What the Hell?

It has been a long time since I took up this blog.  My last post was more than a year ago.  I have been busy and I haven't felt the need to say anything profound or meaningful.  Even through the elections I held my literary tongue.  I don't expect this post to be profound, it's just that I am pissed.

This past week the Democrats and the Republicans in Congress continue to badger each other about how poorly the other side is handling the run up to the "Fiscal Cliff".  In the meantime the time they have yet to do anything meaningful to correct the situation  as our financial future barrels toward oblivian.

Friday morning I woke up, just like you, to another senseless act of violence perpetrated by a loner who took the lives of innocent children so he could feel vindicated. 

Saturday I went to see the movie "Chasing Ice".  This is a documentary about the retreating of glaciers around the world.  The pictures are phenomenal in their ability to portray the dire consequences of our actions.

Are we all really this unconcerned about our future?  Are we really all this insensitive to our impact on others?  I don't think so.  I think those who are in control are not getting the message from the people they are supposed to represent. 

We can't wait for others to solve these problems for us.  We have to take on these social issues ourselves.  Here are three different causes you can get passionate about. 

It is time we all do something.  We don't have to sell everything and wait for the end of the world (unless you are Mayan).  All you have to do is something.  Write a letter to the editor, email your representative or join a club.  Find out about your cause and then tell others.  Ask them to do something. 

No one else is going to do it for us.  Things will get worse before they get better but if we do nothing the better will be after we are gone.  In the meantime we can influence our quality of life.  We deserve a safe, clean, financially secure life.  We can't expect others to provide this for us, we need to get involved.

Also continue to pray for those who represent us to have the courage to follow their convictions no matter the political cost, for the victims of violence and those contemplating violence that there is hope and for us all to do something to heal the earth. 

Engineering Flowchart

Maybe it's because I'm a guy and I like to tinker with things, but I found this simple description of what to do when you are faced with a problem in the shop, very funny.

TP Metalica

Here is a picture I took at Speed Week last year.  For those who don't know, Speed Week is the annual event held on the Bonneville Salt Flats where people try to go as fast as they can in all sorts of vehicles.  This is the engine to one of the faster ones.  It is essentially an engine encased in a kids swing set with a seat on it.  It goes really fast but it is a bitch when you roll.

Food Tokyo Style

On my recent trip to Thailand we had a layover in Tokyo - at the airport.  I don't usually recommend food at the airport but I was in Tokyo and I do like Sushi.  Here is what we were served.  It was some of the best Sushi and airport food I've had.

Food Glorious Food

So I have been following Max's Thematic Photography Week posts and thought I would join this week since the topic is food.

I am a fan of food.  I like to cook, I like to eat and I like to drink.  All good past times to keep oneself healthy and pass the time.

Here is some food from a recent trip to Thailand.  The first is Dragon Fruit, the second is Pad Thai and the third si Green Curry with Chicken.  All delicious.

Hell of a Question

HELL EXPLAINED BY    

A CHEMISTRY STUDENT

 

The following is an actual question given on University of Arizona chemistry mid term.  
 

The answer by one student was so 'profound' that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well:  

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?  

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant.  

 One student, however, wrote the following:  

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. There fore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let's look at the different religions that exist in the world today. 

Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:  

 1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.  

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over. 

So which is it?  

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, 'It will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you,' and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number two must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct..... ...leaving only Heaven, thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting

'Oh my God.' 

 THIS STUDENT RECEIVED AN A+.

Ikea's Manland

It's true.  Guys now have a place to go when our wives ask us to go shopping.

Typically when my wife asks me to go shopping I feign a burst appendix or try to think of something I have to do around the house.  

My wife loves to shop.  She is good at it.  She will spend hours wandering and looking.  She gets good deals. 

I like to commando shop.  No - that's not shopping without underpants.  It is knowing what single item you want before you go into the store, heading right to it without distraction, taking less than a minute to grab it and heading directly to the check out.  The mission is complete in 3 minutes and 15 seconds if the check out line is short.  If I am in the store for more than 5 minutes I expect my unit to come in on a rescue mission. 

Ikea, the Swedish furniture giant, has come up with a great idea.  They have a room for guys to play foosball or watch football.  Sort of like a daddy day care, only it is dad who is being watched. 

I can't wait for this to come to the US.  I will actually want to go to Ikea.  My wife can browse to her heart's content while I catch up on ESPN.  I wonder if I can show up in my pajamas?

Two dudes play a game of foosball in IKEA's Manland, an adult play area for those bored husbands and boyfriends. Photo: YouTube