The name’s Bond. Ionic Bond.
1. Are you in a job that you truly enjoy?
DAMN STRAIGHT. I LOVE my job.
2. If you could do any job in the world what would it be?
I would LOVE to continue teaching stats. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done. But I also wouldn’t mind any job that would get me to Antarctica. Seriously. I would scrub the toilets of the McMurdo station for the rest of my life if I could stay down there.
3. If you could be a character in a novel who would you be?
I love Phileas Fogg. I would love to be Phileas Fogg.
4. When it comes to spending time with those you love, do you think it should be about quality or quantity?
Both, yo. Though quality probably wins out.
5. Is there a job/career you wanted but realized you couldn’t possibly do for one reason or another?
I used to really want to be a chef, but I realized I’d probably be horrible at it because of my anosmia and the fact that my sense of taste is a little messed up because of it. I think I could do it if I’d had a sense of smell/normal sense of taste at one point, but I never have, so yeah.
6. If you could live anywhere in the world or out of this world where would you live?
As stated above, ANTARCTICA! Unless we’re counting “you can travel through time and pick a time/place” as a possibility. Then back to 1650s Germany I go!
7. Where would you most like to visit and who with?
Again, if time travel is an option: I’d like to follow Leibniz in his European adventures.
If not: Cruise tour of the Baltic with my mom!
8. Which skill would you like to learn?
I’d like to be able to play the piano.
9. What made you laugh today?
These damn guys:
4:15, 25:40, and 49:15 especially.
10. What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
Metalocalypse finale!!! I’m excited/nervous/sad it’s going to end.
11. What is your sign and do you believe in horoscopes, etc.?
I’m an Aquarius, fools! I think horoscopes are fun to think about, but I don’t really believe in them.
12. If you could change one thing about your life thus far, what would it be?
I would be smarter? Does that count?
13. If there was one charity you could give a huge contribution to, which charity would it be and why?
I would make my OWN charity! Or something like this.
16. Why do you blog?
Haha. Because it’s become a very important part of my life. That’s what happens when you do something daily for 7+ years.
17. Do you have a favorite author?
F. Scott Fitzgerald is a BAMF. I also really like Jules Verne.
18. Can you play any musical instruments?
I can play quite a few wind instruments, yes.
19. What would your ideal car be?
THIS. I love these, I have no idea why.
20. Describe yourself in one short sentence.
“WTF?”
21. What do you look for in a spouse/other half?
I’m not currently looking for a spouse/other half, so I don’t really know. As long as they’re a kind person, I’m not too picky.
22. Worst meal you’ve had?
Hm…I have no idea.
23. What do you do to relax in the evening?
INTERNET! And write, and blog, and play Minecraft.
24. Do you get along with your siblings?
No sibbies!
25. Do you have any regrets?
Don’t even get me started, bro.
(Cater)Pillars of Society
Look at these freaking caterpillars. They look like fluff parties. I want to roll in them.*
(Pictures from here and here, respectively)
These are asp caterpillars (or puss caterpillars) and they grow up to look like these badass moths (flannel moths, they’re called):
(Pic from here)
And I found a video! Tell me this isn’t the cutest thing you’ve ever seen. It’s like a sentient cotton ball.
I love these. They’re Donald Trump in insect form.
*Not a good idea. Their soft-looking coats are actually a ton of spines full of skin-irritating venom.
For those of you who don’t frequent Tumblr…
Here’s this glorious video that’s currently making the rounds:
I needed something to brighten my day. This was it.
(Don’t read the description until it’s over.)
MY SPECIFIC TYPE OF MIGRAINE AURA HAS A NAME!
I shouldn’t be surprised by this, of course, but it’s nice to finally put a name to it.
The aura I get before I have a migraine is called a scintillating scotoma, which is a super cool name for a super crappy experience. What happens is this (this is actually so accurate it’s scary):
Then it spreads to the periphery and then, for me, everything goes black for up to half an hour. However, from what I’ve (hastily) read (over the past few hours), the total blindness thing doesn’t seem to be very common.
That freaking flashing color thing, though…
TWSB: Boston Dynamics, You Scary (But Cool!)
So remember Boston Dynamics, the friendly robot constructors who brought us Little Dog, Big Dog, and Alpha Dog?
Well, now they’re switching species. Meet WildCat:
Note: it’s motoring at a max speed of 16 mph in that video.
Can you imagine being in one of those drivers on the road in the background? All you’d hear at first was something that sounded like a weed-whacker on steroids and then you’d happen to glance out the window and see this double-butted thing just booking it as it frolics in a parking lot.
Of course, if you’re driving back there, you’re probably either a Boston Dynamics employee or are at least familiar with their shenanigans, so you probably just say to yourself, “oh, there’s WildCat.”
Still, though.
Ode to GMod
Woah, this is beautiful.
HAIR HAIR HAIR HAIR HAIR
HAHAHAHA oh my god. Drop what you’re doing and listen to this. Just when you thought the Gaston Song couldn’t be improved upon.
At 0:50 I almost fell out of my chair.
FX
Being social is freaking draining. So screw that.
Instead, this:
I watched this like two days ago and I DREAMT ABOUT IT last night. Weird.
[Edit: good lord, this went viral. It had like 23,000 views when I saw it.]
Sorry, nothing else to say. As I’ve mentioned (and as you’ve probably noticed), my blog posts tend to deteriorate as school takes over my life. They’ll come back, I promise.
Poopz
I don’t care if no one else who reads this likes YouTube Poop, I do. And this one is fantastic.
(I’ve been obscenely anxious lately; things like this kind of deaden it.)
Haha, thanks, Google.
Yes. Yes I have.
No shame.
Anyway, completely changing topics…
I mention Achievement Hunter quite a bit on here. There are a few reasons for this.
- Listening to them game is like living in the house with the guys again. It’s hilarious.
- This sounds super dorky, but they kept me company over the summer. I didn’t have any friends around and they put out YouTube videos at least 5 times a week, so…that was that.
- They’re one of the funniest YouTube channels out there, in my opinion. Grown men cussing each other out playing video games is fantastic.
Since starting doing Let’s Plays of Minecraft back in 2012, they’ve done 65 half-hour (or longer) episodes, many featuring the Tower of Pimps.
Well check out the latest Minecraft update:
Pretty cool! Congrats, guys. And seriously, check them out (if excessive cursing doesn’t bother you, haha).
TWSB: It’s That SI Unit That Won’t Conform Again
Thisiscoolthisiscoolthisiscool.
I keep coming back to the kilogram in these science blogs. One day I think I’ll do like a (somewhat) comprehensive history of the SI units, ’cause I find them fascinating.
(I also really like the word kilogram.)
TWSB: It’s Flippin’ Hot!
THIS
IS
THE
COOLEST
THING
EVER.
Are you ready to GET YO’ MIND BLOWN?
Okayokayokayokay. So you know how the earth’s magnetic field switches poles every so often? So does the sun’s!
The sun is currently at the peak of its 11 year solar cycle and is about to swap its north magnetic pole for its south and vice versa. According to Stanford University solar physicist Todd Hoeksema, the swapitself isn’t more than 3 to 4 months out. The north pole has actually already flipped; we’re just waiting on the south one to get its butt in gear and head to the opposite side.
So what does this mean for our solar system? What solar physicists focus on during this time is something called the “current sheet.” This is a surface that juts outward from the sun’s equator along which runs an electric current produced by the sun’s magnetic field. The current itself is small but the sheet is freaking huge, and it’s the thing that pretty much keeps the heliosphere (the sun’s magnetic influence) in check.
According to Phil Scherrer, another Stanford solar physicist, the sheet becomes really wavy and warped during a pole swap. So for us here on earth, as we zoom around in our orbit of the sun, we pass in and out of the sheet itself. This can cause disruptive “cosmic weather,” but the warped sheet actually offers the solar system better protection against cosmic rays.
Stanford’s Wilcox Solar Observatory has observed three such polar swaps since 1976. This will be the fourth.
HOW. COOL. IS. THAT. I freaking love the sun.
Video!
Are all Aquarian baseball players pitchers?
Holy crap dudes, this is the best discussion of imaginary numbers I’ve ever heard. Listen to this, it’s really cool.
Stop whining or I will TURN THIS BLOG AROUND AND GO HOME
I WISH I WAS AT RTX LALALALALALA.
Anyway.
Can I take a moment and mention that this year has been particularly EXCELLENT for music? ‘Cause it has.
Songs needing appreciation:
This was the freebie last week on iTunes. I didn’t like it at first, but it totally grew on me.
How insanely chill is this song? Seriously.
Beautiful remix!
I heard this on a YouTube ad and had to check it out.
Also, my mom and I went to Spokane this afternoon to visit Auntie’s Bookstore. I got THIS!
The whole middle section is about calculus. SCORE!
Are Trivial Jackets just Petticoats?
FREAKING TUMBLR, MAN
Watch this.
Just do it.
The guy who sings “I Can Go the Distance” is amazing and the guy who does the Gaston Song sounds JUST LIKE HIM.
Holy crap, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is on Netflix?
I know what I’m watching tonight.
I pretty much grew up on Disney movies and this one used to scare the living crap out of me for some reason, but now it’s definitely my favorite. I don’t know if it was the whole “going to Catholic school for six years” thing or what, but I really find myself enjoying books/movies/entertainment with religion as a main source of struggle or conflict. Such themes have always stricken me as being very honest and very impactful. Hunchback was one such book and movie; The Crucible was another. There is a bunch more, too, but for whatever reason I’m totally blanking on everything else I’ve ever read/watched right now. Probably ‘cause it’s like 5 AM and I had Red Bull and I’m feeling really antsy tonight.
Also, tell me this isn’t the best opening ever (I know I’ve posted this on here before, but screw it):
Every once and awhile I just find Family Guy obscenely funny (this blog has nothing to do with Family Guy, just an observation)
This is…actually pretty good. I heard the first like fifteen seconds and was like “NOOOOOOOO they be ruinin’ mah current fave song!” but then it got snazzy.
Also, Doin’ It Right is now my third most-played song.
Freaking Daft Punk.
Do squared and cubed functions believe in higher powers?
What is this nonsense, huh, Daft Punk?
Good lord, instant favorite. I’m going to have to kick something else off my “Top 50” playlist so that this can go on it.
Dr. Jones and Dr. Free are BACK IN BUSINESS
30 minutes of top-notch surgery. I love Michael and Gavin so much.
And here’s all of the AH boys playing WWE ’13, because oh my god.
Mathed Memes
HAHAHA MY LIFE IS COMPLETE!
That parabola sure can shake its minimum.
Edit: holy freaking crap, I laughed for like ten minutes at this:
Sleep Deprivation Makes Me Cooooool.
Theory: Cinnamon Toast Crunch is Cap’n Crunch’s estranged son who, rebelling aginst his father’s wishes that he join the Navy, took up a life of stripping. His real name’s like Gary or something and “Cinnamon Toast” is just his stage name.
I’d like to know how that went down when Cap’n Crunch found out.
Like one day The Cap’n comes home from a long day of Crunchatizing and finds li’l Gary taking off all his cinnamon in a bowl of milk to the tune of “You Sexy Thing.”
“Dad! I uh…what are you doing home so early?”
“Son, what are you doing?”
“I, uh…just…”
“Get out of the milk, son.”
“But da—”
“Get out of the milk.”
Completely unrelated:
