The large rain down doth rain

We've been having power blackouts regularly all morning at work, but since we have several layers of emergency backups/generators they haven't lasted more than a few minutes of effective non-functionality. (The emergency batteries kept the safety lighting on at all times and then the on-site generators kicked in. And now that my computer is laptop-based rather than tower-based, I don't even risk crashes.) Of course, every time the power goes out and the generators kick in, the folks in the production areas have to go running around to reset all manner of switches and settings and to verify that all the essential equipment is operating as required. Fortunately, we have SOPs and checklists for these circumstances. (One of my investigations a year or so back was for an unusual case: the city power flickered off so briefly that it didn't trigger the generators or even come to anyone's visual notice ... but a few essential fermenter pumps shut off and didn't automatically restart. So nobody noticed until the operating parameters started going wonga.) We have a fascinating power situation since the site draws off both the Berkeley and Oakland grids and each major production building has a separate emergency generator.

I guess I'll find out next week if we get any investigations falling out of this storm.

Just curious

There's a meme going around to the effect of "comment with something you think I should do or try to do in 2008". In my brain, this combined with my idea of identifying half a dozen projects from my to-do list to focus on in 2008, so here's an idea:

Without knowing what, exactly, is already included in those 80+ items on my to-do spreadsheet, what would you be interested in seeing on my 2008 "focussed to-do list". Keep in mind that this is my "creative projects" list (not the house to-do list) and includes everything from physical crafts to research projects to publications. No promises on what actually ends up on it!

TwelfthNightCon

xrian and I are in room 533. (Well, I am ... and she will be when she gets here. Eventually.)