31 - 01.17.02

Turns out that somehow, this URL got forwarded from someone on the distribution list to Gail Hudson, one of the counselors at school, who then passed it on to Newhan. I'm not about to flip out or anything; I get a lot of support from the people around me and I think I'm dealing with this situation well within the bounds of reason (or at least the bounds between reason and going overboard).

I registered on Deviantart, so go ahead and drop by my page there.

As for new art, there's this really cool junior on my hall named Jeff. He creates kick-ass music on his computer (so hot he has to run it without the case on), and is, in fact, doing the music for Maggie's and my Mini-Term project this year. Anyhow, being a junior, he's rather misinformed, and therefore seems to have a bit of respect for my meager skills in Photoshop. He's said a few times before that he'd want me to teach him how to do stuff like I do sometime, and so I did. The products of our little training sessions were the [one] two CD covers now available through the art browser. I also updated one more old design in the portfolio.

I've had a lot to do lately: RLA applications for next year are due tomorrow at 6, and Vig, Jerch, Akhil, and I have to do twelve forms, one for each junior applying. Also, my Teague math classes are pretty tough this semester; Cal III and Numerical Analysis are very different classes from what I've taken from him before. In fact, I'm going to do some Numerical Analysis homework after I'm done with this post.

This description of today's events was spliced together from an IM conversation I just had:

I almost electrocuted myself to death today.

[It happened in] Applied Elec.

We had this computer power source that had had its power button sawed off, so we needed to figure out how to turn it on. [This was providing power for the mythic baby-launcher, a solenoid we rigged up to levitate and, hopefully, launch metal-infused babies into space.]

So I stripped all five wires and then plugged the thing in.

Then I took the brown wire and touched it to all the other wires, one after the other.

Brown to black did nothing, brown to white did nothing, brown to green did nothing.

I had a little trouble getting the blue wire and the brown to touch, because the blue one was bent a little funny.

But I finally got them to touch and BAM! Huge flash of bright, white-blue light, plus an amazing explosion, a lot of force, a sudden rush of adrenaline, and a whole lot of smoke.

That was 23 amps. I seriously could have electrocuted myself. Oops.

It burned two little black spots on the sides of my fingers.

So that was kinda sucky and kinda exciting at the same time.

I'm okay though, so it's alright.

Other side of the conversation: No, probably not.

No?

Exciting? I wouldn't imagine. It would scare the crap out of me.

Scared me, too, but it was kinda cool afterward.

Similar thing almost happened to Ryan, too... we unplugged it, attached the wires together, and then Ryan plugged it back in.

Big flash, big bang, big smoke, and the plug welded into the socket.

The plastic melted and burned.

It was crazy.

So I guess that's good. Not a whole ton to say... I got my retainer in the mail, so now eating is a bit more of a hassle. I've scheduled almost every weekend from now until graduation, which I think is kinda loopy. Nick brought out this game he got for Ukranian Christmas called Pylos, and it kicks ass. We've played it a ton and actually gotten a number of other guys on hall addicted to it. Another game tournament, here I come!

That's it, really. You'll go download some Beefcake Messiah if you know what's good for you. And sign the guestbook, please. And go read the Carrot Cake Soup post at Penny Arcade.

Now I'm really done.

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