ferrocene, posts by tag: elements - LiveJournal (original) (raw)

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Dave, a.k.a. ferrocene

That's how I feel. I'm sick yet again. This time, it's a common cold, most likely caught last week while I was giving a series of guest lectures. I have neither then energy nor the enthusiasm to post full stories about the following:Attending the funeral of my dear high-school friend, Ann.Giving a series of guest lectures at a local middle school on the Periodic Table. I brought samples of each element in my collection. A good time was had by all.Preparing a Thanksgiving feast for Joe, my sisters, nephews, brother-in-law & father. It's a shame we didn't all get together to eat, but that's yet another story.I'd like to think that I'll get around to writing these entries, but it probably won't happen. Feel free to ask.Current Mood: sick Tags: elements, family, friends (6 spoon pokes | poke me with a spoon)

I'm back home. For now. Where next? Kenya? Maybe.Now that I've some time to myself, I'm putting it to good use by filing. Filing is an oddity of nature. I've got boxes filled with papers that need filing. I sit down in front of the filing cabinet and put the papers in their place. The files fill up. I generate bucket-loads of waste envelopes and credit card offers. But the boxes filled with papers that need filing are still filled with more papers needing a place. They never go down. They never get smaller. It never ends!Paperwork, it seems, is created ex nihilo by the Universe.So, in an attempt to occupy myself with something more worthy of my time, I've started a new Periodic Table of the Elements project. Music of the Elements.There's so much more out there than Tom's The Elements and Nirvana's Lithium. iTunes and SeeqPod have gobs of it. It seems, however, that I'll probably have to write my own songs for a few of them, _viz.:Europium, EuropiumOh, Columbium, the Gem of the TableThe Rap of Lutetium_As odd as it sounds, several artists have released albums or EPs based on the Periodic Table. Really. Go ahead. Look 'em up.Does that make me "normal", or simply in good company?Look for compilations coming soon.Current Location: Ann Arbor, MICurrent Mood: crazyCurrent Music: Mr. Kona Java & Mono Mitte: Scandium Tags: elements, music (6 spoon pokes | poke me with a spoon)

	My latest element acquisition needs no introduction.Round Mountain Mine in the Ten Mile District of Nevada; Mass: 12.7 gCurrent Mood: enthralled Tags: elements (6 spoon pokes | poke me with a spoon)

I'm spending too much of my money and too much of my time on this element collecting obsession I have. I love chemistry, but I am spending too much time on non-income-producing pursuits. If I don't buckle-down and get some consulting contracts, how can I afford to buy more elements?Enough emo whining. On to the element pictures of the day:A section of a sample of crystalline native Copper spinel twins, from the Itauz Mine, Djezkazgan, Kazakhstan.This area shown is about half of a 3.5 cm sample.And, a rather unusual sample of native, terrestrial Iron. Native terrestrial Iron, as opposed to meteoric Iron, is found in only a few places in the world, and is brought to the surface by deep volcanic activity.From the Hungtukun Massif, Taymer Peninsula, Siberia, Russia. Size: 11 x 12 x 4 mm.I'm doing little else but sleeping and buying elements these days. I've got "son-of-mono" now—reminiscent of what I had a month ago. Still, although I don't do anything much that's productive, I have bought some cool element samples, including one of the last remaining elements which I did not yet have.As always, if you like what you see here, ask me for the hi-res version. I'm really getting a kick out of photographing these samples, and I've recently learned quite a bit about macro photography and lighting.Current Mood: tiredCurrent Music: Big, Big Baby — Masochist Monkey Circus Tags: elements (5 spoon pokes | poke me with a spoon)

My friends, meet Bismuth.First, a sample of native bismuth. It's almost all bismuth, with some of quartz sticking to it, but there's only a bit of metallic glint to be seen.Vilaque River, Los Andes Province, La Paz Department, BoliviaNext, an ingot of bismuth. The colors, pink, yellow and blue, are mostly from a thin oxidation layer. These colors can be seen to greater effect in the hopper crystals commonly sold in nature stores. Yes, I have some of those, too, but I don't need to litter the internet with yet another such image.And yes, my life has other things going on, besides element collecting.Last night, Joe & I saw Vast in concert at the Blind Pig.The night before that, we saw "Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf" in Chicago. My psyche is still trying to recover from all of that catharsis. Lots and lots of catharsis. Bucket loads of catharsis.Current Location: Ann Arbor, MICurrent Mood: contentCurrent Music: Mozart: Magic Flute Tags: elements (3 spoon pokes | poke me with a spoon)

Day 3 in Chicago.Beautiful weather left at noon yesterday. Once again, it's March in Chicago. Cold, windy, sort-of rainy. The low clouds moving off the Lake and through the sky scrapers is eerie. The lake, however, is Michigan.Joe & I met with a linguistics student studying Albanian & Japanese at U of C. He gave us a tour of Boys Town. :)I'm still very fatigued from the fever, so I haven't been a very good chemist at the conference. I did, however, make some important business and friendship contacts. Plus, I bought several new element samples and got many free copies of the periodic table.Tonight, Joe & I are taking in a show: Kathleen Turner in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf.We leave for Ann Arbor tomorrow.Current Location: Chicago, ILCurrent Mood: tired Tags: elements, travel (2 spoon pokes | poke me with a spoon)

The latest additions to my element collection:A native silver wire in quartzite from Uchuc-chaqua Mine, Lima Department, Peru:Dims: 1.9" x 1.3" x 0.9" (4.8 x 3.3 x 2.3 cm), Wt: 18.4 gAn iron & nickel meteorite from Nantan County, Guangxi, China:Dims: 2.17x1.26x1.17in (5.51x3.20x2.96cm), Wt: 3.6oz (102g)I tried bidding on several gold and copper nuggets in a live eBay auction today, but the prices were too rich for my blood. :(OK, must get moving. Must get to Chicago!Current Mood: amused Tags: elements (1 spoon poke | poke me with a spoon)

Two more elements for my collection just arrived!Cs & RbBoth extremely reactive metals. Both sealed in glass. Both very shiny.But Cesium... I must further wax poetic on Cesium. It is a beautiful golden color. It is, without a doubt, the most beautiful element in my collection. I ♥ my preciousess.That leaves me without pure samples of three "reasonable" elements: Li, Cl & As. (F is not a "reasonable" element in this case. Much too reactive with any transparent material.)Totals:Pure elements: 79 of 82Elements in any form: 86 of 95In reality, the only other element on my "in any form" list I'm likely to get is Po. All of the rest are tightly controlled radioactives.Current Mood: accomplished Tags: elements (31 spoon pokes | poke me with a spoon)

| | Sep. 13th, 2006 @ 03:36 pm | | ---------------------------- |

	Well, that was a thrill-a-minute. :^/Come on, people, show some spine! Put your money where your mouth is! Don't let me walk away with your prize just because I bid $5 more than you did!*sigh* Well, to the victor go the spoils. I can check ruthenium off on my table. And what a beautiful sample too!*does victory dance* Current Mood: chipper Tags: elements (14 spoon pokes | poke me with a spoon)

I'm engaged in the battle of my life. My opponent is a world-class competitor. I, tho long of tooth, am a n00b, so I can use advice.So far, most of my ebay purchases have been "Buy It Now" items, or auctions that nobody else is particularly interested in buying. Not the case here. I want this, a big blob of Ruthenium. The Russian is offering this last one, and I have it on good authority that he won't be making any more such samples for a while.Sorry, I can't divulge my sources or the identity of my adversary. I'll let you know if I win. Wish me luck.EDIT: I've placed my bid (and my secret maximum bid). 2006-09-13-03:01; ten hours to go.EDIT the Second: Well, that was anticlimactic. I placed my bid. I won. It's teh sex! (WTF does that mean, anwyay?)Current Mood: anxious Tags: elements (11 spoon pokes | poke me with a spoon)

Elementholic.Hi, Dave.Ummm...I went on this website, and, ummm, bought more stuff. Ummm...and even tho I'm just a collector, the Feds might take umbrage at my purchases. I...I don't know if I want to say this out loud...That's OK, Dave. You're among friends.Ummmm...OK. Well, I bought two more elements: #20 and #90.Oh, Dave. How do you feel about yourself?Weak. I feel weak.Dave, you're not a weak person. You're just in the grips of the Table. Here, Dave. Read this book. It describes a 114-step process to accept your dependence.Geee...OK. Do you think it will work? I mean, some people have done foolish things with these elements.Count on it, Dave. We're behind you 114%!Current Mood: blank Tags: elements (8 spoon pokes | poke me with a spoon)