Have we done anything productive today?

[tophatdan]

took a client to get stitches out, just got home.

i am taking a quick break and then it is off to take another client for surgery, then back for a dr. oppt, then onto take a test and finally paying bills. its a busy day.

[Sir Nikolas Vendigroth]

In the style of Gordon Ramsay:

8 page geotechnical report: Done!

[ForestB]

I have smashed and (hopefully) melted bottles in my kiln...it's an experiment that I hope works..

[James Harrison]

In the style of Gordon Ramsay:

8 page geotechnical report: Done!

Splice the mainbrace! 

[Xenos]

Not really.  Worked my can off, found out my new manager has let the power go to his head, and watched the new south park.

Altogether, I feel quite content, if somewhat of a failure...

[James Harrison]

I spent two hours this afternoon in the Central Library reading the relevant volume of Victoria County History for research for my latest essay.  Then came home and downloaded an academic paper of 1955 dealing with exactly the same building as I'm writing about (sometimes fate smiles upon me.) 

I think this counts as productive...

[Rockula]

Today I ordered two pairs of so-called 'gunslinger' trousers and suspenders (one pair in brown, another in black), made arrangements to meet up with two old friends tomorrow night who we haven't seen for two years, ordered a box-set of 20 Spaghetti Westerns, took delivery of another 4 books (I now have 8 to read), made the dinner, made the bed and remembered to buy new eco-friendly bulbs for every light and lamp in the house.

 I also spent some time considering whether to buy one of these.

http://www.joebrowns.co.uk/sp+The-Great-Coat+JA095

This evening will be devoted to brandy.

[Xenos]

I also spent some time considering whether to buy one of these.
http://www.joebrowns.co.uk/sp+The-Great-Coat+JA095

I'd say if you can afford to buy it, do so.  They rock.  Plain and simple.

This evening will be devoted to brandy.

I envy your evening...

[Vienna Fahrmann]

    I got some of my backlog of unfinished sewing projects worked down.

    vienna

[CaptainPhania]

Due to unforseen circumstances, I'm probably not going to meet today's target of finishing a quarter of a painting and getting the lineart done for the next one.
The most productive thing I have done is getting a little bit of exercise and managing to walk past my old geography teacher without calling him a twat.

[Lady Ava]

Broke of a VERY negative relationship, and completed three engineering assignments, and one on economics and finance.

Turns out, heartbreak doubles your productivity! 

[Sir A Poiselamppe]

Signed on with yet another agency... 

[Siliconous Skumins]

Today I "Macgyvered" a device to quickly recharge a dead car battery, out of necessity (well technically out of the stuff in my junk box...) as my car battery is failing and the bugger was totally flat - and I needed to get somewhere urgently. 
I have a couple of those cheap jump-starter battery pack things, but my car needs a LOT of power to start, and the dead battery was soaking up too much of the power for the starter motor to turn the engine over. Even with two packs connected at the same time!  To top it all off, I couldn't disconnect the battery as I didn't have my tools with me at the time.

My 'device' is a quickly hacked together high current switchmode battery charger (selectable between 7 and 14 Amps), powered by the two heavy duty 12V SLA batteries from the jump-starter packs, and connected in series for 24V (you need a charge voltage of at least 14V to charge a car battery).  A 24V battery pack would cause a flat car battery to surge a huge current as it charges, enough to cause the battery to boil and explode! So this is regulated to 19V constant output, and the current is limited to a safe level.  This only charges the battery with what is known as a "surface charge", the battery will temporarily have enough power to start the car (in short burst from the starter motor). 

I had my car started in about 15 - 20 minutes of connecting the charger!   

And before anyone says 19V is way too high - yes *technically* it is, but only for a constant charge as it causes the positive plate grid to wear faster. It is actually safe to do so as the battery lowers the voltage untill it's fully charged.  Most solar power systems actually deliver 19 to 22 volts into 12 volt lead-acid battery banks without ill effects, as long as a controller is present to switch off the charge current once the battery reaches it's fully charged voltage (14.4 - 14.9 volts). Better / more expensive controllers will regulate the voltages and current to the battery bank of course, but this is outside of the topic here. 


Quite pleased with my efforts. 

SS

[Mad Alice]

Today, I (finally) finished a paper about Victorian corsetry and its physical effects. When I had to orally present my topic, I felt rather clever and somewhat of a hypocrite; I was wearing a corset during the presentation. I wear one nearly every day, but today, it felt relevant. I even used it to visually show them the anatomy of the corset, such as the boning, and the fact that corsets have changed. We certainly don't use lead boning anymore!

[Aleister Crow]

I finally got off my lazy backside and carted the cable box down to the local office and had the service shut off. I'm sure I can find better uses for that $80 a month than spend it on something I never even use. Honestly, I'm not even sure why I kept it this long.

[Captain Shipton Bellinger]

The memsahib and I taught ourselves a new skill - making glass beads. Great fun. 

[Sir A Poiselamppe]

Spent the day making a large Pool for an exhibit at the Old Vic tunnels.....

[James Harrison]

I spent an hour or so this afternoon going around what used to be The Golden Cross Inn in Oxford, photographing the C15 timber framing (some of which actually still has moulding on it), the C15 painted walls and the earlier, C14 oak doors onto the street.  All for an essay about a Medieval building and how it has changed over the years.  So yes, I had a productive hour or so. 

I also spent a couple of hours working on another assignment for Uni and got all of my 'housekeeping' done for the week.  Well, most of it.  I still have to iron my shirts    Putting that job off. 

The rest of the day, sadly, fell victim to the internet.

[Siliconous Skumins]

Very productive day - I finally have cleared out the whole back sitting room (old house, has a front 'good' room for 'best' which would rarely be used, and second 'everyday' sitting room at the back) and removed the carpets, ready to make my new steampunk style study / gentlemens club style drinking area.     It may not sound much, but if you had seen just what, and how much, was in the room to begin with, well.....

Floor to be sanded next, secure / repair a couple of floorboards that were taken up at some point, and then floor stained 'Dark Oak'. Room should be ready in time for Christmas, but sadly I won't be able to install the open fire for a little while yet (needs a little repair work to get is in a working state).

SS

[James Harrison]

Very productive day - I finally have cleared out the whole back sitting room (old house, has a front 'good' room for 'best' which would rarely be used, and second 'everyday' sitting room at the back) and removed the carpets, ready to make my new steampunk style study / gentlemens club style drinking area.     It may not sound much, but if you had seen just what, and how much, was in the room to begin with, well.....

Floor to be sanded next, secure / repair a couple of floorboards that were taken up at some point, and then floor stained 'Dark Oak'. Room should be ready in time for Christmas, but sadly I won't be able to install the open fire for a little while yet (needs a little repair work to get is in a working state).

SS

You are doing exactly what I want to do when I finish with Uni and buy an Edwardian house.  You MUST start a thread on this in Tactile 

[Sir A Poiselamppe]

Spent from 10:45 to 22:30 in the theatre doing a get in.....I am so fed up with Bagels for lunch......

[Prof_Von_Grumbleflick]

Sir Poiselamppe.. I'm desperately jealous of you. But not about the bagels. This weekend, I've been up to: (you might not want to have the sound on for this:)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Although it IS safe for work and kids and all (actually, probably only sitable for children) , To be fair on your senses, I warn you, this is NOT pretty. Open the spoiler only if you are ABSOLUTELY sure for I am not responsible for the consequences or therapy costs incurred in the visual/aural assault herein.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Olly Murs Sings His New Single Thinking Of Me On The X Factor On Sunday 21st November 2010 (External Embedding Disabled)
Just stage work, really... six phone boxes... Effing heavy. Four street lamps. Also effing heavy. Two cast iron park benches. Deceptively effing heavy. All whilst my artur-itis decided to be a mean bugger and refused to let me walk. Don't think anyone noticed though.
I HATE X Factory with a passion, but I remained professional and didn't set fire to the studios.

[Siliconous Skumins]

You are doing exactly what I want to do when I finish with Uni and buy an Edwardian house.  You MUST start a thread on this in Tactile 

Indeed, that is a good idea.   I'll find my camera and get some W.I.P shots as I go.

I also have a rather nice item to frame up and hang on the wall - the original deeds to the building plots on the land, dated 1901 (My great-great grandfather was one of the builders / developers for the area). 

SS

[greensteam]

Been 'Bailie-ing' [representing the Lord Provost pf Glasgow] at the Glasgow gang Show, where I nearly wet myself trying not to laugh at a stageful of Glaswegian scouts and guides attempting cockney accents for a 'London Medley'. Very very funny, nearly as awful as the sainted Dick Van Dyke.

Also hung the curtain and laid the syrian rug in the room I have been steaming for daughter's return. Just shelves to do and then all her stuff can go in.

[Indefinitive]

Hit my target just after noon, and proceeded to set pre-authorized debits throughout the whole day. Spent a grand total of seven hours working on my list, and then spent another hour setting them before I could go home. Normally, I only set for the next two weeks or so. Today, I set them to the end of January so I wouldn't have to worry about them when I go on vacation. I'll have to keep tabs on which ones are going off at what time so I can update them a day beforehand just to make them a little more accurate. That way, I have them set first, so I can even cut off mortgage and regular bill payments. I set a total of one hundred and forty seven today. And then tomorrow, I can spend my early day hunting for and correcting keying errors for four hours before I go home.

Tonight I also went and saw Harry Potter with my roommate... and who was sniffling in the back of the theatre when the one character died at the end? No, couldn't have been me. Must have been my roommate. Absolutely wasn't me. xD On the bright side, we snuck in some vodka soaked gummy bears. I was happy about that.