affable-lurking

I’ve switched off my G4 Powerbook for the first time in about 6 months to pull the battery and see if I’m eligible for a new one under the Apple battery recall program. I was rather hoping I was, because battery life on the laptop is now down to about 45 min. A shiny new battery would be very welcome.

Alas it is not to be, I have one of the nonexplodey battery types. Having just seen the price of a replacement battery for this machine I fear I shall be living with an ageing battery for quite a long while to come.

When you are practising science on a tiny budget you sometimes have to get creative with replacement equipment. The following happened nearly a year ago, I’ve just happened to find what I wrote at the time.

Taken from a chat log at the time.

[dtl-afk] I’m just about to ask stores to reimburse me from petty cash for a box of condoms, this could be interesting.
[friend] oh my. um, why?
[dtl-afk] we needed a thin flxeible tube, and the only thing we could think of was those
[dtl-afk] it sort of works
[friend] HAHAHA
[dtl-afk] cue me going to the chemist asking for “a box of thick unlubricated condoms please” “no we don’t have those” “oh, a box of extra safe then I suppose please”
[friend] i can just imagine the quartermaster going “are you sure you weren’t having a lunchtime quickie?”
[dtl-afk] quite probably knowing Alan (the storeman)

Stores were closed that day. I did get a ribbing next day when I made the claim. The things I do for science.

With the news that 10,000 bags have been misplaced at airports since the start of the terror alert, you may be wishing for a simple, easy way to make sure your bags do not get lost. I suggest you label your luggage with these attractive stickers:

lables

For the first time an entire state of matter has now been declared a security risk, a handy cut out and keep chart annotated with the various alert levels can be found here.

via pharyngula