. Laugh to erase the dirt on your mind .

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:45:58 GMT

Thu, 15 May 2008 01:47:59 GMT

sooo I worked at NINT for the morning today.

^That thing's worth $400,000 and it's called a nanoindenter.

if you care, it's basically a machine that measures the hardness and elasticity of micrometer and nanometer scale materials.

The simple explanation: it pushes against something and measures how much that thing pushes back against it to figure out if it's "spongey" or "elastic".

The complex explantion: a 3 micrometer wide triangular tip (attached to the thing on the left. impossible to see with the naked eye) is connected to a series of 3 capacitor plates. two of the three plates are separated by a spring with a known stiffness, the third is separated by an air gap.

When the triangular tip hits a material, it compresses that spring, changing the gap between the capacitor plates, thus changing the capacitance. The third plate measures the voltage change caused by this, and interprets it (using the known spring stiffness) as movement of the tip. This is "simple" analog feedback.

First, you place the triangular tip less than about 3 mm above the material you want to test and use the software to line up the crosshairs on the camera with what you want to "indent"... You tell it to "approach" the surface, in the software the machine is attached to. The micropositioners move the tip until it juuuuuust measures that it has touched the surface you want to measure. This takes about 5-7 minutes. Yes. 5-7 minutes to move 3 millimeters.

Then, (having closed the door on the front of the machine to isolate the measurement from air currents) the machine waits for one minute for mechanical vibrations to settle down, then switches to a digital feedback system and waits another minute for the voltages to reach a steady state and settle as much as possible.

The machine then waits another minute, just barely in contact with the surface to measure if the surface expands or contracts with time because of the ambient temperature in the room. (Measures thermal drift) The machine takes an average of the final 20 seconds of this thermal drift measurement and assumes that the subsequent 20 seconds will also have the same thermal drift, using the software to compensate your measurements for it.

Then finally, it takes the measurement... Over 5 seconds it pushes the triangular tip into the material by the depth you specified in the software, typically about 20-100 nanometers (1 nanometer is about 3 atoms wide... or one MILLIONTH of a millimeter) Then the tip waits for 5 seconds, and withdraws for 5 seconds... recording thousands of data points for the voltages on the capacitors I mentioned at the beginning... The data recorded while withdrawing the tip is the really important stuff, since it indicates how much the material pushes back against the tip and if it deforms permanently or returns to its original shape. Then the machine uses those numbers to calculate the material's hardness and Young's modulus.

You repeat these measurements 20-40 times and do some statistical regressions for a decent first order estimate of the hardness of material.

We measured 6 points over the course of an entire morning.

A lot of waiting involved. Very boring, but also very cool.

Fri, 09 May 2008 03:04:36 GMT

well, 2 things have pleased me today

1. I sold my car. For exactly what I asked for it.
2. I get to do some work at NINT for a day next week

http://nint-innt.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/facilities/index_e.html

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 02:47:09 GMT

THE WORST HANGOVER EVER

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 06:03:14 GMT

RULES:
1. Put Your iTunes, Windows Media Player, MP3 Player, or whatever on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.

If someone says, "Is this okay?" You say?
Right where it belongs (LOL)

How would you describe yourself?
No, you don't

What do you like in a guy/girl?
s.adow

How do you feel today?
Broken Drum

What is your life's purpose?
The Great Destroyer (I swear to god, I didn't rig these)

What is your motto?
breed to death

What do your friends think of you?
back home

What do you think of your parents?
ruiner

What do you think about very often?
in the white

What is 2 + 2?
the speed of pain

What do you think of your best friend?
fallen

What do you think of the person you like?
rock is dead (ahaha wtf?)

What is your life story?
where is everybody?

What do you want to be when you grow up?
disappoint

What do you think of when you see the person you like?
the future of speech

What will you dance to at your wedding?
what the fuck is wrong with you

What will they play at your funeral?
killing me killing you (hahaha)

What is your hobby/interest?
rut #2

What is your biggest fear?
putting holes in happiness

What is your biggest secret?
eraser

What do you think of your friends?
I'm not dreaming of you(extended version)

What will you post this as?
THE WORST HANGOVER EVER

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:30:08 GMT

happy new year everyone.

I start my new job tomorrow.

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 04:26:35 GMT

I REALLY hate how no one in this city seems to know the rules of the road.

If you don't know what you're doing on the road, get the fuck off it.

yes, you must let me merge. yes, you must signal when changing lanes. yes, you must wait your goddamn turn to turn left out of a parking lot. no, it doesn't help me get out of a parking stall faster if you stop 2 feet behind me and wait with your signal on, the ONE goddamn time in the day you actually decide to use it. yes, you should get the fuck out of my blindspot. yes, you should go the speed limit, even when driving past a cop. yes, you should hang the fuck up and drive. yes, I hate you because you pull out of your driveway while staring in the other direction. no, your four-ways don't qualify as a parking pass for any space on the road where you could possibly choose to park. no, you don't need to pass me and then slow down to 10 km/hr 3 blocks before the right turn you're about to make without signalling.

and for fuck sake, no, your BMW does not entitle you to change 3 lanes at a time on calgary trail while rummaging in your purse. I will hospitalize you.

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 02:01:27 GMT

so.

I bought the new manson album, as well as a De/Vision remix album over the last couple days... and the new silver sun pickups album.

I also bought a new bed from ikea. it's bigger than my old one, and kate helped me put it together last night.

this weekend off has been a long time coming, and it's been SO nice.

kate and I built bears at buildabear today. she built a dog with kinked ears and an argyle sweater, and I built a koala with a skirt.

I am currently eating sour candy and drinking grape juice.

like a king, I tell you. a king.

Sun, 01 Jul 2007 04:44:02 GMT

what a waste of fucking time

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 00:26:40 GMT

I'm not really sure what to think.

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:56:19 GMT

KATE PEEKS

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 12:25:02 GMT

Thu, 31 May 2007 12:37:17 GMT

holy hell

I'm tired

that's all I ever say anymore

Tue, 22 May 2007 04:46:39 GMT

kate is back!!

dsfjlsldfs.

this pleases me

Sat, 19 May 2007 22:08:15 GMT

I has a fecebook.

add me.

Thu, 17 May 2007 13:08:26 GMT

psst. ilu. I'm gonna miss you this weekend

Mon, 14 May 2007 05:07:46 GMT

I am not a gun

the iron giant is a good movie

I've seen Kate every day this week. I think that might be a first!. she makes me so happy it's kind of ridiculous. I am thankful to have something so good in my life.

my summer is 1/8th over.

I am so counting the days.

Fri, 11 May 2007 03:06:21 GMT

correction: It could be less relevant to my interests if it forced me to work in Boyle, Alberta for a month.

Population: 836.

yee haw?.

:\

Tue, 08 May 2007 11:44:06 GMT

blarrrr. I got my TDG 7 certification for transporting radioactive stuff yesterday. Today I have to be at southgate for an orientation with a certain 3-letter construction company, and then I'm getting training back at the office as a pile inspector. lol

Friday is my CSA / ASTM certification for concrete testing.

ugh.

yesterday sucked ass. Work sent me out to a large concrete company to get 6 bags of flyash with the new truck... I didn't quite realize that there's a 17th street NW and a 17th street NE, so needless to say, I got pretty fucking lost looking for it, and managed to turn a 40 minute trip into a 3 hour one. heh.

anyway, I got a bunch of grades in.

English: A-
Continuous time signals: A
Circuits II: B+
Numerical analysis: B
Thermodynamics: B-

.. just waiting on my grade for Electromagnetics, but it looks like this semester wasn't a total disaster after all.

Fri, 04 May 2007 12:31:38 GMT

well, I saw kate for a bit yesterday, and we had some food and watched "flushed away"

:D

I also finished my first aid training yesterday

I'm really tired this morning, but I apparently actually get to do some WORK today, which might be nice. I hope I don't work this weekend!

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 16:20:24 GMT

so, I was considering getting a 2001 Kia, but I found a sunfire that I liked MUCH better, and bought it instead.

152,000 km, cd player, power locks, just had the brakes and rotors replaced, as well as the spark plugs and water pump.

MUCH better car for the money than the Kia I was going to get.

Today, I think I am taking Kate and her sister to the pop culture fair.

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 03:45:57 GMT

worst. day. ever.

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 23:35:40 GMT

oh man.

so. the ford escort failed to pass the inspection because it had to have the coils in the front replaced, which would drive up the cost to $1800. Now, I am NOT spending that on a ford escort

so ... I'm going to do something even dumber and get a 2001 Kia Rio tomorrow.

Whatever. I require a vehicle and I'm much more comfortable driving that, at half the age of the escort with a third of the mileage on it.

Here's hoping for overtime this summer.

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 06:03:12 GMT

I had a good laugh at this, mostly because I've read enough "funny lists" giving "The girls' rules" for one lifetime thanks to the internet. I'm not really this much of an "asshole male", but a few of these points are really infinitely fucking true.

---------------------------------------

The Guys' Rules

1. Men are NOT mind readers.

1. Learn to work the toilet seat.

You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down.
We need it up, you need it down.
You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a Problem. See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 Days.

1. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't Expect us to act like soap opera guys.

1. If you think you're fat, you probably are. Don't ask us.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways, and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.

1. You can either ask us to do something Or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, Please say whatever you have to say during commercials

1. Christopher Columbus did NOT need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not A color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If it itches, it will be scratched. We do that.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," We will act like nothing's wrong.
We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, Expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine. Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as SEX, CARS, the shotgun formation, or NASCAR.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round IS a shape!

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 04:59:36 GMT

ok, so phys was very very easy for me, and EE 250 didn't really go too terribly gracefully, but I got through it in a reasonable sort of way.

one more to go, and it just happens to be the one that's entirely trivial since I'm a little overqualified to be doing simple CTFT's with math 309 completed. heh.

as of noon tomorrow, I am free!