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March 25, 2004
Extreme speed
Original article here.
Fifty-seven years after combat pilot Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier, NASA will make a second attempt Saturday at flying an aircraft at 5,000 mph -- about seven times Mach 1, the speed of sound.
Ok, no big deal. A jet that flies at 5,000mph. Whoopie.
But then....
During the test, the 49-foot-long booster rocket will propel the X-43A to about 3,700 mph before the experimental plane detaches from the rocket and flies under its own power using a hydrogen-powered "scramjet" engine, the first such test of the technology.The actual powered-flight is expected to last about 10 seconds and reach Mach 7 before gliding for six minutes and plunging into the Pacific Ocean.
If I'm reading that passage correctly, this plane will accelerate from 3,700mph to 5,000mph in 10 seconds.
And I thought my GSXR-1100 was fast. Holy shit!
Posted by Christopher at 12:12 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 24, 2004
Microsoft hit with $613M fine, yawns indifferently
Original story here.
The European Union declared Microsoft Corp. guilty of abusing its "near monopoly" with Windows to foil competitors in other markets and hit the software giant with a record $613 million fine Wednesday.Microsoft shares rose 15 cents to $24.30 in early trading Wednesday on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
631 million dollars is a lot of money, right? Not if you're Microsoft it isn't.
Checking out Microsoft's latest balance sheet, we see that have 6.4B in *CASH* right now, and zero debt. Last year they had sales of 32.1B.
How do those numbers look when put into real-world terms?
If you made $75,000/year, and were given a fine proportional to the one Microsoft just received, you'd have to pay $1,282.00
But also keep in mind, if you had the cash equivalent that Microsoft has, you'd have $14,250 in the bank from which to pay that fine.
Exactly how punitive is that?
Posted by Christopher at 11:17 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 21, 2004
Accident pics -- Audi split in half
Thanks to Bob Harman for pointing these out.
The original post is located here. Don't worry, there is no blood or gore anywhere, just a really mangled car.
And the score is now Tree: 1, Car: 0.
Posted by Christopher at 06:46 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
March 19, 2004
Friday Five
If you...
1. ...owned a restaurant, what kind of food would you serve?
Pizza. I have plenty of experience running a food-service operation from my Domino's days. Owning a store would be a blast.
2. ...owned a small store, what kind of merchandise would you sell?
Comic books. I was an avid reader of comics from the age of 7 until the industry went to shit in the mid 90s.
3. ...wrote a book, what genre would it be?
Probably not something I should mention in mixed company.
4. ...ran a school, what would you teach?
Critical thinking. If society had more active critical thinkers, we would all be better off.
5. ...recorded an album, what kind of music would be on it?
Jazz. I haven't played in years, but it would be fun to get my chops back and record something.
Posted by Christopher at 08:29 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 16, 2004
Pagerank I'd rather not have
While checking the site's referrers last night, I discovered that I'm the #4 and #5 yahoo result for the search "demon rape fantasy chat room."
You people scare me.
Posted by Christopher at 06:29 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
March 15, 2004
Bet on terrorists attack
Nothing to see here.. move along. I'm just saving a post from the VN Boards for posterity's sake.
These two dudes are betting $100 on a terrorist attack happening in the US before the November elections.
http://vnboards.ign.com/Camelot_Outpost/b22180/65865578
THE OFFER:
Author: Outcazt2
Posts: 1,882
Registered: Oct 03
Date Posted: 10:28am
Subject: Post Here to Place your Bets on WMD in 2004. - Date Edited: 10:29am (1 edits total) Edited By: Outcazt2
$100.00 Bet Payable via Paypal.
I bet that:
1) There will be a Terrorist WMD attack on the US in late October/Early November.
2) The fallout from that will lead to the election of John Kerry.
Just like in Spain. I don't have that much faith in American people outside of thier desire for self-preservation, leading to a victory for the Terrorists.
*****************************************
If there is a terrorist attack and bush gets elected, I lose.
If there is no terrorist attack, I lose.
Any Takers, Please post below, and we'll refresh this come October.
Not doing this out of any desire to see misery, but just being pragmatic and realistic.
Bet accepted by Malphilos:
Malphilos
Posts: 3,328
Registered: Jan 02
Date Posted: 1:28pm
Subject: RE: Post Here to Place your Bets on WMD in 2004.
You are on. =)
Posted by Christopher at 06:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 11, 2004
Dead Milkmen bassist commits suicide
Dave Blood, bassist for the band the Dead Milkmen committed suicide on Wednesday.
I'm torn between making a bad pun about him supposedly already being dead and being contrite and reverent and writing about how the DM's music changed my life.
Seeing as how the DM's music didn't change my life at all, nor did I even particularly care for them, I'll go with the pun.
Question: What would it take for a Dead Milkmen reunion tour to happen?
Answer: Three more suicides.
Posted by Christopher at 11:30 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 10, 2004
Photon memorabilia!
I would totally use one of these.
Posted by Christopher at 11:18 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 08, 2004
100 Things
This is lurid.org's 100th entry. I figured now was as good a time as ever to post my 100 Things list. It's actually like 106, but who's counting?
update: I removed several entries due to privacy concerns. After the recent death threats I received over the Channel 4 documentary and subsequent activity on the blog, I've removed all information that could be used to identify me. I'll be adding replacement entries soon. So, I present to you--76 things about me, pending revision. :)
4/16/2004 updated update: the list is done. w00t. go me.
0. All lists should begin with element zero, not 1.
0.5 I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I currently live in Denham Springs, a suburb of BR.
1. My first name is Christopher. From the late Greek Christos combined with pherein "to bear, to carry", and Latin Christophorus, i.e., Christbearer.
2. Once during a chemistry experiment in high school, I was knocked unconscious by a chlorine gas leak. The distressed damsel who's experiment I was attempting to fix escaped unharmed.
3. I share an uncommon last name with a famous actor. No, I'm not related to him, but some believe themselves extremely witty and original by asking if I am.
4. I've been on 3 cruises in my life. Two on the Carnival Celebration, and one of the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas.
5. I earned an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, concentration in Business in 1996.
6. I can not drink a bottle of peppermint schnapps without passing out. I have proven this hypothesis through experimentation.
7. I earned my MBA, concentration in Information Systems in 2000.
8. I am very fond of redheads.
9. I am a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the National Scholastic Honor Society for Business Administration.
10. By profession, I am an Oracle DBA and UNIX geek.
11. I plan on staying an Oracle DBA and UNIX geek as long as possible. I can't imagine a more rewarding career.
12. Well, maybe I could imagine one....but I don't believe I could match my current salary if I became a porn star.
13. Prior to my career as an Oracle DBA, I was a Programmer/Analyst for a financial services company.
14. One of my first tasks for said company was to write a HMDA interface and upload tool... from scratch. I recommend never trying this at home. Ever.
15. 10 months after finishing work on first HMDA interface, we added a new mortgage origination package and I had to write a second one. I recommend writing a joint-HMDA interface and reporting tool even less than writing one for a single system.
16. Before I joined the company, they had been a thriving, successful enterprise and one of Baton Rouge's largest local employers.
17. Approximately 2 1/2 years after I started work, the company became insolvent and declared bankruptcy.
18. I can't help but wonder if the HMDA interface was somehow responsible.
19. I am approximately 6'2" tall.
20. I listen to music while I work as much as I possible. (see #82)
21. I am an audiophile. I blame this on my father. From as early as I can remember, he was obsessed with high-end stereo gear and I grew up around some amazing equipment.
22. I'm an INFJ to the core.
23. I look really good in navy blue.
24. I can recite the lyrics of nearly every R.E.M. song.
25. My dad has been obsessed with fast cars and driving fast his whole life. None of that rubbed off on me.
26. People who drive flashy sports cars really fast and agressively are probably compensating for some other department that may be lacking.. Humm..
27. I always leave early and am never in a particular hurry to get anywhere. I drive very conservatively.
28. People who leave late and see driving as some sort of competitive sport really bother me.
29. I was engaged to a person that my S.O. calls "Your ex, the little goth princess" or "the nympho that I hate so much."
30. I've been to Grand Cayman twice.
31. I once caught a fish this big. If you saw how far apart I was holding my hands, you'd be impressed.
32. When I was younger, a friend of mine and I had a contest to see who could go the longest with an expired vehicle inspection sticker without getting a ticket.
33. He was pulled over one night, very drunk, leaving a bar. Not only did he not get arrested for DUI, he didn't even get a ticket for his expired inspection sticker.
34. I eventually lost the bet.
35. I'm still rather bitter about it.
36. During high school and college, I worked for Domino's Pizza.
37. I was promoted up through the ranks-- from delivery driver to store manager.
38. I managed 4 different locations in Baton Rouge, LA.
39. Someone without a college degree can make a very decent living as a Domino's Manager.
40. Attractive high school-aged phone-girls are a very good marketing tool for recruiting more drivers to your store.
41. I'm just saying.
42. One of the attractive high school-aged phone-girls at my first Domino's was "your ex, the little goth princess".
43. I lived in Gulf Breeze, FL for nearly a year, but never saw a single UFO.
44. I did, however, get to watch the Blue Angels practice over Pensacola Bay frequently, which was quite nifty.
45. I once worked as a cook at a semi-upscale Italian restaurant. I learned to make some decent Italian dishes, and became quite intuitive with that style of cooking.
46. My S.O. hates Italian food.
47. My grandmother and all of her siblings speak fluent Cajun French.
48. Although I was raised in the heart of Cajun country, I've somehow managed to avoid developing a Cajun accent.
49. Both of my parents were music educators. My dad was a high school band director and my mom was an elementary choral teacher.
50. Because of this, I was surrounded by classical music from the time I was born.
51. My earliest memory is playing on a blanket with my mom while my dad conducted summer band camp drills.
52. According to my last health assessment, my 100% lean muscle mass is 225lbs. If I had 0% body fat, I would still be considered overweight for my height (see #19). This bothers me.
53. I try to work out 3 times per week. Cardio 5 times per week, schedule permitting.
54. The best programming music is either Tool, Nine Inch Nails or Disturbed. Played very loudly.
55. I have hazel-colored eyes.
56. I wear glasses.
57. I was a present at the famous LSU-Auburn Earthquake Game. I will never, ever forget that experience.
58. I usually do not eat breakfast.
59. I have no tolerance for alcohol. (see #6) Two glasses of red wine will render me practically useless for about an hour.
60. I shower in the morning.
61. Favorite jazz album: A Love Supreme by John Coltrane. How many other jazz albums have entire books written about them?
62. Favorite CD ever: OK Computer by Radiohead
63. Song most likely to move me to tears: These are Days by 10,000 Maniacs
64. 3 favorite female vocalists: Tori Amos, Sarah McLaughlin, Natalie Merchant,
65. 3 favorite male vocalists: Sting, Michael Stipe, Morrissey
66. The longest book I've ever read was Rise and Fall of the Third Reich by William Shirer.
67. I've managed to have telephone numbers with the prefix "932" three times, in two different states, once on a pager, at my home, and at work.
68. I had all four of my wisdom teeth pulled. At the same time. Percodan is your friend.
69. Other than the wisdom teeth pulling, I've never had stitches.
70. I've come very close to dying twice.
71. ...The first time, I fell asleep while riding my Suzuki GSX-R 1100 after visiting "your ex, the little goth princess" and not sleeping in 2 days. I woke up driving around 80mph and was able to swerve to avoid rear-ending an 18 wheeler by about 2 feet. I didn't have any trouble staying awake for the remaining ride home.
72. ...The second time was a car accident, single car, I was a passenger. I ended up with 4 broken ribs, compression fractures of my T4, T5 and T6 vertebrae, a separated sternum, and lacerated liver. The driver was in a coma for two weeks and has permanent brain damage. To this day, my father, a very talented race car driver, is the only person I feel comfortable driving with.
73. I'm against the death penalty.
74. I'm pro-choice.
75. Until it became clear that there are no WMD in Iraq, I was a Bush supporter.
76. Because of this lack of WMDs, I'll be voting for John Kerry in November.
77. I played the MUD Dragon Swords for over 5 years. I built one of their most popular areas, Castle Trinity. I lost both of my characters during a long period of inactivity. Over 4,000 hours played time down the drain. Nice, eh?
78. I scored a 35 on the science portion of the ACT.
78. For the last two and a half years, I played Dark Age of Camelot -- Lancelot server, realm of Albion. I cancelled both of my accounts a month ago and do not plan on returning.
79. Atlas Shrugged is an interesting if not completely implausible book. The premise that all people who believe in capitalism are the Good Guys and those who don't are the Bad Guys and there is no gray area may make for interesting reading, but it's no way to formulate a philosophy.
80. I read Animal Farm in one sitting when I was 13 years old.
81. I make a wicked Black Russian.
82. My current headphone set up at work: Sony D25-S CD player -> META42 amp, maxed out configuration + Elpac regulated power supply -> Etymotic ER-4S phones.
83. I was an avid comic book collector from early childhood until 1988 or so. I sold my entire collection in 89 for $200, which included copies of Amazing Spiderman #14, 19, 20, X-Men (the original series) #4-38, 95-present, Tales of Suspense #48, Hulk #181 and Batman #428. It makes me physically ill to think about today.
84. I'm a cat person.
85. I was the Photon player "Flashback".
86. I took the game very, very seriously. As a 16 year old, it was all about ego.
87. Math, chemistry and biology are very easy for me.
88. My proudest Photon moment was winning the grand finale' free-for-all at the Dallas Photon Bash in 1991.
89. I was very active in the Baton Rouge-area BBS scene. The first BBS I ever called was The Flying Dutchman. The date was March 15th, 1985.
90. Anybody remember 300 baud modems? What about that strangely melodic-sounding carrier handshake signal tone they had? Ahhh..those were the days.
91. I can start a fire without matches.
92. Survivor is the coolest TV show. Ever.
93. I once owned a cactus named Toefield.
94. I once lived in a 150 year old Victorian-style house-turned-duplex that was supposedly haunted.
95. I'm extremely double-jointed and flexible.
96. My current cologne of choice is Dolce & Gabbana. My S.O. hates it.
97. My grandfather was a professional photographer and taught me to use a camera at age 6. He bought me my first 35mm camera at age 9.
98. I haven't smoked a cigarette in 7 years, although I do dabble with cigars from time to time.
99. When I was 10, I accidentally swallowed a lip-full of Skoal. You can imagine the results. I haven't touched the stuff since.
99. I'm an Aquarius.
99. My "list": Ann Coulter, Winona Ryder, Heather Graham, Tina Fey, Tori Amos
Posted by Christopher at 03:54 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack