University of Texas builds proto-Bender:

And, while most artificial muscles are powered by electrickery, Baughman has used raw booze to get his muscles to contract and do the job your right arm’s for.

The muscles are built out of an elastic metal called shape memory wire. Baughman explains that the material contracts when heated. The contraction, he says "is like the contraction of arm muscles in our body."

The shape memory wire is coated with a catalyst and alcohol added. The subsequent reaction with oxygen in the air causes the mixture to burn, heating the muscle until it contracts.

They really need to add a speaker and a recording that says "Bite my shiny metal ass" whenever the arm flexes.

Eek about the car/apt accident, though. Do you know if it will have any lasting impact to the other tenants or the building?

They didn't say anything yet, but since they only have plywood covering the open hole in the building and nothing bracing the outside wall up, I'm guessing that the weight-bearing part wasn't affected. Which is good, because my balcony is only two flights up from the hole!

My sister was such a great baby. Quiet, happy, rarely cried.

My brother Never. Shut. Up. Always screaming, always crying, not any fun at all. I remember banging on my parents door at 3 am, my brother screaming in his crib and said, "You REALLY need to take him back. Or put him in the basement."

Aimee, this is exactly why Allie still calls David "Rachel", she still wants a sister and it's been 10 years!

Dawn, I am laughing out loug. Literally. Embarassingly. In my office.

Does she commonly call him Rachel or only when he's being a weasel?

(And a sneaky hi-five to Topic!Cindy, who voiced my own suspicions a couple weeks back...)

Yeah, Cindy totally glommed onto JZ's not entirely subtle revelation that she was sleepy and blurpy. ("What're you doing talking about how you feel in front of Buffistas!?! All they do is try to figure out the next plot revelation!")

I don't know if you all recall my story of how JZ and I got engaged, but I did have to work through a lot of issues about becoming a parent again. One thing that tipped me over was thinking about that picture JZ used as her icon over on WX, when she was a toddler and was standing there playing with her ear. And she had dark wavy hair and big eyes and looked watchful and smart and sweet and strong. And I thought, "Yeah, I'd like a little girl like that."

The other thing was an image that came to my mind of Jacqueline being pregnant and my hand was on her belly and she looked up into my face and smiled. And when I thought about that I wanted it. I thought, "I would want to meet the person that was half me and half her and wholely themself."

So. I'm very happy that Jacqueline is pregnant and particuarly pleased that it's a girl this time.

and particuarly pleased that it's a girl this time.

Or perhaps a boy with a tiny weewee.
t ducks

Awww, that's lovely. I know it's been a leap for you, Hec, but I know it will be so, so worth it. Best wishes to you both, and your co-production in utero.

Edit: the awww was for Hec, not Jon - xpost!

Okay, ow. I've unpacked the rest of my boxes, done tons of dishes, and have put some chicken in the slow cooker. Now I just need to contemplate doing laundry, take a shower, and go to the grocery store to get stuff for whatever I plan to do with the chicken.

I probably should figure out what I'm making before that, huh. Any suggestions?

"Or perhaps a boy with a tiny weewee. t ducks "

Hey, some ducks have a penis half the size of their body!