Monday, 13 May 2024
Life, the universe, pies, hot-pink bunnies, world domination, and everything
Starting as it does in a flurry of knavery and misdirection, April is bound to be the favorite month of the Muse of Tunes and Tricks. Wherefore by the power vested in us, crusto volanti noli obstare, we hereby rededicate it to honor his name.
Date: March 31, 2012
Categories: At the Top of the Blog, Random craziness
Whodang, it’s April already. o.o
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Since the March thread vanished before I had a chance to get home and post, I’m just going to repeat the fact that Chok and Cat’s Eye are completely flammy. And yes, we must so totally do that again.
Also, when I got home, I had my issue of Muse and my new mp4 waiting for me. 
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New Random Thread?
APRIL FOOLS-yeah, no.
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My Kokon post! I didn’t even realize you could have that much fun. San Francisco is like a gigantic playground. We walked ALL the places. The ferry building, a giant hill, Chinatown, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, and Ghirardelli Square. Also:
– We mercilessly mocked an extremely pretentious woman who gave us tiny samples of disgusting sauce;
– Cskia and I watched as Cat’s Eye played a hilarious time-travel prank on an unsuspecting tourist.
– Cat’s Eye taught me all about sports! So now I know that the San Francisco Giants are actually a baseball team.
– We toured an enormous candy store with pretty much every sweet imaginable, although we actually didn’t buy anything.
– We watched incredibly cute sea lions at Pier 39.
– Cskia drew Cat’s Eye and me the most beautiful squids.
I’ve lost my voice from talking and singing so much, and my feet hurt, but aaaaah, what a day :D.
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That sounds amazing! *jealousy* I used to visit Pier 39 every summer when I lived in CA. Will you explain the time travel prank please?
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I ran into a Coldstone Creamery, grabbed a kid by the shoulder, and demanded to know what year it was. When he and his dad answered with “2012”, I yelled, “It worked!” and ran out and down the street.
We meant to do it again, but we didn’t end up. Next Kokon, yes!
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By the way, I used that again yesterday for April Fool’s Day. Genius.
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*is incredibly jealous* Do you have photos that you are willing to share? I feel the need to vicariously live through you guys…
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You three are so, SO lucky. It sounds like you had a great day! I’m coming next time. 
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Please do.
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Oh, goodness me, the one year I manage to attend it’s not up yet? Ah, well, check back in the morning.
It’s been a while, hasn’t it? In the absence I have finally read Good Omens.
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(( I warned you.))
Man, you forgot fiiiiiiiive question marks!!!!!!!! How hiiiiiiiigh do have have to 8e????????
(( Happy april fools ))
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…There are clip-art unicorns and rainbows popping up on the screen. Such SPARKLES! I am a bit overwhelmed. I like it!
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HWAAAAH
Unicorns. Unicorns and rainbows EVERYWHERE.
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ALL THE SPARKLES
ALL THE COLOR
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH IT’S PINK AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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¿ʇı ǝʞɐʇ I 'uoıʇɐqo𧧝ɐ sʃɐuƃıs H∀∀∀MH
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Sparkling unicorns 
I love it.
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You can shoot potentially infinite unicorns and get infinite points in the asteroid game!
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˙ƃuızıʇɐɯnɐɹʇ ʎʃpʃıɯ sɐʍ ʇɐɥ⊥ ˙sʍoquıɐɹ puɐ suɹoɔıun ʃʃɐʍ-oʇ-ʃʃɐʍ puıɟ oʇ ʞɔɐq ǝɯɐɔ 'ǝʃıɥʍɐ ɹoɟ ɹǝʇndɯoɔ ʎɯ ɯoɹɟ ʎɐʍɐ pǝʞʃɐM
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(˙ʎɐp ǝuo ɹoɟ ʇsnɾ sı ʇı ʍouʞ I sɐ ƃuoʃ s∀) ˙ɹǝʇʇǝq ƃuıɥʇou ؛0Ɛᄅ8#⅋ sʍoquıɐɹ puɐ suɹoɔıun ɟo sɹǝʎɐʃ puɐ sɹǝʎɐ˥ ¡ƃuıʇɐɹɐʃıɥxǝ ʇı puıɟ I ¿ƃuızıʇɐɯnɐɹ⊥
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I rest my case:
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lol@ponies
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I am upset, because I haven’t been able to pull any good pranks this year. Oh well.
I liked the unicorns and the rainbows, but after a while they started confusing me.
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I just HAD to check the museblog to see what kind of shenanigans the admins would think of this year. I am not disappointed by the abundance of rainbows and unicorns.
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Oh my. It HAS been a while, hasn’t it? Good to hear from you, Sans. I don’t think we really ever interacted, but you might have noticed me. Welcome back, for however long you stay.
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I think I just saw a Neopet. Good job buying the sparkly-pink paintbrush!
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Happy April Fools Day!
My vote so far for best offline prank is either 8-bit Google Maps or Virgin Volcanic.
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Err, off-MB, not offline.
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The complete YouTube collection was fun too.
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I liked that a lot. If commenters actually had to write their video comments out by hand, it might do wonders for YouTube civility. Alas, it’s only a prank…
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Try google very advanced search.
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Really advanced, actually. Sorry.
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My brother and I are going to hide all the icons on my dad’s computer after taking a screenshot of the background, icons included, then make that is background so when he clicks on an icon he will just be clicking on the background!
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AHHHH suddenly all the names changed to “cute (name)” and “sparkly (name)”. I’m being rainbowunicornifiedandnowthere’s a sun too! Glitter∞
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SFTDP:
Hello Kitty on a unicorn… okay, this april fools day is turning out to be disturbing after all.
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Whoa… thank you, GAPAs!!! You have just made my math-essay-filled day about a hundred million times better. It’s all sparkly and happy and now I’m sparkly and happy and now these unicorns are starting to clog up my page and this is a run on sentence.
I’ve been so tired lately, especially since essays are for English, not math, and my drive to (over)achieve has made me do a ton of stressful things. Oh my goodness it is a giant rainbow sparkly unicorn in the center of my page. My day just increased in awesomeness by a hundred points.
See what this math essay has done to me? I have reduced this post to an incoherent, mumbling, disorganized lump.
I was unable to play any pranks, as I have been quite busy today. 
But I hope you all had a brilliant day!
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Math essay? You have sadistic teachers.
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To be honest, it all kind of reminds me of Robot Unicorn Attack.
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COMIC SAAAAAAAAAANNNNNS
MY NEMESIS STRIKES AGAIN
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You can come out, Jadestone. It’s gone now.
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Oh, MuseBlog. ♥ You just made my day even more awesome.
My typing is obscured by unicorns, so excuse any typos.
There is a fluzzy (a word I made up; it’s a combination of fluffy and fuzzy) guinea pig is sitting on my lap, I talked to my est friend about some stuff that needed to be talked about, I’m leaving for Ireland on Friday (eeee!), so life is pretty gfood.
Floyd (the guinea pig) says u8yghjhjhjhjiiiii78ktytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytytyty
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SFTDP
And I conquered my pyrophobia!
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I left a MB tab open in the background of my browser all day and when I tried to open it just now it crashed Firefox.
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It’s the unicorns what dun it.
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I know this to be true and yet I refuse to accept that anything bad can come from sparkly unicorns and rainbows.
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Look into your soul. You know it to be true.
I am your blogger.
I’m sorry, I’m in a very Star Wars-y mood tonight and your “I know this to be true” comment just set me off.
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I missed most of April Fool’s day on the blog, but what I did see gave me this feeling of badly-designed nineties websites. Yeah. I am now looking at the pretty unicorns.
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Deepest apologies for missing the April foolery. Too many people wanting me to do too many things. Which is nice, but time-devouring. I see the unicorns and the comic sans are still in place. Love it!
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Castle arrives in a poof of smoke and red cape flaring and approaches the hedgehog. “Sir, you appear to have a wonky closing tag there. I’ll just fix that.” *adjusts closing tag* “And a very happy April Fool’s Day, sir. I’ll be off now, have yourself a lovely evening. May a squadron of delicious pastries find their way to your refrigerator.”
And with that, Castle turns on his heel. And turns again. “Drat!” he says. “I don’t seem to be disappa-”
AND HE IS GONE IN A FLOOF OF RED CAPE AND SMOKE BOMBS
In the spot where he stood, there is now a message engraved into the floor. It glows rainbow and emits small unicorns – or are they ponies? They’re too small to tell, but there’s a lot of them. The message reads, simply:
GAPA-FLAW-POINTER-OUTER STRIKES AGAIN
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Great effects GAPAs! Rainbows! Rnadom words! Upside down words! I can temporarily destroy and shoot at everything!
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I left a tab open last night and it’s still belching producing unicorns.
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The unicorns with Hello Kitty aboard were the really disturbing ones, I thought.
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The plane we flew on from Taipei to Hong Kong was a Hello Kitty plane…not on purpose, I assure you.
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I… I didn’t even know those existed.
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Spent most of today working on a paper. It’s done now. It’s weird, but I feel so…empty. That paper was the only bit of homework I had. I mean, it’s a nice feeling, but it’s one I haven’t felt at all this semester. Or the last, really.
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I can’t believe I missed April Fool’s Day this year!
I just got back from my band spring trip, NYC. I have a squid drawn on my arm in sharpie, I saw Eric Whitacre in Carnegie Hall from a front-row seat, my friends and I bought a starfruit in Chinatown, and I have roughly 500 photos of my friends making silly faces all over the city. It was wonderful.
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NO I MISSED APRIL FOOLS DAY ARRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! Ah, well, Disney World is awesome. Even though it’s my last day. Tower of Terror here I come!
-From LBK’s iPhone
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Gosh, I forgot to update you all on my weekend!
NCFL Forensics Qualifiers were on Saturday. I went, performed, and got first place in Oral Interpretation (prose and poetry).
So I’m going to Nationals during Memorial Day weekend, in Baltimore! I couldn’t be more excited.
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Hmmm… There must be a backstory. For example, I am a squid, and also the Sputnik. Sometimes I am the drunk Sputnik.
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Whoops! Replied to wrong comment! Meant to post under #33…
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Drunk on vodka, I presume.
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Yes, actually. That is usually the explanation…
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Congratulations, agrrrfishi! That’s amazing, and well-deserved. Good luck at Nationals! 
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So, um… apparently Castle is a yak now. Just thought it’d be right and proper to inform you of this new development.
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Yakety yak, don’t talk back!
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And when did this happen?
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I’m sure there is a convoluted story behind this. I am sometimes a maple tree.
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I’m a carpet, did you know?
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Several of my friends, it seems, have recently become large quadrupedal herbivorous creatures. Currently, in addition to Castle being a yak, there’s a sheep, a cow, a horse, a goat, an antelope, and a giraffe.
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We’re Animaniacs!
Dot is cute and YakkoCastle yaks!
Couldn’t help myself.
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Oh good. It seems the blog is no longer trying to kill me through the liberal application of sparkly unicorns. But I have to admit, the Asteroids thing is/was awesome.
In other news, I am enjoying my spring break immensely, despite not getting out of the house at all.
In other other news, I may end up starting a pet-sitting business. I’m not sure if it will work out, but I hope it does.
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It is now trying to kill you through the conservative version of same!
(Ha ha stupid politics joke)
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Oh dear, that’s possibly even more terrifying (my actual reaction to the unicorns is something more along the linesof “repulsive”, but when politics get involved…).
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I had an excellent time outside today! It’s the first time I’ve been able to go outside since spring started, due to allergies, and it was lovely! First,I got to see green anoles actually being social (read: agressive towards each other rather than me, for once), which was awesome, and then I saw a chickadee with an insect in its beak, which is also rare for me and awesome (I love seeing creatures with food), and then, after watching another anole for a while, I went to our other yard, and apparently, the rain brought pill bugs! I’m excited! I have a book with excellent tips on conducting woodlouse surveys; I’m going to conduct one and maybe do that every month to have something to compare my results to. They’re awesome; I have so many memories with them as a child!
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Hey, everybody.
What’s up?
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Yo! I was thinking about you recently. How are you, Keiffer?
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Hiya! Nice to see you! I’m pretty good, thanks! You?
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I’m glad! Me? Right now, leaning towards, “The universe! It is so lovely and awesome and interesting!”, rather than, “Gah, what is wrong with the world? What am I doing?”, but it’s a mixture. Thank you for asking!
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Well, that sounds wonderful! I’m happy you’re leaning towards that! 
(Oh wow, I never knew how much I missed MB smileys. :D)
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I’m happy, too!
Smileys! We do have really good ones.
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Hi, Keiff’! *pies and tackles*
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*glomp* Hey, Cskia!
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YOU
I KNOW OF YOU
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HEY
I KNOW OF YOU TOO
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*glomps* Welcome back!
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Greetings, Keiffer, it’s great to have you back!
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Yay, the weather is warming up again!
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So, as promised, the full story behind CMUNC (Or at least some interesting parts)
I was representing Thailand in COP – 18, which was a conference that was supposed to fix the changes the real COP – 17 did, because COP – 17 epically failed by most accounts. We finally passed a resolution that seemed to do it well, after another 26 page resolution was turned down because everyone felt like they were clicking “I Accept the Terms and Conditions” because no one had actually read all of it except the writers.
OPRAH CAME! She was in my committee observing a delegate from the South African school she sponsored (who had amazing English!), and she was literally sitting about 10 feet from me. I looked back, but didn’t even notice that it was her. After she left, someone said “That looked a lot like Oprah!” and the chairs told us that it was, and we all freaked out. They had to bar the doors in another committee to stop everyone from going to get her autograph.
That was the biggest part, but at the end we did superlatives and came up with a few interesting ones: Most Flammable for a girl who had super-frizzy hair, Most Likely to Have No Clue, for a guy who, when asked about the second topic, didn’t have any idea because he was too busy playing hangman in the back.
One of my favorite conferences ever. Almost everyone was active and intelligent, and I got to meet someone from Mexico, Kenya, South Africa, and Canada.
The delegate representing Brazil only spoke once, and that was because China faked being him and said he wanted to speak. He called that an act of war and declared war, then yielded his time to the chairs and sat down.
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Cool! Sounds like it was a blast!
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Cornell MUN, right? It seems like it was a great conference, you’re so lucky! Pretty epic that Oprah sat in on your committee! Superlatives are always the best (I got best accent at NAIMUN :P).
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Nice! The South African delegate won best accent in our committee, though the delegate from Mexico is the one I think should have won.
Yea, it was Cornell MUN. My first conference there, and I’m hoping that I can go again for my junior and senior years.
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I really want to make a life-sized paper model of a giant sea squid and take it to school as my English presentaton.
The problem is it would be just a bit too large and take up a few hundred pieces of paper.
(still, I think I’ll make a large squid and try not to use too much paper. :D)
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Why, are you doing 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?
(Related: I really wish people would remember that more happens in that book than the squid attack. Sure, that’s an exciting part, but they do a lot of other exciting stuff, too. I mean, they go to flipping ATLANTIS and all anybody remembers is the squid!)
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It’s called Personal Creed and I need to make some sort of visual that represents myself, and I realize squid is so much more unique than, say, a poster, or a video, or a powerpoint. It’s also so fun to make!
I wll update you guys on its length once I figure out how to accurately measure it.
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Wouldn’t a space squid be even more unique than a sea squid, though.
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Yes. So I shall be making this squid hold some items, such as planets, paintbrushes, whatever else I feel like adding. Sizewise I can’t really get it space-squid-sized…
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Not by several orders of magnitude.
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The inconveniences of taping pieces of paper together.
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Models have their limitations, but that’s no reason to floccinaucinihilipilificate them.
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*sporadically-posting and regularly-lurking Armada returns again, just to let people know that she is regularly lurking even if she posts only sporadically*
Erm… Script Frenzy. Anyone else doing it? I’m doing it for the story, not the wordcount, which pretty much means that I’m almost certainly not going to finish this stupid play in a month. Ah well.
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I was going to do it, but life got in the way. *sigh* Plus I’ve never written a screenplay, so it wouldn’t be like NaNo where I already knew what to do.
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Well, you can write all kinds of scripts, not just screenplays. I think the options are stage play, screenplay, movie script (I’m not sure what the difference is, but apparently there is one), graphic novel script, webcomic script, and there may be more…
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Nope, no time for writing. Must study.
Capoerista! *glomps* Are you still doing capoeira?
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Unfortunately, I’m not. I stopped about a year ago — my schedule got too busy, and I didn’t really feel welcome in class (everyone else was at least ten years older than me and pretty much pretended I either didn’t exist or had just started practicing). I think I may be switching to taking circus classes of some kind soon.
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April already?!
I’m back from five-ish days in Taiwan! No more travelling until summer, I think. Selky, I’m not quite sure what you meant about the traffic in Taipei – it was fairly normal. At least by my Asian standards. Bangkok and Hanoi are much, much worse. Taipei would probably seem really busy for someone like you (who I assume lives in the States) where the traffic is more decent, though, so I can understand why you might think that. And Choklit Orange, crossing the roads was quite okay as well.
Anyway, the food was excellent (we went to this one bakery four times!). Beef noodles were amazing, pineapple cakes were amazing…We did some sightseeing, various activities like that. I’m envious of their bike paths (we did that a few times) because clearly they can work in big cities, we don’t really have many in Hong Kong and the few we do have are mostly up in the New Territories.
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ONGOING SEARCH FOR AN INTERNSHIP
Didn’t get the thing I applied to :/ wasn’t really expecting to so not super dissapointed but this means MORE SEARCHING, THE SEARCH THAT NEVER ENDS, EVER
I just want to go sit in a forest and hug reptiles D: Or just the TREES.
Anyway sent another email to a place asking if they’re still accepting applications. Wish the place near my house would reply to my email to them… it said to contact them for internship info, so still waiting for a response to that 
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Jadestone:
Are you looking for an internship that involves scientific research? If so, have you consulted the National Science Foundation’s website about Research Experiences for Undergraduates? It’s worth a look. It’s searchable, and there’s bound to be something in your state:
www . nsf . gov/crssprgm/reu/reu_search . cfm
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Today I met with my advisor, and he recommended the same thing, and so did an older student. And now, independently of them, a GAPA is recommending it. I am definitely checking this out.
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And now to spoil what I am trying to keep to keep quiet so it supprises people: I’M GETTING MY MUSEROLOGY PUBLISHED!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Congratulations!
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Many congratulations, Treebird!
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Question: How nerdy are your families? I know that some people have generations of nerdyness (one of my friend’s parents got married in full Star Trek uniform) but some are the first nerd in their family.
Personally, my Dad read LotR when I did, (but I don’t think he’d read it before). My Uncle was the one who gave it to me, and also the one who kept pushing me to read Octavia Butler and watch Buffy. My Mom likes books, but more generally rather than specific to SF/F. I’ve gotten my parents to watch Doctor Who with me and my dad seems to be into it! He also watched Firefly with me. My Brother isn’t really very nerdy, though he watched an episode of Doctor Who with me. Many of my younger cousins are nerdy, though. On my Dad’s side they watch Doctor Who, I think, (at least the oldest was talking about the fourth doctor) and the oldest reads many good SF/F books. The cousins on the other side both read good SF/F books. I would be interested to learn the number of nerds in your families.
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Oh my god I want that wedding…
My parents are pretty nerdy- especially my dad, who’s a math professor. We’re very big on Star Trek and Lord of the Rings, but I tend to be more obsessed than they are. I’m also the only one in my family who likes Doctor Who.
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My aunt really, really loves Lord of The Rings, is very intelligent, and might well be nerdy in other areas; I don’t see her often. The other adults in my family aren’t nerdy at all, although my dad likes Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, and my mother and step-grandfather really love history (the latter actually taught it to high-schoolers for a living before retirement; now he’s a substitute teacher). My brother loves reading and philosophy, though, and really epic F/SF books like LotR and Dune. He was really into F/SF books when he was in late elementary/early middle school, and also dinosaurs, and he loved Harry Potter, but he changes a lot. Anyway, he likes science as well, but he spends most of his time reading classic books, philosophy, history, and ancient religious texts (not limited to one or a few religions), and watching old movies. There is a pretty good chance he might become a professor one day (probably in religious studies), but he really isn’t sure, and he won’t even be 17 for a few more days, so there’s a lot of time between now and then. I highly doubt he’d enjoy something like Doctor Who, though. He’s awesome, by the way; I love our discussions.
My dad’s side of the family is the only one with cousins, and they really aren’t nerdy at all.
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Revision: I know my aunt has other nerdy qualities, but I don’t know what they are.
My mom actively dislikes science fiction, by the way.
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My dad is a bit of a closet sci-fi nerd, but otherwise I’m the only one. The only thing my mom’s family shares is an affinity for pubs (but they’re irish, so I suppose it’s cultural).
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My Dad isn’t very nerdy, my mom is nerdy about art and ancient civilizations– she taught me to identify ionic, corinthian and doric columns when I was in Middle School, and she’s great to go to art museums with. My cousin Sophia’s husband Kingsley is very nerdy and loves to talk about astronomy, comics and SF with my brothers and I when we visit. My Uncle Mike, Aunt Athena, and cousin Neil are probably the nerdiest people in my family, they both work with computers, they met at MIT, and Neil… where do I start? He built his own prop Wolverine claws and can write in Kryptonian.
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My whole family likes LotR, I’ve gotten my mom and sister to watch Doctor Who, we all watch Star Trek (even my six-year old sister), but I’d have to say I’m probably the nerdiest of them all. My eleven-year-old sister likes a lot of nerdy stuff despite not identifying as nerdy. So I’d say moderately nerdy.
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My mom is nerdy about books (and I’ve actually heard her describe herself as a “book geek”). My dad is nerdy about history and also books. (I’ve asked my dad if he thinks of himself as a nerd and he says no, he thinks of himself as an aesthete.)
My dad likes LotR (but thought the Silm was “unreadable”); my mom doesn’t. My mom likes Harry Potter. Both of them like Hitchhiker’s. Neither of them likes much other SF/F. Both of them think that Doctor Who is impossibly silly (sometimes it kind of is and sometimes that’s kind of part of why I love it), but my brother likes it. Additionally, my brother is a nerdfighter and loves Star Wars and Harry Potter. My uncle and aunt like lots of SF/F, and it’s partially thanks to my uncle that I got into Discworld.
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Considering oneself an aesthete is proof positive of nerdiness, in my book — not that there’s anything wrong with that.
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I was thinking the same thing. Just using the word “aesthete” might qualify.
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Unfortunately my family isn’t very nerdy. The one thing that my mom is obsessed with is Dancing With the Stars and The Bachelor/Bachelorette. Hopefully now that I’m gone she’ll start reading books again, though. She’s never had the time to finish many books before.
My dad love history, especially Abraham Lincoln. I think he owns just about every book about Abraham Lincoln that exists! He also really likes British comedies. He’s tried both Doctor Who and Sherlock in his quest for more British comedies. He didn’t like Doctor Who, mostly because it’s the wrong genre, but thought Sherlock was OK.
I think my nerdiness definitely came from my dad. He’s the one with the tendency to become obsessed with things.
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Your dad is also a Lincoln fan?
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My mum likes SF, though where we share interests, some of which she introduced me too(I’m proud to say I was the one who first liked Star Trek), she’s more willing to criticise their flaws, making me worried I’ll become too cynical to really enjoy my fandoms when I’m older. She’s a literature nerd in general, actually. I guess I got some of my nerdiness from her. My dad… he has some nerdy interests and math ability but various screwed up family dynamics mean I keep my likes to myself around him. My aunt watches (watched? I’m not sure what she thinks of the latest seasons) Doctor Who and did well in school. The rest of my family is just meh or too distant.
I suppose finding SF/F characters more attractive because they’re androids/humanoid aliens/magic users/possibly in a relationship with someone other than their canon love interest isn’t something my relatives would tell me about.
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Hi everyone! How’s it going?
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R_D! I was thinking about you yesterday. How’re things?
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Things are pretty good. Currently looking over my old posts and things like that. Fun stuff! Although I think I come across as a little immature and attention-grabbing. Which I kind of was XD.
How are you? How many monks have you kissed since we last talked? Don’t tell me! Three? Seven? Eleven and a half?
Ah it’s good to be back.
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Hello! You may not know me but besides that fact, I would like to introduce myself as Areohawk, but peoples here also call me Swalot.
I would like to say that your MB name is so awesome. Thats one of the reasons I decided to meet you! So anyway, how’s it going?
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Radiant!!! Hello! Are you back?
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R_D! Hi there! *pie barrage*
I hope you stay around!
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R_D!!!!! HI!!!! I remember you!
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Oh my gosh, I was just thinking about you!
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Hey R_D! What’s up? It’s great to see you on the blog, we missed you!
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R_D! I was thinking of you just a couple of days ago!
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Areohawk — Swalot as in the Swalot? As is *Cskia’s…friend, shall we say? It’s an honor! (Full Disclosure: I checked the R&R thread so I know the answer to that question.)
Mikazuki — Hey there I’ll make a concerted effort! No promises though.
*Cskia — Hello! ^see above.
KA and R101 — Nice to see you guys!
Ducky/Agent Lightning/Choklit Orange — haha you were all thinking about me? I’m touched! Maybe group telepathy brought me back!
Cat’s Eye — I missed everyone too! Glad to be back to all the familiar faces!
….
Or, er, familiar avatars.
Yeah.
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I was thinking about you the other day too – hello again! Great to have you back!
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Oh ahahahahahthat–*trips over invisible chair*
Anyways, *glomps* it’s so great to hear that things are good for you!
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*is seriously tempted to drastically change avatar so as to be able to say, “What, you don’t even find me familiar?”* Welcome back! It’s good to see you.
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Yesh, yesh I am the Swalot who is friends with Cskia! Wait a sec, you know about me too? O.o
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We ALL knew about you LONG before you knew our URL.
*Cskia talked about you. A lot. Quite a lot. As in, all the time. Reaching back multiple R&R threads.
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call me obsessed -_-
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Oh, trust me, everyone on here knows about Swalot. 
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Glad to see you!
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Hello again!
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So, the giant squid thing.
It’s 6.4 meters long.
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I WANT TO SEEEE IT! Picture?
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I shall send it soon! I have one of my plushie Swalot sitting next to it for now, but I still have some planets to make.
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Feeling down? Can’t cheer up? Just hug your Swalot!
SWALOOOOT! I CHOOSE YOOOOU!
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HEY HEY HEY SWALOT IS MINE
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*raises eyebrows*
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*glares*
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*jumps up on the table and starts dancing a jig*
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*takes out sleeping bag and camps out under the table*
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*watches in amusement and eventually joins in the jig which has become a bit more like a waltz now*
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O.o
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*roasts marshmallows and tosses them around like confetti*
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43- That’s flamablamablous!
44- My mother’s side of the family is mostly teachers who are at least slightly nerdy about the subjects they teach or taught, except my mother herself – who introduced me and my sister to sci-fi/fantasy conventions. My Father is the biggest geek in the family. He spends most of his casual conversation discussing whatever sort of math catches his attention, and the rest of it discussing killing zombies and Skyrim.
45- Hey, Radiant_Darkness! It’s nice to see you post again.
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Oh look, there’s a rainbow around the moon. Awesome.
Kai, any thoughts?
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You’re lucky there’s enough moisture in the air for that, but not so much that clouds block out the moon entirely. (Like here.)
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So relieved. I procrastinated on an oral, which I nervously gave today, and my teacher told me(in private, she’s not the type who likes embarrassing her students) she’d give me a B. Naturally I’d prefer an A, but at least I’ve got it over with and passed.
I’m probably not going to learn a valuable lesson about not procrastinating from it, sadly. I still appear to have a work ethic though, since I’m feeling the urge to do homework.
And it’s Easter, meaning my religious school has been talking about the religious stuff and we’re getting a much needed long weekend and chocolate.
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Gonna march around some wetlands in school today with my fashionable purple rain boots! (And my bright orange pants. I love the weird looks I get from people. XD) It’s going to be fun, hopefully. Or at least more fun than sitting there at a desk and having Nina talk to us about them.
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I love brightly colored pants. I have bright yellow-green ones!
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AND I HAVE YELLOW ONES
THEY ARE THE YELLOWEST
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BLINDED BY MERE GLANCES IN THEIR DIRECTION
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*highfive* I have a pair of neon green ones. And a pair of purple ones.
THEY’RE SO FUN.
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Just finished condensing one semester of Trig. into 4 pages for my homeroom, since I’m apparently the go-to girl for anything science or math or english related. It reads somewhat like an instruction manual for an electronic device (“Are you sure you plugged it in?”), though I tried not to be too patronizing, which is kind of hard since I’m tutoring my sister and her freshman friends as well and their problems are almost as hard as ours.
The irony here is that I never took Trigonometry. The first time I heard of most of this stuff was yesterday when I read through an old textbook I *ähm* borrowed from someone named Dorothea. And now I’m practically tutoring two homerooms. I should get payed for this.
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GAPAs, did you get the photo I sent you? I know it sometimes takes a while to get them posted, but I just wanted to be sure you have it.
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We’ve received it (and some others from other MBers) but probably won’t be able to post anything before the weekend.
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Ohhh so that’s where the pictures went. Sorry I sent you so many.
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Can it just stay 60 until graduation? None of this bouncing around in the 40s and 50s and then teasing us by shooting up to 60 for a day before going back to normal.
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I’m just going to extend that squid tentacle by a bit, so soon it would be 7.5 meters long. Wouldn’t this be fun! I’m sure my English teacher would be quite amused.
In other news, Spring Break.
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Happy 63rd birthday, Judith Resnik.
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I’m leaving for Ireland at 5am tomorrow! *explodes*
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Have lots of fun!
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Awesome!
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So I’m reaching the part of the semester where people start talking about final exams and papers. I had a meeting with my Modern Medieval History professor, and, um, I think I committed to writing a Hollywood adaptation of Chretien de Troyes’ Perceval for my final paper?
The one film adaptation we saw of it was actually very faithful to the book. I’m going to have fun Hollywoodizing it. It’s going to be awful. Let’s see…I’m going to need to shift the romance, so that it comprises a bigger part. Make the main character have more of an angsty backstory. Work in a main plot arc with the fisher king, so it should probably go in the beginning, and then build up to a legitimate ending. Oh, and goodbye medieval sexism and anti-semitism.
I think I’m actually looking forward to this. Once I go the idea it wouldn’t let me go. And I just realized that I accidentally a Screnzy, which I wasn’t planning on doing at all this year. Life is good and imagination is fun.
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That will be fun. You’ll have to give Perceval a comical sidekick, of course, and maybe turn Blanchefleur into a warrior-princess. Boundless potential! Do you get to cast it, too?
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The teacher suggested something like that, but I’m afraid I don’t know enough actors to do the job right. I’ll probably just have to issue casting calls, like “male, Caucasian, brawny and good-looking” for Perceval.
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I dunno, Hollywood has plenty of medieval sexism to go around.
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So, apparently the battery in the magic black box thingy that carries Internet to our house decided to leak, so I won’t have Internet for a few days. I’m at an Internet cafe right now, but I’ll be on intermittently at best fir the next few days. Of course this happens the day I need to upload an assignment for online Java class, but hey, se la vie (I guarantee you I spelled that wrong).
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C’est la vie.
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Ran into random Homestuck Cosplayers on the T today!
We talked about 4/13. It was kind of awkward cause they thought I was in college and I thought they were in college and… derp.
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Awwww, and this is THE DAY AFTER I LEAVE BOSTON :U
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I’m jealous of everybody who has Spring Break next week and not back at the beginning of March like I did.
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My spring break is ending.
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It seems Spring Break just doesn’t last long enough, does it?
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Hi everybody! I am currently in Massachusetts, which I think is my sixth state since Monday. The others are Washington, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York, so I am clearly in the northeastern part of this country. My dad and I have been visiting a variety of colleges in the “northeast liberal arts college” genre which has been neat and fun. We discovered when planning the trip that Williams College, which is where I am now, is running a soccer clinic for prospective student athletes this weekend, so I’m participating in that tomorrow and Sunday. This is my first real foray into the DIII college soccer recruiting process, so I’m not exactly sure what to expect. The good news is that the coach sent out an e-mail asking for our SAT scores, and I was able to report a 2400. I’ve at least made an impression on paper, ha. I haven’t played soccer since we left home except for a brief kickaround with my father this evening, so I’m hoping my endurance and skills haven’t melted away. On a completely different subject, bed & breakfasts are awesome. I don’t know why anyone would ever want to stay in a hotel. We’ve stayed at a couple great places throughout the trip, meeting interesting people, having fantastic conversations, and eating homecooked breakfasts each morning. Other than those, we spent nights with a family whose daughter was in my playgroup immediately after I was born and some cousins (second cousins, actually). I hadn’t seen any of them since I was about four, and it’s great to see how well we’ve all grown up.
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Go Ephs!
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One of my friend’s fathers works at Hampshire. I really want to go.
You should stop in Connecticut and say hi!
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And… and Rhode Island? :3
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I really loved Williams when I visited. If you’re doing the small-liberal-arts tour, you should visit Oberlin *promotes own college*
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I definitely will if I ever head out to that region. We confined ourselves to just the northeastern-most part of the country this time because that way we could visit the most possible in a week. But I’ve heard good things about Oberlin, and obviously there are awesome giant space squids, so what’s not to like?
So far, I’ve visited Bowdoin, Bates, Middlebury, Dartmouth, and Williams, and we might get to Amherst on Monday. If anybody on the blog has questions about my impressions of any of those, ask away! My dad and I might also visit Harvard on Monday, probably more as a tourist attraction or a counterpoint to the other colleges than as a school I’m actually interested in.
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AMHERST ON MONDAY?
I THINK I KNOW WHAT THIS CALLS FOR
A MINI-KOKONSPIRATING WHATCHAMADINGUS (If you will not be too busy simply, ah, inspecting the school)
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And you know, if you want to. And things.
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Sure! My dad and I staying the night in Amherst, so we could do dinner tonight or breakfast tomorrow or something like that!
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Um um um [(snip) Sorry, specifics need to be arranged off blog. –Admin.] :U
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No more planning on the blog, please.
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Blarg, sorry about that. :S
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If you’re okay with the midwest, consider Grinnell.
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ALL THE FIVE COLLEGES
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Leaving for Singapore tomorrow! Coincidentally, I was listening to Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me a few days ago and they asked their guest about what they described as “the notoriously authoritarian state of Singapore.” I was laughing my head off. Singapore’s reputation in the US never really occurred to me before; in a lot of ways, I suppose it is an authoritarian state, but it really doesn’t seem like that when you live there.
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SAME CONTINENT TIME WOOOO
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Really? You spent a lot of time complaining about its authoritarian rules, or at least that’s how it appeared to me.
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Yes, but they were rules that didn’t directly affect me (i.e. homosexual sex is forbidden, but that’s not something I was doing, so it didn’t change my life).
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We’re moving house apartment in two to three weeks’ time, so I’m in the middle of sorting through all the piles of paper in my room and deciding what to pack and what to throw away. It’s strange, I’m discarding nearly all my school stuff from last year and even first semester this year. It’s giving me great joy, getting rid of my chemistry stuff, though I can’t help thinking that it’s such an enormous waste of paper. I also rediscovered a pile of Muses, which I’m not going to throw away, despite what my dad thinks! (I have a habit of hoarding, that’s why there’s so much pure stuff accumulated in my room.) My new room is about a quarter of the size of my current one, it’s quite sadly miniscule, it looks like it can barely fit my desk, let alone any other furniture. I’ve finally organised all my books so they’re separate from my parents’, and it’s nice to see what books I actually have.
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I’m going to kidnap Terrence Mann one day and make him sing for me all the time. Yesssssssssss. 
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Can I help?
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Now, do you REALLY want to be like Kim Jong Il?
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Worth it.
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I am in Paris and have just visited the catacombs. They are really cool, if a bit dark and claustrophobic, and kind of very morbid. I would like to thank an October issue of Muse from a few years ago (I don’t remember what year. It also had hagfish and cosplay in it) for informing me of their existence, and anyone who gets the opportunity should visit them.
In closing, I have survived a week in France without being able to speak French. Yay?
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I think it was 2006.
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That long ago?
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I had the same reaction…Gosh.
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I thought it was 2008.
Whatever year it was, it was my first ever issue of Muse. I really love that issue. The catacombs sound amazing and strange.
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You can check the contents of back issues here on the blog.
That reminds me: would anyone like to help us log the issues published so far in 2012?
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Yes, it was 2006. I was right! Ha-ha!
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That. Is. So. Cool.
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What fun!
Oddly (or perhaps not) (or perhaps how else?), a MuseBlogger called The Skipper Nancy went there a few years ago and also remembered that issue.
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I went there because of that issue a couple years ago too! It seems that certain things catch musers’ interests…
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How long has the Asteroid game been there? *squee* It’s…oddly enjoyable, destroying the blog…
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Since April Fools’.
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You guys have no idea how happy the Pie War makes me.
This is the best thing ever.
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I’m dyeing my hair green tomorrow afternoon.
That is all.
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Seeing that comment makes me giggle insanely for some reason.
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My hair is blue! Let’s be hair buddies!
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I feel so ordinary next to you two.
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My hair has a pink strand in it left over from before I cut it. Can I join the party?
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Hair buddies! w00t! We should have a hair party. (: All of us. Even the one’s with natural hair.
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I want to dye my hair turquoise or dark blue, but I also really like it how it is… :U
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Some of my friends and I are trying to get a Quidditch team started at my school. We met today and ended up scrimmaging. We didn’t have enough brooms, and we played with four to a team: 1 beater, 1 keeper, and 2 chasers. It was a great workout, even if we didn’t have enough people.
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69- So much fun!
Studying for my Evolution of the Earth test on monday… going to meet with 2 friends from the class in a minute to go over everything.
I like geology. Studying it is a lot more fun than studying for chemistry, which is to say, it is more fun than being sucked deeper into overwhelming pits of despair and confusion. But as studying goes it is enjoyable! I actually learn things I want to know/could apply to life on a daily basis. Also, the Earth is really cool. This unit is the cambrian through Devonian.
SO MANY COOL EARLY ARTHROPOD-LIKE THINGS
TRILOBITES MADE OF (fool’s) GOLD
MILLIPEDES SO BIG YOU COULD RIDE THEM
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The Carboniferous and Permian had a lot of cool creatures, too! And then all the weird mammals that were around after dinosaurs but before humans! Really, dinosaurs are cool and all, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to cool prehistoric creatures.
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Yes! I esspecially love how no one can decide which way Hallucigenia went. Also, Opabinia is just adorable with it’s 5 eyes and snout-thing.
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And it’s really cool to look at the maps of how the continents were arranged differently in the geologic past. I’ve seen countless maps of invented lands and planets, but to see our own world looking so different, and to know it was once inhabited by such exotic creatures… and that all of this is REAL is just mind-blowing.
“By the beginning of the Permian, the motion of the Earth’s crustal plates had brought much of the total land together, fused in a supercontinent known as Pangea. Many of the continents of today in somewhat intact form met in Pangea (only Asia was broken up at the time), which stretched from the northern to the southern pole. Most of the rest of the surface area of the Earth was occupied by a corresponding single ocean, known as Panthalassa, with a smaller sea to the east of Pangea known as Tethys.”
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Just got back from a superawesome early Yuri’s Night party at Harvard, watched the film First Orbit!
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I just bought a pillow pet. He’s a fuzzy blue dolphin named Dewey.
I’m 17 years old. I regret nothing.
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You’re lucky, my mom doesn’t let me buy stuffed animals.
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Ohmigosh! We can be Pillow Pet buddies! *squee* *holds up Daisy the unicorn*
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I have officially activated my college email account and filled out the short roommate questionnaire. I’m a little bit terrified. I feel like I should be trying to learn more or connect with people but frankly that just makes me more anxious and I’ll have plenty of time to do so on campus. I’ve also started looking at the coursebook, which I mentioned, and I’m getting excited about having classes that are actually interesting.
Unrelatedly, I’m getting paid to play oboe in an Easter mass tomorrow. (I’ve never been to one, as I’m Jewish.) I’m actually pretty excited to see what it’s like and to play, but also completely intimidated. We’ll see how it goes!
I’m also coming out of band withdrawal after the spring trip, which is always a little rough. I miss being around everyone, and it makes it worse that I’m graduating in two months! It was pretty much the last time we’ll ever have that kind of group dynamic with my band friends, unless we hang out on a weekend or over the summer. One of my best friends (the one who drew the squid on my arm in sharpie) hangs out mostly with seniors, and I’m sad to be leaving her next year.
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Pretty sure my comment just got snagged in the spam filter?
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You’re right. So I snipped away the bit that triggered the spam filter and moderated it. Its essence remains intact.
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Mm, it didn’t occur to me that’d be a problem. Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience!
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Okay, guys. I’m me, and I’ve never done any sort of roleplaying (online, offline, whatever). The Pie War is something I sort of want to do and have fun with in that sense, and I wanted to draw a map of the land we’re in and provide a backstory so that A) I can submerge myself in the lands of Muse and B) I can pass along the submersion to you all if you want.
I found an awesome map by RtH that I’m going to redraw, and I’m all excited and stuff because at one in the morning I tend to get excited about random things. SO. I’m asking for help, basically. I’d like to gather any and all information I can find on the world we inhabit. I know, for example, where everything in RtH’s map is, but I don’t know where Muse Academy is located in the world. I want to be able to put every place we’ve ever been on this map, but I don’t know what those places are or where they are.
So what I’m asking is that, if anyone here remembers a thread that had important details like that on it, if they’d be so kind as to track it down and pass it on to me.
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I don’t think Muse Academy takes places in the same world as the Pie Wars. It’s set in a reality that’s somewhat closer to our own world.
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It’s certainly more inclined to obey the same physical laws.
The point of divergence between the two universes probably occurred early in the last decade. In the Muse Academy universe, I must have won half a billion dollars or so in a lottery and decided to devote my life to bricks-and-mortar education rather than to websites and bloggery. As I almost never enter lotteries, I infer that I must have either found the winning ticket or received it from some anonymous donor — scenarios that open numerous possibilities for intrigue or even, depending on how the future turns out, time loops.
All of these conclusions are highly speculative, of course.
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Interesting… maybe it was Chris Ferguson’s home reality the same one in which you became an astronaut?
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No, that one would have had to diverge much earlier. There must be parts of the multiverse in which I went to the Naval Academy instead of to Swarthmore (a possibility I did consider at one point). Those would be the realities in which I wound up in space.
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As confusing and vaguely cliched and annoying as time loops can get, I like the rest of that idea.
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Clearly, it must be that after time travel has been invented, either a muser or an e-archeologist studying musers gives you that lottery ticket after seeing that comment, hoping to make the world a better place.
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Greetings MBers! I have once again dipped in for a hello and a check up on all you fine folks. /waves
I’m currently prepping like mad for my upcoming Homestuck cosplay events and also doing prop work for my school’s production of Henry V, where they’ve gender-swapped the whole cast and set it in the future. It’s gonna be great!
Hm what else to report? I always feel so bad when I come on here because it seems like everyone I know has stayed and I’ve abandoned this place…. but I do my best to come back and say hi sometimes!
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Kiki! *hugs and pies* Great to see you!
I can assure you you’re not the only one who pop in sometimes, so no worries and don’t feel bad about it. It’s wonderful to hear from you, and cosplay and productons always sound like fun!
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Ahh! WIsh I could go to ACEN or C2E2 We’re doing a cosplay/baking day here on 4/13 though with all the Homestucks on campus so that’ll be fun. Except I don’t have a sewing machine so probably won’t do a costume really. Orrr I could just wrap a sheet around myself and be WINDSWEPT QUESTANT I guess.
Also last night I decided there are not enough Condesce cosplays and I need to make one of those too XD Along with god-tier Jade. And like 4 of the trolls I just love them so much XD
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ALSO I had a cool idea for either a PM/WQ or Jack Noir costume, where you have the normal costume and then use glow-in-the-dark paint to make the green-glowy portal flashy designs that would only show up in darker areas. ALAS, THINGS I CANNOT DO UNTIL SUMMER.
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I would love to see you as god-tier Jade, haha, it totally fits your online handle! That sounds great, I wish I could have a 4/13 meetup but I’m gonna be at school and stage crew all day. Curses!
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Kiki! Nice to see you again. I understand you’re Internet-famous now, haha.
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That is a lie, I am nowhere near internet famous. I prefer to consider myself as “vaguely well-known.”
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I beg to differ.
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(Hm. I suppose we’re close enough to April 1 to let that comment stand.)
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I totally had a mini heart attack when I saw that in the Recent Comments bar.
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Same.
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We’ll let you know if he actually stops by to, um, say hello.
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What are you talking about? I’m coming close to a final decision to actually buy your album.
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And I am being pushed ever closer to watching Doctor Who, something I’ve been meaning to get to for a while but have never actually started.
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Welcome! I’d rather people occasionally appeared than left for good.
Your Henry V sounds… interesting.
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Hi Kiki! Good to see you here.
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Kiki! *glomps* So glad to see a paleo. So exciting, and it’s great that a MuseBlogger is being a Kokonspiracy ambassador to the world. ;arrow:
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Could the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s sinking on the 14th-15th be added to the calendar?
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I’M IN IIIRRRREEEELLLAAAANNNNDDDDD
*turns off capslock*
Tea. It’s good that I like tea because these people will not stop offering me tea. And food. Old Irish people wnat me to eat and drink tea a lot.
I really with I had an Irish accent. I’m partly Irish, but it’s diluted enough that there’s no accent, really (though I do talk kind of differently, it’s more like a very mild speech impediment. >.<)
Everything's so green here, and it's not snowing.
I'm probably not going to have computer access again until I get home on the 19th, so bye for now, Museblog!
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Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that I’m leaving for Mexico tonight to build houses, and won’t be back for a week. Have a lovely time! All y’all are awesome!
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Oh, my cousin did that once! Have fun!
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Hey y’all, I’m in Singapore! I’d post something coherent, but I’ve been awake for over 24 hours.
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Hi, CO! *glomps* Now go to bed.
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I hit the 42 hour mark around 4 last night
I went to sleep after…pretty much exactly 42 hours. Huh.
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Right then, we can wait until the morning. Just get some sleep, you’ll thank us!
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I visited my grandparents today, and my mother reluctantly gave me permission to explore the woods by their house, and I saw a rabbit there! And also some awesome-looking bumblebees, and a green anole. I see those in my own yard every day, but there’s something about seeing lizards in actual woods that makes it different from seeing them in a normal setting, even if they’re ordinary lizards behaving in an ordinary way. Mosquitoes were trying to bite me the entire time, but it was worth every moment, even though it’s hard not to scare everything away when you have to practically dance to keep them off you (I don’t want to kill them, and letting them bite me isn’t an option because they’re especially likely to carry diseases in this area). Overall, it was a nice adventure! I rarely get to go into actual woods without trails, and never alone. I haven’t seen a rabbit alone, either. And there were insects I’d never seen at all, ones that looked like flying spiders because of their long legs, and spiders that looked like ants, and butterflies that I could follow, and little leaf creatures… It was lovely.
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Coherent post? Here goes nothing.
I’d like to note that the inflight entertainment on the way to Tokyo was nothing short of amazing. They’d upgraded the airplane so that suddenly every seat in Economy had a mini screen, which isn’t exactly unusual but doesn’t happen often enough. They were touchscreens, too- and they had pretty much every movie I love, so that’s nice.
Much as I can’t stand noise and heat and living right next to a military firing range that seems to assume that Malaysia is going to invade us at odd hours of the night, it is nice to be back in Singapore for a little while! Especially because I get to see my dad again, although he has to work this week. My mom is obsessively cleaning as per usual, and I’m heading off to meet some friends soon. Also, it’s raining like you wouldn’t believe and I think lightning just hit our building.
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Is it rational to be reading Harry Potter and the methods of rationality instead of writing my 10-page paper on the American Civil war, due on Wednesday?
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Yupyup.
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Obviously.
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I don’t know, but it is ill-advised.
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It depends on what your goals are and how likely each of those activities will get you there. It seems that you want to read Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality and to have finished your paper, but those are too specific. You probably don’t want them because you intrinsically love them (and if you actually do value them above the entire rest cosmos, ignore the rest of this); they’re your ways of getting to the things that are important to you–your means, not your ends. You might be reading HPMOR because you enjoy it, and it’s important to you to be happy, or because you want to be rational, and it helps you, or for a whole host of reasons. You might want to write your paper because you enjoy it, and it’s important to you to be happy, or because you think it’ll help your understand history better, and you think that’ll help you make good decisions, and you either want to be rational or want all that so as to achieve your goals (which could be anything; universal happiness and peace are common, for example, but there are a lot, and there’s technically no reason for one to be better/more logical than another, although everyone wants everyone else to share their goal so that they can cooperate), or because you want a good grade in your class which will increase your self-esteem (in which case I’m sorry it rests on something like grades because that’s a painful goal to have, and lack of physical, mental, and emotional pain for myself and everyone/everything capable of feeling it is one of my own goals) or help you get into a good college which will help you achieve another goal (maybe your happiness during college, but you would still need another reason for going there in the first place, like wanting a job that would help you achieve a goal of yours, such as your wealth, your happiness, your ability to make the world one with more overall happiness for people, etc, or wanting to learn because maybe knowledge is your goal), or because someone will be angry if you don’t write the paper and you dislike either anger or anger directed specifically at you… again, there are many possible reasons. Often, one can only say whether a decision is rational if one knows which effects you desire to come from the decision. It’s true that rationality has no shades of gray; you cannot have a semirational choice, a rational choice for the irrational reason/irrational choice for the rational reason, etc, but there are decisions that are only rational under certain circumstances. If you would like a more definite answer to your question, please list the most important general, long-term goals that you have. For example, mine are homeostasis among ecosystems, joy in all organisms capable of feeling it (although I have to admit I put myself first, not by choice but because that’s what I’m programmed to do and I haven’t been able to get out of it), lives (all–and I know the definition of life is really fluid, and I’m not sure whether I count viruses or not) (the parentheses for joy apply equally here), lack of mental, physical, and emotional pain in all organisms capable of feeling any of those (the parentheses for joy apply here, too), and knowledge in all organisms capable of knowing anything (whether through instinct or learning, although I can’t alter instinct, so that’s almost irrelevant). They’re in roughly the order of which I’d generally choose when they conflict; I’d appreciate it if you could do that, too.
…Did I really go on for that long? Sorry. When someone actually invites me to tell them whether their decision is rational or not, I get a bit… carried away. I love analyzing things like that; I actually wrote more but deleted some of it for the sake of the GAPAs, since they have to read it whether they want to or not. You at least have a choice. I won’t be offended if there’s no reply.
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Perhaps it isn’t the most rational option, but who says things always have to be rational?
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I do. This is for a reason that will have little to no effect on you: I want you to know the truth, so it’s in my best interest that you are rational, as that’s by far the surest way for you to know as many true things and as few false things as possible. However, I know that many people want to know the truth themselves, and if you are one of those people, then it’s in your best interest as well. If you are not, there is no way I can possibly convince you to change your mind. I suppose I might be able to tell you about the many benefits of knowing many things, but that would take a while and may not succeed.
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Actually, I think I was kidding. I do generally believe in rationality and logic myself.
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Just came to a terrifying realization: I have 7 weeks until I graduate.
And I still have no idea which college I’m going to pick.
One word: YIKES.
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agrrrfishi: What are the choices, if you don’t mind telling us?
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Well, each has their own weight, but I’ve narrowed it down to three:
1. Loyola Chicago
2. Michigan State University
3. University of Michigan
Loyola is, frankly, my ideal option because it’s a four-year program where I can get a degree in what I want: music education. And it’s in my favorite city. What’s not ideal is the cost… about $6,000 more than what I can afford, even with my scholarships and financial aid factored in. But it’s a really beautiful school. A few of my friends are going there, too, so I wouldn’t be completely alone in a new city.
Michigan State didn’t accept me to their music program, so I could go in as a freshman in the Education school and then re-audition to enter the music program as a sophomore….problem is, their music program takes five years to complete, so I would be spending six years in college if I went there, and freshman year would be essentially a waste of my time.
University of Michigan is my number one: dream campus, dream program, friends are going there, not a lot of money because I live in-state, close to home…the whole package. Their music school is extremely prestigious, very hard to get into, as is the regular school itself. The music education program accepts five students a year, and I’m on their wait list, which is a big deal. However, the chances of me getting in are still slim, so while it’s my favorite option, it’s probably the least likely. One can hope, though!
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One of the biggest complaints about many music programs is that the students don’t have the opportunity to take much of anything outside of their subject or mix with other students. Also anyone who wants to switch majors down the road will probably have more catch-up work to do (though that’s probably more true switching from a performance major than an education major). In any of those scenarios, a year outside the department might be an advantage. Every situation is different, of course, but from my freshman class only about 25% of the music majors stayed with the program all four years.
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It’s definitely going to be a tough road to take, and that is pretty daunting… I mean, from what my private teachers have told me of their experiences, music majors basically spend all their time working and barely have any time to be social. That’s a lot to handle, especially since I like to be around other people and have fun, social butterfly and all that. I think maybe having a less strenuous freshman year could be good, just to ease me into it. But then again, it’s still so much money for every year I’m there, and my parents agree that they want me doing something that’s productive for my major. Although I think spending a year on the education school’s track would be helpful anyway, but still.
And then there’s switching majors…I’ve thought about it, and I know I’ll probably have a better idea of what I want next year. But when I really think about it, this is what I want to do with my life. I love music, and I love kids, and I especially take pride in watching others use what they’ve learned from me. I would honestly love the opportunity to watch kids learn to love music the way I did when I was little. I really want to be an elementary school teacher, just because the creative environment of my own childhood education was what drew up my connection to music and love for singing in the first place.
Ack, I’m rambling now, sorry! I just wish that this was all easier, but then again, life isn’t easy.
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Forget college! College is fo suckaz! Nah, I’m jus kidding. I’m sure whatever decision you make (or fall into) will be right for you. Colleges are wonky, but if you’re comfortable and learning what you want to learn, that’s really all that matters. You have plenty of time to do accomplish your other goals, don’t forget it!
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Hi, I’m a music major.
Are you going for a music ed degree or a performance degree, and on what instrument? All of that really affects the amount of work time you’ll have – I’m violin performance; I’m taking a lighter load this semester, but, for instance, my schedule tomorrow is going to be class from 9-10:30, quartet from 3-4, class 7-8, dress rehearsal from 10:30 pm – midnight (yes, it’s the only time they could get the hall). I’m probably going to practice 8-9, 10:30-11, 1-3, 4-5, maybe some of 8-10:30. I’m not in orchestra right now, but if I were that would be 4-6 basically every day for two weeks. However, if you’re doing music ed, you won’t be practicing as much; ditto something like voice or brass where they physically can’t practice as much. Also, musicians tend to be very very social on weekends.
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Music education with voice. And social weekends I can definitely do.
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Come to Chicago, please.
kthxbai.
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I might be visiting in a few days/ weeks! Further details on alternative sites as events warrant.
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Hi! How is everybody?
It’s been far too long since I’ve been on MB! Just recently I’ve been spending some time lurking around old threads, reading through some of my old comments (obligatory cringe) and having fun with the Asteroid game.. And it’s always nice to see some familiar names along with some new ones… I’m hopeful some of you guys remember me after my little absence, teehee.
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Starr! Nice to see you again.
Yeah, reading through old comments can get a bit…painful sometimes. Welcome back!
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Indeed, although I basically just accepted long ago that my old comments were always going to be slightly cringe worthy in my eyes, although going way back and reading about the times when I was an itty bitty 6th grader is kind of a cool time capsule… and thanks! Hopefully I’ll stick around this time!
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Welcome back! I remember you, and I’m glad to see you again!
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Hello, starr! Of course I remember you; welcome back!
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I only just saw this, and welcome back! How could I forget you?
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I should find out whether I was accepted to a Google summer program today or tomorrow. I don’t really know if my chances are good or not, just that three weeks minus one day ago I was told my application was still being considered and I would find out within three weeks. I’m hoping delay is a good sign, that it means an actual Googler will email me and tell me that I was accepted vs. a form letter saying I wasn’t. But I really have no idea and it’s driving me crazy.
Wish me luck, everyone!
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Good luck! May the force be with you!
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Good luck!
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May the odds be ever in your favor.
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*imagines Robert in a Capitol accent and bursts out laughing* It’s a pity they didn’t include the accent in the movie; it isn’t easy to invent new accents, and Collins did it well.
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I really have no interest in the books or movie, but I want an excuse to use that quote now.
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Good luck!
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Best of luck!
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still no news asdflkjasdf;jasdflkhasdflkhacspiuwefnmsd
I keep getting unrelated emails that get my hopes up though
there’s still an hour and a half before the California work day ends, I guess?
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TWO MONTHS LEFT OF ANY SCHOOL… EVER!
I CAN’T CONTAIN HOW UNBELIEVABLY HAPPY THIS MAKES ME….ALL THE WORK, THE BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS…. IT’LL FINALLY BE OVER!
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Don’t worry, there’ll still be plenty of work and blood and sweat and tears, just in a non-scholastic setting.
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Ah yes, but it will be directed at a single goal. If I get a job, I have one boss to please (and perhaps customers). Plus, no homework.
Honestly, trying to do algebra is more painful for me than any work I’ve ever done, and I worked the cash register at Spirit Halloween with no breaks for six hours everyday after school and a constant flow of customers! My feet hurt like heck and I was so tired, by 10:00, but to be away from math and other homework was truly heaven.
I’ve always struggled with school, more than anything else in my life… and I hate it with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns. Not having to go to it anymore is a dream come true, no matter what lies ahead.
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WITH BLOOD! SWEAT! AND TEARS!
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EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Any major plans/events afterwards?
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My home’s internet failed for a while. Just got it back today, so happy belated Easter, everybody!
I LOVE SPRING BREAK!
I really needed a break from school…
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That question mark full of question marks is purty.
Oh, and I’m Liv. Is there anyone here named Olive? Or olivemonster? (I love the word monster. It just sounds nice) I like that name but I’m not sure if it’s taken or not; I don’t have the patience to lurk.
And I really hate April 2012. Four piano competitions and a piano exam and a whole bunch of unit tests. :/
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Welcome, Asentia!
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Thanks!
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Welcome! There’s no-one else here with ‘olive’ in their name. See the big green links under the thing saying “MuseBlog” with the description? If you’ll click on the one that says “Who’s here?”, you can see a list of everyone who’s ever been here. It’s in alphabetical order, so if you’re wondering if a name has been used, it’s easy to check. If you leave a comment there, you’ll be added to it. It might also be a good idea to click on “Rules” (don’t worry; you haven’t broken any; they’re just useful to know) and “H*G*2*M*B*” (The asterisks are because of spam; it’s a useful, informative place, although it needs updating).
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Welcome to MuseBlog, asentia! I like your ‘Blog name. Good luck on your competitions, exam and tests!
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Welcome to MB, asentia! Do you pronounce you name like it looks, or like “Leev”?
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No one posts under the names Olive or olivemonster.
Welcome! *pies*
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Welcome, asentia! Awesome name.
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Welcome asentia! Hope you have a great stay
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Hallo, Asentia-Olive! What nice grammar you have.
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Welcome!
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Welcome!
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Welcome!
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So, at the Student Union, we have a sandwich shop that sells sandwiches named for places on campus…
… and today I ordered a jerk chicken sandwich…
… and the sandwich shop lady couldn’t pronounce my name correctly when she read my order card…
… so she asked me “Are you the South Campus Jerk?”
It was very hard getting my sandwich and walking away without bursting out laughing.
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It’s a good thing you were on your own. Nicknames can be hard to shake.
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I live in East Campus, though.
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Naturally you’re on your best behavior there.
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A while ago, I applied for a scholarship to an awesome marine biology camp. I applied to an organization that gave summer camp scholarships, not the camp, which didn’t give them itself. I still don’t know whether I got the scholarship, but the camp and waiting list filled up. I couldn’t apply before knowing if I’d get the scholarship because I can’t afford to go without one.
My mom thinks that if I do get the scholarship, I’ll probably be allowed to use it for another summer camp. If so, I’d have 2 options.
1. Go to another camp from the same people offering the one I really wanted. The rest aren’t as awesome, but they do look great.
2. See if my school district would give me credit for taking 11th grade history this summer at a university. I’ll be going into 9th grade, but it has no prerequisites; I know of a university in my area that offers it to any high schoolers who want it. The trouble is, the reason I’d want it is because I don’t have enough time in 11th grade to take all the electives I want. Ideally, they’d let me not take history in 11th grade and take Aquatic Science instead, but they might a) not give me credit at all and make me retake it or b) make me take a history elective, which isn’t so bad (There are some awesome history electives available), but it would mean this probably wouldn’t be as good as option 1. I am taking IB Environmental Systems and Society that year, which IB counts as social studies, so hopefully my school could count it as history and let it go, but I don’t know. I’ll be able to ask before deciding whether or not to take the summer class, though, so if they won’t exempt me from history that year, I won’t take it until then.
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Decisions…
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Hopefully. I probably won’t get the scholarship at all, and even if I do, there’s a possibility that my school will say it won’t give me full credit for taking 11th grade history before 9th grade. If either of those happens–and I suppose it’s quite probable that one will–then I won’t get to make one. I really don’t need to be thinking about it until I at least learn if I got the scholarship, but these things excite me. I like looking at really awesome options and figuring out which is the best of all.
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Actually, a positive thing prevented me from having to decide. I got accepted to a school that significantly decreases my desire to take 11th grade history ahead, so now I know what I’ll do if I get the scholarship.
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Although it does turn out I didn’t get the scholarship.
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My birth month is the month of Kokopelli! Hooray! Nice graphic, Lady B.
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The other week (okay, fine, the other month but I just thought of it) our group was playing a game called Contact, on the bus in Jordan. It’s more complicated than I’m making it sound but essentially, the ultimate goal is to guess the word someone is thinking of.
One senior was thinking of a word starting with ‘c’ and I immediately thought cephalopod. The amazing thing is it actually was the word she was thinking of. (My suspicions were nearly confirmed when the next letters were revealed to be e, than p. Not too many words start with ce, and even fewer start with cep.) Everyone was shocked when I guessed it and it was right. Anyway, the whole squid connection there made me think of MuseBlog.
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I approve of the awesome new graphic!
Stares at it for a while, hypnotized by the awesomeness*
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I think I will have to start wearing a sign that says:
“Yes I’m fourteen. No, I’m not british. And hey, oddly-shaped noses can be genetic.”
Because there are some questions that I am seriously sick of being asked. (i.e., you look about 12, are you really 14?, Are you british?, and have you ever broken your nose?)
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I’m about a month and a half away from turning 18, and people regularly think I’m my 15-year-old sister’s little sister. On my own, I’ve gotten asked if I’m “sure I’m allowed to be driving” because I “look like I’m in middle school” and told that I’m not allowed to have a sample at Williams-Sonoma because “you need parental permission if you’re under 16.”
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This is both Museblog and Music related. Every Friday the Thirteenth, Voltaire does an event on a certain MMORPG (it’s the only reason I go there anymore; the game itself is cakey). Usually, he comes up with a kid-friendly version of one of his previously existing songs (most recently, though, he just put up a quest with three songs I guess he already considered kid-friendly as background music). This time, though, he’s written a whole new song for the event. He put it up early on That Video-Sharing Site, so I’ve already heard it. It’s called “The Bunnipocalypse”.
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Is it a certain site featuring flightless Antarctic birds?
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Probably, since it seems like nearly every video on the internet ends up on it eventually, but not especially prominently.
The song itself isn’t actually about hot-pink bunnies, but rather zombie bunnies retaking Easter. But still.
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No, the MMORPG. The only kid-friendly one I know features a community of flightless Antarctic birds.
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Oh no, not that one at all! It’s from an ORPG franchise known as Artix Entertainment, and seems to be a kid’s version of a crossover between D&D and anything else they can come up with. (The RPG that started the whole thing -which was single-player – even has Doctor Who inspired monsters you can fight.)
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All of this talk of other websites is making your Administrators feel out of sorts.
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I can play all twelve major scales on trombone! After only knowing the instrument for a year! And I know them on the saxophone, too! Not that it sounds perfect or anything but still! *happydances* By the way, I love that graphic.
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Earthquake in Indonesia, initial magnitude 8.9, apparently it could be felt in Singapore. Choklit Orange, are you all right?
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Yipes! That’s serious! CO, are you okay?
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She probably felt it, but I don’t think it did any damage in Singapore, and the tsunami watch has been lifted. Apparently it wasn’t the kind of earthquake that causes tsunamis: too far offshore and the wrong kind of slip.
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Oh, was it not? That’s relieving to hear.
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I’m fine. Actually, I wasn’t listening to the news, so I only found out about the earthquake because Sel checked in to make sure I was alright! I did feel a bit of shaking, but I assumed it was the military practicing missiles or something.
It seems, now that the tsunami warning is off, that the earthquake did minimal damage, which I’m very glad about. Someone in Aceh, where it hit, said the biggest problem was people panicking.
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Guys, I saw something terrifying today. An iPhone case that is a HOT PINK BUNNY.
On the bright side, I’ve been noticing squids all over the place. I know at least two people with squid tattoos, another friend’s nickname is squid, another friend crochets lots of squid and octopi for fun, and yet another friend recently told me of his plans to take over the world with pie. (Turns out said friend is/was a muser way back, and remembered muse when I mentioned Kokopelli. Strange? Lil’ bit.)
And pink bunnies. Not just because it’s around Easter still. But I’ve been seeing them around.
We’re either super tuned in to the world or we are making an impact. I think it’s the latter.
The Kokonspiracy is now.
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Speaking of squid, I ate calamari for the first time last week. It’s tasty, but it does feel a bit weird to eat such an intelligent animal.
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No doubt they feel the same way about us.
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I did not need that mental image, Robert.
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Sorry!
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They don’t eat us at all…
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In Soviet Russia, squid eat you?
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Recovered memory, eh? We’ll have to incorporate that into one of the RRRs.
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You know how I was upset/complaining about my “western accent?” How I pronounce “both” with an l in it?
I was watching someone do a review of Animal Crossing: City Folk when I realized that he didn’t pronounce the l in “folk,” whereas I do. Connection!
I looked for words that rhyme with “folk,” and I found it. I found what I believe to be the origin of my emphasis of the l. My dad’s a rural appraiser, and a lot of his jobs when I was small were in Polk County, Oregon. He always pronounced “Polk” with the l, probably because it sounds like “poke” if you don’t.
Hurray! Problem solved!
I found another word: yolk. The way I pronounce it makes it not a homophone with “yoke!”
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Happy Yuri’s Night! Fifty-one years ago today, to approximate, the course of human history was changed forever. Thank you so much, Mr Gagarin, you are a true inspiration. Those one hour and forty-eight minutes you spent in space laid the foundation for all further human space exploration, for which I’m sure we are all deeply grateful.
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This.
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Precisely.
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I got into a high school that sounds excellent! It’s an early college high school, so if I stay all 4 years, I’ll have earned 60 college credits by the time I have my high school diploma and be a junior immediately at whatever college I go to. I don’t know whether or not I will because I was wanting to do the IB program, but I’ll have 2 years to decide. There’s even a chance that I might be allowed to take college-level biology in freshman year instead of high school freshman biology! They’re seeing if they’re able to do that by fall; they’re not sure, but it would be really amazing if they can!
The only unfortunate thing is that you have to take Individual Sports your freshman year. I’m hoping they’ll let me do off-campus PE and take a college class when I would be in IS, but I don’t know if that’s at all possible. It isn’t technically at the college, and I don’t think they normally take freshmen over there on buses, and I don’t even know if they can do that when I’d normally have IS, and even if they can and will, I’d have to get a really good score on a certain test to be eligible for the college classes that aren’t already mandatory before 11th grade.
Well, it isn’t the only unfortunate thing; I won’t get many electives at all in the first 2 years, and I won’t have time for many UIL events, either. I don’t mind those things nearly as much, though.
I’ll also get to spend Fridays doing service. Most people do things like helping with elementary schoolers, but some, especially juniors and seniors, get to help at parks and veterinary clinics.
I’m just excited, in general! Most of the teachers there are excellent, too!
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This is spectacular, Biblio! Congratulations. *squid of pride*
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Congratulations! This school sounds like an awesome opportunity for you!
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Congratulations!!
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Congratulations, Bibliophile, I’m sure you will really like it!
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Congratulations!
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Congrats, Bib!
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Awesome! Congratulations!
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Wow, it’s been awhile!
I don’t really have time to post anything particularly thoughtful or coherent, but I thought I’d drop by for a minute to see how everyone’s doing! (I hope everyone is doing flamablamablously!)
Also, here’s a superquick summary about what I’ve been up to lately:
1. Over spring break, I went on a natural history trip to southeastern/central Texas and saw so many incredible plants and animals! We saw such an amazing diversity of birds and herps (the trip was led by two ornithologists and a herpetologist), from Roseate Spoonbills to Crested Caracaras, tree frogs, dolphins. One of our leaders even wrestled a 2-year-old alligator out of a swamp so we could see it up close! There were also a couple days where we swam and played frisbee in the Gulf of Mexico; we also took a trip to Enchanted Rock and went climbing and caving. And canoeing among Cypress trees and Spanish moss! Wow, so many things. Everyone should go to Texas.
2. The following week, I went to New York City to participate in a legislative hearing at the finals of a national letter-writing/debate competition, and I won! My partner and I argued for the reduction of the military budget and reallocation of funding to education. Now we have $3,000 to develop an advocacy campaign, so that should be exciting, too!
3. Ornithology is the greatest thing ever; everyone should do it. Seriously.
4. I’ll be living in Washington, D.C. this summer, because I got an internship at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency! (Calling all DC-area MBers, I’ll be there!) In August, I’ll be leading a backpacking trip in Utah.
5. Next spring, I’m studying abroad in New Zealand! Ahhhh!
6. That’s about it, folks! I love you all!
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Good to hear from you, Pan! You have just shot to the top of our unofficial Official List of People Least Likely to Say “I’m Bored.”
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I think I have effectively removed that phrase from my vocabulary.
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That all sounds amazing! Actually, I’ve lived in central/southeastern Texas all my life and haven’t seen all of those animals, which is a little embarrassing, especially as I want to be a field zoologist, but then, I’ve never toured with 3 for a week. Really, though, I would love to do any of the things you’re describing; I can’t wait until I’m in college and can do things like that. Congratulations!
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Yes, college is awesome! Thanks! If you want some cool Texas wildlife recommendations, I can definitely give you more information about that. Some of my favorite places were Brazos Bend State Park, the Bolivar Peninsula, Sea Rim State Park, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, and Caddo Lake State Park. One of the biggest parts of our trip, though, was just having binoculars with us all the time and paying really close attention out the window. On our first day driving from Indiana to Arkansas, for example, we saw 153 Red-tailed Hawks, just by the side of the road! (We also pulled over to use telescopes a lot, too.)
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DC Kokon this summer. Possibly at the Smithsonian. It must happen.
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Yes, that sounds wonderful! Will you be living in DC this summer?
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Yes, although I don’t know where I’ll be interning yet.
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Oh man Ornithology! I want to take that class so bad. I’m hoping to get it senior year.
Also, NEW ZEALAND! If I don’t study abroad in Galway NZ or Australia are my other two choices. It’s a really touch decision for me though–I really want the opportunity to travel around Europe and see stuff there, but NZ/Australia are a lot more applicable to my majors and also just so amazing in terms of bio/geo. But I have so many science credits whatever I take there wouldn’t necessarily count for me.
DECISIONS
I WILL HAVE TO MAKE THEM SOMETIME
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I hope you get to take it! I just got back from lab (we have lab on T/Th from 6:30-10am and on Friday from 1-4), and today we saw a Bald Eagle in a nest, feeding hatchlings! We also saw a huge colony of Great Blue Heron nests. SO MANY AMAZING THINGS ALL THE TIME.
My ornithology professor is also leading the New Zealand program next year; I’m so so so excited to learn from her again.
I BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL MAKE ALL OF THE BEST DECISIONS. One of my roommates is studying abroad in Northern Ireland next spring — it sounds like such an amazing place!
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You know that feeling where you’re all of a sudden lonely? Not always, or even often, but occasionally, spontaneously lonely. The feeling where you want to have a real conversation with someone and make a real connection, or even maybe just cuddle. Just to feel close to someone. Because you feel so alone. Not despairing, not abandoned, but wanting at that moment company in your corner of the universe.
Yep.
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You don’t really know me, but I’ll talk to you …
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I do know it. If there’s a next time, let me know, and I’ll happily join you in your corner.
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Rainbow, Meow – thanks, and much love. I think that post was a sign that starting my homework at 11:30pm isn’t the best plan for my sanity. Anyway, you guys are great!
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Spent the last two hours hanging out with Harry and the Potters after their show here.
I love college.
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Oh man. I have such a busy exciting daaaaaaaay ahead!
First and most excitingly GLASSBORO IS COMING FOR A KOKONVENTION!
There’s a big contradancy thing here and so he and his family will be in the area wooo!!
And jst now I got back from a 1.5 hour guest lecture by paleobiologist J. William Schopf. He’s made a ton of super cool discoveries about life in the Precambrian, and talked a lot about some of those things. He also spent a few minutes talking about the potential for life on Mars which was cool.
But a few other geo students and I are going to dinner with him this evening! The bio/geo departments do this cool thing where after lectures there’s the opportunity to dine with the guest lecturer. He was really interesting and funny so it should be awesome! Especially since I am becoming more and more interested in paleoecology.
And until then I will basically be baking all afternoon, with one person making pokeball cookies for our friend’s senior saxaphone recital, and with another group for a Homestuck 4/13 party.
But yeah! Baking! Dinner with geologist! Dancing with Glassboro!
EXCITING TIMES AHEAD
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So last night Harry and the Potters, tonight a big-name paleobiologist, and baking in between? You may be giving Purple Panda a run for the money.
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Which is funny, because she actually was almost in my area for today/tomorrow as well!! She ended up being too busy though, which I can certainly understand
And then contra dances, recitals, and performances to go to all weekend! Because, what homework and tests? XD
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Yeah, Robert! I was supposed to Kokonvene with her and Glassboro this weekend. Except that I ended up being too crazy busy with life. BUT hopefully another time soon!!
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ALSO JADE HAVE A GREAT TIME AT DINNER THAT SOUNDS FABULOUS.
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I realized yesterday that I suspend disbelief for calculus. I mean, on one level, I certainly know that these things are real. I could explain if I needed to how precepts I’ve learned throughout this year and since I first learned my numbers build on each other and integrate (haha get it?) into the solutions on my paper. Yet, in another sense, calculus is like magic. You set up some variables and some funky symbols, and you set some variables equal to some equations, and you integrate by parts, and boom! – you know the area under the curve from this point to that of an equation you didn’t even know existed. Remember how math used to be about numbers? Then, it had letters, and that was a big deal. Now, we have sentences of math, with some Greek thrown in for good measure! Who knew that “pi/4+1/2ln2” was even a thing, much less something you can find exactly with the right process, much less an answer to something! (Even my calculator just returns a decimal. Am I better than it now?) New ways of manipulating numbers, new ways of seeing the world, and I wonder at them. Yesterday at rehearsal, some castmates who are in Algebra looked over my shoulder and exclaimed over the incomprehensible symbols in my homework – not just x’s and y’s but u’s and v’s and t’s and e’s, except that last one’s actually a number, not a variable. Somehow, I understand most of it. I remember looking at a senior’s calculus book my freshman year and knowing that calculus was what the big kids did, the real math that maybe they let you do someday, but not for a long time. Somehow, without knowing it, I became one of the big kids in calculus, initiated into the society of knowing that began with “Newton and the boys”. And yet, even as I understand this new math on a technical level, the human in me marvels at the beauty, captured in the curves of an integral and my flash of pride at seeing my answer reflected in the back of the book. I still can’t quite believe it.
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Calculus was the hardest and maybe the most interesting class I’ve ever taken.
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Today was the second to last (scheduled) performance of the play I’m in, and while I’m going to be glad to have more time, I’m going to miss it. We had our cast party at the director’s house. We made spaghetti and ate it while having interesting and meaningful conversations and enjoying each others’ company, and it was glorious. I love having real conversations with people instead of just surface-y things that tend to be abundant when a bunch of kids are thrown together all the time.
Also, it was really nice to be in a house. It sounds goofy, but living in the dorms makes going to houses really refreshing. And Jerry’s house is awesome, it’s small-ish and cozy and has brightly colored rooms/walls and is PACKED with art and interesting books.
I love visiting artists’ houses, because they’re pretty much always so exciting and comfortable.
I really hope my someday house will have those elements to it. I have a feeling it will, since that’s what I’ve grown up with and what I feel comfortable around
I played at the open mic this evening, and it went pretty well. Colin and I played Si Bheag Si Mohr, and then Eli wanted to play with us, so we all did Whiskey Before Breakfast and Kesh Jig as well with two other guys. It was a good time, we went outside and practiced for a few minutes and then performed. It wasn’t perfect, but we got pretty loud applause and hollering, so I guess no one noticed our botches. Then Evan did Butoh and confused everyone. I’m so glad I have such insane friends.
It’s been one of those days that feels like it’s been multiple days. Not in a bad way, just an interesting and long and varied way.
I should probably go to bed, since I have another performance tomorrow and then have to go hang posters in town. Also since it’s 2:30am and bed is a good idea regardless of what I have to do tomorrow–by which I mean later today. Whoops.
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Watching incredible performances of violin concertos (Brahms today, played by Daishin Kashimoto) is always so discouraging. Inspiring, yes, but also very disheartening. I mean, I sometimes wonder, why do I even bother trying? (I’m not 100% serious; tone is hard to communicate over the internet.) I started the violin at age eight. Kashimoto, at age seven, was the youngest member of Juilliard’s impossibly competitive pre-college programme. Why. Whywhywhy. (I’m not worrying about this as much as it sounds. It’s more an…observation, of sorts.)
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OMGwhydoIbotherohIneedtotrythis!!! Pretty much my standard reaction to incredible art—along with most everyone in the arts at some time or another, I would bet.
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My life. Often accompanied by various ill-wishes directed at Tchaikovsky.
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Artists aren’t alone in that. I’m not sure why my math teacher wanted us to look up not only one of Terence Tao’s theorems, but also talked about his background, when most of us would have failed the last test if we weren’t graded on a curve.
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Now you know how I feel about athletes my age in the Olympics.
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I have a Glassboro! Not at the moment though, he’s already off dancing. But heading to join him and then get dinner and ice cream and then more dancing, woo!!
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I met John Barrowman today.
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Details?!
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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
WHY IS MY LIFE NOT INTERESTING
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EEEEEEE *squeals loudly*
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AAAAHH WHY AM I NOT YOUUUU *runs around in circles*
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YOU WHAT?
REALLY?
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He was at C2E2! His Q&A was hilarious!
I got his autograph and he made a funny face when he accidentally called me Caitlin!!! He’s so friendly!!!
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You, Kiki, and two people I know IRL are lucky.
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Quick, good reading material for a 14-year-old with a short-ish attention span. I’ve run out of books to read. *le gasp*
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Diana Wynne Jones’ books.
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Teeheehee Wynne is a nice name ;D
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It is! And her books are twisty and funny and endearing and magical and so, so clever.
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The Maximum Ride novels, or anything by John Green.
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I’ve read all the John Green novels already. They were so awesome~
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Sherlock Holmes short stories. I think they average around 20-30 pages each, and there are ~60 of them total.
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Also, you can find them for free online or on an ereader if they aren’t all at your library.
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The Hornblower series. The first book consists of short stories, anyway.
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The Faery Reel, The Green Man, Coyote Road (I think it is Road) and other anthologies edited by Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow (are short stories). Also, Bordertown Books. Latest is Welcome to Bordertown edited by Ellen Kushner and Holly Black.
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I have a 10 of 12 tomorrow. Woo! *prepares the Aspirin*
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Break a leg (actor) / headset (techie) / lighting fixture (techie) / godmic (SM or director) / bow (pit) / reed (pit) / drumstick (pit)!
(I hope I covered every base there.)
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Headset, in this case. it’s going well so far.
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You forgot “lips” (for brass players).
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(Sorry if it’s too detailed) Vienna marathon today I’m running relay with some friends, and between the four of us we’ll do the entire thing!
Good: I’ve only got the 3 mile sprint.
Bad: I didn’t train, because replaced a sick acquaintance at last minute.
Ugly: The weather is evil, and since I’m not the first runner, I might have to wait 1/2 hour at the meeting point.
Redeeming factor: Last year, my predecessor failed to find their finish line and disqualified the entire team by screwing up the timing (they give you these chips to put on your shoes, and if you don’t run over the red mats, your time doesn’t start or doesn’t stop). So at least the expectations aren’t too high.
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Pottermore?
[Contact information snipped. -Admin.]
Ravenclaw, Acacia and Unicorn, 11 1/4 inch.
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What’s your pet?
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Barn owl.
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Hufflepuff. Blackthorn and unicorn, 10 3/4 inches, unyielding. My pet is a tawny owl.
I wasn’t expecting Hufflepuff, but its qualities are the ones I admire most in others, so I’m rather thrilled to be thought worthy.
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Our wands are almost identical! Only the woods are different; mine’s elm. I would have thought our wands would be longer, though, since we definitely both have big personalities, and it says that’s a big factor. I was quite pleased that the predictions I made about my wand long ago (that it would be unyielding and have a unicorn core) were both correct, though, and that I was also mostly right about what they meant (I’d have to be, to know I’d have them). I’m also in Hufflepuff; I also admire its qualities more than those of the other Houses, but I thought I might get sorted there. I knew it would be either that or Ravenclaw or a Hat Stall between them (in which case I’d have chosen Ravenclaw because of the common room and because I’d have more in common with the people there). I wasn’t sure if I was hard-working enough, but I definitely considered it a possibility… All this was several months ago, in my case, as I have a beta account, and I already talked about it, but it’s so exciting I feel like doing it again, since most of you have probably forgotten by now, anyway.
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eeeeeeeeeeee pottermore
I have my account set up, I’m just waiting for it to open, or process, or whatever. *paces nervously*
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Slytherin. Hazel and dragon, 14″, slightly springy. Pet is a black cat.
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Hufflepuff, rowan and phoenix feather, 10 3/4 inches, quite flexible. Pet is a ginger cat.
Amusing things so far: “If Newt Scamander hasn’t found it, it isn’t worth finding.” It’s later mentioned that he’s a Hufflepuff. And Quirrell’s hobby? Pressing flowers.
Also, Hufflepuffs are total ninjas, and if you FIND our common room we will throw vinegar on you. :3
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Slytherin. Vine / dragon, 12 3/4, hard. I wonder if I’m compensating for something >_>
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As I’ve said before, Ravenclaw. Wand is Alder, 14 1/2 inches, phoenix feather core, unyielding. Pet is a tabby cat.
I think I have one of the longest wands out there, as Ollivander said that he rarely makes wands over fifteen inches. I guess I do have a “big” personality.
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So far we don’t seem to have any Gryffindor MBers. Huh.
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Vine with unicorn core, 13 and 3/4 inches, supple.
Pet is a black cat, Gryffindor house.
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Hufflepuff! Apple and Unicorn, 11 1/4 inches, quite flexible. I love my house and I love my wand.
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Yesterday was another one of those days that felt like it lasted for at least three days. I guess I’ve just been having really varied days lately. It’s interesting.
I went downtown and put up posters for an event that’s happening next weekend, and then got ice cream and was with friends for the rest of the evening.
I got a call from mom last night, and she told me that Grandpa had finally agreed to go to the hospice, and that he was expected to only have another day or so. I called there last night, but no one answered, same thing when I called today. Then I heard back from mom again, and he’s gone.
I wish I would have been able to talk to him, but I honestly don’t know what I would have said. I guess I probably should have called before, but again, I don’t know what I would have said or whether it would have helped anything. I don’t feel too bad for myself, but because I didn’t call him again he never got a chance for the last thing he said to me to be something other than that he wished I wasn’t his granddaughter. I suppose he could have called me if it really bothered him though.
I don’t know how to feel.
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31.5 minutes for 5.7 kilometers. Eh, not bad, considering I was not very merrily coughing up slime all down *street*, but hey, ideal conditions never really exist.
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Little girl in art class drew two bunnies.
Me: “That’s nice, why don’t you color them?”
5 minutes later I check again and they are PINK
Like, HOT PINK
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
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Me: “Why did you color these bunnies pink?”
Little girl: “‘Cause bunnies are supposed to be pink.”
What has the world come to?
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I saw that in the RC bar and knew exactly where it was headed.
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Me, too.
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I wasn’t able to find as secluded a reading spot as I had hoped, but I’ve spent the last hour or two reading two of the books I bought today, In Praise of Slowness and The Tao of Pooh. I’m now immensely calm. I noticed that I was even walking quite a bit slower than usual, despite the wind and the cold. I think I’m going to break in my new tea mug now. Maybe genmaicha? I think so. Not too much caffeine.
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Oh, I’ve read The Tao of Poo. It’s a great book, don’t you think? In fact, I should probably reread it…
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Tao of Pooh, please. The “h” is important.
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Silent letters, like silent people, can sometimes say the most of all.
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oh god why
i don’t even
*hides under rock*
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Actually, Rosanne might enjoy writing a book like that. (I wouldn’t.)
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I might possibly be able to turn it into something I’d enjoy. Possibly. But I’d have never thought of that title. It isn’t the sort of thing I’d come up with even if I wrote a book on that exact subject.
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There is currently a raging thunderstorm outside. (The lightning is quite intense.) Hopefully it will be a bit less humid and sticky once it’s rained. Of course, everyone is hoping it will be red or black rain tomorrow so school will be cancelled.
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Sorry, what is red/black rain?
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Oh, sorry, the rainstorm warning system here comes in three colours – amber, red, and black (from least to most rain).
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Red–the blood of angry men! Black–the blood of ages past!
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I’m so easily made jealous, and I hate that about myself.
Also, I woke up at 3 in the morning last night because I had a nightmare that I crashed my parents’ van into a row of grocery carts. Taking my driving test on Saturday…these are not good premonitions to have.
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Is minus one Glassboro now D:
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I’ve been lurking a lot more than posting recently.
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I was accepted to the Google program I applied for!!
I get to go to California for a week this July and program Android applications!
I’m so excited!
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THE WAITING HAS PAID OFF
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*PIED
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That’s amazing, Dodec, congratulations!
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Congratulations, Dodecahedron! Don’t be evil.
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I found out about ten minutes ago that one of my childhood best friends died yesterday.
She was one of the most amazing people I’ve ever known: imaginative, intelligent, musical, brilliant, absolutely insane. I always looked up to her. She would have been a muser had we ever given her a copy of muse.
After middle school, we went to different high schools, and I didn’t get to talk to her barely at all.
Now, she’s dead possibly by suicide. (I don’t know how much I can say about the circumstances and I don’t know all the details). It still hasn’t sunk in completely yet. I hoped that nobody in my year would die. I never expected it to be someone I knew.
(also posted on the coping thread)
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As I said on the coping thread, so many squids. And hugs.
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I got my hands on an organ today for the first time since last summer (excepting my unplayably broken electric organ at home). It was the Bedient Opus 8, two manuals and pedals, 23 ranks, all tracker. The 8′ Holpijp on the Great had a bit of a cipher, but other than that it was marvelous. Beautiful woodwork on the facade, though it did clash with the rather gaudy modernistic stained glass in the chapel. I’ve spent quite a bit of time on a somewhat newer Bedient, so the instrument felt familiar. Now I’m even more seriously considering that music minor. I sent an email to the organ professor, so we’ll see what happens. I may not be able to start next year (I’m not sure what their audition schedule is like), but hopefully it’ll work out. If nothing else I could try and take lessons on the side, even if I don’t go for a minor. I would be able to avoid ensemble work if I took that route, which would be a definite plus.
No, I’m not rambling. I never ramble. How dare you accuse me of rambling.
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*gets a sense of deja vu from reading ‘organ’ in one of Piggy’s posts as ‘internal organ’ rather than ‘instrument’ yet again*
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