Notes From The Hole

Bonus Points

2008-05-16T00:31:00.003-04:00

Bonus Points to my thesis director for being nice enough to tell me she wouldn't contact me till tomorrow evening. I can at least avoid the "gotta check email again" feeling until 8ish tomorrow.

Some Refreshing News

2008-05-14T11:17:00.003-04:00

"Vatican: It's OK to believe in aliens"

Ok, American Protestants, the Catholics are making you look stupid now. When the Catholic Church says something, it usually means the REST OF US figured it our 200-400 years ago.

"How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part of creation." In the interview by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes said that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom, he said.

And even better...

Funes said science, especially astronomy, does not contradict religion, touching on a theme of Pope Benedict XVI, who has made exploring the relationship between faith and reason a key aspect of his papacy. The Bible "is not a science book," Funes said, adding that he believes the Big Bang theory is the most "reasonable" explanation for the creation of the universe. The theory says the universe began billions of years ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all matter. But he said he continues to believe that "God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the result of chance."

Science and Religion are compatible, you bible thumping piles of entrails! Realize this please!

-twitch-

2008-05-13T22:21:00.002-04:00

I find out Friday if I defend Monday.

Thesis

2008-05-12T17:43:00.000-04:00

Tentative defense date is Monday (A week from today) - I still do not know if I will be defending then. And probably will not know until Friday.

-cry-

More In: We needed a test for this?

2008-05-10T23:28:00.001-04:00

What kind of poison is your personality?

Strychnine

Found in countless species of plants, your power is vast, quick, and powerful. Entire armies have been defeated once you've laced their drinking water. Your calling card is most violent, usually causing painful convulsions that affect the entire body which can last for days until you finally tire of your victim. Death is long and drawn out as you walk away leaving them breathless and gasping.

Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

The Empire Fell

2008-05-01T17:24:00.003-04:00

When the cities stand empty
And the deer shop at Costco
And the coyotes have learned
How to open tin cans

The sky burns a clear blue
And there are no contrails
And the rain has washed
The clouds clean again

Small towns huddle in valleys
And cheese is fresh now
And the farms are no larger
Than a man can plow

Chickens in the streets wander
And children laugh together
And someone made a puppet
with Ipod headphone strings

The old people remember
And talk about the old days
And ask one another as they meet
who were you before

A Request

2008-04-30T10:36:00.002-04:00

Is anyone out there willing to read 86 pages of Enlightenment Period political philosophy? I need a reader for my thesis, someone who has not seen it at all, who is willing to edit it for both content and style. Familiarity with the topics not necessary.

To put this more fangirly - Help! Need beta for Kant x Jefferson PoliSci Fic. (Yes, I really did just put that mental image in your head, and yes, Kant is SO the top in that.

Furs + Lasers + Portals = AWESOME

2008-04-28T23:35:00.000-04:00

More in: We needed a test to know this?

2008-04-23T21:36:00.001-04:00

My Personality


Neuroticism	99
Extraversion	63
Openness to Experience	82
Agreeableness	1
Conscientiousness	41

You are not generally self conscious about yourself, however you feel strong cravings and urges that you have difficulty resisting. You tend to prefer short-term pleasures and rewards over long-term consequences. You tend not to talk much and prefer to let others control the activities of groups. You tend not to express your emotions openly and are sometimes not even aware of your own feelings. You will help others if they are in need. If people ask for too much of your time you feel that they are imposing on you, however you feel superior to those around you and sometimes tend to be seen as arrogant by other people. You strive hard to achieve excellence. Your drive to be recognized as successful keeps you on track toward your lofty goals. You often have a strong sense of direction in life, but may sometimes be too single-minded and obsessed with your work.

Take a Personality Test now or view the full Personality Report.

The best ugg Boots.

Sigh

2008-04-23T18:24:00.002-04:00

depressed at the moment. Someone said exactly the wrong thing to me, and its both pissed me off and made me feel like crap. You know, when someone is happy about an accomplishment, don't bitch that you'll never get that, and then say that their hopes aren't realizable. Just shut up and be happy for them.

Sent from my iPhone

Yup. This about sums it up.

2008-04-23T08:57:00.000-04:00

Sick tentacles

2008-04-22T09:48:00.004-04:00

One antibiotic, one cough pill (the weird round one), two nerve pain pills, two vitamin c, one Lysine, one CoQ10, one Valerian - all in addition to the handfull I already take. Damn it.

Meh.

2008-04-21T13:40:00.001-04:00

I had planned to work on my thesis after class today. Its not happening. I need to go home and sleep.

OH-EM-GE

2008-04-20T23:13:00.001-04:00

There is currently a tentative defense date being thrown around for my thesis.

Usually, this would go in the quote file but...

2008-04-19T20:04:00.000-04:00

Because people no longer respect linguistic purity and think it's just fine and dandy to go slapping Latin prefixes onto Greek words and that nobody will get hurt by these chimeric atrocities of modern language! Well I'm telling you, you're wrong! Wrong, I say! Someday the OED will be back to bite you in the ass and I tell you, that sucker is BIG and MEAN and out to get you and all your little ungrammatical punk friends. I mean, really, the language young people are using today.

omuse

Call to all readers

2008-04-16T21:13:00.003-04:00

Does anyone know, or know of, a Reiki practitioner in Atlanta (north side preferable), preferably either female or young male?

Please email me if you do

Right In Time for The Stats lecture

2008-04-09T22:19:00.000-04:00

Test

2008-04-09T19:19:00.001-04:00

Test

23

2008-04-09T14:26:00.006-04:00

This keeps popping up in my conversations, so I need to talk about this. Humans are XX/XY sex determining based on the last pair of chromosomes at the most basic level. This is one of four known mechanisms for chromosomal sexual determination. There are multiple non-chromosomal mechanisms, as well as a number of non genetic sex determinations even in things with chromosomal determination.

We learn in grade school, at least I did, that XY is male, and XX is female. And that's that. But on the genetic level, its not that simple.

Base Male - 46,XY

Base Female - 46,XX

Klinefelter's syndrome (47,XXY) - Male
Klinefelter's syndrome is caused by the presence of one or more extra copies of the X chromosome in a male's cells. Most identified cases of Klinefelter's are individuals with only one extra copy of the X, however, there are some cases with 4+ duplicates (48,XXXY or 49,XXXXY). These variations are found throughout all cells in the body.
Very rarely, there are some individuals who are 48,XXYY.
Affected individuals are physiologically male, but have decreased testosterone production, non functioning or poorly functioning testicles, and other sexual developmental problems.

47, XYY syndrome - Male
Most often, the extra Y chromosome causes no unusual physical features or medical problems. 47,XYY boys have an increased growth velocity during earliest childhood, with an average final height approximately 7 cm above expected final height.47,XYY boys have an increased risk of learning difficulties (in up to 50%) and delayed speech and language skills. Testosterone levels (prenatally and postnatally) are normal in 47,XYY males, and individuals usually have normal sexual development and normal fertility.

Trisomy X (47,XXX) - Female
Affects 1 out of every 1000 female births. Due to inactivation and formation of a Barr body in all female cells, only one X chromosome is active at any time in a female cell. Thus, triple X syndrome most often causes no unusual physical features or medical problems. Females with the condition are usually taller than average, and their weight may be low in comparison to their height. They may have menstrual irregularities, and, although rarely exhibiting severe mental impairments, have an increased risk of learning disabilities, delayed speech, and language skills.

Monosomy (45,X) - Female
Also known as Turner Syndrome. Affects 1 out of every 2500 female births. Associated symptoms include short stature, broad chest, low set ears, sterility, under developed sexual organs, increased weight, shortened metacarpal IV (hand), horseshoe kidneys, and visual impairments. approximately 98% of all Turner Syndrome pregnancies will spontaneously abort, and accounts for 10% of all spontaneous abortions in the US. Cardiovascular malformations are the primary health concern for surviving births.

XX Male (46,XX) - Male
Also called de la Chapelle syndrome. Symptoms include small testes, gynecomastia and sterility. Many males with this condition also have effeminate characteristics. This variation is very poorly studied.

Rare XXX+ - Female
Possibly the rarest variation, there are 25 females currently identified with this variation. XXXXX syndrome is associated with microcephaly, micrognathia, and round face. The ears are generally low-set and malformed. Eyes are upslanting and show palpebral fissures, hypertelorism, and strabismus.The hands and feet are small with overlapping toes, camptodactyly, clinodactyly, talipes equinovarus, and metatarsus varus. Heart deformities are common. XXXXX syndrome affects mental, growth, and motor retardation. There is occasional delayed puberty. Behavior and performance is affected by Opisthotonoid posture. The 'Rule of thumb' states that there will be a 10 to 15 IQ point decrease for each extra X chromosome. Thus, the range of IQ points would be 70 to 55.

What this shows, I think, is that we can realistically name four to five normal human genetic sexes: xx, xy, xyy, xxx, and xx (male). The remaining variations are clearly unstable variants, especially xxy and xxx+. However, increasingly Turner Syndrome females are more fertile, and able to produce children, as well as surviving and living close to normal lives. This alone shows that the X variation is possibly stable.

A New Meme

2008-03-31T13:37:00.002-04:00

Something stuck me while walking to class. So here is a new meme - for those who read this, take this, and repeat for yourself.

Seven things I have felt / experienced that the majority of the world will never share

1) I know what it is like to be out of mana.

2) I have huggled a tarutaru.

3) I have stood in the Forum of Rome.

4) I have read something in Latin for pleasure.

5) I have enjoyed the process of research for itself as an end.

6) I have had a conversation with a house cat.

7) I know the fun of browsing through a used bookstore for nothing in particular.

If you meet the Buddha...

2008-03-27T21:20:00.000-04:00

Give him a doggy treat.
Picture

Its a MMORPG!

2008-03-27T19:26:00.002-04:00

While it becomes quickly obvious that The Witcher is a PC exclusive game which are typically designed to be as complex and unintuitive as possible so that those dirty console playing peasants don't ruin it for the glorious PC gaming master race.

In Soviet Russia, Thesis Works on You!

2008-03-09T05:39:00.001-04:00

Mostly complete (short an introduction and some bits of the conclusion and a few citations) draft of thesis sent to director.

Thoughts: Thomas Jefferson had a time machine, and Kant needed a change of pace.

Well, if you calculate in time deflation....

2008-03-06T20:52:00.000-05:00

"It astonishes me to find... [that so many] of our countrymen... should be contented to live under a system which leaves to their governors the power of taking from them the trial by jury in civil cases, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of commerce, the habeas corpus laws, and of yoking them with a standing army. This is a degeneracy in the principles of liberty... which I [would not have expected for at least] four centuries." --Thomas Jefferson to William Stephens Smith, 1788. (*) FE 5:3

Excuse me while I go sharpen my forks...

2008-03-06T15:24:00.001-05:00

Snake robots can use their many internal degrees of freedom to thread through tightly packed volumes and access locations that people and machinery otherwise cannot. These highly articulated devices can coordinate their internal degrees of freedom to perform a variety of locomotive gaits that go beyond the capabilities of conventional wheeled and legged robots. The true power of these devices is their versatility; they can crawl, climb, swim, and scale flights of stairs.

Copyright 2008 Biorobotics Lab, Carnegie Mellon University. All Rights Reserved. http://www.modsnake.com/

My response: "This is interesting... oh cool... cool... OMG WTF... KILL IT.... KILL IT WITH FIRE.... KILL IT WITH FIRE AND EM."