Brainiacs play with Thermite...

Another link from that Man About the Internet, Walter Jon Williams.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrCWLpRc1yM&search=thermite


Do NOT try this at home. Don't even try this at work, unless you've got some excellent medical insurance and a really understanding fire department...


(best response from someone on-list: "What's really fun is to use a small thermite charge [a gram will do] to ignite
an old VW engine block [aluminum-magnesium alloy]. Don't do this in the garage. Wear welder's goggles. Run away.")


(and the Gris icon just seemed so right, for this)

there is no weekend for the freelancer...

well, it ended up being a surprisingly busy weekend, although in a completely different way than anticipated. In order to avoid potential/probable Drama, I opted out of traveling down to NYC for the Revlon walk, and instead staged my own here. As this involved walking several miles in a lovely, flowering park, on nicely graveled paths, and romping with (being romped by) a great dane puppy named Vincent, I think I got the better of the deal, actually. Thanks to everyone who made a donation -- karma knows. :-)


The rest of the weekend went as followed:

Virtual-shopped for an apartment, which was quite the experience, and we'll see how that goes.

Watched “The Legend of Zorro.” Not enough pretty between the two of them and the landscape to make this sucker work, alas.

Built a DVD rack out of repurposed shelving.

Sent off the signed contract for “KidPro,” and my check for the Persephone Retreat (money in, money out).

Did grocery shopping and then a semi-impuse dash to the outlets, having realized that freelancer chic won't cut it for a meeting I have tomorrow.

Got my hands into potting soil. Cats got paws into potting soil. So very very glad I decided against buying catnip. Oy.

Got talked into a sailing trip in July, at which point I will either have made deadline, or be walking the plank...


In-between all that, did some more wrangling with the guts of this book. The surgery is going well and the patient and doctor may both survive, albeit with some trauma. Favorite line: "Lowell, who in every other way was the ultimate of professionalism, hated Wren the way only one cat could hate another, with delicate hissing and slitting of eyes."


And now, with things either cooking or marinating for later use, we are all tuckered out. Pandora is at her usual spot at my hip, while Boomer is, dog-like, at my feet. He is so adorable when he sleeps, all stretches and mutterings, I can almost forgive him the potting soil incident. I didn't need that plant anyway, really...