hst45 Posted October 9, 2008 Posted October 9, 2008 Sidewinder, maybe it's time to invest in "precious" metals: Ti sponge, MgAl, 600 mesh Al. On a serious note, I feel your pain. I'm 10 to 15 years away from retirement myself and I'm thinking that if I take a late retirement and an early death I might just squeak by. This is no world for old men. Too bad that we can't become "village elders"; wise and respected members of the community who are looked upon by the community as an asset for our sage wisdom. Instead we're "that wierd old bald fat guy, with the hair growing out of his ears." It sucks to be us.
marks265 Posted October 10, 2008 Posted October 10, 2008 I moved all my funds to stable funds. I already inched towards the black. To keep my money in high risk to pay for someone elses fucking around is not going to happen. I've seen this too many times, everyone says don't change it will get better in the end. Well, Bullshit to that I would rather make $300 than loose $4,000! When the economy goes the other way so will I but right now I think I won't do anything until spring. I am sure there will be a small spike for X-mas shopping but IMO it is going to be a long cold winter in more ways than one. Oh, god, now I'm CERTAIN I won't look at it. Just turned on the News. The Dow is down about 600 points today. Lowest closing in over 5 years. "Freefall" doesn't even come close.
oskarchem Posted October 10, 2008 Posted October 10, 2008 Geez, it's a black day for the stock markets around the world.. The NYSE is down by 331 points, the French CAC40 is 220 points down. Maybe this would be a good time to invest into some American stock... I'll have to talk to my father about this, since that's what he does a a hobby . I have to say, that unlike other people in my age I like economics. Good luck to you guys.
Yankie Posted October 11, 2008 Posted October 11, 2008 Australian dollar is now 66 US cents Good thing I bought my shell hemis when I did, saved myself a few bob
asilentbob Posted October 11, 2008 Posted October 11, 2008 (edited) Oh were you one of the guys who I re-sold those hemis to? Yeah man the guy gave me such a great deal on them I couldn't help but buying them, then passing on the savings, I know I couldn't use that many hemis in many many MANY years... I think they were 4" spherical... hmm... haven't really looked at my hemi stocks in a while... Anywho... PAT event in Hondo, TX Sat/Sun... should be great... I'm not taking anything however, had too many other distractions... infact have a test monday when its all over with... :/ ... thats life. Anywho, got most of the electronics down for my laser module, just need to find a suitable case, and I'm kinda holding back on putting stuff together on the chance that I might come across a good copper heatsink (for free) so that running the module at high power continuously isn't a heat problem... Alot of people modify flashlights and put their laser modules into them, a good idea and around the right size, but I havn't came accross any that are the perfect size since I need 3x 1.5v cells, and most flashlights use only 2 or 4 batteries lol. I have a broken maglite that uses 4 C cells that would work if I could figure out how to take it completely apart... I'll probably find a schematic somewhere... but yeah, I'm hoping that I can get it finished for makerfaire next weekend. Its going to have a potentiometer adjustable output from like 25-145mw ish. Edit: Put it all together in a cocoa tin thinger... and its sorta working... but like horribly under powered... but I don't really have time to mess with it now... must sleep... but yeah it is a really neat color. Edited October 11, 2008 by asilentbob
Swede Posted October 12, 2008 Posted October 12, 2008 (edited) AHA! Another use for my 10 mesh Ti coming soon! Surprised I have not got any other ideas, especially given the creativity of this group. Something not in the search? :{) In my endless and quite obsessive work on perchorate cell stuff, I had occasion to use and end mill (think router for metal) on some Ti strips to clean them up after saw cutting. When I was done, the mill vise was covered with these incredibly fine Ti chips, not much bigger than sugar grains. I almost swept them into the trash, then thought about it a bit. They are now gathered into a cup and awaiting an appropriate pyrotechnic need! I'd say they are finer than 10 mesh. It's good to know I can "make" granulated Ti from commercially pure Ti sheet. The good part, these are razor-sharp little shards, definitely more flake than lump. They should burn beautifully. Edited October 12, 2008 by Swede
asilentbob Posted October 12, 2008 Posted October 12, 2008 Was 6ft ish from a stray 4" aerial salute when it went off... I'm fine, just a couple bruises from dirt clods. The two guys who were closer than me got alot of cuts on their legs (complete with a bit of imbedded jean material) and some dots from titanium, and are fine, no major injuries. One 4" salute blew in the mortar, or right out of it and sent the other mortars scattering, and since all the shells were chained with quick match we couldn't do anything. One just happened to skip along the ground to right under one corner of the folding table we were firing from, mangled one of the tables legs and the shock fucked up one of the firing systems so a different one had to be used to fire the rest of the show, but no serious injuries! Maker Faire Austin, TX next weekend!http://makerfaire.com/
Richtee Posted October 13, 2008 Posted October 13, 2008 Was 6ft ish from a stray 4" aerial salute when it went off... Christ onna cracker, man... say yer prayers tonight, and play the lottery. Phew.
asilentbob Posted October 13, 2008 Posted October 13, 2008 Its actually remarkable what good earplugs and a turned back can do.
Swany Posted October 15, 2008 Posted October 15, 2008 Yuck! So, this has nothing to do with pyro: recently I have been investigating some interesting curves expressed as simple trigonometric parametric ordered pairs. Consider, (Sin(t), Sin(2t)) {t,0,2pi} makes a pretty pi-orbital or dumbell shaped curve depending how you look at it. Considering that the Cartesian equivalent is: y = (+ or -)2x(1-x^2)^(1/2) {x,-1,1}, it seems convenient to just express it parametrically. I am looking at curves that are expressed using simple trig functions with multiple angles. When one of the values has a t coeffecient of 1, they are trivial to convert to Cartesian equations. However, when they both have t coeffecients >1, it is extremely difficult. Consider (Cos(2t), Cos(3t)) which makes a pretty little loop thingy. I have used a page or two of notebook paper trying to just crunch it using identities and substitution. I have faith that it can be done, but there has to be a better way.... Any math majors?
Swany Posted October 15, 2008 Posted October 15, 2008 A picture! The unlabled ones on the bottom contain 2t and 5t, same trig functions as next to them. Upstairs, the unlabled curves just have x and y values swapped with the curve next to them. I think thats right.
Pyrohawk Posted October 15, 2008 Posted October 15, 2008 I think my brain just exploded....no its still there....but its not happy. Mind if I ask why you are doing this? Project or just enjoy it? I hate math....its whats killing me about being a chem major...
Swany Posted October 15, 2008 Posted October 15, 2008 I hate math too, I have simply gone insane. Ahh... I think I enjoy it. Math I have always masochistically enjoyed, yet I had never put any hard work into it. However, I realized that in order to really understand chemistry, it is imperative to be excellent at physics, and thus, math.... perhaps anyway. A different example is where I realized I had no idea who Group Theory was and why it appears quasi-essential to Inorganic Chemistry. So, I took a look at group theory... umm... yeah... abstract algebra, set theory. Doh. Math is excellent. You just have to enjoy it. I like it very much now, as a function of wanting to become a better chemist in the end. No pun intended.
Richtee Posted October 15, 2008 Posted October 15, 2008 I hate math too, I have simply gone insane. Ahh... I think I enjoy it. HEY! I did that stuff in first grade! Well, 'twas with a "Spirograph" ..err if anyone remembers those LOL!
Mumbles Posted October 15, 2008 Posted October 15, 2008 It's possible to learn inorganic without group theory. I've had one class with it, and one without it. When you do it without group theory there are a lot more pretty colors The group theory will come back to haunt you in quantum mechanics and some heavy instrumentation classes when talking about IR and Raman spectra. It's really cool when you can start to look at simple molecules, and start predicting where the IR peaks are, what motions are IR active. It makes you feel like you control the molecules. Then you realize your brain hurts and would rather just look at the pretty colors.
Swede Posted October 15, 2008 Posted October 15, 2008 I actully picked chemistry because I thought it used LESS math than most other engineering degrees. I'm still convinced the math burden in Chemistry is not as bad as most others. Still, it's a necessary evil. Math is cool, I just don't like it personally. Movies like Good Will Hunting bring it into perspective.
oskarchem Posted October 15, 2008 Posted October 15, 2008 I have to say that apart form chemistry, maths is my favorite lesson. French class is just a burden though.
Swany Posted October 15, 2008 Posted October 15, 2008 (edited) Well, I found a solution. Reserving this place to post it after hockey practice! EDIT: And everyone held their breath and all posting stopped in sheer anticipation! Ahem. Actually, I will provide anyone who proves this 10g of thorium nitrate (or a mroe respectable amount of a pyro chem if they choose). This is: (Cos[2t], Cos[3t]) {t,-pi,pi} is equal to y=(+or -)[(1/2+x/2)^(1/2)](2x-1) {x,-1,1}. That is the answer I sought, and it can be done in well under ten steps. Edited October 16, 2008 by Swany
Swany Posted October 16, 2008 Posted October 16, 2008 (edited) It's possible to learn inorganic without group theory. I've had one class with it, and one without it. When you do it without group theory there are a lot more pretty colors The group theory will come back to haunt you in quantum mechanics and some heavy instrumentation classes when talking about IR and Raman spectra. It's really cool when you can start to look at simple molecules, and start predicting where the IR peaks are, what motions are IR active. It makes you feel like you control the molecules. Then you realize your brain hurts and would rather just look at the pretty colors. Exactly, you understand everything better. That is my goal. As far as pretty colors, my stuff all absorbs..... everything visible. Hows your labwork going, Mumbles? Loving inorganic and coordination chemistry? Edited October 16, 2008 by Swany
mormanman Posted October 16, 2008 Posted October 16, 2008 Well, I found a solution. Reserving this place to post it after hockey practice! EDIT: And everyone held their breath and all posting stopped in sheer anticipation! Ahem. Actually, I will provide anyone who proves this 10g of thorium nitrate (or a mroe respectable amount of a pyro chem if they choose). This is: (Cos[2t], Cos[3t]) {t,-pi,pi} is equal to y=(+or -)[(1/2+x/2)^(1/2)](2x-1) {x,-1,1}. That is the answer I sought, and it can be done in well under ten steps.We get 10 grams if we prove that! I'll try hard. What else can we get instead.
flying fish Posted October 16, 2008 Posted October 16, 2008 Hey, if its a common problem I'll just look it up on Wikipedia! I'll download the answer solutions! Otherwise, you guys have fun with that one...My head hurts enough already from things outside of this forum. As for math, I had just taken "Boundary Value Problems" over the summer, which is an intro to PDEs with Boundary conditions. It wasn't THAT bad, but there was a math major in that class that I wanted to strangle with fishing line. Always came into class an hour late, barely studied, still got better grades than me. When a classmate is chasing after you with fishing line, you at that point understand the meaning being "too smart for your own good".
Mumbles Posted October 16, 2008 Posted October 16, 2008 Make sure to use the high test stuff so you don't break the line out of enthusiasm before the deed is done. Swany, the research is going well. I just got my own project, and my graduate student has been MIA, both very good things. I was getting tired of doing her grunt work, and her being a condecending chinese bitch. My project is going excellently. I made some specialty porphyrins last week. They are going to added onto what I can only describe as a carbon nano-tube forest covered with azide groups. The porphyrin is Tetraphenyl porphyrin with an acetylene group in the 4 position. Tomorrow or next week I am adding an iron to the center of the ring. The acetylene will be complexed with the azide group, and hopefully some electronic magic happens. High efficiency solar to electricity conversions.
Pyrohawk Posted October 16, 2008 Posted October 16, 2008 Oh I know its necessary but there seems to be a lot of things in the classes that AREN'T necessary. I wish there were math classes for chem majors. Like a Mathematics of Chemistry class. So many things just don't seem to have a purpous....maybe they will eventually.... Thinking about switching my major in all honesty... Pyrotechnics is a blast obviously and I am fascinated by certain fields of chemistry, but just doing chemistry all day is starting to get me burnt out and thoroughly fed up with the subject. Plus of course you have to take so many courses that don't interest you just to get to the ones that do. Not meaning to sound whiny I do realize the importance, just not sure if its that exciting to me anymore.
mike_au Posted October 16, 2008 Posted October 16, 2008 And everyone held their breath and all posting stopped in sheer anticipation! Ahem. Actually, I will provide anyone who proves this 10g of thorium nitrate (or a mroe respectable amount of a pyro chem if they choose). This is: (Cos[2t], Cos[3t]) {t,-pi,pi} is equal to y=(+or -)[(1/2+x/2)^(1/2)](2x-1) {x,-1,1}. That is the answer I sought, and it can be done in well under ten steps. ...
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