What you did today

[Hurlshort]

Being an old fart or something, I'm becoming more and more annoyed when everyone's response to my saying something like "I have to go to insur. offices/DMV etc. to renew" is: "Renew online, why don't cha."

 

.....

 

Because I don't want to, that's why. Gar!

 

My DMV actually told me that I can't renew at the office unless it is late. I have to mail it or do it online. That was after an hour wait, so I've converted to doing it online.

 

It is pretty painless.

[LadyCrimson]

Oh, I do some stuff online, I'm not completely in the stone-ages...couldn't live w/out my banks billpay. But that's using only one website...my bank.

 

I prefer to limit internet credit card exposure when I'm able, and no I don't like Paypal either. Know several IRL who've actually had identifies stolen in recent years as they spent online in ever increasing frequency....One day before I die it's likely they'll be no offices of any kind for such stuff, but until then...I still prefer to hoof it when I can.

[Hurlshort]

Ah, I'm actually hoping for a little identity theft. That way I can blame all my stupid purchases over the years on that.

 

"Someone stole my social security and totally overpaid for this house!"

[Hurlshort]

Speaking of purchases, I need to buy a bicycle. I just want a basic mountain bike, nothing too fancy, so I can recondition my leg.

[Gorth]

Flew to Melbourne yesterday for a meeting that turned out to be shorter than planned. A couple of colleagues and I then spent the afternoon testing the beers someplace close to a riverfront (I think). Several beers later it was time to fly home again (they served wine on the plane), so I felt in a strange enlightened mood when I got home

[Deadly_Nightshade]

I'm hoping that my laptop is not dying as I'd really prefer not to have to buy a new one...

[Calax]

Classes, came home, played a bit of wow, got called a liar ad hominem by taks, still am not talking to my brother, reconnected with an old friend...

 

pretty Meh day so far.

[I want teh kotor 3]

My excitement is peaking. I may head out to Gamestop for the midnight launch.

[Walsingham]

Today I stumped up

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Today I stumped up

[Walsingham]

Today I stumped up

[Tigranes]

There's an ant army invasion in my room going on.

 

Building is built with an open grass patch in the centre. Room faces said patch. Thus, thousands, maybe tens of thousands of ants live just below our carpets. I really don't mind and I don't like killing them, but they come out in hundreds even to raid half a banana in the bottom of the rubbish bin. So I sprayed the whole place and then placed two small basins of liquid anticide near the carpets.

 

Well the first basin has so far attracted.. I don't know, there's at least 2-300 dead in/near the basin and probably double or triple that dead after they've gone back to their nests. I was moving the second basin to the first to support when I realised it leaks! I threw it outside onto the grass patch (genocide, there... oops) but spilled a couple of globs on the bloody carpet. Impossible to wash out completely. One glob is only 30cm away from the basin so the ants have already found it, if they get the other glob 2m away then they'll be all over the room.

 

It's 1am so I'll have to leave it all till the morning, spray like hell and throw the basin out, then vacuum vacuum. I'm thinking the liquid wasn't a smart idea, since I'll never kill them all anyway.

[Walsingham]

There's an ant army invasion in my room going on.

 

Building is built with an open grass patch in the centre. Room faces said patch. Thus, thousands, maybe tens of thousands of ants live just below our carpets. I really don't mind and I don't like killing them, but they come out in hundreds even to raid half a banana in the bottom of the rubbish bin. So I sprayed the whole place and then placed two small basins of liquid anticide near the carpets.

 

Well the first basin has so far attracted.. I don't know, there's at least 2-300 dead in/near the basin and probably double or triple that dead after they've gone back to their nests. I was moving the second basin to the first to support when I realised it leaks! I threw it outside onto the grass patch (genocide, there... oops) but spilled a couple of globs on the bloody carpet. Impossible to wash out completely. One glob is only 30cm away from the basin so the ants have already found it, if they get the other glob 2m away then they'll be all over the room.

 

It's 1am so I'll have to leave it all till the morning, spray like hell and throw the basin out, then vacuum vacuum. I'm thinking the liquid wasn't a smart idea, since I'll never kill them all anyway.

 

Attrition isn't the only way with ants. They're persistent, and they are numerous. You need to attack in depth.

 

1. Remain vigilant and attack any in your area

2. Divert other ants to alternate locations using bait such as raisins which are hard to carry, but very attractive

3. Go to the infrastructure by attacking the nest holes

 

I had HUGE problems with ants in Asia. Although I backed off after a titanic midnight struggle after which they 'buried' their dead in a big mound they made on the kicthen floor, then covered with soil they brought in specially. This convinced me to cease fire. They never invaded again. Very very weird.

[Tigranes]

I wonder what type of ants they were, actually - if I were anywhere near the planet's midriff I wouldn't dare deal with ants with anything other than hair-raising cautiousness.

 

Honestly I think the easiest solution would be to coat several peaches in the liquid anticide, place them strategically in the bushes at the centre of the grass patch, and cause a mass genocide of such proportions that the current ant population would collapse. Then repeated anticide basins in my room and regular sprays should let them know to look elsewhere. I'd rather not do that unless I have to, though.

 

In that last hour, they seemed to have taken care of my glob problem; they've slurped it all up and gone back to the basin, where there's enough now for a quiche.

[Walsingham]

I wonder what would happen if you hyperloaded their food with minerals like calcium?

[Gorgon]

I surmise gassing the tunnels would provide the greatest effect. I suppose it's just the standard little brown buggers, They dont have a chemical attack, or eat babies in their sleep ?

 

Anyway you can't know the dimensions of the hive, maybe you are just unlucky and live next to the front door.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6d5pcr4X30...feature=related

Edited January 27, 2010 by Gorgon

[Gorgon]

Ohh and watch your computer(s) ant's are attracted by the vibrations given off by by electrical machinery. Might want to get the cases off the floor at least.

[Calax]

I've had problems with ants, mainly because there were four nests on our roof at one point. Usually I'd just toss some water on their entrance and hit em with Orange guard (which seemed to kill on contact and wiped out their scent trail).

 

I haven't had a problem since the nests were destroyed by the roofers.

[taks]

be thankful they aren't fire ants. besides the obvious problems those buggers cause*, in my experience they are even harder to get rid of than other ants. we used to chase ants between yards when i lived in florida. put the ant stuff down, they move next door, the neighbor puts some down, they come back, rinse, repeat.

 

taks

 

* fire ants wait till there are sufficient numbers on large targets and bite all at once. a single bite stings, a hundred at once is quite painful, almost enough to knock you over.

[Bokishi]

today i shall study my ass off for a hard exam tommorow

[taks]

i don't miss that.

 

taks

[LadyCrimson]

today i shall study my ass off for a hard exam tommorow

So you'll be taking the exam standing up, then?

 

...the iPad is all the rage on Twitter (most of it in the form of absorbency jokes). The concept sounds ok, but for $500+ I'd rather buy a cheap laptop etc. Trendiness is never cheap.

[Guard Dog]

I bought a car today. It's a 1969 Camaro RS. It's in pretty bad shape. Engine and transmission are shot, interior looks like hell but the body and drivetrain are in great shape. This is going to be so cool once it restored. I had to tow it here, but I'm so excited I can hardly sit still.

[Calax]

Went to philosophy, had a facepalm moment because one of the students suggested not studying or trying to learn about certain things because god didn't give us the tools to do it.

 

I little part of the scientist in me died.

[LadyCrimson]

I bought a car today. It's a 1969 Camaro RS. It's in pretty bad shape. Engine and transmission are shot, interior looks like hell but the body and drivetrain are in great shape. This is going to be so cool once it restored. I had to tow it here, but I'm so excited I can hardly sit still.

My father bought a Camaro (I think it might've been a '67 or '68 tho)...it was blue and cool. When my brother was 16 or 17 it became his car. Many memories of hovering around while he tried to do tuneups on it and such. But car maintenance is not my bro's thing & he trashed it by not taking care of it & eventually it was gone. :/