Monday, October 31, 2005

House of Leaves, Take 4

It is time that I finish this book. It is the most horrific thing I have attempted to read thus far. The first three times I started it, I made it about 100 pages before the lonliness started to pull me in. Everytime I pick the book back up again I think the same thing to myself: it's just a book. I don't mean to go NeverEnding Story on your asses, but it somehow feels like so much more. Perhaps it is the time and effort you (as the reader) must commit to... the layout of the book itself becomes more and more non-linear as the pages turn. I have recommended this book to a number of people, most of whom have finished the book. I make yet another attempt to join their ranks. A book. About a house. Doesn't seem so intimidating now, does it?

Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves by Zampan'o with introduction and notes by Johnny Truant

"Years ago, when House of Leaves was first being passed around, it was nothing more than a badly bundled heap of paper, parts of which would occasionally surface on the Internet. No one could have anticipated the small but devoted following this terrifying story would soon command. Starting with an odd assortment of marginalized youth-musicians, tattoo artists, programmers, strippers, environmentalists, and adrenaline junkies-the book eventually made its way into the hands of older generations, who not only found themselves in those strangely arranged pages but also discovered a way back into the lives of their estranged children.
Now, for the first time, this astonishing novel is made available in book form, complete with the original colored words, vertical footnotes, and newly added second and third appendices.
The story remains unchanged, focusing on a young family that moves into a small home on Ash Tree Lane where they discover something terribly wrong: their house is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.
Of course, neither Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Will Navidson nor his companion Karen Green was prepared to face the consequences of that impossibility, until the day their two little children wandered off and their voices eerily bgan to return another story-of creature darkness, of an ever-growing abyss behind a closet door, and of that unholy growl which soon enough would tear through their walls and consume all of their dreams."

-From the inside cover of House of Leaves

Since I have no idea how to post specific things in a different color, I have italicized those items which appear blue in the book.

Anyways, let's hope my sanity does not wane in reading the book (again).

Wish me luck!
*Raevyn Mystique*

Friday, October 28, 2005

Mmmm... Alcohol

Thanks to my BFF for turning me back on to lame and time-consuming quizzes (hey, it passes the time, right?)








Bourbon
Congratulations! You're 106 proof, with specific scores in beer (40) , wine (66), and liquor (78).
Screw all that namby-pamby chick stuff, you're going straight for the bottle and a shot glass! It'll take more than a few shots of Wild Turkey or 99 Bananas before you start seeing pink elephants. You know how to handle your alcohol, and yourself at parties.







My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:



















free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 14% on proof





free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 63% on beer index





free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 74% on wine index





free online datingfree online dating
You scored higher than 76% on liquor index
Link: The Alcohol Knowledge Test written by hoppersplit on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

Thursday, October 27, 2005

Bored At Work (c/o My Sissy)

THIS IS THE NEW VERSION OF GETTING TO KNOW YOUR FRIENDS. YOU KNOW HOW THIS WORKS COPY & PASTE, ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS. SEND IT TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS

LETS BE HONEST NOW!

Last person who...

1. Slept in your bed: He who must not be mentioned. What’s done is done.
2. Saw you cry: I think it was Mario, actually! At Dave and Busters I decided it would be an awesome idea to have a nervous breakdown! Stupid quitting smoking!
3. Made you cry: Person, eh? That same stupid guy who last slept in my bed. We cried together, it was very sad and emotional and all that crap. Again with the “what’s done is done.”
4. You went to the movies with: I do believe that person is Simone – hooray for The Corpse Bride!
5. You went to the mall with: I can’t even think of the last time I went to the mall! It was prolly with my Mom.
6. One thing you could take back: Letting my heart get broken by the same guy on 4 separate occasions. Never again.

Have You Ever...

1. Said "I Love You" and meant it: A million times – I love a lot of people!
2. Gotten in a fight with your pet: Like a fist fight? No!
3. Been to California: I’m not even going to answer that, it’s a silly question really!
4. Been to Mexico: Not yet…
5. Been to China: Not one of those places that’s on my list, so no.
6.Been to Canada: In 1986 for the World’s Fair.
7. Been to Europe: For 3 weeks when I was a Sophomore/Junior in HS I traveled to France with my French class. C’est tres magnifique! That’s about all I can remember. That and Ou sont les toilettes? Haha. 15 and legal to drink? Of course I can’t remember!
8. Danced naked: Who hasn’t? Everything is more fun naked, hello!
9. Wish you were the opposite sex: Not really, I think girls are prettier (and I like the sex with the boys).

.........

1. Do you have a crush on someone: Yes, but I wish I could say no.
2. What book are you reading now: How To Study For The GREs
3. Worst feeling in the world: Hurting someone else. Especially when you’re consciously aware that you are doing it.
4. Future KIDS names: Like, goats? I’m not sure I want to have kids (unless you mean goats) – I sure don’t want to raise any little me’s, my parents did great, but I’m pretty sure I’d go crazy! I do like the name Alexander (ie, Xander) for a boy and something equally wacky like Zoey for a girl.
5. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal: A giant raccoon that was won at Dave and Busters on my 21st b-day. I think everyone contributed to the buying, I’m not too sure tho. I do know some people told me to pick something out and all I could see through the blurred dizziness was a giant raccoon. Good thing I like raccoons!
6. What's under your bed: Shhhh!
7. Favorite sport to watch: Poker Tourneys. Does that count? Ok, soccer.
8. Location: L’isle de Provence, France
9. Piercings/Tattoos: 10-ear, 1-bellybutton, 1 hole in my eyebrow, 1 hole in my tongue, 1 hole in my tragus (?), 1 tattoo on my lower back
10. Do you drink: I wish I drank more! But only if I wouldn’t become an alcoholic.
11. What are you most scared of: Not becoming an astrophysicist. I’m pretty sure that will kill me.
12. Where do you want to get married: On the beach would be nice.
13. Who do you really hate: Elizabeth. There, I said it. I hate her for what she did to me. And I don’t hate anyone. I wish I never met her. And I don’t regret anything.
14. Do you have a job: I'm at it right now, can't you tell how exciting it is? ß My sis wrote that and I’ll have to agree.
15. Do you like being around people: I s’pose it depends on the people. But generally, yes.
16. Have you ever liked someone you had no chance with: Yeah, and then he dumped me 4 times. He was that guy in high school that every girl dreams of. I guess I had a slight chance with him, but I wouldn’t say that it counts.
17. Have you ever cried: Not as much these days. Except during sad movies or nervous breakdowns. If you smoke, never quit. If you watch movies, don’t see House of Sand and Fog.
18. Are you lonely right now: No way!
19. Song that's stuck in your head a lot: Since the beginning of time? Prolly What’s Up by the Four Non Blondes (weird, right?) But recently? I’d have to go with Soul Meets Body by Death Cab For Cutie.

Have you:

1. Been in love: One time. He’s moving to Wyoming next month and I haven’t gone to see him since I found out. He was the love of my life and I lost him. We lost each other, really. But he makes an awesome best friend! He knows me better than anyone in the world.
2. Played strip poker: Oh yeah, all the time. That’s what happens when you run out of money.
3. Gotten beaten up: Physically, no. Emotionally, two times.
4. Pulled an all nighter: Those who know me will understand that I will refrain from answering this. I still will if sex is involved. Damn, was that out loud?
5. Been on radio/tv: Yes, when I was like 12 I thought it would be awesome to get on the radio so I requested songs virtually every day. Pretty sad.
6. Been in a mosh-pit: My first was the Beastie Boys when I was 13. Somehow I made it! Woo! Bring it on, baby!
7. Do you have any gay/lesbian friends: I surely do!

In the last 24 Hours have you...

1. Cried: Yep (see above answer regarding House of Sand and Fog)
2. Bought something: Dad’s rx, stuff to make cake for our work potluck tomorrow, Taco Bell.
4. Sang: If it’s a whisper-sing, then I am singing currently.
5. Been kissed: Unfortunately, no.
6. Had sex: Again with the unfortunate no.
7. Felt stupid: Nope.
8. Talked to an ex: No.
9. Missed someone: See above note regarding the love of my life.
10. Hugged someone: Yes! I had lunch with Josh yesterday!

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Why Is The Sky Blue?

Asking this question all throughout my life, it wasn't until within the last year that I finally got an answer that was satisfying! No other question is asked more frequently to shrugging parents who are lucky to know the basic idea behind Rayleigh Scattering (see also the Tyndall Effect).

The basic idea is that on a nice and clear day, the sky appears blue because nitrogen and oxygen molecules in the air scatter blue light from the sun more than they scatter the red light. Similarly, during a sunset we see mostly reds and oranges because the blue light is scattered away from sight.

Ok so this is all fine and dandy and enlightening - whatever. But it leaves a little to be desired. So yay for electromagnetism! Who ever said I learned nothing from that class? Right, that would be me, but lookie here!

It is the sharp frequency dependence of the power formula that accounts for the blueness of the sky (FYI: I would include actual equations here if I had the slightest idea how to type them in the blog - sorry folks... suffice it to say that the total power radiated is directly proportional to the fourth power of omega/frequency). Sunlight passing through the earth's atmosphere stimulates atoms to oscillate as tiny dipoles. Although the incident solar radiation covers a broad range of frequencies (the sun acts as a blackbody radiator - ie, sunlight is categorized as white light), the energy that is absorbed and reradiated by the atmospheric dipoles is stronger at the higher frequencies (because of that w^4 previously mentioned). This basically means that it is more intense in the blue than in the red (since blue light has a shorter wavelength and thusly a higher frequency/energy than red light). It is this reradiated light that you see when you look up in the sky.

For sunsets, the light comes in at a tangent to the surface of the earth and so must pass through a larger area of the atmosphere than the light oming in from overhead. So in a simila argument to mine above, much of the blue has been removed by scattering and what is leftover is red.

Damn, I need to go back to school. This shit is way too interesting to be writing in a blog (esp when y'all prolly don't even care).

Happy physics-ing!

*~*Raevyn Mystique~*~

(with much help from Dr. Weston and Griffiths Electromagnetism)

Does It work Now?

You know me... I love to be owned!
Ok for a test, we shall submit a list of cds that I seriously need to invest in OR ELSE! (In no particular order)
Depeche Mode - The Singles 81-85
Depeche Mode - Speak and Spell
Depeche Mode - Catching Up With Depeche Mode
The Cure - Japanese Whispers
Death Cab For Cutie
System of a Down (November) - Hypnotize (?)
Daft Punk - Human After All
Ozo Motley
Nina Simone
Orbital - (the one with Halcyon)
Erasure - Pop! The First 20 Hits
OMD
The Pixies
Skankin' Pickle - Skankin' Pickle Fever (someone somewhere in Chico ended up with this one)
Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (see above note re: Chico)
Sublime - 40 oz to Freedom (I'm pretty sure Jordan stole this from me)
Flogging Molly
Bjork
Ok, enough is enough! I can obviously go on forever.
This was just a test. (I know it says the other one was just a test but shhh)

Testing, testing, 1...2...3...

Anyone out there?