August 18, 2001
What a week. I tell you, it's a good thing I don't need that polyethylene glycol laxative anymore, because there's quite enough crap coming at me from the day job without me generating extra crap on my own.And that, my friends, is the last laxative joke I'll be telling for a while.
Thanks go out to all of you who emailed me about PEG (polyethylene glycol). It turns out this stuff comes in different molecular lengths, some of which make great deck sealant, some of which work as non-toxic antifreeze, and some of which used to be in Doctor Pepper. The best explanation I heard about the medical application of PEG said that the molecule can have charges at one end (both positive and negative) which bind nicely to water molecules, while remaining uncharged at the other end. This means that the process in the intestines that grabs water (and which does so through the fact that water is also a very polar molecule) can't grab the loose (I'm not going to say stool, I'm not going to say stool, I'm not going to say stool) END of the PEG molecule, and the bundle of PEG and water passes on through.
And if I'm wrong, it's because someone who emailed me is wrong. Don't flame me. Don't even tell me. I like the polar-molecule explanation, because it reminds me of those Coca-cola bears, Coke reminds me of Dr. Pepper, and we've closed the loop in just two little intuitive leaps. I like my explanations neat. Even if they are irrational.
Sluggy is updating again. I'm happy. Schlock may be your favorite web-comic (some of you have said as much, for which I thank you) but since I always know what's coming next, I don't get as much of a daily thrill out of it. I like reading other people's work. Especially Pete's.
Did I mention that this week was a doozy? Sadly, I can't really talk about it. Suffice it to say, for now, that I was involved in the fastest, meanest, BIGGEST emergency security operation my company has ever known. It's not over yet, either. Maybe someday I'll put all this in my memoirs. Or maybe I'll just use the experience to script some cool Schlock.
For now, though, I'm going to try and enjoy the weekend. Peace out! (no, wait... Peace IN. Chaos, fear, noise, and all the rest of the crap that goes with it can go out. And that's not a laxative joke. So stop giggling at me like that).