logomancer | (no subject)

I'm not dead yet. I was just secluded with my numerous projects. I had a heck of a weekend. I had to finish a Unix project that attempted to use shell scripting in an attempts to write a serious program. Got 150/170 on it. Then I went off to Chattanooga for an ACO competition. We made the playoffs, but got eliminated in the quarter-finals. I had a good time, though. The tournament director was a hoot. He revealed to us his idea for a Halloween costume -- An Elvis suit (remember, this is Tennessee) with devil horns and pitchfork. He called it Memphistopheles (insert groan here). Like I said, a hoot.

Today was somewhat interesting. Went to the Chemistry Magic Show. Not bad. Several of the demonstrations they did were the same ones Amateis did in class, but I still had fun. One of the profs was a bit liberal with the liquid nitrogen for my taste as in he was pouring it in such a way that it spilled over the table, splashing on the floor in great quantities. I was sitting in the front row, so I was a bit nervous. I was a bit more nervous when the last guy did his thing. He dropped a ball of aluminum foil in bromine, producing a bit of fireworks (and a lot of smoke, which the others were worried about setting off the fire alarm). That wasn't as bad as him squirting flaming acetate on the table and then pouring liquid oxygen over it. That and him making the flaming acetate travel around the room. All of that made me quite nervous, and made me come to the conclusion that of all the Chemistry professors, Professor Amateis is the sanest. Or the only sane one. I'm not sure which. Speaking of which, she was up there too. She made a big foaming reaction inside a pumpkin, electrified a pickle, and metabolized (read: burned) a bunch of Ritz crackers using liquid oxygen. Anyway, I enjoyed myself.

Coming up: SGA, little Chem work to do, Discrete test, and going to Williamsburg. I've made up my mind that I'm going, and hang the expense. That is all.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Bah, that's not insane :-)

And I'd suspect that the craziest stunts were pulled by Jim Glanville.. he's pretty far out there, and a lot of fun to hang out with. As for spilling liquid nitrogen on you - it doesn't hurt, you can hold it in your hand and play with it. Just don't submerge your limbs in it. One day when I was in Jim's freshman chem class (oh so long ago, hehe) he froze my hat with liquid N, and I walked around Squires with a frosty smoking hat :-P