Rat in a Cage

So yesterday I figured out that if I write a half-page of that ridiculously long paper for physics every day, it will be done before I need to turn it in. I forgot to factor in that today, February 28, is the last day of the month. That February is a trickster, but I'll still finish my paper the day before it is due by doing a half a page every day, so now it's not nearly as daunting, and with Chicago style notations, I'll have footnotes taking up some extra space at the bottom of each page, so it should be a piece of cake.

So after completing my half page and feeling pretty good about myself, and before catching up on TV shows, I stumbled upon (stumble uponned?), used Stumble Upon a couple of times.  I found a pretty fascinating and surprisingly intellectual yet humorous article on cracked.com.  It was about the techniques that video games use to get people addicted.  One of the things that they pointed out is that most video games are like virtual Skinner boxes.  The rewards aren't real but our brains react to them like they are.  Lots of games have people sitting and doing the same thing over and over until they get a reward.  Well, it got me thinking that this technique should be applied to people's jobs to a greater extent than getting a raise or a promotion.  If you work hard enough, your boss will buy you lunch or something. I haven't really figured out the exact details, but it just made me think that if someone will sit for hours clicking something repeatedly or whatever when they don't even have to, in order to get some reward that isn't tangible, it makes sense that when people have to repeat the same tasks over and over again at their job, then applying the same sort of reward system only with a tangible reward will make people want to keep working so they can get the next reward.  I employ the same technique when I'm studying. I'll tell myself that after I do a certain amount of work or work for some amount of time, then I can watch some tv or something.

So it's really not the different from what Nirvana says, "Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage." Despite all our brains, we are still just rats in Skinner boxes.

Cookies for Breakfast

Because who doesn't love cookies? I'm not talking about eating Cookie Crisp either, although that cereal is fantastic. I'm talking about straight up cookies that aren't trying to pass themselves off as cereal. E.L. Fudge cookies from Keebler to be exact. They're delicious and they go great with Snapple Lemon Tea.

So unfortunately yesterday was woefully unproductive. I got nothing done. I didn't even open a Word document and put my name on it, much less actually start writing the paper. So today I am going to be remarkably productive even if it kills me, which it shouldn't. I have those virtual sticky notes all over my computer telling me to be productive and write my paper. Virtual sticky notes are great because it's all the reminderness of real sticky notes without the pesky adhesive on your computer screen. Spellcheck is telling me that reminderness is not a word, like I don't know that. Well guess what spellcheck, I invent words like fripperous and reminderness, so you can just deal with it. So I'm off to conquer, or last start to conquer this ridiculous paper. Wish me luck.

So I think I'm a little late on this whole celebrity look-alike thing but I did it anyway, and check out the results!

I guess I look like Emma Watson, but there's also two men. Take that as you will.

Here's another one, because this is really fun.

So 71% Emma Watson but also 71% Marcus Schenkenberg. Hmmm.

This one is the best one yet. Hilarious.

So when they first do it, they give you 10 options and you can pick which 5 you want. Well on this one, 7 out of 10 were men, and 5 out of 10 were old balding men, but Steve Vai's pretty cool, so at least there's that.

 

Bahahaha, they think I look like Rick James and Frankie Muniz. Yes, I do realize that these are all men. I guess I look like a guy? And I'm even wearing makeup in this one so who knows?

I'm not addicted, I swear. I can stop whenever I want to. I just don't want to yet!

I would stop, but they just keep getting better. Exhibit A:

I look like Vin Diesel! Funny, I don't see the resemblance. But hey, I got Lauren Graham and she's cool. She plays Lorelai on Gilmore Girls and she's really pretty too.

 

I think that it's plain to see from this one why I couldn't stop yet. Seriously, all 5 of them are pretty astounding. And Mother Teresa, what? Seriously? I think it's because I'm wearing a hat. But 72%? I think I look more like Emma Watson than Mother Teresa, personally. At any rate, this is the 2nd time I've gotten Ashley Tisdale as well as the second time I got Bam Margera.

Don't worry, that was the last one. It was pretty fun though and told me that I'm either pretty, old, or a man. Good to know, I suppose.

I Can Has Internetz!

I really have no idea why I decided to title this post like I'm an LOLcat but I did, so deal with it. My neighbors graciously shared their internet network password with me, so I have internet access again. Yay!  But for some reason it still won't work on my full sized computer so I have to use my little baby laptop. But it's alright, because I recently downloaded free antivirus for the baby laptop courtesy of my school.  The major downside to these mini laptops is the disturbing lack of a disk drive. Luckily for me, I can find downloads of the things I need for free on the Internet, mostly through my school.

While I have been away, I finished reading two books. They were really really really really good. Then I realized that I have now read all of my books :( So I need to find some book swap buddies pronto. I can reread my books, but I've read all of them relatively recently and I like to forget what happens in them a little bit before I read them again.  So now I have a book wishlist: anything ever written by James Patterson, because he is an amazing writer, specifically the first book in the Women's Murder Club series, since I just finished the second two, also Fang, the latest book in the Maximum Ride series, then I want the third book in the Dean Koontz Frankenstein trilogy since the second one ends in a complete cliffhanger and I NEED to know what happens next.

In other news, I have a new favorite flavor of ice cream. Haagen Dazs came out with a few new flavors: chai latte, blueberry crumble, and caramel apple.  They're all pretty good but the caramel apple is amazing! I would marry this ice cream if I could.  I got some edamame today. I think that it's like baby soybeans. I used to eat this stuff for snacks when I was a kid and I loved it.

We have really nice weather again today. My room is the perfect temperature with both the window and the door open. And now I'm going to go conquer this physics paper. Well at least start to conquer it anyway.Have a good weekend everyone!

My Recent Absence

Hey everyone, my Internet hates me. Actually, I don't think that anyone who lives on my floor has working internet. Anyway, that's why I haven't posted anything for a couple of days. In case anyone was worried, I just thought I'd let you all know that I'm not dead. I'll probably be ignoring you all again for a while, since I have to write that paper for my physics class. I had my last midterm today and it's been snowing again. I really don't think I did very well on my midterm, but I did alright on the first one and they only keep the best score so that's good.  So I have to go write my physics paper now, since it's at least 6 pages single spaced. Thankfully, parkour is really interesting so it won't suck quite so much. Bye for who knows how long.