Hands on learning

Fire in Chemistry-Physics Building

From now on, students in one lab will remember that water causes ignited sodium hydride to flash. Isopropanol is the recommended agent for putting out the fire. Fortunately no one was hurt.

Back in the day, when I was very much a chemistry geek (I took 2 years of it in high school, a summer's worth of organic, and missed bypassing two semesters of introductory chemistry in college plus the lab by something like 3 points on a test), I remember a fire in our lab. Someone (well, I do remember who, but won't name names) had left their experiment involving napthalene running and had gone to get a coke or something. The teacher was talking to a textbook salesman in the next room. There was a pop and then burning fumes and little flakes of naptha sediment floating about. I ran over with the fire blanket, which was instinctual but not useful, as we were talking a ring assembly. I then looked carefully, turned off the bunsen burner and blew out the fire on the fumes. I then calmly walked next door to tell the teacher, and apparently one look at my face and he went running. No harm done. But I remember those moments in excruciating detail, as if time slowed. And to date this somewhat, music was playing from a radio, and it happened to be the Talking Heads' 'Burning Down the House'. :)

Ah, good times. My point is the kids in this lab will probably remember the incident well due to the burst of adrenaline. I wonder if they had music playing, and if so, what?

Small victories

Last night I succeeded in excavating my sofa, finding a $10 cheque between the cushions that I deposited this morning. Tonight, I tackled the aquarium. The water was very low, has had no pump or heat for awhile, and was gone to duckweed and algae, but one solitary platy had hung on, and so I felt obligated to clean the tank, add water, and get the pump moving again. I'll plug in the thermometer once everything clears. I hope she survives having some fresh water put in. So now, having gotten way too much water, duckweed, and algae on me, and having had to siphon some of the crap out using my mouth on the end of the hose (I have one of those type that you're supposed to be able to move up and down to get going, but alas, have never been able to get it to work like it's supposed to), I have washed my arms and hands thoroughly, brushed my teeth, and after many primings managed to get the pump running like it's supposed to (I bought some material for ammonia and nitrogen awhile back that comes in premixed bags, and the placement of the bag, which is a little bigger than my filter, was apparently crucial. Wish me luck. I'm afraid the tank had gone the way of the apartment. But it's nice to hear the waterfall coming from the dining room now.

I went through a bunch of recyclables yesterday, too, so I'm going to take them out tomorrow morning. I didn't today because I had to run to the bank and slept too late to do both.

I have reached the true understanding that cleaning the apartment is going to take sections of rooms at a time, not a room at a time. I knew that deep down, but it's made it to the forefront.

I have decided one thing that must be done is to take all the non-functioning electronics in my house (an old printer, four old computers [no they weren't all mine], two VCRs, a bread machine, etc., and put it in the walk-in closet so I can get to all the other stuff in the living room. It looks like a computer parts store exploded. Add two functional but obsolete CRT monitors, and I just have too much stuff that can't be thrown in a dumpster and needs special recycling but no way to get there. I doubt the air conditioning will leak again soon and if it does, well, most of them don't work anymore anyway. The monitors I'll try to unload using Freeshare. If I can get that plus the recyclables (including the big cardboard boxes of doom) out of the way, I can get to everything else.

Second plan of attack is to take every CD and CD-ROM in my house and put it in my CD stand where I can go through them later to determine what still works on the computer (I'm running Windows 7, so a lot of old programs won't), what might run for friends, and what just needs to be thrown out. The music CDs are still in good shape, but they're all over the place.

Oh, and I think I need to take my plants from home in to work. All of my work plants are thriving. I remember to water them. The ones at home are pallid shadows of their former selves. I'm afraid right now if it doesn't make noise, I can't remember to take care of it, because there's too much stuff between me and it to bother. Thank the Gods I don't have a kitten right now (the state of the apartment being a major reason for not getting one--it's not kitten proof at all, too many small edible things.)

Most of the books, with the exception of library books and new books, are in their places. But I really need to work on organising things better down the line. It's not like I don't have a lifetime subscription to LibraryThing, after all.

It hasn't all been work today; I played a little Morrowind (wanted to see if it worked on this system), and I'm going to put Riven on if it works, too. Not that I do much computer gaming, but still, I like those a lot. And I must say, I'm looking forward to Civilization V, which will come out later this month, although it may be awhile before I can get it (I was still on Civ II on my last system).

Oh, by the way, two things:

I.

Bad news: I've been clocking out before doing a job transfer on our time clock system, and this apparently means I've been accidentally docking myself an extra half-hour each day.
Good news: They fixed what I had done for this past pay period, plus it looks like I'll get an extra 13 hours or so from prior pay periods put on Thursday's direct deposit.
Bad news: I may never actually know how much I'm supposed to make in a two-week period, since yet again it was screwed up.
Good news: More money to sock to taxes and car fund.

II.

Bad news: I never made it to Danville yesterday.
Good news: I probably needed a day to myself.
Bad news: My attempts to contact my mother failed (she'd left her phone at my grandmother's, had changed her home phone and not told me, and she didn't even think to call me.) On the other hand, if I'd called my grandmother, I would have reached my mom.
Good news: It really gave me some insights into some learned passiveness and also into feelings of abandonment I've had since I was small. Of course, there was that time she forgot to get me from elementary school....yeah, it felt the same.
Bad news: I broke down and cried, feeling unloved and abandoned.
Good news: Brandon cheered me up and getting something to eat and drink helped steady me, too, after waiting for hours for someone to come.
Bad news: Technically, I don't have another day off until Thanksgiving.
Good news: I might be able to take a Friday off if there's a really light clinic that day.

Well, I guess that's all for now. That's how my life's going. Hope yours is better.

Hate is a four-letter word

I cannot understand the depth of hatred that the Westboro Baptist Church spews on a daily basis. A supposed 'parody' of Simon and Garfunkel's 'Sound of Silence' was referenced by Joe.My.God. today on his blog. The person who put it up on YouTube did so to illustrate what the church was doing and included the lyrics, which are rather chilling, as are the signs held at various protests. I couldn't bring myself to embed it here. Go to Joe's blog if you want to see it.

There is so much good in the world. And then there are people like this, who fail to see anything beyond their own noses as good, and who simply cannot understand truly Christian sentiments. (Unlike many Pagans, I don't have trouble with followers of Christ...now Paulists, on the other hand....) I do have trouble with people who profess to be Christian who betray every word Jesus was ever said to have uttered by spewing hate and playing God in determining who should go to Hell and burn. And these people certainly qualify.

I hope they get true Judgment in the end. I rather think they'll be surprised, though.

Don't do this at home...but go, Aaron!

Video: Wheelchair Phenom Nails First Double Backflip

Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham is an 18-year-old who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. He uses his wheelchair to do amazing backflips. Check out the videos in the article, and also Aaron's own website.

Spina bifida happens to be one of the disorders we treat at the hospital I work at. Our kids aren't sick, they're just a little more challenged than some, and we work to make sure their quality of life is the best possible. Walking through our hospital, you're liable to be run down by active kids in chairs, using walkers, or using orthotics or prosthetics.

Sometimes as adults we forget how absolutely spirited kids are, and just because they can't walk doesn't mean they can't be active, as Aaron proves. Granted, not many kids in wheelchairs can do what he can do, either--he's obviously practiced very hard and is very driven, and has athletic ability. Nor, if I were his mother, could I have watched the practices without my heart lurching into my throat. But I'm glad it worked out for him, and that he has so many well-wishers cheering him along.

This quote from his bio really captures the spirit of the kids I see every day:

Aaron never let anything stop him. Even as a baby and small child, he did anything anyone else his age could do, he just had to figure out how to make it work for him. He rolled over, sat up, and even crawled (on hands and belly, no leg action) pretty much on schedule. Within days of receiving his first “walker” he was off and running. Next came crutches, which he mastered quickly. He would put on a “Superman” cape and blast down the hall on crutches believing, as any other 4 year old, that he could fly.

I love this bit

Every now and then 'Every Sperm is Sacred' creeps into my brain. Now that I have VCR again I can watch Meaning of Life, Holy Grail, and Life of Brian, again, as I don't have them on DVD yet. :)



and then there's this, which I think is doubly funny because, well, Graham Chapman (my favourite of the six) was the member of the troupe who was gay, and he always seems to play the straight guy.

A look at violence and the mentally ill

Bipolar disorder 'not to blame for violent behaviour'
Good news: Those with mental illness, including bipolar disorder, are no more likely to be violent than the general population, despite public perceptions otherwise.
Bad news: In cases of violence, substance abuse is the main contributing factor, a factor that those with mental illness tend to be at risk for.
Good news: The rate of violence between substance abusers, whether mentally ill or not, is basically the same.

Or so went my reading of this article. A similar study came to the same conclusion regarding schizophrenia. Both bipolar disorder (in some instances, although not generally) and schizophrenia can produce psychotic episodes (losing touch with reality, hearing voices, etc.).

But I thought these two quotes were quite appropriate:

Paul Farmer, chief executive of the mental health charity Mind, said the research would reassure people with severe illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

"The link between mental illness and violence is often grossly exaggerated when in fact people with mental health problems are far more likely to be the victims of crime than the perpetrators.

"This kind of stigma damages lives," he said.

The charity Sane said it was "surprised" the research appeared to overlook the "realities of severe mental illness".

Its chief executive Marjorie Wallace said: "We accept that alcohol and drug abuse can exacerbate the more acute symptoms and that such abuse is more widely responsible for criminal acts.

"We also accept that the majority of people with mental illness are never violent and the chances of a member of the public being attacked at random extremely rare.

"However, we do not believe it is helpful to underplay the extreme pain, paranoia and denial of symptoms such as command voices which those with psychosis can experience and which may trigger damaging behaviour."

Not that I thought I was going to run out whacking on people like they were zombies just because I'm bipolar. :)

I have not laughed this hard, in oh, I don't know long

A Date with Trevor is a commercial in Canada. There's also A Date with Brad and A Date with Ryan. I applaud these men for being able to do a maxi pad gig that is, well, lame and totally unnatural, and still remember their lines and not crack a smile.

I would so go running for the hills if this were my first date, although Trevor is certainly beautiful, if a little OCD about moisture and cleanliness.

Via Joe.My.God.

I'd heard about this being used before, but the demonstration was interesting

The authorities in Britain and now New York City have installed sound makers that produce an annoying tone that can generally be heard only by young people as a means to keep away young loiters. On the other hand, some young people use sound at a similar range as ringtones so teachers and other adults can't hear their phone ring.

But this video demonstrates the ranges. Can you hear all of these sounds? I can hear all but the last (the one for under 24s). (But then, I'm 43.)



(I will say that in most of the YouTube videos purporting to have this stealth sound on it, I can hear it. Of course, I can hear whines from televisions and monitors when they're on, if there's no other noise. But this one I couldn't, and one other that claimed to be at the same level.)

Via Joe.My.God.

I wish this young man and the other students of his school--Asian, black, or whatever--a bright future

Racial violence changes student — and school

PHILADELPHIA — Duong Nghe Ly can't wait to begin his senior year at South Philadelphia High School. A day of violence there last year changed his life, and he wants to learn if his school has been transformed as well.

Last Dec. 3, after years of attacks on Asian immigrant students, something finally snapped.

Fueled by rumors, a group of students roamed the halls searching for Asian victims until one was attacked in a classroom. Later, about 70 students stormed the cafeteria, where several Asians were beaten. About 35 students pushed past a police officer onto the so-called "Asian floor," but were turned back. After school, Asians being escorted home were attacked anyway by a mob of youths.

Almost all the attackers were black — but few observers believe the violence was due to racial hatred. Instead, they cite isolation of different groups within the school, certain students' warped "gangster" values, and for some, simmering resentments over perceived benefits for Asian students.

As poor ethnically Chinese growing up in Vietnam, Ly and his family faced an uphill battle. His parents spent years and carefully saved money to come to this country legally, working long hours to make sure he and his brother got an education, something they never were able to do. Attacks on Asian students have been a problem for years, but in this largely immigrant population, it was considered better to keep your head down and your mouth closed. That changed last year. Ly, like many other students, responded with a boycott. Steps are being made to more fully integrate the students, and the new principal--a black Philly native who seems to really understand the forces at work there--is trying to change the conditions that led to the violence.

I wish Ly and his family the best of luck. They represent the pursuit of the American dream in action and I hope they attain it, making all the sacrifice worthwhile. And in the meantime, I hope his senior year will be much better both for Asians and for the other ethnicities as well.

We didin't play the game today

But I still went over early and cleaned, then came home about 4:30, meaning I got home about 6 pm, and I just crashed for four hours--which brings my sleep for the last 24 hours up to about 8 1/2 hours, so I needed it.

It was so strange being home in the evening on a Sunday, but kind of nice. The weather was beautiful today, although this morning I could have used a jacket, as it was pretty chilly at 6 am.

I tried calling my mom earlier but couldn't reach her. I'm not sure if she gets her voicemail or not; she once mentioned that she had trouble reaching it. So at this point I don't know if I'm going to Danville or not tomorrow. We'll see. If not, I'll work on the house. Goodness knows, it needs it, and I still have to sort through the things from the closet to see if anything's salvageable, although I'm starting to think it's a no.

I'm making some macaroni and cheese, which is about all I have in the house. I don't really cook, as you can probably guess, although today I made a poached egg on toast for someone using directions in an old Betty Crocker cookbook and got a compliment. Apparently I did it right the first time. So maybe there's hope of me learning to cook. My friend, who is an excellent cook, has offered to teach me. It's kind of funny--I was in Future Homemakers of America and took quite a bit home oeconomics in junior high and high school, but they mainly teach you to bake, not cook. They certainly didn't teach you to cook anything like meat, which is expensive compared to baking materials. Of course, I'll probably never learn to cook much meat, being a pseudo-vegetarian, although I need to learn to cook fish. I've had some success broiling it before. I'd love to learn to do salmon steaks, maybe marinated. Mmmm...maybe grilled. We have charcoal grills around the apartment complex and although they've been used for meat I could line them with aluminum foil. Of course fire, charcoal, and I are probably a dangerous combination. Maybe I'll leave grilling to someone else, and just keep to baking and broiling my fish.

I'm still a bit groggy from such a long nap. I think I'll go check the news (my Google Reader queue was quite long yesterday, and I haven't done anything to bring it down). I may blog some more but if not, good night.