Jendah
‘Sup?
So this is quite depressing (but also unsurprising): “Gendered Language in Teaching Reviews” is an interactive chart made by Ben Schmidt that allows you to see how frequently certain words are used on RateMyProfessor.com to describe male and female teachers. It also breaks it down by field.
A few:
Words that did not have that consistent gender split: lazy, stupid, boring, engaging, quiet, bad professor, good professor, harsh.
Press X to Doubt
So Garmin has these little online challenge thingies that you can do through its app where you’re competing with other people for things like highest monthly step count, most monthly running miles, most miles cycled in a given amount of time, etc. Every once and a while I get in a challenge where someone gets accused of cheating and faking their data.
This week, that someone was me.
So a few things.
1) It should go without saying, but I do not fake my data. Anyone who knows me knows that my walking/running/steps are legit. I’m just putting that out there.
2) There are almost definitely people who fake their data in one way or another. It’s inevitable on something like this (even though the only real “reward” you get from winning these challenges is bragging rights I guess?). However, everyone else I’ve ever seen accused of cheating does not share their individual activities – only their totals (miles, steps, whatev). I share my activities. You can see every walk and run I log and you can even look at the map and see exactly where I went. That would be hard to fake unless I was giving someone else my Garmin and having them do the miles for me.
3) The amount of effort that would be required to fake this data is just not worth it, especially for as long as I’ve had my Garmin (fall 2018 I think?). It’s probably less effort to just do the actual steps, honestly.
I mean, I guess I could be flattered by the fact that people think I’m faking the amount of steps I’m taking, but it’s more annoying than anything.
Anyway.
100,000
I hit 100,000 words in Ghost Town Realty today!
I know that’s still basically nothing as far as an impressive word count goes, but…
a) I have no idea how much more I’ve got to go in the story
b) Once I get all of it out, there will of course be editing anyway, so whatev
c) This is by far the most excited I’ve been about working on one of my NaNo projects past November
d) This is also the most I’ve written on a single story apart from a terrible fanfiction that WE’RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT because it’s basically Angst Town USA and is hardly a cohesive (or coherent) story
So yeah. Pretty cool. I’mma keep working on it and see what happens.
Perfect
Heyyyyyy, I got another perfect card in Out of the Park!
Freaking Sandy Koufax, nice. Maybe this additional perfect card will help me do better in the Perfect League.
Edit: Nope.
Edit 2: Oh god, Koufax is getting destroyed
Edit 3: Hahaha, back to the Diamond League I go
Swerve n’ Survey
PARTY TIME LET’S GO
What was the most unsettling film you’ve seen?
Earthlings.
When was the last time you were snooping, and found something you wish you hadn’t?
I remember reading all that garbage my grandma was journaling about my mom and I back when I was in high school. That was some of the most hurtful stuff I’d ever read.
Which celebrity or band has the worst fan base?
I have no idea.
What are you interested in that most people aren’t?
Does Leibniz count? Haha. So many people don’t even know who he is and that’s super depressing. But if we’re talking about topics rather than people…I dunno. Vexillology? I like flags. Or the kilogram. How many people are interested in the kilogram, seriously?
What smartphone feature would you actually be excited for a company to implement?
I’d like it if there was a way to unlock my iPhone without having to use my fingerprint or activating the screen in a way that it asks me for my four-digit code thingy. If it’s -20 outside, I really don’t want to have to take my glove off to access my phone. That’s super nit-picky and I suspect the newer iPhones have a way to do this (that face unlock thingy?), but it’d be nice to have on the older versions as well.
What’s something people don’t worry about but really should?
Climate change. Some people are worried about it, but not enough people are (or the “right” people aren’t). We’re going to be very screwed very soon and we’re running out of time to make our future bearable (if we even still can).
What movie quotes do you use on a regular basis?
I’m always quoting Mystery Men, either aloud or in my head.
“Disco is NOT dead! Disco is LIFE!!!!” “
You threw a spoon at the guy, Jeff.”
Do you think that children born today will have better or worse lives than their parents?
Worse. We’ve screwed up the world.
What’s the funniest joke you know by heart?
Like anything from Brian Regan. I know almost all his routines by heart, haha. My mom and I quote him SO OFTEN.
What’s the funniest actual name you’ve heard of someone having?
“Erik Erikson” is pretty great (he was a German psychologist).
Which charity or charitable cause is most deserving of money?
Any that legitimately help animals. Specifically cats if I had a choice.
What was cool when you were young but isn’t cool now?
Well, because profiting off of nostalgia is the rage right now, EVERYTHING from my childhood is cool now.
If magic was real, what spell would you try to learn first?
This is super lame, but I’d love to be able to immediately teleport back home from anywhere. That would make my life so much easier as far as walking/running goes, you know? Like…I could walk/run ANYWHERE and IMMEDIATELY be able to get back home when I was done. That would allow me to go so many more places and would also make things less stressful if I had to get back to teach or go to a meeting or something.
If you were a ghost and could possess people, what would you make them do?
Nothing. I’d leave them alone.
What goal do you think humanity is not focused enough on achieving?
Trying to reverse (or stop or at least slow) our destruction of the environment.
What problem are you currently grappling with?
Existence, man. Existence.
What game have you spent the most hours playing?
Either Half Life or Quake. It’s hard to say which one.
What’s the most comfortable bed or chair you’ve ever been in?
Nate’s parents had this SUPER SOFT bed in the basement. It tried to eat you when you laid in it. I loved it.
What’s the hardest you’ve ever worked?
Physically? I’m not sure. Mentally? Probably that semester I had 25 credits.
What movie, picture, or video always makes you laugh no matter how often you watch it?
1:51 of the literal version of the music video for “Total Eclipse of the Heart”:
What artist or band do you always recommend when someone asks for a music recommendation?
COLDPLAY. COLDPLAY COLDPLAY COLDPLAY.
If you could have an all-expenses paid trip to see any famous world monument, which monument would you choose?
Leibniz’ grave. That’s a monument, fight me.
What’s the coldest you’ve ever been?
Oh man, there’s been a LOT of cold walks. Maybe that time I got superficial frostbite on my nose.
Or that time I had to stop in the public bathroom and just shiver uncontrollably for like 20 minutes before I could keep going.
Or that time I was sure that my toe fell off because it was so cold (I actually just had a rock in my shoe, but hey, my foot was THAT NUMB from cold and that rock SURE FELT LIKE A TOE).
Do you eat food that’s past its expiration date if it still smells and looks fine?
For someone with anosmia, I sure as hell don’t pay enough attention to expiration dates. Unless it’s got visible mold or something, I don’t care.
What’s the most ridiculous thing you have bought?
Probably everything I’ve bought during these pandemic times.
What’s the funniest comedy skit you’ve seen?
Again, anything by Brian Regan. Though I’d have to say his UPS routine is one of my favorites.
What’s the most depressing meal you’ve eaten?
Do handfuls of shredded cheese count? ‘Cause that’s happened.
What outdoor activity haven’t you tried, but would like to?
Surfing sounds pretty cool.
What was the last song you sang along to?
“Fix You” by Coldplay.
If you were given five million dollars to open a small museum, what kind of museum would you create?
LEIBNIZ MUSEUM
Which of your vices or bad habits would be the hardest to give up?
Let’s not go there, shall we?
It’s Anosmia Awareness Day!
So have something completely unrelated: saxophones!
I have mixed feelings about the sound of saxophones. A saxophone might be my least favorite instrument to hear on its own. I don’t know why. There’s something kind of grating about its sound, at least to me.
But this guy plays all four of those saxophones very well and I don’t mind how they sound. This is also one of my favorite Holst pieces, so yeah.
WOO!
Book Review: Flowers for Algernon (Keyes)
Have I read this before: Yup! I think I read it in 8th grade. I have vague memories of reading it in Mrs. Tragesser’s classroom.
Review: This is a great book. I’ve always liked stories that are told through a journal/log perspective and that plus the arc of Charlie’s story really makes the whole thing even more impactful. I like how you can see how he changes not only in the vocab he uses but in the way he writes and the way he slowly learns (and unlearns) spelling, grammar, and general sentence structure. The way these changes happen alongside his changes in how he views himself and the world is great.
Favorite part: Probably this passage, where Charlie is kind of at his “peak” of intelligence and has become very aware of who he is and where he stands in the universe:
“But then, I can’t blame him because he doesn’t realize that finding out who I really am—the meaning of my total existence involves knowing the possibilities of my future as well as my past, where I’m going as well as where I’ve been. Although we know the end of the maze holds death…I see now that the path I choose through that maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being—one of many ways—and knowing the paths I have followed and the ones left to take will help me understand what I am becoming.”
Rating: 7/10
I am sad and life is monotonous and horrible so here’s a quiz to act as a distraction.
Don’t like it? Go to hell.
How much of a 90s kid are you?
[] You used to watch Pokemon as a kid (Never the TV show, but I did drag my dad to the first movie. He was SO CONFUSED)
[X] You didn’t own a cell phone in 1st grade
[X] You had slap bracelets
[] You remember when “grunge” was in
[X] Beanie Babies were your obsession
[X] You remember who Aaliyah was
[X] You remember the day Princess Diana died
[] You used to watch Doug
[] You owned and played a Super Nintendo game system.
[] Three words– Salute Your Shorts. You watched this show.
Total so far: 5
[] You actually got scared watching Are You Afraid of the Dark
[] You can name 3 cast members from the original All That crew
[] You remember The Big Comfy Couch
[] You know the lyrics “Bangin on a trash can, drumming on a street light”
[] You know who said “A baby’s gotta do what a baby’s gotta do”
[] Saved By The Bell and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air were always on when you were little
[X] Your hair used to be parted in the middle or you had bangs
[] Full House was one of your favorite shows
[X] You actually remember when Bill Clinton was president
[] You remember hearing about when Tupac died
Total so far: 7
[X] You witnessed a fight over Pokemon trading cards (bitch, I fought over Pokemon trading cards)
[X] All your friends and you played Barbies
[X] You read Goosebumps
[] You owned a Skip-It toy
[] You got up early on Saturday mornings just to watch cartoons
[] You’d beg your mom and dad to take you to Chuck E. Cheese
[X] You’d get a Happy Meal at McDonald’s just to get a Teenie Beanie
[X] Home Alone is a movie of your childhood
[X] You were a fan of Nsync/The Backstreet Boys
[] You had a big group of friends from your neighborhood and you all hung out together
Total so far: 13
[X] You watched The Lion King a bazillion times
[] You loved Britney Spears
[] You always used to say “talk to the hand”
[X] You listened to the Spice Girls as a kid
[X] You remember when DVDs weren’t around yet
[] You watched Beavis & Butthead
[] You knew that Kimberly, the pink Ranger, and Tommy, the green Ranger were meant to be together
[] You know the Fresh Prince theme song
[X] You remember having dial up internet
[] You used to own a pair of those jelly shoes
Total so far: 17
[X] You still know the macarena dance
[X] You used to have Polly Pockets
[X] You recall the Ricky Martin songs like “Livin La Vida Loca” and “She Bangs”
[] In 1999 you actually considered the world could end in 2000
[X] You actually remember life without the internet
[X] You took a plastic lunchbox to school
[X] You owned a Tamagotchi
[] You still get the urge to say “not” after every sentence. not.
[X] You remember S Club 7
[X] You wore overalls
Final Total: 25
Multiply your total by two and that’s your percentage for how much of a 90s kid you are.
I’m 50% a 90s kid. Woo!
I don’t have anything else to say today so here’s a cool website
What end-of-world scenario would you prefer? I’d take AAAAARGH!, please. Consume me, my glorious star.
(…I might make that my new blog tag.)
BOOK-A-THON SURVEY TRON
Keep in mind I only read “classics” *is snob* so who knows how much this is going to apply very well.
1. Favorite childhood book?
Early childhood: A Fly Went By
Regular childhood: Skinnybones
2. What are you reading right now?
I’m in between books right now, but I think I’m going to read Flowers for Algernon next.
3. What books do you have on request at the library?
None.
4. Bad book habit?
When I check a book out from the library, I tend to keep it for like five years. I don’t know what my issue is with returning books on time, but MAN IS IT SURE AN ISSUE
5. What do you currently have checked out at the library?
None.
6. Do you have an e-reader?
I just got a Kindle last year and I love it.
7. Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
One at a time.
8. Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Nopers.
9. Least favourite book you read this year (so far)?
The Trial was fairly tedious, but it was meant to be, so…
10. Favorite book you’ve read this year?
I really enjoyed Dracula. And Walden.
11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?
Uh, whenever I hit a book that’s not in my comfort zone on my list?
12. What is your reading comfort zone?
My list is pretty broad as far as “classics” go, I would like to think.
13. Can you read on the bus?
I had trained myself to be able to do this in Vancouver because I was NOT going to take an hour-long bus ride home without being able to read during it. But now I’ve lost that ability and can barely sit still on the bus and not puke.
14. Favorite place to read?
While treadmilling.
15. What is your policy on book lending?
As long as you don’t eat it, go for it.
16. Do you ever dog-ear books?
Nope.
17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Not in fiction, no. But my textbooks/nonfiction have writing EVERYWHERE
18. Not even with text books?
See above.
19. What is your favourite language to read in?
I ‘Murican. I English.
20. What makes you love a book?
Engaging characters. A climax that really ties the whole book together.
21. What will inspire you to recommend a book?
I have to really really like it.
22. Favorite genre?
Classics.
23. Genre you rarely read (but wish you did)?
Meh.
24. Favourite biography?
Leibniz: An Intellectual Biography.
25. Have you ever read a self-help book?
I had to read one for a psych independent study course, but I can’t remember what it was.
26. Favourite cookbook?
Don’t have one.
27. Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
Probably Walden.
28. Favorite reading snack?
Nothing. I’m usually exercising while reading nowadays.
29. Name a case in which hype ruined your reading experience.
Freaking To Kill a Mockingbird. Everyone was like OMG SO GOOD and I was like OMG WHAT DRUGS ARE YOU ON THIS ISN’T THAT GREAT
31. How do you feel about giving bad/negative reviews?
I have trouble giving negative reviews about ANYTHING, so.
32. If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Latin. Does that count? If not, French.
33. Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
War and Peace. Though that may have been because I was a dumb 12-year-old when I read it and I mainly read it to impress a dude.
34. Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
James Joyce’s Ulysses. I’m scared.
35. Favorite Poet?
I’m not really a poetry person.
36. How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
Usually two or three if I’ve got any.
37. How often have you returned books to the library unread?
Rarely.
38. Favorite fictional character?
Either Captain Queeg or Phileas Fogg. But probably Queeg.
39. Favourite fictional villain?
I’m not sure. Does Queeg count as a “villain?” I would say not really.
40. Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
I would bring whatever I’m currently reading.
41. The longest I’ve gone without reading.
Years. It was bad.
42. Name a book that you could/would not finish.
I could NOT get through The Grapes of Wrath, but I was pretty young when I tried to read it.
43. What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
People talking.
44. Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
I’m not sure, actually.
45. Most disappointing film adaptation?
Can’t think of one.
46. The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Quite a bit, haha.
47. How often do you skim a book before reading it?
I read the first paragraph.
48. What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
Nowadays I don’t stop in the middle no matter how much I dislike it.
49. Do you like to keep your books organized?
My (physical) books are in disarray right now, but I usually like to order them by height ‘cause I’m a weird bugger. Seriously, who organizes their books that way?
50. Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
Keep.
51. Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
Not particularly.
52. Name a book that made you angry.
To Kill a Mockingbird. I’ve just had to read it so many times and it’s just not a book I enjoy.
53. A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
I wasn’t expecting to like Dracula nearly as much as I did.
54. A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
I liked Kaftka’s Metamorphosis so I figured I’d like The Trial. Nope.
55. Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Re-reading The Caine Mutiny. I just…that book is my jam.
Lunchbox Nostalgia
I remember having a very distinctive lunchbox in elementary school. It was this big hard plastic thing that was pink and purple and it had these funky dials on it that you had to turn to open it. I would use it to put worms in after rain storms to keep them from drowning in the puddles (see this blog post about my “worm saver” nickname from elementary school; yes, I was an odd child).
Anyway, I was talking to Nate about this lunchbox and wondered if I could find it by just googling something like “purple lunchbox with dials.”
And lo and behold, here it is!
That’s the exact freaking lunchbox, OH MY GOD. I don’t remember if I had the thermos, but I put so many worms in that little sandwich compartment.
The nostalgia is real.
Also, these images are from an eBay listing for the lunchbox, and it’s sooooo tempting to get it just for the sake of having it again.
UGH.
So Nate and I watched “An American Tail: Fievel Goes West” on Valentine’s Day…
And I haven’t been able to get the soundtrack out of my head ever since. It’s probably because the soundtrack was done by James Horner, who was one of the best orchestrator of film scores ever (he did Apollo 13 and Titanic which are both good movies made INFINITELY BETTER by their soundtracks).
So I had to buy the whole freaking soundtrack on iTunes ‘cause I needed it. I was listening to it while walking the other day and heard the “Cat Rumble” track.
Listen to it. Does it sound really familiar?
Why?
Perhaps you’ve seen the title sequence to “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.”
Was this James Horner, too? Yup (1:43).
I already mentioned this one on here a while back (like a year and a half ago? I dunno, man, time makes no sense anymore), but I love how Horner used Aaron Copland’s “Hoedown” as a base for the “In Training” song.
Finally, I’d forgotten how much I liked the “Way Out West” scene:
I distinctly remember this as being one of the first movies I saw where I really connected with the music. I mean, I think I’ve always been attuned to the music in all movies/TV, but this was one where I was like holy crap the music is so freaking good and adds so much!
OUTSIDE
It’s FINALLY warming up here, which means I can FINALLY run outside again.
You don’t know how much you’ll miss something until it’s gone.
Which has been the theme of basically the past year.
Anyway. Sorry for a short blog. I am worthless.
Book Review: The Executioner’s Song (Mailer)
Have I read this before: No. I remember going to check it out at the U of C library once and it was this big honking 1,000-ish page book and I was like I’m not carrying that chunky thing around so I never did check it out, haha.
Review: So I’m pretty sure that even Gary Gilmore couldn’t have given a more thorough account of his own life. Gary Gilmore, in case you don’t know, admitted to committing two murders in Utah in 1976. He wished for the death penalty to be invoked and went through several stays of execution (mainly due to the American Civil Liberties Union’s efforts) before he was finally killed by firing squad.
This book is an insanely detailed story of his life, the events leading up to the murders, the murders themselves, and then his jail time and all the court appearances and stays of execution. At first I felt it was way too tedious, but after the first few chapters I really got into it and appreciated just how detailed it all was. It was almost like you were going alongside him in real time, watching everything he did and seeing everything he saw. Very interesting.
Favorite part: Mailer did a really good job of drawing out the stays of execution, one after another. Those last few hundred pages were very frustrating because you knew what was going to happen (that is, if you looked up Gary Gilmore prior to reading the book, which I did, haha) but each attempt at execution was thwarted until the very end.
Rating: 6/10
Wow
I suspect Van Gogh would have LOVED this tribute to his works
So freaking cool and beautiful. It has a very OK Go-ish vibe to it, too.
GIVE ‘EM THAT OLD RAZZLE DAZZLE
Have you ever heard of dazzle camouflage? I hadn’t heard of it until today*, but it’s super interesting.
Dazzle camouflage was used a lot in WWI, mainly on ships. It is not designed to conceal a target but rather to make it difficult to estimate how far away it is, how fast it’s going, and where it’s going – thus making it difficult to fire upon it. The idea is to paint the object with complex patterns and geometric shapes that cross and zigzag and basically mess up perspective. Here are some pics:
So did it work? Apparently it’s hard to know. There were some analyses done based on WWI data, but too many confounding factors made it difficult to be able to conclude definitively that dazzle camouflage was advantageous over any other painting scheme. Still interesting, though!
*I was looking up scintillating scotomas and they mentioned that sometimes the shimmering looks like the patterns in dazzle camouflage. Which is true.
BobSponge PantsSquare
Hahaha, so apparently there’s a legit mockumentary series on SpongeBob SquarePants and it looks fantastic.
If you’ve got Amazon Prime, give it a watch (I don’t, unfortunately.)
I watched a LOT of SpongeBob when I was younger.
SKYPUNCH
So this is ominous looking, eh?
This sort of phenomenon is called a fallstreak hole (or cavum, hole punch cloud, punch hole cloud, skypunch, cloud canal, or cloud hole…and I can’t tell you which of those names is the coolest ‘cause they all are). It occurs when the water temperature in the clouds is below freezing but the water is in a supercooled state (being below freezing but not yet a solid). When the ice crystals do form, the droplets around the crystals evaporate, leaving the hole.
Apparently they’re a fairly rare thing and have been (understandably) mistaken for UFOs.
Super cool!
Book Review: Dracula (Stoker)
Have I read this before: Nope!
Review: I enjoyed this book a lot more than I was expecting to. That’s probably due to the fact that all I really knew about Dracula/vampires prior to reading this pretty much came from parodies or mockeries or general pop culture references. So if you’re someone like me who has only experienced Dracula through those types of media and are wary of this book, just give it a shot. You’ll probably like it! The only thing I didn’t really like was the pacing at the end. The book was very slow in its building to the climax and the climax itself happened so quickly that the end felt unbalanced. But other than that, I thought it was pretty good.
Favorite part: Not gonna lie, I got a kick out of Dracula basically going “HE’S MINE, GET YOUR OWN!” to his brides when they were trying to feast on Harker.
Rating: 7/10
Pocatello, why?
So apparently the city of Pocatello has a flag.
And apparently it’s horrible.
(source)
It looks like a bumper sticker, what the fuck.
But luckily, we have the kind people on r/vexillology who gave it a redesign. But not without some scathing comments, of course:
- How am I supposed to know how proud pocatellans are?????
- This [the redesign] isn’t even trademarked, any dumbass can copy the flag now!
- Not enough pride in this flag.
- uncontrollable screaming
- Oh my god, that is horrendous. A copyright on a flag that looks like a Windows 3.1 background is just next level.
- we don’t talk about the last one…
- *vietnam flashbacks intensify*
(I love flags, sorry)
Book Review: Cry, the Beloved Country (Paton)
Have I read this before: I thought I had, but once I got into it, it didn’t seem familiar. So I’m going to say no.
Review: Most of the books on my list fall into one of four categories: coming of age stories, tales of extreme loss/poverty/despair/death, adventure, or Faulkner. This one is of the second category. It gives a very clear picture of the effects of the societal structure in South Africa that created so many hardships. Every character in the book is affected by it at least a little bit and in slightly different ways, which did a good job of emphasizing the far-reaching impact of it even in people and places that might initially seem untouched by it.
Favorite part: This quote really stood out to me:
“Sorrow is better than fear, said Father Vincent doggedly. Fear is a journey, a terrible journey, but sorrow is at least an arriving.“
Rating: 5/10
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