Will and Beyond

DC Metro vs NYC Subway

foggybottomThis isn't so much as a list of pros and cons of the two systems, more like lots of complaining about the DC Metro.[1]

24 hour vs. Not: There isn't even much of a debate here, obviously having a 24 hour system is better than not. The DC system closes around midnight on weekdays and 3am on weekends. I'm not a huge late-night partier, but this has definitely inconvenienced me more than once. Maybe because they clean the whole system at night, since the DC system is cleaner than New York's. I'll take a 24 hour, dirty system anyday.

Single price vs. Cost by distance: In NYC it costs you $2 per ride no matter how far you go. In DC, the farther you go, the more you pay. NYC has talked about implementing such a system, but one of the biggest arguments against it is that it puts even more financial strain on people with less incomes (who can't afford to live in Manhattan). That same logic doesn't apply as much to DC since there seems to be wider spread of income both in DC itself and the surrounding areas (so far as I can tell). Regardless it's still a pain in the ass when I ride to the end of a line and see how much more I'm being charged.


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[Comments: 0][Tags: ranting]

Chichen Itza

castilloA few weeks ago when I was in Mexico, Dianna and I visited Chichen Itza, a site with lots of Mayan ruins. It was all very big and awesome looking; this particular site has the biggest Mayan pyramid: El Castillo.

no climbingThe view was excellent, and it was really fun to see all of that stuff, but I was really excited to climb up. Unfortunately, as of less than a year ago, they no longer allow people to climb them; everything is roped off. I heard that they used to have ambulances on site because many people would fall and injure themselves, some even died (mostly old people).


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Dooblet

doobletThe best replacement for biology is chemistry.
The best replacement for chemistry is physics.[1]
The best replacement for physics is engineering.

I first learned about Dooblet from an article by David Bradley, the science writer behind ScienceBase. Based on Google results, it provides alternatives. I can't think of many ways this can be useful, but it's fun.

Not all of the results make as much sense as the ones above, for instance:
The best replacement for fun is chow mein.[2]


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[Comments: 3][Tags: technology]

Coffee Rambling

It's been a while since I've posted, partially because I was in Mexico for a week, (didn't get swine flu!) and partially laziness. Couldn't really think up an idea for a post here, so why not ramble on (not be confused with ranting) about one of my true loves, coffee.

beansIf you're not already familiar with Lifehacker, it's a great site, and they have a lot of DIY stuff, including some stuff on coffee. As I've read the site, I've developed a list of coffee to-do's: DIY Espresso, adding herbal tea to coffee, cold-brewed ice coffee, and roasting my own beans. In fact, this is now my summer to-do list. Expect individual posts as each of these are completed. Feel free to chastise me for being flaky and unforgetful if I don't.


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[Comments: 1][Tags: coffee, rambling]

Off to Mexico

I'm off to Cancun now. Back in a week. Will visit some piggy farms to ensure that I bring back a fun souvenir.

cancun

[Photo: Flickr]

Warm, sunny beaches
A week without any lab
Mmm, Mexican food

Godspeed.

[Comments: 0]

Frog Legs

frog legsAs I did last year, I went to Coney Island for Dustin's birthday, aka Coney Island Fun Day. (And yes, of course foursquare was played.) As usual we went to Nathan's. Instead of getting overpriced hot dogs or mediocre fries (the garlic ones were good, but those are gone now), I decided to try frog legs.

The great thing about getting seafood at Nathan's is that they have a separate, much shorter line for people getting it. Also, as long as you get seafood, you can still get hot dogs, or anything else.

This is the original Nathan's, where they hold the hot dog eating contest every July 4th, and during the summer, the line is always atrociously long.


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[Comments: 0][Tags: food]

Humidity Sucks

hygrometerI hate humidity with a fiery passion. As much as I already hate summer heat, humidity just magnifies it. West coast summers are fantastic; it can get hot, but none of the mugginess.

I've seriously considered moving into the lab for the summer, just to get rid of that period without A/C between my apartment and lab. Now that we have a couch in there, I could just sleep on that. I'd save on rent and make up for our shitty summer paychecks.

Someday I'll have a summer place in like Iceland.

[Photo: Flickr]

Ugh, gross and sticky
Humidity is too high
God I hate summer

Godspeed.

[Comments: 1][Tags: ranting]

Oxygen Video

Kind of reminds me of the Chemical Party, but much prettier.

[Via: Chemistry Blog]

Oh, poor Oxygen
He just can't make any friends
Oh so reactive

Godspeed.

[Comments: 0][Tags: art, science]

TwitScoop

twitscoop

I wonder if anything newsworthy happened recently... TwitScoop is one of the panels you can install on TweetDeck and is nice for seeing breaking news.

Twitter twitter tweet
California earthquakes
Lots of aftershocks

Godspeed.

[Comments: 0][Tags: twitter]

Lab Couch

couchLuckily, our department wanted to get rid of the old couch and get a new one. With some rearranging, we were able to fit it in our lab.

Now our lab is complete.  Today I christened it with a 10 minute nap. Mmm...

So comfortable
It's asbestos-filled pleather
And next to my desk

Godspeed.

[Comments: 1][Tags: lab pictures]