Everyone, I have a hamster.

I just thought that you all deserved to know that. Hamsters are pretty cool, and now I have one. Like all the other cool kids. Because all the cool kids have hamsters, right?
Anyhow, besides the absolute and undeniable awesome that my hamster makes me, I also wanted to mention how disgustingly simple it is to get distracted for hours on end in the abyss that is the internet, and subsequently not accomplish anything. I have been trying to pick up writing my book again, but it has been a frustrating experience mostly because of my own inability to remain focused and on-task whilst the video-game icon in the corner beckons to me.

The piano: A rather fascinating instrument

My good reader, I play the piano. It is an instrument capable of something very few others can do: the simultaneous playing of harmonies and melodies. Because of this specific quality, the piano exists as a unique example of instrumental music, because most anything may be played upon it. Anyways, I really would like to be better at the piano than I am...

Captain's log:

Everyone likes star trek, right? I like star trek. In fact, I have found myself slowly making my way through the 173 episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation that I can access on netflix. It's fun, man. and that new star trek movie just came out, so, by the time I'm done watching Generation, it should be out on blu-ray dvd at a reasonable price.

General conference (specifically priesthood session)

As you may have heard, future forgetful self, from the previous post, I have been in Utah for the past few days, going to general conference. Today I went to priesthood session, and I must say it was a phenomenal time. Being able to see the general authorities and feel of their spirit was amazing. I don't really have much else to say.

In America

Well, through an interesting turn of events, I find myself writing from a desk in a second-story room in a fairly nice hotel in Utah, instead of at home. The consequences of this little vacation resound mostly in my school work; it will now be even harder than I had foreseen to keep afloat in math 31, what with band tour ripping me away from my studies for another three days next week. However, I am optimistic, perhaps because of the fine balcony view, or the balmy above zero weather, or the fact that I'm no longer in a car and won't be again for a few days. I will see the sights and not worry about school for a while, I think. Indeed, a touch of relaxation may be just what I need to bounce back into shape and really grasp school again.

an attempt at a dictation journal

I am beginning to wonder if it will be worthwhile to purchase a more advanced speaking tool such as dragon natural speaking even though such tools are frequently expensive.  I find myself be using the Microsoft in default speech recognition tool more and more; I find that it allows me to express myself with more premeditation and greater precision because I can hear myself reading the words on the page.  However the Microsoft speech recognition tool does not allow me to speak as fast as I would like.  It is also somewhat limited in any kind of third party software, although the built in wordpad is highly functional.

I believe that I could actually get used to using this tool to create a sort of journal of my life.  It's much simpler than typing on the keyboard since I can just talk to it.  It will allow me to record the events of my life was much less effort.  For example, today I went to church and learned about the atonement in both of my classes.  It was fast Sunday, so there were no set speakers.  That took me just a moment to speak to my computer and it had very few errors.  So from now on, I believe that I will be dictating to my computer as a sort would journal.

The last three days we had a winter camp as a scout troop.  We went to Cardston-Pegasus provincial park and stayed in a small shelter.  The snow at the park was surprisingly deep- it reached all the way up to my waist; about 2 1/2 feet.  10 of us in all went to the camp; six boys and four leaders.  We ate well even though we didn't catch any fish, and the cabin was very warm in part because of the fire.  On the Friday we held a biathlon  then went fishing.  Ice fishing with the younger boys was rather testing seeing as they were irritable after the first hour or so.

Toothpaste

So, this is a little pet peive of mine: when people just squish a toothpaste tube in the middle. Not only does it make the tube look ugly and scrunched, it also makes it harder to get the toothpaste from the bottom of the tube up.  It even gives instructions on the tube to squeez from the bottom. Yet many people, my sister inculded, insist on clasping the center of the poor tube in their meaty graspers and strangling it as hard as they can. The art of extracting toothpaste is a delicate one- so for heavens sake, ask for help if you are incapable of handling the toothpaste. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Just don't go squishing the life out of my toothpaste!

Cake

Just a few days ago, I made the most wonderfull cake. Looked real delicious. Can't wait to upload the photos, but right now I can't cause I'm on my phone.

Super-Ultra-Secret Meltey Chocolate Fudge

So, today I made my Super-Ultra-Secret Meltey Chocolate Fudge recepie. T'was quite scrumptious. So, I decided that it would be apropriate to share the instructions for this wonderful confection with the internet.

You will need:
(1 cup) Brown sugar, packed
(1/3 cup) Butter
(2 tablespoons) Cocao powder
(3/4 cup) corn syrup
(2 tablespoons ish) molasses
(1 tablespoon) vanila extract
Pinch of salt
Confectioner's sugar

Combine sugar, butter, cocao, corn syrup and molasses in small saucepan and bring to rolling boil. Add vanila and salt. Simer 5 min. Pour into pie dish. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar. Let cool 45 min.

A virtual journal

Though this blog serves almost no one, I have found that it helps me get my personal thoughts out quite well, and then I can look back on them. Anyways.

Ikea Engineering

     You know, I think that it's really quite fascinating how Ikea develops all of it's furniture to be flat-packaged, transportable, and fairly easily to assemble at home with little to no words, all while at an affordable price. I've done some work with mechanical design in my design class, so I have come to understand exactly how difficult to create an intuitive design. Seriously- all of the holes in an Ikea product are easily distinguishable. Ever wonder why they add pre-drilled holes that you never end up using? It's so that you can easily tell which side is which. Have you ever actually put the wrong screw in a piece of Ikea furniture? I haven't. (except when I don't use the instructions.) Speaking of their pictorial directions, they have a sort of magic. The way you assemble the parts never makes sense when you start, and you ma frequently feel like you know a better way, but after it all comes together, you see the method to the madness.

     It's for these many reasons that I have oodles of respect for the Ikea engineers, those stalwart people who bring me my flat-packed, Swedish magic.

Cake

Is a light confection usualy using eggs as a central ingredient  many cakes are frosted. Cakes can be layered, single, or in small cup-cake format.

Also, yummy.

Crickets

So. Today, my sister and mother where searching some information about crickets for my sisters science fair project, and they found a forum thread similar to a yahoo answers on the subject of how long crickets live.
I'm just going to copy-past the question, and some of my favorite answers.

"OK, for more than a week now there's been a cricket living under my fridge.

And every night, ALL night, it's "creek, creek creek".

Because of its location, I can't reach it (or even find it), and I don't want to spray chemicals (because it's the kitchen).

So can anyone tell me how long (how much LONGER, that is) this thing is likely to live? It's lovely to hear in the evening - such a nice, summery sound - but I also like to sleep sometimes, too!"

"IIRC, the cricket only lives three or four chapters; then Pinocchio squashes it flat. Of course, then you get haunted by cricket ghost as conscience."

"How much eating are you doing underneath your fridge?"

"Can't get to it? Move the fridge. Even the big ones can generally be muscled out pretty easily unless bolted into the cabinets as a built in. If this is really impossible get a vac cleaner with a hose and and one of these skinny suction attachments and see if you can get lucky.

Get some 70% strength isopropyl alochol and put it into a spray bottle and blast into general vicinity of the cricket. Alcohol will evaporate after a few hours and leave no poison reside.

Get a small gecko lizard."

"According to this article at Britannica.com, "adults ordinarily live 6 to 8 weeks." So you could have as many as 7 more weeks of chirping cricket."

"^...they live 6 to 8 weeks in their natural habitat...once they enter into the virtual Heaven of your nice, warm, pesticide-free home, their life expectancy can double or triple."

It speaks for itself.

Oh, nintendo. Oh, my childhood. Oh, navi.

HEY!
LINK!
LISTEN!
WHATCHOUT!
HELLO!

Interface

Oh, blogger. why would you create a new interface.

Skills and Talents

People often think of "skills" and "Talents" as being synonyms. However, I was interested to find if there was a difference, since I have never considered myself especially talented, but I am quite skilled at a variety of things. So here's how I would define a talent and a skill, just off the top of my head:

Talent: A special aptitude of a person to effectuate an action in a way that expresses themselves; a natural, creative ability for a certain action, often one that involves creating something (Eg. music, painting, etc.)

Skill: the ability of a person to effectuate an action with efficiency or precision.

I was surprised how close my definitions came to Merriam-Webster's English dictionary's. Here they are:

Talent: a special often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude.

Skill:  the ability to use one's knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance.

and you can see the clear difference between the two.

So, although I do believe that skills are important, I do not believe that all people are talented. some are merely skilled; and, more often that not, they are the ones who succeed moderately in life. So far. Maybe I will come across further information to change my perspective.

Tightrope walking

might just be as dangerous as it appears. Randomly sifting through the pages of Wikipedia, I found a page about a guy who fell to his death over Niagara falls even though he had crossed it successfully before. Then again, he was reported to be drinking. Let this be a lesson to you, children. Alcohol kills people.

Improvised cooking

Today my mother had to go with my sister to a costume fitting for a play and my father had to stay latter at work. So, he called and asked me to make supper for my two younger siblings. So I asked them what they wanted. They requested pizza, but I lacked the time to make the dough. so instead I took some flour, some milk, some oil and some salt and made a bread-like disk to which I then added cheese. The end result was something more akin to pizza's mediterranean, unleavened origins than it's modern reiterations.

Magic

Today I was just loafing around, seeing as I don't have any school. And, just because, I started to listen to some of my Mario galaxy music. It's lively tempo and upbeat themes awakened something that had gone dormant in my mind; a kind of childish excitement, of dreams, of adventure. I find it fascinating how music can affect one's mood, reawaken memories, and inspire actions. For me, the music made me remember the magic of playing Mario. It helped me shrug off my melancholy mood. but I'm willing to bet that music can work the other way, too.

So maybe we should make all depressed people play Mario.

It snowed!

Finally. It's about halfway through January and this is the first real snowfall we've had since the beginning of December... And, some unseasonably warm weather has been making everything mucky and slippery and gross. >:(

Passwords

Lots of places that require passwords are now asking for a certain level of "security" in each password- Such as having more characters, or adding at least one number and letter. And, yes, I understand their concern: they want to avoid having a thousand different users with the password "Password". Still, I find my originality drops when I'm forced to ad characters- from a complex and hard to guess word, to "123456A" (or something similar, not a password I've ever used) since I want to remember it.

General Ramblings

Do you ever feel like you're making a compromise when you start to work in bigger teams? You give up some of your control, and the project losses some of its personality.Imagine writing a novel in a team of ten people...

Milk has a surprising number of wonderful properties. If you try it, you will find that it is an effective way to remove breath odors, absorb excess sugar from your system, and even slightly reduce the effects of most poisons. All of this is because of the fat carried in milk; the fat cells absorb the thinks like the sugar and dissolve them slowly, instead of letting them permeate into your body. There are also several chemicals that exist in milk because it's been derived from grass: those chemicals, which exist naturally in cellulose (Grass/tree equivalent of glucose/fructose) are not part of our normal diet, but since we humans used to eat cellulose, those chemicals all have specific benefits for our body.

I got a new camera YAY! well, actually, our family got a new camera, but...

Chopsticks

Today was Christmas eve. So, naturally, us not being french Canadian and all, we had one of my favorite adopted traditions: "Le bouche de nöel". My sister decided to pull something a little silly and eat her cake with her "white man chopsticks", two thin flat strips of bamboo joined at top to create a sort of pincer. I scoffed at her, so she challenged me to eat mine with actual chopsticks. So I accepted her challenge and set to my task. To my great surprise, I was able to use my chopsticks successfully,  even easily. My sister, Still not impressed, challenged me to use actual chopsticks any time she used her white man chopsticks, so that we could see who would last longer. It's so on.

Keeping records

My blog is less of a blog, I realized recently, than a kind of electronic journal that anyone can read. Most people, however, aren't probably that interested in what I have to say, though. A collection of all the little interesting things in my life amounts to little more than a long and extended list of things that would make for prime material for Facebook statuses. And, although my posts are witty on occasion, more often than not they are really of most value only to me. So I'm going to start to keep track more of the interesting thoughts that pop into my head. Like hair- what is it, really? Just kind of dead strands of cells that are hanging on to your head. Yet somehow we humans find it a point of attraction...

An appologie

To anyone who actually reads my blog:

I am sorry about the post about Shakespeare- I just put that there because my foolish English teacher assigned a fill-in-the-blanks trivia sheet- the catch? everything we wrote we had to cite sources for. So, being the naturally lazy person I am, I found a workaround from citing Wikipedia on hundred and twenty times- find all the answers, publish them on my blog, and cite my blog.

So, I am sorry.
But not really... :)

Shakespeare trivia

I'm going to publish some of the answeres to some trivia questions on a shakespear sheet I got in english class.
thomas kyd-73- writer of "A Spannish Tragedy"
Organum-74- the second word in the title of "novum organum" by Francis Bacon
Jhon webster-75- the writer of "The White Devil"
Tragedy-76- Part of the title to "The revenger's tragedie" a play by Cyril Tournier
my masters-77
middleton-78
dogs-79
jhonson-80
john millton-81
john donne-82
Edmund spencer-83
john lyly-84
reformation-85
apostacy-86
england-87
enlightenment-88
rennaisance-89
italy-90
free-91
comedie-92
jones-93
1800-94
?-95
phillip-96
armada-97
tutor period-98
henrey tutor-99
Queene Elisabeth-100
Cathrine of Aragon-101
Jane seymour-102
Anae Boleyn-103
trumped up charges of treason, adultury and incest-104
1558-105
cranmer-106
Prince edward-107
4 may 1471-108
bloddy (mary)-109
Mary queene of scots-110
VI -111
Hamnet -112
Greek -113
-114
gentry -115
1582 -116
hathaway -117
lost years -118
southhampton -119
Hamnet -120
1607 -121
john hall -122
Elizabeth -123
thomas Quiney -124
Lent -125

The theory of reconfirming nonexistence

How did the universe happen? well, we can assume that at the beginning of the universe, there was one of two things.
A) Matter
B) Void
If the entire universe, at this point is one of these two options, we must assume that there is also the other element; If one had void without matter, matter would be created, to reconfirm the non-existence of void, for if all was nothing, nothing could not be identified as nothing, but as everything, thus denying it's very existence. If the entire universe where matter, It would mean that infinity was filled; however, one can never fill infinity; thus, no mater how fast matter expanded, void would be created.

And so we see that the universe must BE.

C418

C418 is an electronic music artist of prodigious skill. you can listen to his music for free, or download it for a small charge, here: http://c418.bandcamp.com/

Let me know in the comments what you think.

Mornings

mornings are better when they include sleeping. But getting up is all right if you have a nice warm mug of caf-lib and a thick hoodie.

Photography

Last week I was on a little trip, and, while the rest of my family talked, I took some pictures.

10579 Diluca

10579 Diluca is a main-belt asteroid. It, like most other rather insignificant asteroids, is mainly just rocks and metal in a pile of rubble, held together loosely by gravity. It may be up to half empty space by volume. however, it, like many other asteroids, may contain trace amounts of amino-acids and other organic compounds  of unknown origin. Although seemingly insignificant, if it where to crash onto the right planet under the right conditions, It could spark life.

it's fascinating what the little things can do.

Disenthrall

is to loosen or unbind a subject.
Like if the United States where to Disenthrall itself from deficit.
Although that is more of quixotic thought.

Which came first- the nickel or the dime?

the nickel. The end.

Just though you might want to see it, not that I have been searching for the answer to the above question for like, and hour, and have discovered that Canada has used over 100 different coins in it's short history as well as a number of bank notes, tokens, beaver skins, and even playing cards for money!! Exactly!! It's all pretty ridiculous.

Dubstep

Well, two days ago I kinda discovered two new things, things that I have very quickly grown to love: dubstep and soundcloud.com.

Toast

Is a great, highly underrated food. you can create true masterpieces with the marriage of toast and rosemary. Also, bacon on toast is wonderful. Toast makes up that great "oh, I'm kinda hungry but also halfway through a level" food. then you pause, and a little guy in you head pops up going

"Never fear! (Toast man, bottom) is here!!"

That's the way toast rolls.

Achievement craft

Why is getting an achievement in video games so compelling? Is it that sense that "oh, shiny, I got something" or do we have some other drive that makes us want to accomplish seemingly meaningless tasks? yes, I could file my tax returns or I could beat fallout three on hardcore mode and earn fifty gamerscore, both witch take approximately the same amount of time.Why do I always chose the one that gives me a leading fifty points and barging rights among my friends? Is it that I see no real progress available to me from doing something real, when really this is the only thing that can offer me real progress? It's a mind bending question. So you know what I think? They should hand out achievements for doing your tax returns.

I must profusely apologize.

I haven't posted in about a month. My life has kinda been busy... but whatever. Also, I think I may be splitting my blog into a more videogames and music oriented blog and a more fact and irrelevance oriented blog. that's this one. However, this probably won't be happening for a while, so I will probably post two posts every time I post- one for vg's, one for other.

Milk (still)

One of my readers really dislikes milk. So I decided: why not post about milk?
Anyways, I find milk to be very useful. I mean, you use it in cookies, milkshakes, blizzards, cheese, etc. so I think that we should all support natural no-drugs milk. From happy cows.

Support happy cows.
Because not many people do.

Expostulate

To have sincerer discourse, to express caring or concern for someone.

Well,

Traffic is down again. I have had less than 17 pageveiws in over a month. I'm almost thinking that now is the time to sort of phase out my blog. Oh well. I'm far to lazy. I don't suppose I have any regular readers reading this, do I? You can expect the same (Totally irrelevant) posts as normal... I'm just gonna keep trying. Maybe.

"Spicy"

Is the amount of capsaicin in a food.Capsaicin is the chemical compound that makes things spicy. Now, the reason i bring this up is because Be for the event I am about to describe, I had about 0 capsaicin tolerance. Now I realize my tolerance, albeit not high, is enough that I make food too spicy for many people. so if you want to gain a higher "spicy' tolerance, do this to yourself:

It was your average field trip. I was just going to a band festival for the day. You know. The works. But, the catch is, I have no lunch. un-hun. all i have is five packages of chili powder- you know, the kind you get in ichi ban soups. I think you can guess the rest. five. Two hours. nothing else. At all.

Techno music

Can be made by anyone. So, just today, I was looking at some free Synthesizer software. It's pretty interesting, since, if you think about it, probably most dj's and stuff started out here. Also, i was interested in making a techno song? maybe?

Well, turns out that is all really confusing. But I'll keep trying.

Japan earthquake

I was doin' a bit of looking around about the earthquake, and I fond this quote:
"I was swimming my afternoon laps in the pool on the ground floor of the Izumi Garden Tower (same building as the poster above). My fellow swimmers and I were sloshed around like rubber duckies in a bathtub."


This guy is a champ.

Anybody remember defenestration?

Well, it was one of my earlier posts. So, For anyone who is actually interested in words, here you go:

Exactly. Defenestration was #1 on Merriam-Webster's list people's top ten favorite words. They also have all sorts of great videos with facts about words... Like the plural for octopus. Did you know that octopuses, octopi, and octopodes are all valid plurals of octopus? exactly! learn more at the website listed above.

Don't you hate it when

An issue of a magazine comes late? or you're reading a book series and someone has the next book in the series out of the library? Or you forget to save something and the Farhad opens 94 internet explorer windows at the same time on your design studies computer? (okay, maybe that's just me, but...) you know? Yes, you do. But then, I was thinking, maybe I hate to much. maybe I should list stuff I love. Oh well... another time, another post.

"Soon"

Is a frustrating word. you can never tell when it is, and everybody's perception of soon is different. Like, for example, "soon" is when the Legend of Zelda Skyward sword is due out; "soon" is when I get my meal at a restaurant. exactly. Using the same word, you can describe periods that take only seconds to month long waits.

*Sigh*

Cold weather

does not lend itself well to boffo. If you have no idea what that is, imagine a lot of foam coated PVC tube then wrapped in duct tape, swung like a sword. exactly. Anyways, Duct tape, it would seem, does not appreciate the combination of high speed impact and cold weather, because after about a half hour of boffering, it had all disenthralled itself from the foam. the second we where back in the house, however, it re-stuck itself. full of wrinkles. Story of my life.

To Ululate

Is to bark, howl, or wail with great passion. Try saying it, much less actually ululating, without someone looking at you like you just ate a green speckled toad.

Demagogue

A leader or ruler that obtains power by appealing to the emotions or prejudice of the majority of the populace of a country.

Tonkas

Are hardcore! Alright, admit it, you all loved them at one time or another. they appeal especially to children because they are big and yellow and undisputedly cool. Every small boy between the age of 2 and 5 wants to operate heavy-duty construction equipment. They know this and are proud of it. The true physiological appeal of these toys are that, as a small child, the desire to become part of something bigger and more powerful than ourselves is particularly acute as we are:
A) small
B) Often ignored or passed over, our opinions not valued
so we aspire to become part of something that is definitely
A) BIG.
B) respected and valued (if a bulldozer was charging you and you where a Lego man, wouldn't you move, too?)
So that is why most small children are innately attracted to Tonka trucks.
Most people probably don't give a flying bulldozer.