problemata

Lately I have been aware of a lot of problems here in life that don't really have answers.

"Why does it have to be so hard all the time?"

"My roommate drives me crazy."      

"Is there something wrong with me?"

"My best friend is too busy to talk to me anymore."

"I hate it when class gets out late."    

"I'm always so angry at my parents."

             "I feel like I'm just a burden to my friends."
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

What are you supposed to do? All of these problems are so complex and each situation is so personal and unique that there really aren't answers.  There's no one-size-fits-all solution.  If there was, I would hope that humanity would have found it after so many millenia of existence...But we have to face our problems and our lives on our own. We can't rely on the past, and there aren't any answers in the back of the book.  Alas.  This isn't math.

But there has to be some way to fix stuff like this, otherwise the world would be a terribly oppressive and miserable place. And I've found that for the most part, it isn't...so what's the answer we're missing?

Well, amid all the suggestions from religion, philosophy, science, politics, and so many other views or schools of thought, I've realized that the way I must answer the question is the way an engineer would.

Problem: half the volume of a glass contains water.
Optimist's solution: "yes! I have half a cup of water!"
Pessimist's solution: "curses.  I don't have half a cup of water."
Engineer's solution: "This cup has twice the necessary volume."

(hopefully this is not the first time you have heard that lame joke...XP)

Anyway, the lame joke was demonstrating an engineering approach, which I will now apply to the life problems.
Rather than fixing the problem, sometimes you just need to view the problem differently and redefine it.
So instead of wondering what to do and where to go and why things suck...realize that none of these things are problems.
Your problem is this:

YOU HAVE PROBLEMS.

So in order to fix this, just stop having problems.

"Gee thanks", you say.

No really.  If you can change your perspective and thoughts on life such that you no longer perceive these things as tragedies and problems, then it doesn't matter who your roommate is or how busy your best friend is or how hard life is right now, because you don't think it's a problem anymore.

Your problems don't have to have answers to go away.

It's a hard thing to do.  I am certainly not telling you that this is easy. I'm still not there all the way.  But maybe it's something to consider trying.

Best of luck. :)

genius verus

Aaaand...it's Pi day. :D

Hopefully the majority of my readership is well acquainted with pi, though.  So I thought it might be important to celebrate another event in conjunction with pi day.

Don't worry, fellow nerds...pi is not being abandoned, nor is nerd-dom.  

It's time for a birthday party :D

Today in 1879 in Germany, Alberto Einstein was born.  Being German, his parents opted to call him "Albert" for short.  Born on pi day.  He was destined for greatness.

young Albert quickly outgrew the awkward baby stage

and became a dapper young lad.

Most people know the standard Einstein trivia: he was a theoretical physicist, he was a pioneer of the Manhattan project shortly after becoming a US citizen, is one of the more prominent geniuses of history...

I mean, you really cannot dispute the genius of a man whose brain has its own wikipedia article.

By the way, all of the silliness saying that Albert Einstein's brain was significantly smaller than the average man's is...partially true.  We'll have to discuss this fascinating neuroscience later.

(Just don't believe everything you hear about brain sizes; you might begin to believe that women are stupider than men because their brains are smaller.)

So.  Einstein was all about mathematics and physics and the universe and complex stuff like that, right?  Well the funny thing about being human is that you must also dabble in things like religion and arts and other aspects of life.  Man cannot exist on math alone.  Albert Einstein did many things throughout his lifetime.  He learned to play the violin as a child and continued his beloved hobby passionately, perhaps to get his mind off math once in a while.  He went through three marriages and had three children and learned a thing or two about love in the process.  He offered a fair amount of political and theological commentary, as well as physical theories.  His ideas in physics were met with much higher regard, however, leading to a Nobel Prize in physics.

Einstein would often hang out with Niels Bohr (Sorry, that's not a creation of Bram Stoker...it's a scientist) and discuss quantum mechanics.  You know, the way that buddies do. 

Despite being so heavily involved in math and physics, Albert Einstein is quite quotable. Many people seem to think that people who are crazy with the hard sciences are difficult people to understand and are probably too smart to talk to, but I believe that a conversation with Einstein would be fulfilling, enlightening, and enjoyable no matter what your IQ was or where you were in life.

Here are a few quotes of his.  He had many, and it's difficult to choose a favorite. (If you have a favorite, mention it in the commentary of this post!)

• Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.
• Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it.
• The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.
• Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.
• The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible.

I'm often inclined to list Albert Einstein as a personal hero or inspiring example in my life, and I think the vibe that people get from that is "Oh, look who's the physics hotshot now" which is really not what I'm aiming for.  He was a lot more than just a high-functioning brain somewhere in the universe.  Some science, some philosophy, some music, some religion, some math,  some politics, some love, some humor...

And a whole lot of life.

stabilis

The weather is warming up. Grass can be seen.  This means that the only thing I really want to think about at the moment is soccer.
Mmm...soccer.

Last semester I spent basically all my efforts in my English class writing about soccer.  It was a great English class.  Now if only my statics class could also revolve around soccer.  Or even just sit still around soccer, since it's static...

Statics and dynamics tests should look like this:





← 1) Find the applied upward force needed to stall the .5 kg ball. 

2) If there is a 2 N force pushing the .5 kg ball to the left, what is the coefficient of friction between the ball and the boot?








← 3) If the goalkeeper's forward force is equal to 250 lbs, find the amount of work done in stopping his momentum by the spikes of his cleats.  The keeper weighs 180 lbs and the coefficient of friction between grass and the bottom of a normal shoe is 0.5. (Assume the keeper's boot acts like a normal shoe in between the spikes)



This is infinitely more interesting than bridges.  Also, if you solve all three problems correctly, you get a hat trick.  That's a well-deserved three points, whether you're at home or on the road.

Ahhh...soccer puns. X)

But seriously.  Some people in engineering classes like statics aren't really interested in bridges and trusses and structures.  They want to grow up and be a soccer engineer, not a civil engineer.  (Could you imagine how terrible it would be to be a civil engineer?  You'd have to behave yourself all the time!)

educationem

Baaaaugh. I feel like it's been forever since I posted last (indeed, a whole week).  I've been having a small case of writer's block, really.

But that's ending today. Not because I have a good idea now, but because I'm sick of it. So I'm going to write stuff whether it's good or not.

Ha, whether it's good or not...
See, I used to be an avid writer.  Throughout most of middle school I thought I wanted to grow up and become an author.  So I would write stories all the time.  I had a particular preference for stuff set in medieval times and also science fiction.  Kindof a weird match, but true...I was really quite steampunky, looking back.
I was going through some old writings I found recently and was like "Woh, this was written forever ago!  I think I was a better writer five years ago than I am now..."
Which, when it comes to fictitious writing, may very well be true.

Once upon a time in ninth grade, I got sick of English.  I think part of it was that I got bored with the teacher and a little distracted by myriad other things, but I stopped enjoying writing assignments (and really, stopped doing them altogether) and since then I've been largely focused more on maths and sciences than writing.

It doesn't really help that my high school writing career largely involved analytical and technical writing.  I still enjoyed it and succeeded at it, but it wasn't as inventive and didn't always consist of a whole lot of myself.

So frankly, it's a bit strange to me that now I'm in university, studying mechanical engineering (where all my classes are math and science-based) I've kindof resurrected my former writing self.  Of all times to do so.

Perhaps it just goes to show that now I've finished all my required English and Art classes for the rest of my foreseeable educational journey, I have to get my fix some other (optional) way.

I just think it's interesting that when it comes to science versus art, the only ground seems to be middle ground.  You really can't have one without the other; even in individuals it's somewhat impossible to devote yourself to becoming entirely immersed in one while completely avoiding the other.

"Ohai, I'm Leonardo da Vinci, and I'm the boss of Art and Science."

It almost seems as if the further you delve into one area, the deeper you go in others as well.  Like the more you know about anatomy, the better you are at drawing people.  And the more experience you have with music, the easier it is to understand sound waves and sound interference. 

So I guess as long as you're learning something, you're gradually learning everything. Which is a pleasant thought to me.

dominus

So it's now the third day of the semester, and an interesting pattern developed over the past two days as I went through syllabus after syllabus.

They all included the word "master".

And it wasn't even in the context of "In order to pass the final, you will have to pray to your Master" or "I am the ENGR2210 Master, I will decide who will pass and who will fail."

No, it was always along the lines of mastering the subject material.

And really, that's nothing unusual to be said, but I guess after being beaten over the head with in first in Statics, then in Calculus and Electronics and Physics and Graphics (Yes yes...you're all jealous of my kick-butt schedule) it made me think about the phrase a little more...than anyone really should, I guess.

Master. Mastery. Mastering...
In terms of education and syllabi, it's really not that strange. It means that you have gained an understanding of the subject and you can use it and not look silly in front of the nerds.

But then I started thinking about it in different terms.  I like to do this with words, really...and sometimes it's enlightening, and sometimes it's confusing, and sometimes it really doesn't get anywhere at all.  I guess we can decide where this one ended up after I describe it to you.

Master, as in "Master and slave"
Initial reaction: "slavery is bad!"
Then: "waiiiiit a minute.  I could enslave physics?  It could do my bidding?  Ooooh."  NOW this syllabus is getting somewhere.

"Physics! Solve this paltry homework conundrum!"
"Yes, Master..."

Suddenly, the world is becoming mine, and I'm realizing just how important education is, if it allows you to enslave Physics.  Calculus and Electronics, too.  Pretty soon I could be the master of lots of things!

Master, as in "Master's Program"
Yes...but this isn't a master's program...this is a sophomore-level engineering class...
But I suppose getting a good grip on this stuff is not a bad idea either way.  To get accepted to a master's program. So far off, but so much to think about...

Master, as in "Master, the Tempest is Raging"
Initial reaction: "RAAAAAAGING."   This tempest, Lord. 'Tis furious.
Then: Well, I suppose He mastered physics, too.  And calculus and electronics and graphics and statics...
I mean, to take a raging tempest:

I have labelled some stuff here (e.g. propagating waves :D), but it's very minimal.
I have not yet mastered all the physics...

And make it pleasant. Peachy, even:

Net Force: 0  Net Torque: 0
Net Celestial Fruit: Peach.

You kindof have to be a master of Physics and Statics to do that.  And in order to Master those, you have to master Caculus.  And when there's lightning, knowing a thing or two about Electronics probably wouldn't hurt, either.
As far as graphics, though...I'm pretty sure the Big Guy has a supercomputer.  And one heck of a laboratory.  And a huge white board in the sky for math...

But we can talk about Heaven and science later.

Anyway.  This semester is a promising one, if any of those three 'Masterings' comes true...
Most likely that of a Masters' Program.
...but I really wouldn't be disappointed if my mastery of science resulted in weather control or enslaving physics...

pars

So, it's New Year's Day.  Happy 2013!

Something you may not know is that the number 2013 has three prime factors: 3,11, and 61.

So my 2013 is going to have three prime factors as well. This is one of the few posts that I'll be talking pretty much exclusively about myself. :P Not super enjoyable (for either of us, I think) but I think appropriate.

Prime Factors of 2013:

1) New people.
Meeting new people is always a good thing. Right now I have so many opportunities to get to know people from different places and lives that have something in common with me, whether that's my education, my sports interests, music...
I want to reach out and see more of the world through other people.
I also want to be able to do more to help the people I meet. Never let an opportunity for service pass you by.
2) Religion.
I want to deepen my understanding of my own religion but also of other religions worldwide. I want to be religiously tolerant and understanding. I want to know where people are coming from in their beliefs and customs. 
3) More reading.
You can never be too well-read.  And there are hundreds of books that I've been wanting to read and have never gotten around to, as well as books that I think I need to reread.  Not to mention books (and articles and websites and any other literature) about things I want to learn about.  Even though I'm attending university right now, I'm tragically limited to only 18 credits or so, so if I want to learn about everything that I want to learn about, I must read furiously.

So there you have it.  I think this should be manageable for 2013, to remember three big things to focus on.  (Much better than, say, 2012, which has prime factors of 2, 2, 2, 2, 503, and 2.)

What are your prime factors of 2013 going to be?

gyrus

And now, as promised, a post before the end of the world.

So my family and I visited the Yucatán peninsula a couple years ago.  We toured the ruins of various civilizations there, largely known as the Maya.  Of course, each independent civilization was a little bit different, but there were many striking commonalities between the two or three groups we studied there, and so it will be simpler and still fairly correct to lump them all into one general group of Mayans.

We visited Chichen Itza, perhaps the most popular Mayan site.

This Central American ziggurat is also believed to be a calendar, as it has a total of 365 steps on each side.  A theme throughout much of Mayan construction was that their structures would align with the sun in specific ways on important dates including equinoxes and solstices.  For example, el Castillo (above) has a snake head at the bottom of its staircase, and on the equinoxes the body is perfectly illuminated.  To the Maya, this represented the serpent either ascending or descending (depending on the equinox).  Other structures featured windows that would align with sunrise or sunset on specific dates.  One such date is April 6th, for anyone to whom that is significant. :)

There are so many fascinating things about Maya culture and the things they constructed with such careful precision. They studied the stars, and even built observatories (below), and even though they are known for being bloodthirsty in their rituals and contests, I find them to be an advanced and scientific civilization.

They created a solar calendar that is highly accurate in correlation to our current calendar, which is quite a mathematical feat.  They mastered principles of acoustics, astronomy, architecture, medicine, and so much more.  So they do have quite a bit of credence for predicting the end of the world.

But did they really do that?

Something interesting about the Mayan culture (almost religion, really) is that they were very dedicated to cycles.  Seasons, years, astronomical events...there are countless cycles that we experience throughout a lifetime. The Maya believed that the Earth completed many different cycles, some 52 years long, some 5125 years long.  Today marks the end of the thirteenth 5125-year long cycle, called a Baktun, and the beginning of a new one. Many people are elated at the new beginnings and believe that we have started a new and better age.

So where do we get all these prophecies of doom?

Well, the Maya do believe that the Earth goes through elemental cleansings from time to time (another cyclical occurrence).  One such cleansing, that of Water several millenia ago, is commonly known as Noah's flood.  So there has been speculation that this new Baktun could usher in another elemental cleansing, perhaps of fire, earth, or air.

Aside from the Maya, there has been mass speculation from the scientific world for several years now saying that the world is due for a few massive explosions having to do with tectonic pressures and other sub-surface happenings.  Yellowstone National Park is one such hotspot, waiting for a meltdown.

There have been several astronomical speculations from the scientific world as well, as the end of 2012 coincides with a solar maximum, an 11-year cycle where the sun reaches a maximum of sunspots and radiation.

In addition to the solar maximum, our solar system is allegedly passing through an area of its orbit through the galaxy that will bring it closer to the center than ever before, and some are expecting disasters to yield from our unusual proximity to what is commonly regarded as a black hole at the center of the milky way.

And for the Mormons reading my blog, there's quite a bit of hearsay about China opening soon (or already being opened, depending on who you ask, and whose Bishop's wife heard it from a relief society lady who was friends with the wife of an Area Seventy who overheard it in an elevator in the Church office buildings...)

(If you're not Mormon and you have no idea what China opening means, and how that even relates to the end of the world, all I can say to you is to investigate the Mormon church's missionary system and maybe you'll get an explanation later.)

Overall, it seems to me that 2012 is the coincidence of any number of cycles beginning anew, reaching an apex, or some other significant part of the cycle, and the sum of it all is what many are regarding as the end of the world, which is something we seem to have been waiting for for quite some time.

Personally, I do not believe that this world will end anytime soon (which is a very relative term, so...I'm right no matter what, ha!) but I do believe that it is the beginning of a new epoch. I wouldn't be surprised if there were any manner of disasters, natural or otherwise. I might even be excited for the challenge.

So for now, keep on being alive, go ahead and celebrate being alive if you must (which is something you should do every day...you don't need an excuse like an apocalypse to do that) and participate in the cleansing of the earth by improving yourself and the world immediately around you.

sciscitator

I've been thinking about superheroes lately.  There are plenty of different ones with varying powers and situations and nemeses, but the other day when I was watching part of Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, I thought it was a little bit funny that so many villains shared a common trait:

Science!

And who do we have to defeat misguided nerds like Lex Luthor, the Mad Hatter, Doctor Two-Brains, the Terrible Trio, Megamind, Doctor Octopus, and the Lizard?

Heroes!

The typical hero is brawny and has origins either on another planet, or from some radioactive mishap.  They defeat science by punching things and bending steel and flexing muscles.  Yeah, a lot of superheroes use science and gadgets and technological wonders, sometimes built by themselves, sometimes built by their inventor-ally, but on the whole, the people seen in the laboratories doing the science and math are the villains, and the people seen punching things and succeeding in life are the heroes.

And I am well aware that this is not characteristic of every superhero-villain setup.  Indeed, there are many superheroes and villains and they represent a varied array of strengths and former lives, but how many villains' names include the word "Doctor"?  How many superheroes' names have the suffix "-man"?  It's a fairly recurring theme.

And it seems a little too reflective of the Jocks beating up on the Nerds.  Like society is supporting these weirdos from other planets coming in to beat up on someone half their size.  The fact that the scrawny nerds were about to destroy the city could explain for this glorification of middle-school violence, but I think the bullying stereotype still stands in comics.

Is there something just not heroic about knowing lots of math and pushing the limits of science?  Does scientific research always get pushed too far and end in manic disaster?  Because it certainly seems to be the theme here...

So.  If you know any comic book designers or movie script writers or anyone working with DC or Marvel, tell them it's about time we had a nerd hero.  Who uses math and science and maybe even language and history for the common good!  Who defeats muscle-brained bullies with their smarts!  Who throws protractors as ninja stars!

Because really, the nerds are the ones bringing about the progress of society.  Saving lives from cancer, diseases, unsafe conditions, car crashes, drowning, bridges collapsing, pollution, constantly studying ways to improve our lives and make things a little bit better by solving real-world problems.

And we do still have the brawny heroes like soldiers and firefighters and the FBI, but they too rely on their nifty, nerd-made gadgets and safety apparati. (Apparently "apparati" is not the plural of "apparatus", but it should be.) 

So don't buy into the silly superhero mindset and wait for some muscly, hansdome fellow to come punch all your problems away.
Start sending your distress calls to the nerds in your life ;)

prima

In case you have not been on the internet yet today...check out the Google Doodle!

Okay, so it's not really up anymore, because of time zones or something...and it is pretty late in the day...but don't get mad at me, because I've done several hours of physics today in preparation for finals.

Anyway.

It's a tribute to Ada Lovelace, who was the first person (get that, PERSON.  Not "woman".  PERSON!) to envision a computing machine that was much more complex than just a simple calculator.  If you know much about computer history, you'll recognize the name "Charles Babbage", who is the inventor of the first mechanical computer.  Well, our girl Ada worked alongside Mr. Babbage and developed the first algorithm to be interpreted by a computing machine...making her the first computer programmer.

SHE'S A WOMAN AND A SCIENTIST AND A MATHEMATICIAN AND AN INVENTOR AND SHE WAS THE FIRST.

In case you can't tell, I am a little bit excited to learn that this is one of those rare instances in history where women were the ones breaking boundaries. None of this "the first man in space, then the first woman in space" or "first president, first female president" or "first comment on a youtube video, and then twelve comments later, a comment saying 'FIRST!'" crap.
FIRST.  PERSON.

I am elated.

Also, something noteworthy, Miss Lovelace was born "The Honorable Augusta Ada Byron of Lovelace"...also known as Lord Byron's daughter.

This girl has got EVERYTHING going for her.

Though her mother did remove her from her father's influence when Miss Ada was but one month old.  Her mother apparently wanted to avoid her father's influence of more "eccentric" careers like poetry and naming bridges and guide young Ada down a more practical path, namely maths and science.  (Way to go, Mom!)

Miss Lovelace took such a big role in technology that was not the norm back in 1833 that she now has a holiday, aptly named "Ada Lovelace Day". (perhaps her father could give that a more imaginable name sometime when he's not busy...)  It is celebrated by people writing about women in science and technology whom they admire.  And apparently the date is variable (perfect for a mathematician, no?) because it was last celebrated on March 24th, but the next Ada Day will be October 15th, 2013.  PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDARS NOW.

My only question is why we don't do this every day?  Or even just write about PEOPLE we admire?

(And if you need help admiring someone, just spend some time on wikipedia learning about influential people in whatever interests you.  Like soccer, math, or bacon.  You will find lots of noteworthy people.)

And so...get ready for some posts in the near future about admirable people :)

And in the meantime...POWER TO THE PEOPLE, when we can lead and be led by men and women alike, and nobody has to wait for the Same Old White Guys to be first at everything.

archetypus

Have you ever gone to write a story, compose a song, draw a picture, or create something only to find that you're unable to make something novel?

What about romance novels?  If you've read one, you've read them all...same with listening to Taylor Swift songs.
(Please do not take the above statement and conclude that I am a reader of romance novels.  Or that I listen to Taylor Swift.  Because you would be sorely mistaken.)

But even good music and books and artwork isn't original.  No doubt you've been reading a book, and you've gotten to a certain point that has reminded you of another book you read once before.  I'm not saying that the entire book is unoriginal, but that there are pieces of it that are linked to pieces of other things.

Like a patchwork quilt.

Here is a scenario to illustrate this idea:

"I baked you a pie!"

"Oh boy, what flavor?"

"Universe flavor."

It's universe flavored because of this nifty quote I got from John Green: (not sure if he was quoting or not, though I think that is likely the case.)

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe."

We're constantly playing off and building from other people's ideas, discoveries, passions, and work in general.

Basically, nothing I post is my own...nothing is original, and it's better that way.  Because it makes us realize just how dependent we are on other humans.  Not only Copernican theory and Beethoven's Seventh and the Cartesian plane, but also Grandma's recipes and what your parents did in college and the fact that your big sister plays soccer.  But this is nice because we aren't constantly reinventing the wheel, and it promotes the unity and progression of humanity in general.  Which I guess is a nice side effect.

So yeah, all this time you've been reading a blog full of other people's ideas.  I've put my twist on them and presented them to you, and now they're your ideas too, and they belong to you just as much as did to me, and as much as they did to person before. (Sharing is caring!) So take them and run! And by run, I don't mean "flee from the law now that you've stolen other people's ideas", I mean take them somewhere new.  Share the things that you love and that impress you with people whom you love and who impress you.  Add a little bit of you to them. 

Ultimately, we'll end up with one huge conglomeration of the same story over and over, and it will be lovely.  We'll have invented the universe.

colegio

I was told on more than one occasion that success in college is really based only on how well you read, and how well you write.

Percentage of reading/writing/'rithmetic I have done in my classes this semester:

(formatted in a table for ease of understanding)

Class	Reading	Writing	‘Rithmetic
Conditioning	0	0	0
Chemistry	5	1	94
Chemistry Lab*	12	4	27
Calculus	10	-10	100
Physics	0	0	100
English	35	65	0
Weights	0	0	0
World Religions (institute) **	26	0	7

*The other 57% of the time is spent waiting for reactions or doing dishes.

** the remaining 67% of the time is spent praying, singing, or waiting for Brother Bateman to find the remote (in his pocket), his notes, or the word he's looking for.

As you can see, almost no time is actually spent reading.  And even less is spent writing.  High school was a lie.

Or engineering is just...not college?

Hm...time to approach this logically :D

College = reading and writing (according to high school claims)

reading and writing DNE engineering (DNE is math notation for "DOES NOT EQUAL)

therefore...

College DNE engineering!  

and we can assume that the converse is true, that engineering DNE college.

...how do I explain to my parents that I've been up here for nearly ten weeks now and haven't done much college at all?

census

Time for a quote:

"I don't know whether there is anything particularly exciting about the air in this particular part of Hertfordshire, but the number of engagements that go on seem to me to be considerably above the proper average that statistics have laid down for our guidance."

This is probably my favorite quote from Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, which is a wonderful piece of literature.  I wish I had written my AP essay on it, rather than Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, in which readers are thoroughly beaten by phrases including "heart", "darkness", and "heart of darkness".  But alas, I chose the latter.  It's okay, though, because I got a 5 on the test...

Back to statistics.

Statistics are fascinating "guidelines", as Lady Bracknell calls them, and I was just musing over how nifty it would be to have statistics on my blog here.  To see how many times I write the word "ten", for example.  Or the average number of links included in posts...

Of course, I'm able to see statistics about people viewing my blog, including where they're from and what browser they use.  I have a surprisingly large following from Brazil and Russia, for example.  And these statistics are intriguing...

Baugh.  Perhaps I should switch my major to Statistics.

Or, better yet, attend Brown University, meet Emma Watson, and take whatever classes I want, because Brown doesn't have a core curriculum, and if you don't know of a major you like, you can invent your own.

:D

Anyway.  I think I'm going to head off to the library and check out some Oscar Wilde books or something.

Statistics books, maybe.

. 

scriptor

Apparently I write a lot.

This was made known to me about a month ago.  I went to a party.  Everyone started playing video games, which we all know is the height of social interaction.  Especially when only four people can play at once.  Anyway, I was not amused by the video games, so I went upstairs and started writing stuff in a notebook I happened to have with me.  My excellent friend came to see what I was up to, and he notified me of the fact that I write a lot.  To be honest, this was news to me at the time because I had always been under the impression that I didn't write enough.  But I suppose his claim has some validity, because that notebook that I happened to have with me was really a notebook that accompanies me virtually everywhere...ha...

Anyway.  Perhaps a lot of this stemmed from my young desire to be a writer.  A lot of this developed during fifth and sixth grade...and then continued in seventh and eighth grade...but it was largely because I wanted to know lots of things, and I thought that writers knew lots of things, because they wrote about lots of things.  And they did research on lots of things, like Latin roots for Harry Potter spells and Greek mythology and all manner of interesting things.  So these people had to be quite knowledgeable on all things cool, right?  Why would I not want to be one?

Well, life continued, and right now I'm not planning on becoming a writer by profession.  The only reason I can think of as to why I lost that desire is because I had an English teacher in ninth grade that made writing things much more heinous of an activity than it had ever been.  Meanwhile, I had a math teacher that was making math much more exciting than it had ever been before, and since then I've been going down a math path, but still making rhymes sometimes to keep in touch with my inner writer.  

Although while I was cleaning out some old things in my room before moving out, I came upon several notebooks filled with writings from when I was going to be a writer.  It was rather impressive to see just how much I had written...but apparently not that impressive, because I ended up throwing all of it out.  Which most writers will tell you is a sin, but really...I hadn't looked at any of that stuff for ages, and none of it was that valuable to me anymore anyway because it was so old and I've changed so much since I wrote it and had those ideas...so I don't feel too bad.

I was planning on using this to lead into a different topic, but it kindof ran away from me and I don't want to make any single post too long because the attention span on the internet is not quite long enough to justify doing that. 

I have no idea where this post really went, or where it should go...

Ah well.  It happens to every writer.