Foo - Whatcha doin'?

farting around with Miva merchant.

farting

Need to finish off work. My mind's starting to get distracted by the fact that in 24 hours, I'll be on my way to my parents' house. To return the Lexus (broken key and all), get a decent night's sleep, and then pick up the BMW. :) Oh, and the original reason I'd be home this weekend regardless... to go to my friend's piano recital on Saturday night.

Listening to Cold, doing my crunches, doing laundry

Keepin them abs hard huh.

Oops... destroyed a few hundred dollars' worth of chemicals (and more importantly, a significant minority of what I have to show for the last few days' hard work) in a minor misjudgment tonight. Oh well...

Almost done with work.

Oh no lol.

What chemicals are you working with?

Complex intermediates in our synthesis that we had to make. The reaction I was running tonight was making something that took eight reactions to make from commercially available stuff. At that point, everything's easily worth a few hundred dollars per gram. (Later in our synthesis, at the point where we're currently having some problems, our research intermediates easily cost tens of thousands of dollars per gram--though that value should drop a bit as we optimize some reactions. Needless to say, we don't work with grams of material then... just milligrams of it.) Blow a gram of the stuff (as I just did tonight), and well, there goes a few hundred bucks. Oh well... research is an expensive affair!

Oh cool lol.

Is the stuff you do for to find something, like medicinde in a way?

It's to build on the ability to synthesize compounds at will. That's useful for everything from medicine--for obvious reason--to the computer industry--where organic chemistry plays a critical behind the scenes role in, for example, the creation of microprocessors. We take the most complex molecules we can find in nature or conjure up on a piece of paper, and then we try to make them synthetically. The lessons learned along the way find application in all areas where organic molecules are used.

Anyway, going home now.

Good night.

^^^Oh, I'll be back online once home. You can count on it. :)

Ill be asleep by then probably though. Probalby going to hit it in 20 minutes or maybe even now.

Listenin' to some Dane Cook before I go to bed.

Haha then you should have seen my cnopnection inthe word association thread :D

Yep :D Dane Cook is so friggin hilarious!

Feeling a bit depressed at the moment. No, not because of what happened at work. For no good reason, really. (Sorry I'm being vague... don't really feel like talking about it.) Oh well, just need some distractions. Let's see... some ice cream and post whoring should do the trick.

Gonna play a quick game or two of halo before I go to bed now

Feeling a bit depressed at the moment. No, not because of what happened at work. For no good reason, really. (Sorry I'm being vague... don't really feel like talking about it.) Oh well, just need some distractions. Let's see... some ice cream and post whoring should do the trick.
Anyone who uses the word wh0re just can't be depressed. You wh0re!! hahahha.

Anyone who uses the word wh0re just can't be depressed. You wh0re!! hahahha.
:lol: Don't worry, I'm feeling better now, a dozen or so posts and a pint of ice cream later.

:lol: Don't worry, I'm feeling better now, a dozen or so posts and a pint of ice cream later.
Tehehe, thats how I like it.

Shhh, don't tell anybody! It's an '06 Dawg Deluxe. Siu should be proud.;)
How's the Dawg Karldar?

I am in portsmouth new hampshire at a library at the moment visiting a friend. I am here with another friend typing this message to you lol.

Man, free internet! woot! :D

I am in portsmouth new hampshire at a library at the moment visiting a friend. I am here with another friend typing this message to you lol.

Man, free internet! woot! :D
Should we classify that as being on the list of "You know you're addicted to the internet if...." :p

ahah definitly!

I got spaghetti noodles mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
yummy

yes, addicted is the word! :D

How's the Dawg Karldar?
:(It's not here yet....:cry:

My spider bite seems to be healing nicely, tho.:)

:(It's not here yet....:cry:
Damn dude, that sucks. What's their lame excuse for not having your bike?

im having a water bottle

Damn dude, that sucks. What's their lame excuse for not having your bike?
Well, I don't know. My arachnid attack has screwed up my sleep schedule enough that I've missed the chance to call them. I kept my phone on, but they haven't called me. So, either they got it and didn't call(in which case I shall have to smite them:mad: ) or it's not there yet. I'm hoping for the latter since that would explain why they haven't called.:rolleyes:

Oh come on, you know you're dieing for a chance to smite somebody.

Me, I just wrapped up some code that lets site admins view credit card transactions for software that their customers have purchased. Now I just need to work on making them capable of refunding though I think ill wait for a later revision on that.

Oh and I'm motivating somebody to handle his support tickets. The job of a successful motivator is not as easy as it may seem.

Where has Siu been the last few days?

Just online for a while to do my consulting work (done now) and to get a quick fix of BF before calling it a night. :)

Im about to go to sleep.

I wish it was friday night.

On the contrary, monday i get my green 15mw laser pointer=D=D=D

15 milliwatt? I thought most laser pointers are 5 watt (the legal limit in the US without a license). 15 milliwatt is puny.

Oh, a quick car update. I have my new car. :) It's a tad bit stiff for comfort on poor road surfaces, but very reasonable. And the engine happily spins lazily at low engine speeds. (I found myself launching at 900 RPM in traffic. And rolling along in parking lots launching at 600 RPM.) Lots of nice touches for extra convenience and comfort. And rather quiet. (Perhaps a bit too much so at high engine speeds and wide open throttle.)

Okay, okay, I admit that wasn't what you wanted to hear. :p I'm just going to say two things for now. (1) The engine is superb. Not ultra-powerful (3 cars in the family are in a virtual dead heat with it acceleration-wise), but with a very broad and smooth torque curve. I'm pleased to report that it feels much more consistently torquey and responsive throughout the rev range (a bit soft under 2000 RPM and tractable but not sporty under 1500 RPM) than the 325i I test drove, which had a more lumpy torque output. (2) The rest of the car (notably shifting and suspension tuning) feels the tiniest bit awkward when loafing around, but the car really comes alive when the driving intensity increases a bit. It's a set of compromises I'm very pleased with. Feels great when driving harder, but not so performance-tuned so as to be a drag in heavy traffic or on poor road surfaces.

I'm just wrapping up surfing and checking my email. Gonna do some laundry and maybe dishes.:( Probably watch a little TV, too.




Okay, okay, I admit that wasn't what you wanted to hear. :p I'm just going to say two things for now. (1) The engine is superb. Not ultra-powerful (3 cars in the family are in a virtual dead heat with it acceleration-wise), but with a very broad and smooth torque curve. I'm pleased to report that it feels much more consistently torquey and responsive throughout the rev range (a bit soft under 2000 RPM and tractable but not sporty under 1500 RPM) than the 325i I test drove, which had a more lumpy torque output. (2) The rest of the car (notably shifting and suspension tuning) feels the tiniest bit awkward when loafing around, but the car really comes alive when the driving intensity increases a bit. It's a set of compromises I'm very pleased with. Feels great when driving harder, but not so performance-tuned so as to be a drag in heavy traffic or on poor road surfaces.

That's good. Glad you like it! Sounds like a fun ride!:D

I may have a job opportunity 200+ miles away. i don't really ant the job, but its oneo f those things that piques my interest.

Brewing beer and and trying to figure out what to do with my project bike.

I need to find an adapter that will allow be to put 700c wheels on my old mt. bike with cantilever brakes. Anyone done this before?

im about to go around the neighborhood.

Then when i get back i have to start major loads of homework.

Brewing beer and and trying to figure out what to do with my project bike.

I need to find an adapter that will allow be to put 700c wheels on my old mt. bike with cantilever brakes. Anyone done this before?
You may want to check the Bicycle Mechanics forum, but I haven't read about it being done without removing and re-welding the old bosses.

Hello everyone!! How's it going? :)

We finished a long project and finally finsiehd most of the greenhouse. YAY! It looks soo prettyyyy. Definitely a long and hard day's work. I have to try to prepare myself for tomorrow. I totally 100% don't wan't this job, and yet I'm excited about it

Oh, a quick car update. I have my new car. :)
Sounds like you like your new car. How's it compare to the Focus? ;)

Sounds like you like your new car. How's it compare to the Focus? ;)
As you might expect, there's a huge difference.

Engine: Nearly twice as powerful, but lugging around only 30% more weight. Quiet and smooth. 0-60 is a toss-up with three other cars in the family (all low 6's), but what's most amazing is how consistent it is throughout the rev range. BMW claims 90% of peak torque is available from 1500 RPM to 6500 RPM. It feels a tad bit soft from 1500 RPM to 2000 RPM, but then strong and very constant up to 6500 RPM (the highest engine speed I've seen so far). And perfectly tractable in the 800-1500 RPM range. The very broad and consistent torque curve is what really impresses me in comparison with the other cars my family owns of comparable performance (SC430, E500, G35). The Focus's torque curve feels more like that of the SC430 or the G35, where it's not bad in general, but with a definite sweet spot where a bit of extra performance kicks in. In the Focus, that being from about 3500-4000 RPM to about 5500-6000 RPM. By comparison, the E500 is strong down low, but a bit disappointing as the revs build.

Shifting: Gates are a bit tighter and harder to find on a first drive. I actually managed to find 2nd instead of 4th the first time I tried downshifting from 5th. And 4th instead of 6th the first time I tried upshifting from 5th. I got used to it fast enough, though. They feel a bit notchy when granny shifting, though doing so isn't particularly desirable anyway since the revs fall so quickly. Extremely quickly compared with the Focus, and even when compared with the prev gen 3-series. (I noticed it in the 325i test drive, too.) But the shifting feels very natural when driving in a more spirited manner. And the engine has sufficiently low inertia that missing the mark in rev matching by up to 1000 RPM is really no big deal in terms of the smoothness of the shift. (And I basically use the clutch as an on-off switch when shifting.) Coming from a Focus, the gear spacing feels very natural, with a bit taller and tighter gearing. Sixth gear is great for cruising since it gets the engine speed down to a very reasonable level for steady speeds. (80 MPH is at under 3000 RPM. 72 MPH is at 3000 RPM on the Focus with the 2.0L Zetec engine.)

Brakes: Brake feel in both cars is pretty good, but the Focus had a slightly annoying tendency to have the firmness of the brake pedal decrease when blipping the throttle in a heel-toe downshift. I don't notice that as much (not sure yet whether I'll be able to detect it once I drive more) on the 330i.

Suspension/handling: Definitely firmer suspension tuning than the Focus. The Focus is reasonably well damped, but a bit undersprung in my opinion. For comfort, the 330i with the sports package is a bit too stiff, but not unreasonable. My sister's 325i without the sports package has a pretty good setup for comfort, but it's not as responsive and as well sorted handling-wise. Compared to other cars my family owns or has owned, the E500 and the 330i have the best steering feel. Consistent and predictable, no strange bobbing of the suspension in its dynamic response before settling into its steady state cornering stance, and none of the soft on-center feel that I so dread but so many manufacturers seem to like to build in to make cars feel "less nervous". As for the Focus, pretty predictable steering, but a definite front-end bobbing goes on in the suspension's dynamic response. As for absolute grip, I'm sure this set of tires will rock, but I can't give you a good feel for it yet.

Overall driving impressions: As noted last night, it's the slightest bit awkward in the suspension and and shifting departments when driving in a really relaxed manner. But the car really comes alive and feels very intuitive to drive when driving in a more spirited manner. And the engine, wow, it's truly a masterpiece. I do wish there was a bit more aural attitude at high revs and wide open throttle. As it is, it's just so quiet and smooth that it's deceptively fast.

Interior: The sports seats are cool. I like the significant side bolstering (when set to the max amount of lateral support--it's adjustable). It holds me in place nicely. The inside's cleanly executed. My mom approves. Seats are definitely on the firm side. Like many other components, not quite right for the ultimate in comfort, but feels natural when in spirited driving. Extremely quiet. Quieter than my sister's prev gen 325i, which in turn is significantly quieter than the Focus. Pretty good stereo system.

To get us back on topic, my weekend...

Went to parents' place Friday night. Picked up car on Saturday morning. The general manager is my dad's patient, as is the salesperson's immediate boss. As is the guy who transferred over to head up the Mini division of the dealership. Was going to spend some time at the country club with my dad, but with the driving range closed due to excess moisture and no practice for way too long, I ended up bumming around with my mom instead for the afternoon. Went to a good friend's piano recital that evening. Piano recital girl (PRG) is almost done with a master's degree in performance piano at USC. And she's someone who all the guys tend to notice.

Slept in this morning. Went to the country club for lunch with my parents, then hit balls at the driving range with my dad for a while. PRG calls up saying she's bored and feels like visiting, and my dad had to get back to work anyway, so I hang out with PRG. (Who drives today when hanging out? That's an easy one! Though PRG's sister's 325i--that PRG was borrowing--is pretty nice.) We hang out around the Claremont Colleges and the Claremont village (a quaint "downtown" area of my parents' small city) for a few hours. PRG wants to watch a movie, so we go to the movie theater, but there's nothing starting soon. So we just bum around and talk a bit more. I eat dinner with my parents and head back to SD. Catch up with Puerto Rican Friend (PRF), the girl in my pictures I posted earlier, by phone on the way down. She's been working 120 hour weeks recently. (1st year lawyer in a big corporate law firm in Manhattan) It's the first time I've managed to reach her in three weeks. And she was still at work at midnight her time. (I realized afterward I probably shouldn't have mentioned hanging out with PRG when PRF asked what I was up to all weekend. Though we're not together, PRF doesn't like hearing about any other girls, especially if they happen to be Asian. Oh well.) Caught up with one of my sisters by phone after getting back.

(Man, I seem so shallow in this thread. I assure you, there's more to my life than cars and girls. Okay, no more commenting on all my female friends. Bad Jason.) :(

Its 4am and im doing hw; fun!

Heh I think ill go back to bed at 5 and have one more hour of sleep:D

jschen, you have to be the cleanest-cut bum I've every seen!lol: Don't know why, but that stuck with me for some reason. I don't hear "bum" used as a verb much anymore. Sounds better than my weekend, anyway. I didn't fell like doing anything or going anywhere because of my arachnohickey induced pains.

Getting ready to fix some oatmeal and hope that the bike shop calls today.;)