Busy spazzing, BRB
In the meantime, a silly vid:
Most accurate tourism rundown of Vancouver I’ve ever heard. The foot comment rendered much guffawing.
Statistics in the Nude
HAHA, you wish, right?
Today (or yesterday, or some time recently) CNN.com put up a link to the 100 most popular boy and girl baby names of 2011. Said link is here.
My personal opinions:
- Hate the name Aiden
- Dig the name Sophia
- Annabelle’s my kitty’s name!
- Xavier? Really?
- What’s with the excessive overuse of “y” as a replacement vowel for…well, pretty much every other vowel?
- Half of these names I would never expect to be in the 100 most popular for this year.
Anyway.
Me being me, I decided to run a few quick little stats to see what’s what with these names. Consider this a delightful little romp through basic descriptive and inferencial stats.
- Test 1: Is there a difference between the mean number of syllables in the 100 most popular names for boys vs. the 100 most popular names for girls? (2-sample t-test)
- Test 2: Is there a difference between the mean syllable of emphasis in the 100 most popular names for boys vs. the 100 most popular names for girls? (2-sample t-test)
- Test 3: Do either the number of syllables or the mean syllable of emphasis statistically predict the rank of the names for either boys or girls? (Regressions! Regressions!)
Since these are small baby analyses I won’t go through the analyses in depth; I’ll just give you the results.
Test 1
I wanted to determine with this test if the top 100 male and 100 female names had a statistically different number of syllables. No names in either list had more than 4 syllables.
Mean number of syllables for male names: 2.45
Mean number of syllables for female names: 2.09
Results of the t-test: t(187.956) = 3.80, p < 0.001 (0.0001967)
This means that there is a statistically significant difference in the number of syllables in the 100 most popular male names and the 100 most popular female names (with male names having, on average, more syllables).
Test 2
I wanted to see if there was any difference between the two lists of names in terms of where the emphasis was placed in the name. Did one list contain more names where the emphasis was on the first syllable (e.g., “E-than,” “KA-thy”, “CA-ro-line”), or more names where the emphasis was later in the name (e.g. “a-LEX-a,” “nath-AN-iel,” “el-ISE”)? This was simplified somewhat by my coding; I just had “1,” “2,” “3,” and “4” as the codes for the emphasis falling on the first, second, third, or fourth syllable, respectively.
Mean syllable of emphasis for male names: 1.09
Mean syllable of emphasis for female names: 1.29
Results of the t-test: t(167.09) = 3.04, p = 0.0027
This means that there is a statistically significant difference between the location of the syllable of emphasis in the 100 post popular male names and the 100 most popular female names (with the emphasis being placed earlier in the name for males than females).
Test 3
I didn’t save the printout results of the regressions because afterward I realized how bad it was to attempt an inferential statistic with such a pittance of a data set, but I figured I’d let you know what I got anyway: performing a Poisson regression (y variable is a count variable, bitches!) revealed that neither the number of syllables nor the location of the emphasis in the name were statistically significant predictors of the rank of the names.
Ta-da!
TWSB: Santa Ana is Coming to Town
I don’t know how closely any of you dudes follow the news, especially weather-related news, but as of right now the Southwest US is being battered by what are known as the Santa Ana winds.
The Santa Ana winds, which arise in Southwest California in late fall or early winter, are the strongest they’ve been in nearly a decade according to CNN. Gusting at 60 MPH in some places, they’ve already knocked out the power to a large portion of people living in Southern California.
According to the Wiki article, the Santa Ana winds arise when the surface air in the Great Basin and Mojave Desert becomes cool and begins to fall to lower elevations. Sinking into the valleys and canyons of the lower desert, the air is often pushed through the land’s channels at near hurricane forces. In addition, its sinking in elevation causes it to heats up again (a process called adiabatic heating; as the air sinks the pressure around it increases, thus causing the air to heat as it is compressed). This, when combined with the fact that the air has already been dried by orographic lift before reaching the Great Basin, makes for extremely dry winds, often with relative humidity levels below 10%, gusting at extremely high forces. These winds push across Southern California and, as evident by the recent news, cause havoc.
Edit: video!
Woohoo, crazy weather!
Music Music Bo Busic Banana Fana Fo Fusic, Fe, Fi, Mo Music…MUSIC
It’s another month down! One more and we’ll be at the end of the year, meaning I’ll have TWO data sets of 365 songs. Rock on.
Graph of genres:
Mean song length: 3:44
The five-star: Without You by David Guetta (featuring Usher)
NaNo Over
Ugh, my NaNo this year sucks royal matzo balls.
Here’s a Wordle. This will be the last time we shall ever speak of this atrocity.
I would think “barber” would be a lot more frequent. Same with “drunken” and “bourbon.”
This story really sucked. As much as NaNo is about quantity over quality, I have difficulty with that in the story-writing context. My blogs are a different story, though, haha.
Blogometrics
Hello fine readers! I have a question pertaining to—what else?—my blog!
So since I started my blog back in 2006, it’s been known as “Le Seul Mot Juste” with the subheader “take THAT, Gustave Flaubert!”
However, I’ve grown quite attached to “Eigenblogger,” especially since if I go premium with my WordPress account I’ll be found at http://www.eigenblogger.com, which is more memorable and easier to type out than http://www.leseulmotjuste.com or even http://www.takethatgustave.com. Though that last one would be pretty great.
I’ve also kind of adopted the phrase “live fast, die young, love data” as a motto, so that’d be a good subheader, eh?
ANYWAY.
Here are three new header designs with the new blog title/subheader. This also gives me the opportunity to try out my first poll! WOOHOO! Designs first, poll at the end.
Header A
Header B
Header C
I want cheese.
Artz!
It’s been approximately 4,000 years since I’ve drawn something. The thesis ate the creative part of my brain, digested it, and crapped it out into a sewer.
In Claudia-related news: Moving to Arizona on the 10th. Hang out plans must be made.
Claudia BORED!
2701. What does ‘equal’ mean?
“Being the same in quantity, size, degree, or value.”
2702. Do you believe in the phrase ‘all men are created equal’?
Yes.
What about woman?
Yes.
2703. Have all persons been specifically ‘created’?
You mean, were we each “created” for a specific reason? Well, I believe we live in a deterministic universe, so in a way, yes. However, I don’t think we were “created.”
2704. Are all persons exactly equal?
Yes.
2705. Or do they just have equal rights (in theory)?
People are equal and thus should have equal rights.
2706. Does art reflect society or does society reflect art?
Both, if art includes all things creative.
2707. Are you living under a little black raincloud or a ray of sunshine?
I’m living under a fog of denial.
2708. What do you wonder about?
Everything. Mostly the future.
2709. What is better..being single and free or being in love and responsible to another person?
Single and free!
2710. What vitamins do you take?
I take fiber, if that counts.
2711. In checkers..red or black?
Black.
2712. Is The Crow a great movie?
Never saw it.
2713. Do you wear all black frequently?
Hahahaha. Do you know me?
2714. Do you ever call yourself a poet, artist, or musician?
Eh.
Has your writing been published, your art been hung in a gallery or your band been signed?
Yes, yes, and no.
Does it matter?
Not really. If one thinks themselves a poet/artist/musician and one produces poems/art/music, then that’s what they are.
2715. When insects get into your house, do you kill them or catch them and take them ouside or leave them alone and let them live with you?
Depends on the insect. Cockroaches die. Ants die. Flies usually die. Most other insects (and arachnids) are spared.
2716. Name at least one person who’s birthday is in:
Jan.- My dad
Feb.- Sean!
Mar.- Aaron
Apr.- Brittany
May- My mom
June- Megan
July- Kate
Aug.-Shannyn
Sept- Matt!
Oct- Nick
Nov- Like 95% of the people I know, haha
Dec- Maggie
2717. Which would you consider to be a worse criminal:
a pedophile or a necrphile?
Pedo.
What if it was between a pedophile, a necrophile and a murderer?
Murderer.
2718. Do we start to die the day we are born or start to live the day we die?
I don’t believe in an afterlife and technically we really do start to die as soon as we’re born, so the former.
2719. Have you ever called your mom or dad a four letter word?
Hahaha, not my mom, no.
2720. Do you believe america should go to war with iraq?
No.
2721. Agree or disagree?
“There is too much concern in courts for the rights of criminals.”
Disagree.
“Abortion should be legal.”
Agree.
“The death penalty should be abolished.”
Disagree.
“Marijuana should be legalized.”
I really don’t have an opinion on this.
“It is important to have laws prohibiting homosexual relationships.”
MAJOR disagree.
“The federal government should do more to control the sale of handguns.”
Agree.
“Racial discrimination is no longer a major problem in America.”
Disagree.
“Wealthy people should pay a larger share of taxes than they do now.”
Agree.
“Colleges should prohibit racist/sexist speech on campus.”
Agree.
“Same-sex couples should have the right to legal marital status.”
Agree.
“Affirmative action in college admissions should be abolished.”
Please see this blog.
“The activities of married women are best confined to the home and family.”
Disagree.
“People should not obey laws which violate their personal values.”
Disagree.
“Federal military spending should be increased.”
Disagree.
“Realistically, an individual can do little to bring about changes in our society.”
Disagree.
Why did you agree or disagree to that last statement?
It takes a lot of people to actually bring about change, but it only takes one to rally the lot.
2722. Let’s say that after you die you become a spirit and you join all the other spirits. Not all of them have lived. You are talking to some who have never lived about how you HAVE lived. One of the spirits who has never lived says they think they will travel to earth in a human body soon and live. They ask you what three things on Earth should I be sure not to miss? You say…
1. Washington, D.C.
2. The Aurora Australis (or Borealis, but Antarctica’s much cooler, both aesthetically and literally)
3. Something involving music, like a symphony performing or an opera.
2723. What kind of ass is the sexiest (flat, round, tight, hard, meaty, juicy, small, big, stacked, packed, petite, barely there, curvey, muscular, etc.)?
I’m not a butt person much. What’s the difference between “stacked” and “packed,” for those well-versed in assography?
2724. Is there something beautiful and special about everyone?
Yes.
If yes is there something beautiful and special about Hitler?
Yes.
How about Bin Laden?
Yes.
What is it?
The fact that we’re these ridiculously complex wads of atoms that are, you know, ALIVE and in general function amazingly well.
2725. Have you ever moshed?
Nope.
If yes to what bands? If no then would you ever?
Sure.
2726. Do you like sushi?
Yup.
2727. What mood are you in?
A very “blah” mood.
What does your mood depend on?
Usually whether or not I’m stressing about something.
What depends on your mood?
What I do all day.
2728. wHAT IS faith?
Necessary, but not in the religious sense.
what is common sense?
Not so common.
Do you have either or both of them?
Both.
2729. Is perfection or imperfection more beautiful?
Both are beautiful.
2730. Would you think a person doing the following things has a healthy or unhealthy level of insanity?
gives the finger while driving?
tells their life story to people they just met?
walks up to people and tried to convert them to a religion?
says blah?
I think they all have healthy levels of “insanity.”
2731. Do you think this is a great line of poetry:
“Journey with me into the mind of a maniac. Doomed to be a killer since I came out the nutsac”
Eh.
Why or why not?
It’s nothing special to me.
2732. Do you think that song lyrics are poems with music?
Most often, yeah.
2733. In cases of rape which do you think is more of a crime:
a stranger rapes a girl OR a girl’s boyfriend rapes her?
I don’t think it’s appropriate to qualify one of these as “more” of a crime. Rape is rape.
2734. Did you know that in the USA it is considered to be LESS of a crime if a rapist knows the victim (because it is ‘less of a crime’ the rapist gets a less severe punishment)? Do you agree or disagree and why?
Disagree. As I said, “rape is rape.”
2735. In the USA a few weeks ago a guy had beaten up and raped his girlfriend, for which he got 70 days of community service. He had been found guilty, got a year and a half of jail, BUT can you guess why his sentence was reduced to mere community service? He had a steady job. That’s right. He was found less guilty, because he had a long-term steady job. How does this make you feel?
Pissed off.
2736. Does the character limit of notes or entries annoy you?
When there’s a limit on complaint form entries, yes. I’m long-winded when I’m bitching about something. *cough*PayPal*cough*
2737. wHO’S YOUR FAVORITE WRESTLER?
I DON’T HAVE ONE, RANDOM CAPSLOCK QUESTION!
2738. Have you ever been trapped in an elevator?
Nope.
2739. What is more important, tact or honesty?
Honesty.
2740. Do you have a mentor? Who?
Nope.
2741. If you like guys:
would you rather have a ‘bad’ guy (motorcycles, smokes, drinks, etc) or a ‘good’ guy (family, domesticated, nice guy)?
Good guy.
Would you rather have a virgin or a more experianced guy?
No preference.
If you like girls:
Would you rather have a virgin or a more experianced girl?
would you rather have a ‘bad’ girl (motorcycles, smokes, drinks, etc) or a ‘good’ girl (family, domesticated, nice girl)?
2742. Do you feel nervous in crowds?
I feel irritated in crowds.
2743. Did you write a real entry today?
How are surveys not “real entries?”
What about?
It’s a survey!
Was it your best writing?
Hahahahaha, no way.
2744. If you were making a ‘best of’ entry about your BEST entries ever what would be your top 5 best entries?
Been there, done that!
2745. Do you like to play the lottery?
I love those scratch-off lotto tickets. I never win, though, haha.
2746. Guess what?
What?
2747. Why did you choose to live one more day?
Good question.
2748. What is the most beautiful myth you have ever read/heard?
Not sure.
2749. Have you ever been stood up?
Not in the dating sense, no.
2750. Finish the following sentences any way you want.
It’s always darkest before…you turn on the flashlight.
Never underestimate the power of…a marching band
Don’t bite the hand that…scoops the poo box
A miss is as good as a…Mister
If you lie down with dogs, you…are probably covered in dog hair
Love all, trust…Dulcolax (haha, sorry, that commercial was on like 3 seconds ago)
The pen is mightier than…the pants
An idle mind is…wasting gas
Where there is smoke, there’s…Smokey the Bear having a panic attack
Happy is the bride who…doesn’t trip down the aisle?
Two is company, three’s…the only prime number that is 1 less than a perfect square number.
None are so blind as…those in the Land of the Blind
You get out of something what you…make up your mind to get
When the blind lead the blind…the one-eyed man is king. Oh, wait.
Laugh and the whole world laughs with you. Cry and…you’re probably pissed that the world won’t stop laughing with you and just leave you be.
2751. What’s the most interesting assignment you ever had in school?
Though it wasn’t really a school assignment like homework or something, the most interesting project I was ever involved in was the Lego Mars Rover competition in elementary school. We totally would have won had we done an initial proper inventory and realized we were short a motor.
2752. What’s the most interesting thing you ever had to do for work?
Deal with those five drunk football players at Wendy’s who thought they were a car. That or trying to solve the mystery of why those fluorescent light coverings at the U of I magically changed size when we took them out and washed them.
2753. Do you feel:
insignifigant?
Yes.
unable to evoke change?
No.
like one person can’t change the world?
Sometimes.
like one life and one person’s suffering doesn’t mean very much?
No.
2754. Do you feel like you could contribute as much to society as ____ has?
Albert Einstein: That would be awesome.
Abe Lincoln: That would be pretty awesome too.
Franz Kafka: Kafka is depressing as hell, but pretty cool.
Jesus Christ: Hahaha.
2755. Are you aware that your brain is the same size as Albert Einstein’s brain?
Proof that size doesn’t matter; it’s what you do with it that counts (HA!)
Do you realize that you have the same number of hours in a day as Abraham Lincoln?
Indeed.
Did you know that Franz Kafka wrote all of his amazing litterature during his lunchbreaks at work?
Kafka’s badass.
Did you know that we are all made of matter and that you are made of the Same Thing that Jesus was made of?
I want Apostles!
Do you still believe that you couldn’t contribute as much to society as they did?
I have the same shot as they did.
2756. Is your mind in the gutter?
Hahaha. Always. Marching band kid.
2757. What do you have to complain about?
Not enough to actually complain, but I do it anyway.
2758. Do you remember rock n’ roll radio?
I remember early 90s radio.
2759. Is there such a thing as a food that you burn more calories from digesting than you actually absorb from it?
No, I’m pretty sure that myth has been debunked.
2760. Hey, if you’ve gotten this far than you and me go way back. We’ve been hanging out for a while now and I gotta know..do you like me?
Sure. You wrote a 5,000 question survey. That’s awesome.
2761. What are you doing, Dave?
I’m not Dave, I’m Claudia. Or Claude. Depending on the day.
2762. As far as love goes do you feel it is better to become complete before looking for someone or find someone who completes you?
Complete before looking.
2763. What attracts you about the opposite sex (or same sex, or both sexes)?
Their sexiness, of course.
2764. Do you need people or do you not need anyone?
Everyone needs someone.
2765. Is selfishness always bad?
No.
Is selflessness always good?
No.
2766. Do you feel like your life is being controlled by a power structure?
My life is controlled by a toaster.
2767. Can you name three things in society that send the message that being completely yourself and that looking inside yourself and contemplating what’s within is a good thing?
Not anything that’s not trying to sell something, haha.
2768. Can you name three things in society that send the message that materialism and the accumulation of stuff is a good thing?
Pretty much everything.
2769. What is more important, a picture or it’s frame?
Picture.
What is more important, spirituality or religion?
Neither, in my opinion.
2770. How many definitions can you come up with for the wword ‘fuck’?
Hahaha, many.
2771. Is it less offensive when a black person says Nigger than when a white person says it?
I have no opinion on this.
2772. Do you rationalize often?
Always.
2773. Do you believe that america is an imperialist nation?
Maybe in some ways.
2774. Would you agree that:
hot topic is the new abercrombie?
I have no idea.
pink is the new black?
Then what’s the new pink?
you are the new you?
What happened to the old me?
2775. Do you have more internet or real life friends?
Real life friends.
2776. What IS the feeding of 5000?
Huh?
2777. What’s an easy way to make money?
Work, young soldier!
2778. What’s your favorite slang word and what does it mean?
I like yo. I like it in too many contexts to define it one way.
2779. Are you uncomfortable?
Not currently.
2780. Is anything definite besides death and taxes?
Disagreement.
2781. Would you rather live fast and die young or live slow and die old?
Live fast, die young, love data.
2783. If you could imagine, pure fantasy, any God you could concieve, how would you want God to be?
He would be Leibniz. Yes, I know I’m obsessed.
2784. do you think the smashing pumpkins have a strong christian theme?
I have no idea.
2785. Do you think this survey has a strong christian theme?
Hahaha, no.
2786. Fill in the blank for yourself”
Give me ____ or give me death!
Statistics.
2787. Have you ever heard of the USA patriotism act?
Durh.
2788. The people in power step all over the average citizen, trying to secure all the power and money for themselves and leave us with no rights and under their control. They have the audacity to do this because they know that we will not lift a finger to stop them. Are they right?
No.
2789. The Free State Project is a plan in which 20,000 or more liberty-oriented people will move to a single state of the U.S. to secure there a free society. They will accomplish this by first reforming state law, opting out of federal mandates, and finally negotiating directly with the federal government for appropriate political autonomy. They want to be a community of freedom-loving individuals and families, and want to create a shining example of liberty for the rest of the nation and the world. What’s your opinion? Could this work? Why or why not?
I don’t think it could work mainly because I don’t think the government would allow them political autonomy.
2790. Have you ever seen The Neverending Story?
Awesome movie!
Remember when Bastian has to prove his worth by looking in that mirror where you see yourself the way you really are with no pretenses, rationalizations or mental lying?
Yup.
Could you stand yourself if you looked into that mirror?
Dude, I can’t stand myself now.
2791. What is soylent green?
People!
2792. What are you proud that you have never done?
I’m proud of not having sex yet. Waiting for the right person.
2793. What things are hopeless?
Nothing.
2794. What Are People For?
Procreating?
2795. What book do you feel could change someone’s life?
The Chosen, by Chaim Potok.
2796. Didja ever want to just walk up to the Bush administration and ask them, ‘What the fuck?’
Didn’t a large proportion of the world’s population?
2797. How do you take your coffee?
BLACKER THAN THE BLACKEST BLACK TIMES INFINITY!
2798. Have you ever played:
paintball?
No
laser tag?
Yes!
which is better?
Laser tag is awesome.
2799. In what ways are you lucky?
I have a brain, two awesome parents, enough money to live comfortably, warmth, a rockin’ immune system, a couple badass friends, a sense of humor.
2800. If Jesse Jackson wants reparations to be given to black people because he thinks that black people don’t have equal opportunities in this country than why does he drive a Jaguar?
Because he’s Jesse Jackson? Haha, I dunno.
Damn you, David E. Kelly
Chicago Hope + Boston Legal = no sleep and much laughter.
And I have just discovered Gabriel Iglesies. He’s cool.
and
So wrong, but his impressions make it really funny.
Also, thanks to my NaNo, I now know more about presidential hairstyles and hair in general than anyone should.
Eight Days Left, Half Way There
Hey, I formally graduate with my MA tomorrow. Snazzy.
That is all. It’s been a crappy day.
Are Humorous Baristas called Brew-Ha-Has?
Since February 26th of this year, I’ve walked* the equivalent distance of the span of Romania.
One of my 101 in 1001 goals I added a month or so ago was to have walked the equivalent distance length of Idaho over the course of the year (that’s 479 miles, approximately). But then, when I was researching the lengths of states and various other things, I found out that the distance across Romania is pretty similar (approximately 460 miles). Since saying that you walked the span of a country sounds a lot cooler than walking the length of a state, I changed my goal. It’s a little shorter in reality, sure, but I figure I’ll hit 479 miles soon enough, anyway. I took a 9-mile walk this afternoon that brought my total to 464.89 miles.
Woo!
And you know I can’t do anything like this without bringing you all some STATS!
- Total distance in Vancouver: 234.5 miles
- Total distance everywhere else combined: 230.39
- Longest walk: 22.64 miles (47,132 steps)
Boxplot!
Correlations!
distance calories steps speed distance 1.0000000 0.9760977 0.9904710 -0.2836056 calories 0.9760977 1.0000000 0.9422555 -0.1071855 steps 0.9904710 0.9422555 1.0000000 -0.3922823 speed -0.2836056 -0.1071855 -0.3922823 1.0000000
WOO!
*Walking distance includes only “intentional” walking times—times I walked to walk (including all Canadian Mall destinations)—and more specifically, the times I actually had my iPod Touch with me and utilized the iTreadmill app and excludes distance accrued while walking to/from campus, going to the grocery store, prancing around the house, etc.
Dear NaNoWriMo 2011:
HAHA, despite all the crap 2011 is throwing me, I shall still conquer you!
I’m at about 17,000 words now after being stuck with about 700 or so most of the month. Synopsis + excerpt to come soon, possibly.
Possibly.
And now, fun links from across Teh Intarwebs:
- List of all the quizzes on Blogthings.
- Awesome list of lectures.
- My favorite place to browse for recipes.
- Nerdy Day Trips.
- Playing with powder.
Vroom!
More Boring News
Okay, now I’m 95% sure I won’t be in Moscow for much longer. Like I said before (I think), there’s a person down in AZ who seems imminently more qualified to help with the bag of craptastic crappery into which my life currently has fallen.
(Side note: nighttime panic attacks blow heavy metal chunks)
(Side note II: Big Compy has been making horrible grinding noises ever since they shipped him from London. Quite disconcerting)
Anyway. Just letting anyone who cares know.
7th Grade Hilarity
I’ve transcribed this here before, but now that I’ve got the wonderful and incredibly high-tech method of taping my TV with my camera and uploading said recording to Compy and then onto YouTube, I can show you the actual video. Not that you care (and not that I expect you to), but I’m posting it anyway. Mostly so that I’ve put it somewhere.
Here is our 7th grade advanced reading group performing our interpretation of the fight between Paul and Jamis in Frank Herbert’s Dune. Brendan’s the tall blonde guy playing Paul, Kyle’s the guy playing Jamis, Mitchell’s the guy who jumps off the tower in the beginning, Kristen’s Jessica, and I’m the camera guy.
And here are the “bloopers,” which is basically us performing Brendan’s scripted interpretation of pretty much everything relating to Duncan Idaho. Brendan’s twisted, twisted script.
I miss that freaking sweater so much.
TWSB: Moo Cow, Don’t Bother Me
So apparently cows line themselves up with the earth’s magnetic field.
Maybe. Probably. The evidence is somewhat inconclusive.
A 2008 study by German zoologist Hynek Burda showed that cattle, like birds, lobsters, and turtles (among others), use magneto-reception, the ability to detect the magnetic field and to perceive direction and location based on it. Burda and his team used data from Google Earth in the form of images of cattle to determine whether the cattle tend to align themselves with the magnetic field or not.
A follow-up study showed that the alignment disappeared near and around power lights, which further supports Burda’s original findings as it is suggested that power lines disrupt magneto-sensing.
However, a 2011 study by a group of Czech researchers was unable to replicate Burda’s Google Earth-supported findings using different images. In addition, after looking at Burda’s original images, the Czech team’s lead researcher, Lukas Jelinek, stated that the original phenomenon “[was] not as fantastic as it was presented.”
One key difference, however, between the original and the Czech studies is that Burda analyzed the herds as a whole, while Jelinek examined individual cows. Researcher Sönke Johnsen adds support to Burda’s original results by stating that not only should some of Jelinek’s images not have been analyzed, but that the proper unit of measurement is more likely at the level of the herd rather than the individual cow.
So why there appears to be a bit of contradictory evidence, it seems like there’s a fair number of scientists who group cattle with other animals who utilize magneto-reception.
Cool, huh?
Dice, Dice, Baby
I hate not knowing what’s in my immediate future. Hate, hate, hate.
Survey, survey, survey. Sorry I haven’t had anything interesting to say for the past few days.
2601. Do you think cell phones cause cancer?
I think that’s still inconclusive.
Are cell phone users more likely to get into car accidents?
If they use their phone in their car while driving, yes.
Do cell phones really interfere with a plane’s navigation equipment?
I think they just did a report on this showing that they really don’t.
Are cell phones immune from computer viruses?
I have no idea.
Can using a cell phone at a gas station spark a fire?
No.
2602. What makes a guy see a chick as less of a cute little girl and more of a woman?
Boobies?
2603. What is it about football that makes people want to watch it?
Your guess is as good as mine.
2604. What is the best show on tv?
That’s still running? Metalocalypse, baby! I don’t know if I can wait until April for the new season.
2605. Are you more of a tape dispenser or a stereo speaker and why?
I’m a tape dispenser, yo. I like to provide ways to “fix things.”
2606. What do you think is overrated?
Sex.
what is underrated?
Factor analysis.
2607. Can spiders ump?
If they’re certified to.
Did you interpret that as ‘jump’ or ‘hump or ‘bump’ or other?
I interpreted it as “an ability to act as an umpire during baseball games.”
2608. What’s the matter with adults today?
Depends on the adults, haha.
2609. Have you ever worked ‘off the books’?
Um, I don’t think so…
2610. Have you ever worked 9-5?
Close enough (7 – 4).
If not do you think you ever will?
Who knows? Most likely.
2611. Do men or woman make better bosses?
Depends on the job/individual.
2612. Do you believe that people should move up through a company or that the higher up positions should be filled by people hired from outseide the company?
Movin’ on up.
2613. Why is it that no one seems to care about their job?
I think we’re so obsessed with monetary gains that we’re willing to work in a less than enjoyable setting. Either that or other constraints cause us to settle for a particular job that is not our ideal.
2614. When I go into a store, why doesn’t anyone know anything about what they are selling?
Don’t they? The good employees usually do.
2615. Have you ever seen those people that get that blank, lost expression when they go into a store and kinda shuffle along like zombies?
Indeed.
Do you wonder how they got up, dressed themselves, and made it to the store in the first place?
Usually the stupor starts in the store itself.
2616. When did you/will you graduate college?
December 2008, May 2009, and an up-and-coming November 2011 “official” graduation from grad school.
2617. When will Eminem stop whineing about his bad childhood and move on??
Hasn’t he?
2618. I am drug free. Are you drug free?
I am indeed.
2619. I have piercings and am getting tattoos. Do you have either?
Piercings, yes. But I’d like a tattoo.
2620. Can you REALLY say that your way is the right way?
Nope.
maybe there is a different way for everyone?
Durh.
2621. What do you think of the song ‘Imagine’?
Lennon’s song? It’s awesome.
2622. Can you think of any reason i might have written this, other than I am bored with too much time on my hands?
Personal accomplishment? Spiritual fulfillment? You’re a survey freak like me?
2623. What is the purpose of art?
To allow for a creative outlet.
How about movies?
Same as art.
Music?
See above.
2624. Do you think that anything has lost it’s value because it’s become too ‘commercial’? What?
Probably, but I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. It’s like 4 in the morning.
2625. Have you ever been promoted?
No.
fired?
No.
2626. What do you call your private area? Does it have a nickname?
Teehee.
2627. What parts of your body are shaved?
Legs, pits.
2628. What is a peachclam?
Whatever it is, it sounds dirty.
2629. What is the american dream?
Not what it used to be, I don’t think.
Is it the same as your dream?
My dream is to help others in some way.
2630. Do you need to be right all the time?
It’d be nice, but no. I guess not.
2631. There was a sculpture that was supposed to be displayed for a week in the Rockafeller Center in NYC of a falling woman – designed as a memorial to those who jumped or fell to their death from the World Trade Center. It was complained about as grotesque, innopropriate and describe as ‘not art’
What do you think?
It might have been inappropriate, but it certainly wasn’t “not art.”
It was taken down early because it was seen as ‘offensive’. What do you think about that?
I think it makes sense; 9-11 is still a pretty sensitive subject, even 10 years later.
2632. What letter’s sound do you like the best?
I like the ‘k’ or hard ‘c’ sound, but I also really like ‘j’. And the long ‘i’. Haha.
2633. What is one movie character you identify with and why?
I’m not a movie person.
2634. Do you act the same when you are alone as you do when people are watching?
I talk to objects much more often when I’m alone. I also sing my routines.
2635. Why is everyone so obssessed with superheros?
Are they?
2637. Do you handle inconvieniences well?
I have a bad initial reaction, but then I calm down and figure out how to deal.
2638. Are you a fan of Jackie Chan?
He’s okay I guess.
2639. Is a promise a big deal?
Depends on the magnitude.
2640. What is your place in the universe?
That’s what I’m trying to figure out.
2641. Once some scientists dug up a woolly mamoth, frozen in ice. It was still completely whole, not rotted or fosilized. The scientists decided to have a dinner party. It was a very posh affair. they served roast woolly mamoth steaks, the rarest meat in all the world. So, if you were invited, would you have eaten it?
I don’t think I would have solely because I don’t think I would appreciate it. My taste is compromised by my lack of smell to the extent that all meat tastes the same to me. The only way I can tell, for example, turkey from ground beef is the texture difference.
2643. It seems to me that a lot of people don’t value their lives, or life in general very highly. Why do you suppose that is?
Human condition?
Are you like that?
Most of the time, yes, unfortunately.
2644. Do you celebrate the harvest moon?
No.
2645. Do you believe in out of body experiences?
Sort of.
2646. Why does so much depend
upon a red wheel barrel
glazed with rain water
beside the white chickens?
Williams, nooo!
2647. Why do so many people get jobs that they dislike?
Didn’t we have this question already?
2648. Do you think that in THIS world, being creative is a handicap?
No.
Why or why not?
If you’re truly creative, you’ll be able to apply that creativity in almost any situation/lifestyle/job.
2649. Do you ever get chills or shivers during movies? What movies?
No movies. Just books or music.
2650. Do you believe in the collective unconsiouss(that people are like onions..the outer layers are individualistic and the deeper you go the more similar we all are)?
Not to the extent that Jung suggested, no, but I think that all material in the universe has a slight degree of this collective unconscious.
2651. Do you think that most people have the qualities you look for in friends/intimate relationships or do you feel alienated?
I felt pretty alienated up in Van Land, but no, in general it’s not that bad.
2652. Are you very critical:
of others? No.
of yourself? Yes indeed.
2653. Is there such a thing as expecting too much?
Yes.
2654. Would you rather take an hour lunch break or skip lunch and get out of work early?
I can nom broccoli while working! Let me free an hour early!
2655. Do you believe that happiness is equal to
fakeness? Nope
shallowness? Maybe for some
joy? Sure
something good that happens? Most often, yes
an attitude you have inside no matter what happens? Sure
2656. Can you control your emotions?
Hahaha.
have you ever tried?
HAHAHAHAHA.
2657. Imagine you are 34 weeks pregnant. You are healthy and you didn’t have any major problems in your pregnancy. Would you consider flying from the UK to Germany, which takes one hour, whithout a bad feeling that something could go wrong or the baby decides to come out earlier?
Sure.
2658. How long do you think it would take you to jog a mile?
Jogging, it takes me about 9 minutes and 30 seconds, but I haven’t timed myself when I’ve had the intent of just running a mile (I got 9:30 by dividing my 10k run time by 6.2).
2659. Word association:
twilight: twinkle
garden: eden
warm: blanket
stars: firmament
crash: crush
mold: green
gold: yellow
green: west
lush: lawn
2660. Picture a triangle. Quick! What color is it?
Red!
Picture a square. Quick! What color is it?
Baby pink.
Picture a circle. Quick! What color is it?
Light blue
Why do you think you saw these shapes as these colors?
Triangle = red because triangles are strong shapes (architecturally speaking) and strength is associated with warm colors to me. Square = baby pink because squares strike me as comforting, safe shapes and baby pink is a very safe color. Circle = light blue because circles are the “lazy” shape and laziness is associated with the cool colors for me.
2661. What things are endless?
INFINITY!
2662. Are you ever subtle?
HAHA.
2663. Because we don’t know when we will die, we get to think of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens a certain number of times, and a very small number, really. How many more times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood…some afternoon that’s so deeply a part of your being that you can’t conceive of your life without it? How many more times will you watch the full moon rise? How can you fully appreciate these moments, every moment, when it all seems limitless? ~Paul Bowles, except from The Sheltering Sky
Interesting quote. Haha, makes me want to take a walk in the dark.
2664. Do you never have an ordinary day?
Um…maybe
2665. Do you embrace every single thing you’ve never known?
I try, but I don’t.
2666. Has anyone ever mistaken you for a satanist?
Nope.
2667. Can stress sometimes be good?
Stress got me through undergrad, yo.
2668. Write something random, just whatever flows out of your head without thinking. Forget punctuation just try to type as fast as you think:
It’s a blog, I’m a toaster, we know 2 + 2 and we can’t understand why the ocean is so deep deep deep deep orange purple yellow dusk.
2669. Are you a musical snob?
Nope.
How about a film snob?
Haha, no way.
2670. When you were in school did you learn to think or repeat?
Both. Depends on the class.
2671. Do you have everything you need to be happy?
No.
If not, what is missing?
Certainty. Plans. Sanity.
2672. Would you take a very casualy dropped ‘maybe I should just kill myself’ as a warning sign?
Totally depends on the person and context.
2673. What does the word ‘ironic’ mean? Can you give an exaple of an ironic situation?
Raaaaaaaaaaaain on your wedding day!
2674. What did you see today that was beautiful in an ordinary way?
Snow!
2675. Have you ever been on the edge of the night?
Not that I’ve been aware of.
2676. Do you feel oppressed in some way?
No.
2677. Who do you think shot JFK?
Not sure.
2679. Are you aware that although only about 14 percent of the american total population is black, that about 70 percent of the people in jail in america are black?
Yes.
2678. Do you think that the culture you live in is completely open to all ideas and forms of expression?
HAHA, no.
2680. What do you think of the character (muppet) on sesame street that has aids and should this kind of a theme be explored in children’s television?
I think it’s a good thing to be introducing new characters that explore or represent problems associated with today. Didn’t they introduce a homeless muppet a bit ago?
2681. Are you dyslexic?
Nope.
2682, Can you construct a bong out of:
household objects? Um…
an apple? I don’t know how to construct a bong.
your cat? Though I’m sure a cat is not a necessary component.
2683. Starwars, star trek or star gate?
Star Wars!
2684. Windows or mac?
Both! I started with a Mac, so they’re close to my heart.
2685. Do you start conversations or wait for other people to start them?
Wait for others.
2686. How many phallic symbols can you think of?
Many.
2687. Would you buy tickets to see the top ten american idols sing live?
No.
2688. A bird may love a fish…but where would they live?
I’m not sure, but would their babies be flying fish?
2689. Are you a hologram or a misfit?
I’m a creep. I’m a weirdo. Wait…what the hell am I doing here?! I don’t belong here!
2690. How are you oriented sexually?
North.
Do you agree with the people who say that everyone is bi-sexual even if they don’t want to admit it?
In a way. Like many, I don’t think sexuality is black or white.
2691. If you are the only human on the planet of the apes do you have sex with an ape?
God no.
2692. If you are making out with someone and you reach down and find they have a fish tail instead of legs do you still fool around with them?
How did I not notice this pre-makeout?
2693. Does superman wear kryptonite condoms?
*resisting urge to make “faster than a speeding bullet” joke*
2694. Do you know exactly where you are?
In my chair!
Do you know the meaning of it all?
No.
Do you know the distance to the sun?
Well, it takes light approximately 8 ½ minutes for light to get from the sun to the earth…light travels at like 186,000 miles per second (I can’t remember the exact speed), so that means the sun is about 94,000,000 miles away from earth, or something like that. Of course, that varies depending on where in the orbit you’re measuring.
Do you know the echo that is love?
What?
2694. Do you believe you are:
extraordinary? No
Blessed? Yes
Cursed? In some things
Won? Haha, no
2695. What are you doing this weekend?
Nothing exciting.
2696. Do you believe that black people should get money to make up for their previous enslavement?
No
Do you believe that all oppressed people should get money to make up for their oppression?
No
2697. What’s a quagmire?
Giggity-giggity! (Sorry, had to)
2698. Is philosophy a science or can everyone have their own philosophy?
Depends on how you’re defining “philosophy” here.
2699. Are you a big fish in a small pond?
I’m a medium-sized octopus in a tar pit.
2700. Would you like to read an entire novel written in stream of consiousness form?
Been there, done that.
Blog 2,024: Strummin’
Okay, new favorite musician:
The more I read about this man, Steven Sharp Nelson, the more I really dig him.
“I believe the purpose of life is to be happy.”
“I believe that good music can be a source of joy, inspiration, and fulfillment.”
“I believe as Bobby McFerrin once said, listening to only one kind of music is like insisting on living in only one room of your home your entire life.”
He’s also got bios of all his cellos on his site.
Badass. Go subscribe to The Piano Guys’ YouTube page for more awesomeness.
Makin’ Babies
I had a dream last night that in which I gave birth to seven boys.
Woke up, utilized StumbleUpon, and this page was the first one I reached.
The universe is weird.
I would be a Funseeker Mom:
Funseeker Mom is always ready for action with a cooler full of snacks, ice-cold juice boxes and a go-to attitude. She makes the best of any situation, whether it’s a long carpool line or bad year in algebra. And, she never lets the fear of no available parking stop her from heading to the beach or the park with a carful of kids. She’s glass-half-full all the time.
I actually think I’d be a “Spaz Out in the Corner until Child Turns 18 and Leaves House Mom,” but that wasn’t a result on this quiz.
Polar Expressions
I would wash dishes for the rest of my life if doing so would be my job down at McMurdo or the South Pole.
Jobs! Jobs for weird polar-obsessed people like me!
One of my ultimate goals is still to get down there. Maybe once I get my current “issues” fixed up to the point that they’re manageable I’ll apply to be a kitchen helper or a janitor or a housing assistant. Hell, I’d sort their garbage if that would get me down there.
I wonder if they need anyone to run some stats…?
Blog the Blog of Ages!
Blarghglsdfhg.
So. Because every doctor in Moscow is a member of the Incompetent Physicians of America Association, I may not be in Moscow for much longer. I’ve got some shit going on and my mom found a doctor down in Arizona that seems to be exponentially better than the culmination of all the doctors in Moscow (can you tell I haven’t had any great experiences with doctors in this town?).
So yeah. Just letting anyone who cares know.
OH, and assuming I stay here (it’s probably 50/50 right now, so who knows), perhaps we can all do something over Thanksgiving break. Matt, I know you read this…do you get a few days off for Thanksgiving and are you going anywhere during that week? Maggie (if you read this), are you going anywhere? If you’re all around (and I am too, haha) we should totally get together and have a little Thanksgiving party. Tasty foods, Rock Band, silliness in the basement…all that jazz.
Yay!
Also, I want everything from this Etsy shop.
Old Vaio is Old
My stuff came this morning, yay!
First thing I did involved digging out the monitor to Big Compy and hooking it to Old Vaio (the one with the busted screen). Laughed at all the old crap from high school senior year and all my undergraduate silliness.
Examples!
Haha, I’d totally forgotten about the time I recreated Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” using flour, water, and food coloring.
Spinning pineapple drawn and animated in Flash! I had this titled thereisaseasonturnturnturn.gif. (EDIT: apparently you have to click on stationary pineapple to get it its own page. It’ll spin there.) (EDIT 2: apparently it depends on your browser)
A bunch of my silly high school friends and me at a bowling party. Poor Aneel.
An experiment with eyeliner and some eyeshadow back when I actually had eyeliner. I might still have some, but who knows where it is.
Also, of the 50 songs I currently have rated 5 stars, 22 of them were rated 5 stars back in the era of Old Vaio.
That is all.
Dear candy companies who feel the need to release peanut butter versions of their products:
KEEP IT UP.
Seriously. Peanut butter Twix cause little gustatory orgasms.
Anyway.
Am I the only one having trouble accessing the NaNoWriMo site? Every time I go to update my word count I get the “page cannot be displayed fart fart fart” message. So I think I’m still at like 420 words or something, haha. Prepare for my little graph to shoot skywards once I can actually log on.
Unrelated: I freaking love this!
Also, my stuff was “guaranteed” to come yesterday but it STILL ISN’T HERE…kinda freaking out, but whatev. I miss my books. And Giant Compy.
Vroom!
Eigenblogger 