Some 2009 Things (in whatever order)

I started writing these things rather randomly. Every New Year's Eve I think about what I want the new year to be like. Today, though it was a moody day, I thought on and off about this past year. So I started writing about it toward the end of the night... or now... and here are some things to remember the year by. These are just things that popped into my head, not meant to be the most important things or anything. It seems anyway, every moment is just as important as every other one, really.


First off, my brother is nice. He was willing to go downstairs and fetch me some water.
First time in my life I've been told 'I love you'... it's no happy end of the year ending thou.
I finally made some actual friends at Rutgers from work (very cool ppl too) ever since I finally decided to take shifts at NCS, where I got hired me at the start of 2008!
I realized I don't wanna teach (oh yea, I taught!!) and wanna do websites instead (though that might change too)
I flipped off Dementor Lady (well it was a lot less dramatic than that but it was awesome anyway)
I liked a boy a lot again. That hasn't happened since 2007. It was just as tempestuous this time, except I was a lot braver =)
Don Tony died. It was really surreal to see him in his deathbed since when we visited them last year he was laughing with us and my grandparents, while Dona Maria said some crazy speech about Obama, a bit tipsy from the wine. I don't think I realize how real it is yet, even after the wake and seeing everyone mourn. Yet I gotta say I'm really happy I got to see Clau again. It's a selfish result, not intended to be so.
I went to China, from where I have 2 amazing memories: 1) The Yellow Mountain at night. It was cold, I had a huge red jacket on, provided by the hotel. Me and Lin were on top of a rock, at the top of the mountain (or very near anyway) and I was sipping on cheap Chinese beer while attempting to count the stars with Lin. 2) Me and Lin running to the bus after a lame tour, as the weather was suddenly changing from perfectly sunny to violent grey, trees hitting each other and the wind flapping at us as the storm was being born. Then inside the bus we marveled at the power of the angry rain hitting the bus windows. We read "The Last Question" by Isaac Asimov and listened to music together during the long stormy bus ride. I think this is when Lin really liked "Turn into" by the YYYs.
I went to the Amazon and played with monkeys. I love monkeys.
I went to Quito by myself. Me and Jaime had good times together, I especially enjoyed the wine dinner. I also really liked playing Risk with him & friends... and the way back from Cotopaxi was a delicate bittersweet I can still taste when I listen to 'Timing' by Kevin Johanson, which I first heard then too.
(Travelling is very important)
I saw the last of my cousin Galo as single.
I spent good times with Nadia, we got drunk together.
We saw a snake on the water in the beach. I think it was kinda reddish.
Margarita got married.
My mom fell in love again, with a Dutch man, I'm glad she's happy, she really deserves it.
I got turtles from Jasmin, one died while I was in EC cuz it wasn't eating. The one that survived is now obese.
I made a best guy friend. He likes to draw and write, and he loves the rain. Whenever it rains, I now always think, well at least Nat's happy.
I met a boy who also likes Belle & Sebastian and watches the Discovery channel a lot too. I wish I talked to him more but I guess I'm scared. Yea, I'm still a fool. Hopefully that will change a bit this coming year.
I have delved very deeply into B&S. They are definitely around the top in my life history and, at the moment, the closest band to all that I am in all their aspects: lyrics, music, and the sum of their parts.
Jaime helped me discover xkcd.com, and for that, I am thankful.
I gained a lot of weight this year =\
Lin and I have worked out how we differ essentially. I work from the overall blurry picture first (this is also how I draw) down to some level of detail. She works from details up to the overall picture (this is also how she draws). Basically, the way we draw happens to also define how we do many other things in regular life.
Iliana had her baby. Genarito is very calm and happy. He likes to grab people's hands and make them clap. He also really loves clapping on his own.
Jasmin had her baby too. I only saw him once though, a week after he was born.
I got a DSLR. Though I wish I had this other Lumix one instead cuz it acts just like a film SLR, with all the twists and knobs, but I'm poor.
I'm also very much in debt, 25, and still in school.
I didn't hang out with Steph so much this year, or I guess this last half of the year. I miss her. We hung out more because of the church rehearsals during Spring. Those were good times too. Great people.
I read a lot this year. Fahrenheit 451 is probably my top fave of the year although the other ones were great too. The one I'm reading now is quite profound so I must also mention it: The Unbearable Lightness of Being.
I can definitely see me getting older now but luckily looks aren't the only thing I like about myself (yea I'm vain) so hopefully my brain will be there to shine long after I've lost my beauty, and hopefully I will be able to see any bits of beauty that may still be left in me. Ok yea, this is a yearly thing so I'm totally exaggerating.
My dad has planned to come visit us next year. He wants to take a road trip to Maine (because most Stephen King stories take place there) and Washington DC. I've been excited since he first told me, that time I called him out of the blue.
I looked at some papers from 2007 and saw how much more down, nervous, and worried I was then. I'm glad I decided to work on it. I'm glad everyone's been there along the way too.


Happy 2010 then.

The Importance of Being Idle

I love the clothes and the dance moves... I wish everyone wore hats like these

The Music of The Spheres - Dr Who

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

The goals we pursue are always veiled. A girl who longs for marriage longs for something she knows nothing about. The boy who hankers after fame has no idea what fame is. The thing that gives our every move its meaning is always totally unknown to us. Sabina was unaware of the goal that lay behind her longing to betray. The unbearable lightness of being--was that the goal?

On Disintegrative States

...Disintegrative states of being occur when we are asleep, fatigued, confused, ill, or in contemplation; when we are feeling strong emotions such as passion, ecstasy, confusion, and rage; when we are flushed with creative inspiration, improvising, or in a state of flow--to name just a few. A disintegrative state, then, need not be looked upon as dysfunctional. It can occur when we become temporarily a new or different person, when our sense of self in the world--or our sense of self to our own selves-- changes or becomes suspended. A disintegrative state is a time of great potential change in a human life.

Lawlsy Train Find

My Girly Type =S

Shannyn Sossamon <3

Awesome Art by Nat

Aww... I miss The Lone Gunmen

I stumbled upon this pic online and had an X-Files nostalgia moment... I remember I loved these guys so much. There was this one scene when they show them having breakfast. Frohike is wearing an apron and serving John and Langley eggs, and I think, if I remember correctly (which is not usually the case) that Frohike was like "who wanted the over-easy?" and maybe John was like "yea that was me..." And it was all so casual and lovely as such. And later they would just go on with their awesome ninja hacks and conspiracy-ass-kicking personas either at their unpaid apartment or out into the corrupt government / corporation-ridden world... AND to later write about their discoveries in their own underground newspaper... Yea they kicked ass indeed. I also remembered I really wanted to be like them, if I could just be like them, life would be awesome. No need for children, husband, or a steady job. Just a couple of true friends ready to jump into the adventure boat with me, well into my thirties. Ravage assholes with my smarts and remain underground while at it.
Luckily, I can say I have some friends who are willing as of now ^_^

The Importance of Being Idle (Oasis)

I sold my soul for the second time

'Cause the man He don't pay me

I begged my landlord for some more time

He said "Son, the bill's waiting"

My best friend called me the other night

He said "Man - are you crazy"

My girlfriend told me to get a life

She said "Boy - you lazy"

But I don't mind

As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine

I'll be fine, if you give me a minute, a man's got a limit

I can't get a life if my heart's not in it

Hey Hey

I don't mind

As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine

I'll be fine, give me a minute, a man's got a limit

I can't get a life if my heart's not in it

Hey Hey

I lost my faith in the summer time

'Cause it don't stop raining

The sky all day is as black as night

But I'm not complaining

I begged my doctor for one more line

He said "Son - words fail me"

It ain't no place to be killing time

I guess, I'm just lazy

I don't mind

As long as there's a bed beneath the stars that shine

I'll be fine, if you give me a minute, a man's got a limit

I can't get a life if my heart's not in it

Hey Hey

From 'Together' (The Raconteurs)

You want everything to be just like

The stories that you read, but never write

You've gotta learn to live and live and learn

You've gotta learn to give and wait your turn

Or you'll get burned

...

I'm adding something new to the mixture

So there's a different hue to your picture

A different ending to this fairytale

And no sunset into which we sail

A Short Dictionary of Misunderstood Words (From TULoB)

WOMAN

Being a woman is a fate Sabina did not choose. What we have not chosen we cannot consider either our merit or our failure. Sabina believed that she had to assume the correct attitude to her unchosen fate. To rebel against being born a woman seemed as foolish to her as to take pride in it.

sigh...

'Secrets,' from xkcd.com

sandpc & a.pink.mist (basically, in stick-figure essence)

'Nihilism' from xkcd.com

Cool...

'Secret Worlds' from xkcd.com

Seeeriously!!

'Help Desk' by xkcd.com

Your Secrets

To step out of your cradle is like coming down

I just had somebody tell me I was introspective to a fault

I'll be a doozer if I can

But I will contented be right now if we could keep our secret

You could tell me all your secrets

All you ever do is run and hide

You can keep it inside

If you tell me all your secrets

All I have to do is let it ride

I can keep it inside

But if it's as it seems, and I keep having dreams

About the two of us, then it's obvious

You should stop treating me like I was just a child

You should start treating me like I was just the same as you.

To step out of your cradle is like coming down

I just had somebody tell me I was introspective to a fault

I'll be a doozer if I can

But I will contented be right now if we could keep our secret

We could be a little closer
The mystery you're trying to preserve
You don't need in reserve
We should be a little closer
Intimacy has the greater charm
And it would do no harm
To give a little way, oh please stop holding sway
You could even read me your poetry!
If you would stop treating me like I was just a child
You should start realising that I'm just as wild as you

Stop treating me like I was just a child

Scene from 'Flirt' (Dir. by Hal Hartley)

Vertigo, the desire to fall, the intoxication of the weak

Anyone whose goal is "something higher" must expect some day to suffer vertigo. What is vertigo? Fear of falling? Then why do we feel it even when the observation tower comes equipped with a sturdy handrail? No, vertigo is something other than the fear of falling. It is the voice of the emptiness below us which tempts and lures us, it is the desire to fall, against which, terrified, we defend ourselves.

 ...
We might also call vertigo the intoxication of the weak. Aware of his weakness, a man decides to give in rather than stand up to it. He is drunk with weakness, wishes to grow even weaker, wishes to fall in the middle of the main square in front of everybody, wishes to be down, lower than down.

Galaxy Collisions

I found out in a Discovery or NatGeo show that galaxies can collide. Astronomers actually became aware of that from looking at pictures from Hubble. Anyway, I found this cool YouTube video simulating galaxy collisions.

Fear of dreams

She looked at him with love in her eyes, but she feared the night ahead, feared her dreams. Her life was split. Both day and night were competing for her.

Laws of Beauty (from 'The Unbearable Lightness...')

Without realizing it, the individual composes his life according to the laws of beauty even in times of greatest distress.

Last night's dream: The bubble civilization and the chaos

So I had this dream that somehow most people in the world were excruciatingly poor. I was one of them. We were in like a school-like looking like place. Inside it was all dirty with garbage and human matter, like fluids, and all sorts of nastiness. A lot of people were stuck in there. Somehow people couldnt really be outside. I snuck into some building leaving my family behind. I think my grandma was the last one to let me go, well she sent me off or something.

I tried to look like I belonged in this building and then I got stopped by the "doorguy" who looked like one of those people that are in the elevators pressing buttons for you. Well he had that uniform I mean. Somehow this odd version of my name was written in his book for one of the apartments I guess. I was like see? my name is there! It looked something like Sang Cadend I dunno something like that. I was like close enough, they must have messed it up. I was like how does he know it's really me? But I didn't care to wonder much and I escaped quickly before I could somehow get caught. Then I went to the elevator which like didnt go up and down but instead it was a small train. I was like oh ok so this is like a building that has mini buildings inside or something like that. Inside the train I found K. She was all happyiesh and talking about nonsense and I wondered how she could be so happy after all the horrible things that were happening right outside. She seemed to be concerned with clothes and all sorts of materialistic stupid things. I didn't want to keep talking to her. I thought she had become a waste. 

I think I knew I was supposed to find this apartment and somehow bring my family and maybe others into it. 

It was an overall sad dream though because of all the things people were having to deal with. A lot of discomfort and poverty. It was as if it had become extremely difficult to maintain a comfortable status, I guess as if maybe there wasn't enough space, and resources to keep living comfortably so it had somehow been decided that only certain priviledged people would be able to live this way, and they were like in their priviledged bubble, with a government and a proper system, a lot of space, good clean environments, etc etc. Since there were too many people in the world it wouldn't be possible to keep such comforts if they're all together, so a great portion of the world had been shunned to live outside the bubble and in a waste-ridden world with only the leftover chaos caused by previous civilizations and still being perpetrated by the bubble one. Me and my family just wanted in. I dunno if my mind cared about saving the others. I don't think I thought about that. The instinct for survival rests only on oneself and those closest to us I guess. But as I look back on this dream, that seems very possible. And it can sort of be thought that way now, since developed countries kinda shun outsiders from getting in the "bubble" and they are also utilizing the resources of the whole world, and there continues to be overpopulation. I dont mean to point fingers at the developed countries thou. I don't think it's their fault. I think they just got leaders who are smarter about how to deal and organize resources, and also probably a lot less corrupt. But yea, this dream is very very interesting and akin to real life.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

If eternal return is the heaviest of burdens, then our lives can stand out against it in all their splendid lightness.
...
Conversely, the absolute absence of a burden causes man to be lighter than air, to soar into the heights, take leave of the earth and his earthly being, and become only half real, his movements as free as they are insignificant.

Rudeness, a virtue

One will see that I would not like to see rudeness undervalued, it is the most humane form of contradiction by far and, in the midst of modern tendermindedness, one of our foremost virtues.

The Opposite of a Décadent

And in what does one really recognize that someone has turned out well! In that a human being who has turned out well does our senses good: that he is carved out of wood at once hard, delicate and sweet-smelling. He has a taste only for what is beneficial to him; his pleasure, his joy ceases where the measure of what is beneficial is overstepped. He divines cures for injuries, he employs ill chances to his own advantage; what does not kill him makes him stronger. Out of everything he sees, hears, experiences he instinctively collects together his sum: he is a principle of selection, he rejects much. He is always in his company, whether he traffics with books, people or landscapes: he does honour when he chooses, when he admits, when he trusts. He reacts slowly to every kind of stimulus, with that slowness which a protracted caution and a willed pride have bread in him - he tests an approaching stimulus, he is far from going out to meet it. He believes in neither 'misfortune' nor in 'guilt': he knows how to forget - he is strong enough for everything to have to turn out for the best for him. Very well, I am the opposite of a décadent: for I have just described myself.

The Importance of Belief

You are my believers: but of what importance are all believers?
You had not yet sought yourselves when you found me. Thus, do all believers; therefore all belief is of so little account.
Now I bid you lose me and find yourselves; and only when you have all denied me will I return to you...

Truth

How much truth can a spirit bear,
how much truth can a spirit dare?

Another Sunny Day

Another sunny day, I met you up in the garden

You were digging plants, I dug you, beg your pardon

I took a photograph of you in the herbaceous border

It broke the heart of men and flowers and girls and trees

Another rainy day, we're trapped inside with a train set

Chocolate on the boil, steamy windows when we met

You've got the attic window looking out on the cathedral

And on a Sunday evening bells ring out in the dusk

Another day in June, we'll pick eleven for football

We're playing for our lives the referee gives us fuck all

I saw you in the corner of my eye on the sidelines

Your dark mascara bids me to historical deeds

Now everybody's gone you picked me up for a long drive

We take the tourist route the nights are light until midnight

We took the evening ferry over to the peninsula

We found the avenue of trees went up to the hill

That crazy avenue of trees, I'm living there still

There's something in my eye a little midge so beguiling

Sacrificed his life to bring us both eye to eye

I heard the Eskimos remove obstructions with tongues, dear

You missed my eye, I wonder why, I didn't complain

You missed my eye, I wonder why, please do it again

The lovin is a mess what happened to all of the feeling?

I thought it was for real; babies, rings and fools kneeling

And words of pledging trust and lifetimes stretching forever

So what went wrong? It was a lie, it crumbled apart

Ghost figures of past, present, future haunting the heart

I'd rather be hated for who I am,

...than loved for what I'm not"

                                            --A. Lin

The Personality Test again (1 letter change)

Portrait of an INTP - Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving
(Introverted Thinking with Extraverted Intuition)

The Thinker

As an INTP, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you deal with things rationally and logically. Your secondary mode is external, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.

INTPs live in the world of theoretical possibilities. They see everything in terms of how it could be improved, or what it could be turned into. They live primarily inside their own minds, having the ability to analyze difficult problems, identify patterns, and come up with logical explanations. They seek clarity in everything, and are therefore driven to build knowledge. They are the "absent-minded professors", who highly value intelligence and the ability to apply logic to theories to find solutions. They typically are so strongly driven to turn problems into logical explanations, that they live much of their lives within their own heads, and may not place as much importance or value on the external world. Their natural drive to turn theories into concrete understanding may turn into a feeling of personal responsibility to solve theoretical problems, and help society move towards a higher understanding.

INTPs value knowledge above all else. Their minds are constantly working to generate new theories, or to prove or disprove existing theories. They approach problems and theories with enthusiasm and skepticism, ignoring existing rules and opinions and defining their own approach to the resolution. They seek patterns and logical explanations for anything that interests them. They're usually extremely bright, and able to be objectively critical in their analysis. They love new ideas, and become very excited over abstractions and theories. They love to discuss these concepts with others. They may seem "dreamy" and distant to others, because they spend a lot of time inside their minds musing over theories. They hate to work on routine things - they would much prefer to build complex theoretical solutions, and leave the implementation of the system to others. They are intensely interested in theory, and will put forth tremendous amounts of time and energy into finding a solution to a problem with has piqued their interest.

INTPs do not like to lead or control people. They're very tolerant and flexible in most situations, unless one of their firmly held beliefs has been violated or challenged, in which case they may take a very rigid stance. The INTP is likely to be very shy when it comes to meeting new people. On the other hand, the INTP is very self-confident and gregarious around people they know well, or when discussing theories which they fully understand.

The INTP has no understanding or value for decisions made on the basis of personal subjectivity or feelings. They strive constantly to achieve logical conclusions to problems, and don't understand the importance or relevance of applying subjective emotional considerations to decisions. For this reason, INTPs are usually not in-tune with how people are feeling, and are not naturally well-equiped to meet the emotional needs of others.

The INTP may have a problem with self-aggrandizement and social rebellion, which will interfere with their creative potential. Since their Feeling side is their least developed trait, the INTP may have difficulty giving the warmth and support that is sometimes necessary in intimate relationships. If the INTP doesn't realize the value of attending to other people's feelings, he or she may become overly critical and sarcastic with others. If the INTP is not able to find a place for themself which supports the use of their strongest abilities, they may become generally negative and cynical. If the INTP has not developed their Sensing side sufficiently, they may become unaware of their environment, and exhibit weakness in performing maintenance-type tasks, such as bill-paying and dressing appropriately.

For the INTP, it is extremely important that ideas and facts are expressed correctly and succinctly. They are likely to express themselves in what they believe to be absolute truths. Sometimes, their well thought-out understanding of an idea is not easily understandable by others, but the INTP is not naturally likely to tailor the truth so as to explain it in an understandable way to others. The INTP may be prone to abandoning a project once they have figured it out, moving on to the next thing. It's important that the INTP place importance on expressing their developed theories in understandable ways. In the end, an amazing discovery means nothing if you are the only person who understands it.

The INTP is usually very independent, unconventional, and original. They are not likely to place much value on traditional goals such as popularity and security. They usually have complex characters, and may tend to be restless and temperamental. They are strongly ingenious, and have unconventional thought patterns which allows them to analyze ideas in new ways. Consequently, a lot of scientific breakthroughs in the world have been made by the INTP.

The INTP is at his best when he can work on his theories independently. When given an environment which supports his creative genius and possible eccentricity, the INTP can accomplish truly remarkable things. These are the pioneers of new thoughts in our society.

A lot of what I often think is here...

'Dreams' from xkcd.com

Why I'm going for Web Design...

Since the start of my senior project (The Science Notebook), it became clear to me that this is something I truly enjoy... and I go to great lengths to learn and expand my capabilities on it. Thus, I am leaving the teaching idea behind (because, well, I hated it) and going for freelancing instead (unless a better opportunity comes up) while remaining a lab consultant. At least for a while. I also mean to do sites for really cheap and/or free in order to build an awesome-ass portfolio. That should be fun. But basically, the reason why I like it, is that I like organizing information into meaningful patterns, and making it all look pretty in the end. 

Whoa--The Doctor is Hot!!

To Be Myself Completely (B&S)

Well my heart has fallen down

Thought I'd talked myself around

But to be myself completely I've just got to let you down

Well I knew I'd say goodbye

Though it's not my time to cry

And forever and for no one I will let it all go by!

And to be myself completely I've just got to say goodbye

Z-list star in a hundred grand garrett

The ladies say 'Hey baby, you've earned it!'

I'm not so sure, I toured the land

You could call it work if you count the band

Still your voice calls out to me

Escort me to the harmony

I'm not sure where I will be

but find me in a bitter sweet hello

Well my heart has fallen down

Thought I'd talked myself around

Though we say goodbye and wonder

What's to know and who's to blame

But to be myself completely I will love you just the same

To be myself completely... (B&S)

Well my heart has fallen down
Thought I'd talked myself around
But to be myself completely I've just got to let you down

Well I knew I'd say goodbye
Though it's not my time to cry
And forever and for no one I will let it all go by!
And to be myself completely I've just got to say goodbye
Z-list star in a hundred grand garrett
The ladies say 'Hey baby, you've earned it!'
I'm not so sure, I toured the land
You could call it work if you count the band
Still your voice calls out to me
Escort me to the harmony
I'm not sure where I will be
but find me in a bitter sweet hello

Well my heart has fallen down
Thought I'd talked myself around
Though we say goodbye and wonder
What's to know and who's to blame
But to be myself completely I will love you just the same

Your Covers Blown (B&S)

Say what you want and leave your shyness home
Do what you want and write a little poem
Leave it for her and live another day
Leave it for her the girl around the way

Write down a list of things you want to do
Leave it in work because you've got to live a little
Pick up the girl in someone's borrowed mini
Take her to dinner, use her boyfriend's money

Listen lady, put your __ phone down
Cancel all operations
Tell your friends to cool it
Your cover's blown I want to see you alone
Cancel all operations
Tell your friends to cool it
Your cover's blown

Planning a break is such a tricky thing
Because you move to the country, she comes back again
And then you move to the city but she goes abroad
Is she telling you something, is she getting bored?

I'll make a rough plan to sleep around,
I'm in a rut I need a change,
I'm a lazy rat if I am honest
My bold change of tack will fade out with the summer I've got no appetite and all the girls are bummers

My baby doesn't look at me
The way I want her to look
She doesn't comprend
My baby's got it going on
She's got a friend hid in every street in this town

I want to go out but there's nobody home I'll go on my own
Thus starts the lonely walking
There's always too much talking I should have stayed home
She starts her cool caressing
The kid, she starts undressing in front of me I should've stayed home
The dj's picking up speed
That's something I just don't need
I should've stayed home
The gossip's bearing down on me
The kids are pairing off in front of me
I should've stayed home
I should've stayed home
I think I'll go home

Hey lady, put your __ phone down
Cancel all operations
Tell your friends to cool it
Cause your cover's blown I want to see you alone
Cancel all operations
ell your friends to cool it
Hey lady, put your __ phone down
Cancel all operations
Tell your friends to cool it
Cause your cover's blown I want to see you alone
Cancel all operations
Tell your friends to cool it

Hey lady, meet my mum and dad
You're a strange aberration
In this land of potted plants and boxlike houses
Where the girls like mouses
Breathe a long sigh of resignation
You resign your self to keep on growing
All the seeds you're sowing
You're a strange apparition In this land of grammar schools and gala days
The ladies set in their ways
You had a long conversation With a kid next door
Who's a little slow
But in your favour, it shows

Cancel all operations
Tell your friends to move out to the sticks
Listen lady, leave the boy home
Cancel all operations
Tell your friends there's more to you than this

The wrong Snapple Facts, Revealed! (from Wikipedia)

"Real Facts"

Snapple is well-known for printing interesting numbered "facts" on the inside of their bottle caps. A list of these "Real Facts" is available on the company website.

[edit] Incorrect facts

Several of the facts on Snapple caps have been found to be outdated, incorrect or exaggerated. Discredited "Real Facts" include:

• #1 "A goldfish's attention span is three seconds." This theory was tested by Discovery Channel's MythBusters. The experiment consisted of training several goldfish to complete a maze. They concluded that a goldfish's attention span and memory retention lasts well over 3 seconds.
• #28 "Chewing gum while peeling onions will prevent you from crying." Tearing when cutting an onion are caused by a gas released that comes in contact with the eye, and is not thwarted by gum chewing.
• #31 "The average human will eat an average of eight spiders while sleeping." This statistic was made up in 1993 as an example of the absurd things people will believe simply because they come across them on the internet, as uncovered by Snopes.^[8]
• #36 "A duck's quack does not echo." Tested by Snopes and Mythbusters. Both tests concluded that a duck's quack does echo but is hard to distinguish.^[9]
• #40 "It is possible to lead a cow up stairs but not down." This is not true. Cows can walk up and down stairs.^[10]
• #69 "Caller ID is illegal in California." There is no law against Caller ID in the state, though there were lengthy debates about legalizing it in the early 1990s.^[11]
• #77 "No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times." This myth was put to the test by the Discovery Channel show MythBusters, which folded a piece of paper 11 times. The piece of paper used in MythBusters was an oversized piece of paper and thinner than a standard 8.5"x11" piece of paper.^[12]
• #89 "The average American walks 18,000 steps a day." There are many 10,000 steps a day health programs which consider 10,000 a stretch goal. Such programs state that a "sedentary person" only walks 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day.^[13]
• #114 "The oldest known animal was a tortoise, which lived to be 152 years old" Currently the oldest living animal, a tortoise named Tu'i Malila, lived to be 188 years old.^[14]
• #116 "The largest fish is the whale shark - it can be over 50 feet long and weigh 2 tons." Full-grown whale sharks do not weigh 2 tons (4,000 lbs or 1,820 kg), but are much heavier, weighing up to 16 tons (32,000 lbs or 14,550 kg).^[15]
• #121 "The only bird that can swim and not fly is a penguin." The Cassowary and the Flightless Cormorant are other flightless birds that can swim.
• #122 "A duck cannot walk without bobbing its head." According to several videos (see reference) that show ducks out on strolls, it is clear that a duck does not need to bob its head while it walks.^[16]
• #128 "Dragonflies have six legs but cannot walk." Only the adults cannot walk, the babies can.
• #136 "Strawberries are the only fruit whose seeds grow on the outside." False. Cashews are a fruit with external seeds. See Cashew
• #145 "Lake Superior is the world's largest lake." The Caspian Sea is considered the largest lake; Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake by surface area. The largest freshwater lake by volume is Lake Baikal in Siberia.^[17]
• #146 "Falls Church, Virginia, is the smallest functional county at 2.0 square miles, although it is termed an 'independent city.'" (Kalawao County, Hawaii is also smaller but is technically part of Oceania, and not either of the American continents^[18])
• #151 "The fastest served ball in tennis was clocked at 154 mph in 1963." The current record is 155 by Andy Roddick on September 27, 2004.
• #162 "The temperature of the sun can reach up to 15 million degrees Fahrenheit." In fact, the core of the sun reaches 15 million degrees Celsius, about 27 million degrees Fahrenheit.^[19]
• #163 "The first penny had the motto 'Mind your own business.'" This is false. The Fugio Cent had the motto, "Mind your business."
• #171 "The most sensitive parts of the body are the mouth and fingertips". The eyeballs have more nerve endings than either of these.
• #180 "The first VCR was made in 1956 and was the size of a piano." The first VTR (Video Tape Recorder) was made in 1956. VCRs (video cassette recorders) came along in the 1970s.
• #188 "Antartica is the driest, coldest, windiest and highest continent on Earth."
• #266 "Manhattan is the only borough in New York City that does not have a Main Street." Roosevelt Island is part of the borough of Manhattan, and its only significant street is named Main Street.
• #327 "Chewing gum was invented in New York City in 1870 by Thomas Adams." The Mayans chewed chicle, which is the sap from the sapodilla tree, and the ancient Greeks chewed mastiche, a chewing gum made from the resin of the mastic tree. Early American settlers also made a chewing gum from spruce sap and beeswax.
• #334 "Thomas Edison coined the word 'hello' and introduced it as a way to answer the phone." The word "hello" was used in print in Roughing It by Mark Twain in 1872, while the telephone was invented in 1876.^[20]
• #362 "'Arachibutlphobia' is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth." The correct spelling is 'arachibutyrophobia'.
• #383 "Mount Katahdin in Maine is the first place in the U.S. to get sunlight each morning." According to the National Park Service, Cadillac Mountain is the first place in Maine to see the sunrise during the winter, while Mars Hill, Maine is the first in the summer. The difference between sunrises on Cadillac Mountain, Mars Hill, and in Lubec, Maine -- the easternmost town in the United States -- is generally less than half a second.
• #399 "Manhattan was the first capital of the United States." False. Philadelphia was the first capital of the United States, as said in fact #662 saying that "Philadelphia was the first capital of the United States."
• #726 "A polar bear cannot be seen by an infrared camera, due to its transparent fur." Polar Bear International uses infrared cameras for polar bear research, particularly to track female bears who are in dens with cubs.
• #794 "Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the continental United States, and Zabriskien [sic] Point, the lowest point in the United States, are less than eighty miles apart." It is true that Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the Continental United States, but Badwater in Death Valley, not Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, is the lowest point in the United States.^[21]
• #889 "The original Cinderella was Egyptian and wore fur slippers." It is true that Rhodopis is considered the oldest telling of the Cinderella story, but her slippers are consistently described as rose-gold. Some claim that Charles Perrault's classic French telling featured fur slippers, and that vair (fur) was mistranslated as verre (glass,) but this is believed to be an urban legend.^[22]

Which OS Am I?

Which OS are You?

I go to Gryffindor!

... thou I think I'm a chicken, but it's a fun test, try it...

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

Your in-depth results are:

Gryffindor - 12
Hufflepuff - 11
Ravenclaw - 11
Slytherin - 9

New DSLR: Nikon D60

I just got this camera in the mail yesterday and at night I went to try it out a bit--before it died on me... I still dont really know how to use it though...

Here are some pix I took, nothing special but it was fun anyway....

Aware Curiosity in Dreams

This morning I was going back to sleep and I was very tired, but as I was falling asleep I was noticing what was changing in my mind, I was quite aware of the thoughts that came in and how I was gradually starting to dream. At some point I must have talked to someone in my dream and then decided that I wanted to meet some of the people that inhabited my head at that moment. I remember going up to a few of them and going Hey! Who are you? What are you doing here? but in a friendly way. I also made out with a dude that appeared to have split into 2 people who seemed more like 2 personalities and he kept changing his body (different face and all that). Then I met with an old friend who is kinda like married and he threw himself at me and I was telling myself to stop because his wife might show up but I half enjoyed it and knew it was my dream so I stopped it just slightly. I also payed attention to some of the random people that showed up in my dream and studied their face and looks carefully. It was like the realization that I was momentarily in this other world and that I wanted to get as much from the experience as I could. Too bad I can't remember most of it, but I remember having the control of myself and taking initiative to do things I wanted to do rather than just react, as I normally do in dreams. It was cool and I hope it happens again.

Collected Cellpix 1 (Staten Island & Others)

La Maza (Silvio Rodriguez)

We went to the free Silvio Rodriguez show last night, me and my cousin Nadia. It was pretty good, not too messy, as we feared it might be. It was also a really beautiful night, since the concert was in an open stadium, pretty starry and cool, good sound, people not being annoying, and it lasted a good while.

This one song stuck to me, I heard it before cuz I think its a popular song, but the lyrics are really cool and I just noticed them now...

Si no creyera en la locura
de la garganta del sinsonte
si no creyera que en el monte
se esconde el trino y la pavura.

Si no creyera en la balanza
en la razón del equilibrio
si no creyera en el delirio
si no creyera en la esperanza.

Si no creyera en lo que agencio

si no creyera en mi camino
si no creyera en mi sonido
si no creyera en mi silencio.

Que cosa fuera

Que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
un amasijo hecho de cuerdas y tendones
un revoltijo de carne con madera
un instrumento sin mejores resplandores
que lucecitas montadas para escena
que cosa fuera -corazón- que cosa fuera
que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
un testaferro del traidor de los aplausos
un servidor de pasado en copa nueva
un eternizador de dioses del ocaso
jubilo hervido con trapo y lentejuela
que cosa fuera -corazón- que cosa fuera
que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera
que cosa fuera -corazón- que cosa fuera
que cosa fuera la maza sin cantera.

Si no creyera en lo más duro
si no creyera en el deseo
si no creyera en lo que creo
si no creyera en algo puro.

Si no creyera en cada herida
si no creyera en la que ronde
si no creyera en lo que esconde
hacerse hermano de la vida.

Si no creyera en quien me escucha
si no creyera en lo que duele
si no creyera en lo que queda
si no creyera en lo que lucha.