Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.

Posts for October 16, 2009

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

This may seem like a random question, but I assure you that it is very important. Let's say that I needed to pressurize a room that is 8'x10'x15' to 3 psi (gauge pressure). The room needs to be pressurized in 3 minutes or less. In your opinion what would be the best way to go about doing that. I have considered several options including water displacement, an industrial air compressor, movable walls to compress the room itself, industrial fans, etc. Do you have any creative ideas on how to accomplish this?

-Under Pressure

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ADear Pressure,

I think water displacement is likely to be problematic - 3 psi is approximately .2 atmospheres, so you'd have to fill about a fifth of the room with water. That's probably more water than you really want to deal with.

The main challenge for movable walls would be getting an adequate seal between the moving wall and the stationary walls. If you figured you could get the seal, though, a hydraulic ram system to force in the wall could be relatively inexpensive. if I were doing this, I'd do it based on displacing the ceiling so nothing in the room could get in the way, potentially using a false ceiling so I wouldn't freak anyone in the room out too badly. This'd be a challenge, though, and you'd have to do some fairly serious independent design work - there isn't exactly a full suite of stock components for this type of thing.

Fans are typically good for high-volume applications while compressors are typically better for high-pressure, but fans would be deafening and extremely disruptive to anything happening in the room, so this is probably a compressor problem. What you probably really want is one industrial air compressor good to 300 psi and a pressure vessel with a volume of 339.802 L or so (say Mathcad calculations) - large enough that pouring a vessel full of 300 psi air into the room would raise room pressure by the required 3 psi. The compressor could run the vessel up to this pressure at your leisure, and with the right valve setup you could then do a relatively fast bleed into the room. Note that that is relatively fast; you could blow eardrums out if you just did a straight dump. Anyone who heard the DC cannon, which operates somewhere around the 100-120 psi range, will know that rapidly decompressing any volume of compressed air can be a noisy adventure indeed. But with a carefully controlled bleed rate I think this'd be relatively quiet, inexpensive, and straightforward, so I'm calling it the best solution.

Safety warning: get professional help before doing any of the above; I refuse to be held liable if you actually take anything I say seriously. Pleasure doing business with you.

~Ƥ. Ɗ. Kirĸe

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I just got back from today's (October 6) dance devotional and was wondering: can you get the names of all the songs the dancers performed to? They were all pretty fun songs, especially the Indian ones. Thanks!

- lellow nemanem

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ADear lellow,

Sorry for the late response. I've had all of the songs except for one for a few days and have been trying to chase down the last. However, things haven't gone as planned.

But, here's what I've got:
- Dancer's Company: Crunchy Granola Suite by Neil Diamond
- Ballroom: Kaboom by Lady GaGa. At least, that's what I was told by people "in the know". Seems like quite the dirty song to ballroom dance to...
- Tap: A custom Michael Buble mix. I don't care enough about his name to accent it.
- Folk: Balle Balle (Punjabi Wedding Song) from Bride and Prejudice. Probably the Indian one you're looking for.
- Ballet: Nobody seems to want to tell me (not even the Dance department).

So, there you have it. Almost.

-Commander Keen

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I have a friend who is currently on a mission, so I'm helping find stuff out for him. He's interested in trying out for the football team, and is wondering when walk-on tryouts are. I can't find the information everywhere, and the archives had a question back from 2005--is the info the same as it was then, or what...because this http://universe.byu.edu/node/1... article talks about them being at the beginning of fall semester, but the archives mention winter? Help please?

-Friend and Elder with many thanks.

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ADear Friend and Elder,

I called the BYU Football Office and the secretary informed me that there are actually two tryouts; one of them is held at the end of January, and the other is at the beginning of fall. I'm not sure if it has always been this way, or if this is a recent thing, but it certainly gives Elder a little more flexibility in his choice!

You didn't mention when Elder is coming home from his mission, but I suggest that you make sure to either visit the office or call soon (801/422-2916) to get a little information on when to sign up, and what he'll be expected to do at the tryout. Besides, obviously, playing football.

Marzipan

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I have a roommate that snores very loud and I am a terribly light sleeper so it keeps me up for a lot of the night! Do you have any suggestions to help me with this problem? I use earplugs but they just won't stay in. PLEASE HELP!!

- Nabisco

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ADear Nabisco,

Oh how common a problem this is.

My suggestion is to try different ear plugs and see if those fit any better. Get creative with making them stay in your head. You can also try something that makes a lot of white noise, like a fan.

- The Black Sheep

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

So, um Glowstick Cannon...

Who designed that bunch of AWESOMENESS for Divine Comedy, and would you like to tell us a little about it? (ie. design, etc?)

- Il Guanaco

PS. the DC show was great, and kudos to you for providing the glowstick cannon...

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ADear Il Guanaco,

Thanks! That'd be me (see archives, but don't worry about it as long as you're being so complimentary). I'll mostly let the pictures speak for themselves, as in them you can see most of the things about the design that I'd want to tell you (approximate sizes, etc.) - I don't want anyone actually building one of these based on a Board post.

A view down the barrel. (With the reservoir dead empty.) We put in up to about 120 glowsticks at a time; it should be able to fit more than double that. And given that DC used 12,000 glowsticks (yes, that is a twelve followed by three zeroes) across their four best-of shows last winter, it might indeed be used for some very large payloads.

Now here is me posing with the cannon. From this picture you will observe that I am white. Somehow I don't think my secrecy on BYU campus is threatened by this revelation.

Finally, a candid shot from (I think) shortly before I fired.

I said I'd mostly be quiet, but I've got to give my roommate a shout-out - he was right there with me for the construction and did a beautiful job on the switch assembly. Beyond that, when I phoned him Friday night from the Tanner Building desperate for visegrips, he came through with them. Anyone who a) just has tools lying around and b) will bring them to you for a secret project on a moment's notice is obviously my kind of guy.

Finally, thanks to all of DC and especially Gregory for asking the question and working with me through the project - this was an incredibly fun project, and now having been on the inside a little bit I'm even more convinced now how cool DC is. Much like the Board, they're some very interesting, capable people individually, they have a chill but effective culture collectively, and they have an awesome mission. Not to mention that we share opinions on BYUSA. There's not a lot more you could ask for.

~Ƥ. Ɗ. Kirĸe

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

This question has been bothering me for quite a while. I'm married right now, but my fiance is going to deploy soon. I have one semester left at BYU. Should I live in married housing by myself or in singles housing?

- Chi

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ADear Chi,

Wait a minute, you are married but you have a fiancé? I will assume that is a typo and you are not married. On that note, I have a woman friend who has a husband deployed in Afghanistan right now. They have been married for a year and a half and she lives in single housing while he's gone. It is a good way to save money, and you should be okay so long as you make it PAINFULLY CLEAR that you are off the market.

Dr. Smeed

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

What are the differences between "Soft Hoagie Buns" and "Regular Hoagie Buns", other than name?

- Submerged Blimp

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ADear Submerged Blimp,

Other than the name, the differences mostly come down to how they feel.

As the name suggests, "Soft Hoagie Buns" are (you guessed it!) typically softer. Go ahead, give it a little squeeze! Of course, it's hard to quantify just how soft they are, but thankfully we at least have a relative comparison in their cousin, the "Regular Hoagie Bun."

Were we to also consider "Hard Hoagie Buns," we could further distinguish the differences between the aforementioned buns brother duo. I know what you're thinking: "But, CK, I thought you just said they were cousins!" You're right, I did, but only because the Bun relatives have a complicated relationship, that's all. How else do you think we see such varied phenotypes in softness?

Returning to the main point, it's my personal opinion that creating such a trichotomy would further alienate the outliers (that is to say, "Soft" and "Hard") and give greater emphasis to the middle man (meaning, of course, "Regular"). I, personally, don't want these "Regular" Joes to saturate the hoagie market more than they already do, so we'll leave that part alone.

So, as conclusive evidence to this well-researched study, I present the following flowchart for your consideration.

-Commander Keen

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

Why are people from the Netherlands called 'Dutch'; or more appropriately, why isn't the Netherlands called 'Dutchland'?

- Bule Gila

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ADear Bule Gila,

Netherlands is the name of the country. "Dutch" refers to the language, the ethnicity of the majority of the people who live in the Netherlands and anything associated with the Netherlands. So, let's clear this up: a Dutch person, living in the Netherlands calls his country "Nederlands." This is the name that is printed on the currency and stamps. The word "nederlands" means "low lands" in the national language, which, again, is Dutch. The word and classification "Dutch" probably came from early English sailors who met Germanic sailors who introduced themselves as being "Deutch." As far as "Dutchland" goes, that would be like asking why isn't this country called "Americanland" or England called "Englishland." People from the Netherlands refer to themselves as "Nederlanders." According to this article about the Netherlands, in Dutch, there isn't any problematic mixing up of the adjective and the noun usage of the word.

- Rating Pending (who also notes that you didn't mention Holland, which is technically the two southern provinces, but can be used to refer to the entire country)

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

So who's better at Mario Kart? Humble Master or Sky Bones? (Board Question #50402)

- Giovanni Schwartz

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ADear john black,

If you dial it back to the original Super Mario Kart for the SNES I'm confident I could take any writer, or any reader for that matter.

YES, THIS IS A CHALLENGE.

-Cognoscente

ADear Giovanni,

Me. In fact, I've offered to go up against Sky Bones a few times over the last few months, and she always ignores it.

Probably because she's scared.

-Yellow

ADear Yellow,

Hah, bring it! I don't recall you challenging me in the last few months. The problem is I just haven't gotten my Wii connected to the internet here in Japan yet. My brother is sending me an adapter from America, so hopefully that will be fixed by the end of the month. And when it is, you'll be sorry.

Dear Giovanni Schwartz,

I'm quite proud of my video gaming skills. Mario Kart Wii happens to be one of my favorites. I'd be totally down for a Mario Kart Wii showdown if Humble Master agrees. Apparently Yellow wants to get his trash kicked, too. Of course, there is the issue of still waiting to get my Wii hooked up to the internet as I mentioned above.

Dear Everyone,

I have gotten gold on all eight of the cups on 150cc. Yes, even Rainbow Road. Hah, take that!

-Sky Bones

ADear Sky Bones,

I have not only gold medals on all the 150cc cups, but star rankings on most of them.

And yes, you should get your Wii hooked up. Then we can play Super Smash Bros. too.

-Yellow

ADear Juan Negro,

You didn't ask this, but I am hands down the worst at this game. I once lost to a five-year-old at Wal-Mart. MY SECRET SHAME.

Dear everyone else,

FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!

We should have a tournament at the next Board party...

Dr. Smeed

ADear Giovanni

To answer your original question: I am.

-Humble Master

P.S. I have no evidence of this, as I've never raced Sky Bones or any other Board writer, but I have faith.

ADear Cognoscente,

I know I'd be able to smack you down in Super Mario Kart. If we are ever in the same room together with an SNES and SMK I will make it happen. Bring. It. On.

Dear Yellow,

Let's not get too cocky here, we all know I've smacked you down good at least as many times as you've beaten me.

Dear Sky Bones and Yellow,

I currently hold 1-star or better on all 32 grand prix (this includes Mirror Mode) and I just finished unlocking all 32 expert staff ghosts on the time-trials.

Dear Everyone,

As I've suggested to Yellow in the past, we should definitely have Board Mario Kart night every so often. It would be incredible.

-Curious Physics Minor

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

Recently I found out that my friend is related to three (three!) board writers and it got me thinking. How many of you knew each other pre-writer status? Did some of you become writers already knowing friends or family who were former or current writers? And though it's unlikely, did any of you become writers and then find out that you actually knew a writer in real life, though you did not know werf was a writer beforehand (even if you just knew werf as that one kid in your class)?

Bea

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ADear Bea,

Actually, when I got on as a writer, I was shocked to discover that I knew Kicks and Giggles in real life (she was in my freshman ward and was my best friend's roommate).

Also, obviously, I knew Foreman, as we spent his whole life being siblings and all.

-Claudio

ADear Bea,

Miss Scarlet and I knew each other before she became a writer. We had a class together and have a few mutual friends.

After I became a writer, I found out that The Cleaning Lady and I had been on our Relief Society's Enrichment Committee for several months when she was still an active writer (she had retired a couple months before I became a writer, by the way). Ironically, in my pre-writer days she was one of my favorite writers. I even recently e-mailed her and told her how awesome I think she is. Hooray for strange 100 Hour Board connections.

And I always find it amusing when I become friends with another writer on facebook and see our non-Board-related mutual friends.

-Sky Bones

ADear Bea,

I first heard of the Board because I knew a writer in real life - specifically Uffish Thought. Through her I became friends with Optimistic. and L'Afro, and I serendipitously moved in with Baked Alaska all before applying. And because of my previous life under another pseudonym, Sauron knew who almost all of the writers were before we applied as a team.

Since my former alias a few writers have come and gone that I knew in real life first, namely Kicks and Giggles and The Meanest Flower.

Turns out that I'd also met Dragon Lady and The Heartless Siren a year or so before I first became a writer: they were roommates with some of my good friends, the very same good friends who were the butt of the joke around which the Dragon Lady legend was born.

We're all in this together,
Waldorf (and Sauron)

ADear Bea,

Yup, I knew a Board writer or two before I became one. I may have even been related to them.

I may even be one of the three you referenced.

-Commander Keen

ADear Bea,

The person who first introduced me to the Board is FCSM's little sister, so in a way I guess you could say FCSM is responsible for my writership, though that irony might kill her. I'm going to finally meet FCSM this December, though, so don't tell her I said that. That's as close as I got to knowing any writers during my pre-writer days, although my cousin was very briefly a Board writer during the time I've been writing.

- The Black Sheep

ADear Bea,

I only knew one writer before I myself became one. It was P.D. Kirke, and we were in the same primary classes a long time ago. We didn't really talk again until... now that I think about, probably until he found out I had applied to be a writer. We became Facebook friends a couple months before my writer-ship began! It was a hilarious coincidence.

Also, like Sky Bones, I have noticed that some of my new writer Facebook friends and I have the same mutual friends, even though I never met the writers before. It's a mad world, my friends.

-Mico

ADear Mrs. Arthur-

I've known Claudio for a mighty long time, and he was a writer a while before me. Through him, I met Dragon Lady and Yellow (though I didn't realize who they were at the time) and Cognoscente (he was easier to identify) before I applied for myself.

I knew Commander Keen and Miss Scarlett before they became writers. How? Well, those are different stories.

I practically forced Buttercup to apply.

Wackiest story: once I was waiting for a class to start, and a nice young lady sat next to me. We chatted a bit (though I was, coincidentally, at my most socially awkward that day) and went our separate ways after class. The next day I got this through the Board's messaging system: "You wouldn't happen to be taking [class], would you? -[habiba]" Turns out we had that and another class together that semester, but neither of us knew who the other person was beforehand. Crazy, huh?

-Foreman

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QDear 100 Hour Board,

I wanted to give a suggestion to an organization for improvement (Not the 100 Hour Board – I love it the way it is!). Without going into too much detail of such organization, I felt the organization was so big that my suggestion would have been not really taken seriously. If I gave them a short response of my suggestion, I saw it been ignored. If I gave them a large detailed and in-depth suggestion, I saw them probably think I was abit crazy, and still had it ignored. I know of another person who gave a suggestion in to the same organization – He didn’t seem to get a response back…

In the end I just tried to do something with my suggestion, rather than pass it on. In your opinion, if you had a suggestion to give to a large organization, would you try and keep it short and simple, make it as detailed as possible, or just try to do something about it without submitting the suggestion in the first place (Or something else completely new)? I want to know what you all think I could have done, and know what I should think if I have another chance to make a suggestion…

-TheGuy

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ADear Guy,

I think that in your particular circumstances, you did exactly the right thing. I mean, if they won't listen to you when you submit it in two very reasonable formats, there's not much else to do except try and effect some change on your own.

Oh wait, I read that wrong. Are you saying you just went ahead and did something without actually trying to go through proper channels? Probably not the best move, especially (as RP says below) depending upon what this organization is and your place in it.

Of course, you could directly confront the leadership of said organization, if you already haven't. If it's something you really care about, show them that you mean business. If they still don't care, consider if your time might be better spent elsewhere (unless it's a job...don't quit unless you've got a good backup plan).

At least, that's what I would do.

-Commander Keen

ADear TheGuy,

I think your course of action is entirely dependent on what this "organization" is and what your role in it or your relationship to it is. For example, your course of action in a work setting would probably be different than if you were just an outside observer or an occasional participant of, say, a volunteer organization.

While more information might shed more light on your circumstance, I think that it would have been good for you to submit a short, concise suggestion of some kind before trying to act on that idea. You mentioned that your friend gave a suggestion and never heard back. Maybe if they received enough suggestions from enough people, they would would start to make an issue of it? Maybe if you included a request in your suggestion asking for some kind of response, just to let you know that it had been received and read, you'd be more likely to hear from them.

The problem with just going ahead and doing something on your own is that most corporations and organizations have protocols and procedures in place to deal with feedback. They also have managers and supervisors who are responsible for implementing new policy. I'm just pointing out that, even if you mean well, if you start doing things differently, you might be going over someone's head. Even if you don't expect anything to come about because of your email, your letter, or your slip of paper in the suggestion box, that doesn't mean you should try to do something on your own. This is especially true when the desired change you are suggesting doesn't fall within your responsibility. And if it did fall within your responsibility, you probably wouldn't be suggesting anything to this large organization anyway.

- Rating Pending (who also suggests short, concise suggestions)