Aww.
Saturn’s getting a nice bath from Aquarius.
(Yes, I know these celestial objects are incredibly far apart; SHUT UP, IT LOOKS CUTE.)
I KNEW IT
Congenital anosmics breathe differently than smellers.
Turns out that people who smell take, as the article puts it, “exploratory sniffs.” The breathing rates between anosmics and smellers are the same, but smellers do like this little mini sniff-like inhale at the end of drawing a breath, and they do this several hundred times per hour.
During sleep or in a controlled odor-free room, the “extra inhalation” patterns even out between the two groups, but additional differences between the breathing patterns of the two groups were significant enough that researchers could tell if a person was a smeller or an anosmic with 85% accuracy just by looking at the breathing patterns.
It’d be interesting to expand upon this study by looking at acquired anosmics, too (this just compared congenital to smellers).
ASHA-es to ASHA-es (this is the dumbest blog title ever)
I miss teaching that ASHA course.
True, it’s nice not having to frantically prep 100% brand new lecture material for every Tuesdsay/Thursday, but it was such a cool chance to teach something other than math/stats (while still throwing some math/stats in there) that I miss having that…diversity in my teaching schedule.
Maybe one of these years I can teach it again. Or teach one of the one-semester courses.
Who knows??
Puff Daddy: Planet Version
Thanks to my YouTube recommended list being like 90% astronomy-related now, I get to see stuff like this:
The idea of a planet having the density of Styrofoam is insane.
Relatable
When I was in elementary school, we were allowed to join band once we reached third grade. I played clarinet (at least to start with; other instruments came later!) and the way our band was arranged in the multipurpose room had the clarinets sitting in front of the trumpets.
The trumpets were so loud and the sound was so painful that I had to wear a pair of earplugs during band.
I was made fun of* incessantly for this.
I didn’t stop wearing them because I didn’t want to be in pain, and at least they helped to drown out the ridicule, haha.
But yeah. I wish Baby Claudia could have the same “I no longer give a shit about what other people think of me” attitude as Current Claudia, at least when it comes to clothing choices and wearing a mask.
I don’t care what anyone thinks about my wearing a mask.
Anyway.
*I was made fun of for a lot of things, honestly, but this is one I really remember. This and that one time I wore shorts to school and a kid in the grade above us told me that my legs were ugly and hairy and I never wore shorts again; THANKS, RANDOM ASSHOLE KID
Havin’ a Bud
Not a single modern commercial has had the cultural impact of this thing. Not a one.
Well, okay, maybe this:
Anyway.
Graphin’ It
I think my favorite topic we covered in ASHA this past winter semester was the “good visualizations, bad visualizations” topic, in which I showed the students some examples of some really good visualizations of data/information as well as some really bad ones.
Visualization of information is, in my opinion, overlooked in introductory (and advanced) statistics courses. It’s important to not only understand the analyses and the data behind the analyses, but it’s just as important to be able to convey the meanings and interpretations of the data in ways that make said meanings/interpretations easy to understand. This can be done very effectively and efficiently with a good visualization.
And it can be done very misleadingly with a poor visualization.
I think I’m going to incorporate a little unit (maybe a lab or two?) focusing on the importance of good visualization next time I teach a higher-level stats course. Even if I just give similar examples to the ones I gave in ASHA (as well as, of course, general guidelines for different types of common visualizations), I can at least get students thinking about the visual presentation of information and how important it can be.
Anyway.
Crop It
MapPorn is one of my favorite subreddits, and here’s an example of why.
I like how Nevada basically doesn’t grow shit.
I also didn’t realize how concentrated the lemon crop was in the country.
And for my fellow Idahoans who are angry about the lack of potato map, here you go!
OCTOBER LIST
LOL I LIED IT’S A SURVEY
YOU’VE BEEN DECEIVED!!!!!!!!!1
Have you ever been enrolled in private school?
Technically St. Mary’s was a private Catholic school, so yes.
What is the last thing you ate?
Tuna. Straight out of the can. I’m an adult.
Do you buy your lingerie at Victoria’s Secret?
Senza is better.
Would you consider yourself in shape?
Eh.
Who is your favorite person to spend time with?
My mom and my husband.
And Leibniz if he were alive, I’m sure of it.
Have you ever had tendonitis?
Hahaha, I suspect I have.
What brand of face wash do you use?
I just use soap.
Do you know how to grill a steak?
Nope.
What were you wearing the last time you were kissed?
What I’m wearing right now!
Are you considered a “clingy girlfriend”?
I don’t think so.
Have you ever been to a purse party?
The hell is a purse party? Is it like a Tupperware party but with purses?
Would you ever use an online dating service?
Been there, done that, met my husband on it.
When is the last time you weighed yourself?
Today.
Do you mosh when you go to concerts/shows?
No.
Do you like Gushers?
Eh, I was never a fan. The texture was weird.
Are you good at multitasking?
Sure.
Use the word elapse in a sentence:
How much time must elapse before I POST THESE DAMN BLOGS??
When’s the last time you went to a nightclub?
Do the drag shows count? If so, 2010. If not, never.
Where did you buy your favorite pair of jeans?
I don’t have a favorite pair of jeans. My favorite pair of pants are from Goodwill.
Do you have a large dog?
Nope.
If not, are you afraid of them?
Not a dog fan.
What is more annoying: A sore throat or a headache?
Sore throat, just because I’m used to headaches.
What was your GPA last semester?
Technically a 4.0 (got an A+ in French, hahaha)
Can you unwrap a Starburst in your mouth?
Doubt it.
Do you like walking places?
Hell yeah!
Are you a fan of bands most people don’t know of?
I knew obscure bands before it was cool to know obscure bands!
What time is it right now?
12:36 AM.
When’s the last time you wore goggles?
It’s been a long time.
Have you ever been to Europe?
Yes.
Do you yell at other drivers while you drive?
Yes. But I yell at them more when I’m out walking or running.
Are you good at playing Darts?
I’ve never played.
Can you legally consume alcohol? If not, do you anyways?
I can legally consume, but I don’t want to.
Do you like zebra print and would you wear it?
No and no.
Are “school friends” and friends different to you?
I have no friends.
When is the last time you laid out and tanned?
Intentionally? Never.
Write a sentence in another language:
Où sont mes clés?
Are you considered a bitch?
Hopefully not.
Would you rather use colored pencils or crayons?
Colored pencils.
Can you drive well?
It’s been a long time since I’ve driven.
Do you know what emancipation of minors is?
Sure.
Are you one to ditch set plans?
If they involve people, yes. Leave me alone.
Have you ever sent an X-Rated picture to someone?
Nope.
What bothers you the most about your town?
Some parts are hard to get to without a car.
Can you actually play an instrument or do you say it to be cool?
I can play many instruments!
Flip flops or Birkenstock sandals?
Neither.
What big city do you live near?
I live IN Calgary, yo.
Do you like breaded chicken sandwiches?
Sure.
Is there a Sonic in your area?
Yes.
Have you ever gone out of state for a concert?
No.
Where is your best friend right now?
Don’t have one.
Is anyone currently angry with you?
Probably.
Have you ever gone to a thrift store?
Duh.
Do you own a lighter?
Nope.
Have you ever been under a blacklight?
There were black lights at the Roll-a-Rink in Lewiston. I miss that place!
What color are you nails painted right now?
They’re not painted. It’s been a while since I’ve painted my nails.
When is the last time you sneezed?
Earlier today.
What is your favorite board game from your childhood?
I always liked Pictionary.
Did you ever own a bean bag chair?
Probably?
Are you passive aggressive?
Sometimes.
What is the reason you last received money?
Work.
Are you in love?
Yes!
Does it bother you when glasses fog up?
Very much so.
Good Luck, Europe Clipper!
And she’s off!
Not sure how things on earth will be going in 2030, but if we’re still somehow chugging along and not murdering each other for water, food, and other resources that we’ve destroyed due to climate change, the information this will send back will be so cool to see!
Random Thought:
Does anyone else find the blinker sound of an unfamiliar car unsettling?
You know, this thing:
You get used to the way it sounds in your car (or the car you’re most frequently in), but its specific sound is slightly different in every model and make and I’ve always found unfamiliar blinker sounds very unnerving.
It makes you feel far from home, no?
I remember when I was a kid and my dad and I would go down to visit my grandpa and grandma in LA. The blinker in my grandma’s car always sounded SO DIFFERENT from the blinkers in my parents’ cars and it always reminded me of how far away from home I was.
Anyone else? Or is this just a “me” thing?
Obscenely Expensive Luxury Stuff Intrigues Me
Not necessarily in a good way or a bad way. Just…in a woah way. In a “is this seriously what you want to spend your obscene amounts of money on?” way. In a “wouldn’t you rather donate to save animals than have a solid gold iPhone cover?” way. In a “this is such a strange way to display wealth” way.
Like, why in the hell would anyone need/want/care about having a 24K gold tennis racket? I would be embarrassed as hell if someone came in my house and saw this.
And why in the name of CHRIST would you want gold and diamonds on your iPhone? I drop my phone like every four days. Would I want the gold to shatter and little diamonds to scatter everywhere every four days?
It’s the same thing for brand name stuff.
Like…are you out of your mind with this? This looks like something you can buy at Walmart for like $17. What’s that saying…”money can’t buy taste” or something like that?
I don’t get it, man. Does stupid wealth just make you stupid?
Hahaha, what the hell was this show?
I remember watching Freakazoid as a kid, but I don’t remember it being quite so insane, hahaha.
This is like if they took late 90s internet and made it a show.
Nostalgia: Video Game Edition
So I don’t know what made me think of this random game from my childhood today, but does anyone else remember playing OutNumbered!? It was part of the Super Solvers series and was a game that had you do math puzzles and calculations to find pieces of a code. It took me a while to find because I couldn’t remember the name of it, haha, but it looks like you can play it online!
That’s some early 90s graphics and music, for sure.
Edit: Oh my god, I remember this one, too.
Edit again: This is from the same company that did the Oregon Trail? Nice.
LFGM
THE METS JUST BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF THE PHILLIES
I LOVE BASEBALL
Well that was cool.
Got up around 1 AM to go do my night run (even though the days are technically cooling down now and I could probably go when it’s light). Got out on the path and noticed that there were huge swaths of green northern lights streaking through the sky. They lasted probably half of my run before dissipating.
It’s a weird thing to say, but I’ve never felt more safe during a night run. How can one get hurt under the northern lights?
(I know that’s a weird thing to say, but that’s what I was thinking while running.)
(Shut up.)
Kick!
So this campaign will probably be well over by the time I get my blogs posted, but I’mma talk about it anyway!
SolarBalls, the YouTube series that I have become unabashedly obsessed with over the past several months, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for SolarCards, a trading card game based on the series.
(Just so you get an idea of how popular this series is, by the way, they launched their campaign on October 5 with a goal of $10,000 and they’re already 345% funded. It’s been two days.)
Anyway, they also released a video of the rocky planets demonstrating how to play, which is pretty freaking cute:
(Sorry, I’m beyond obsessed with this series, haha)
Is the toast brave, too? Or is bravery not transferable that way?
YO so I found The Brave Little Toaster the other day on YouTube and have already watched it like seven times.
(I’m not going to link it here because it seems like every vid I link to gets taken down and WE’RE NOT HAVING THAT FOR THE BRAVE LITTLE TOASTER)
Mom, I know I traumatized you by watching this so many times when I was a kid, but it really is a good movie, haha. I get that “City of Light” song stuck in my head more often than I care to admit.
I had such a crush on that lamp when I was a kid, haha.
ANYWAY. Here’s said “City of Light” song so YOU can get it stuck in YOUR head, too!
Saxophone? More like SEXophone okay I’ll stop
Another SYNTHONY video!
That saxophone sounds ridiculously good. That note at 2:20 is pure joy.
I love this kind of stuff. This group is the only thing that would ever get me to Australia.
SPIN IT
It’s SPIN DOCTOR!!!
Or at least a demo of it.
I used to play this all the time when I was a kid (before we switched to PC, haha). I remember playing this a lot when we lived in Troy, so…first and second grade?
Does anyone else remember this?
METS DID IT AGAIN LET’S GOOOOOOOOOO
Look at this insanity. This is why Mets fans are nervous balls of anxiety, depression, and desperate hope.
NLDS TIME!
Squid
Remember like two months ago when I mentioned that the best scene in SpongeBob SquarePants was that scene in “Band Geeks” where they were all playing at the stadium?
This is a close second.
(Can you tell I don’t have anything interesting to blog about today? I’m nervous about baseball, shut up.)
Third
I came in third place in fantasy baseball! That’s definitely an improvement over last year (seventh place out of eight) and ties my best placing two years ago.
Though it is kind of sad that I had freaking Shohei Ohtani giving one of the most ridiculous performances in the history of baseball and I could still only come in third, but my husband is an unstoppable, unmovable force when it comes to fantasy sports so there was no way I could have won, anyway.
MEEEEEETS!
OH MY GOD
So the Mets had a doubleheader against the Braves today to determine who was getting into the playoffs: the Mets, the Braves, or the Diamondbacks.
Because of course the Mets’ season was going to come down to a doubleheader with the freaking Braves.
The Mets needed to win one of the two games to advance and after being behind 3-0 in the top of the 8th in the first game, they did one of their miraculous late-inning comebacks and won!
This game was ridiculous, yo.
You could tell how much more relaxed Gary, Keith, and Ron were in the second game, haha.
LFGM!
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