Runaway
“Run, Forrest, run!”
Total distance in January: 262.89 miles
Total distance necessary in January to keep pace with 2,500 miles for the year: 211.75 miles
Rockin’.
Internet Explorer Cannot Display This Blog
This list describes the “10 reasons Ph.D. students fail”, and it bugs the hell out of me.
Okay, I guess the list itself doesn’t bug me; the fact that the list contains the items it contains bugs me. Even had things been better in Vancouver in terms of…let’s just say “interpersonal relationships”…I probably still wouldn’t have stayed on for the Ph.D.
Why?
Read on, dear blog followers, and see all the reasons why I think the pursuit of a Ph.D. has been corrupted to the point where, in my opinion, it can no longer be considered a road to acquiring substantial knowledge of a specific subject and is instead a road to appeasing the “higher ups” in academia and a horribly misguided competition of who can get the most publications the fastest. PLEASE NOTE that while I’ll be ranting about this article, I’m not personally criticizing the author, Professor Matt Might, or his views/opinions. I agree with this list, actually. But like I said, it still pisses me off BECAUSE of its truth.
Professor Might thinks that a student can fail a Ph.D. if they:
1) Focus on grades or coursework. “During the first two years, students need to find an advisor, pick a research area, read a lot of papers and try small, exploratory research projects. Spending too much time on coursework distracts from these objectives.”
I disagree with this—in part. If coursework is so unimportant to the Ph.D. insanity, why do almost all Ph.D. programs require at least two or three classes? If taking classes truly detracts from research/reading/projects, why make it a requirement? Also, I think the importance of classes is underemphasized at the graduate level. I learned more in the seven or so classes I took in grad school than I did in the majority of undergrad (at least in statistics). ALSO also…shouldn’t the objective of a Ph.D. be “learning”?
2) Learn too much. “Some students go to Ph.D. school because they want to learn…but, it requires focused learning directed toward an eventual thesis. Taking (or sitting in on) non-required classes outside one’s focus is almost always a waste of time, and it’s always unnecessary.”
So in other words, learn only enough to get you to that peer-reviewed publication! Don’t waste your time with such frivolities like learning for learning’s sake or trying to expand your knowledge on your topic of choice by seeing how it relates to other areas of study! Don’t even bother with trying to get one step ahead on your subject matter by auditing/sitting in on a class that’s only slightly relevant to your specific project but may make what you’re studying easier to understand in general!
I took two classes in the statistics department that I didn’t need to take for my Master’s. In terms of being able to bend R to my will, one of them was the most useful class I took in the two years I was at UBC.
3) Expect perfection. “Perfectionism is a tragic affliction in academia, since it tends to hit the brightest the hardest.”
I think this is totally subjective. Some people work their best when they aim for perfection; others don’t.
4) Procrastinate. “Chronic perfectionists also tend to be procrastinators. So do eternal students with a drive to learn instead of research.”
I’ll talk about this one later.
5) Go rogue too soon/too late. “Going rogue before the student knows how to choose good topics and write well will end in wasted paper submissions and a grumpy advisor. On the other hand, continuing to act only when ordered to act past a certain point will strain an advisor that expects to start seeing a “return” on an investment of time and hard-won grant money.”
I understand the importance of this point, but not the reasoning behind it. Yes, it’s important to “break free” of your advisor at the appropriate time, but that time shouldn’t be based on grant money or number of publications or anything like that. As I’ve already mentioned, it should be about the learning process. The advisor/student relationship should develop and diverge when both parties feel that the student KNOWS enough to work more on their own, not when the student has PUBLISHED enough or the grant money is near depletion.
6) Treat Ph.D. school like school or work. “Ph.D. school is neither school nor work. Ph.D. school is a monastic experience. And, a jealous hobby. Solving problems and writing up papers well enough to pass peer review demands contemplative labor on days, nights and weekends.”
ASLdjfalgajfoifjdweojsagjafasf. The Ph.D. should not be school. It should not be work. It ALSO should not be “writing up papers well enough to pass peer review demands.” Yes, that’s important, especially in today’s hyper-competitive “if you’re not published you’re nobody” academic world (as sad as that is). But that’s NOT all a Ph.D. should be, and I think you’re screwing yourself over if you go in thinking that’s all there is to furthering your education.
7) Ignore the committee. “Another student I knew in grad school was told not to defend, based on the draft of his dissertation. He overruled his committee’s advice, and failed his defense. He was told to scrap his entire dissertaton and start over. It took him over ten years to finish his Ph.D.”
I can’t really assert my position on this point, as I had a fantastic committee with members who were super understanding of the circumstances surrounding my (slightly delayed) defense and who didn’t flip out and want my draft ten weeks prior to the defense. I think as long as you go to them and make clear what your plans are, then further discourse should be reasonable enough to avoid issues with the committee. Unless you get a bunch of jerks or something.
8) Aim too low. “This attitude guarantees that no professorship will be waiting for them.”
Or, more importantly, “this attitude guarantees that the student will not get out of the learning experience what one would hope one would gather from a 3-5 year stint in graduate school, or that it’s reflective of the fact that maybe they shouldn’t have chosen this educational path in [insert discipline here].” Again, I agree with the point, just not the reason behind it. Is the professorship the ONLY important thing one will get out of a Ph.D. program?
9) Aim too high. “It does not matter at all what you get your Ph.D. in. All that matters is that you get one. It’s the training that counts–not the topic.”
DISAGREEEEEE! Why in the hell would someone spend a good portion of their life pursuing a degree in a specific field while focusing on a single topic in that field that bores them to tears/annoys them to no end/makes them want to curl up in a ball and cry/makes them want to throw themselves off a bridge? How can the topic NOT matter? Of course I know that most Ph.D.s are not world-changing pieces of work that win Nobel Prizes, but should that be a reason for not selecting a topic that interests you? How does one not loathe the training if it is done so via a topic that doesn’t hold their interest? Sure, my research into fit indices used in structural equation modeling may not have saved the world from inevitable destruction, but (once I finally figured out what the hell I was doing) I enjoyed what I was studying. Plus, now I’m not finished with my Master’s and stranded alone without a topic of interest in my field of study.
10) Miss the REAL milestones. “Most schools require coursework, qualifiers, thesis proposal, thesis defense and dissertation. These are the requirements on paper. In practice, the real milestones are three good publications connected by a (perhaps loosely) unified theme.”
What about learning-/knowledge-related goals as the REAL milestones? Why shouldn’t “understanding the material well enough to consider yourself able to teach it to others” or “learning enough about the material to become excited about what you’re studying” considered milestones? They may not be as “practical,” but I don’t think that diminishes their importance. I also think such milestones are better in terms of avoiding burnout on your topic. If you’re focused solely on getting three publications under your belt, you’re probably much more likely to burn out than if you’re focused on truly understanding the material and becoming more enthusiastic about it.
[rant complete]
Claudia’s Random Observation of the Day
Have you ever noticed that when one of the TV shows you like does a parody or interpretation of another TV show/movie/book, the character you like best in that TV show plays the character you like best in the adapted TV show/movie/book?
For a random example, take Family Guy’s parody of Star Wars. Did your favorite Family Guy character play your favorite Star Wars character? Mine did.
Haha, now that I’ve said this I can’t think of any other examples. But I know they’re out there. Does this happen for you guys, or is it just me?
Short blog.
Weekends suck
I had a really super craptastic day today. So all you get is this:
From OKCupid: “Personality traits are based on answers to Match Questions as compared to the OkCupid population. The length of a bar represents how strong that trait is [compared to the average scores for your age] and how confident Staff Robot is in the analysis.”
In other news, I have to redo my “About” page. I’ll do it later when I don’t feel like jumping off a bridge.
CLICK-CLICK-BOOM-BOOM-SNAP-POP-WATER-WEDGE
So 23andMe has a bunch of little surveys you can opt to take. Once you answer them you’re shown the stats for each question based on the people who have already taken the surveys.
Three interesting tidbits about our fellow humans. My answers are starred green.
IN OTHER NEWS! New plan for completing my walking distance goal this year: because I finally am working a full-time job, I can no longer walk my 10 (or 12 or 15 or 22) miles per day, ‘cause that obviously takes a long time to do. So I decided to count running distance toward my final goal. To reach my 2,500 I’ll need to either:
a) run 5 miles four days a week (one day off during the week) and two 15-mile walks on the weekends, or
b) run 10k (approximately 6.2 miles) four days a week and two 12- or 13-mile walks on the weekends.
I’ll probably do b) while the days are still relatively short, but once it’s light longer I’ll probably switch to a).
ParaLOLogram
Approximate Number System aptitude!
I don’t remember how/when I found this, but it’s an interesting little test of your ability to determine quantity ratios.
Combinations of blue and yellow circles are shown to you, each for a fraction of a second, and you have to choose which there are more of—blue circles or yellow circles. They call this ability your “gut number sense” and good performance on the test is apparently correlated with good math performance in school.
My results:
Lower Weber fraction = better gut number sense.
I don’t remember if I liked math in elementary school, but I was pretty good at it. I was one of three in my sixth grade class in the advanced math “class” (aka, me and two dudes in a broom closet. All of us with dorky math nicknames. Go St. Mary’s.), and I was pretty good throughout junior high except for Algebra I (though I’m 90% sure my issues in that class stemmed from the fact that I missed a very crucial week due to my grandpa getting sick and my family having to spend a week in Seattle for his hospital stay). I stopped taking high school math after Algebra II ‘cause the teacher was a jerk and I would have had him for both trig and calc.
Also, I had stopped caring about school at that point.
But, as in every other area, there is a difference between ability and effort. So who knows.
Take it, it’s fun!
ALL BIRDS ALL THE TIME
I just discovered the meme in which people (poorly) Photoshop human arms onto birds. The more you know.
Examples:
(This is the greatest picture ever, in my opinion)
Sites/pages dedicated to this:
http://www.iywib.com/birds_with_arms.php
http://4chanarchive.org/brchive/dspl_thread.php5?thread_id=305700903&x=Birds+With+Arms
http://birdswitharms.tumblr.com/
Oh, internet. Where would we be without you?
To survey or not to survey…? Ah, screw it.
3201. What if this is as good as it gets?
Dammit.
3202. Have you ever dated someone mostly or completely because of their looks?
Nope.
3204. What should you never forget?
December 22, 2008 and July 25, 2009. At least, I don’t WANT to forget those days.
3205. How many of the 7 Dwarves can you name for us?
Doc, Happy, Grumpy, Sleepy, Bashful, Dopey, Sneezy.
3206. What animal does your mom resemble?
Something cool. Like a spider.
3207. Have you ever had a palm reading?
I’ve done the online ones, but nothing “professional.”
3208. What’s a crazy thing you did that you got in trouble for as a kid?
The craziest thing I ever did was hide in the band closet from the after-school teachers. Real rebel you’re dealing with, here.
3209. What do you battle against?
Ignorance. Unkindness. Messy data. Leibniz-haters.
3210. Do pircings really make the pierced area dramatically more sensative?
Not for me.
3211. If you had put aside some money for a trip and the travel agent said he had 2 trips available in your price range during the week you want to go, which would you choose:
a> a week in hawaii in a luxory beach resort
b> a week in africa helping the red cross distribute food and medicine
Totally Africa. I’d like to do something helpful with my free time. Plus I’ve already been to Hawaii, haha.
3212. Have you ever played with a dreidal?
Nope. Sung the song, though.
3213. Did you know that Kraft is owned by a ciggerette company?
Nope.
Does that bother you?
I don’t know.
3214. With all the information constantly rushing at you, how do you know what’s important?
I don’t. Nobody does.
3215. How is your life unlike a movie?
Stephen Spielberg isn’t following me around directing my actions.
3216. Where is the most beautiful place you have visited?
13,000 feet up in the air.
3217. What is never going in your mouth?
Hahaha. This sounds dirty.
3218. Are there realaly 5,000 different facts about you?
We shall see, won’t we?
3219. Do you like banana bread?
Banana bread rocks.
3220. Who are you the most gentle and tender around?
The one(s) I love.
3221. If electrodes were inserted into your brain and a button was put into your arm so that you could push the button and stimulate an immeadiate orgasm would you forget about life and sit at home pushing the button until you died?
Nope. Where’s the fun in that?
3222. Is there a differance between being scared and afraid?
I’d always thought “scared” was an immediate reaction to something specific; “afraid” always seemed to me to be a general feeling, attributed to nothing individual.
3223. Are you scared and/or afarid of death?
Death is inevitable. Like tacos.
If yes, what is it about death?
The pain?
It’s not guaranteed that death will be painful.
The seperation?
I’d think that once the consciousness goes, you’d be unable to feel the separation.
the unknown?
The unknown is exciting.
the fear of nothing?
It’d be better than life, sometimes.
3224. What is existentialism?
AWESOME. Read some Sartre, bitches.
3226. A college girl (maybe you?) blows a tire and pulls off the road in an unfamilliar residential neighborhood. She is having trouble changing the tire when a man in his late thirties-ish comes over and asks if she needs some help. He changes her tire and offers to let her go into his house to wash her hands. She is dirty from trying to change the tire. Should she accept?
Only if she’s that concerned about her dirty hands. I personally wouldn’t; a little dirt never hurt anyone.
She does accept and he gives her a tour of the house inclding the upstairs. The staircase in the livingroom leads directly into the master bedroom. The view out the window is beautiful. What are you thinking about this situation?
I’d be cautious if I were her, but then again I’m paranoid.
3227. Are you too trusting of others?
Nope.
3228. What’s the difference between a den and a living room?
I always picture dens as living rooms in the basement, but that’s just me.
3230. Who is the hero of all kids?
Captain Planet?
3231. Who do you tend to show more of your best side to, your family or strangers?
I don’t have a “best” side. I’m crappy.
3232. How do you think the harry potter series will end?
Haha, old survey. I actually don’t know how it ended, I read like a fourth of the first book and saw the first and one of the middle films.
3233. Name three things that would make really bad ice cream flavors:
Taco, horseradish, and pee.
3234. Would you try a jelly bean if it’s flavor was:
toasted marshmellow? I don’t like jelly beans.
fried chicken? See above.
black pepper? Still don’t like jelly beans.
vomit? Nasty nasty.
grass? Actually, I’ve never had a jelly bean.
dirt? My bad.
boogers? Still though, they don’t sound very good to me.
ear wax? Oh well.
sardines? Back to the survey.
Did you know that you can get these flavors of jellybeans at harrypotter.com?
Doesn’t surprise me.
3235. What’s at the center of the earth?
I don’t know, but I’d be happy to take a Verne-inspired journey to find out.
3236. have you ever wondered where holidays come from?
Not really.
3237. Do you think there should be more movies shown in 3D?
The proliferation of 3D movies nowadays is obnoxious.
3238. Are you just another brick in the wall?
I’m spackle.
3239. Write a haiku (a poem with 3 lines, 1st line is 5 syllables, second line is 7 sylabels, 3rd line is five syllabals):
This is a haiku
Seven syllables go here
Holy crap, we’re done.
3240. Are you cautious and tame?
Depends.
3241. Do you like to eat at Subway?
I love their tuna.
3242. Is 42 the meaning of life?
It’s 6 x 7.
3243. Would you agree that a blade of grass is nothing less than the journeywork of stars?
Perhaps.
3244. Do you want to die?
I’m not afraid to.
3245. If someone was studying ‘the humanities’ what the hell are they studying?
AWESOME STUFF like philosophy.
3246. Is this question REALLY is this question 3246?
Nope, a lot of questions have multiple parts.
3247. Do you want to diet?
Eh.
3248. What is colder, your feet, or the floor?
My feet.
3249. What is older, your mouth, or the door?
The door.
3250. Are you more beauty or more beast?
I’m more toaster.
3251. Are we there yet?
Sit down and be quiet or I will TURN THIS BLOG AROUND and go right back home, young man!
3252. Scantron or handwritten tests?
Scantrons give me panic attacks. True story.
3253. What’s that sound?
I like that sound. I LOVE that sound. It’s the sound of my shoes.
3254. True/false: To the maggots on the cheese, the cheese is the universe.
True.
3255. What’s the best treat to bring with you to elementary school for your birthday?
I think I always just brought cake. Or cookies.
3256. What would you expect to learn from self interrogation?
How absolutely horrible a person I am.
3257. When you feel cold does eating warm food help you feel warm?
No, but every time I have something cold it makes me FREEZING.
3258. Does being true to yourself mean saying ‘screw everybody else, my shit is more important’?
If that’s who you are, yes.
3259. Have you reckoned a thousand acres much?
Do what now?
3260. Have you reckoned the earth much?
Sure.
3261. Have you ever had a vision?
Can’t say I have.
3262. If you have a vision or belief and someone else has a conflicting vision or belief, how do you tell which one is valid?
You can’t.
Are they both valid?
Sure.
3263. Why is everything based around proof and facts instead of intuition?
I don’t think everything’s based around proof and facts. Do you know how much subjective/intuition-driven crap is out there?
3264. What is the grass?
In elementary school when they told us that God was the earth, I always combed the grass with my fingers, pretending it was God’s hair.
3265. Have you ever supposed it is lucky to be born?
I think sentience is just a random property that occurs occasionally in the universe.
Is it just as lucky to die?
See above.
3266. What is it that you express in your eyes?
The truth! Can you handle it?
3267. What is man anyhow?
Strange as hell, that’s what.
3268. You understand enough. Why don’t you let it out?
I understand nothing.
3270. Why should anyone wish to see god more than they wish to see this day?
Because people always look elsewhere for something “better.”
3271. Have you guessed that after death you yourself would not continue?
Yup.
3272. Have you dreaded the earth beetles?
This section of the survey has the strangest questions.
3273. Have you feared the future would be nothing to you?
Indeed.
3274. Is today nothing?
Everything is nothing.
3276. Do you believe in a collective unconsiouss?
Not really.
3277. Jung or Freud?
Freud, baby!
3278. What is a ‘fate worse than death’?
Grad school.
3279. What are the 5 main things you think about?/
Statistics, philosophy in general, Leibniz, the deterministic nature of the universe, the internet.
3280. Name someone you know.
Nick.
What is the biggest thing you have in common with them?
We’re philosophy dorks.
3281. Do you think that laws should be passed to regulate human breeding?
I think laws should be passed regulating how many children a person/pair of persons is allowed to conceive.
Yeah, I said it.
3282. Do you think they already exist in a subtle way?
Possibly some do, yes.
3283. Why is it that so many people are demanding the death penalty as punishment for a wider and wider range of crimes?
Is that the case? Probably because people seem to think that the best “punishment.”
3284. Is it partially to weed the nonconformists out of the gene pool?
The gene pool needs its nonconformists.
3285. What does it mean to be free?
Literally? To be unconstrained.
3286. What does it mean to be tamed or domesticated?
To be controlled by outside forces, be they physical, environmental, or technological.
3287. Is the human animal becoming more and more tame and domestic?
Yes.
If yes, what is causing this?
Our technology.
are we becoming more or less free?
Less free. Google owns us. Apple owns us. Facebook owns us. We’re screwed when Solar Flare Massacre 2012 hits us.
3288. Are you embaressed about your naked body?
I am.
If yes, is that freedom?
Why not? Am I not free to be embarrassed about myself?
3289. Are you the result of all of evolution up to this point?
Aren’t we all?
3290. The murderous person…how does he sleep?
As well as his conscience will allow.
3291. Your mother…is she living?
Indeed.
Have you been much with her?
She’s sitting next to me right now.
and has she been much with you?
Sure.
3292. Are these questions disturbing you?
Nope.
If yes, why?
I’ve answered weirder.
3293. What are you focused on?
Understanding stuff. Mainly statistics. Trying to make a contribution to the world.
3294. Have you ever admired wickedness?
Probably.
3295. Is the acomplishment of one person the accomplishment of all humanity?
It’s the accomplishment of the whole universe.
Why or why not?
We’re all connected.
3296. Is the imprisonment of one person the imprisonment of all humanity?
Maybe.
Why or why not?
We’re all connected.
3297. We’re just following anchient history. If I strip for you, will you strip for me?
Hahaha. Sure.
3298. Have you ever wished you had not so many clothes?
I love my clothes.
3299. What is the balance between conformity and individual freedom?
Something I’m sure we’re all seeking.
3300. What do these things have in common: nakedness, sex, killing, fighting, shitting, death?
Humanity?
Is a short spike in self-esteem considered a confidence interval?
When you think about death, does it excite you? I think it should. Death is, in my opinion, a pretty amazing thing.
Why? Think about it: we go through most of our daily life never giving it a thought—maybe being reminded of it only when a family member succumbs to it or we hear about a fatal accident on the news. But it’s there somewhere in each of our futures and there’s no escaping it. As abstract and distant as it may seem, it’s still going to happen. There’s no escape. We’re all going to get to experience it.
Isn’t that exciting? Seriously. No two deaths are the same, regardless of what the ultimate causes are. Two guys on the same block may die from fatal heart attacks, but that doesn’t mean that their deaths are anywhere close to comparable. We each get our own individual way of leaving the (known) world. How cool is that? Individual, personal exits to whatever’s after human consciousness. Personally, I’m excited to see what mine will be.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m only a toaster. Plug me in. Go on. You’ll like it.”
I found The Brave Little Toaster on YouTube. That movie is such a trip.
[Insert frantic Wikipedia research here]
DUDE IT WAS A BOOK TOO:
The blanket looks alarmingly like a serial killer in the cover illustration. One of those calculating, quiet types who smothers children in their sleep.*
Wiki: “The Brave Little Toaster was well-received by critics. Anna Quindlen, writing for the New York Times, called it ‘a wonderful book for a certain sort of eccentric adult. You know who you are. Buy it for your children; read it yourself.'”
Hahahahaha.
Its full title is The Brave Little Toaster: A Bedtime Story for Small Appliances, which leads me to believe that author Thomas M. Disch is pretty freaking great. Must…acquire…copy…
*NaNoWriMo 2012 idea: rewrite The Brave Little Toaster as a horror book. Call it Burnt. The five appliances are bitter to the point of extreme revenge over being left at the cabin by their master. They set out to seek revenge on him. Along the way, Blanky’s initial harmless hallucinations about the master soon give way to his psychopathic tendencies. Because we all know it’s the quiet, innocent-seeming ones who are apt to snap and turn on their friends in the middle of the woods.
Dude. This is so happening.
Edit: Mr. Disch and I share a birthday. It’s a sign.
SSSSerif
New header! I cannot be stopped.
Also: I had a dream last night about a guy named Sam Serif. He was a sheriff. Even in my unconscious brain, man. Even in my unconscious brain.
Also also: here’s some food porn. Because yay.
BOOBIES!
Now that I have your attention: POLITICS! Same thing, right?
This afternoon I discovered VotingAid.com, on which there is a little quiz thingy you can use to determine which Republican candidate aligns best with your values. I decided to give it a shot.
Some of the questions were easy for me to answer; for example:
While others I was quite unsure of:
But regardless, it looks like I’m a Gingrich girl.
Huntsman was a close second at 64.6%, Romney was third at 55.8%. Santorum was last. Looks like most people get Huntsman.
Who’s your best match?
Points! Pointspointspointspointspoints
- Big important blog coming up. Been trying to craft it in my head so that it’s as clear as possible.
- I don’t say this enough (or, like ever): thank you to my readers/commenters, both those frequent and those just passing through. I know I’m a sporadic poster and there’s been very few decent-quality blogs as of late, but I very much appreciate your eyes skimming the drivel that pours out of my brain (or lack thereof).
- Fun times in Quiz Land! My main two types:
That is all.
Y, get out of my vowels.
I can’t pretend that there’s nothing wrong anymore. And it sucks.
Sorry these blogs have been really, really crappy as of late. My mind is…well, gone.
Party all the time! It’s a blog.
Items x 3
Item the First: Goals
Percent of 2012 that is already over: 4.09% (15/366 days)
Percent of my 2,500 mile goal completed: 5.7% (142.62/2,500 miles)
Not too bad. Going to be more difficult once I start work (and school at some point), though.
Item the Second: Frivolity
This is something I surprisingly haven’t come across before today. “Each of the 53 cards represents a day in the year; therefore for every birthday there is a card that holds a profile for you. This is called a Birth Card, and the profile of this card represents your personality and characteristics.”
So in the spirit of “Claudia’s blog loves to explore frivolity on the internet,” here is my card reading + extra info!
I am a Ten of Spades.
The Workaholic Card. Ten of Spades people can be very materialistic and workaholic types and when they are, their home life always suffers, and they suffer with it…There are many spiritual influences present in their life path that can make these people the masters of their destiny and lead them to great heights in helping others. However, there is also the pull towards material accomplishment that can blind them to their possibilities and limit their growth potential. As Spades they have the opportunity to transcend the material through spiritual awareness…these people are capable of great, unattached spiritual love and can have everything they want if they look to their higher sides for direction and guidance. Having both Karma Cards that reside in the Neptune line of the Life Spread can create a tendency towards addictive behavior. Combine that with their drive and the tendency to do everything ‘all the way’ and you find a personality that often goes to extremes, in both good things and bad. They learn through experience and experience life in its fullest. The ups and downs can be dramatic in some cases. The Ten of Spades will meet with endings in this life designed to teach them the value of letting go of personal attachments to ideas and lifestyles. Meeting this challenge, they can live to experience the heights of spiritual awareness and understanding which is a part of their destiny.
Some of the Ten of Spades Issues Concerning Relationships
Highly ambitious and creative, they can become indecisive in the love arena which can lead to problems. They are often unsure of what they truly want in love matters, or they continually attract romantic partners that cannot make the commitment. In either case the outcome is the same – changes and fluctuations in the romantic life…they are very giving and loving and only need to find a way to balance out their desire for a family life with their naturally intense, ambitious nature.
Info about the Spades suit: Spades are the suit of wisdom and wisdom can only be obtained through experience. Though a Clubs may have wealth of knowledge, their knowledge is, by definition, inferior to wisdom. And all Spades people know this. These are the workers of the deck. All the workaholic cards are Spades and any Spades person can be accused of it at one time or the other…Spades are more interested in doing their jobs well than talking about them or becoming too emotionally involved with others. Spades can be stubborn and don’t like it when others try to control them.
Info about Tens: You are a person of personal accomplishment and like to be applauded by many for your work. You tend to overdo things. You are ambitious and can be very successful.
Item the Third: Humor
“Extendended” indeed.
Sleep is for Tacos
3101. Would it bother you if your priest, rabbi or other religious leader (teacher if you are not religious) started wearing a plain black mask all the time?
If yes, why?
Why would that bother me?
3102. Where do you look for the answers?
Everywhere.
3103. If you are driving and someone honks at you does it ruin your whole day?
Depends on if I really did something wrong.
3104. If you are driving and you get angry at another driver do you:
yell at them through their and your closed window?
Haha, sometimes.
open the window and yell at them?
Nope.
throw things at them?
Nope.
stop the car and start a fight with them?
That would be entertaining.
do something else?
Just cuss.
3105. I’m in the right lane on the parkway. There is an exit only lane on my right. A car pulls out from behind the pack into the exit only lane. When that car gets to the exit he is right in front of me only one lane to the right of me. Instead of exiting the parkway he tries to creep back in in front of me. I get pissed and honk the horn. He (I keep saying he but I couldn’t tell) throws up his hands as he slides in front of me. I think this is funny and toot again. He throws up his hands again. I do this about three more times and each time I toot he throws his hands in the air. Then my exit clomes up and I have to get off. From the time he got in front of me until I got off the parkway we drove approx. 20 feet. What you think about this situation?
Road rage is an interesting thing.
3106. Do you live in reality or in your ‘own little world’?
Oh, my own little world.
Which one is better?
Mine.
3107. Who’s your favorite soprano?
I’m not sure.
3108. Why is there porn geared towards straight men, gay men, lesbians but none really geared towards straight woman?
I thought there was quite a bit for the straight ladies.
3109. Is there more to being human than chemicles and impulses? If yes, what?
No.
3110. What if all the boys in jail could get out now together?
That would be frightening.
3111. If your shoes could talk what would they say?
“Don’t tread on me!” Haha, you see what I did there?
3112. How many windows are in your house?
Counting glass doors, six.
3113. Did you walk around your house and count them all?
No.
If not what did you do?
Memory powerz.
3114. Do you think people store memories as pictures or words?
Depends on the person. I store them as pictures.
3115. If you got sent to jail who would your one phone call be to?
Probably my mom.
3116. Pick a movie you have seen:
Mystery Men.
Give a 2 sentance review about it using the word ‘go’:
Have a go at “Mystery Men” if you have a penchant for overly cheesy movies. Few topics make for better cheesy movies than those about loser superheroes.
3117. Pick a song you like:
Symphonies
Give a 2 sentance review of it useing the word ‘come’:
Come for the music video. Stay for the music.
3118. Pick a person you like:
Sean!
Give a two sentance description of them useing the word ‘lunchbox’:
I should buy him a lunchbox full of guitar picks. He loves his guitars.
3119. What do these 3 words have in common: hippo, camp, us?
Teehee.
3120. If you could save time in a bottle, the first thing that you’d like to do is..
Throw it into the sun. I’d like to see what THAT would do!
3121. Who is the most powerful person in the world that you can think of?
I’d say Obama’s pretty powerful, just ‘cause I think the US is still a major superpower, if not the most threatening.
3122. If you were designing a mini-golf hole what would it be like?
That sounds…dirty.
3123. Why do you think certain people become targets for teasing in school or exclusion at work?
Because people suck.
3124. Why, in essays, is the word ‘I’ not allowed to be used when it is our own PERSONAL thoughts being expressed?
It depends on the essay, doesn’t it?
3125. What song would you like your doorbell to play?
The Macarena.
3126. Would you rather watch MTV or play GO FISH?
Both?
3127. What is an itch?
Something needing a scratch.
3129. Would you be capable of torturing another person?
I don’t know.
3130. How did Hitler’s army do this and still believe they were good people?
The power of being brainwashed by powerful people.
3131. Do you like poetry to rhyme?
Yes.
3132. Does ‘jewish’ describe a race or a religion?
It’s kind of transformed into describing a culture now, hasn’t it?
3133. How tall are you?
Shut up.
3134. If Hitler was capable of such cruelty to others, and he is human, does that mean that all humans are capable of this cruelty?/
Possibly.
3135. How long have you ever gone without sleep?
Quite awhile.
3136. Is a mouse a miracle?
If you give it a cookie.
3137. there are alcoholics, chocoholics, shoppoholics, practically anything can be an ‘oholic. What’s your ‘oholic?
Statistics. Statsohol!
3138. Does heaven have aphone number?
867-5309. Somebody made a grave error and misspelled “heaven” as “Jenny”
If it did would you call?
Why not?
Who would you ask to speak to?
Leibniz.
What would you say?
“HI SEXY, I WANT YOUR CALCULUS!”
3139. Fortune time!!
1,2, 3, or 4?
One.
if 1: 5, or 6?
Five.
if 2: 7 or 8?
if 3: 9 or 10?
if 4 11 or 12?
Now pick a letter between A and G:
C.
if A: 13 or 14?
if B: 15 or 16?
if C or D: 17 or 18?
Seventeen.
if E or F: 19 or 20?
if F: 21 or 22?
if G: 22 or 23?
———
you should now have two numbers. look at both numbers below and combine the sayings to get a fortune.
5: you are a very loving person
6: you will become very rich
7: you are too hard on yourself
8: cats will bring you bad luck
9: gremlins will eat all your cheese
10: you are going on a trip
11: someone you don’t know will be watching you
12: you will get what you want
—
13. and your life will be filled with romance
14. but you will fall in love with a babboon
15. and salt is lucky for you
16. or you will inherit a cough medicine factory
17. and you will not come back
18. and you will lose the remote
19. or your favorite team will win
20. and you were born under a lucky star
21. but the next person who leave you a note is attracted to you
22. and you will have a stalker soon
23. or your best friend will take you to a movie
I am a very loving person and I will not come back. That’s eerie.
3140. Do you vote?
I haven’t since 2009 (Canada!), but yes, I’ll return to voting.
3141. Are you always honest with yourself?
No.
Were you honest when you answered that question?
Yes.
3142. What kinds of diary names or entry titles make you specifically NOT want to read that diary?
AnYtHiNg TyPeD lIkE tHiS lOlZ!!!11
3142. Is writing an online diary more about being honest about yourself or entertaining your readers?
Depends on who you are and what you want to achieve. For me, it’s both.
3143. What are you the last of?
The Mohicans?
3144. Who do you really appreciate and what have you done lately to show that you appreciate them?
I really appreciate my parents. I try to do at least one thing a day to show my mom, and I try to tell my dad that every time I talk to him.
3145. When people do good deeds are they really doing them because they are a good person or because they want to feel like a good person? Or both?
Both.
3146. Somewhere far back in the survey I asked if Bill Gates or Mothe Thereasa was more successful. The most popular answer I have seen is ‘it depends on how you define success’. Well, this survey is about YOU isn’t it?
EGO ACTIVATE!
3147. Are people making up reality as they go along?
Are we all solipsists now?
3148. You may need a calculator for this one. Think of your weight. Divide it by 2.2. Multiply the answer by .8. What do you get?
36.72
That is how many grams of protein you need to eat every day to stay healthy. Do you think you eat enough?
I do indeed.
3149. What is your feeling about republicans?
Meh.
3150. What do you need to do?
Start work.
What do you need to stop doing?
A lot of things.
3151. If you were to start a club, what club would you start?
One that sells sandwiches.
3152. Are your hands and feet always cold?
Yes.
Maybe you have bad circulation.
Haha, probably. I think the Vancouver dampness did that to me.
3153. Have you ever been prank called?
Nope.
3154. Have you ever prank called someone?
Nope.
If yes, what was the prank?
No pranky.
3155. Have you ever gotteen into a conversation with someone when they or you have dialed a wrong number?
Nope.
3156. Have you ever just sat alone with no distractions for a whole hour and thought about things?
Indeed.
If yes, does the universe open up when you do this?
In a way, yes.
3157. Are you a genius?
HA.
3158. If you were going to design the PERFECT signifigant other…what flaws would you give them?
Would they really be flaws if it was the PERFECT significant other?
3159. If you answered NO to 3157, why do you doubt yourself?
Because I’m pretty much dumb as dirt.
3160. RARRRR!!! Scared ya, didn’t I?
HA, I’m invincible.
3161. Do feelings and ideas come from inside the mind or outside in the culture?
Both.
3162. When you have a feeling or an idea:
do you trust it?
Yes.
Even when people are telling you that you are wrong?
I try.
Even when people are laughing at you for it?
People suck.
3163. WHAT IS YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME? (YOUR MIDDLE NAME BECOMES YOUR FIRST NAME AND YOUR LAST NAME IS THE NAME OF THE STREET OF THE HOUSE YOU GREW UP IN):
Marie Pine. I chose our Troy St., but I suppose I should really choose Grant. So Marie Grant.
3164. What is the differance between spirituality and religion?
Not much, in my opinion.
3165. What is the speediest way you know of to get over a cold or flu?
Not getting sick. HA!
3166. Who is your favorite comedian?
Brian Regan. He rules.
3167. What do you think of Winona Ryder’s court case?
The what now?
3168. What was your last nightmare about?
Grad school, actually.
3169. Who are the people in your neighborhood?
Tucson people. I’ve never met any of them.
3170. During what decade was popular music the most emotional?
Who knows?
During what decade was popular music the best?
The 90s are pretty great, but that’s because I’m most familiar with that music.
3171. How did Frederick Douglas, escape slavery against all odds?
Desire, intelligence, and awesomeness.
There were thousands and thousands of slaves around him, why did only he manage to learn to read and write?
I doubt he was the ONLY one.
3172. Do you download porn? (be honest!)
Nope.
3173. Why is ‘go suck an egg’ or ‘your grandma sucks eggs!’ an insult?
Haha, not sure, actually.
3174.
Life is: strange.
I am: more strange.
I am not: a fan of crowds.
But I want to be: successful.
And I wish I could: not be in my own head sometimes.
3175. What is the highest achivement anyone could ever achieve in this department?
spiritual: I think this is too subjective to answer.
physical: I always thought it would be interesting to see how close one could get to surviving with no sleep, no food, and no water.
emotional: coming into an understanding of all their emotional states and their origins.
with their humanity: complete realization that we are all equal on this planet.
3176. Can you give step by step instructioons on how to think deeply?
Think. Make it deeper.
3177. DDid you ever see the Wizard of Oz with the sound all the way down while listening to pink Floyd’s The Wall?
No.
If yes, did you see what everyone says goes on when you do that?
Didn’t ever try it.
3179. Which two words of the following words goes together the best and why: mullet, brocollii, community, blue, phosphor, hammer, ocean, hand
Broccoli and ocean, ‘cause I like both.
3180. Are you dyslexic?
Nope.
3182. Are you overwhelmed?
Sometimes.
By what?
The screwed-up-ness of my brain.
3183. ‘My natural elasticity was crushed.’
What does that mean?
Good question.
3184. What is humanity evolving towards, do you think?
Destruction.
3185. Are you good at cracking codes?
I’d like to think so.
,t y dsud yp Ftoml upit ,o;l
“Mr. T says to drink your milk.” He pity the foo’ who gets osteoporosis!
3186. How many holes do you have in your body (ex. mouth)?
Hahahaha. Five million.
3187. Now there are ads on taxi cab hubcaps. Is there ANY free space LEFT to put more ads onto taxis???
The wheels.
3188. What’s the worst place to have a scab?
On your butt, ‘cause then when you scratch it it looks like you’re scratching your butt.
3189. Do you pick your scabs?
Sometimes. Nevous habit.
3190. Who’s goin’ chicken huntin’?
Huh?
3191. post ‘it’ note. What does ‘it’ stand for?
An existential, life-changing message that fits on a little sticky card.
3192. What is a tragedy?
Depends on who you are.
3193. Where is guam?
Way off the coast of the Philippians, I think.
3194. Are you bubbly?
No.
Do you drink bubbly?
No.
3195. Do you have caller ID?
No.
3196. Bewitched or Jeannie?
Meh. Neither.
3197. When will you be able to just do what you want to?
Probably never.
3198. How do people live with the fact that their time is short and priceless yet they get paid too little to waste too much of it?
Denial. Or just not having the thought cross their minds.
3199. OOGA! Make your best cave-pperson sound!
Cave people, as far as I’m aware, weren’t able to type well enough to represent their sounds on a computer screen.
3200. Who tells better gossip, your best friend or your answering machine?
My best friend IS my answering machine!
Does the Powerball Qualify as a “Lotto” Money?
Today I drove a car for the first time since summer 2010.
Also, since today was Friday the 13th, my mom and I went to Safeway to buy lotto tickets, as neither of us was feeling particularly unlucky and hey—slight possibility for big bucks. On the way home, we theorized what we’d do with $66 million (that’s what the Powerball is up to as of tonight, I think).
Here’s what I’d do with $66 million:
- Pay my parents back for all their monetary help over the past year (moving to/back from London, plus various other expenses).
- Provide each of my good friends with a substantial sum of money with which they can do what they wish.
- Go back to school! Forever! I’d get all the undergraduate degrees I could, then write about them in a book I’d call Degrees of Freedom. Because I’m awesome like that.
- Donate to The Humane Society. Or adopt a metric crap ton of cats and just live on a giant cat farm.
- Give my mom a large enough amount of money so that she could retire.
- Start a foundation/program to help with homelessness, as described in this blog.
- Get a car. Preferably of this variety.
- Acquire tons of clay, tons of clay tools, a pottery wheel, a kiln, and a bunch of glaze. Sculpt to my heart’s content.
- Get a new iPod, haha.
- Get a ticket to Burning Man.
- Donate to the Vandal Marching Band.
- Donate to the Moscow High School Band.
Probably a bunch of other stuff, too. $66 million is a LOT of money.
What would you do with it?
Yo dawg, I herd you like R code
So I wrote some R code to generate R code so you can code in your code.
Loops give me headaches sometimes. Here’s a random survey I used to distract myself.
Does your best friend approve of the last person you kissed?
I don’t have ONE best, friend, but I think my friends like the last dude I kissed…
Is there anything bothering you right now?
Oh my. Don’t ask.
What color shirt are you wearing?
Orange!
Do you care what you look like?
Yes, to a reasonable extent.
Have you ever skipped school just because you were tired?
I never technically skipped school. I didn’t go to campus one day at UBC because I was basically in “screw all this bull” mode, though.
Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone for over an hour?
No freaking idea.
Do you think that you will be in a relationship three months from now?
That would be nice, but HA.
Are you wearing jeans, shorts, sweatpants or pajama pants?
Teehee, no pants.
Where is the last person you kissed at the moment?
At 2 AM? Either sleeping or chilling. Hopefully he’s happy, whatever he’s doing.
Do you think you’re wasting your time on the person you have feelings for?
Eh. Time isn’t wasted when it’s spent caring about someone.
Do you like flowery scents or more clean scents?
I will stab you.
Do you own a manual or electric toothbrush?
Manual.
Do you prefer heels or flats?
Flats.
Do you try to eat healthy?
Indeed.
What food could you live off for the rest of your life?
Broccoli.
Do you leave the television on and sleep to it?
The TV’s downstairs, yo.
Do you watch movies on TV?
Meh.
What is your name supposed to mean?
“Lame.” Fitting, eh?
How many pillows do you sleep with?
Two.
Name two things that you have on you at all times:
Glasses and backup USB drive.
What’s the color of your bedsheets?
Hot pink, baby!
How much cash do you have on you right now?
Haha. None.
What is your favorite town/city?
Stockholm was awesome.
What did you have for dinner last night?
Salad!
What website(s) do you visit the most during the day?
Gmail, WordPress, YouTube, Craigslist.
Is anything on your body hurting right now?
My feet/toes. Ran 10k, walked 3.5 miles, biked 7 miles today.
What is your favorite Starbucks drink?
Claudia no drinky the ‘Bucks.
Recent time that you were really upset?
Saturday.
What wild animals have you seen outside a zoo?
All those fun creatures roaming around Moscow/Troy/Genessee/Potlatch. And whales. And seals.
Do you consider yourself to be an “animal person?”
Sure.
Are you afraid of any animals?
Dragonflies terrify the hell out of me. I’m also a little iffy around unleashed dogs.
What is your favorite animal?
Elephants are BAMFs. So are cats of any size.
Are there any animals you wish were extinct?
And throw off the ecosystem? Nope.
What kind of computer do you own?
Sony Vaio! Totally recommend them.
How old were you when you had your very first computer?
My OWN computer? Like 14, 15? The household computer? I remember having one in Troy, so 6 or 7.
What products do you buy the most?
Doodads.
What is your favorite store to shop at?
Goodwill. Bookmans.
When was the last time you went shopping?
Sometime earlier this week. The days blend.
Do you even like shopping?
Sure. But I like to do it alone.
What was the last movie you saw in theaters?
I honestly think the last time I went to a movie theatre was to see The Simpsons Movie in like 2007.
How much is a movie ticket where you live?
Don’t know.
Would you rather watch a movie alone or with someone?
I’d rather read.
Would you see a movie just because a favorite actor was in it?
Possibly. If he had a lot of screen time.
What movie would you like to watch right now?
Blah. Movies.
How often do you watch movies?
Very rarely. And when I do, I watch one of like five movies I actually like.
Who do you argue with more: Friends, family or significant other?
Family I suppose, since I have no friends and will probably never have a significant other again.
ALSO: thought up a really badass story idea this afternoon. It involves meteors.
TWSB: Five Minutes to Midnight
I suppose this really isn’t technically a “science” news story, but I think the reason behind today’s topic is scientific enough.
The big news? The Doomsday Clock was pushed another minute forward, putting us at 11:55 PM, five minutes from certain annihilation.
OH AND IT’S HAPPENING IN 2012 OMGWTFBBQ CONSPIRACY THEORISTS UNITE BLAH BLAH BLAH!
While the clock had been pushed back a minute to 11:54 in 2010 due to worldwide cooperation to reduce the effects of climate change and to chill out about the possibility of nuclear war, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (those in charge of the Clock) took another look at our current situation, saw that we’re really sucking at the whole “halt human-based climate change” and “hey, we probably shouldn’t be tossing nukes around” goals and have moved the clock back to 11:55.
Bummer, yo.
Read more of The Bulletin’s concerns and recommendations here.
Three Points of Fantastic Insignificance and One Point of Moderate Meh
FANTASTIC INSIGNIFICANCE:
1. I really like the word “toast.” I also really like toasters. Especially brave ones.
2. Yay, I can still run 10k in under an hour, even after not running since August!
3. I found the perfect job for me. Unfortunately, it’s at Twitter and I don’t know if I could go on living with myself if I worked for Twitter. Google, maybe (ASSIMILATION). Twitter? No.
MODERATE MEH:
Another goal I want to add to my New Year’s Resolution list is this: I want to try and make some progress on a new SEM fit index, one that works better overall than the current popular ones. While I don’t think we’ll ever arrive at an index that is as error free as we’re hoping to find, I think there is currently still a lot of room for improvement.
For example, the CFI works very well for detecting discrepancies between the model and the actual data when the discrepancies are at the latent level (e.g., the researcher’s model proposes two latent variables but the model underlying the actual data in reality has three) but does horribly at properly reflecting the degree of misspecification when there are error covariances omitted from a model (CFI shows excellent fit when the omitted error covariance is low or very high; it shows terrible fit when the omission is moderate in size).
I thought I had this super awesome idea the other day to apply a sort of bootstrapping mechanism to act as a fit index, but that’s already been thought up and either a) doesn’t work very well or b) is very hard to implement, as there are several papers on a bootstrap-like fit index but little documentation of the use of it (I didn’t come across it at all during my lit reviews). So maybe I’ll do some more research into that…perhaps my idea of how bootstrapping should be implemented in assessing fit is different (and probably way more incorrect…but whatever).
There are also transformations to look at, too, which would require examining how the minimum fit function changes as the size of the misspecification (as well as the TYPE of misspecification) changes.
You know what all this means? PARTY TIME WITH R!
I might as well be dating it, it’s not like I’ll ever have a boyfriend again.
But that’s okay. R!
OH CRAP it’s another blog
Two joyous items:
1. Hulu now has ALL SIX SEASONS of Chicago Hope. Must acquire money to get Hulu Plus. It’s a total ripoff in general, but it’s worth it to see the rest of the CH seasons.
2. The Piano Guys (two of the best musicians on YouTube) + Coldplay’s Paradise (one of the best songs ever) = this fantasticness:
Also, I forgot how much I love running.
Today gets an F-
Hey, guess what? Today sucked. You get a survey!
3001. What is your half-birthday?
August 2nd.
3002. When is your un-birthday?
Every day but February 2nd?
3003. Do you like movies about:
time travel? Meh.
the 80’s? Yay 80s!
drugs? Depends on the drug.
crazy people? Depends on the crazy.
halucinations? Always entertaining.
aeroplanes? Indeed.
death? Sure.
Life? Aren’t most movies about life?
the meaning of life? Yay!
fate? Sure.
3004. If you said yes to any of the above you should see Donnie Darko. If you HAVE seen it, what’d you think?
Haven’t seen it.
3005. If you were going to write a book what would it be about?
I’d still like to get Prime out there. It’s about numbers and, obviously, prime numbers in particular.
3006. Is radio obsolete?
Nope. Radio is awesome and useful.
3007. Do you feel like you are entitled to have things without working for them?
Nope.
3008. If yes than why do you believe you feel this way?
N/A.
3009. If no, have you noticed that a lot of people around you feel this way?
Indeed. But I think we’re all guilty of feeling that way on occasion.
3010. If yes than why do you believe they feel this way?
Human nature.
3011. “An eight track sterio, a color tv in every room and a half a pievce of dope everyday. That’s the american dream, nigga'”
How do you feel about the above quote?
I want SEVEN color TVs in every room.
3012. What is it from?
No idea.
3013. What year is it from?
See above.
3014. Do you believe that you will someday be famous?
That would be nice. I’d use my fame for something good.
3015. What is YOUR IDEA of success?
Impacting a bunch of lives in a good way. Helping others. Feeling fulfilled.
3016. Do you believe that you will be successful?
God I hope so.
3017. Will you be successful without hard work?
For some reason I keep getting a feeling that somewhere down the line I’ll be in the right place at the right time and things will all work out. At the same time, though, I think it will take hard work to get me to that right place.
3018. What brings you bad luck?
Living in Vancouver.
Is it true that you:
3019. Claim to be goth, punk, prep, emo or any other lable?
Nope.
3020. Claim that your opinion is RIGHT?
On occasion.
3021. claim that your religion is RIGHT?
I have no religion.
3022. Claim to be a fan of a band when you really only like a few songs?
I claim to be a fan of Passion Pit, but that’s because I have the love of a thousand suns for their Sleepyhead.
3023. Do ANYTHING to fit in or be accepted by ANYONE?
I try to be “good” but not at the expense of being me.
3024. REFUSE to listen to the ideas or thoughts of others?
I try not to.
3025. tell others to shut up?
Only in jest.
3026. say I HATE (insert any band)?
No hate for music, man.
3027. say I HATE (insert anything)?
Haha, yeah.
3028. Only appreciate certain things that you LIKE?
Probably.
3029. like only one style of music?
Definitely not.
3030. like only one style of clothes?
I like colors.
3031. hate a style of music?
Nope.
3032. hate life?
On occasion.
3033. Is it true that you:
3034. don’t listen when parents, elders or authorities talk?
I listen.
3035. do everything parents, elders and authoritys tell you?
Most things, unless they’re unreasonable.
3036. do things or want things because it looked cool on mtv?
Hahaha. If MTV were my guide, I’d be pretty screwy. I mean, more so.
3037. hate everyone?
No.
3038. hate everything?
No.
3039. hate disco?
Disco rules!
3040. hate rap?
I’m not the biggest fan, but I don’t hate it.
3041-3045 These question is for the guys
You are at her home with her. Both of you have drank a little wine, enough to loosen the inhibitions while not getting tipsy. You have snugled on the couch and it’s a good time for bed. You’ve been romantic, but you’ve not made any big moves on her. You’re not sure if you are up to a night of love making or even if she’s in the mood.
She goes to the bedroom to put on something more comfortable… When she returns she is wearing an outfit that looks great on her and you notice that she has her hands tied in front of her, with a scrunchee…
She stands in front of you and giggles nerviously. You search for words to express how you feel, but before you can get any words out she gets on her knees in front of you and reachs out to hold your hand with both of hers. Your eyes find hers…
3041. How do you react to this?
3042. What message do you think she is sending?
3043. What do you do next?
3044. Is this a good way for her to approach her fantasy with you?
3045. If not, what would be a better way for her to approach you about wanting to be controled during sex(consider that just outright talking about it might be hard for her)?
3046-3050 These questions is for the girls
Bring it.
You are at his home with him. Both of you have drank a little wine, enough to loosen the inhibitions while not getting tipsy. You have snugled on the couch and it’s a good time for bed. You’ve been romantic, but you’ve not made any big moves on him. You’re not sure if you are up to a night of love making or even if he’s in the mood.
He goes to the bedroom to put on something more comfortable… When he returns she is wearing an outfit that looks great on him. He sits next to you. You kiss and kiss. You move your hands down his body to his chest and start unbuttoning his shirt but he stops you and whispers seductively..’A good slave unbuttons them with her teeth..and you do want to be my slave, don’t you?’
3046. What do you do?
Laugh to see if he’s serious.
3047. How do you react to this?
If he is, I’d probably go along with it. Don’t have much of an issue with it.
3048. What message do you think he is sending?
Haha, he’s horny.
3049. Is this a good way for him to approach his fantasy with you?
Sure.
3050. If not, what would be a better way for him to appraoch you about wanting to be in control during sex(consider that just outright talking about it might be hard for him)?
I think this would be an okay way.
Is it true that you…
3051. are politically correct?
HAHA no.
3052. are too nice to say how you feel?
To most people, yes.
3053. don’t think the world government affects you?
Everything effects everything else.
3054. think that all people who are fat are ugly?
NO.
3055. think all people who are thin are shallow?
Yeah, totally reasonable. Sure.
3056. think you are getting solid information from advertisements?
Nope.
3057. don’t research the products you use?
I try to do my research, but it’s hard to be “good” with this stuff.
3058. believe that the lives of the people you love are somehow more important than the lives of the 6 billion other peeople in the world?
Haha, dated survey. We’re at 7 billion now. And no, no one life is more important than another, though it can feel like it to that life’s loved ones.
3059. believe that the lives of your country men or woman are somehow more valuble than the lives of people from other countries?
Nope. See above.
3060. believe your ideas are somehow worth more than the ideas of others?
Nope.
3061. repress things rather than deal with them?
Welcome to my life.
3062. mindlessly self indulge ?
Only occasionally. Unless thinking of my little fantasy world counts.
3063. think there is only one right way?
Only in the sense of a deterministic universe.
3064. think that this one right way could possibly be right for ALL of the 6 billion people on this planet?
Absolutely not.
3065. Decide something is UNTRUE just because you don’t AGREE with it or you don’t LIKE it?
Nope.
3066. What do you think of the out-dated chinese custom of foot-binding (tieing a baby girl’s toes under her foot, even if you have to break the bone, making her walk with her toes under her foot(or hobble) because chinease men like small fett)?
“Chinease men like small fett?” Spell Check must’ve broken.
I think it’s pretty freaky.
3067. What do you think of plastic surgery?
Meh. If it was totally risk-free there are a few little things I’d like to change personally (nothing huge), but as of right now it’s not for me. It doesn’t bother me if others have it, either, unless they’re addicted to it.
3068. Is there a difference between foot binding and plastic surgery? What?
One involves invasive surgery, one doesn’t.
Are there any similarities between foot-binding and plastic surgery? What?
The altering of the body for appearance purposes, yes.
3069. Would you be likely to continue reading a book that began: ‘It was a bright, defrosted, pussy-willow day at the onset of Spring, and the newlyweds were driving cross-country in a large roast turkey.’?
That sounds entertaining.
3071. What came first, the acorn or the tree?
The protozoan.
3072. What is surrealism?
AWESOME.
If you were putting together a surrealist work of art, what would you do?
Try to delve into my subconscious.
3073. What did you do on Halloween?
Sat alone at my dad’s, hiding from Trick-or-Treaters.
3074. Some bees have made a comfortable nest for the winter inside your air conditionar. How would you remove the air conditioner from the window?
Call a bee exorcist.
3075. Why is quiet contemplation important?
Because that’s when the best ideas come to the forefront of one’s mind.
3076. Do you spend lots of time in quiet contemplation? How about any time?
I spend an obscene amount of time contemplating stuff.
If not, what distracts you?
Very few things.
3077. What is the lowest you have ever felt?
See April, May, and June 2010.
3078. Who has changed your life dramatically for the better?
Leibniz.
3079. Is all you christmas shopping done?
Haha, it’s January, yo.
3080. Who is the greatest writer you can think of and why?
Nabokov. Holy freaking crap crackers, that man can manipulate the English language.
3081. Are people either good or evil?
Nope.
3082. Can people be BOTH good an evil?
Durh.
3083. Is there good in a rapist or a murderer?
Yes.
Is there evil in Mother Thereasa?
Yes.
3084. You are in a classroom setting. A teacher has asked for a surrealist project. One person comes in with cards. Each card has a picture. Some of the pictures are a breast, a penis, a urinal, open heart surgery, a woman sucking on a vaccum tube, etc. On the back of each picture is a phrase like ‘Fuck you and all of your lesbian fish eating friends’ or ‘people who speak in metaphors oughtta shampoo my crotch’. The artist asks each person to take a random card, go around the room and at their turn hold up the card with the picture side out and read the phrase on the back.
Would you do it?
Why not?
How would you feel about it?
I don’t see the surrealism aspect of it, but I would be interested.
What do you think the artist’s intent is?
Shock and awe!
3085. Are you satisfied?
No.
3087. How fast do you drive?
The speed limit.
3088. What do you want that you don’t need?
A new iPod. I already have one with 80 GB so I don’t really need a bigger one.
3089. What do you have that you wish you didn’t?
Issues.
3090. What does it mean when someone suggests that you don’t own your possettions, they own you?
That we’re tied down to our physical possessions enough so that we use them to define ourselves.
3091. Where do you get motivation?
The prospect of happiness.
3092. Did you ever wanna get with one of your teachers?
Hahahahaha…
Did you ever actually get with one?
Nope.
3093. Have you ever had this happen, where one day you completely believe one thing and the next day you don’t believe it anymore?
Probably, but I can’t recall when this last happened.
If yes, do you lie about your change of beliefs in order to appear consistant?
I try not to lie.
3094. Do you hide things about yourself from others?
Yes.
If so why?
Because I’m a weirdo.
Is it because you are afriad they will be scared?
No, just weirded out.
Or because YOU are scared?
Everyone’s scared.
3095. Do you recognize that some part of you is evil or do you feel like you are all good?
I wish I were a better person.
3096. If everyone were flying flags and putting up yellow ribbons in honor of the people who died in a war and someone put up black bows and ribbons all over the top of therir house what would you think?
I’m not sure.
Would you want them to take it down?
No.
Why?
We don’t know what it means; we shouldn’t tell them to remove it.
3097. Is a foot massage meaningless or does it have implications?
Depends on the people involved.
3098. Are you sick of technology yet?
Some of it. Smartphones can go die. So can Twitter.
3099. After tattoos and piercings, I believe the next big thing will be implants (horns, metal plates, etc) and after that will come genetic alteration (wings, purple skin, etc).
Would you have any of this done to you?
Probably not.
Would you let your kids have it done?
After a certain age when they were sure they truly wanted it done, sure.
What do you think the next big thing in body modification would be?
I think the up-and-coming things now are tattoos that glow under black light and stuff so that they show up during clubbin’ but aren’t visible during working hours.
3100. What’s the most insulting thing you could come up with to say to someone?
“You’re just like George W.!”
Also, happy birthday dad, wherever you may be on your cruise.
Eigenblogger 
