urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford A History in Evil Stories mcrawford 2006-05-07T20:39:03Z urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford:3967 2006-05-07T20:39:03Z 2006-05-07T20:39:03Z So I just finished a 3000 page book - The Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson. (OK, fine, it's in 3 volumes, but if you consider Lord Of The Rings a single book, then Baroque Cycle is too.) It was pretty quality. I'd say that the first and third volumes are better than the second, but it's all good. If you liked Cryptonomicon, you should read Baroque Cycle. It's sort of in between Cryptonomicon and Snow Crash in terms of writing style - it's mostly linear but there are a bunch of storylines that occasionally interact in various ways. It isn't as confusing as Cryptonomicon, though, because the transitions are marked here. Volume 2, The Confusion, comes closest to the style of Cryptonomicon, but it makes the storyline shifts even more explicit than the other volumes. I would say that Baroque Cycle is another good introduction to Stephenson, but then again it's 3000 pages. It took me almost 2 months to read (although I did have classes to waste time on during most of that period) and is 4.75 inches thick, softcover. Intense.<br /><br />So if you're a Stephenson fan, when you should read Baroque Cycle depends on whether you've read Cryptonomicon and how well you deal with storyline-shifting. If you still aren't very used to storyline shifts or you've read Cryptonomicon already, go read Baroque Cycle right now. If you are used to storyline shifts, read Cryptonomicon first. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford:3644 2006-05-04T18:55:15Z 2006-05-04T18:55:15Z I'm looking at you with <a href="http://blake2.orachost.net/misshapenfeatures/media/StarLords_lrg.mov">this one</a>, Shane. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford:3134 2006-04-04T20:55:58Z 2006-04-04T20:55:58Z Dear READERS:<br /><br />I request that you deliver the shipment of PUPPIES at once. It is my intention to PLAY WITH them at the capitol on Saturday. I shall soon send a FRIENDLY letter to the DOCTOR. I plan to ask for one thousand bars of CHOCOLATE, three aircraft TICKETS, and a stockpile of nuclear LOLLIPOPS. BEST WISHES TO YOU IN YOUR FUTURE ENDEAVORS.<br /><br />MATT CRAWFORD<br /><br />------------<br /><br />Dear United Nations:<br /><br />I have acquired the PUPPIES. If you do not send me one thousand bars of CHOCOLATE, three aircraft TICKETS, and a stockpile of nuclear LOLLIPOPS by midnight on Friday, I will PLAY WITH them on Saturday. In case you think I'm not serious, I am about to throw a BONE in your direction.<br /><br />Dr. Stuart P. Henderson,<br />Secret lair,<br />Volcanic islands, Pacific Ocean urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford:2893 2006-01-31T00:51:25Z 2006-01-31T00:51:25Z I am eventually going to write some of the stuff I've promised. I swear.<br /><br />And I'll post my poems from creative writing class. I hate poetry, but whatever. Maybe it'll be emo! No, wait, that was too happy to be emo. Life sucks. I'm a whiny rich kid from the suburbs. I hate the world.<br /><br />That was more like it. But no, it won't be emo. Because I don't suck at life in general. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford:2571 2006-01-25T05:54:49Z 2006-01-25T05:54:49Z <a href="http://www.newmillenniumcarpets.com/hotelmotel1.htm">http://www.newmillenniumcarpets.com/hotelmotel1.htm</a><br /><br />I found that tonight and knew Trev$ would like to see it. And I know he reads this. So I'm sharing it with everyone. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford:2469 2006-01-18T01:56:02Z 2006-01-18T01:56:02Z I went out earlier today to Radioshack to pick up a few parts. Chief among these was a new RF switch for my second Genesis. That's right, I figured out what was wrong with it. Turns out that the 75 ohm coax connector on the RF switch that I got with it was no good, and just barely connected enough not to fall out. So I finally got to Radioshack, and now I have a brand new one (<a href="http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049803">RS cat. # 15-1267A</a> for those who simply must know). It works perfectly!<br /><br />So I'll be bringing the system to school with me. Here's a preliminary list of what will be included:<ul><li>Sega Genesis and Sega CD, both model 1, with power adaptors and hookup cables<br />(the Sega CD seems to be a bit on the flaky side, I'm not sure what's up with it)</li><li>Sega controller - should I bring the 3 button or the 6 button? or both?</li><li>Sonic The Hedgehog</li><li>Shining In The Darkness</li><li>Starflight</li><li>Dungeons & Dragons: Warriors of the Eternal Sun</li><li>World Series Baseball (1994)</li><li>Sonic 3D Blast</li><li>Sonic 2</li><li>Sonic Spinball</li></ul>Here are some more games that I have but currently don't plan to bring, because I highly doubt that anybody at Olin will want to play them: (let me know if you think I should bring any of these)<ul><li>PGA Tour Golf II</li><li>NHLPA Hockey 93</li><li>Home Alone</li><li>Super Battleship (which really really sucked)</li><li>Monopoly</li><li>Risk</li><li>Clue</li><li>Jeopardy</li><li>The Magic School Bus</li></ul><br />I haven't decided whether or not I should bring these and could use some input:<ul><li>Toy Story</li><li>Aladdin</li><li>Garfield: Caught in the Act</li><li>Desert Demolition</li></ul>If I can get them to work as burned copies, I might also bring Sonic CD, Sega Classics, and Sewer Shark.<br /><br />One final question: Game Genie? urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford:2278 2006-01-03T07:57:27Z 2006-01-03T07:57:27Z Looking back on it, my last post was rather... incredibly emo. So I think I'll put it back in the nerd camp by posting about chemistry.<br /><br />For those who don't know this, chemistry is probably my favorite type of science (at least as far as major fields). I enjoyed chemistry class in high school (even with Deho) so much that I took AP Chem junior year. That was a freaking blast, as the class consisted of myself, Luke Matthews, Lou Vogel, and our teacher Mr. Feighan. Feighan is an absolutely amazing teacher, but it is regrettably impossible to convey this awesomeness in words. I've also read (cover-to-cover) not one but two chemistry books on my own time, not related to either of these courses.<br /><br />But getting back to the point, I was reading E2 tonight when I found a node about "hydrofluoric acid poisoning". From one of the 2 chemistry books I read several years ago, I remembered a mention of HF. The book said that it was an exceptionally weak acid but required special handling for 2 reasons: it eats through glass and something about being especially dangerous if you got it on your skin. There were no further details.<br /><br /><blockquote>Hydrofluoric acid is an uncommon chemical, and with reason. But it is used in the semiconductor industry, for etching glass, in alpha spectroscopy sample preparation, and other cases.<br /><br />Even dilute solutions of HF can cause serious chemical burns. Local effects include tissue destruction and necrosis, as with any acid, but free fluorine ions cause bone destruction, hyperkalemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and sudden death. Deaths have been reported from concentrated acid burns to as little as 2.5% of body surface area.<br /><br />Dilute solutions may not cause any symptoms for some time, until they have diffused through the body and been absorbed. This makes the effects essentially impossible to treat. The fluorine ions also stimulate pain nerves and the sensation is said to be excruciating<br /><br />Damage to bones and nails is likely to be permanent, and permanent nervous system damage may also occur (presuming you live long enough for this to matter, which may be unlikely).<br /><br />Immediate treatment with calcium gluconate gel will substantially improve the prognosis. It is vitally important that all facilities handling HF keep adequate supplies on hand.</blockquote><br /><br />Now I know. Wow. The moral of the story: stay the heck away from hydrofluoric acid. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford:1610 2005-12-21T20:34:11Z 2005-12-21T20:35:10Z <p>A couple weeks ago, there was a competition here to design and build (out of blue foam) a working remote controlled hovercraft. It took me about a week of walking past the display case containing these hovercrafts at least once a day before I figured out what one particularly oddly shaped design was supposed to be. Then in the slideshow this week I saw the following picture, which I thought you might enjoy.</p> <p><a href="http://students.olin.edu/2009/mcrawford/brd_2015.jpg">Battlecruiser operational.</a></p> <p>PS: No, Shane, you cannot buy one of these with mineral crystals and Vespene gas.</p> urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford:1243 2005-12-17T07:46:48Z 2005-12-17T07:46:48Z So I've been meaning to write a work of fiction for some time now, but I haven't because I've had no free time and no good ideas. Since I'll be going home soon with essentially nothing to do for a month, that's one problem solved. The second problem appears to have solved itself today. A random thought that's been floating through my head for a couple months came to me today in such a form that I think I can transform it into a good story. I'll let you know. urn:lj:livejournal.com:atom1:mcrawford:366 2004-11-21T02:57:46Z 2005-12-03T01:53:30Z Not really planning to write stuff, just want to be able to get into private entries. Sorry, I just can't see anything happening to me that's worth writing about.<br /><br />Edit: So I've changed my mind. See above.