my grandma’s room and I took her bed. I’m not sure what will become of my futon.

The money I thought was coming is not, at least not until the first of the year. I tried listing on eBay for some money but it seems I am banned from eBay. I am a little upset to say the least.

Jenn’s room mate problems seem to be resolved. She talked to them and they are being much more hospitable. Good news.

I had Paddleman’s pizza buffet last night. It isn’t bad, but has some to be desired. The salad is pre-made and was rather blah, plus it had way too many olives (1 is way too many, but this was WAY too many). The buffet itself consisted of 2 pizzas when we arrived, but was up to 4 pizzas, spaghetti, meat sauce, meatballs, and breadsticks when we left. For $4.99 plus $1.50 for a pop, it’s worth a look.

OK, I am going to go now. See you Saturday.

nick

Half
of the people in the world are below average.

Hmmmmm

Only seven more days till Nick’s birthday. Twenty-two not exactly an important year. Sixteen you can drive, Eighteen you can vote, get freedom, legal adult, twenty-one you can drink and more adult stuff, twenty-five you get cheaper car insurance, twenty-two nuthin.

Apple Expo in Paris was Tuesday morning. New iMacs came out. They are thin now… two inches thin. I like the old iMacs better cause of the way they looked, but the new ones are faster. It was on at 4am here cause Paris is six hours ahead. There was no live cast but I followed the updates.

Broadway is half paved, we walked down the half of concrete with the dogs, but molly kept going in and out of the ditches. Fun Fun. Should be done soon hopefully.

ps. In case you can’t tell this blog wasn’t written by Nick, he didn’t want to so I (Jenn) wrote it. I did good didn’t I 🙂

Baseball Cards

I got my cards from storage today, and have began sorting them and putting them in a FileMaker database. I have 100 cards entered, and about 300 sorted. I figure I have about 2000 cards total, from ’70 – ’94, though most are ’90 – ’92.

The previous post actually had another funny thing, it was the 15th “Special” post, so it was a 15th, 150th, and 1500th in one. Kinda cool.

I got new shoes yesterday. NewBalance 470s, size 10.5 4E. Were $39.99 at “the Shoe Dept.” in the Bay City Mall (formerly Shoebilee). They came in orange or red, Jenn said red, and I liked both, so red they are.

My room is again filled with things to eBay, and I am again not eBaying them. I need to figure out shipping estimates, then I will start posting stuff. Really, I will.

I want to sleep in really late one day, then go for a bike ride at like midnight. Would be way easier as far as traffic, cooler than in the day, and fun cause night. Problem is I would get tired sooner, cause was late. I want to try though. Leave at midnight and do 20 miles around town. Would be fun I’m sure.

Ok, I am tired, I might have to work tomorrow, and my computer wants me to restart it, so I am going now. See you all on Friday with a card DB update.

nick

I’m gonna get my butt nipper, and nip it in the butt.

Hello

I added pics of Ludwig, so you can all see what my turtle looked like. I should have Molly, Roxy, KC, and Shilo up by next time.

I worked today, and yesterday. We started back at Hughs’ but should be done tomorrow. We sepent the day cutting sod, which is one of the most evil jobs we get stuck with. It’s not so bad when it’s dry and peels right off, but when it’s wet like now it just won’t come up.

I spent Monday with Jenn, and was there last night too. Will be going there tonight too. I am almost considering not mentioning it anymore unless we do something big, since I am there every night for the last 3 weeks.

Toshiba unveiled their new 60GB 1.8″ drives today, so it shouldn’t be too long before we see 60 gig ipods. Maybe as soon as WWDC at the end of this month, but maybe not until early August. It depends on how soon Toshiba starts shipping them. I figure 20 40 60 as new lineup, but only Steve and Jon know for sure (Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, and Jon Rubinstein, head of the iPod division for those not in the know).

Salute your Shorts, Hey Dude, Clarisa Explains it All, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, Care Bears, GI Joe, Punky Brewster, Pippi Longstocking, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 321 Contact, Alf, Dinosaurs, Eureeka’s Castle, The Elephant Show, The Joy of Painting, Mr. Rodgers, Beakman’s World, You Can’t Do That on Television, Bill Nye, Pete and Pete, Reading Rainbow, Connections, The Secret Life of Machines. Just thoughts. Leave any I missed that you liked, would love to hear. Maybe next poll will be related.

OK, I think that’s it. Be back Saturday with more stuff. PLEASE comment and vote, I always like feedback. And yes, I am working on getting the site back up.

nick

Skinamarinky Dinky Dink,
Skinamarinky Doo,
I Love You

One Year!!!

Woohoo, I have a blog! I feel so special now, everyone else had a blog and I was feeling so left out. Now though, now I am somebody, now I am a Blogger!

Thats how it all started, 1 year ago today, at 2:21am. Now a year has passed, and I sit here writing my 130th post, with over 1320 visits to my site, and still have nothing useful to say.

I’ve moved from a web form on blogger, to using Kung-Log to post to blogger, to iblog on my .Mac account, and from a few pics hosted on .Mac to a full website.

A lot has changed in my life to, outside my blog. I’ve moved upstairs, finally gotten settled into grandma’s house, received an associates degree, applied for several jobs, gotten a wonderful girlfriend, and so much more.

Future changes I hope will include moving more from the website to the blog (notice there is now a stories category), moving back to a single counter, and adding a search. Also, I hope to move away from my “3 day rule” and become more spontaneous in my updates, posting whenever I feel the urge.

Outside the poll, I hope the next year will finally bring me back to GM, maybe another degree, and who knows what else.

What hasn’t happened? Well, v3b4 is still beta, and v3b5 will probably be around soon. It will surely be different, and will be based on my moving things from the website right into the blog.

OK, so the normal stuff…

Monday after the blog, I went to Jenn’s, as did I Tuesday and Wednesday, and will tonight. Tuesday was a rain day, but yesterday and today we worked. Tuesday night Jenn and I went to Van Oghtingham’s (I know that’s spelled wrong) for some flowers for her house, then Meijer and over here to make tacos. Last night she wasn’t home till 9:30, so we didn’t do much.

So that’s it, all I have done.

Mac users, 10.3.4 is out.

BC State park is flooded, so don’t expect to go camping this weekend.

Water, Juice and Tea bottles may have deposit soon.

And that is it for me tonight.

If you are leaving for Memorial Day weekend, have a safe trip and enjoy yourself, and Happy Memorial Day. If not, I will see you on Sunday with my 131st update, unless I get bored before then.

nick

Proof old habits die hard: “Telephone Poles” haven’t carried telephone lines in several years. Most telephone lines are buried. Power Poles, or Cable Poles, would be a better choice. Actually, “Power Lines”, is bad too, since they really carry energy, power isn’t produced until we do something with that energy.

The End of 2003

Whaaa! It’s the last one of the year!, Boohoohoo!

Ok, anyway, yeah, this is my last post for the year. Thursday will be 2004, and I don’t update till Thursday night, so…

I could do a “Year in Review” Special, but I think there are enough of those around.

I don’t know, it’s been a long year, I’ve made new friends, regained lost ones, and did some new things. I never did get a job though. I mean, I have a job, but it’s screwy, and I don’t consider it real, so. But thats my New Years Resolution, to get a real job, and get beefy. Yeah, beefy. The way I see it, if I at least ride my bike more, it will do something. I’m not going to go get a gym membership or anything, just take dog for a run more often, and ride bike more, yeah. Of course, not till its warmer out though. Ooh, and clean my room.

Christmas break isn’t even half over yet. I don’t have class until Wednesday the 14th. Hah, thats like 3 more weeks. I love college.

Ooh, ooh, Today is Molly’s Birthday, or so we decided. The vet figured around the end of ’02 she was born, and my aunt died on the 29th of cancer, so we decided molly was born same day (but a few years later). So my baby it 1 today, woohoo!

I was told that some of the ideas I put in blog wouldn’t work, like my child bearing license. Well no shit. I just write stuff that comes to mind, I don’t actually think about it or anything. I’m sure with some work they could be made to work, but I’m lazy, so screw that. Just wanted to point that out.

So that special thing I mentioned, it kinda sucked. It sounded really good in my head, but my mind is kinda warped, and the brain-to-hand travel seemed to have degraded it. Anyway, it’s on the stories page. I’m not even going to link to it, go find it yourself. Link to homepage is in top right of page, go from there. If you convince me it sounds interesting, I will work on more, otherwise, it might just go away.

Hmm, Uhh, well, yeah.

I just applied for home depot online. Including my Staples application, thats 2, plus IBEW, so 4 job apps this year. Wow.

Ok, my brain is going off, and I don’t feel like typing through a ramble, or do I?

hmm

spelling will probably be bad..

but could be funny…

ok, I’ll do it.

Ok, so this guy is running through the woods, and he hears this noise, and hes like “Whos there”, but nobody answers, so he ceeps running, and running, and theres more noises, and he runs faster, and there coming nearer, AHHHHHHHHHHH.

So he trips, right? And the thing comes up to him, and suddenly all the trees are gone, and theres this big clearing, and hes bleeding and shit, and all scraped up from the banches, and can barely make out his persuer, and then he realizes its a snake! Not just any snake, but a big cobra, then BOOM! Theres GI Joe, and they kill the evil cobra, and the guys all like “Yeah, woohoo!”, and then GI Joe’s like “no problem”, and the dudes like “I dodnt know you guys were even real, I must be dreaming, your really here?” and GI Joes are like, “Well now you know, and knowing is half the battle”, and so the guys like “Hah, you always say that, can’t you come up with something new?” and GI Joe is like, “Hey, we could just leave you here, to die or something”, and so the dude appologizes, and gets a ride home in this wicked helicopter

the end

Woo, that was fun. Ok. I am leaving it how I wrote it. Thats how I wrote the Sock, by the way. Except on paper, so was illegible, AND had poor spelling and grammar.

Ok, til next year,
don’t die,
nick

“It’s ok, I’m cool.”
“No your not.”