Random Thoughts on Electricity and The Big Bang

Sure I did physics at school (should have done biology) . . .

Random Whine One:
We had a four-hour blackout at work today. Some Integral Energy twit tripped over an important plug and central Castle Hill lost power. The police got to practice their hand signals (badly) and the entire shopping centre was plunged into darkness (it's like a casino to lure shoppers into not knowing what time of day it is). Power resumed about 11am but not for us . . . we had lights and nothing else and in true form, the Sparky can't make it until tomorrow morning! Yay! Early marks all round. But not before being advised by the building manager to break into the Electrical Cupboard with a long screwdriver because he didn't have a key (thank you Argentinian, your violence with a sharp implement is appreciated). Then me crawling under every computer station in the office (22 at last count) unplugging power chords one by one and trying to 'reset' the circuit breaker (I am too old for this lark) which refused to right itself! So, I have to be at work early tomorrow to greet the Sparky's and hope that one of them is eye candy!

Random Whine 2
Well it's gone 5pm and the CERN Hadron Particle Accelerator is chucking proton nuclei all over the place in an attempt to recreate the big bang. Despite the fact that we all know God created the universe, the Garden of Eden and all that ribbage and snakey stuff and I'm still here.

The principle of the big underground tubey machiney thing in Switzerland (Like that Thrifty?) is to have protons colliding at such a speed, they break, like terabillions (made that up) of fob watches hitting a concrete driveway and we can examine the squiggly springy bits inside. If we do, (notice, I'm lumping myself in with the great minds of the Century) we'll understand the contents of proton nuclei, mass and the possibilities of time travel as well as what went on when the universe went pop!
They're also looking for the elusive Higgs particle which will explain mass. If they can't find it . . well back to the drawing board and all we learned in physics at school about mass is just mess. Einstein will be turning in his grave if mass doesn't exist. Wow, there goes E=MC2! Bummer!

Whilst working on the LHC (Large Hadron Collider - See! I did research!), scientists have created "The Grid" (A network of 60000 computers to analyze what happens when protons are hurled at each other at massive velocity) which will enable sooper dooper (another technical term) ultra-fast internet technologies to be developed.

As for black holes . .well they'll be tiny . . . Stephen Hawking just rang and told me in his Microsoft Sam voice that there's nothing to worry about. I'm still here . . then I'm in Australia so it might take a while to squeeze this fat lady through a small black hole! Anybody out there? Notso? You still alive?

Random Whine 3
I am an Internet whore. Having had no power today has made me realise how empty my day is without lunchtime browsing and the dissemination of funny emails! Well nothing new there but I have made some new email buddies through the blog which I love by the way so feel free to make a connection and I have a new chat friend who has broadband for another week (normally she's restricted to dial up) and is making the most of it and another that's gone back to Uni and I miss him much because he's not online every day and a wayward backpacker daughter who's somewhere in Slovakia or Slovenia or Bosnia or Croatia with lousy WIFI and offline for a couple of weeks. I feel like my lifeline has been re-established and cut at the same time

Random Whine 4
Ah and speaking of POWER and electricity et al. I have two brothers. Both are electricians. One is well, disenfranchised but did wire my house 20 years ago and is therefore responsible for a few things. The other - lives next door.

I have two fluorescent carport lights balanced precariously on the beams because my nephew clipped them with a ladder on top of the Rodeo 18 months ago as he drove through. They don't work so tripping over the dog and landscaper's boots is a nightly occurrence.

Our pool cleaner pump is awaiting repair. So far just some timber has been removed to access the pump in the filter box but Saturday sport has prevented a real fix, so I have to hoick liquid amber tea leaves from the bottom of the pool on a daily basis in an attempt to get it back to 'summer' condition.

One of the lights surrounding the pool fence has been 'knocked over' due to Babybro's lack of tractor driving skill (he's mown once in 4 years) and everytime I boil the kettle with two heater's on, I trip the circuit breaker and then every thing fades to black!

So don't talk to me about black holes! I live in one!