Carbon Cachet

So I'm watching a college basketball game on TV yesterday and there's an advertisement for a new Visa credit card made of carbon fiber. That's pretty cool, I thought, if I had one I could even use it to scrape ice off the windshield. So I visited the website blackcard.com and found that the card carries a $495 annual fee. Who would want that sort of prestige? Visa must think there are enough people that would be willing to bite. I had been thinking of using some left over carbon cloth to make a license plate frame for my car. A Google search for such an item revealed one made with "100% real carbon fiber" for $50.00. Still too rich for my blood.



So I'm starting to spec the materials for my new gantry. The gantry I have now is made of glass tubes with a carbon sleeve. I suppose the weight is a bit more than a gantry made of all carbon, but the cost is certainly much less. Since the tubes in the gantry are subject to some rapid force changes, especially when crashing, I'm not sure that glass isn't the best choice. Supposedly a glass tube has a little more give before breaking when compared to an all carbon tube which, while stronger, is more brittle. I'm no structural engineer with material expertise, but I sometimes play one when building... (visions of D. Lord?)

Back in Black by Brian Johnson, Angus Young, and  Malcolm Young

Back in black, I hit the sack
I've been too long, I'm glad to be back
Yes, I'm let loose from the noose
That's kept me hanging about
I'm just looking at the sky 'cause it's getting me high
Forget the hearse, 'cause I'll never die
I got nine lives, cat's eyes
Abusing every one of them and running wild

'Cause I'm back, yes I'm back
Well, I'm back, yes I'm back
Well, I'm back, back
Well, I'm back in black
Yes, I'm back in black

Back in the back of a Cadillac
Number one with a bullet, I'm a power pack
Yes, I'm in a bang with a gang
They've got to catch me if they want me to hang
'Cause I'm back on the track and I'm beatin' the flack
Nobody's gonna get me on another rap
So, look at me now, I'm just making my play
Don't try to push your luck, just get out of my way

'Cause I'm back, yes I'm back
Well, I'm back, yes I'm back
Well, I'm back, back
Well, I'm back in black
Yes, I'm back in black

Well, I'm back, yes I'm back
Well, I'm back, yes I'm back
Well, I'm back, back
Well, I'm back in black
Yes, I'm back in black, yow

Ah, yeah
Oh, yeah
Take my love
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
Ah, hey yeah
Ooh, yeah

Well, I'm back (I'm back)
Back, well I'm (I'm back)
Back (I'm back)
Back (I'm back)
Back (I'm back)
Back
Back in black
Yes, I'm back in black
I've hit the sack

ODU uses the first 40 seconds or so of AC/DC's Back in Black to start the Men's BB games. An article in this morning's paper states that the group has almost become mainstream.