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x-ray scatter patty pat
Monday, November 15th, 2010 11:48 pmInfo and a lot of links about the TSA's use of full-body-image scanners and "enhanced" pat-downs.
Trip to Massachussetts
Tuesday, August 31st, 2010 11:37 pmA few short clips from my roadtrip to Massachussetts to visit with family earlier this month.
I'm in Jacksonville for work again. I want to get out of this cold hotel room, but I can't think of anywhere I want to go. I don't know of anywhere good to go. I already drove to the beach the last time I was here, and I don't feel like making that long half-hour drive on the highways again.
The hotel room is so cool, it makes me feel like it is late autumn or winter, even though it is warm outside. Adjusting the thermostat doesn't stop the cold air from pouring in through the vent. Opening the window and blocking the vent doesn't seem to make much noticeable difference. Instead of it being 73 degrees, it is now 78 degrees in here, but it still feels cool to me. I've got the blanket wrapped around me.
The TV has cable, so I could watch TV.
I ought to go somewhere, just to go.
It doesn't make sense to me that even when you set the thermostat to turn the AC off, cold air still pours in through the vent. Then again, I had a similar problem in the other room, but there I didn't even see a vent and couldn't figure out where the cold was coming from.
If this were my house and I had the window open like I do here, I'd feel warm air coming in. But here I don't - it's like there's a force-field keeping the warm air out. It's uncanny.
So anyway, I shall go somewhere, I suppose.
The hotel room is so cool, it makes me feel like it is late autumn or winter, even though it is warm outside. Adjusting the thermostat doesn't stop the cold air from pouring in through the vent. Opening the window and blocking the vent doesn't seem to make much noticeable difference. Instead of it being 73 degrees, it is now 78 degrees in here, but it still feels cool to me. I've got the blanket wrapped around me.
The TV has cable, so I could watch TV.
I ought to go somewhere, just to go.
It doesn't make sense to me that even when you set the thermostat to turn the AC off, cold air still pours in through the vent. Then again, I had a similar problem in the other room, but there I didn't even see a vent and couldn't figure out where the cold was coming from.
If this were my house and I had the window open like I do here, I'd feel warm air coming in. But here I don't - it's like there's a force-field keeping the warm air out. It's uncanny.
So anyway, I shall go somewhere, I suppose.
bits and pieces
Friday, August 20th, 2010 12:54 amThe customer wants us to come back to Florida for another collaborative session the week after next, already again! This week, my first ever work trip, was a novel thing. But again, so soon?! Driving for 5 to 6 hours each way?! Gah!@
Risking my life and limb and vehicle in the scary traffic of the highways.
.
The bathroom mirrors I've been encountering lately are too well lit and revealing. They've been triggering/encouraging me to skin-pick too much.
.
I walked on the beach today. Dark storm clouds threatened. My mind did not hear the ocean speaking. My mind wasn't listening; it did not expect to hear anything. I like bending down to look at the ocean and skyline from upside-down.
.
I feel fat. I want to lose the few pounds I've put on over the last year. I hate pants that are too tight. I want to be fit and flexible and strong. Who doesn't? I feel old and decrepit with my achy back. I feel ugly; my hairstyle doesn't seem very flattering; maybe it's too long; maybe I should shave it all off. Hmmm.
.
When I go alone somewhere like at a restaurant or at the chiropractor/doctor/dentist's office, I tend to be called things like "sweetie" or "hon" by female employees. I get the feeling that I must look scared/nervous/young (and female) to be called these things, especially when I don't hear those same people calling anyone else by those terms.
Risking my life and limb and vehicle in the scary traffic of the highways.
.
The bathroom mirrors I've been encountering lately are too well lit and revealing. They've been triggering/encouraging me to skin-pick too much.
.
I walked on the beach today. Dark storm clouds threatened. My mind did not hear the ocean speaking. My mind wasn't listening; it did not expect to hear anything. I like bending down to look at the ocean and skyline from upside-down.
.
I feel fat. I want to lose the few pounds I've put on over the last year. I hate pants that are too tight. I want to be fit and flexible and strong. Who doesn't? I feel old and decrepit with my achy back. I feel ugly; my hairstyle doesn't seem very flattering; maybe it's too long; maybe I should shave it all off. Hmmm.
.
When I go alone somewhere like at a restaurant or at the chiropractor/doctor/dentist's office, I tend to be called things like "sweetie" or "hon" by female employees. I get the feeling that I must look scared/nervous/young (and female) to be called these things, especially when I don't hear those same people calling anyone else by those terms.
statues in sunlight at night
Wednesday, August 18th, 2010 07:25 amThe internet access got faster later in the evening, so I was able to connect to my VPN. But it was still slow, and I ending up not getting to bed until past midnight. I woke up from some interesting dreams.
In one, there was a house which had some kind of large Prometheus (?) statue in back, but the owner had it replaced by a large sundial, because the statue was too emotional for him. But there was still some other large and curious statue on the roof.
In one, there was a house which had some kind of large Prometheus (?) statue in back, but the owner had it replaced by a large sundial, because the statue was too emotional for him. But there was still some other large and curious statue on the roof.
ones expects reliable internet access
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 09:43 pmI'm in Florida this week at a customer site for meetings. My hotel room is very nice. It is being charged to the customer, at the "special" rate of $119/night (I wonder how high the regular rate is). The meeting today at the customer's office went fine. Now I'm back at the hotel trying to connect to my work VPN, and the hotel internet connection is so slow that I haven't been able to connect. The speed is currently about 23 kbps - slower than a slow dial-up connection. (Hmmm, I wonder if my cell-phone's internet speed might even be faster than that...?) The front desk said it is due to them having a "full house".
It's disappointing to have a nice fancy hotel room - without a bad smell in the air (that's the most important thing); with real glass drinking glasses instead of disposable plastic ones; with little accent lights and nice wood furnishings; with a thin-screen TV; with a nice clean rug; with a nice desk - but without good internet access.
I've got work to do to prepare for one of tomorrow's meetings, but I'm not able to do it because of this.
ETA: I tested my cell-phone's internet speed, and it got 19.1 kbps. Now I have the hotel room's window open and am hearing an unusual calling sound. I wonder what kind of animal is making it. At lunch-time at the customer's office, I asked if there were benches outside, and they said yes, out back by the pond, but to watch out for the alligator that lives in the pond!
It's disappointing to have a nice fancy hotel room - without a bad smell in the air (that's the most important thing); with real glass drinking glasses instead of disposable plastic ones; with little accent lights and nice wood furnishings; with a thin-screen TV; with a nice clean rug; with a nice desk - but without good internet access.
I've got work to do to prepare for one of tomorrow's meetings, but I'm not able to do it because of this.
ETA: I tested my cell-phone's internet speed, and it got 19.1 kbps. Now I have the hotel room's window open and am hearing an unusual calling sound. I wonder what kind of animal is making it. At lunch-time at the customer's office, I asked if there were benches outside, and they said yes, out back by the pond, but to watch out for the alligator that lives in the pond!
highways and exit numbering
Saturday, August 14th, 2010 06:42 pmIn some U.S. states, the highway exits are numbered sequentially. If you've just passed exit 7, you know that the next exit is #8, but you don't know how far away it is.
But in other states, the highway exits are numbered based on the mile-markers. At the start of the highway, or where-ever the highway enters the state, the mile-markers start at number one. Each exit is numbered based on the nearest mile-marker. So if you've just passed exit 7, you know that you're about 7 miles from the start of the highway, and you can tell that exit 18 (for example) is about 11 miles away. Or if you've just passed mile-marker 12, you know that exit 18 is about 6 miles away. If you look at the map and see that the last exit is #49 (for example), you can tell that the highway was 49 miles long.
I didn't know this. It is useful!
But in other states, the highway exits are numbered based on the mile-markers. At the start of the highway, or where-ever the highway enters the state, the mile-markers start at number one. Each exit is numbered based on the nearest mile-marker. So if you've just passed exit 7, you know that you're about 7 miles from the start of the highway, and you can tell that exit 18 (for example) is about 11 miles away. Or if you've just passed mile-marker 12, you know that exit 18 is about 6 miles away. If you look at the map and see that the last exit is #49 (for example), you can tell that the highway was 49 miles long.
I didn't know this. It is useful!
(no subject)
Wednesday, May 18th, 2005 06:26 pmmrmm. I've had a headache since Washington Dulles airport, Saturday evening. My 2 1/2 hour layover there lasted an hour longer due to delays caused by a dark and handsome thunderstorm which came passing thru. Would have had an even better view of the storm, from the elevated windowed hallway between the terminals, had I gone exploring earlier. The airport shuttle busses reminded me of Tatooine sandcrawlers. A kid was spilling lucky charms... A flourescent light was glowing pink... Some guy was doing a tremendous job of entertaining his little kid for hours...
I was selected for the Special Security Search both going and coming. I wonder if I was chosen randomly, or if there's something about me...
If I didn't have this headache, I'd buy advance tickets for Episode 3. I'd rather not have a headache while watching it for the first time though, so I'm not sure when to go...
My dad's become a pretty darn good pool player. He can even make the cueball jump over the other balls in order to hit the one he wants... Useful hint - hit the cueball below center in order to give it backspin so that it won't follow the ball you're aiming at into the pocket.
The magnolias and those other trees with the little white flowers are scenting the air. Lovelily.
I was selected for the Special Security Search both going and coming. I wonder if I was chosen randomly, or if there's something about me...
If I didn't have this headache, I'd buy advance tickets for Episode 3. I'd rather not have a headache while watching it for the first time though, so I'm not sure when to go...
My dad's become a pretty darn good pool player. He can even make the cueball jump over the other balls in order to hit the one he wants... Useful hint - hit the cueball below center in order to give it backspin so that it won't follow the ball you're aiming at into the pocket.
The magnolias and those other trees with the little white flowers are scenting the air. Lovelily.
