This just in: Midwestern temps approach absolute zero.

News at 10.

Today on NPR, a scientist working in Antarctica shared with us that it's warmer in Antarctica than it is in Kansas today. Seriously. The ANTARCTIC is warmer than the middle of the US. And not just by a little amount: On the Fahrenheit scale, Antarctica was 30 degrees warmer than Kansas this afternoon. Ant-freakin'-arctica.

Not surprisingly, today I had to help a friend with her disabled car. Apparently, −270°C (-455°F) interferes with an automobile battery's ability to hold a charge. Helped another friend replace a headlight. And the Saab - a car designed and built in the icy northern wastes, no less! - barely started. Needless to say, after performing said errands, I picked up more weather-proofing and insulating goodness from Ace Hardware. Despite new garage-door insulation, guess who feels no strong desire to work in the garage this evening? Or to pull out the telescope and try to catch some Mars action?

Oh, and I also picked up some new fire-and-CO detectors to replace the useless devices that came with the house. Just in case the furnace burns out from running all the time.

Keep warm out there!
Chris

This just in: Midwestern temps approach absolute zero.

News at 10.

Today on NPR, a scientist working in Antarctica shared with us that it's warmer in Antarctica than it is in Kansas today. Seriously. The ANTARCTIC is warmer than the middle of the US. And not just by a little amount: On the Fahrenheit scale, Antarctica was 30 degrees warmer than Kansas this afternoon. Ant-freakin'-arctica.

Not surprisingly, today I had to help a friend with her disabled car. Apparently, −270°C (-455°F) interferes with an automobile battery's ability to hold a charge. Helped another friend replace a headlight. And the Saab - a car designed and built in the icy northern wastes, no less! - barely started. Needless to say, after performing said errands, I picked up more weather-proofing and insulating goodness from Ace Hardware. Despite new garage-door insulation, guess who feels no strong desire to work in the garage this evening? Or to pull out the telescope and try to catch some Mars action?

Oh, and I also picked up some new fire-and-CO detectors to replace the useless devices that came with the house. Just in case the furnace burns out from running all the time.

Keep warm out there!
Chris

How to type special characters.

Ever wondered how to type special characters on a Windows computer? Here's a link to all the codes. Press and hold down the ALT key, then type the special code. You have to use the keypad on the right side of your keyboard, and the Num Lock needs to be turned on. For example: ALT + 0200 = È. The letter appears after you release the Alt key.

On the other hand, if you're using HTML view in LJ or making Web pages, just type these HTML special characters. For example: ampersand + trade + ; = ™.

Chris

How to type special characters.

Ever wondered how to type special characters on a Windows computer? Here's a link to all the codes. Press and hold down the ALT key, then type the special code. You have to use the keypad on the right side of your keyboard, and the Num Lock needs to be turned on. For example: ALT + 0200 = È. The letter appears after you release the Alt key.

On the other hand, if you're using HTML view in LJ or making Web pages, just type these HTML special characters. For example: ampersand + trade + ; = ™.

Chris

Weather: Perspective is all.

The temps in Kansas and Minneapolis are about the same this week, yet the forecasts describe it differently. In Minneapolis, it's simply "Wind chills down to -5°F" while in Kansas it's "Bitterly cold," with no mention of numbers. Oh, and the coldest place I've ever lived (Peerless, Montana) continues to deliver: "Mostly clear, with a low around -23°F. Wind chill values as low as -33°F."

In similar news (especially for you, sf_reader), my photos from the first day of Snowpocalypse 2009™:


Here's a shot of my front yard snowscape. Snow is pretty in the sunshine.( click for more )

Weather: Perspective is all.

The temps in Kansas and Minneapolis are about the same this week, yet the forecasts describe it differently. In Minneapolis, it's simply "Wind chills down to -5°F" while in Kansas it's "Bitterly cold," with no mention of numbers. Oh, and the coldest place I've ever lived (Peerless, Montana) continues to deliver: "Mostly clear, with a low around -23°F. Wind chill values as low as -33°F."

In similar news (especially for you, sf_reader), my photos from the first day of Snowpocalypse 2009™:


Here's a shot of my front yard snowscape. Snow is pretty in the sunshine.( click for more )